Persona 6: REM

Chapters

9/2
9/3
9/4
9/5
9/6
9/7
9/8
9/9
9/10
9/11, 9/12
9/13
9/14, 9/15
9/16
9/17, 9/18, 9/19, 9/20
9/21
9/22
9/23
9/24
9/26, 9/27
9/28
9/29
9/30, 10/1, 10/2
10/3
10/4
10/5
10/6
10/7
10/8
10/9, 10/10
10/11
10/12
10/13
10/14
10/15
10/16
10/17
10/18, 10/19
10/23, 10/24
10/25
10/26
10/27, 10/28
10/29
10/30
11/1
11/2
11/3
11/4
11/5
11/6
11/7
11/8
11/9
11/10
11/11
Prologue
9/25
10/20, 10/21, 10/22
10/31

9/2

Something has gone wrong. We don't seem to have an archived copy of that chapter.

9/3

Author's Note

I apologize for the length of this chapter. There's a lot to cover in this entry though. Hey, at least now you know I'm serious about being back, right? :twilightsheepish:

*Not to be confused with the Persona 5 character of the same name.

9/3

Starlight remembered this song… but where…? So sad… yet empowering too…

Right… when she was in that room… with…

Starlight opened her eyes suddenly, and found that she was in a familiar place, one that she’d been waiting to come back to. Just like 6 months ago, she was in a large dark blue office/elevator, and just as it was then two figures were before her. A man with long silver hair and yellow eyes, and the other being a man in a nice suit with a balding head, blood shot eyes, the longest nose ever (she wondered if it would hurt his feelings if she noticed it) and the creepiest smile that was somehow reassuring at the same time.

“Welcome, to the Velvet Room,” Igor said to Starlight, just like when they met the first time. At first she wondered if he remembered her, but he then gave a light hearted chuckle, “You took a much more typical means of coming here this time, but most reserve this for their first trip, not their second. How have you been, Miss Glimmer?”

He… remembered her? Starlight was overcome with emotion that she didn’t even understand. All of a sudden, she couldn’t hold in her tears. She remembered that this place was safe, and suddenly she felt that this might have been the safest place in the whole world.

“You came…” Starlight sobbed, eyes down toward her lap, “Just like you said… you came to help me.”

“Of course I did,” Igor said, “You signed the contract, thus you and I are now partners. Besides, you are still the most intriguing guest I’ve seen in a long time.”

“Master, may I?” Victor said, Igor nodding to him, “We felt you close by, and the Master requested that I bring you to this space so you could gather yourself. He has truly taken an invested interest in you.”

Starlight was really touched to hear that. While she did get the sense she wasn’t the first person to be in this room, nor would she be the last, from what Victor said it sounded like Igor was taking a much more hands on approach to her than his other guests. Was she special or something? Also, what did they mean that she was close by?

“How close to this place was I?” Starlight asked after calming down.

“Do you remember what I told you before?” Igor asked, “This place exists between dream and reality, mind and matter. Most of my guests enter this room either from special places I designate for safe entry, or from within their dreams. The latter is easier, and is how I typically summon someone when I have need to.

“You have learned how to enter and exit the dreamscape at will, through the use of your Channeling Ring. It’s highly possible you would have eventually found this place again on your own had you searched the dream realm enough,” Igor gave another jovial chuckle, “That would have been truly interesting to see.”

He must really find humans fascinating, Starlight thought to herself. It was like nothing phased him at all. Anything that would have essentially “rocked the boat” was counted as yet another new experience to learn from. That was a mindset that a lot of people could learn from.

“Thank you for saving me again…” Starlight said looking down, her thoughts now going to her roommate. On instinct she tightened her fists on her lap, and felt another wave of tears forming, this time not of relief or happiness though.

“You’re worried about your friend, aren’t you?” Igor said, his voice gentle and understanding, “You have nothing to regret. That situation caught you off guard. Anyone would have run away had they been in the same position.”

He was talking about Beatrix. They weren’t exactly friends yet, and Beatrix was determined to push her away, but that didn’t matter to Starlight too much right now.

“Is she… going to be okay?” Starlight asked Igor. The way he closed his eyes and looked down, his hands completely covered his mouth, which gave him a shockingly grave expression.

“For the time being, yes, she will live. But I will not mince words with you, Miss Glimmer. If nothing is done for her soon, she will die.”

Starlight’s eyes widened in horror. Her heart was racing at the thought of her roommate dying due to-

Due to a dream…

“Oh no…” Starlight said, breathing a bit heavier as the realization came over her, accompanied by a truly existential fear, “She’s… she can’t be…”

“Your friend’s heart is trapped in a nightmare of her own making, one that she doesn’t have the strength to escape from alone,” Igor explained, “These prisons of the heart we’ve taken to calling them “Dungeons”.”

Dungeons? That sounded really ominous from the name alone.

“The heart is the source of all dreams,” Victor explained, “Most believe that they come from the mind, but in reality it is the state of one’s heart and emotions that give form to their dreams.”

“Naturally, this is also where nightmares come from,” Igor added, “When one’s heart is in turmoil, it is reflected in their dreams as such. One could say that dreams reflect the way one views their reality.”

Starlight nodded, somehow making sense of all of this.

“So from there,” Igor continued, “What do you think would happen to someone who’s reality has become more of a prison? One that they truly have accepted they can’t escape from.”

If someone viewed their reality as a prison, one that they had no escape from, then that would manifest in their dreams as well. Probably as a terrible nightmare also with no escape. But… would that be enough for them to become literally trapped in their own dream?

“Your confusion is understandable,” Igor continued, “While nightmares are common, and at times necessary, what’s happening to your friend is not natural. Her life is truly in grave danger.”

HELP ME! PLEASE!

NO! DON’T LET ME LEAVE! YOU HAVE TO STOP ME!

Starlight started trembling. She didn’t know for sure, but she had this terrible feeling. Like… like Beatrix’s heart was screaming for help, and that she had been the one to hear it.

Possibly the only one too…

“She wants me to save her…” Starlight said, looking down at her lap.

“Do you wish to save your friend?” Igor asked.

She nodded, saying that she did want to save Beatrix. But… what could she do? She didn’t have any power! Yes, she had a few magic abilities, but none of them were good for fighting, and there was an entire army of monsters in there! She was just one girl! What could she…?

“It’s okay that you’re afraid,” Igor said comfortingly, “Acknowledging one’s fear is the first step to overcoming it. However… I’m afraid that you’re wrong about not having any power.”

Wait… what?

“I’ve seen many guests in my time, young men and women much like yourself. They find themselves in a situation where they need power, and call on the strength of their own heart. When they do, that power answers their call and takes form,” Igor adjusted his hands, “The fact that you’re here in this room is evidence enough that you have the same power.”

“Master, if I may?” Victor asked before speaking, “When you saw the state of your friends heart, did you hear a voice that sounded much like your own?”

Starlight nodded, remembering that dark, almost hate filled voice. It sounded almost exactly like her own voice, but she’d never say or think anything like that… would she?

“You have nothing to fear,” Victor continued, “That voice was your inner self. A side of you that you lock away, but still you fundamentally.”

“The power is within you,” Igor continued, “When you need it, it will be available to you. When you call for it, It will answer you. For now though, return to the waking world. Do not fret, and do not let the worry of your friend weigh you down. Take this day to decide what you will do. The answer you seek may come from an unlikely source, but it will fill you with the courage you need to face your inner self. Until then.”

With that, Starlight’s vision became wavy, and the Velvet Room faded away, as if it was never there to begin with.

end song

September 3rd, 2019
Monday
Sunny

Morning

Starlight opened her eyes again, this time in a soft bed. She sat up and stretched, thinking back to the dream that she had last night. To call it a dream wasn’t entirely accurate though. It was a nightmare. Beatrix’s nightmare.

Beatrix…

Starlight turned to the other bed, where she saw her roommate stir a bit before slowly opening her eyes. As Beatrix sat up in her bed, Starlight’s eyes fell to her back, which had red marks on it. She gasped before she could stop herself, catching her standoffish roommate’s attention.

“What are you looking at?” Beatrix asked harshly. As usual, Starlight lost her voice whenever Beatrix took that tone, “God, you’re so fucking weird.”

“Um!” Starlight called out as Beatrix rose from her bed, “Y-you’re back… it’s um…”

Beatrix gasped ant turned back to Starlight, glaring at her angrily, “Mind your own damn business!” with that she rushed out of the room, rushing into the bathroom. Starlight looked down at her lap biting her lip. Maybe she could have done something back there. Instead, she just ran away and abandoned her.

She felt like a terrible person.

play song

Beatrix finished her shower first, but then rushed out of the dorm before anyone could say anything. As such, Starlight probably wouldn’t see her again till later. As she trudged downstairs into the living room however, she saw Pinkie Pie standing by the couch with another girl. This girl had straight rainbow colored hair that fell down to her waist, piercing magenta eyes, and a more lean and athletic build. She was wearing a denim jacket, rainbow colored blouse, denim skirt, black leggings, white socks, and red and white sneakers. She wore a touch of lip gloss, but that was it for make-up.

“Starlight! Perfect timing!” Pinkie Pie called to her, “This is my bestie and roommate, Rainbow Dash. Dashie, this is the girl I told you about, Starlight Glimmer.”

“Nice to meet ya,” Rainbow Dash said, walking over to Starlight and holding out her hand. Starlight shook it, internally relieved to not get any strange energies from her. She seemed perfectly normal. Realizing that, she relaxed as much as she could.

“It’s nice to meet you too,” Starlight said with a somber smile, hoping it would hide how down she was. No such luck, sadly.

“Let me guess, roommate’s being a cunt?” Rainbow Dash asked with a sigh, “Yeah, I’m not surprised. Shame too, because she used to be really nice.”

“I told her yesterday,” Pinkie Pie said joining them, “She really changed after she and Blueblood started going out. Hey Dashie, do you think the rumors are true?”

“About her and Blueblood? I dunno. She keeps insisting they’re not, and I don’t see her staying with him if they were.”

Rumors? What rumors? And who was Blueblood? Before Starlight could ask them, Rainbow Dash looked at her phone.

“Shit, we gotta jet if we’re going to make it on time. Hey, let’s meet up after school to get to know each other. Sound good?” she asked Starlight, who nodded with a smile, “Great. Let’s go Pinkie Pie.”

“See ya Starlight,” Pinkie Pie said walking to the door. She then stopped and turned to Starlight, “Oh, Ms. Tia wanted to see you you in the dining room before taking you to school herself. It’s through the door on the right in the kitchen.”

Starlight thanked Pinkie Pie before she left, and began making her way to the kitchen. She wasn’t expecting to see Celestia so soon, but when she went into the kitchen, she saw the mysterious woman sitting at the table, once again as if waiting for her.

Why did she always feel like crying when she saw this woman?

play song

“Hello again, Starlight,” Celestia said smiling right at Starlight, “Did you sleep well?”

Starlight tried to brush it off, but something about this woman made Starlight feel like she should be honest with her, at least a little.

“I… did have a strange dream, but it’s okay,” Starlight said looking away from Celestia. Celestia then rose from her chair, walked over to Starlight, and wrapped her arms around her in a truly maternal embrace.

“Remember what I told you yesterday,” Celestia said gently, “Don’t just think of me as your homeroom teacher. I’m here for you, so if you need anything at all, don’t hesitate to talk to me.”

Starlight nodded, and found herself wrapping her arms around Celestia much like she would have her own mother. She didn’t know why she did that, but with how Celestia tightened the embrace, she got the feeling she didn’t mind.

It was almost like she was actually trying to comfort her.

“I’ve made breakfast,” Celestia said looking at Starlight with a comforting smile and stroking her face lovingly, “Would you like to eat something before we go to school?”

Starlight nodded wordlessly. Celestia released Starlight and began walking toward the dining room. Starlight placed a hand on her heart, unsure why this woman affected her so much. Then again, it had been a while since she had that maternal embrace. Maybe that’s all this was.

Still, Celestia felt so much like her mother it hurt.

When she went into the dining room, she was greeted with an assortment of different breakfast dishes, way more than Starlight thought she’d see. Pancakes, eggs, bacon, hash browns, sausages, anything you could think of what there. Did Celestia cook all of this herself?

“You seem surprised,” Celestia said mirthfully, “I know it’s a lot, but once I get started in the kitchen I just can’t stop myself. I find it relaxing,” she then placed a hand on Starlight’s back, making the teen suck in a breath, “Don’t be shy. Take as much or as little as you want. Anything else you don’t eat will be donated to a nearby homeless shelter, so nothing will go to waste.”

“Thank you,” Starlight said, walking over to the table and filling the plate with a bit of everything. As she sat down and tried the eggs, she was amazed by how vibrant the taste was. It was like she was eating the food of the Gods.

Pinkie Pie wasn’t lying when she said that Celestia was a fantastic cook.

As Starlight began eating, Celestia sat down next to her. For a few seconds to a minute she just looked at Starlight both curiously and comfortingly. She broke the silence before Starlight could ask her if something was wrong.

“Your records said that you were in the hospital till a few days ago,” Celestia said, “It’s up to you if you want to tell me, but I am curious what sent you there”

Starlight swallowed the mouthful of food and looked down silently. She figured it was only fair that she know, being her homeroom teacher and headmistress of her dorm, after all.

“I… Six months ago I tried to take my own life,” Starlight said softly, “My mother was in an accident. She died almost immediately. I was so broken that I lost all will to live. If… someone hadn’t come to my aid right then and there, I would have given up on everything.”

“You found the will to live, something strong enough to pull you back from the abyss,” Celestia reasoned, placing a hand over her heart.

“Y-yeah…” Starlight turned away blushing in embarrassment, “It’s kind of embarrassing, but…”

“I assure you, there’s nothing you could say that would turn me away,” Celestia said, taking Starlight’s hand and squeezing it, “Tell me. What was it that you held onto?”

She could tell her. Somehow Starlight just knew, she could trust Celestia with her dream.

“It… was magic,” Starlight answered, “My dream is to become a witch, and well, on that day… I learned that magic is real.”

Whereas most laughed at Starlight when she said that, Celestia’s smile widened, as if she were proud of her.

“That it is,” Celestia said, “Your belief must be really strong if it kept you alive when most would have died. You have nothing to be ashamed of, honey. If you believe that strongly, you should embrace it.”

Embrace it? Suddenly her thoughts went back to what Igor and Victor told her in the Velvet Room. She had a great power within her. Did that mean… she already had magic? Sure, she believed in magic as much as she believed in oxygen and gravity, but had she truly embraced that belief?

And if she did, would she have been able to save Beatrix?

Starlight continued eating her breakfast, thinking hard about what Celestia told her. All the while, Celestia stayed by her side, looking at her adoringly. Oddly, the more she was there, the less Starlight minded.

end song

Day time

Celestia took Starlight to her car, where they rode in silence to her new school. She thought about asking Celestia about Beatrix, but until she knew more about the situation she didn’t want to put her roommate’s business out there. Honestly, she still didn’t even know what she could say to her?

After a short car ride, Starlight saw their destination in the distance. It was a large white building shaped almost like a castle, with blue roofs, fancy windows, and a large courtyard. Starlight couldn’t help herself. She smiled brightly looking up at the magnificent building.

Celestia giggled, “I take it you like what you see?” she asked, Starlight nodding as a response. She never let her eyes leave the building before her. When the car was parked, Starlight stepped out of the car and looked up at the large castle shaped building before her.

She finally came home.

“Welcome Starlight Glimmer, to Canterlot Academy,” Celestia said, placing her hands on Starlight’s shoulders and smiling lovingly. It was almost like this was a gift to her. It might has well have been.

As Starlight walked into the building, she felt like she was walking into Hogwarts or some other magical school.

play song

The interior was such a typical high school, with walls lined with purple lockers, plenty of classrooms and other offices, yet that didn’t take away from the magical feel of the school. In fact, it almost felt more magical. Maybe it was the red and golden carpet on the floor that gave it that magical feel though.

This place had to have been expensive to build.

“This is known as the best school in the city,” Celestia said, clearly proud to work here, “It’s not perfect, but for many of the students here, it’s home. Tell me, do you feel that yourself?”

Starlight nodded, looking around at the different pictures and banners. She had read somewhere that this was a very sought out school for many people. Starlight felt truly blessed to be going to this school.

“Come with me,” Celestia said pressing her hand to Starlight’s back again, “We have to meet… Principal Cinch to get your schedule and free pass, then we can head to homeroom,” she almost groaned when she said Principal Cinch’s name. Did she not like her?

What kind of person did you have to be for this woman to dislike you?

As they walked, Starlight’s eyes landed on one student in particular standing by her locker. She was tall, with super long light pink hair, and was wearing a yellow and white sailor styled uniform straight out of a Japanese high school. The skirt was pretty short, and there was a pink bow tied in the front of her uniform, and a white one at the back of the skirt right on the waist. She wore white socks, and brown shoes.

What struck Starlight as odd was how she really did not look like she belonged in school. Her figure made her look less like a teenager and more like a young woman. That and the air she gave off.

The student turned to Starlight as she walked past her locker, actually hiding behind the door a bit as she gazed at her with her big, cyan eyes. Yet, Starlight could tell she was smiling at her.

Starlight smiled at the student, who was probably just an upper classman, and waved to her. The pink haired student waved to Starlight lightly, picked out the rest of her books, and then closed her locker before running upstairs to her class.

Starlight hoped to become good friends with that girl.

When they arrived at the principal’s office, Starlight felt a chill run up her spine. She did not like the energy this room was giving her.

play song

“Let’s get this over with,” Celestia sighed, opening the door and escorting Starlight inside. The office somehow felt cold, despite the windows being closed. The room itself was really dark too, but that also might have been a psychological effect.

Sitting in the desk in front of her was a woman with purple hair, sharp features, and a long nose that wasn’t as appealing to look at as Igor’s nose. She also wore a purple blazer and skirt ensemble, red glasses resting on her nose, and her thin mouth was made up with purple lipstick. She narrowed her eyes looking at either Starlight or Celestia.

“So, this is her?” Principal Cinch said, her voice high and grating.

“Yes, this is Starlight Glimmer, the student I told you about. She’s staying in my dorm,” Celestia said, her smile seeming much more forced than usual.

“Hmph, I don’t care where she’s staying. Honestly, I’d rather someone with her reputation not taint the walls of this school, but you insisted that we include her.”

Her reputation? Was she talking about how she tried to kill herself? Also, how many strings did Celestia have to pull for her to come to this school?

“I assure you, she’s perfectly balanced,” Celestia said, placing a hand on Starlight’s shoulder, “She’s one of my children, and I can vouch for her mental health.”

“Don’t think I’m going to go easy on her just because you have her under your protection. You can run your dorm however you please, but this is my school, and she’ll abide by my rules, otherwise I will expel her without a second thought. Is that clear, Celestia.”

“Crystal,” Celestia said, narrowing her eyes and pursing her lips. Starlight could feel the tension between these two.

Starlight walked over to the desk, where Principal Cinch threw two things in front of her. One being a piece of paper showing her where her classes were. The other one was a small green card with a chip embedded on the top.

“This is your free pass and schedule,” Principal Cinch said dismissively, “I don’t want there to be any drama from you, young lady. If you cause any sort of trouble in my school, I will expel you, understand?”

“Yes, I understand,” Starlight forced out. She quickly ran back over to Celestia, who placed a hand on her almost protecting her.

“If that’s all, we’ll be heading to class now,” Celestia said, quickly escorting Starlight out of the office and shutting the door behind them, “Well, that was dreadful as always.”

“What happened between the two of you?” Starlight asked Celestia, who sighed rubbing her eyes.

“I came to this school under unusual circumstances,” Celestia admitted, “Ever since I joined the faculty here six months ago, she’s doubted my abilities as a teacher, as I’m a tad unconventional.”

Yeah, Starlight could tell. Just the way Celestia dressed was out there, and Principal Cinch struck Starlight as more straight laced and narrow minded. These two were essentially just fire and ice.

“But enough about her,” Celestia said with her usual smile again, “Now that you have your schedule, you’re a true student at Canterlot Academy. My homeroom is in room 3-D. Shall we?”

As they walked toward the stairs, Starlight thought about something that Principal Cinch had said, “Um, she mentioned I have a reputation. Is that true…?”

Celestia stopped and was silent for a few seconds before she spoke, “Sadly word does travel fast here, and your suicide attempt might have given you a bit of a reputation here,” Celestia gave Starlight a reassuring smile, “But I promise you it’ll be okay. Just be true to yourself and everything will fall into place, alright?”

Starlight took a deep breath and nodded. Hopefully things wouldn’t be too bad.

play song

Starlight waited outside of the classroom as Celestia went into talk to her students. Based on how animated she was as she spoke, it was clear she was pretty open and honest with her students. Starlight was really beginning to admire Celestia. She was sensitive, maternal, and seemed to radiate the light of the rising sun almost constantly.

Starlight wanted to be just like her.

Celestia turned to Starlight and nodded to her. That was the signal. Starlight took a deep breath, opened the door, and entered the classroom. She was greeted with students of all kinds, everyone colorful and expressing themselves in some manner through their at times outrageous styles.

Oh yeah, Starlight was right where she needed to be.

She looked around to see if she recognized anyone, and two students caught her attention immediately. One was Pinkie Pie, who waved to Starlight animatedly. God, she really was just like an anime character. The other student however, refused to meet eyes with Starlight, and actually turned away covering her face slightly with her hand, looking either pained, annoyed, or some mixture of the two.

Beatrix…

“Everyone, this is Starlight Glimmer. As many of you know, she’s been in the hospital for six months, but as of today she’s a member of our family here, so I want all of you to treat her with the same respect you’d treat each other,” she turned to Starlight and smiled, “Why don’t you say something to the class?”

Starlight turned to all of them and bowed elegantly, “It’s a pleasure to meet all of you. I look forward to getting to know everyone.”

“Oh damn! She’s kinda hot,” one student said.

“A nice goth? You don’t see that anymore.” another boy said.

“She looked all doom and gloom, but she actually seems really approachable,” a girl next to him said.

“Think the rumors are true, that she tried to kill herself?” another girl asked.

“Ooooh, I hope not! If she did though, I’m going to give her a big hug after school,” the girl next to her said.

“Let’s see, where can we place you…” Celestia said looking around a bit, “Oh! Look at that. The seat next to Beatrix is vacant. Why don’t you sit there?”

Seriously? Was that the only vacant seat? Sure enough, after quickly scanning the room, Beatrix’s seat was the only one with a vacant spot, right to the left of her. That would have placed her closer to the back of the classroom, right next to the windows.

If there was a God up there, he or she must have been cracking up at the irony of this situation.

Starlight walked over to the vacant seat, and sat down. Immediately Beatrix sucked her teeth in irritation turning away from Starlight.

“You’ve got to be kidding me…” she groaned, “Why is this happening to me…?”

Starlight briefly looked at Beatrix, but then turned to Celestia, who was giving Starlight and Beatrix a knowing expression. If she didn’t know better, Starlight would have thought she planned this.

“Today’s a half day, so you’ll all be staying here for the day,” Celestia said, immediately perking up, “Now, before we get started, I believe the Student Body President’s going to make an announcement.”

As soon as she finished speaking, the loud speaker chimed, as if she predicted it.

“Greetings, students of Canterlot High,” an extremely feminine, cultured, and graceful voice greeted. One of the female students sighed wistfully.

“Miss Rarity… oh how I wish I had your grace…”

“I’m glad I voted for her,” a boy in the back said, “She’s going to be a great president!”

“I’d first like to thank each and every one of you who gave me a chance and voted for me in last year’s election,” the Student Body President, Rarity apparently, spoke, “I truly don’t deserve all of the admiration you’ve given me, but I promise to live up to your expectations to the best of my ability.

“This school was founded under the philosophy of spreading virtues of Generosity, Laughter, Loyalty, Kindness, Honesty, and finally Magic. While some may laugh at the notion of magic being one of our virtues, I believe that true magic comes from within. When one opens their heart to another in genuine love and acceptance, true magic is felt between both parties.

“It is for that reason I urge all of you to try and reach out to someone new today. This is the first day of school, and there are plenty of new students joining us. Do not let things like gender or grade stand between you. At our cores, we are all simply one consciousness broken into smaller fragments of individuality. Never forget this.”

Starlight placed a hand over her heart hearing that. She could feel the sincerity of the girl speaking, even through the intercom.

“Concerning the Nightmare Epidemic, I’m aware that many of you are concerned for your safety, and the safety of your loved ones,” Rarity continued, “I urge all of you to not despair. As long as we stand together, and stay focused on what’s important in our lives, we will be safe. Whenever you feel weak, think hard about the dreams you wish to achieve, and failing that, know that there’s no shame in turning to someone close to you for comfort. As I expressed before, you’re not alone.”

Beatrix bit her lip, whimpering softly and looking downcast. Starlight took note.

“If any trouble arises, do not hesitate to turn to the Student Council for aid. Applejack as assured me that the Defense Committee will do everything they can to ensure the safety of all the students,” Rarity continued, which oddly earned groans from some of the students.

“Goddamn it…” one boy in the front said, “I forgot she was friends with Applejack…”

“She was doing just fine until she mentioned No Fun Jackie,” another boy groaned, “Kiss freedom goodbye, everyone.”

“And with that, I hope all of you have a wonderful first day of school,” Rarity concluded, “I love all of you immensely. Take care~”

As the line went dead, Celestia addressed the class with a sincere expression of her own.

“Remember those words as you go about your days my students,” Celestia said, “We are all one life, that exists as separate individuals. When you’re afraid, confused, or just unable to find your way, remember that there are people who can help you. You just have to trust them.”

She briefly turned to look in Starlight and Beatrix’s direction, and Starlight could have sworn that Celestia winked at Starlight. Just how much did this woman know? Who was Celestia?

And why did Starlight get the feeling she was somehow talking directly to her and Beatrix just now?

After School

Classes ended early, like Celestia said, which was nice because it gave Starlight enough time to adjust to her new school. Shortly after class ended, Pinkie Pie rushed over to Starlight’s desk, standing in front of it beaming.

“So, how do you like it here?” Pinkie Pie asked, “Think you’ll fit in?”

“Feels like I was always meant to come here,” Starlight said honestly. Pinkie Pie jumped up and down clapping her hands.

“I knew you’d feel that! This place is the school for misfits and outcasts! You heard the President’s speech, right?” Pinkie Pie asked, “Our school believes in spreading six virtues: generosity to our fellow students, spreading joy and laughter, loyalty to one’s friends and dreams, kindness even to those who close themselves off,” she glanced at Beatrix when she said that, who once again flipped her the finger, “honesty to ones self, and the magic of friendship.”

“That last one really hit me,” Starlight admitted, “Before six months ago, I didn’t have a single friend besides my Mom. I did have one friend, but he and I…” she cut herself off, not wanting to think about Sunburst. Their falling out still hurt to this day.

Another student tapped Starlight on the shoulder and got her attention. She looked up and saw two girls, one wearing a green top and shorts with short neon green hair, and another girl with blue and pink hair wearing more formal and conservative clothes.

“Hey! I’m Lyra, and this is my girlfriend Bon Bon,” the girl in the green introduced, “We’re sorry if this is personal, but we were wondering, is it true that you were in the hospital for…”

Starlight sighed and nodded, looking down. Immediately Bon Bon hugged her.

“I said I was going to do this when I got the chance,” Bon Bon said, “I’m so sorry. I don’t know what happened, but your life is precious, okay? So don’t take it for granted, ever.”

“I won’t. Thank you,” Starlight said, returning the hug and smiling softly. Seems that Celestia was right, and she’d have nothing to worry about.

“Hey, you’re her roommate, right Beatrix?” Lyra asked as Bon Bon released Starlight, “I bet the two of you could be great friends.”

“Why? Because she and I are both freaks of nature?” Beatrix asked harshly, “I’m sorry, but I don’t have interest in befriending someone like that. I like being normal, thank you very much.”

“Really? Because you kind of seem miserable to me,” Bon Bon said. Beatrix stood up and glared at Bon Bon.

play song

“You wanna run that by me again?” Beatrix seethed.

“Oh boy…” Pinkie Pie sighed, as if she expected this. Poor Bon Bon was backing away from Trixie.

“I-I was just saying-”

“You don’t understand anything!” Beatrix fussed, tightening her fists, “So mind your own damn business!”

Starlight shot up and got in between her and Bon Bon before things got ugly, “Stop it! You’re right, we don’t understand what’s wrong, but clearly something is. Maybe… you could…”

“I could what?” Beatrix asked narrowing her eyes and getting in Starlight’s face, “Go to the Defense Committee? Talk to Ms. Tia? Or maybe you’re going to do something, is that it? Going to try and “save” me? Maybe I already tried all of-”

“There you are.”

At the sound of that voice, something within Beatrix changed immediately. She stepped back, and all of the anger was sucked out of her, replaced with what Starlight could only describe as fear.

Where had she heard that voice before?

She looked by the door and saw a young man, clearly a senior, wearing a white and golden flannel shirt, blue jeans, and black boots. His blond hair and arrogant disposition seemed way too familiar to Starlight, but she couldn’t remember where she saw him.

“I was looking for you,” the boy said, walking over to Beatrix and standing behind her, rubbing her shoulders affectionately, “I thought we agreed to meet in the courtyard after school.”

“I’m sorry!” Beatrix cried, breathing heavily as he ran his hands up and down her arm, “I was on my way, I just… had a disagreement with a student, and…!”

“Well, that’s not good, now is it?” Blueblood asked, “Why don’t you apologize to them. Go on,” he lightly commanded. Seriously, where had Starlight seen this before? It was driving her crazy.

“I… I’m sorry…” Beatrix said, her voice much softer and lacking any strength at all, “I was out of line…”

“That’s a good girl,” Blueblood said, now wrapping his arms around Beatrix almost possessively, “See, that wasn’t so hard, now was it, my love?”

When Beatrix looked down at the floor weakly, Starlight saw it. In a flash, the Beatrix before her turned into the one wearing that skimpy leotard ensemble, who had the same defeated look on her face. And then she recognized the boy behind her.

The ring leader.

“Let’s go, honey,” Blueblood said, “Grab your books, and come with me to my place. We’ll spend some time there before curfew.”

Beatrix nodded wordlessly, and walked over to her desk, grabbed her books, and then followed Blueblood out of the classroom. On the way, she briefly met eyes with Starlight, who for a split second saw the dream version of Beatrix give her a pleading expression before being escorted away.

Starlight had a feeling she knew what was going on now. She didn’t know for sure, as she only had her intuition to go off of, but so far everything was lining up a bit too accurately for her comfort.

“Are you okay, Bon Bon?” Lyra said caressing Bon Bon’s cheek.

“I’m fine, but poor Beatrix,” Bon Bon said, “I really think those rumors about them are true.”

Starlight remembered that. She turned to Pinkie Pie and asked her what the rumors were surrounding them.

“Well, some student’s believe that Blueblood is really rough with Beatrix,” Pinkie Pie explained, “Thing is though, every time she’s approached about it, she insists that nothing is actually wrong. No one actually sees them do anything on school grounds either, so there’s no real proof.”

And until she came out and said something no one could really do anything to help her. But why didn’t she say something? Multiple sources mentioned that she used to be friendlier, so were they all just projecting what they wanted it to be? Or was there more going on here?

Based on what Starlight’s dream showed her last night, it might actually have been the latter.

play song

Before she could say anything else, Rainbow Dash walked in and waved to both Pinkie Pie and Starlight, “Sup?”

“Dashie!” Pinkie Pie perked up immediately, running into Rainbow Dash’s arms and hugging her, “I missed you!”

“I missed you too, Pinkie. Sucks we don’t have the same homeroom this year. I have Harshwhinny. UGH!” Rainbow Dash groaned, “I don’t know who’s worse. Her, Principal Cinch, or No Fun Jackie.”

“Aw, my cousin isn’t that bad,” Pinkie Pie defended with a smile, “Okay, so she’s a tad strict, but she’s really nice when you get to know her.”

“Tell that to myself in detention last year,” Rainbow Dash groaned, “Seriously, it was one prank, and she acted like I killed her cat or something.”

“To be fair, those feathers did look like a hassle to get out of her hair,” Lyra said.

“Who’s side are you on, anyway?!” Rainbow Dash asked. Lyra raised her hands in defense.

“Hey hey, I’m not saying it wasn’t funny, okay? It was hilarious. I think the whole school was laughing at that one.”

“Exactly! It was a joke! I was spreading the virtue of Laughter to all of my fellow classmates. So what if she was the punchline.”

That got laughter from everyone there. Hell, even Starlight couldn’t help but laugh, if for no other reason than the absurdity of it. Seriously, what did she do to this “Applejack” girl?

“Hey, we still up for hanging out? Pinkie Pie and I wanted to show you around town a bit,” Rainbow Dash asked Starlight.

Starlight was still really worried about Beatrix, but there wasn’t much she could do at the moment. Besides, she did need to know the layout of the town. After a second of thinking, Starlight nodded with a smile, one that Rainbow Dash returned.

“Sweet!” Rainbow Dash wrapped an arm around Starlight smirking at Lyra and Bon Bon, “Sorry, but I already claimed this one.”

“That’s okay,” Lyra said, wrapping her arms around Bon Bon in a similar manner, “I’ve got my own.”

Bon Bon giggled, “Have fun, Starlight. And welcome to Canterlot Academy.”

Starlight thanked her, and after seeing them off, followed Rainbow Dash and Pinkie Pie out of the school.

play song

The walk was more animated than Starlight was used to. It had been a while since she spent time with girls her age, so at first she didn’t know if she’d fit in. She then remembered what Celestia told her to do, and just decided to be herself. As such, she didn’t talk much herself, but she did enjoy the company of the other two girls with her. She started feeling like they were actually friends.

The town itself was really lively. There was a shopping mall that a lot of students went to, a cafe called Sugar Cube Corner that Pinkie Pie said was owned by friends of her family, a church that also had a charity that Pinkie Pie volunteered at (Starlight wondered if that was where the leftover food from this morning went) and a really nice park near a lake.

There was also a section of town called “South Street, where Rainbow Dash said all the “fun” shops were. Starlight really wanted to know what she meant by “fun”. Considering how Rainbow Dash was raising her eyebrows up and down though…

When they finished their tour through town, they stopped at the park, where they had a great view of the setting sun. It was here that Starlight told both Rainbow Dash and Pinkie Pie how she ended up in the hospital, since they were also curious.

“Geez,” Rainbow Dash said, “And here I thought I had it rough.”

“You never got to apologize to her, either?” Pinkie Pie asked, rubbing Starlight’s back.

Starlight shook her head, “I’d like to believe that Mom forgave me in the end. She did go searching for me, after all. But… sometimes I do wonder since I never gave up on my dream…” she said gripping the key around her neck.

“That have something to do with that weird key you carry around?” Rainbow Dash asked, “What does it open, anyway?”

“No clue,” Starlight admitted, “It’s the reason I still believe in magic though, even after what happened to my Mother. It’s kind of a crazy story, but…”

“You wanna hear crazy?” Rainbow Dash asked, “Did Pinkie Pie tell you what her dream is?”

Starlight shook her head. Pinkie Pie blushed looking down sheepishly.

“Way to put me on the spot, Dashie…”

“Come on, Pinkie Pie. We got a girl here who wants to be a real live witch. Do you really think anyone here’s going to judge you?”

Pinkie Pie took a deep breath, “Okay, but you can’t laugh, alright?” Pinkie Pie said. Starlight nodded, letting Pinkie Pie continue, “Okay, so… remember that manga I showed you, and how I said I idolized the main character?” Starlight nodded slowly, “Well… the truth is… I want to be a Magical Girl!” she blurted out wincing, clearly waiting for the laughter that never came.

“So… you want to be just like Sailor Moon?” Starlight asked.

“Well… she’s a lot like me,” Pinkie Pie continued, twirling her hair around her finger, “She’s clumsy, sensitive, not really good at school, but she’s really kind, and uses her magical powers to help people. Even though she’s not very good at anything else, she does her best with what she can do, and most importantly, she never runs away from a fight, even when she’s afraid.”

Never runs away, huh? Unlike Starlight, who ran away and abandoned Beatrix in that dream world. It still hurt thinking about that.

“So, now that you know that we’re all absolutely batshit insane,” Rainbow Dash said jovially, “Where’d you get the key?”

Starlight recounted the events of her attempted suicide. How she felt that she was “curing the illness that was her life”, how she had completely given up hope, and how she had for all intensive purposes actually succeeded. She then went into how she ended up in that strange dark blue room that was both an office and an elevator at the same time, she described Igor and Victor, and how they convinced her not to give up her life yet. Finally, she told them about the contract she signed, the simple yet powerful terms of the contract, and how when she finished signing her name, the elevator clicked to life, and continued to rise for the rest of her time in the room.

When she was done, both Rainbow Dash and Pinkie Pie were wide eyed, and deathly silent. She thought she’d ruined two potential friendships at first, and that they really did think she was crazy.

“You… are the most badass person I’ve ever met in my life…” Pinkie Pie said honestly.

“Sick…” Rainbow Dash added, “And when you woke up, the key was actually in the room with you?”

Starlight nodded, completely in disbelief. They actually believed her, didn’t they?

“That’s so terrifying, yet awesome at the same time,” Pinkie Pie leaned back on the bench, “You’re like the main hero of an anime or something.”

“You… actually believe me?” Starlight asked.

“Makes sense to me,” Rainbow Dash said with a thoughtful expression, “The thing that got me was the elevator itself, and how it didn’t start moving until you decided to actually live again. I think that’s important.”

“Why do you think the elevator moved?” Starlight asked, looking at the key intently.

“Probably symbolic of something,” Rainbow Dash said, “All that stuff he said about the Fool Arcana is true, so the fact that elevator started moving when you signed the contract is probably symbolic of the new direction of your life or something. I dunno. I’m into that sort of deep stuff, so you peaked my interest,” she turned to Starlight and smiled, “Yep. I’ve decided. I’m going to keep an eye on you. Maybe you’ll show me something fun.”

“You know I’m sticking around,” Pinkie Pie said with an even bigger grin, “You’re just like me, except actually doing the thing I wanna be doing with my life! This means maybe I can become a Magical Girl!”

Starlight didn’t know how to take this. She was worried that others would think she was crazy for believing in the things she did, but here were two girls who not only believed her, but now seemed to view her as a sign that their dreams could come true. This was slowly turning into one of the happiest days of her life.

“Here,” Pinkie Pie handed Starlight the manga she was reading last night, “You can borrow this. I have the entire collection in my room, and I just finished reading through that one again. I think this will really help you on your way.”

“T-thank you…” Starlight said taking the book, really touched that Pinkie Pie would share something so precious to her.

“Let’s head back to the dorms,” Rainbow Dash said, rising up and stretching, “Don’t wanna miss curfew, ya know?”

“It is getting late,” Pinkie Pie said getting up, “Let’s go Starlight.”

Starlight nodded to her new friends and rose up too. As they walked off however, she lingered for a second to look at the lake. Hugging the book close to her chest, Starlight felt just a bit better about everything. Maybe she could get something from this manga.

Either way, it felt nice to have real friends. Friends she could trust with her dream.

end song

Evening

When Starlight got back to the dorm, she immediately plopped down on the couch and opened the manga Pinkie Pie loaned her. She planned on only reading a few pages, but by the time she was halfway through, she knew she was hooked. The story was a tad cheesy, but the main protagonist was extremely likable. She really put Starlight in the mind of Pinkie Pie, so much she could practically hear Pinkie Pie’s voice whenever she spoke. Like Pinkie Pie said, she was really nice, but clumsy, a bit of a crybaby honestly, and based on the grade she got on the first part of the manga, she was in fact terrible at school.

But if there was one thing that she did right, she had a lot of courage and heart.

She did whine a lot about not wanting to fight, and she had a habit of running helplessly in the beginning, but like Pinkie Pie said, she never actually ran from the fight. She always found the strength inside to keep fighting, even when she was too afraid to stand up. Starlight only stopped briefly to take a dinner break, but afterward went right back to the couch and continued reading. She was definitely asking Pinkie Pie if she could read the rest of these.

It was really late when Starlight finished the manga. She actually felt a bit more courageous herself after finishing. Now done, she let her attention go to the stairs. Beatrix came in sometime during dinner, but claimed that she ate before coming back so she could just go back upstairs and be alone.

Starlight laid back on the couch and sighed. By now, she was probably asleep. If she was suffering the Nightmare Epidemic, then she’d probably be back in that demonic circus again. The thought of her being objectified, humiliated, and tortured in her dreams made Starlight sick to her stomach. If she went to sleep, would she end up back there? Even if she didn’t, she could probably easily find that door in the Akashic Records to take her there.

She hadn’t seen Blueblood before today, but she was certain that the ring leader in that circus was the same person. That did make all of this seem a lot more plausible. She also remember Igor’s words: that if nothing was done for her, she’d probably die.

Starlight yawned, realizing that she was really tired. If she went to bed now, she’d probably drift off in a matter of minutes, if that. If she was going to go back there, now was the time. But when she got there, what was she going to do? How was she going to rescue Beatrix? She didn’t have any-

The power is within you. When you need it, it will be available. When you call for it, it will answer you.

Those were the words Igor spoke to her. She had power. She just needed to believe in it.

Resolving to do something, anything, she stood up and stretched with another yawn. It was a bit late, but not too. She could take a shower first, that would help her get comfortable for this. She turned to the stairs, but stopped when she heard someone exit their room and start walking down the stairs.

Starlight hid behind the couch and peaked out to see who it was. She saw a girl about her age, maybe a tad younger, with long straight purple hair with pink highlights, purple circular glasses, and the cutest pajamas Starlight had ever seen. They were pink, and had brown teddy bears on them. She was also wearing white bunny shaped slippers.

She was honestly the cutest thing Starlight had ever seen.

Once she reached to first floor, she gave the most adorable yawn and oddly walked into the kitchen. That had to be Twilight Sparkle, who was the only person at the dorm Starlight hadn’t met yet. Curious too see what she was doing, Starlight slowly walked over to the kitchen and peaked inside. What she saw didn’t answer any real questions as much as it sprung up more.

She was making coffee.

After turning on the coffee machine, the mysterious girl sat down at the kitchen table and pulled out a newspaper. Despite how childish her PJs looked, she carried herself almost like an adult.

She turned the page of her newspaper, but then sighed, “I see you over there.”

“Ahh!” Starlight screamed, accidentally opening the door, all the way.

“It’s okay, I’m not faculty or anything. I won’t tattle on you for staying up so late, but you probably should be getting to bed soon,” the girl said. Her voice… it sounded familiar to Starlight.

“Are you… Twilight Sparkle?” Starlight asked the girl, who nodded.

“Yep, that’s me. I keep weird hours, in case you’re wondering why I’m up so late.”

Keeping weird hours was an understatement. Starlight was going to bed and it seemed like Twilight was getting ready to start her day.

Starlight nodded, and told Twilight that she was heading to bed. Not even looking up from her newspaper, Twilight waved to Starlight in an almost dismissive “please leave me alone now” manner. She didn’t seem as standoffish as Beatrix though. At least, not for the same reason.

Maybe one day they could become friends too. Assuming Starlight could stay up late enough to talk to her.

It had started raining around the time Starlight had finished the manga, which added to the tense and ominous atmosphere. Starlight slowly entered her and Beatrix’s room, both relieved and concerned that she was already asleep. She needed to test something, so she walked over to Beatrix’s side and knelt down next to her. She then placed a hand on her forehead to feel her.

Despite still breathing, her entire body was cold and stiff. She almost looked like a corpse.

“Nightmare Epidemic…” Starlight whimpered. Biting her lip, she thought hard about what she was about to do. Whether she could free her or not, she had to try something. She’d apparently made contact with her dream before, so perhaps she could get in again. Maybe this was what her own Akashic Records meant when they said her destiny was in Canterlot Academy.

She didn’t know why she did it, but she leaned forward and kissed Beatrix on the forehead, “I’ll save you, somehow.”

It looked like something within Beatrix relaxed a bit, either from her words or the contact. Finding her resolve, she took a quick shower, changed into her purple nightgown, and laid in her bed, putting the ring on her finger.

Time to get to work.

The Phase

play song

At first things were fuzzy, but they quickly came into view. Just like last time, Starlight found herself in a black forest before a demonic carnival. This confirmed a few things: 1) that she could enter people’s dreams, 2) that Beatrix was in fact suffering the Nightmare Epidemic, and 3) she was supposed to do something here.

This time, she wasn’t leaving until she did it.

Gathering her courage, Starlight ran toward the circus as fast as her legs could carry her. Hopefully she wouldn’t have too look too hard to find Beatrix.

“Ms. Tia, are you here?” Twilight asked, now dressed in a fancy white and purple top, purple skirt, white socks, and black shoes. She saw the older woman looking at a monitor on a very complicated computer, “She’s in Lulamoon’s dream again, isn’t she?”

“She is,” Celestia said, “Before coming here, I briefly checked on both Starlight and Beatrix. From the victim, I sensed a calmness in the torment. She’s not renewed yet, but she seems to have some sense of hope.”

“What about the one you think has the potential?” Twilight asked folding her arms.

“I sensed more resolve. I think this might be the night, Twilight,” Celestia said with a confident smile, one that was also relieved.

“I seriously have my doubt about her, Ms. Tia. I got to see her before she went to sleep. She doesn’t strike me as that impressive,” Twilight sighed.

“That doesn’t mean her inner self mirrors that,” Celestia said, “Remember, that’s just a mask she believes is her true self. When she awakens to her Persona, you’ll see.”

“You really have faith in these Persona Users, don’t you?”

“I have seen many miracles achieved through the power of Persona. Three times the world has been saved by that power. I have more faith in them than I do myself.”

“But you’re amazing, Ms. Tia,” Twilight said, clearly confused, “How can you doubt your own abilities?”

“Because I can’t summon a Persona,” Celestia admitted, rubbing her arm looking pained, “If I could… I wouldn’t be…” she shook it off, interrupting her thought, “Observe her, but like last time do not intervene unless necessary.”

“Yes, Ms. Tia,” Twilight said sitting at her chair in front of the computer, “Let’s see this “miracle” in action.”

The Phase

If Starlight didn’t know better, the carnival looked darker than it did the last time. She didn’t know if the dream would recognize her, so she decided not to test it. As such, while she explored the demonic circus, she tried to stay hidden as much as possible.

While exploring, she passed by a game being played by a few masked children. From this angle it looked like just a normal water gun game. However, Starlight had a feeling there was a lot more going on here than that. She carefully moved behind stands, maneuvering until she could get a better angle of what they were playing.

She almost threw up in her mouth when she saw it.

It was a game where the goal was to fill balloons with water, and the first one to completely fill their balloons won. However, these balloons were embedded in a picture of a screaming Beatrix, right where her breasts would be. The balloons themselves were flesh colored as well, making it look like they were inflating her actual breasts. All the while, Starlight heard recordings that sounded like Beatrix moaning, and the bigger the balloons got, the louder and more urgent her moans were, until she was practically screaming.

Seeing that made Starlight feel really funny. She was essentially being made into a spectacle for everyone’s entertainment here. Putting herself in this situation, Starlight could understand how Beatrix would feel trapped here.

When everyone around you is enjoying your suffering, what hope do you have of finding peace?

Starlight continued her search through the carnival. She was starting to get worried. She hadn’t found any sign of Beatrix anywhere. Maybe she should head back to the stage.

Only, where was it again?

“Hey, the ring leader’s having another show!”

That caught her attention. She peaked out to listen to the two masked kids talk among themselves.

“Really? I hear his last show got interrupted by another dreamer.”

“Not this time, though. This time he plans on putting on a show that’s really going to test his pet’s limits. Even if that dreamer shows up again, the show’s still going to go on.”

“Let’s go! I gotta see this!”

The two children ran off. That sounded really ominous. It also sounded like the dream did remember her. She’d have to be careful this time. If only she had a weapon or something. Starlight looked around a bit, eventually finding a large stone hammer. The kind one used to hammer in nails on a tent.

She ran over to pick it up. Since it was a dream, it wasn’t too heavy. In fact, since it was a dream, Starlight tested something, and allowed herself to know how to swing the hammer like a pro. Sure enough, her swings were faster, and stronger.

Good. This meant she could abuse dream logic here. As long as she remembered this was a dream, she’d be fine. More or less at least.

She poked her head out to see if she could spot those kids that ran off. They were further down, but she could clearly see where they were, and when they turned. Being careful to stay hidden, Starlight followed them. When she saw where they turned, she saw a large crowd, and a lot of cheering.

Good news, she found Beatrix.

Bad news, the show had already started.

She made her way to the show as carefully as she could. Since this time she needed to stay out of sight, she couldn’t get too close yet. Hiding under the bleachers, she managed to somewhat see what was happening.

play song

It looked like Beatrix was in a container filled with water, and she was struggling. Starlight moved a bit to see better, and had to fight back a scream. Beatrix was trapped inside the glass container, which was filled with water. Her wrists were bound behind her, her ankles were not only bound together by golden shackles, but said shackles were chained to the bottom of the container. She also had a black band around her mouth gagging her, and while she was struggling, it was clear that she was trying her best to hold her breath.

“What’s the matter, Beatrix?” the evil Blueblood taunted, pacing around the metal box, “My, if only you had the key, right? Then you’d be able to escape,” he reached into his pocket and feigned shock, “Oh dear! It seems I forgot to give that to you,” he pulled a golden key out of his pocket. Both Beatrix and Starlight looked at that in horror.

There was no way she was getting out of there alone. Not unless she were a master magician, and even then Starlight was sure there was always a trick to it. Starlight didn’t see a way out of this for her.

There’s one way out of this…

You have a weapon, don’t you?

I say, it’s time to use it.

“Time… to use it…” Starlight gripped the hammer tightly around the rim, close to her chest. Her heart was racing, and her chest felt like it was on fire.

Starlight stepped out, careful so no one could see her, but so she could get a better view of the action, and spring into action if she needed to.

“It’s such a shame the dreamer isn’t here,” Ring Leader Blueblood taunted, “I imagine the only way you’d get free would be if she got this key,” he then turned to the crowd and tossed the key into the audience. Inside the water container, poor Beatrix paled before struggling against her bindings a bit more.

Starlight looked around frantically in the crowd, trying to find the one with the key. Sadly, the crowd was starting to meld together since they all looked so similar. And there had to have been hundreds of people there. Apart from fighting all of them…

Ring Leader Blueblood gave a sinister laugh filled with arrogance, “Do you see? This is what happens when you put your faith in other people! Remember, that dreamer ran away and abandoned you! There’s no way she’d show herself now! Even if she did, what could she do?” he placed his hands on the glass and peered right into her eyes, “There’s no such thing as hope. Light is for the special ones, the “chosen few”. The people who aren’t you. You’re not special, nor will you ever be special.”

Beatrix was beginning to falter in the water tank. Her eyes were beginning to close, either from weakness, needing oxygen, or the more likely case, a combination of the two.

Starlight was starting to get frantic herself. If she did nothing right now, Beatrix was clearly going to die! But… he was clearly doing this to draw her out! If she ran over there, she might not get out of here alive!

But if she did nothing… then Beatrix was definitely not getting out of here alive.

The choice is obvious, isn’t it?!

You can’t just do nothing! You can’t just sit there and watch this, can you?!

“I… can’t…!” Starlight said, tears streaming down her cheeks watching this in horror. She was trembling, torn between running away, and running toward Beatrix.

Would you run away again?!

Would you truly leave her to die?!

“No…! I wouldn’t… but…!”

Then fight back!

She is lost in the darkness! She has lost sight of the light!

But you have the power to be that light! Right now!

Be the savior that she’s begging for!

“But… but I…!” Starlight looked around at the crowd surrounding them. She was beyond scared. She was terrified right now. If she ran out there, she’d get ambushed for sure, and then she might die, or possibly even get stuck here herself…!

play song

Starlight looked at Beatrix, who managed to locate where she was standing. Even from a distance, Starlight could see it. Her eyes were pleading. She was just as terrified as her. No, she was even more terrified. Starlight’s life could be in danger, but Beatrix’s life…

Her life was in danger now.

Help me… Please…

I… I don’t want to die…

That did it. With the tears still flowing freely from her eyes, Starlight rushed toward the stage, screaming at the top of her lungs, and as fast as she could.

play song

“What the?!” Ring Leader Blueblood shouted, turning to her. He turned too late though, as the first thing Starlight did was whack Blueblood away with the hammer as hard as she could, actually knocking him off the stage. The entire crowd gasped at this action. No one was ready for what came next though.

Starlight spun around, and slammed the hammer into the glass container, shattering it and sending water everywhere. Now emptied, Beatrix fell to the ground limp.

“BEATRIX!” Starlight screamed, kneeling down and taking the ball gag out as quickly as she could, relieved when her roommate coughed, “Are you okay, Beatrix?!”

Beatrix looked up at Starlight weakly, “I’m… sorry I’m so weak…”

Starlight shook her head and caressed Beatrix’s face lovingly, almost like Celestia did for her.

“You… bitch!” Ring Leader Blueblood said, catching Starlight’s attention, “You’re going to pay for that! Guards, show her who the real master of this dream is!”

Starlight looked around and saw the bouncers from before surrounding them.

“You… can’t’ beat them…” Beatrix said through a few more coughs, “Leave me… I’ll be…” Starlight rose up and stood in front of Beatrix, surprising the still shackled teen, “S-Starlight…?”

Starlight held her arms out, glaring daggers at the masked bouncers. This time, she wasn’t going to abandon her friend. She wasn’t going to just run away. Not when there was still something she could do.

Something she had to do.

“Ms. Tia! The subject is surrounded by Shadows!” Twilight cried, looking on her monitor. On the screen she saw a blue arrow defending another blue arrow, and they were both surrounded by yellow arrows, all of this on a virtual representation of the stage, “If we don’t get her out of there, she’s going to die!”

“Hold on Twilight,” Celestia said putting a hand on Twilight’s shoulder, “Look at Starlight. Something is changing within her.”

Twilight looked, and sure enough she saw something that didn’t make sense. The arrow representing Starlight was changing color, shifting from blue to yellow, as if the system couldn’t tell if it was looking at a human or a Shadow.

“What’s happening to her?” Twilight asked. She tried adjusting the signal, but it wasn’t changing, “I’m switching to the remote viewing system! I need to see this first hand!”

Twilight pulled out a headset from underneath the desk and put it on. From here, she could see more directly what was happening in the Phase. Celestia on the other hand, just closed her eyes and held her hands together close to her mouth in silent prayer that what she hoped was about to happen was happening.

The Phase

The bouncers rushed up to Starlight, but the first one to reach her was whacked away by that hammer, just like his master. Two more rushed up to the stage, and Starlight whacked both of them back too. Anyone that got close to where Starlight and Beatrix was was knocked back off the stage. She didn’t know if this was going to make a difference, but she wasn’t going to just leave Beatrix here. Not like this. She had to figure out a way out of this!

Something! Anything!

Behind her, Beatrix was looking up at her in awe. Slowly, strength was returning to her eyes.

“Damn it!” Ring Leader Blueblood shouted, “You’re all useless! If the hammer’s the problem,” he pulled out his whip, “Then you remove the problem first!” he then threw the whip out, which wrapped itself around the hammer. He then yanked it out of Starlight’s hands.

play song

“No!” she cried! The bouncers then all jumped on top of her, wrestling her to the ground. She fought them the whole time, mustering up as much strength as she could, but it felt almost like the dream itself was becoming stronger to compensate. It was adapting to her.

Before long, the bouncers had Starlight on her knees, gripping her arms tightly. She struggled to get free of their grips, but it was no use. They were too strong. Seeing this, Beatrix closed her eyes and turned away, fighting back tears of anguish.

“This is what you get for being a hero,” Ring Leader Blueblood said, walking back onto the stage and getting in front of Beatrix and yanking her to her feet, “Take a good look, slut! This is what a hero looks like!”

“No…!” Beatrix cried helplessly. Ring Leader Blueblood grabbed Beatrix from behind and started groping her left breast right in front of Starlight.

“Go on, dreamer. Stop me,” he taunted, poor Beatrix moaning the entire time, “You can’t, can you? That’s because you’re just as weak as she is. You can’t save yourself, let alone her.”

“Go to hell!” Starlight shouted. She didn’t know where that came from, but she didn’t care. She couldn’t tell the difference between her thoughts, or the thoughts of that darker self from before, and right now, she didn’t care.

All that did however was make the demonic ring leader laugh, “Even now, you still have such fire! Oooh, I’m starting to like you!” he squeezed Beatrix’s breast, making the helpless teen cry out in pain.

“Stop it!” Starlight shouted, one again trying to pull her wrists free, but to no avail. In fact, they just tightened their hold on her.

“You hate me right now, don’t you?” Ring Leader Blueblood said, continuing to grope the helpless teen, “That fire in your eyes? You know she used to have it too. I beat that right out of her though, to the point where she’ll do whatever I tell her to. Isn’t that right?” to emphasize this, he twisted her nipple through the fabric of her leotard, making Beatrix scream before she answered.

“Y-yes…!” Beatrix cried.

“Tell her how much you love me! Go on!” he commanded.

“I… I love my master… more than anything…!” Beatrix broke down after she finished the sentence.

“Show her how much you love me,” Ring Leader Blueblood commanded. He then turned Beatrix around to face him, gripped her by the hair, and forcibly kissed her on the mouth.

And much to Starlight’s disgust, Beatrix was kissing him back!

She met eyes with Starlight, and shed a single tear. It looked like she was beginning to surrender. She was giving up! Was this hopeless? Was there really nothing that she could do…? Starlight looked down, eyes clenched shut. She was trembling she was so angry. Angry at Blueblood for breaking her will so much. Angry at Beatrix for allowing him to do so.

And most of all, she was angry at herself for being unable to stop this.

You’re not done yet, are you?

You hate him so much that you want him to pay… right?

“Yes…!” Starlight seethed.

What would you do right now for power?

“I’d do anything…!” Starlight cried, feeling her temperature rise, “I don’t care… what it is…! I want… to save my friend…!”

That voice in her head gave a chilling laughter. One filled with darkness, hatred, but at the same time power. Somehow though, that laughter still felt like it was her laughing.

Oh how I’ve waited for this!

If it’s power that you want, then release me!

Set me free, and I will grant you the power that you seek!

Starlight could feel something consume her and become one. Something dark, and violent. Something that while still against her character, felt so much like who she was that she couldn’t ignore it any longer.

So, she decided not to ignore it, or deny it anymore. She glared hatefully at the ring leader, and let out a low, enraged growl, almost like a beast.

end song

“LET HER GO!” Starlight screamed at the top of her lungs. There was so much power in her voice that everyone went silent and turned to look at her. Ring Leader Blueblood released Beatrix’s lips and turned to face Starlight incredulous.

“Excuse me? What did you say to me?” he asked.

“I said… let her go!” Starlight said, her breathing becoming a bit labored as her temperature rose to almost fever level.

“You dare command me?!” Ring Leader Blueblood shouted, walking over to her as his men lifted her to her feet. Above all of this, a purple wisp appeared above the action watching this.

“What’s happening to her?” Twilight’s voice asked from the wisp, “It’s like she’s become… a completely different person.”

“Sluts like you need to learn their place!” he shouted, slapping Starlight on the face hard. Yet to his surprise though, she didn’t falter. Her face didn’t even turn that much, nor did she say anything. She merely continued to glare at the ring leader, letting her hatred build, to the point where she was consumed by it. She got it now. That hatred she was feeling, it wasn't foreign. It was her the whole time. Knowing that Blueblood had probably done something like this in real life…

She genuinely hated him… and she knew it.

play song

Suddenly there was a surge of power from within Starlight. Her heart pulsed, so much that she felt an intense pain in her chest. She felt it again, this time hunching forward from the pain. It was unbearable, like she was about to explode, yet somehow, she wasn’t afraid.

The ring leader on the other hand, was getting a bit concerned. So much that she stepped back a bit in shock, “No… no, you can’t be… Not… one of them…!”

“Starlight… what’s happening to you…?” Beatrix asked, concern etched on her face as she stared intently at her roommate. Above all of this, the purple wisp continued to watch this from a distance.

“No way… Ms. Tia, is this what… you were talking about…?” Twilight asked.

Back in the computer room, Celestia was on her knees praying earnestly as she could.

“Please awaken, Starlight…! Please…!”

The Phase

Suddenly, the men holding Starlight’s wrists were forced to release her. They their hands to shake away the pain, but then looked at their palms. There were scorch marks on their hands.

Starlight began walking toward Ring Leader Blueblood, who was backing away from her with a terrified expression on his face. She couldn’t help herself. She let out a dark, sinister chuckle as she smiled at him demonically. His fear… it was intoxicating!

“What are you!?” he shouted, “Men, don’t just stand there! Attack her now!”

The bouncers rushed at Starlight, but she then exploded in a ferocious blaze. Normally being this close to fire would have killed someone, but not Starlight. No, because the flame wasn’t engulfing her at all.

She was the flame!

All of a sudden, a word was etched in her mind. Something she felt compelled to say, like her very life depended on her saying these words. Though it was getting hard to breathe, she gathered all of her strength to say that one simple three syllable word.

“Per… so… na!”

As soon as she finished speaking the words, her entire body was swallowed by the flame, which forced all of the masked bouncers to fall back. Ring Leader Blueblood had the audacity to hide behind Beatrix he was so terrified, who was just mesmerized by what she was seeing.

“Ms. Tia, something is happening to her!” Twilight cried urgently, “Her body! It’s-”

“This is good, Twilight! Don’t stop her! Let her release this flame!” Celestia said from the real world.

Inside the flame, Starlight’s entire body exploded with energy and power. Her purple dress was burned away, replaced with another dress. This one was black and purple, more Victorian in style, and had a red gemstone on the front in between her breasts. The dress came up high in the front to the length of a mini-skirt, but fell longer in the back to the length of a standard gown. Black fishnet stockings appeared on her legs, and her boots were replaced with red high heels. Her make-up changed, as her lipstick darkened to look more blood red, and her eye-shadow was joined with black eye-liner that made her eyes look sharpened. Finally on her head, was a large, true to form witch’s hat. She held her hands out in front of her almost sensually as her Channeling Ring glowed, and some of the flames around took form as a large sinister looking scythe. She spun the scythe above her elegantly before slashing with it, partially dispersing the flames and revealing her new form.

Behind her, the remaining flames converged into something just as terrifying, if not more terrifying. It was a spirit of some sort. The spirit looked like a metallic doll with raven black hair, wearing a red and black dress that while elegant and flowing, left very little to the imagination, showing off her voluptuous figure. The doll’s shapely legs extended to form dangerous looking blades, and both of her hands were long, dangerous looking claws. Finally, on the doll’s back was a pair of black feathery wings, and her red eyes had a hateful glare as they gazed at the now terrified ring leader. Seeing that, and possibly drunk on the power running through her, Starlight looked at Ring Leader Blueblood with a truly terrifying smirk. One that was both alluring, and demonic.

play song

“I am thou, thou art I! I am Morgana, your inner self! Now that you’ve finally released me, it’s my turn to return the favor! So, what say you, my pupil? Shall we make this filth pay?”

“With pleasure!” Starlight said with sinister glee.

The bouncers all pulsated as if in pain, and their bodies melted away, replaced with different creatures. These creatures looked like tiny ghosts with pumpkin heads, a single white hand holding a lantern, black cloak, and a black and white hat similar to Starlight’s witch hat, but smaller. Starlight turned to face them, noting the lack of fear now. She knew she could kill them now.

“They seriously think changing forms will deter us? They truly are scum. Hate them with all of your might, my pupil! Let your hatred guide your blade!”

Starlight rushed at them screaming in rage, and began slashing at the new monsters with her scythe. Her moves were elegant, almost like a dance. Each slash led into the next, and she even spun around with her weapon, letting the weight of it guide her.

It was like she’d done this her entire life!

Three of the pumpkin monsters flew to the side and stood in a triangle formation. They began charging up magic, and shot three fireballs at Starlight. Not afraid in the slightest though, she spun her scythe in front of her and blocked their attacks with no effort.

“Yes! Yes! Very good! Now, allow your hatred to become power! Let it take form, and cast your first true spell!”

Starlight held the hand that wore her Channeling Ring to her face, covering most of it with her hand and revealing her right eye, which was now glowing red. Another blaze formed around her, and Morgana manifested behind her in the same position. The word “Bufu” was etched in her head. Focusing on that word, she willed Morgana to hold her hand forward. Morgana held one clawed hand toward the enemies and fired a blast of ice at one, instantly killing it. She had to admit, the amount of power she was feeling was orgasmic.

“W-what?!” Ring Leader Blueblood cried, “How is this possible?!”

“Hey! Starlight, right?” Twilight asked, the wisp flying down to Starlight’s side, “Don’t worry, I’m on your side! Listen, when you hit an enemy with a spell that their weak against, that gives you an opening to cast another one immediately! Use that and take out the remaining two!”

Starlight nodded, and summoned Morgana again. Like last time, she focused on the word “Bufu”, and cast another ice spell, killing another one of the lantern holding monsters. The remaining one looked around panicked. As he was completely open, Starlight charged up her spell again.

“OUT OF MY SIGHT!” Starlight shouted at the enemy before casting her spell, obliterating the final lantern carrying monster there.

“Very good, my pupil. I knew you wouldn’t disappoint me. This power is now yours. Use this gift as you see fit.” Morgana’s voice echoed around Starlight. She wondered if anyone else could hear her. Probably not. Oddly, she felt more like she was talking to herself.

The spirit vanished, once again becoming one with Starlight, but she knew she could easily summon her again. Starlight had faced her other self. She attained the facade to face life’s darkest times, the Persona Morgana.*

play song

“No…! NO!” the ring leader shouted stomping his foot, “A Persona User! But… but how?! You were weak and helpless just a second ago! Now all of a sudden you’re… you’re… ARGH!”

Starlight turned to Ring Leader Blueblood and pointed her scythe at him, “Let Beatrix go, NOW!” Starlight commanded.

“Sorry, but I’m not done playing with her yet,” he snapped his finger, and suddenly more bouncers surrounded them, “Good luck fighting off all of these men! I have hundreds more where this came from!”

“Starlight, we have to retreat!” Twilight urged. Starlight turned to Twilight incredulous, telling her she couldn’t just leave Beatrix, “I know how you feel, but you just awakened! You can’t handle this many Shadows!”

The bouncers rushed at Starlight, but she began fighting them off in an attempt to prove Twilight wrong. She wasn’t going to run away again! She had to save Beatrix!

“She’s right, my pupil. Your power is still in it’s infant stage. Worry not, your light has bought your friend more time this day.”

Starlight looked at Beatrix, who stood there in the ring leaders arms looking at her pleadingly. It looked like she was both praying she’d retreat, but wishing she’d stay too. Starlight looked around at the situation. She hated this so much. But this wasn’t her running away this time.

“I won’t abandon you!” Starlight shouted to Beatrix, “I swear, I’ll come back!”

“I believe you…!” Beatrix said, sobbing helplessly, “Thank you…! Thank you for keeping me alive…!”

Starlight nodded to her, and rushed off the stage, the purple wisp following her closely. The two of them stopped in a clearing in the carnival. Somehow, Starlight felt like she was able to see her way around more clearly.

“Come on!” Twilight urged, “You can’t wake up until you get out of the Dungeon!”

Starlight began running through the carnival, slashing through any of the masked figures that got in her way. This time some of the civilians were even trying to attack her. Up ahead she saw four bouncers running toward her.

“Turn left! I think that’s a short cut!”

She thought?! Well, it was better than nothing. Starlight ran toward the left. Sure enough, she could see the door from where she was. She could use this to escape much quicker.

Two more bouncers appeared in her way and tried to grab her, but she ducked out of the way and did a sweeping kick knocking them to the ground. She used that opening to rush past them.

As she looked behind, she saw four more bouncers chasing after her. She then had a creative idea, and held up her Channeling Ring.

“MORGANA! FREEZE THE GROUND!” Starlight commanded. Morgana manifested and shot Bufu on the ground, freezing it. Starlight then allowed herself to know she could ice skate, and simply slid on the ice elegantly, at one point even jumping up into the air and spinning over a bouncer as he tried to grab her, causing him to slip and slide into the ones chasing her. She was pretty sure she heard a sound akin to bowling pins when they collided.

“You’ve already mastered moving through the Phase this much?!” Twilight asked. Starlight looked at the wisp confused. What did she mean by “the Phase”? “Wait, you don’t even know where you are, do you? What you’re actually doing here, how any of this is possible?”

Starlight shook her head saying no. She knew how to get here, but she didn’t quite know what “here” actually was. She was just doing what felt right to her.

“How is this possible…? Don’t tell me you just stumbled upon this place on your own…” Twilight sounded like she was having a really hard time with this apparently. Starlight looked and saw another bouncer standing between her and the door. He was the last one in her way, so she felt like showing off a bit. As such, she lowered herself doing a split, and bent forward all the way, still sliding forward. The end result had her slide underneath him, going straight to the exit.

The bouncer looked down in between his legs at Starlight, but ended up falling over. Starlight wasted no time running through the exit, vanishing from Beatrix’s Dungeon.

play song

Starlight and her new wisp friend emerged in the Akashic Records. Although her scythe vanished, Starlight’s clothes were still that of a witch’s attire. She didn’t know if that was a good thing, or a bad thing.

She looked back at the door leading to Beatrix’s nightmare. She hated leaving her behind in there again. She finally had power, but she still couldn’t get her free. Finally having a second to breath, she looked down at her clothes and did a double take. The dress, the hat, she became a real live witch!

“Okay, now that you’re out of there, I need some answers!” Twilight said, her wisp form flying right in Starlight’s face, “Just who are you?! How did you enter the Phase if you don’t know what it is?! How did you summon a Persona?!”

Starlight had a bunch of questions herself, like why her clothes changed? What that spirit was? And what was this wisp talking about with this “Phase” thing? In fact, who was even talking to her?! She wanted to ask these questions, but found that everything was starting to get hazy. Before she knew it, the ground was getting closer and closer, until her world went dark.

“Hey! Did you just faint?! Are you okay?! Say something!”

9/4

Once again, she heard that soft melody. The same song that always filled her both with hope and despair. This time however, she knew exactly where she was. When she opened her eyes, she found herself in a very familiar setting.

“Welcome, to the Velvet Room,” Igor greeted, “I am quite pleased to see you’ve taken my words to heart, and unleashed the power that slept within,” he then chuckled, “And I must say, that dress looks very appealing on you, Miss Glimmer,” he turned to his assistant, “Wouldn’t you agree, Victor.”

“Yes, yes I would,” Victor said, looking at Starlight intently and if she was reading him right… hungrily. Suddenly, she was aware of just how much her new gown actually showed. While she didn’t have any issue with her body, this was the first time a man had shown visible interest in her.

Wait… come to think of it… did that mean she was still…?

Starlight looked up, shocked to see her witch’s hat. She then once again looked at herself, torn between terrified of her new appearance, and loving it. At the moment, the latter was starting to win.

“There’s a mirror over there,” Igor said, gesturing to the left hand side revealing a full body mirror (was that there before?), “Why don’t you take a look at yourself?”

Starlight got up from her chair and walked toward the mirror, noting how differently she was walking. With each step she subtly swayed her hips in a more confident manner. When she looked at herself in the mirror, she did a double take.

She couldn’t remember ever looking this sexy in her life.

The gown was definitely Victorian inspired, made of black and purple silk. Her bust was presented both elegantly and sexily, showing just enough to entice but not be distasteful, while the skirt came up so high in the front her legs were practically on full display, while nothing she didn’t want shown was visible. The fishnet stockings were held up by a black garter belt, as the bands of it were just visible, and her the high heels made her legs more defined. Finally, the hat itself was much fancier than Starlight thought it was, being both purple and black, but red around the rim. A lacy black scarf was wrapped around it, and fell behind her in two elegant pieces of fabric.

She could see why Victor was looking at her so lustfully now.

“I looked like a genuine witch,” Starlight said, turning around and fully examining herself.

“That’s because you are a genuine witch,” Igor replied, “By awakening to the power of Persona, you unleashed your inner power, and became the witch you always wanted to be.”

Persona? Right, Starlight remembered that. That’s the word that was almost forced out of her right before she caught fire and transformed into this witch form. As she sauntered back to her seat, she asked Igor what a Persona was.

“A Persona is the manifestation of your inner, darker emotions, tempered into a purified state,” Igor explained.

“My inner emotions?” Starlight said, feeling compelled to sit in a more dominating manner now, as such crossed her legs and sat back in her chair, knowing full well that Victor was eyeing her.

“Every person in the world has two sides to them. One side is who they themselves perceive. The other side is called “The Shadow”, which represents all of the darker emotions that they hide away, both from others and themselves. Most people choose to ignore this aspect of who they are, and so their Shadow grows, becoming harder and harder to ignore. Sadly, most people will go their entire lives and never even look at their inner selves to see how they really feel, and become ruled by their darker emotions.”

Starlight looked down, thinking about that. That meant those thoughts of hating Blueblood, of wanting to hurt him for hurting Beatrix, those thoughts were her thoughts. She wasn’t sure how she felt knowing that deep down she was such a hate filled person.

“However, there is an alternative,” Igor continued, catching Starlight’s attention, “If a person looks at their Shadow, and comes to understanding that those emotions are their true feelings, the result,” he motioned behind Starlight, prompting her to turn around. She saw her Persona, Morgana, floating behind her, surrounded by what appeared to be an ongoing flame.

Looking at her, Starlight could feel it. While it was speaking to her in the dream world, in a way she was just talking to herself. This entity… it was her.

Thou art I… and I am thou…

“This is a Persona, the Shadow tempered by one’s ego. Like this, your shadow will follow you, effectively making use of your darker emotions in a more positive light. Worry not, Miss Glimmer. Morgana here is your ally now. She will only do what you tell her to do.”

At Igor’s words, Starlight felt compelled to reach out and touch Morgana, despite the flame surrounding her. She felt… safe with her. In a way, it was like both making a new friend, and seeing an old friend she hadn’t seen in a long time.

It was okay. She was still herself.

Starlight smiled at Morgana, silently thanking her for coming to her aid. Morgana nodded in response, and then vanished from the room, returning to Starlight’s heart.

“A Persona User is someone who is capable of turning those darker emotions into power,” Igor said as Starlight turned back to face him, “The ring you wear on your finger is called a Channeling Ring. It not only allows you access into the dream realm, but it is your connection to your inner witch. That ring is your tool to channel your inner flame into either a weapon, or your Persona. You, however, are quite special in the case of Persona Users.”

Special? What did Igor mean by that? Was her Persona different than others?

“You, Miss Glimmer, possess the power of the Wild Card,” his tarot deck appeared, and he held up The Fool Arcana card, “It is like the number zero. Empty, yet filled with infinite potential.”

Igor handed Starlight the card, and she looked at it intently. She remembered this card from their first meeting. This was what she became when she came back to life. Someone who had nothing, but could become anything she wanted.

How was that going to affect her Persona though?

“Looking at you though,” Igor looked at Starlight closely, and then chuckled, “It seems your power is unique even among previous carriers of that power. I am quite curious to see how that manifests within you.”

Before Starlight could ask him what he meant, she heard the sound of an alarm. It took a second for her to realize that was her alarm clock.

“It appears we’re out of time for now,” Igor said, “Next time we talk, I will tell you the services Victor and I will provide for you. And I believe it’s about time you used that key I gave you. Tell next we meet.”

Like normal, everything became hazy, and Starlight felt herself return to the waking world.

September 4th 2019
Tuesday
Sunny

Morning

play song

Starlight did not expect to wake up feeling like she did. But considering she literally caught fire in her dream, she could see how waking up the next morning might be a bit of an issue. Her friends, roommate, and Celestia were in the room with her, Celestia using a thermometer to check her temperature. When she took it and looked at the number, she frowned.

“Hm, sorry honey, but no school for you today,” Celestia said, “Your fever is too high.”

“How bad is it?” Pinkie Pie asked. Celestia showed her the thermometer, and her eyes went wide, “Whoa! Yeah Starlight, you should stay home and get some rest today.”

Starlight turned to look at Beatrix sitting on her bed, who quickly averted her eyes. Her expression was odd though. While her usual tension was present, Starlight saw confusion in her eyes as well. Did she remember the dream?

If so, Starlight couldn’t not be there. What if Blueblood…

“I’m fine…” Starlight said, trying to sit up, “I can… I can go to-”

Celestia held Starlight’s shoulders and slowly laid her back down in her bed.

“No, young lady. Not with a temperature of 138 degrees,” Celestia said, gently caressing her face, “The world isn’t going to end if you miss a day of school. Everything will be fine, okay?”

Starlight sighed, realizing she lost this fight. She relaxed in her bed and nodded.

“Beatrix,” Celestia said turning to her, “You’re in charge of making sure Starlight gets her assignments, so head right back to the dorm after school, alright?”

Beatrix was visibly shocked, but she quickly nodded, “Yes, Ms. Tia.”

“You sure your boyfriend isn’t going to miss you?” Rainbow Dash asked dismissively, folding her arms. She didn’t know all the details, so she understood. Still though, Starlight was beginning to make connections to Beatrix’s dream and real life.

She literally didn’t have a single ally.

Beatrix looked to the side and gritted her teeth, “I… think he’ll live without me for a bit. Not that anyone here cares.”

“I… care.”

Beatrix turned to Starlight suddenly, visibly shocked, “W-what…?”

“Thank you, Beatrix. I appreciate it,” Starlight smiled at Beatrix, both out of gratitude, and as a silent way of letting her know what she so wanted to say out loud.

I’m your ally, Beatrix.

Beatrix averted her eyes weakly, and then ran out of the room.

“Geez, what’s her problem?” Rainbow Dash asked.

“Maybe she’s actually worried about Starlight,” Pinkie Pie reasoned, “Speaking of, I can give you a few more manga to read if you want. It might be boring otherwise.”

Starlight appreciated that, and thanked Pinkie Pie before relaxing a bit more. Celestia tucked her in with a maternal gaze, and then leaned in close to kiss her on the forehead, getting close to her ear.

“We’ll discuss your dream later,” she whispered.

Whoa, whoa, WHOA! Wait, what?! Did Celestia… did she know about the dreams?! Did she somehow see Starlight turn into a witch?! And if that’s true, then her asking Beatrix to being her assignments… was…

Starlight nodded subtly as to not give away something Celestia was clearly keeping hidden from the rest of the dorm. Celestia sat up, lightly patted Starlight on the leg, and rose from the bed.

“Okay, off to school with the rest of you,” she said jovially, “Starlight’s the only one here who’s sick, so she gets to miss class. Not you two though.”

“I dunno, Ms. Tia,” Rainbow Dash placed a hand on her forehead dramatically, “I think I feel the room spinning.”

“Nice try, Rainbow Dash,” Celestia said with a smirk, “But you’re not fooling this old spirit. Now, let’s let Starlight rest for now.”

“Ugh, fiiiiine,” Rainbow Dash groaned, “We’ll see ya after class, Starlight.”

“Feel better, okay?” Pinkie Pie asked, She and Rainbow Dash then left the room.

“Ms. Tia?” Starlight asked once they were alone, “About… Beatrix. I don’t know, but I think she’s…”

“Don’t worry about Beatrix right now,” Celestia said quickly, “You focus on getting better. You can’t help anyone in the state you’re in right now.”

She left the room before Starlight could say anything else, and closed the door. That confirmed it. She did know about the dream. Hopefully tonight, she could get some answers. For now though, she needed to rest. Seemed she was still a bit more tired than she thought. This time however, she took her ring off and placed it on her bed stand before closing her eyes and drifting off.

She needed actual rest this time.

end song

After School

Starlight had soup for breakfast (even Celestia’s chicken noodle soup was divine!), and she managed to at least head downstairs at around lunch to get something from the refrigerator. After that, she must have drifted off again, because at around 4:30 pm she woke up again, seeing a few books on her bed stand next to her ring and Igor’s key.

“Finally awake, huh?”

Starlight looked to the other side of the room and saw Beatrix laying on her bed. She pulled a pair of earphones out of her hears, showing she’d probably been listening to music while waiting for Starlight to wake up.

“Were you waiting for me?” Starlight asked, sitting up in her bed. Beatrix sat up in her bed giving her usual scowl.

“I just wanted to make sure we didn’t need to take you to a hospital or something,” Beatrix said turning away from Starlight and folding her arms. Her expression softened after a beat though, and her eyes shifted back to Starlight, “Are you okay now…?”

Starlight nodded and smiled. She thanked Beatrix, and asked her if she was okay?

“What does it matter?” Beatrix asked, “You’re the one who’s sick, so why are you worried about me?”

Starlight almost told her about the dream, but something told her that it wasn’t a good idea to let her know about that, at least not yet. Instead, she tried a different approach.

“I… noticed how you are with your boyfriend. Blueblood, isn’t it?” Starlight asked. Beatrix looked aghast for a split second, but then calmed down.

“Oh, I guess that probably would have raised a few red flags,” Beatrix got up and walked over to the window, “I take it you’ve heard the rumors, then?” Starlight nodded, letting Beatrix continue, “It’s fine. I know what the other kids are saying. They’re wrong though. Blueblood, he…”

“So he’s not rough with you?” Starlight pressed.

“No, he’s not,” Beatrix said a little too quickly, “I mean… I guess he’s rough, but only because I’m into that sort of thing. We’re a bit kinky, I suppose, but… but it’s not real or anything.”

It sure looked real to Starlight. She imagined that if it were just something kinky she did with her boyfriend, she wouldn’t look so broken all the time.

“I mean… sometimes he does things… and I’m not okay with it initially, but I always come around. He likes things a certain way, and well… it’s my job to make sure he gets that…”

That didn’t sound right at all. It was all well and good that he was having a good time, but what about Beatrix?

“So, you’re 100 percent okay with the way things are with Blueblood,” Starlight said folding her arms under her bosom, “Can you look me in the eyes right now and tell me that you’re happy with the way he treats you?”

Beatrix looked like she was wrestling with herself, but instead of saying anything, she looked down and started crying.

play song

That was all Starlight needed to see.

She got out of bed, and walked over to Beatrix, doing the one thing she knew Beatrix desperately needed. She wrapped her arms around Beatrix in a comforting embrace.

Beatrix gasped softly, eyes wide as she started trembling, “Y-you…”

“It’s okay,” Starlight said softly, tightening the embrace, “He’s not here right now. You can let it out.”

A few seconds later, the dam broke and Beatrix completely broke down. All the while, Starlight continued to hold her, both for comfort and support, saying absolutely nothing. She didn’t need to hear empty promises that things would be okay. She didn't need to hear advice from someone who'd never even been a relationship before.

Besides, if she was aware of her condition, deep down she probably knew she wasn’t going to be okay. So far, no one with the Nightmare Epidemic survived.

Beatrix calmed down after a few minutes of crying, “Don’t tell anyone, please.”

“Beatrix-”

“Promise me!” she turned to Starlight earnestly, “I don’t want this getting out! If too many people find out, then he might… Blueblood might…” she looked away, trembling so much that she looked terrified, “I can’t… lose him…! Please Starlight, just keep this between us…!”

Through Starlight’s eyes, Beatrix became the one in the dream for a split second. Based on her expression, she was also begging Starlight to keep this hidden. She was sure that Celestia knew, but if no one else did…

Starlight hated doing this, but she relented, telling Beatrix she promised not to tell. Beatrix relaxed hearing that and leaned into Starlight’s embrace.

“Thank you…” she said softly. Starlight lightly rubbed Beatrix’s back, choosing to stay with her for the rest of the night, at least until Celestia summoned her.

Right now, Beatrix desperately needed a friend.

end song

Late Night

After finishing their homework together, Starlight stayed with Beatrix until she fell asleep. As she caressed her roommate’s cheek gently, she prayed that she’d have good dreams tonight. Sadly though, that wasn’t the case, as a minute after she drifted off, her entire body went cold.

Starlight sighed, and carefully moved Beatrix onto her pillow and under the covers of her bed, once again kissing her on the forehead, silently praying that she’d be safe in there tonight. As she rose, she heard a light knock on the door before it opened.

“She’s asleep?” Celestia asked. Starlight nodded, still eyeing her homeroom teacher/dorm mistress oddly as she stepped into the bedroom. Celestia knelt down and placed a hand on Beatrix’s shoulder.

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“I hate seeing my children suffer so,” Celestia said somberly, “Still, from out here there is very little I can do,” she stood up and turned to Starlight, “I take it you rested throughout the day?” she asked, again Starlight just nodding as a silent response, “That’s good. You seem much better now. Last night had to have been trying for you,” she looked away pained, “I’m sorry you had to go through all of that. It was the only way to ensure that you’d awaken.”

Awaken? So she knew about Personas as well?

“Come,” Celestia said walking out of the room, “We’ll have to stay up for a bit, but there’s someone I want you to meet. The two of you are going to be working very closely, after all.”

Starlight followed after Celestia, who was completely silent for the entire walk. The dorm itself seemed almost like a different place at night, but she was happy no one else was awake. She hadn’t changed out of her nightgown, which was sheer in places she wasn’t sure she wanted her friends to see.

The fact that Celestia could see so much was embarrassing in of itself.

She led Starlight up two flights of stairs, going past the third floor bedrooms and up to the fourth floor, which had a single large door that she assumed was Celestia’s room. She wasn’t sure what to expect to see through that door.

When she was escorted inside, she was unsure how to process the room itself. It had a very comfortable looking couch, and a coffee table in front of it with tea and what Starlight could tell were cookies (from here, they looked like her favorite, oatmeal raisin), and a large window in the far end. What she did not see coming, however, was a large and complicated computer with multiple screens showing different maps, gauges, and other things that Starlight didn’t understand at all. In front of the computer was a black chair that looked really comfortable, and beneath the terminal was a headset that looked like something straight out of science fiction.

Actually, that counted for the entire computer.

“Please, make yourself comfortable,” Celestia requested. Starlight slowly walked over to the couch and sat down. Celestia sat down next to her and poured herself a cup of tea, “Would you like some tea? It’s chamomile, so it’ll help you relax.”

“T-thank you, Ms. Tia,” Starlight said. Celestia poured her a cup as well, and the two of them sat in silence for a few seconds. Starlight did try one of the cookies, unsurprised that it tasted so great. Naturally she took two more.

With the way Celestia giggled, she didn’t seem to mind all that much.

After a bit, Starlight felt the need to break the silence. Not because she felt uncomfortable around Celestia, in fact she was surprised by how comfortable she DID feel around the mysterious woman who clearly knew too much. She needed to just ask a few questions, and she had a feeling this time she’d get a straight answer.

“How much do you know about Beatrix’s situation?” Starlight asked outright, feeling herself get a tad more sensitive as a result.

“A lot more than she’d like, but a lot less than I’d like,” Celestia said sipping her tea, “I know that her boyfriend abuses her, and I know she’s been dealing with this for about 5 months now,” she set her cup onto the table and folded her arms under her hefty bosom, “I also know that she’s suffering what scientists have taken to calling the Nightmare Epidemic, and that she’s in the final stages of it,” she lowered her head and narrowed her eyes, her dark expression sending a slight chill down Starlight’s spine, “If it were up to me, I’d have that boy thrown out of this school. Alas, I have no physical proof, and Beatrix isn’t speaking up about it.

“What I don’t know is why she’s refusing to speak up, when she started suffering the Nightmare Epidemic, or even how bad the abuse is. Sadly we can’t just rely on cues from her Dungeon, because that’s based on her interpretation of the situation. It might be accurate, but it might be blown out of proportion from her perspective. A problem is only as big as the person who’s experiencing it believes it is.”

Starlight was taken aback by how candid Celestia was being about this. She was also surprised to see Celestia so serious. Normally she was bright and sunny, but right now she seemed downright grave. She had to do something.

Starlight scooted closer to Celestia and took her hand, gently squeezing it like she did for her to comfort her. That was also something her mother would do to let her know “it would be okay”. Based on how the older woman’s smile started to return, she seemed to get the message.

“Thank you, my child,” Celestia said sweetly. She and Starlight met eyes, and for a split second Starlight felt an odd connection with Celestia. In that moment, she felt almost like-

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The sound of footsteps caught their attention, “Ah, she’s finally ready,” the door opened, and Twilight walked into the room joining them, “Good morning, Twilight.”

“Good evening, Ms. Tia,” Twilight said with a stretch, “I’m surprised I got any sleep after the excitement last night,” she then looked at Starlight with a raised eyebrow, “Please don’t tell me you dress like that all the time.”

Starlight quickly covered her breasts with her arms, feeling incredibly flushed. She actually forgot that she was practically naked right now.

“Now now, Twilight, she was sick for most of the day after her Persona awakened, and she didn’t have much time to change clothes,” Celestia lightly scolded the other purple haired teen before turning to Starlight, “I apologize for my pupil. Due to her upbringing she lacks a few basic social skills, but she means well. You can relax, I assure you there’s nothing to be embarrassed about.”

“I mean, you see how big Ms. Tia is, right?” Twilight shrugged, “Trust me, I’ve seen a lot more than I already care to see in my life. Besides, I’m completely straight.”

Hearing that, Starlight lowered her arms. She still felt embarrassed though. Thanks to this other girl however, Starlight was now wondering if Celestia was wearing a bra underneath that kimono.

Celestia rose and presented the other girl to Starlight, “Starlight, this is my personal protege, Twilight Sparkle. Twilight dear, this is Starlight Glimmer.”

“It’s a pleasure to meet you,” Starlight said, standing up and holding out her hand. Twilight looked at her hand oddly for a second, but then shook it with a sigh.

“Likewise. Happy to finally be speaking to you in person,” Twilight said. Starlight frowned a bit, eyes widening when she realized where she heard Twilight’s voice from.

“You’re the wisp that helped me last night!” she cried, “And the voice that guided me out of Beatrix’s nightmare the first time!”

“Oh, you remember me. Good,” Twilight smirked, “Glad to see you’re not as much of a space cadet as I thought.”

This girl was not going to be easy to open up to. Lacking in social skills indeed.

“Now that we’re all here, I believe it’s time we fill Starlight in on the situation,” Celestia said placing her hands on Starlight’s shoulders, “That is, if she’s going to be helping us.”

“Helping you?” Starlight asked, her heart racing a bit for some reason.

“Well, I suppose it would be more accurate to say we’ll be helping you, Starlight. You do want to rescue Beatrix, don’t you?” Celestia asked with an enigmatic smile.

Wait, were they saying that there was a cure for the Nightmare Epidemic? That there was a chance they could save Beatrix? She asked them if that was the case.

“If what Ms. Tia believes about you is right, then absolutely,” Twilight said taking a seat on the couch and grabbing a cookie, “But you’re going to need to know the whole situation first.”

Starlight and Celestia both returned to their spots on the couch, which placed Starlight right in the middle of the two of them. They were both such a contrast it was amazing to think that they probably knew each other for a while.

“So first, tell me,” Celestia asked taking another sip from her tea, “What do you remember about last night?”

Starlight recounted for them what she remembered happened last night, which was pretty much everything. She remembered smashing the container Beatrix was trapped in, being cornered by Blueblood’s men, and hearing a dark voice in her head right before she caught fire and changed into that witch form. She also told them both how powerful she felt in the dream, leaving out the part where she almost came from how wonderful the power felt.

“Wow. Your dream recollection is pretty impressive,” Twilight said, actually looking genuinely surprised, “From what I’ve researched, most Persona Users don’t remember their first awakening so vividly.”

Most Persona Users? How much did these two know about Personas?

“You seem surprised,” Celestia said, “We’re actually directly associated with an organization that researches Personas. You’ve heard of the Kirijo Corporation, haven’t you?”

Oh yeah she had. There were a lot of scary stories tied to that group, which was stationed in Japan. Also, she remembered one of the books she read about incidents surrounding the collective unconscious mentioned the Kirijo Corporation a lot.

“They’re the center of most Persona activities these days,” Twilight said, pouring herself a cup of tea, “The current head of the company searches for and recruits Persona Users, in the hopes of preventing another mass issue like the Fall in 2010.”

“The Fall…?” Starlight asked. She remembered reading a bit about that, but the author didn’t go into too much detail.

“Throughout the years, there have been many incidents surrounding Personas and the monsters you saw in Beatrix’s Dungeon called Shadows. One of those incidents centered around the Fall,” Celestia explained.

“Do you mean… the Dark Hour?” Starlight asked. Celestia’s eyes widened and she smiled proudly.

“You did your research. You really are a rare breed, Starlight.”

“Most don’t even take that story seriously anymore,” Twilight said, grabbing a cookie and biting into it, “Which is a shame because it’s actually the one closest to the Real World.”

“I didn’t quite take it seriously at first either,” Starlight admitted, “At least, I wasn’t sure how real it was, but I always wanted to be a witch, and I figured that the collective unconscious was the key, so I kept an open mind about it.”

“You actually wanted to be a witch?” Twilight asked, “I mean, more power to you, and you ended up getting what you wanted. I’m just surprised someone actually believes in magic anymore.”

“I take it… magic is what caused this Dark Hour?” Starlight asked.

“To a degree, yes,” Celestia began, “Ten years ago, man opened Pandora’s Box in a sense, unleashing Shadows onto the world. Their experiments created a phenomenon called the Dark Hour, which I’m sure you’re aware was a hidden hour between every day. During that hour, most humans turned into coffins not remembering the Dark Hour, and the shadows walked freely, preying on the unsuspecting humans.”

Starlight remembered vaguely hearing on the news about a strange mental illness called “Apathy Syndrome” that happened around that time. She was too young to understand what it meant back then, but now she wondered if it had something to do with this Dark Hour.

“One year later, a small town in Japan was targeted by the Shadows,” Celestia continued, “This place has been the subject of a lot of incidents over the years, but they’ve all been stopped by the same group of Persona Users, locals who live in the area. I’ve had the luxury of meeting with their leader. A quiet young man, but honorable. A lot like a knight in a sense.

“The final major incident to speak of happened a few years ago, but we can’t pin the date exactly. However, it took place in Tokyo Japan. During that time, people were suffering Mental Shutdowns at an alarming rate, and crime was on the rise. However, a group of teens who called themselves the Phantom Thieves of Hearts took action, not only forcing the criminals to repent for their crimes, but also combating the Mental Shutdowns.”

Twilight gave a wistful sigh, “They’re my favorite case, most of all because of their leader, Joker. He's so dark and enigmatic, almost like a bad boy, except really nice.”

Starlight suppressed a laugh. Seeing Twilight fangirl over this Joker person really ruined the stoic image she was going for. Apparently she realized that herself, because she caught herself and turned away from Starlight, a light blush on her cheeks.

Starlight then noticed something that had her both confused and a little worried, “Hang on though, all of those incidents took place in Japan though. What about the Nightmare Epidemic? You said that the monsters in Beatrix’s dream are Shadows, right?”

“I did,” Celestia said gravely, “Which is why the head of the Kirijo Corporation, Mitsuru, is so concerned with this latest incident.”

“Let me show you something,” Twilight said, getting up and walking over to the computer and sitting down in the chair. Starlight walked over to her side as Twilight pulled up what looked like a satellite image of the planet. The image was dotted red all over, so much that you’d think the image was just made to have a red tint to it.

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“What are we looking at?” Starlight asked.

“The red dots are locations where the Nightmare Epidemic was reported to have occurred,” Twilight explained. Starlight felt the color fade from her face as she looked at the map horrified. There were that many people affected by it?

“You’ve heard how there have been rising depression rates across the globe?” Celestia asked, Starlight nodding, “That’s not random. The Shadows are directly connected to the rising depression on this planet. At first everything was fine, and there was no sign of Shadow involvement, but one day six months ago, people began reporting having terrible nightmares filled with monsters similar to what we know Shadows sometimes look like.”

Six months ago. That was also around the time Starlight tried to commit suicide. She looked down gravely thinking about that time, and how Igor came to her rescue.

“I know what you’re thinking,” Celestia walked over to Starlight and wrapped her arms around her comfortingly, “But I promise you, what happened isn’t your fault. For all we know, you were targeted by the Shadows as well, and they pushed you to the point of suicide.”

Starlight wasn’t so sure, honestly. She wanted to believe Celestia, but deep down…

“Is there anything we can do about this?” Starlight asked, holding onto Celestia’s arm and looking down.

“As a matter of fact, there might be,” Celestia said tightening the embrace, “You see Starlight, only a Persona User can fight Shadows. The Kirijo Corporation has their hands full with other cases, so Mitsuru can’t investigate this like she wants to. However, I assured her that eventually, a new Trickster would awaken to guide us in our darkest hour, and I believe that Trickster, is you.”

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“Me…?” Starlight’s heart felt funny now. That word… Trickster…

“A Trickster is a special kind of Persona User with unusual abilities. This Persona User, can use multiple Personas at once.”

It’s like the number zero. Empty, yet filled with infinite potential.

That mirrored what Igor said to her. But… she wasn’t saying…

“You’ve met him,” Celestia asked, “The long nosed man, Igor?”

Starlight’s eyes widened. How… how did she know about Igor…?

“You have, haven’t you?” Celestia asked, once again tightening the embrace a bit, which did comfort Starlight, “All of the Tricksters before you report meeting with Igor sometime before their journeys truly started. He’d draw them into the Velvet Room to introduce himself, shortly afterward, they’d enter into a contract of sort, and from there they would find other Persona Users to join their cause. Mitsuru’s dear friend from high school, the knightly boy I mentioned to you, even the Phantom Thief Joker, all of them are Tricksters who have awakened to their full power, and all of them have changed the world. If Igor pulled you into the Velvet Room, that means you have more power than you could ever imagine.”

But he didn’t pull her there initially. She threw her life away, and just landed in the Velvet Room, possibly by accident. It sounded like Igor sought out the other Tricksters ahead of time. How did Celestia know that she was this Trickster she was waiting for?

Why would she want a Trickster that barely even valued her life…?

“What… what are you asking me to do?” Starlight asked slowly, on the verge of tears thinking about what she wanted. She wasn’t asking Starlight to…

“I’d like to think that’s obvious, sweetheart,” Celestia’s hand met Starlight’s and their fingers locked together, “I want you to light out darkest hour. If you are the Trickster, then you can gather other Persona Users. Together, I know you can become the light in the darkness.”

“But… I’m not…”

“Not what?” Celestia asked gently.

“I can’t be the Trickster you’re looking for… because the way I entered the Velvet Room… I… it wasn’t… Igor didn’t…”

“You want to help Beatrix, right?”

Starlight turned to Twilight, who had her eyes closed and her arms folded.

“She’s one of the people being affected by this right now. As we speak she’s being tortured by the Shadows,” Twilight picked up the headset and handed it to Starlight, “Put this on.”

Starlight put the headset on as Celestia released her, but she kept her hands on Starlight’s shoulders. Twilight pushed a few buttons, and Starlight felt herself fly through a vortex for a few seconds to a minute. When she was done, she found herself in what looked like the interior of a tent. Inside were terrifying animals all locked in cages.

But it was one cage in particular that caught Starlight’s eye.

Inside was Beatrix, wearing that same skimpy leotard she was forced to wear in the dream. Her wrists and ankles were in shackles, both chained to the floor of the cage, forcing her to lay on the floor like a defeated and captured princess. And she was crying, just like she did when Starlight held her a bit ago.

She wanted to wrap her arms around her, but when she reached for her, she saw a ghostly representation of her arm instead. She was in her witch attire, but she was little more than a phantom than anything else.

“She can’t see you,” Twilight said, “Nor can she hear you. She doesn’t even know you’re there watching her right now.”

“Why are you showing me this…?” Starlight asked, trembling as her heart started racing.

“Because we can’t afford to wait,” Twilight said, “As we speak, there are hundreds of people suffering just like her. People who are trapped in their nightmares, unable to wake themselves up or escape their circumstances.”

“Can’t… the other Tricksters…?”

“They already had their battles,” Celestia said sadly, “While yes, their powers are great, only a newly manifested Trickster has the power to truly end this. Something this bad, all they’d be able to do is put a band-aid on the issue at best.”

Starlight felt herself get pulled back out into the real world, and Twilight took off the headset, standing in front of Starlight glaring at her.

“If I could, Starlight, I’d be in there myself,” Twilight said sternly, “Unfortunately, I don’t have a Persona period. But you do. You have the power to be that girl’s savior, and right now you’re the only thing keeping her alive. Are you going to be the light in her darkness,” she narrowed her eyes leaning in close to Starlight, “Or are you going to run away again?”

Starlight had to fight the urge to slap Twilight for saying that, but she quickly realized something. She was right. Right now, she was being a coward. This issue was so big, too big for one person to handle.

But maybe… she could at least save Beatrix.

“Help me save her,” Starlight said, “After we save Beatrix, I’ll decide what to do next.”

Twilight sighed in relief, “That’s all I’m asking. I’ve had to watch that girl suffer for weeks now, so I’d like to save her at least.”

“For now, you should return to your room and get some more sleep,” Celestia suggested, “Don’t put your ring on. Now that you have a Persona you should be able to control where you go in the dream world now, but I don’t want to risk it. Besides, you need to get actual sleep every so often to keep your strength up.”

Starlight nodded. She felt so weak right now, like she was letting Celestia down. She said goodnight to both her and Twilight and began making her way back to her room. The walk was slow, quiet, and she felt heavy. What they were ultimately asking her to do was way too much for one person to handle alone.

Especially since she knew she wasn’t the Trickster they were looking for.

When she went back into the room, she sat down on the bed and looked at Beatrix as she slept. So far, she hadn’t been successful in saving her, even after she awakened to her Persona. Celestia clearly believed in her, but she wasn’t sure about Twilight. Still, she understood what they were saying.

Starlight looked closely at Beatrix, and noticed a single tear fall from her eyes as she slept.

Starlight turned away from Beatrix, fighting back tears of her own as she laid back in her bed. It didn’t seem fair to her that she got to sleep peacefully while her roommate was stuck in an eternal nightmare. Thanks to the tea she had in Celestia’s room though, sleep came to her after a few minutes.

“I really don’t know about her, Ms. Tia,” Twilight sighed sitting back on the couch, “She’s so fainthearted about this.”

“She’s afraid, Twilight,” Celestia said, sitting next to her student, “We’re asking her to save the entire planet. I’d think she were insane if she truly jumped at the chance to do something like this.”

“It’s just, you’ve told me stories about the Tricksters before her, and I’ll be honest, she doesn’t live up to the hype.”

“Even the mightiest Tricksters of all have moments of weakness. As powerful as they are, they have one weakness that is also their greatest strength,” Celestia poured herself another cup of tea and sipped it.

“Which is?” Twilight asked, taking one of the last cookies.

“In the end, they’re still human.”

9/5

September 5th, 2019
Wednesday
Cloudy

Morning

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Starlight was feeling much better this morning, so she felt like she could go to school. Shockingly, she found Beatrix eating breakfast with the rest of the dorm. When Starlight sat down at the table, Beatrix even looked at her briefly, and if she didn’t know better didn’t scowl in hatred this time.

Well, it was progress.

This time around Starlight chose to head to school herself as opposed to being driven, which Celestia did offer. She probably wanted to make sure she was okay after last night. Being completely honest, Starlight wasn’t sure where her head was concerning that. But thinking about Beatrix made Starlight feel like she needed to take action, and not just in terms of saving her from her dream. She found that she felt that same desire to protect her even in the real world.

Speaking of Beatrix, she was actually waiting for Starlight outside of the dorm. She played it off as they were going in the same direction, and she wanted to make sure Starlight found the school easily, but Starlight knew better. She was clinging to her for protection. Even if she didn’t know whether or not the Starlight she saw in her dream was the real Starlight, she probably was beginning to see her as a symbol of hope. Someone that she needed to keep close to stay safe, and possibly alive, as she was still staring death right in the face more than likely.

Starlight didn’t mind in the slightest.

The train ride was completely silent. Even though they found a place to sit together, the two of them didn’t say anything to one another. Starlight could tell that Beatrix wanted to say something though. Not knowing what else to say, and getting the feeling that she needed to keep the true nature of the dreams a secret for now, she took Beatrix’s hand comfortingly and gave her a kind smile. Beatrix turned to Starlight surprised, but then looked down at her lap with a soft smile.

“Thanks…” she said, a light blush on her cheeks.

After getting off the train, the two continued in silence toward the school. There were two boys in front of them talking, and Starlight couldn’t help but listen.

“Man, Blueblood was not in a good mood yesterday.”

“I know, right? When he threw the ball to me in practice, he damn near knocked the wind out of me! Seriously, what happened?”

“I dunno. His girlfriend wasn’t at practice though, so that might have had something to do with it.”

“Well, I hope she’s there today. I can’t take another practice session from hell.”

Beatrix moaned in sadness and frustration, her expression one of pure defeat and hopelessness. Starlight didn’t like this, and had enough mind to tell them to stop being selfish, but she did promise Beatrix not to tell anyone.

Still, this was getting ridiculous.

Daytime

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Since today was her first full day, she got to feel out her schedule. She was surprised by how many classes she and Beatrix shared. That was going to make it really easy to protect her and hopefully strike up a full on friendship with her when all of this was over. Part of her wondered if Celestia had a hand in that somehow. Probably not, considering in the end she was still a History Teacher.

Most of her classes were just her catching up, but one class caught her attention right away. That being English, which was taught by Bulk Biceps, the gym teacher! He didn’t even change out of his t-shirt, and had his whistle and headband on and everything. Was this due to being understaffed, or did he actually want to pull double duty like this.

It had to be the latter, because otherwise it didn’t make sense for the gym teacher to also be teaching English.

But he was quite the character. Okay, scratch that, all of her teachers were quite the character. Bulk Biceps had a habit of quoting Shakespeare, and seemed to really like poetry. He even had a prop skull on his desk. Seriously, this was too insane. Starlight and Beatrix (who sat together in every one of their classes) couldn’t help but giggle at his antics. Starlight didn’t even care that he shot them a look afterward.

She was just happy to see Beatrix acting somewhat like a normal girl.

After School

When classes ended, Starlight caught up to Beatrix and convinced her to walk with her back to the dorms. She was understandably apprehensive, but relented after a second. Starlight wanted to keep her away from Blueblood as much as possible.

Sadly the universe had other plans though, because as soon as they exited the classroom, they saw Blueblood leaning against a wall, arms folded. He did not look happy.

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“Trying to dodge me, Beatrix?” Blueblood asked with a dangerous tone.

“N-no,” Beatrix said weakly, “I told you… yesterday my roommate was sick, and my teacher asked me to-”

“Right, your roommate,” he pushed off the wall and walked over to them. Starlight stepped forward getting between Blueblood and Beatrix, and shot him a glare similar to what she shot his Shadow version inside Beatrix’s Dungeon, “I take it that’s you, correct?” Blueblood asked, “If I were you, I’d get out of my way.”

“You’re not me, and I’m just fine standing right where I am,” Starlight shot back at him. She felt a slight burst of courage from telling him that.

“I don’t know what rumors you’ve heard, but what Beatrix and I do together is none of your business, goth,” Blueblood narrowed his eyes at Starlight, “Beatrix, come. I have football practice, and I’m going to want to make up for not seeing you yesterday.”

“I…” Beatrix looked away and tightened her fists. It looked like she was trying to fight his influence.

“Beatrix, come,” he said, that dangerous tone returning. Whatever that tone meant, Starlight didn’t like it. However, it seemed to have the desired effect, because any strength Beatrix had gathered left immediately as she gave a defeated sigh.

“Yes. I’m coming,” Beatrix said, voice weak and almost monotone. Starlight quickly grabbed her arm, silently begging her not to go with him, “I’m sorry Starlight… but I… I have to. I’ll see you back at the dorm…”

Beatrix pulled her hand away from Starlight’s and walked over to Blueblood, who wrapped an arm around her shoulder guiding her away. As they turned to the stairs, he gave Starlight a dangerous glare that made her feel really uncomfortable.

When they were gone, Starlight looked to the ground, trembling in frustration. She didn’t just want to save Beatrix from dying in her nightmare, she wanted to get her away from the source of said nightmare. A comforting hand landed on her shoulder, and she looked behind her to see Celestia looking at the stairs with a slight glare herself.

Seriously, for as nice as she was, seeing her glare at anyone was terrifying.

“I know honey. Believe me, it frustrates me too,” Celestia said gently, “For now though, let’s focus on what we can do.”

“Can I go back into her Dungeon tonight?” Starlight asked.

“Yes, tonight’s a good night for that,” Celestia wrapped her arms around Starlight lovingly, “Don’t worry. We’ll get to the bottom of this.”

Starlight thanked Celestia before heading back to the dorm. She’d get an early start to her homework so she wouldn’t have that weighing over her throughout the night.

Unknown to either of them, a certain rainbow haired teen was standing behind the corner listening to them.

“Dungeon? Does that have something to do with Beatrix's sudden change?” Rainbow Dash asked folding her arms, “Wait a second, if that’s the case, then does that mean…”

“There you are Dashie!” Pinkie Pie said, turning to the corner Rainbow Dash was hiding behind, “Dashie, are you okay? You seem tense.”

“Y-yeah Pinkie Pie, I’m okay,” Rainbow Dash said, “Hey, if you were dealing with any issues, you’d tell me, right?”

Pinkie averted her eyes ever so slightly, “Well duh! You’re my knight in shining armor. I know you’ll always protect me.”

“Exactly, I’ll always protect you,” Rainbow Dash said, taking Pinkie Pie’s hand, “Let’s head to the arcade before going back to the dorm.”

Pinkie Pie nodded, showing no visible signs of stress. Rainbow Dash wasn’t buying it though. She’d been having the same dream every night since the school year began, and at first she thought it was just stress due to the new school year. Honestly, she had no reason to be concerned. Throughout the day Pinkie Pie seemed like her usual self.

So why was Pinkie Pie crying in her sleep?

end song

Evening

It was getting late. Beatrix was cutting it really close. Starlight had finished her homework early to keep herself calm, but she had hoped Beatrix would come in during that time. So when she finished her assignments, and she still wasn’t in, Starlight went from tense to full on worried.

As she paced back and forth in the living room, both Rainbow Dash and Pinkie Pie were watching her from the couch, visibly concerned themselves.

“You okay?” Rainbow Dash asked.

“Don’t worry about Beatrix,” Pinkie Pie said, “She may cut it close at times, but she’s NEVER late for curfew.”

That might not matter in this sense, Starlight thought to herself. She looked at her phone to check the time.

7:57 pm

Seeing that, she couldn’t hold in her frustrated groan. She didn’t care about curfew right now. If Beatrix didn’t get inside within the next three minutes, Starlight was heading outside to search for her.

Right when her fears began to hit a head, the door opened. Starlight breathed a sigh of relief seeing Beatrix walk in, but she could immediately tell something was wrong. The vibe she was giving off, it felt… off.

Beatrix closed the door behind her, and met eyes with Starlight. She tried to give Beatrix a look of assurance, asking if she was okay, but her response wasn’t what Starlight had hoped or expected.

She closed her eyes in sadness, turning away from Starlight.

Starlight frowned, and walked over to Beatrix as she signed her name on the sign in sheet and tried to ask her what was wrong. Not only did Beatrix not answer her at all though, but she pushed past her running upstairs, refusing to meet her in the eyes.

“Ah, so now you’re at that phase,” Rainbow Dash said, catching Starlight’s attention, “You’re not the first student to reach out to her. Typically though, that only lasts for about a day before she starts pushing them away even harder. Believe me, I tried.”

Starlight tightened her fists in frustration. She was not giving up on Beatrix. Not when she knew so much more about the situation. She ran upstairs to their room and pushed it open, getting confirmation that something went wrong.

Beatrix was sitting on her bed, crying just like she did in her dream when Starlight saw her.

Starlight sat down next to her and tried to wrap her arms around her, but Beatrix pushed her away.

play song

“Don’t touch me!” she cried.

“What did he do to you?” Starlight asked immediately.

“Nothing,” she folded her arms and turned away from Starlight, “He and I are just fine, okay?”

Starlight shook her head, “No you’re not. You were crying just now,” Starlight put her hand on Beatrix’s shoulder, which prompted the distraught teen to start trembling, “I’m your friend, Beatrix. You can trust-”

“SHUT UP!” she screamed at Starlight, “YOU’RE NOT MY FRIEND! I TOLD YOU BEFORE NOT TO GET INVOLVED WITH ME, BUT YOU KEEP PUSHING AND PUSHING! WHEN WILL YOU GET IT! I HATE YOU!” she completely broke down into deep heavy sobs, “There… I said it, okay? Now go back downstairs and be with people who… who actually want… to be… your…”

Starlight thought carefully about what to do next. She realized that this was probably something that happened every time someone got close to Beatrix. Chances are, Blueblood said something, either telling her to stay away from Starlight, or making Beatrix feel like she needed to stay away from her. She thought about Rainbow Dash, and how she hinted at being someone who was at the other end of one of these outbursts in the past. She thought about the number of students who tried to stand up for Beatrix, only to then be pushed away at the last moment, and told to leave her alone.

But she also took it a step further, wondering how Beatrix felt about this. In fact…

“Use your magic, my pupil. Use empathy to see what her heart is truly saying.”

Starlight nodded internally to Morgana, took a deep breath, and opened herself completely. She then placed a hand on the crying teen’s shoulder.

It's not fair...!

I finally find someone who wants to be my friend... and now I have to get rid of her too...!

Hate me Starlight... PLEASE just hate me...!

Starlight took her hand away from Beatrix’s shoulder, taking in the deep sadness she felt from her roommate. Beatrix turned to Starlight, giving her the same dark glare she gave her when they met.

“Why are you still here?” Beatrix asked harshly, “I told you to-” Starlight embraced her tightly, cutting her off, “S-Starlight…”

“I don’t care what you say, I’m not leaving you!” Starlight said, tightening the embrace, “Hate me if you want, but you need a friend, and I’m going to be that for you! I won’t abandon you!”

Beatrix gasped in shock, “W-what did you… say to me…?”

“I said that I won’t abandon you,” Starlight looked her dead in the eyes, “I swear, I’ll find a way to put a stop to this!”

The way Beatrix was looking at her was odd. It looked like she wasn’t sure what she was looking at for a second. In that moment, she almost felt like she was in her witch gown, and she could see Beatrix in that humiliating leotard from her dream. Still in that weird emotional illusion (which Starlight was beginning to think was actually happening on some level) Beatrix wrapped her arms around Starlight tightly, as if she were a lifeline.

“He’s… he’s going to try something…! I know it…!” Beatrix sobbed, “If he sees you making contact with me… he’ll…!”

“Let him try,” Starlight said, allowing Morgana to speak through her as she tightened the embrace, “I’m not afraid of him. You can lean on me, Beatrix. Please lean on me.”

“This is weird… but I feel like I saw this in a dream a few nights ago…” Beatrix said softly, still in Starlight’s arms, “In it… you were trying to protect me… and you wouldn’t leave… even when the situation turned hopeless…”

That confirmed it. She did remember the dream, if only partially.

“That’s just the kind of person I am…” Starlight said, lovingly rubbing her roommate’s back, “When I threw my life away, there was someone who didn’t give up on me. So I refuse to ever give up on anyone else. I don’t know how, but we will get through this… together.”

“T-together…?” Beatrix asked looking up at Starlight hopefully.

“Together,” Starlight said, giving her the same assured smile she wanted to give her in the dream. Like last night, they stayed together for the rest of the night, Starlight refusing to leave her side until Beatrix had gone to sleep. Seemed she was going to become her savior after all.

Both in the dream world, and in real life.

“How interesting,” Celestia said from outside their room listening, “For her to remember that much detail… that would mean she’s somewhat lucid as well. She doesn’t have as much potential as Starlight, but I wonder…” she looked back at the closed door thoughtfully, “Could Beatrix possibly be…?”

Late night

play song

After seeing Beatrix to bed, Starlight took a shower to get herself mentally prepared for what waited for her. After finishing her shower, she wrapped her purple towel around herself and left the bathroom, once again thankful that no one else was up. Combined with her figure, her towel didn’t leave much to the imagination, and living with girls didn’t change the fact that-

“God you take such long showers.”

Starlight jumped in shock at the voice that cut through the darkness, almost dropping her towel to her embarrassment. She saw Twilight sitting on the floor next to the bathroom, fully clothed and reading something on her phone.

“You… waited for me?” Starlight asked the awkward, slightly antisocial teen.

“Ms. Tia said you and I are partners now, and wants us to work more closely together. Come with me to my room. I have some ice tea, chamomile. You can drink that while I answer some of your questions.”

Twilight got up and walked toward her bedroom. God this girl was strange. She almost seemed alien in her mannerisms. Starlight pointed out that she was still in her towel.

“You can change into your nightgown first, but keep in mind that’s not much better,” Twilight said, giving Starlight a knowing smirk.

That cheeky bitch. She knew what she was doing.

Starlight sighed and just followed Twilight to her room. This was so awkward. She could be sexy and confident in the dream world, but that was different. She didn’t know why it was different to her, but it just was.

Oh well. Twilight was straight, so it shouldn’t have mattered, right? Right? Maybe she could convince herself of that if she said it enough.

The inside of Twilight’s room was exactly like how Starlight imagined it would be. Clothes thrown across chairs, papers on the floor, a mini fridge next to the bed, and books, books, and more books lining a large bookshelf. They all had complicated names, probably either on quantum physics, dreams, philosophy, or other cool smart stuff Starlight was too dumb to understand.

This girl was on a whole different level.

As Starlight sat down on the bed as carefully as she could to not flash Twilight, Twilight leaned before her mini fridge and pulled out two small bottles. One was an ice tea, and the other was some sort of energy drink.

“Here,” Twilight said handing Starlight the tea, “You should get in the habit of drinking this stuff before going into the Phase. The more relaxed you are, the more vivid the dream, and the stronger your magic will be.”

Starlight thanked Twilight, taking the drink but still carefully keeping her towel closed. She felt even more awkward when Twilight sat down next to her on the bed, perfectly relaxed as she began drinking whatever beverage she pulled out.

“So, ask away,” Twilight said. Starlight had a lot of questions, not all of them relevant to the moment, but she felt like she needed to stay focused. Something told her that if she strayed off topic, Twilight would probably yell at her or something.

“You keep calling that place the Phase,” Starlight began, opening her tea, “Why is that?”

play song

“Okay, so you’ve heard of Astral Projection, Lucid Dreaming, and Near Death Experiences, right?” Twilight asked Starlight, who nodded, “The few scientists that believe in that stuff see them as separate, but in reality they’re all the same. When you have a moment like that, you’re entering what the Kirijo Corporation has taken to calling “The Phase”. It’s a section of the collective unconscious that connects all people. You could say that it’s the most basic aspect of the collective unconscious. The Midnight Channel, the Dark Hour, Palaces and the Metaverse, all of them were places within the collective unconscious that started from The Phase, and then bled into the real world at different levels.”

The only one of those that sounded familiar to Starlight was the Dark Hour. Nothing else she said really made sense outright, but she did get the whole collective unconscious thing.

“So wait, if all of those other incidents got started in The Phase, and then bled out into the real world, does that mean what’s happening now is the reverse of that?”

“That’s what it looks like,” Twilight answered, “See, people don’t know this, but the internet is also kinda sorta connected to the collective unconscious as well, but it’s closer to the real world than even the Dark Hour was. Because people spend so much time on their phones and computers, they’re actually coming into more contact with the collective unconscious, except instead of needing to exert effort or have a Persona, they can just tune in anytime they want. This is a double edged sword, however.”

“How so?” Starlight asked, sipping her tea.

“Well, think about it. On one hand they’re able to get information at a much faster rate, and can connect to one another much easier,” Twilight sipped her energy drink, “But on the other hand, they stop connecting to each other because they don’t feel the need to, which weakens their resistance to negative thoughts. Why go over to your friend and give them a hug when you could just send them a hug emoji and be done with it?”

Starlight had to think about that, and yeah, that made sense. With things like social media, email, and texting, you could connect to people much easier, but that could also lead to isolation since now there wasn’t as much of a need to physically see the person.

“Because of this, people aren't as protected against the Shadows. Depression rises to the point of becoming a full on epidemic, and if you haven’t faced your shadow, you’re a lot more vulnerable to falling into despair. Since people who go to sleep enter The Phase regularly, they carry those feelings of despair with them, which means instead of needing to wait for people to fall into one of the many holes connecting the collective unconscious to the real world, the Shadows can just draw people into their turf and attack them directly within the Phase.”

“Since this is so unusual, you needed a Persona User that could enter The Phase directly,” Starlight reasoned.

“Now you're getting it,” Twilight said sipping her energy drink again, “See, Persona Users are the only ones who can enter the collective unconscious safely and of their own free will. For example, during the Dark Hour incident, Mitsuru’s team were the only ones who could perceive the Dark Hour without going insane, the Persona Users in Inaba were the only ones who could enter the world that created the Midnight Channel by entering TVs, and Joker’s team were immune to the distortions found in the Metaverse. While there is bleed over among the different types, each Persona User is specialized to handle a particular aspect of the collective unconscious, which makes their powers weaker to a degree until they can adjust.”

“What do you mean?” Starlight asked.

“A Persona User from Inaba could experience the Dark Hour too, but they’d need a Kirijo specially made Evoker to summon their Persona. Alternatively, one of the Phantom Thieves could enter Inaba’s collective unconscious just as easily as any other Persona User simply by putting their hand on a TV, but unless they can call on their inner rebel, they wouldn’t be able to summon their Personas, where as in the Metaverse that happened naturally because they actually were invading people’s minds.”

“So that means The Phase also has requirements,” Starlight said after taking another sip of her tea.

“Yep. We’re still trying to figure out what those requirements are, but you awakening does give us hope,” Twilight leaned back in her bed looking up, “You see, the Kirijo Corporation was trying to do experiments to create a Persona User that could enter The Phase. Unfortunately they didn’t have enough information to go off of, and thus the project was scrapped,” Twilight tightened her fists briefly before continuing, “However, Celestia appeared and gave them an alternative. Find a newly awakened Trickster.”

“Is the Trickster really that special?” Starlight asked, taking note of Twilight’s more tense mood.

“Apparently,” Twilight shrugged, “From what I’ve been told, the Trickster is the one that typically leads the charge into new territory. They have an innate understanding of the rules of that aspect of the collective unconscious, either being a natural or picking up on things really fast. They have a tendency to draw other people with the potential to awaken Personas to them, and often helps them awaken. Finally, they have the ability to use and summon multiple Personas at once.”

That made Starlight’s heart jump a bit. Would she have that same ability? Did she want to have that same ability, knowing the responsibility it carried?

“So now you know why Ms. Tia so adamant about you joining us,” Twilight sat back up and glared at Starlight, “If you’re the Trickster, then we won’t need to create a Persona User to enter the Phase, because you’ll be able to just bring people in with you. For Beatrix’s sake, I hope Ms. Tia is right about you.”

Starlight nodded to Twilight, finishing her tea. That conversation more or less answered all of the questions she had about what was going on, but there were a few more things she was curious about.

“You mentioned before something called an Evoker,” Starlight asked, “What’s that?”

“You’re actually wearing yours right now,” Twilight said, pointing to Starlight’s ring, “An Evoker is what you use to summon your Persona. Inaba is the only place where an Evoker isn’t needed for some reason, but everywhere else, you need to have one in order to draw out your Persona. Usually it’s something that simulates death or pain,” Twilight leaned in close to Starlight and gave her a mischievous smirk, “Be happy you’re not a member of Mitsuru’s team. Her team had to use Evoker’s shaped like guns to summon their Personas.”

“How… did that work…?” Starlight asked, somewhat afraid to answer.

“How do you think?” Twilight asked in an almost taunting manner, holding her fingers up to her own head like a gun and pretending to shoot herself in the head. Wait, did that mean Mitsuru’s team had to shoot themselves every time they wanted to summon their Personas?

Holy hell that was hardcore.

“So be glad you don’t have to go that far,” Twilight said rising from her bed, “Mitsuru had to literally stare death in the face and not falter. I don’t know how you do it, but you don’t strike me as someone who could overcome death itself. If you don’t have anymore questions, we should get ready. I’ll be using the Remote Viewing system to support you in The Phase, so I’ll see you there.”

end song

Starlight nodded to Twilight and left her room, heading over to hers and Beatrix’s room. She wondered why Twilight was so dismissive of the idea of the Trickster. Oh well, not that it really mattered in the scheme of things. Right now, Starlight had a mission to get to.

Once in her room, she quickly checked on Beatrix. She seemed okay for right now, but it was clear just from seeing the stress on her face that she was running out of time. Hopefully Starlight could at least buy her more time, even if she couldn’t outright save her. Feeling determined, Starlight quickly changed into her nightgown and got in bed. She was asleep in a matter of seconds.

The Phase

play song

For the last few nights Starlight always appeared inside Beatrix’s Dungeon, outside of the carnival. As such, she was a bit confused in the beginning when she found herself standing in the middle of the Akashic Records. She looked around at her surroundings, and noticed that everything felt a lot more vivid. It was like she was still in the real world from her perspective. She looked at herself, and just as she thought, she was now dressed in her witch attire. It seemed like she now wore this dress by default whenever she entered the dream world.

“There you are,” Twilight said, her wisp form flying down to Starlight, “Glad the tea I gave you helped.”

“It looks more solid here to me,” Starlight asked, still looking around.

“That’s because you awakened to your Persona. With that, you can now move around in The Phase as if it were a physical environment. The upside is that you won’t randomly wake up if you take too much damage or get surprised. The downside is that you can’t just open your eyes to wake up anymore. Also, if you die in the dream, you die in real life too.”

“So… I’m like how Beatrix is right now?” Starlight asked, a bit unnerved at the thought that she could actually die in the dream world.

“Sort of. Only difference is your body still has warmth to it. I’ll tell you how to wake up when it’s time to leave, but for now, let’s head to Beatrix’s Dungeon. It’s up on the second floor of the Akashic Records. Follow me.”

Twilight took off, guiding Starlight toward a small lift in the Akashic Records. She took it up to the second floor, and after a bit more running she and Twilight found the door that lead to Beatrix’s Dungeon.

“Oh, one more thing about Dungeons,” Twilight said, “The time we can spend in a Dungeon is limited.”

“Limited?” Starlight asked. What did that mean?

“Even though you can’t wake up normally, Beatrix isn’t a Persona User, so she can. If you’re still in the Dungeon while Beatrix wakes up, you’ll be ejected out of the dream back into the Akashic Records. Sadly, that means anything we find there can could be useful will be lost unless we can get it back, so that means going in to get it next time.”

Which meant wasted time. Okay, Starlight understood a bit more about what was going on.

“For now, we need to get more information on what it is that’s causing this nightmare. I’m not entirely convinced that it’s just Blueblood’s abuse.”

“Why not?” Starlight asked, folding her arms.

“Because of the circus theme, and how Blueblood's Shadow keeps telling her that she can't be a star without him. Also, there are a few posters there that don’t show Beatrix’s picture, but I can’t identify them. For now, I need you to do two things for me in there. One is to find Beatrix in the Dungeon, and protect her. Saving her from peril in the Dungeon will buy her more time, as it gives her a sense of safety. Two, I need you to find me one of those posters and tell me who’s on it if you can. From there, we can search for the keyword in the Akashic Records, and finally start making headway in rescuing her.”

“Find a poster, and keep Beatrix safe. Got it,” Starlight said, mentally preparing herself to go inside the Dungeon. This was the first time she was going in officially, so she was a tad nervous. Not that she was going to tell Twilight any of this.

“Whenever you’re ready, head through.” Twilight said. Starlight took a deep breath, and opened the gate leading to Beatrix’s carnival from hell.

play song

Inside the Dungeon, Starlight activated her Channeling Ring to call forth her scythe and looked out at the terrifying carnival in the distance. She hoped there was just another show there, but somehow she had a feeling she wasn’t going to be so lucky. After all, the dream adapted after all. The dream would know to be on the lookout for her, so there was probably not as many stage shows.

Which kinda worried Starlight about what he’d replace them with.

Realizing she didn’t have much time, she ran straight for the Carnival. Once there, she noticed that there were less Shadows representing customers walking around, and more bouncer Shadows. It looked like they were all searching for something, or someone.

“This is bad,” Twilight chimed in, “The Shadows are on the lookout for you. This means Beatrix probably isn’t anywhere out in the open.”

“So where is she?” Starlight asked.

“Last time she was in a cage where the animals were, so it would be safe to assume she’s still in the same place. I imagine that would be inside the tent.”

Starlight looked around for the tent, seeing pretty far off in the distance. She couldn’t help but growl in frustration at that.

“Trust me, I hate it too,” Twilight sighed, “But that’s just the way it is. Rescuing damsels in distress isn’t easy, otherwise Beatrix would probably have more people lining up to rescue her.”

Twilight really had a way with words, despite being absolutely right. Well, no point in complaining, Starlight figured as she began running toward the tent. She was careful to stay hidden for the most part, as to not waste time on battles that would just slow her down. After running for a few minutes, she reached a point where she didn’t have much of a choice if she wanted to get by, as a single bouncer was patrolling the only path forward. She was so close to the tent too.

“That’s fine,” Twilight said, “Try to stun it. Wait for it to turn around, and then jump on it’s back and pull the mask off. Do that and you’ll force it into it’s true form, but it’ll be stunned, giving you an opening.”

Something within Starlight like the sound of that. She waited till the Shadow turned around and walked away a bit, and then she rushed out as fast as she could, jumping on it’s back and gripping the mask.

“Show me your true face!” Starlight shouted, ripping the mask off his face and jumping away. The bouncer melted away, and in his place Starlight saw what looked like a black horse, but with two horns on it’s head instead of one like a unicorn.

play song

“My database has this enemy ID being “Bicorn”,” Twilight said as Starlight got in her fighting stance, “You don’t have any Electric spells on your Persona, do you?”

“I don’t think so,” Starlight preparing to charge while the Bicorn was still gathering himself it seemed, “Is that bad?”

“It’s not ideal. You can beat it for sure, but we won’t have an advantage. Think of this as a warm-up fight.”

Starlight charged at the Bicorn and slashed a few times with her scythe. She managed to get in a few lucky hits with it, but the Shadow seemed to figure out what was going on and met her scythe with his horns. The two of them pushed against one another’s weapons for a few seconds, but then jumped away. As the Bicorn circled around Starlight, she gathered her energy, focusing on her Channeling Ring.

“Persona!” Starlight shouted, summoning Morgana to her side. Just as the Bicorn lunged at Starlight, she willed Morgana to take a fighting stance. Morgana grabbed the Bicorn with her claws, and began slashing at the Shadow, knocking him back a good deal. She then followed up again with another slash that seemed to hit it in a critical spot.

Instead of finishing it off though, Starlight felt something within her reach out to the Shadow. Tilting her head, she narrowed her eyes to get a closer look at it, and sure enough she could perceive a line going straight from her heart over to the Bicorn.

“What are you doing? Finish it off!” Twilight urged. Starlight held out her hand telling Twilight to give her a second, and then allowed herself to once again merge with Morgana mentally. Through her Persona, Starlight cast a more powerful empathy spell, this time making the Shadow feel her emotions. This lasted for a few seconds, with the two of them communicating almost emotionally, until the Bicorn bowed to Morgana and burst into flames, flying directly into Starlight’s Channeling Ring.

play song

“What… did you just do?” Twilight asked as Morgana vanished. Starlight shrugged, as she had no idea what she did. However, she did feel a few new spells come to her if she focused on the image of the new creature.

Oh well, for another time. The enemy was gone now, so she she decided to just keep moving forward.

Once she made it to the tent, she looked around a bit to see if there were anymore Shadows wandering around. None so far, so she was probably safe to look around a bit. She didn’t see any of those posters on the way, but maybe she’d find something lying around here.

After looking around for a good minute or so, she came across what looked like a torn up poster of a magician. From what Starlight could make out, he had long blue hair similar to Beatrix’s, but darker. It looked like he had an arrogant smile in the picture, was wearing a blue tuxedo, black magician’’s hat, but Starlight couldn’t get anything else in terms of the physical features. His eyes were sadly on one of the pieces that got torn off.

But she did see a name at the top. “Balazar”.

“Okay, now we’re getting somewhere,” Twilight said after Starlight relayed the information to her, “We can look that name up once we get back to the Akashic Records. I get the feeling that’s REALLY important to this case.”

Starlight played that name in her head. It sounded so familiar to her. In fact… she remembered when she met Beatrix for the first time, her last name stood out to her. Right now though, she couldn’t quite-

Starlight heard a scream from inside of the tent. It sounded like Beatrix screaming!

“Wait a second!” Twilight called out, her wisp flying in front of Starlight, “Doesn’t this seem a bit too convenient? You’d think the Shadow would try to keep her hidden a bit more.”

“What does it matter?!” Starlight asked harshly, “Part of why I’m here is to protect Beatrix, and right now it sounds to me like she’s in danger!” Starlight ran around the wisp, rushing into the tent. Twilight sighed.

“Great. Fainthearted in the real world, and suffering a bad case of chronic hero syndrome in the Phase. Our hero, ladies and gentlemen.” Clearly rolling her eyes, she followed after Starlight closely into the tent.

Starlight knew that she was running into a trap. Not just because of the obvious set up, but also because of what it seemed happened in the real world. With how terrified Beatrix was, she wasn’t surprised that the Shadows capitalized on that fear the second she came in. Honestly, she was counting on that.

Hopefully she could get a piece of Shadow Blueblood to take home as a souvenir.

“There she is!” two bouncers shouted, running over to her. Starlight jumped away as they tried to grab her, doing an elegant backflip with one hand (she loved dreams so much) and getting in her fighting stance as the two bouncers shifted into their true forms. One turned into a tiny green gremlin like creature in a yellow vase with a pentagram on the front, and the other one turned into a tiny fairy wearing a purple leotard and red hair.

play song

“Damn it, two this time!” Twilight cried, “The one on the left is Agathion, and the one on the right is Pixie! Be careful, as I don’t know if any of these are weak against your magic!”

The tiny fairy, apparently named Pixie, rushed at Starlight and began flying around her quickly, hitting her with tiny strikes that were really hard to block against. At the same time, Agathion charged up it’s magic and fired an electric attack at Starlight, who rolled out of the way just in time.

Once she landed on her feet, she rushed at the Pixie and tried to slash at her with her scythe, but the tiny fairy was too quick and small to hit with her weapon. Agathion hit her with another electric spell, this time actually hitting Starlight and knocking her back a bit. Pixie then kicked Starlight into a wall, knocking the wind out of the teenage witch, who fell to one knee.

“Hey! Why don’t you try NOT getting hit!” Twilight fussed. Starlight rolled her eyes ignoring her, and took a different approach.

“Persona!” Starlight shouted, summoning Morgana to her side. Morgana cast Bufu on the Pixie, knocking her to the ground doing massive damage.

“Oh good! She’s weak against Ice. But what about that other one over there?” Twilight asked, which was a good question. Starlight didn’t know what it was weak against, but so far the only spells she had were ice spells.

“No, my pupil, that’s wrong now. Focus on the other spirit we acquired. Trust me.”

Morgana’s words echoed in Starlight’s head. She looked within, and saw the image of Bicorn there, and he actually nodded. Could she…?

"BICORN!" Starlight shouted, this time summoning Bicorn as her Persona in place of Morgana.

“Wait WHAT?!” Twilight cried in shock. Before the other Shadow could attack again, Starlight focused on the first spell that came to mind this time, the words “Garu” appearing in her head. This time when she cast, Bicorn sent a small gust of wind at the tiny demon, knocking him to the ground as well.

With both of the Shadows knocked to the ground, Starlight could feel their inner emotions, but only Pixie resonated with her. Once again using Morgana as a base, Starlight sent her emotions to Pixie, who after a few seconds perked up, blew Starlight a kiss, and then turned into a tiny flame going into her Channeling Ring. During the confusion, Agathion apparently took that as his chance to escape.

So that was what Celestia and Igor meant by unlimited potential.

end song

“So you really are the Trickster…” Twilight’s said, her voice a bit more distant than usual, “No time to think about that. Look, if you’re really going in there to save Beatrix, you better hurry. That fight wasted a lot of time.”

Twilight was right. Starlight nodded to her wisp partner and continue running toward where she heard the scream, feeling a bit more confident now. Maybe she could do this.

After a bit more running, Starlight stopped in what looked like a gladiator’s pit, as the ground in the middle of the room was lowered and surrounded by Shadows in seats cheering. Across from Starlight she saw Shadow Blueblood sitting in a throne in the distance, petting a large black lion with demonic red eyes.

play song

And inside the pit, backing away from a large demon in red armor riding on a black horse, was Beatrix.

“No…! Not like this…!” Beatrix begged. The armored demon raised his spear and lunged it at Beatrix, but she scampered away screaming. Now backed up against the wall, Beatrix trembled looking up at the large demon as it loomed over her. Beatrix closed her eyes tightly as the demon raised it’s spear again. “STARLIGHT!!!”

The attack never came, as Starlight managed to get in front of her just in time and blocked the attack. Beatrix opened her eyes, shocked to see her savior there before her.

“You… you actually came!” Beatrix cried.

“I said I wouldn’t abandon you,” Starlight said, pushing the demon back and then holding her arm out in front of Beatrix in defense.

“I had a feeling you’d show up if I put her in peril,” Shadow Blueblood taunted, completely undeterred, “Not that it matters though. This time I actually planned for this occasion.” he snapped his finger with an arrogant sneer, and the armored demon was joined by two large Bicorns.

play song

“According to the database, the armored one is named Eligor,” Twilight said flying down next to Starlight, “This one is stronger than the others, as are the two Bicorns. He really did plan this.”

“Don’t care,” Starlight said readying her scythe, “I’m not letting them hurt Beatrix.”

Behind her, Beatrix was actually blushing a bit looking at Starlight.

Eligor began galloping around the entire field on his black horse. At the same time, the Bicorn on the left charged at Starlight while the one on the right charged up magic. Starlight held up her scythe in defense.

“Get somewhere safe!” Starlight commanded Beatrix, who nodded and immediately ran out of the way of the fighting. Now that she wasn’t too close, Starlight summoned Morgana, and had her slash the Bicorn she was attacking away. Before she could get an attack in herself though, the second Bicorn cast Garu at Starlight, actually doing massive damage and knocking Starlight off her feet.

“Shoot! Morgana’s weak against wind attacks?! Switch to another Persona, fast! Preferably one NOT weak against wind spells!” Twilight fussed.

Starlight tried to shake off the attack and was about to switch Personas, but Eligor turned in her direction spinning his spear over his head and lunged at her with it. Unfortunately she took that hit directly, slamming into the back wall.

“Damn it! I wish I could be in there helping her…!” Twilight said, clearly frantic and getting frustrated.

Beatrix bit her lip, based on her expression both worried for Starlight and scared for herself. Up in the stands, the crowd was of course cheering for Starlight’s defeat, and Shadow Blueblood’s arrogant sneer got larger seeing her take so much damage.

Starlight looked around, seeing Eligor still galloping around the field, and now both Bicorns slowly approaching her. She needed to think fast. First thing she needed to do was switch to another Persona before she took another hit.

“PIXIE!” Starlight shouted, summoning the new Persona she acquired. In her mind, the word “Dia” was screaming in her head, almost as if Pixie herself were screaming at her to cast it. She focused on that spell and quickly cast it, a wave of relaxation coming over her.

Okay, so Dia healed. Definitely keeping THIS Persona handy, Starlight thought to herself.

Before they could attack her again, she swung her scythe at the two Bicorns, knocking them away and then summoning Pixie again, this time casting the second spell she saw come to her mind, this one being named “Zio”. A bolt of electricity fell down on top of the Bicorn on the left, knocking it off it’s feet. She quickly took advantage of the opening and launched Zio again on the second, achieving the same result, and then quickly turned around to slash at Eligor as he charged at her again, actually knocking him off his horse.

"YES! Keep going, Starlight!" Twilight cheered. So she did know how to be positive.

The crowd was booing now. Starlight couldn’t have cared less.

“Damn it! How is she winning?! It’s just her in there!” Shadow Blueblood shouted, slamming his fists on the arm of his throne.

“Go Starlight!”

Shadow Blueblood looked down at Beatrix, eyes wide in shock as she cheered for Starlight, who was now fighting off both Bicorns with a combination of both Pixie’s magic and her scythe.

“You can do it, Starlight!” she continued. Starlight turned to Beatrix giving her a confident smile, and then did a more creative move. She slammed her scythe on the ground, and spun around the handle kicking both of the Bicorns away from her. She then rushed at Eligor as he charged at her. She jumped high, flipping in the air once, and slammed her scythe downward, Eligor meeting her scythe with his spear.

She landed back down onto the ground, and clashed weapons with the horse riding Shadow for a few seconds, eventually rolling back from the two Bicorns as they tried tackling her from either side, forcing them to hit each other.

That got a really loud and angry boo from the crowd. Beatrix on the other hand, cheered even louder. Honestly, Starlight felt herself getting stronger hearing Beatrix cheering for her. Something about this felt right to her.

She turned to Beatrix, and was surprised to see how bright eyed she seemed watching her. Normally she had a really dark expression, but something about bright eyed Beatrix felt right to Starlight. Like that was how she was supposed to be.

Seeing that, Starlight felt even more inspired. She needed to protect that smile at all costs.

She rose up, and summoned Pixie again. Both Bicorns were charging up their spells as Eligor galloped around the field again, but this time Starlight was ready for them.

“OUT OF MY SIGHT!” she screamed, casting Zio on both Bicorns in succession, killing them both instantly. Now that they were gone, she could focus on the big guy.

“He doesn’t have any spells. If he did, he’d have used them by now,” Twilight said, “I think it’s safe to switch back to Morgana to finish him off.”

Starlight nodded to Twilight, activating her Channeling Ring, “MORGANA!” she shouted, her default Persona appearing behind her again. While she loved being able to summon multiple Personas, Morgana was easily her favorite.

She willed Morgana to charge at Eligor, and she rushed at Eligor slashing him a few times with her claws, ending her combo with a drill kick with her bladed feet. That attack seemed to knock Eligor off the ground.

Starlight took that as her opening to slash at Eligor with her scythe, imagining that it was Blueblood she was slashing. Since he was on the ground, he couldn’t defend against her long combo, which ended with her slicing Eligor in two, killing him instantly.

Starlight raised her scythe, relaxing a bit, but was shocked when Beatrix ran up to her and hugged her.

“You did it!” she cried happily, “I knew you could!”

“T-thank you,” Starlight said bashfully, her face feeling a bit flushed as she returned the hug. They’d hugged a few times in the real world, but something about this felt different. Was this because Starlight was seeing a bit of the real Beatrix right now?

play song

“No no NO!” Shadow Blueblood screamed, “Go! Retrieve her!”

The black lion jumped down from next to Shadow Blueblood’s side and charged at Starlight and Beatrix. Starlight released Beatrix standing in front of her, and prepared to defend, but was shocked to see that the lion actually was strong enough to knock her away from Beatrix onto the floor.

“STARLIGHT!” Beatrix cried. Starlight got up and looked to see the lion had apparently grabbed Beatrix in it’s mouth and jumped back to Blueblood’s side. Shadow Blueblood yanked Beatrix’s arm and slapped her.

“So, you’re cheering for that witch now, are you?!” he screamed at her, “Just for that, you’re spending the rest of the night in the cage!”

Starlight rushed over to where Blueblood was about to jump up to rescue Beatrix, but three bouncer Shadows appeared in front of her.

“Starlight, we need to get out of here! You can’t take another big fight like that! Not alone!” Twilight urged. Starlight hated this, but she could see what Twilight meant, she needed to retreat.

“Mark my words, Witch,” Shadow Blueblood spat, “The next time I see you in this dream will be the last time you ever leave it! Whether that means trapping you here myself, or killing you!”

“Just try it!” Starlight shouted, “I’m not letting you keep Beatrix! Not in here, or in the real world! Beatrix, hold on! I’ll end this, somehow!”

Despite her situation, Beatrix managed to nod, giving her a helpless but still assured smile, “I believe in you, Starlight. Thank you for rescuing me again.”

Starlight nodded and ran back out of the arena. Naturally the Shadows gave chase, but she wasn’t concerned in the slightest. She knew where Beatrix was now, and she more or less knew the layout of the entire Dungeon.

“I think there’s a checkpoint nearby!” Twilight said flying next to Starlight, “I saw it while we were on our way!” Starlight was confused, and asked Twilight what she meant by a checkpoint, “I’ll explain in a bit! For now, just follow me!”

Starlight nodded, following her wisp partner as she flew ahead of her. Eventually, they stopped in front of an odd looking door that sort of stood out. For one, it looked like a normal brown door, which was odd in a tent. Second of all, it seemed almost like it wasn’t entirely there.

“I’ve connected this door to the Akashic Records!” Twilight said urgently, “Go through, quickly!”

Starlight chose not to ask any questions, opening the door and running through. The door vanished behind her, in a manner that suggested that it might not have ever been there at all.

play song

Starlight was not expecting to end up back in the Akashic Records, but after going through that door she was back in the endless library’s first floor, walking toward the main plaza.

“Whew, glad that’s over for now,” Twilight sighed in relief, “Checkpoints can be used to bring you right back to the Akashic Records. My computer can save two different dreams on it, so don’t worry about needing to run all the way back to the tent again. Just go through this door, and you’ll be right there.”

That was really handy. She was a bit fussy, but Starlight was still really happy she had Twilight on her side.

“Now, about that poster. What was the name on it? Balazar?” Starlight nodded, “Okay, let me type that into my terminal… see if that name brings up anything important in her Akashic Records.”

Wait, Twilight was going to read Beatrix’s Akashic Records? Wasn’t that a little personal though?

“Um… that feels a bit invasive, don’t you think?” Starlight asked, “I mean, that’s Beatrix’s entire life record. I don’t even know if she’s aware it exists.”

“Look, if you wanna save her, then we have to get information on her by any means necessary. This is obviously something she doesn’t want to think about, so unless you want to tell her we’re poking around in her head, this is the only solution we have for now.”

Starlight understood the validity of it. Still though, these were sacred. She apologized to Beatrix mentally as Twilight worked.

“Okay, got it.” Twilight flew off to the second floor, next to the door leading to Beatrix’s Dungeon. Starlight followed her, stopping when she saw a single book on the shelf that was glowing. She picked it up and saw the name “Balazar” etched on the front.

“I’m going to need to analyze that, it might take a day or so,” Twilight said, “There should be a mail box on the first floor that you can put that into. That’ll turn the book into a file for me to analyze on my computer.”

Starlight looked around on the first floor a bit, spotting a red mail box typically used to return books in a library. This one had fancy wings on the side that were constantly flapping.

Starlight took the nearby lift back to the first floor and put the book into the mail box, which hilariously enough jerked a bit as she put it in, as if it had eaten the book.

“You should rest up for the rest of the night,” Twilight suggested, “When you want to leave from here, just take your Channeling Ring off. That’ll disrupt the connection and put you into a dreamless sleep until the usual time you’d wake up.”

Starlight felt a little odd just going to sleep from here, but there wasn’t much else she could do. Choosing to take her partner’s advice, she said goodnight to Twilight and took off her Channeling Ring, vanishing from the Akashic Records in a golden light.

end song

Twilight took off her headset and folded her arms, fully aware that Celestia was sitting behind her on the couch drinking tea.

“So, believe in her now?” Celestia asked, “She’s able to use multiple Personas. That makes her the Trickster.”

“I guess I have to just accept it now,” Twilight said, hiding her frustration. Celestia rose from her couch, walked over to Twilight, and embraced her from behind the chair.

“You know you’re still important, right Twilight? No one could ever replace you.”

“Right, I know,” Twilight said curtly, “I need to get to work on this before morning, that way Starlight can get back in there at least within the next two days.”

Celestia sighed, but released Twilight and left the room, letting her student work. Once alone though… Twilight tightened her fists in frustration.

“Damn it! Why does it have to be someone like her?!” she closed her eyes tightly, fighting back her tears as much as she could, “It’s not fair…! Mitsuru chose me…!”

Author's Note

For those who don't know, the Akashic Records are a record of one's life. Everything that has happened, is happening, and will happen in the future, including all of the different decisions you can make and the outcome of each and every one of them. If one were to think of the Akashic Records as a library with different books representing the subjects, they'd probably be either a really big book, like unbelievably big, a library filled enough volumes to completely fill it, or something that can directly relay the information directly to the one viewing it.

Normally one can only view their own Akashic Records, so what Twilight is doing is technically illegal and in truth impossible. I think you can technically read someone else's Akashic Records if they give you permission, but you won't get a clear picture of what's written.

9/6

September 6th, 2019
Thursday
Cloudy

Morning

play song

Breakfast was as eventful as ever, Celestia once again going all out. This time she focused mostly on pancakes, which seemed to be the thing she enjoyed making the most. Starlight was a bit concerned when she didn’t see Beatrix, since as far as she knew she was still in the dorm. Maybe she was just taking a bit of extra time in the shower or something.

About a minute or so after everyone started eating, Beatrix opened the door to the dining room and stepped in.

“Glad you joined us,” Celestia said with a gentle smile. Everyone turned to Beatrix, Starlight a bit surprised by how much more relaxed she seemed. She said nothing, just smiled softly to everyone, and sat down at the last place anyone expected.

Right next to Starlight.

Pinkie Pie was visibly relieved, and Rainbow Dash just looked extremely surprised. Celestia on the other hand, gave both of them a slightly enigmatic smile that only Starlight understood the meaning behind. This was because of what she did for Beatrix in her dream.

As they continued to converse over breakfast, Starlight noticed Beatrix kept stealing glances at Starlight, but would quickly look away whenever Starlight noticed her staring. Starlight wondered what was going on in that head of hers. Whatever it was, she knew that Blueblood was not going to be happy either way.

Oh well, she’d deal with that when the time came.

Daytime

play song

Most of the day was spent being on the lookout for Blueblood and making sure that Beatrix was safe. Just like yesterday, she seemed to cling to Starlight for protection, so much that she’d wait for Starlight to leave before she left, and even held onto her arm as they walked.

“You… don’t mind me being so close, do you?” Beatrix asked while they were on their way to Math Class. Honestly, Starlight not only didn’t mind, but she found herself enjoying the closeness. She didn’t understand it, but she kind of felt like this was how they were supposed to be, like maybe in another life they were already best friends, and this was more them remembering their past friendship.

Well, Starlight believed in reincarnation, so maybe.

“Not in the slightest,” Starlight said smiling. Beatrix visibly relaxed, and Starlight saw a tiny glimpse of the more exuberant Beatrix. Seeing that made Starlight’s heart skip a beat for some reason.

She never did feel anything for boys her age. Was this why?

Blueblood just so happened to walk down the stairs as they entered their Math class. Starlight met eyes with him, and based on his expression, he was not happy to see them still arm in arm. Starlight quickly escorted Beatrix into the classroom before she could notice him, and narrowed her eyes at him smirking before walking in herself.

He wasn’t going to hurt Beatrix anymore. Not if Starlight had anything to say about it.

Starlight wasn’t the best at Math, but she did finish all of the homework from yesterday. That was good, because the teacher called on her to answer a question, which she answered correctly. She felt a bit smarter knowing that she got that question right.

Lunch Time

Starlight told Beatrix to wait for her in the courtyard while she went to get the next few books she’d need for class. When she closed her locker though, she got the shock of a lifetime.

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“You think you’re real cute, don’t you?” Blueblood seethed. Starlight was honestly not expecting this confrontation, but if it was going to happen at any point, it might as well have been now, right?

“I honestly don’t know what you’re talking about,” Starlight said, “My friends are waiting for me.”

Blueblood placed his hand on the locker next to Starlight, blocking her path, and then stood in front of her preventing her escape.

“I see what you’re doing, you know,” Blueblood said, “It’s not going to work, you know. Beatrix is mine.”

“Beatrix doesn’t belong to anyone,” Starlight shot back, “She’s her own person, something you seem to have forgotten.”

“Oh? Are you implying something?”

“I know the truth about your relationship with Beatrix, and I’m not amused.”

Blueblood narrowed his eyes dangerously, “And what did she tell you about our relationship?”

“She didn’t have to tell me anything. I pieced it together when I saw her in tears one too many times.”

Blueblood nodded, “I see. So you’re thinking you’ll be her knight in shining armor or something? You realize that others have tried to stand in between my relationship with her. They never stick around though. One way or another, they always run away.”

“So you admit that you’re rough with her,” Starlight narrowed her eyes. Blueblood laughed arrogantly, just like he did in Beatrix’s dream.

“It’s not like you can do anything. Go on, tell on me. My father’s on the school board, and I’m captain of the football team here. Who do you think they’re going to believe more? The star and hero of the school,” he lightly moved a strand of Starlight's hair, “or some suicidal goth chick.”

Starlight moved his hand away from her glaring hatefully at him. It aggravated her, but he was sadly right. She already had a bit of a reputation in the school for being unbalanced, and while the students were nice to her, the teachers and faculty did give her looks at times. If he was a big deal in the school, it would be his word against hers.

Damn it. He’d just admitted to abusing Beatrix, and there was nothing Starlight could do about it.

“Now, I’m feeling generous, and I honestly like you a lot,” Blueblood sneered, “So you have two choices. One, go over to Beatrix and tell her that you can’t be her friend anymore, or two, you come with me someplace private and do me a favor.”

He had to be kidding?! Did he really think that was going to work?!

“What if I refuse both options?” Starlight asked defiantly, feeling her courage shoot to be more outpoken.

“Well, I guess then I’d have to stop being so generous, and take what I want,” Blueblood’s hand was getting dangerously close to Starlight’s breast. Shoot! If she didn’t do something now, he was going to-

play song

“AHEM!” someone cleared their throat loudly. Both Starlight and Blueblood turned to see who the new comer was. Starlight was taken aback by their appearance, but Blueblood paled when he saw the student.

Obviously a senior, this student had super long and wavy purple hair, sharp blue eyes, and a perfect hourglass figure that put Starlight’s to shame. She wore a white suit shirt, black necktie, purple and white blazer that was fastened with golden buttons, short purple skirt, black leggings, and purple high heels. She wore blue eye shadow, purple lipstick, her long nails were colored with purple nail polish, and had the air of someone you did not want to mess with. Like for as calm as she was, she'd get violent at the drop of a hat.

“I hope I’m not seeing what I think I’m seeing,” the student asked, her voice high, cultured, and incredibly graceful. Also familiar to Starlight.

“Um, I was just getting to know the new student,” Blueblood covered, “N-no need to worry, Ms. President.”

President?! This was Rarity, the student body president?! Holy shit!

“I’d hope not,” Rarity said, slowly walking over to them, her walk as graceful as the rest of her, “I would hate to see what would happen if your father were to hear of you being rough with an underclassman. You’re looking at a football scholarship, aren’t you?”

“I am,” Blueblood said, backing away from Rarity, who now stood right in front of him. Holy hell this girl had a powerful aura.

“Then I assume I don’t need to tell you how quickly I can take that away from you, with just the snap,” she snapped her finger for emphasis, “of a finger. I don’t, do I?”

“N-not at all, Ms. President,” Blueblood stammered, the color completely drained from his face.

“Then why don’t you get on to your next class, and let Ms. Glimmer here get to hers,” Rarity said, narrowing her eyes dangerously, “And no, that wasn’t a request.”

“R-right,” Blueblood said, walking away from both of them as quickly as possible. Starlight was floored by what she just saw. She didn’t raise her voice, use profanity, or even threaten him in any way. Yet she sent him packing.

This girl was on a whole different level.

“Are you alright, Ms. Glimmer?” Rarity asked turning to Starlight, who just nodded wordlessly, “I apologize for his behavior. Trust me, you’re not the only girl in this class he’s made uncomfortable.”

“It’s fine,” Starlight said, “I wasn’t going to let him intimidate me.”

“Oh? Well, that makes you a rare breed indeed,” Rarity said with a slight smirk.

“But… thank you for stepping in like you did, Ms. President,” Starlight said, almost feeling like she needed to avert her gaze.

“Please, call me Rarity,” Rarity insisted, “If he causes you any trouble, you let me know, alright Ms. Glimmer? Salute~” she then turned on her heels and sauntered off. Starlight’s heart was racing for some reason. Like she was seeing a queen walk away. She was definitely an alpha woman.

“Um, Starlight!” Starlight called after her, “Please, just call me Starlight!” Rarity gave her a slight wave in response, not once turning back around. Yeah, now she could see why the rest of the students went crazy over her. After that display, she was easily a fan of hers now.

She wondered if they’d ever be friends? Probably not, honestly. One, she was an upperclassman, and two, she was the Student Body President. She was unattainable in every sense of the word. Shaking that off, she decided to continue onward to the courtyard, where Beatrix was waiting for her. Now she had to be extra protective of her roommate.

end song

After School

The rest of the school went off without incident. Starlight didn’t think it was fair to not tell Beatrix what happened at her locker, but assured her that it changed nothing. She was not going to let him intimidate her, or strong arm her away from Beatrix. It seemed she appreciated that. Starlight wondered how many potential friends Beatrix lost in that exact same way.

RIIIIIING

“I suppose that’s the end,” Celestia said with a smile, “Be sure to read up to chapter 3 of your textbooks, and take notes. We’ll be discussing the chapter tomorrow.”

As all of the students filed out of the classroom, Beatrix turned to Starlight visibly nervous.

“Starlight, I don’t like Blueblood going after you like that,” Beatrix said, “Maybe I should-”

“No,” Starlight said immediately, “He doesn’t have the right to tell you who you can and can’t be friends with.”

“I… I know, but-”

“Beatrix,” Blueblood called out, standing by the door of the classroom, “You and I need to talk.”

Beatrix’s eyes widened, and she paled when she saw him narrow his eyes at her. Starlight turned to Celestia, who subtly nodded.

“Beatrix, didn’t Ms. Tia want us to work together on that assignment?” Starlight asked suddenly. Beatrix turned to Starlight surprised, but quickly caught on.

“Yeah, she did,” Beatrix covered, “Sorry, but we’ll have to talk some other time.”

The way Blueblood’s eyes suddenly widened showed he was NOT pleased to hear that, and he might have made a scene, had Celestia not stepped in front of him.

“Well, that’s just how it is, isn’t it Blueblood,” Celestia said jovially, “Beatrix, thank you for helping Starlight.”

“Y-you’re welcome,” Beatrix said, clearly confused by this. Starlight took Beatrix’s hand and guided her out of the classroom before Blueblood could say or do anything to frighten Beatrix anymore than she already was.

Starlight took Beatrix to a Sugar Cube Corner, where they naturally pulled out their books to look like they were working, just in case Blueblood tried to follow them.

“Thank you,” Beatrix said softly, “Um, does Ms. Tia…?”

“If she does, it’s not because of me,” Starlight said, “She seems like one of those people who always knows more than you’d think, though.”

Beatrix visibly relaxed at Starlight’s words, “She really is that kind of person. A lot like a mother,” Beatrix looked away sadly, “Wish I had a good relationship with my mother.”

“You and your mother don’t get along?” Starlight asked, saddened when Beatrix shook her head.

“She’s the reason I’m here in boarding school. Mostly it’s to get away from her. After my father…” she cut herself off and shook her head, “What about you? You don’t really talk about yourself too much.”

Starlight really wondered about what she was going to say about her father, but she shook it off.

“Well, what do you want to know?” Starlight asked as their order of fries came.

“I… know this might be personal, but what happened that made you… you know?”

Oh. She wanted to know about that. Starlight averted her eyes, unsure how she felt talking about that again.

play song

“It’s okay. You don’t have to tell me,” Beatrix covered, “I was just curious about you. You’re kind of an enigma in school.”

“No, it’s fine,” Starlight said, deciding to open to Beatrix a bit, “It happened after my Mother died. She and I had a really big fight, and I ran out of the house. She went looking for me, and apparently got in a terrible accident on the way. She didn’t survive it," she tightened her fists on her lap looking down somberly, "I was so devastated, I blamed myself for her death. Also, not only did my relatives not step in to help me, but our house was sold to the state, so I had nothing. One thing led to another, and before I knew it, I had my Mom's anti-depressants. You can piece together what happened after that I'm sure...”

“Oh my God…” Beatrix breathed out, “I’m so sorry. Can I ask what the fight was about?”

“Differences in faith,” Starlight said simply, “She was a full on Christian, and I’m closer to Wiccan.”

“So, the gothic look you have is because you’re an actual witch?” Beatrix asked, turning away from Starlight with a somber expression, “Wow. We really are similar.”

Starlight tilted her head, and asked Beatrix what she meant by that.

“The reason my Mom and I don’t get along is because of something similar,” Beatrix took a fry before she continued speaking, “In my case though, it’s more so because of who I wanted to be when I grew up. She wants me to be a nurse like her, but that’s not what I want to be.”

“What do you want to be?” Starlight asked. She noticed that Beatrix seemed really hesitant to speak on it, as she looked down in a way that covered her eyes with her bangs.

“I wanted to be a performer, just like my Dad,” Beatrix said somberly, “I really looked up to him, and wanted to be just like him. But then he… he left us… Mom hated him ever since.”

Starlight was really curious about how he left them. Was it from death, or something else?

“When she enrolled me here, I was more than happy,” Beatrix continued, “I don’t want to hear anyone badmouth my Dad, and I think deep down, I still…” she tightened the fist on the table, “But it’s hard when you don’t have any talent.”

“I don’t believe that at all,” Starlight said, placing her hand on Beatrix’s “I bet you have a lot more talent than even you realize.”

Beatrix looked touched, but she shook her head, “I appreciate it Starlight, but it’s fine. I already know I don’t have my father’s gift. No one in the world was quite like him,” she looked out the window, a wistful smile on her face, “My father, was magnificent.”

Starlight chose to leave it at that for now. It was clear there was something about her father she didn’t want to face, or rather something about herself and why she looked up to him so much that she didn’t want to face. Hopefully Twilight would find out something that could lead them to the truth. She had her suspicions, but she wanted to make sure before she spoke up on it.

So for now, Starlight decided to just enjoy spending time with Beatrix. Turned out the two of them had a lot of common interests. She’d have to make sure Beatrix survived, if for no other reason than to explore this friendship.

end song

Late Night

Starlight wanted to try and stay up a little bit just in case Twilight figured out the significance of the name “Balazar”. As such, she decided to stay up with Celestia for a while and talk to her about what happened today. As to not disturb Twilight, Starlight and Celestia sat in the dining room.

“Thank you for telling me this,” Celestia said sipping her tea, a dark scowl marring her perfect features, “Sadly he is right though. His father is head of the school board, so if he complained to him about you lying, they’d sadly be more inclined to believe him than you.”

“So what does that mean for Beatrix?” Starlight asked before sipping some of her tea.

“She’d have to be the one to speak up on it herself,” Celestia said, setting her cup down and folding her arms underneath her bosom, “She can provide much more evidence than you. Mind you, with her taking so long to speak up over it, she’d still have a difficult time with it, but there would at the very least be an investigation.”

Starlight looked down at her tea cup with a dark scowl herself. She almost wished she could go into his mind and make him confess himself. She remembered that the Phantom Thieves had done something like that, so maybe her Persona could do something similar. Only thing was she didn’t have the app they used to enter the Metaverse, and she promised her Mother that she’d only use her magic to heal, not harm.

Even if Blueblood deserved it.

“In other news,” Celestia’s smile returned, “What did you think of the Student Body President?”

Oh right! It wasn’t all bad, since she did meet Ms. President.

“She was something else,” Starlight smiled looking up, “She was so poised, not once losing her temper.”

“Rarity truly is something else, isn’t she?” Celestia finished her tea and poured herself another cup, “She was already going to this school when I arrived, but I did at least see the election. She won by a landslide.”

“I imagine her opponent wasn’t all too pleased,” Starlight said, getting more tea herself.

“Oh no, she wasn’t. Still, Rarity has the school’s full support, at least when it comes to the students.”

“What about the teachers?”

“She’s a lot like me in that sense. Adored by the students, but not very well liked by the staff. Like me, she also sort of came out of nowhere, and immediately started clinging to the head of the Defense Committee, Applejack. They’re very good friends, despite one being loved by the student body, and the other one being rather disliked.”

Starlight was really wondering what sort of person Applejack was now. She had to be pretty strict in order to earn herself the name “No Fun Jackie”. But she was friends with Rarity, who seemed pretty nice from what Starlight witnessed.

The dining room door opened, and Twilight stepped in holding a folder, a big smile on her face, “I figured it out!”

play song

“That didn’t take very long,” Celestia said before her expression got a bit more stern, “You didn’t stay up all day working, did you?”

“Not… all day,” Twilight blushed, twirling her finger around her hair, “Okay, so I might have gone to bed a bit later than usual, and woke up a bit earlier, but I couldn’t help myself. This was the most progress we’ve made, and what I learned about Beatrix was pretty fascinating.”

Celestia sighed in defeat, “Very well. Please, join us and tell us what you found out.”

Twilight sat down as Starlight poured her a cup of tea, which she gladly took.

“Okay, so it did take a while to decipher the meaning behind the word “Balazar”. I figured it was the name of the man in the picture. First off, I need to confirm something,” she pulled out her phone and showed Starlight a picture, “Is this the man you saw on the poster?”

Starlight looked at the picture, which showed a still image of a man with a brilliant smile, spreading his arms out to what was probably an audience. He was wearing the same blue tuxedo and black magician’s hat as the man on the poster, but now she could see his eyes. They were purple, just like Beatrix’s. Come to think of it, Beatrix kind of favored him.

“That’s the man,” Starlight said, “I’m sure of it.”

“Thought so,” Twilight said taking back her phone, “That man is the Magnificent Balazar, known as the greatest magician of all time. The tricks he performed were impossible, and many people tried to prove how he did them, but to know avail,” she began typing on her phone again, “I found one trick here that really showed how… there! Found it. Take a look at this. Even I’m finding it hard to explain this.”

Starlight and Celestia both leaned in close to view the phone, which showed a section of his magic show. He was presenting a large fan to the audience, probably to show everyone that it was real. He then placed the fan in the middle of the stage and walked off to one end of it, taking off his hat and jacket. He then got on one knee in front of the fan, like he were preparing to run, and then ran into the fan, except a deck of cards shot out from the other side.

Starlight was wide eyed, and even Celestia seemed confused by what she witnessed.

“Trust me, that’s not even the craziest part,” Twilight said, “Keep watching.”

The cameraman was looking around frantically, and the entire crowd was gasping in shock, asking where he went, or if he died. Suddenly someone started clapping really loudly, and both the cameraman and the spot light shot to the audience, revealing Balazar sitting in the back clapping for his trick, as if he were always there.

“I… have seen many things in my time, but to see someone pull off a trick like that in the real world…” Celestia said, placing a hand on her chest.

“He reminds me of a wizard,” Starlight said.

“That’s what a lot of people said honestly,” Twilight pocketed her phone, “I looked up the reports on him, and it turns out that he was often accused of using dark magic. Some even accused him of being the devil himself.”

“People fear that which they don’t understand,” Celestia said sipping her tea.

Starlight remembered him now. In fact, she remembered that he was her inspiration to become a witch herself. She heard the reports of a man claiming to be the devil, and she saw one of his magic shows live and was mesmerized by it, so much that she believed in magic for the rest of her life. That was years ago though, and she never knew what happened to him. One day he just… wasn’t there anymore.

Starlight shared this with Twilight and Celestia, Twilight nodding.

“I’m not surprised. He was always talking about how magic was real, and how his goals were to prove just how real it was to the world. That didn’t get him many allies, however, and during his final show, he did one last magic trick. One where he disappeared, but never reappeared. The authorities had charged onto the stage to try and capture him, but they weren’t able to find him. They’re still searching for clues as to where he is and how he did that.”

“One final show to prove the validity of his power,” Celestia said, “Effectively transporting into a different dimension, or just disappearing.”

“He left a note, claiming that he left a gift for someone special to him in the place where magic got it’s start,” Twilight continued, “No one knew what he meant by that, or who he was talking about, but many people believed he was talking about his at the time seven year old daughter.”

“Lulamoon…” Starlight said softly, catching both Twilight and Celestia’s attention.

“You figured it out, didn’t you?” Twilight asked. Starlight nodded to Twilight, and explained to both of them that when she saw Beatrix’s last name she thought she’d seen it somewhere before, but couldn’t remember where that was.

“Twilight, was is Balazar’s last name?” Celestia asked slowly.

end song

“His full name is Balazar Lulamoon,” Twilight answered immediately, “Beatrix’s father.”

Mentally, Starlight went back to her conversation with Beatrix back in Sugar Cube Corner. She even said it then, her father was “magnificent”. She was trying to tell Starlight right there who her father actually was!

“And now we get to what I found in Beatrix’s Akashic Records,” Twilight said, opening the folder she carried with her, and reading from the piece of paper. As she spoke, for some reason all Starlight could hear was Beatrix’s voice.

play song

The sins of the father will always carry back to the child. This was something that my Mom always told me, which was why she forbade me to learn ANYTHING pertaining to magic. I didn’t believe it though. Dad wasn’t a bad man. He wasn’t evil, or the devil. He was a wizard. A real live wizard. Possibly the last real wizard in the whole world.

I’d show her. I’d show all of them, by becoming a magician just like him!

In his last show, he looked at me and winked. It was the same way he always did before his biggest tricks. It was his way of letting me know he was going to be alright. But when he disappeared, this time he didn’t come back. Everyone was frantic, the police were on the stage, Mom was in tears, but I knew. I knew he was still alive. Somewhere out there, he was searching for me. Waiting for me. He even gave me a clue.

The place where magic got it’s start. But where was that?

My mother was devastated. She didn’t understand why he vanished. She accused him of abandoning us. She hated magic, and didn’t want anything to do with it. She started pushing me to become a nurse like her, saying that she didn’t want me to become a magician. I didn’t want to be a nurse though! I knew what I wanted! I wanted to know the secret! I wanted to understand the magic that he used!

But I didn’t have the gift he did. The tricks I performed for my peers were just slight of hand at best.

My peers all expected me to carry on his legacy. They wanted me to be the next wizard. But… I can’t do it… No matter how much I try… I could never do the tricks that he wanted…

The dreams… in them I have an audience. They’re laughing at me, booing at my attempts at wowing the crowd. By myself… I’m worthless… I can’t do anything without someone else guiding me.

My story… is over…

end song

Celestia actually looked aghast hearing that, especially that last part. Starlight didn’t know how to process that herself. Those were her Akashic Records! The path that her life was supposed to follow! The record of every decision she made in her life, every decision she could make in her present moment, and the outcome of each and every one! One’s Akashic Record didn’t just end!

“This… this is terrible…” Celestia looked down, eyes wide in horror, “Please tell me that’s not the final entry.”

Twilight closed her eyes and gave a grave sigh, “I’m afraid it is. I used this book as a base to search the rest of her record, just to see if there was another entry past it, but I couldn’t find anything after that last line. This is the moment where her Akashic Records ends. I’m willing to bet that’s also when she contracted the Nightmare Epidemic.”

“How do we fix this?” Starlight asked immediately, not even trying to hold in her tears.

“That… I don’t know,” Twilight finished her tea and sat back in her chair, “This is someone who’s completely given up on everything in the world. Her hopes, her dreams, even the possibility that dreams even can come true.”

Starlight turned to Celestia, begging her to think of something, anything. Sadly, Celestia shook her head gravely.

“I… don’t know what to do in this situation. Normally there’s another option in the Akashic Records. An alternative that will keep the story going. But this… this is saying that her destined path is to die at the hands of the Shadows…”

Starlight couldn’t accept that. She wouldn’t accept that! She had thrown her life away, and yet here she was, still alive! If that was the case for her, then surely the same was true for-

Suddenly it hit her. She knew what to do for Beatrix. The exact same thing Igor did for her. She just needed to know that her father wasn’t drawing from dark powers, and that the power was inside of her the entire time.

She needed to know that magic was real.

play song

“Can she last one more night?” Starlight asked Twilight.

“I think so,” Twilight said, “Why?”

“I have a plan, but I need both of you to trust me,” Starlight rose up from her chair, “When I do this, we’ll have one shot to rescue Beatrix, so it has to happen tomorrow. But if I’m right, then I’ll be able to save her tomorrow.”

“What are you planning?” Twilight asked, narrowing her eyes at Starlight. She took a deep breath, and revealed the risky plan she had.

“I’m going to tell Beatrix the truth,” Starlight said, “That she really is seeing me in her dreams.”

“Whoa whoa WHOA! Are you crazy?!” Twilight shot up from her chair, “If you do that, there’s no telling what that could do to her psyche! She already suspects that she’s suffering the Nightmare Epidemic, but if she knows that she really is, and that her life path is actually ending-”

“If I can finish,” Starlight said glaring at Twilight, “I’ll also tell her that I’m getting her out of her dream tonight, and that the nightmares will end. That’s why I’ll only have one shot at this. My goal is to give her a burst of hope, something that she can cling to that will keep her alive.”

“But if you fail, she’ll die right then and there!” Twilight argued, “What if we can’t get her out this time?! Do you even know how to get her out?!”

“What if I take her out through a checkpoint?”

“Those only work for Persona Users, and she’s not a Persona User!”

“Then…” Starlight wracked her brain thinking of an alternative, “What about the main exit? Remember that white door I exited from the first few times? I was able to leave even before I had a Persona!”

Celestia looked down in deep thought considering her words.

“I mean, even if it’s gone out of control, it’s still Beatrix’s dream! If she’s not there to have the dream, then it should collapse! Right?”

Twilight took off her glasses and rubbed her eyes wearily, “I mean… it makes sense, but this is a huge risk. If this backfires, that’s it. She’s dead.”

“Then it won’t backfire,” Starlight said.

“Oh my God…” Twilight shook her head laughing in disbelief, “What makes you think you can even pull this off?”

“Because…” Starlight looked down for a second, and then tightened her fists and shot Twilight an assured glare, “Because I’m the Trickster!”

“So because you’re some Messiah you have the power to pull of miracles all of a sudden, is that it?” Twilight said dismissively, “You’re not Joker. You’re not like the other Tricksters in the past.”

“You’re right, I’m not. And I’m not trying to be anything like them,” Starlight said, “I’m not saying I can save the entire planet or anything. I’m just saying that I can save Beatrix. Please help me with this, Twilight. If this doesn’t work, you can hate me for the rest of your life, but please just give this a chance.”

Twilight looked at Starlight intently, reading her. Not once did Starlight avert her gaze from Twilight’s. It was almost like their hearts were arguing. After a few seconds, Twilight sighed.

“I can’t believe I’m doing this…” she shot Starlight another glare, “You get… one shot, Starlight. If you mess this up, I will never forgive you, got it?”

Starlight nodded, completely understanding. Honestly, if this didn’t work, she’d never forgive herself.

“The important thing now is that we have a plan,” Celestia said, rising up and standing beside them, placing her hands on both of their shoulders, “Let’s all get some rest, and prepare for tomorrow.”

“I better learn the layout of her Dungeon, that way I can guide you down the quickest path,” Twilight said, turning to leave.

“Twilight,” Starlight called out stopping her, “Thank you.”

Twilight sighed, and left the room, not saying anything else. Celestia turned Starlight around to face her and placed both hands on her shoulders.

“You really sounded like a Trickster just now,” Celestia said.

“You… think this will work?” Starlight asked.

“I do,” Celestia said honestly, pulling Starlight into a maternal embrace, “I’ll be right there with you, in spirit. So don’t hesitate. Charge forth, sure of your path.”

Starlight’s heart was racing hearing these words. She didn’t know why, but somehow those words seemed to resonate with her on a very deep level. She returned the embrace, letting Celestia’s maternal warmth relax her spirit.

She could do this. She had to do this.

9/7

September 7th, 2019
Friday
Sunny

Morning

play song

Starlight was a bit concerned when Beatrix said she was heading on ahead of her to school, but she assured Starlight everything would be okay. As such, Starlight found herself walking to school by herself for the most part. It was a nice, quiet walk, which allowed her to gather her thoughts for what she had to do.

Right when she reached the school’s front gate, she saw Pinkie Pie waiting for her. Once the pink haired teen saw Starlight, she ran over to her.

“Hey Starlight, is everything okay?” Pinkie Pie asked, “I saw the way Blueblood was looking at you yesterday after class. I didn’t say anything then, but… you’re not getting involved in anything dangerous, are you?”

Well… technically she was. As far as she knew, Blueblood wasn’t the type to do anything directly to hurt either her or Beatrix, but the Shadow Blueblood had specified that he wanted to either kill her or trap her in the dream as well. Still, she needed to put her friend at ease.

“Blueblood’s being an asshole, but it’s not like he’s going to do anything,” Starlight said, “I’ll be alright. No need to worry.”

“I don’t want to worry, but I’ve seen what happens to people who get too close to Beatrix. It’s the reason I’m almost positive the rumors are true about them,” Pinkie Pie looked to the side, visibly concerned, “If anything happened to you, I wouldn’t be able to take it. You’re my friend, Starlight.”

Starlight was touched to see how much Pinkie Pie cared. The sad thing was, she had every reason to be worried. Beatrix’s life wasn’t the only one in danger here. If she messed this up, she didn’t want to think of what Blueblood’s shadow would do to her.

The bell for homeroom rang before Starlight could say anything else. Starlight assured Pinkie Pie a second time she was fine, and made her way to homeroom. Right now she needed to get an opening to talk to Beatrix. A chance would present itself. She knew it would. She just needed to have faith.

Lunch Time

Beatrix was somewhat distant throughout the day, but she wasn’t pushing Starlight away, which was the odd thing. Starlight was beginning to wish she’d gone into her Dungeon last night to check on her.

So when Beatrix vanished at around lunch time, Starlight was really worried.

play song

She carefully searched the school, heart racing more and more each time she couldn’t find them. After searching for a few minutes, Starlight stood in the middle of the hall tapping her foot and wracking her brain as to where she might find her friend. She then remembered something yesterday. Blueblood mentioned taking Starlight someplace “private”. Where was she going to find that place?

“S-sumimasen…” a soft voice called out to Starlight. She turned toward the steps and saw the tall girl with light pink hair standing there, still wearing that yellow and white sailor styled uniform. Seriously, she did not look like a High School student.

“You… um… tense,” she said, slowly and carefully, like she was trying to find the words, “Are… you… okay?”

Starlight reasoned that this student probably didn’t speak English as her first language. It was risky, because she wasn’t sure she’d understand her, but maybe she could help Starlight.

“I’m looking for a friend. Do you know where I could find someplace private?” Starlight asked. Naturally the student tilted her head confused, “Like… someplace students would go where they don’t want to be seen.”

The student thought to herself, probably trying to interpret what Starlight was saying. Right when she was about to say never mind though, said student perked up.

“Oh! I understand! Student go to back alley. Find friend there?” she said, speaking in a manner that told Starlight she was Asian, more than likely Japanese if her attire was anything to go by.

“Where’s that?” Starlight asked, speaking slowly and carefully, “I’m new, so I don’t know my way around.”

The student nodded in understanding and pointed down the hall, “Exit on left take you.”

“Thank you!” Starlight said, immediately running toward that direction, silently wondering what a student like that was doing in school. She clearly didn’t understand English very well, so that had to be frustrating, both for her and her teachers.

Questions for another time though. Beatrix came first.

When she exited, she saw the back alley in the distance. She carefully ran close to it, hiding against a wall and listening inside.

“I’ll forgive you this time, but you better lose the goth chick!”

“She’s my roommate! I can’t just-”

SLAP

“I don’t want to hear your excuses! Thanks to her, now I have both the President and No Fun Jackie on my ass! You got me into this mess, so clean it up!”

Starlight quickly hid behind a nearby recycling bin as Blueblood stepped out. He looked around, and then quickly walked off, after oddly zipping his pants back up.

Oh no… he didn’t…

play song

Starlight ran into the alley, and saw Beatrix sitting helplessly on the ground, using the wall to prop herself up. She was breathing heavily, but Starlight could see that she’d probably been crying for a while, and still was.

She looked up at Starlight in anguish, “Starlight… I’m sorry…”

Starlight immediately ran over to Beatrix and scooped her into a tight embrace, letting the broken teen cry in her arms. And cry she did, harder than she’d cried since Starlight met her. She didn’t even need to hear it to know what happened just now. She was going to make Blueblood pay for this.

Times like this made her wish her Persona worked in the real world.

“There’s no end to this…!” Beatrix sobbed, “I tried… I tried to tell him… to leave you alone… or I’d leave him… but he… he…!”

“Shh… Don’t say anything, Beatrix,” Starlight said softly.

“I’ll never escape…” Beatrix said weakly, “This is what I am now… This is all I’ll ever be… My entire life… it’s been leading… to…”

“No!” Starlight said tightening the embrace, “That’s not true! Your life isn’t over!”

“Yes it is…!” Beatrix cried, breaking down into heavier sobs, “Starlight… I have it… the Nightmare Epidemic…”

“Beatrix…” Starlight looked at Beatrix devastated. She knew all of this already, but to hear Beatrix actually say it.

“I didn’t want to believe it… but… I’m sure of it now…” Beatrix closed her eyes tightly, “That’s why I kept pushing you away from me! That’s why I know I’ll never escape this! I’m dead! I know I’m dead!”

“Stop saying that…!” Starlight said, trembling as tears built up in her eyes.

“It’s true though! I… I’m going to-”

“I said stop saying that!” Starlight demanded glaring at Beatrix, who’s eyes were wide looking up at her, “You’re not going to die! I promise you!”

“S-Starlight…?”

Starlight helped Beatrix to her feet, “Do you need to leave? I can talk to Ms. Tia, and see if we can convince her to let you leave early.”

“No,” Beatrix shook her head, “I… I don’t want her to…”

Starlight sighed, “Alright, but I need to tell you something important. After school. Meet me on the roof after final period. If Blueblood tries something, tell him that you’re going to tell me to leave you alone.”

“Starlight, what are you-”

“Do this for me,” Starlight urged, “Don’t tell anyone that you’re meeting me, okay? And come alone.”

Beatrix swallowed nervously, but nodded. Starlight hugged Beatrix tightly, and got close to her ear.

end song

“The nightmare is almost over,” she whispered directly into Beatrix’s ear. Based on how she tensed up, that got the desired effect. Instead of saying anything else, she chose to walk back toward the school, allowing Morgana to move through her as she walked. If this was going to work, she needed to start bridging the gap. She needed Beatrix to start questioning her reality, and that meant Starlight had to embody what Beatrix saw in her dream. It was time for Starlight the suicidal teen to say goodnight.

And time for Starlight the Witch to come to the forefront.

“Just now… the way she was walking,” Beatrix said, heart racing, “And she said that the nightmare is…” she fell to her knees, trying in vain to process what was going on, “There’s no way though… That couldn’t actually be…”

After School

Starlight left homeroom right as the bell rang and made her way to the roof of the school, where she waited for her roommate to join her. Her heart was racing right now. On one hand, this was a dream come true. She was about to admit both to her friend, and to herself, that she was in fact a real live witch. Thinking about that made her heart feel funny, as part of her was elated to finally be at this moment.

But on the other hand, she was terrified. In order for this to work, Beatrix had to believe her. Hopefully she’d left enough signs throughout the day. She let herself be Morgana throughout the rest of the day, which at the very least made her feel more alluring. At random points throughout the day, she felt her witch’s gown hover over her regular clothes, and she could tell that her walk had become more of a confident stride like she did in her dream.

While most of the student were paying a bit more attention to her, it was Beatrix who’s reactions mattered to her. She never took her eyes off of Starlight, and seemed to be both drawn to her more, and at the same time a bit terrified of her. For this, that was good. She was a witch, after all. Beatrix had probably convinced herself that magic wasn’t real, and that her father was just very skilled at something she’d never quite grasp.

She was about to get a huge wake up call.

Starlight faced the metal fence surrounding the roof and held onto the bars, silently counting to ten to calm her nerves. She silently prayed to her Mother, hoping that she was up there watching her, and that she was proud of her for what she was doing.

I’m following my dream, Mother.

This is why I chose to live.

I’m a real witch now.

The door opened behind Starlight, making her heart leap out of her chest. Even more when she heard who it was.

play song

“Starlight, I’m here,” Beatrix said softly, “I came alone, just like you asked.”

“Good,” Starlight said, taking a deep breath to calm her nerves.

Moment of truth time.

“Your father, he was the famous magician, Balazar Lulamoon, wasn’t he?” Starlight asked, choosing to start easy.

“I… y-yeah, he was,” Beatrix walked over to Starlight, standing next to her and leaning her back against the gate, “Or as his stage name went, he was the Magnificent Balazar.”

“You want to be a magician like him,” Starlight said. Beatrix nodded sadly.

“I did, but that’s never going to happen,” Beatrix said somberly.

“Why not?” Starlight asked, “Ignore the Nightmare Epidemic for a second, and tell me why that’s never going to happen.”

“Ignoring the fact I’m going to die soon?” Beatrix asked skeptically before looking up at the blue sky above them, “I guess, it’s because I don’t have the gift.”

“What do you mean by that?” Starlight asked turning to Beatrix finally, “The “gift”.”

“Well, I can do tiny tricks, slight of hand stuff,” she showed Starlight her open palm, and then turned it around, making a coin suddenly appear in her hand, “You’ve probably seen me do those tiny tricks here and there a few times around the dorm, but that’s all I can do. Not like my Dad though. He could do things like make this coin disappear, and then sneeze out five more. He could reach into his hat, and pull out someone’s car keys from the audience, or swap places with someone sitting in the back. He could change his clothes with the snap of a finger,” Beatrix giggled, “One time when he and Mom were having a disagreement, he said he was going to get some air, and walked into the closet, shutting the door behind him. Mom realized what he was doing and opened the closet, but he wasn’t there,” she then looked up at the sky, a wistful smile on her face, “But I looked out the window and saw him hiding in the bushes. He asked me not to tell her where was, and when I went out to play, he gave me a private magic show.”

“Sounds like the two of you were close,” Starlight said with a soft smile. She could feel the love Beatrix had for her father.

“He wasn’t just my Dad. He was my idol, my best friend, and my…” she wilted looking down at the floor, “My hero.”

“Why did he disappear?” Starlight asked.

“There were people accusing him of crimes he didn’t commit,” Beatrix explained, “They claimed that he used his magic to rob a bank, but they couldn’t prove anything. But it was enough to cause everyone to turn on him,” she closed her eyes, tears of rage streaming down her cheeks, “Everyone started calling him a demon! The more people looked into his tricks, and the less explanations there were, the more the people were afraid of him! All he wanted was to show them that magic was for everyone, but instead they all treated him like he was the spawn of Satan!”

“What about you?” Starlight asked, “What do you believe?”

“I don’t know!” Beatrix cried, “I tried to learn magic! I tried to do what he did! But I couldn’t figure it out!” she fell to the ground and hugged her knees, still crying, “He said that he left a gift for me, in the place where magic got it’s start, but I don’t know where that is! I could never find it! I know he’s disappointed in me, but I’m not who he thinks I am! I’m no one special!”

Starlight looked away biting her lip. Hearing Beatrix talk, all she heard was herself. It was almost painful how alike they were.

“So I gave up,” Beatrix continued, “When I came to this school, I tried to just be Beatrix, but everyone kept calling me the child of magic. The “daughter of Balazar”. What a joke! I hated it! So when the captain of the football team showed interest in me, I jumped at the chance to be with him!”

And now we came to Blueblood. Starlight held her tongue, choosing to let Beatrix reveal the truth herself.

“The first night he and I had sex was in May of last year. I should have known something was up then.”

“What did he do?” Starlight asked, not even trying to hide the venom in her tone.

“I expressed how I was interested in trying out bondage, so he tied me to the bed, gagged me, and well, you know,” Beatrix hugged her knees tighter, “At first I was enjoying it. It was a distraction from all of the students wanting me to be like my father,” she closed her eyes and started trembling, “But after we finished, he ended up falling asleep before he untied me. I spent the entire night completely helpless laying next to him, all the while he kept touching me, groping me, and making me feel completely violated! I hated it, but he claimed it was an accident.”

Accident. Riiiiiight. This asshole was seriously digging himself a deep grave.

“He started pushing me to be his full time submissive. I eventually said yes, knowing full well that I was giving my freedom over to him, but I knew it was better than nothing. My Mom didn’t want me to become a magician, my Dad was gone, the students projected my father’s image onto me, Blueblood was the only person who actually saw me.”

This was it. Her opening.

end song

“And was that when Blueblood appeared as the Ring Leader of that circus?” Starlight asked. Beatrix slowly looked up at Starlight, eyes wide.

“How… do you know about that…?” she asked, a combination of hope and fear in her voice.

Starlight turned to lean her back against the fence, looking up at the sky, “I’ve been there a few times. The circus with those men in masks. The horrific games that make you into a spectacle. I’ve fought against the Ring Leader a couple of times. You remember, don’t you? When you were trapped in that water container. I used a hammer to set you free before you drowned.”

“Oh my God…” Beatrix’s started breathing heavier.

“Then again in the gladiator’s pit in the tent. I jumped in and saved you right before that demon in the red armor killed you,” Starlight looked down at Beatrix and smiled, “Your cheering for me really helped, you know.”

She lowered her hand, showing Beatrix her Channeling Ring. When Beatrix saw it, her eyes went wide.

“Hold on a minute!” she shot up and backed away from Starlight, “H-how are you doing this?! I never told you about the dreams! I never told anyone about the dreams!”

“Well, you did tell me that you dreamed about me,” Starlight turned to Beatrix and started walking toward her, “I couldn’t tell you back then, but it wasn’t a dream. I can prove it.”

“H-how?!”

play song

“In that dream, right when Blueblood kissed you, I burst into flames, right?” Starlight asked, allowing an almost sensual smirk to form on her face, “My clothes changed into a Victorian styled gown, a scythe appeared in my hands, and behind me, was a spirit surrounded by flames, right?”

“You… you really do remember…”

“The next day, I had a fever. That’s because my powers had just awakened,” Starlight giggled, kind of surprised by how impish it sounded, “I should probably thank you, Beatrix Lulamoon. Thanks to you, I achieved my dream of becoming a witch. You were the catalyst for my powers awakening.”

“I… was…?” Beatrix backed up against the wall, and Starlight stood in front of her, lightly caressing her cheek. She felt like a true witch right now, and while she was still focused on saving Beatrix, she couldn’t help but feel slightly euphoric.

“And now, it’s my turn to return the favor,” Starlight continued, “I told you earlier, that the nightmare was almost over. I meant that. Tonight, I’m going to go back into your dreams, but this time I’m going to get you out of there.”

“You’re serious about this…” Beatrix said, relaxing a bit as Starlight lovingly caressed her cheek, “Okay, assuming you’re telling the truth, how are you going to do it? I’ve tried escaping before, but Blueblood always catches me.”

“If I have to go through him, I will,” Starlight said. Beatrix paled when she heard that.

“What?! B-but, he’s… I…”

“You don’t need him,” Starlight said, “You are the daughter of Balazar Lulamoon, the greatest magician of all time. Just as magic exists within me, I know that magic exists within you. Now, when are you going to start believing in the magic yourself?”

“I… I’m scared!” Beatrix closed her eyes, pressing herself against the wall as tears fell freely from her eyes, “What if it doesn’t work?! What if you can’t rescue me?! What if-” Starlight placed her finger gently on Beatrix’s lips.

“No more of that. No sister of mine will speak such words of weakness,” she said.

“S-sister…?”

“You and I are the same. Both of us sought magic, and both of us had our lives ruined by a world that’s stopped believing. It’s only natural that we’d become sisters afterward. What do you say, Beatrix? Will you believe in magic one last time?”

It looked like Beatrix was having an internal battle. One between her head that was probably saying that the suicidal goth chick was insane, and her heart that was trying to hold onto the tiniest bit of hope. Eventually, their surroundings went dark, and all Starlight could see was Beatrix in her dream attire looking up at her desperately.

“Help me! Please help me! I don’t want to die!” she changed back to her real world self as the world returned, but she fell to her knees still crying desperately, “I don’t want to die…!”

Starlight knelt down before Beatrix and held her lovingly, “No one is dying tonight, my sister. No one.”

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Starlight told Beatrix to head back to the dorm ahead of her, as she needed to calm herself after what she did. She felt, relieved. Like in a way, she was confirming it herself. She really was a witch now. Both in the dream world, and in the real world.

As she walked through the park, her thoughts went to the key around her neck. She wished she could see Igor right now, so she could thank him for getting her this far. She still wondered what door the key actually-

She looked ahead, next to the bench she sat with Pinkie Pie and Rainbow Dash, and was really confused. Sitting on the bench right now reading the newspaper, was Victor! How was he here though?!

However, what really caught Starlight’s attention was the etheric dark blue elevator door next to the bench. It looked so out of place standing there, yet some how no one else seemed to notice it as they walked by. Starlight walked over to the bench, and Victor stood up and bowed to Starlight.

“Hello, Ms. Glimmer,” he said, voice just as deep yet youthful as she remembered in her dreams, “The Master would like to speak with you, before you head off into your friend’s Dungeon.”

Starlight walked over to the door and tried to open it, surprised to see that it wouldn’t budge. Just as she was about to ask Victor why not, she noticed the key was glowing. Her eyes widened. This was the door it opened!

She took the key off from her neck, inserted it into the lock, and turned it. The lock turned with ease and made a loud noise that echoed all around her, before the door opened revealing a bright light within.

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Inside, she saw she was in the elevator/office, still rising up toward a destination unknown. Naturally, sitting in the middle of the room waiting for her, was Igor.

“Welcome, to the Velvet Room,” Igor said as Starlight sat down before him, “My my, I must say that you have grown into quite the capable witch since we last met. Since you have now taken the first true steps toward your journey, it’s time that Victor and I explain to you our services.”

Services? She remembered Igor mentioning something like that before.

“I specialize in Persona Fusion,” Igor explained, “You see, as you gather new Personas in the dream world, you can bring them to me, and I will fuse them into brand new Personas for you.”

Persona Fusion? That sounded really useful to Starlight. The Personas she got on the field weren’t very powerful at first, but she figured that fusing Personas was a way to get better, stronger Personas.

“As for my assistant here,” Igor motioned to Victor, “He is in charge of the Persona Compendium.”

“Compendium?” Starlight asked tilting her head. Victor turned to Igor, silently asking permission to speak, before turning to Starlight.

“The Persona Compendium is a record of all of the Personas you’ve acquired,” Victor explained, “Once you register a Persona into the Compendium, it’s there for you to call it back at anytime, assuming you have the funds to do so?”

Wait, she had to pay? Oh well, nothing in life was free. Still though, where was she supposed to get-

Something told her to check her balance, and thankfully she had an app for that on her phone. Looking at her bank account, Starlight expected to see maybe a dollar if that. Instead, she saw $30.54! How in the world did that happen…?”

Igor laughed jovially, “Being a witch certainly has its perks, doesn’t it?” Igor asked. Wait, did that mean every time she defeated a Shadow, she got paid?! Where? How? What?!

Know what? Don’t think about it. Just accept that this is a thing now, and be happy. That’s what she resolved to do.

“Shall we offer you a demonstration?” Igor asked. Starlight nodded to Igor and Victor. First thing she did was register her Personas thus far, because she wasn’t going into Beatrix’s dungeon without a full party.

Once that was done, the thought about which Personas she’d want to use for her first fusion. She only had three on her at the moment, so a single fusion would have to do. The first one she chose was Morgana, after checking the price to ensure she’d be able to get her back. She then chose Pixie as her second, making sure of the same thing.

Igor waved his hands on the table, making two tarot cards appear before them on the table, he then swiped his hands over the cards again, and both of them turned over, showing pictures of both Morgana and Pixie. At the same time, Starlight felt both Personas leave her. It was an odd feeling, one that left her slightly entranced at the sight before her.

Igor held one hand over the cards, and seemed to concentrate as energy flowed into the cards. Both cards shot up into the air, and in a bright flash merged into one, revealing a familiar tiny green imp hiding in a golden vase.

“Heya! My name’s Agathion! Can we be friends?” he asked in an adorable voice. Before she could answer him (it was going to be yes, of course) the spirit vanished into a small card which flowed back into Starlight. She saw that her new Persona also had Dia and Zio, which meant she didn’t need Pixie right now. She did need Morgana though, as A) that was her default, and B) she had ice magic, and that was something she did NOT want to be away from just yet.

So before she forgot, she turned to Victor and requested to reclaim Morgana. He smiled, opened his book, and pulled out a card with Morgana’s picture on it. As soon as she took the card in her hands, it vanished, and Starlight felt more whole again.

“It seems you have a bit more of a psychological bond with your starting Persona,” Igor said, “I’ll see if Victor and I can come up with a means of continuing to strengthen that Persona.”

“You mean, so I won’t have to give up Morgana?” Starlight asked.

“There are ways of ensuring that your starting Persona can continue to grow. I’ve seen a few people who’ve wielded that power choose to carry their starting Persona with them all the way. You strike me as one of those types,” Igor chuckled, “I look forward to seeing how you and Morgana continue to grow as time progresses.”

Starlight thanked both Igor and Victor for their services, and then rose to leave the Velvet Room, feeling much stronger now than ever before.

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Back outside, Starlight checked her phone’s clock. She still had a bit of time before it was time to return to her dorm. Since she wanted to make sure she could get right to sleep tonight, she decided to walk around town and explore. This was going to be her home for a while, so she needed to make sure she knew her surroundings.

Starlight walked through South Street, where she got to see just what Rainbow Dash meant by “fun” shops. While there were shops of all types, including a manga shop, Starlight saw a number of shops that sold… things she wasn’t sure she wanted anyone to find in her dorm.

But considering Beatrix’s interests, she wondered if she ever frequented those shops. Maybe one day, she and Beatrix could walk in together?

She hung out around South Street till the sun started going down, and then made her way back to the dorm to prepare for her mission.

end song

Late Night

Starlight stayed up with Beatrix, just to ensure that she was able to get to sleep. All the while she ensure Beatrix that it was going to be okay, and that tonight was going to be the last night she’d have to deal with any of this. Naturally it took a bit, but she eventually drifted off to sleep, once again laying her head in Starlight’s lap.

“I’ll see you soon,” Starlight whispered, moving Beatrix onto her pillow and moving the covers over her. A light knock on the door caught her attention. She opened the door, revealing a concerned Celestia.

“I take it everything went well,” she said.

“In the real world, yes,” Starlight said, “How’s Twilight?”

“She’s… concerned, but I think she’s on board,” Celestia said.

“I don’t think Twilight likes me very much,” Starlight said looking down. Celestia gently lifted her chin and looked her in the eyes lovingly.

“She has her own frustrations, and she’s just projecting those onto you. In time, I know the two of you will become best friends. That’s why I want you two working together on this,” Celestia smiled, “Do you need some tea before you head inside?”

Starlight shook her head, “Beatrix and I drank some before she went to sleep. I figured she’d need it, all things considered.”

“Very good,” Celestia hugged Starlight tightly, “Please be careful in there, my child. I want you to succeed, but I want you to come home alive as well. Promise me you will survive.”

“I promise,” Starlight said, returning the hug, “I won’t die in there.”

Celestia reluctantly released Starlight, and closed the door behind her leaving the teen and her charge alone in the room. She had so many questions for Ms. Tia. Why was she always so maternal with her? Why did she seem so familiar to Starlight? And how did she find out about the dream world?

Questions best saved for later, though. Right now, Beatrix needed her. She walked over to her bed, put her Channeling Ring on, and laid down under her covers, drifting off in only a few short seconds to a minute.

The Phase

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Starlight appeared in the Akashic Records main plaza just as Twilight floated down to her side.

“So we’re really doing this, huh?” Twilight asked Starlight, “No time to waste. I checked the status of Beatrix’s Dungeon, and it seems that Blueblood’s waiting for you.”

“No surprise there,” Starlight said turning to the checkpoint, “Let’s get going then. I have a promise to keep, and a nightmare to end.”

Starlight opened the door, phasing directly into the Dungeon.

Immediately she could feel more tension in the atmosphere. The dream was angry. She expected to run into a lot of resistance this time around.

“Beatrix is being kept in a cage further back! Follow me!” Twilight said flying off. Starlight ran after her, at this point not even trying to stay hidden. She knew that the enemies knew she was there. They were expecting her.

“I see her! She’s over there!” one of the bouncers called out. Starlight looked to see three running toward her from another hall.

“Don’t worry about them! We need to get to Beatrix!” Twilight cried. Starlight continued her sprint through the tent, stopping at the gladiator pit. Inside she saw the black lion pacing around waiting for her.

“Shoot! That’s the only way to where Beatrix is!” Starlight stood on the edge of the pit, scythe ready, “Are you seriously about to fight that thing?!”

“Yes I am!” Starlight jumped down, not wasting any time running toward the lion. Once it saw her, it ran toward Starlight and raised it’s claws prepared to slash. Starlight jumped above it, landing on it’s back, and then jumping behind it.

“AGATHION!” Starlight shouted, summoning her new Persona and immediately casting Zio on the lion, knocking it to the ground. She was about to strike it again, but a scream caught her attention.

“Don’t worry about that thing right now!” Twilight cried, “We need to get to Beatrix now!”

“Right!” Starlight shouted running down the path leading to where the animals were being kept. Inside one of the larger cages was Beatrix, backing away from what was easily the most disgusting demon Starlight had ever seen. The only way to describe it, was it looked like the tip of a giant penis coming out of the ground.

“Oh gross! My database marks that demon as Mara, but it’s a weakened version!”

“I can only imagine where that thing came from,” Starlight said holding up her Channeling Ring, “MORGANA!”

Morgana appeared, and immediately flew over to the cage slicing open the bars with her claws. Starlight wasted no time getting in between Beatrix and the horribly phallic looking demon.

“Starlight!” Beatrix cried.

“This will be over in a few seconds!” Starlight proclaimed, “MORGANA! RAKUNDA!”

Morgana appeared, pointing her claw at Mara and casting a new spell. This one seemed to weaken Mara’s defense, if the way it recoiled back was any indication.

Starlight then rushed at Mara with her scythe and slashed at it wildly. At times even summoning Morgana and letting her get a few hits in, somehow managing to coordinate her attacks with her Persona.

Starlight jumped away just as Mara tried to lunge at her, and rushed forward slashing at the green phallic demon as she passed it. As she did so, she summoned Morgana, having her come down on top of Mara and slashing it with her bladed feet, cutting it in half.

Now that the demon was dead, Starlight ran over to Beatrix kneeling before her, “Are you okay?”

“You came…!” Beatrix cried, “You really came!”

Starlight smiled, “I told you I’d end this nightmare tonight,” she looked at her wrists and ankles, seeing she was still chained to the floor of the cage.

“I don’t know where the key is,” Twilight said flying down to their side, “I looked around while you were fighting, but I couldn’t see it anywhere!”

“There isn’t a key,” Beatrix looked away sadly, “Blueblood’s the only one who can undo the shackles.”

“The shackles maybe,” Starlight stood up and raised her scythe, “But the chain is a different matter. Brace yourself Beatrix!”

Beatrix looked shocked, but then raised her arms as much as she could in defense. Starlight slashed through the chains with her scythe, surprisingly slashing through the chains with ease. She wouldn’t be able to run a marathon, and her wrists were still bound together, but she could at least leave the cage.

“Come on!” Starlight demanded, “Let’s get you out of this circus!”

Beatrix nodded to Starlight, who helped her up. The two of them ran back out to where the gladiator’s pit was, where the lion still waited for them, now joined by two bouncers.

“What do we do now…?” Beatrix asked, backing away in fear.

“If we fight them here, Beatrix will be wide open! They WILL recapture her if we’re not careful!”

“Not letting that happen! BICORN!” Starlight cried. Bicorn materialized next to Starlight and Beatrix, the latter of which was thrown right on the back of the black horse by the former.

“W-whoa! Um, do you know how to ride this thing?!” Beatrix asked as Starlight jumped on his back.

“I do now! Let’s go, Bicorn!”

Bicorn gave a triumphant whinny, and jumped over the bouncers and lion, through the halls of the tent all the way to the exit. Once they were out, Starlight felt Bicorn begin to fade, showing he could only stay out for a set amount of time.

That was okay. She knew the way from here anyway, and Twilight said she’d guide them.

“That was amazing,” Beatrix said as Starlight helped her off the magical horned horse.

“Despite it being a real place, this is still a dream,” Starlight said, “If you believe you can do something, you can.”

“Even… me?” Beatrix asked.

“Of course! This is your dream after all. You have more power here than even I do,” Starlight said with a confident smile, “Come on, before your “boyfriend” comes looking for us!”

Starlight took Beatrix’s arm and guided her back through the carnival, following Twilight as she flew ahead of them. Naturally bouncers and patrons were all calling out to them, trying to grab hold of them. Starlight was far too quick for any of them, though, and easily jumped, dodged, and flipped out of the way, not once losing sight of Beatrix or letting any of them touch her.

“Don’t let them escape!” another bouncer called, joined by two more.

“MORGANA!” Starlight shouted, once again freezing the ground with Bufu. Like last time the Shadows slipped and fell down, sliding right past them. Beatrix couldn’t help but laugh at that display.

“You’re kind of making fools out of them,” Beatrix said through her laughter.

“That’s the idea,” Starlight said, “The nightmare’s over now, so just relax and enjoy the dream. Tonight you’re going to be saved.”

Beatrix looked at Starlight intently, but then averted her eyes, “Starlight, about how I treated you before… I-” she was cut off by a sudden shift in the dream. Everything turned dark, and a sense of wrongness filled the air, “Huh?! W-what’s going on?!”

“Twilight? Talk to me!” Starlight said, moving Beatrix behind her and looking around.

“I think it’s the nightmare itself! The Shadows are reacting to Beatrix’s sudden change in mood!” Twilight said flying next to Starlight, “Take the shortcut to the exit! We need to get out of here, NOW!”

Starlight nodded, and pulled Beatrix in the direction of the door. Right before the left the carnival though, something thin wrapped itself around Starlight’s neck choking her.

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“STARLIGHT!” Beatrix cried. Before she could try and get Starlight free, something threw her far away from Beatrix into one of the stands, “NO!”

“How many times do we have to go through this, Beatrix?” Shadow Blueblood asked walking in between Beatrix and Starlight, “You’re the main attraction of this circus. I can’t let you just leave.”

“You… bastard…!” Starlight rose to her feet, “Let her go, Blueblood!”

“Please, don’t even try it,” Shadow Blueblood taunted, “Beatrix knows where she belongs. Isn’t that right, my pet?”

“I…” Beatrix looked away unsure.

“Tell her where you belong, Beatrix,” Shadow Blueblood ordered, “Go on.”

“I… I… I…!” she shook her head and glared at Shadow Blueblood, “I don’t want to be your pet anymore!”

Shadow Blueblood was wide eyed, but then his gaze narrowed, “What… did you just say to me?”

“I… I like Starlight! And I want to be her friend! You don’t make me feel loved! You just make me feel owned! I… I want to be free! AHH!” she cried as Shadow Blueblood slapper her so hard she fell to the ground.

“You really think I give a damn what you want?!” Shadow Blueblood shouted, “You’re the hottest piece of ass in that school! There’s no way in hell I’m giving you up!”

“Wait a second! I was under the impression that this was just an apparition of Blueblood! You mean… is this thing connected to the REAL Blueblood?!”

“But of course I am,” Shadow Blueblood said spreading his arms, “I’m Blueblood’s Shadow. His true self, imprinted onto this helpless bitch right here!” he kicked Beatrix onto her stomach and placed his foot right on her back, “She’s made my other self her God basically, let him rule her life! Because she’s so weak, I had an easy time working my way into her heart, turning this nightmare into my ideal environment! A place where I can live out my true fantasy of owning this whore completely!”

“So… this is how he really feels about me…!” Beatrix tried to stand up, “When I… get back to the real world… you and I are through!” in response to that, Shadow Blueblood pushed her hard onto the ground.

“You stay down there, slut! I’ll deal with you later. But first,” he turned to Starlight and pointed at her, “You’ve stood in my way for the last time, witch! I promised that you wouldn’t leave this place here alive, and I plan on keeping that promise!”

He was engulfed in black energy, and his entire form changed. He now towered over Starlight and Beatrix, being at least four stories tall. His body was larger and more muscular, his head and feet were that of a bull’s, and he was still dressed like a Ring Leader, but now he had two whips, one in each hand.

“This, is REALLY bad!” Twilight cried, “We’re not ready to face something like this! Not by ourselves at least!”

“I have to try!” Starlight said getting her scythe ready, “Beatrix, don’t give up! I’m getting you out of this!”

“Just try it!” Shadow Blueblood shouted, “I’m not letting anyone ruin my fun! Least of all some uppity bitch who needs to mind her own goddamn business!”

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Shadow Blueblood charged at Starlight much faster than she thought he would, but she rolled out of the way just before it hit. She looked in the direction of the door and saw that it had a red lock placed on it.

“Looks like you’re not getting out of here until we defeat Blueblood’s Shadow!” Twilight said, “I sincerely hope you have a plan!”

“Keep hitting it until it dies!” Starlight shouted summoning Morgana. She cast Rakunda on the Shadow first, lowering his defense. She then rushed toward it summoning Morgana a second time, and having her fly up to Shadow Blueblood’s face and slash with her claws.

“Out of my way, you annoying doll!” Shadow Blueblood shouted swiping Morgana away. At the same time, Starlight felt an intense pain that knocked her to the ground too.

Shoot! How could she forget that! They were linked together!

“There’s nothing you can do by yourself, bitch!” Shadow Blueblood shouted, throwing both whips at Starlight, who managed to roll to her feet just in time to dodge the attack, “This isn’t your dream! This world belongs to me! You’d have been better off just staying out of things like everyone else does!”

Shadow Blueblood slammed his feet on the ground, creating a shock wave that raised the ground around Starlight, trapping her feet. Starlight tried to pull free, but Shadow Blueblood charged at her again at high speeds. This time Starlight took the full brunt of the attack.

“HEAL NOW!” Twilight cried. Starlight quickly switched to Agathion and used Dia on herself. It didn’t completely take away the pain, but it definitely stopped her head from spinning.

Starlight quickly rose to her feet and ran around the giant bull, “BICORN!” she shouted, this time casting Garu on Shadow Blueblood, once again doing little to nothing. Shadow Blueblood readied his whips, and tossed them out at Starlight continuously. She managed to dodge most of them, and used her scythe to block a few more, but the attacks kept coming, and soon they broke through her defense. She screamed helplessly as the whips lashed her entire body, undoing whatever healing she managed before as she fell to the ground, damn near falling unconscious.

“Starlight! Starlight, get up!” Twilight cried, “Ooooooh! I wish I had a Persona! Then I could do more!”

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Beatrix looked at Starlight as she fell to the ground, only to be surprised to see her force herself right back up.

“Starlight…? Why…?” Beatrix asked, tears falling down her cheeks, “Why are you still fighting…!”

“Because… you’re my friend Beatrix,” Starlight said, giving Beatrix her best confident smile, “I promised I’d put an end to this nightmare… and I meant that.”

“Starlight…” Beatrix couldn’t believe it. Even now she was still fighting for her, despite probably being close to death. Even after all the times she was a bitch to her. She’d even told Starlight that she hated her, and yet even now, she still wanted to be her friend…?

“Aw, how touching,” Shadow Blueblood taunted, once again slamming his feet onto the ground, knocking Starlight off balance. When Shadow Blueblood charged at her, Starlight summoned Morgana again, this time both of them holding his horns back as much as possible, “But it’s all hopeless! Beatrix belongs to me!” he raised his horns, knocking Starlight and Morgana back and onto the ground, Morgana bursting into flames and vanishing.

“Starlight! Get up! Starlight!” Twilight cried, flying around Starlight frantically, “STARLIGHT!”

Seeing Starlight laying on the ground, Beatrix felt a fear unlike anything she’d ever felt. Not just because she might not escape this nightmare, but because Starlight was in danger. Someone… who wanted nothing more than to be her friend. Not because she was the child of someone famous, but because she needed a friend.

And when Beatrix looked within, she realized, she wanted to be Starlight’s friend just as much.

Come now, you aren’t seriously this helpless, are you?

That voice… Was it her voice? Or was it someone else…?

That boy just admitted that he doesn’t love you.

All he cares about is making you his plaything.

“He… never loved me at all…” Beatrix looked down, tears falling from her eyes as the realization truly hit her.

All of those months spent, trying to live up to someone else’s expectations.

Searching for someone who’d love you, just like how HE loved you.

I’m going to drop some news on you, honey. Something you desperately need to hear.

Your Dad… he’s GONE.

end song

Beatrix felt her heart shatter hearing those words. She’d heard them before, but for some reason, hearing them come from this dark voice hurt more.

“Dad’s… gone…?”

Whether he’s dead, or in some other dimension or something, either way, that’s the truth.

He’s gone.

You’re not going to find anyone else who’ll love you like he loved you.

So stop searching for other people to love you, and start loving YOURSELF!

“Loving… myself…?” Beatrix said, her heart racing a bit more now, as her temperature rose slowly.

If the world wants to see something that’s not there, then let them see what they want!

But right now, there’s someone over there who doesn’t give a damn who you are!

Someone who’s been fighting for you since she met you!

And here you are, still sitting here like some helpless damsel in distress!

You are the daughter of the Magnificent Balazar!

Say it!

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“I… I’m the daughter… of the Magnificent Balazar…!” Beatrix said, her temperature rising so much that it was becoming all consuming.

Now, claim the power that’s rightfully yours!

Unleash the flame in your heart! Let it consume you!

Show Blueblood, nay, the entire world the truth!

THAT YOU ARE THE DAUGHTER OF A GREAT WIZARD!

SHOW ALL OF THEM WHAT TRUE MAGIC IS!

“Yes…! You’re right…!” Beatrix said, forcing herself to her feet, “I’ve been letting Blueblood run my show… long enough…! No one else… is going to give me… the love I’m looking for… So I’ll just… love myself…!”

Shadow Blueblood turned to look at Beatrix, “What are you babbling about?”

“Do you know… why parents tell children… not to play with fire…?” Beatrix asked, the rising temperature becoming almost unbearable, like she was about to explode, “Why don’t I show you…?”

“Don’t get cocky!” Shadow Blueblood shouted, about to charge at Beatrix.

“Beatrix… get out of there!” Starlight shouted, reaching for Beatrix.

“This is bad! She’s not moving!” Twilight cried!

Shadow Blueblood charged at Beatrix, but she closed her eyes and surrendered herself to the flame, which was completely unleashed, engulfing her entire body and forcing Shadow Blueblood to step away covering his face.

“What?! Not you too!”

“You’ve got to be kidding me… she had the potential too…?” Twilight asked. Starlight looked at the flame in awe.

Inside the flame, the shackles melted off of Beatrix’s wrists and ankles, and that horribly humiliating outfit was burned away, replaced with a new shimmering red leotard that closed in the front of her with black buttons lining it, stopping right in front of her breasts. Over top of that appeared a blue and black magician’s blazer, the back of It falling past her hips. As the blazer closed shut, dark sheer stocking formed on her legs, and blue high heels appeared on her feet. On her head appeared a black magician’s hat with a blue trimming around the rim, and a Channeling Ring appeared around her left ring finger. She held her hand above her, and allowed some of the flame to swirl around her, turning into a deck of playing cards. She shuffled them with expert precision, clasped her hands together over them, making them vanish completely, and she then clapped her hands and threw them out, presenting herself to her audience.

As the flames dispersed revealing her new form, the remaining flame turned into a spirit similar to Morgana, except this spirit looked a bit more like it was once human. The spirit had long blond hair that was perpetually engulfed in flames at the tips, wore a fancy red magician’s blazer, matching pants, bladed high heeled boots, had one angel wing on it’s back and a devil wing next to it, a red magician’s hat, and a silver mask that completely covered it’s face, the mouth frozen in a perpetual smirk.

“Thou art I, and I am thou! I am Elenora, the magician that sleeps within you! Let’s show this fiend what a REAL magic show looks like!”

“Hey Blueblood, remember when I said we were through when I woke up?” Beatrix pointed at Shadow Blueblood, her Persona mirroring her motions perfectly, “I changed my mind! Consider you and I officially over as of now! Light ‘em up, Elenora!”

play song

Shadow Blueblood threw his whips out at Beatrix, who elegantly flipped out of the way as if they were nothing. She then pulled out a single playing card and threw it right at Shadow Blueblood’s face, actually knocking him back a bit.

“What?!”

Beatrix used that as her chance to summon her Persona, casting Dia on Starlight. Somehow hers managed to actually heal more.

Starlight rose to her feet, but Beatrix ran over to her and helped her up the rest of the way, “Thanks.”

“Thank you for reminding me of who I am,” Beatrix said with a brilliant smile, but soon looked unsure, “Even though I was a bitch to you before, can we be friends still?”

“We already are, Beatrix,” Starlight said smiling gently. Beatrix’s smile returned, and the two of them stood back to back, their Persona’s appearing behind them in the same position.

Shadow Blueblood charged at the two of them, but both witches sprinted in separate directions. Starlight had an idea, casting Bufu on the ground underneath Shadow Blueblood. This time when he tried to charge at Beatrix, he slipped and fell.

Beatrix jumped straight into the air, landing on a moving roller coaster as it moved around where Blueblood was, “Elenora, Agi!” she shouted. Her Persona appeared sitting in one of the seats of the roller coaster, and threw a fireball down at Blueblood in a fashion that suggested it was almost mundane to her.

That attack knocked Blueblood off his feet just as he had managed to rise up again. Beatrix jumped off the roller coaster and landed elegantly next to Starlight.

“Let’s take this chance and wail on him,” Beatrix suggested, “I think you and I both need to vent a little bit.”

Starlight nodded to Beatrix, and got her scythe ready. She rushed at Shadow Blueblood and charged at him, slashing him wildly with her scythe. At the same time, Beatrix held both of her arms forward, shooting a continuous barrage of sharp playing cards out of her sleeves at Shadow Blueblood. Starlight jumped back right as Shadow Blueblood rose to his feet.

“You think… I give a damn?!” Shadow Blueblood shouted, “I told you bitches before, I’m the ruler of this dream! Leo! Come to me!”

The black lion appeared at Shadow Blueblood’s side.

“What does that connect to?” Starlight asked Beatrix.

“Leo’s his pet cat,” Beatrix said, “I always thought he treated that furball better than me. Not sure how I feel losing out to the cat.”

“I feel sorry for the cat,” Starlight said.

“Hey, um, I’m happy you two are finally friends now, but can we stay focused on the fight at hand here?!” Twilight asked, her wisp flying down to the two teenage witches.

“You sure are a fussy one,” Beatrix said. Twilight’s wisp jumped up and down, probably mirroring the operators anger.

“Fussy?! Ooooh just you wait till I get my hands on you! Be glad you’re in the dream world right now!”

“Wait, is that someone who’s awake back outside?” Beatrix asked.

“It’s a long story,” Starlight said readying her scythe, “But she’s right. I’ll fill you in on everything when we wake up!”

Beatrix nodded, pulling out another card and holding it ready, “I can live with that. You take the cat, I’ll deal with my ex-boyfriend.”

“That feels so good to hear,” Starlight said, charging at the black lion as Beatrix shot her card at Shadow Blueblood’s face.

“Come and get me~” Beatrix called out tauntingly running away.

“Get back here, slut! I’ll throw you back in your cage where you belong!” Shadow Blueblood shouted running after Beatrix.

Starlight and the lion, apparently named Leo (what a cliched name…) charged at each other, Starlight slashing with her scythe and Leo slashing with his claws. She jumped away from Leo, and held up her Channeling Ring, summoning Agathion. She had him use Zio on Leo, knocking him off the ground. Starlight then switched back to Morgana, and the two of them charged at Leo. Starlight slashed three times with her scythe, slashing upward and knocking Leo into the air. Morgana then followed that up by bending all the way back, opening her torso and unleashing shadowed blades that slashed wildly at the lion.

Leo landed on his feet and charged up a magic spell, casting Garu at Starlight. This time she remembered Morgana’s weakness and ran out of the way of the sharp gust of wind. She once again switched to Agathion and cast Zio again before Leo could jump away. This time however, she cast Zio a second time, the attack actually managing to disperse the black lion.

Starlight turned to Beatrix’s fight to see if she needed help, but was pleased to see that she more or less had it covered. Shadow Blueblood lashed wildly with his whips, but none of his attacks connected as Beatrix was too fast for him to hit.

“Stand still!” Shadow Blueblood shouted.

“You don’t own me anymore, so I don’t have to listen to you!” Beatrix replied, “Elenora, unleash your true power!” Beatrix shouted, summoning her Persona again. Elenora appeared spinning in behind Beatrix, and then snapped her fingers casting Agi again, knocking Shadow Blueblood off his feet.

“Starlight, you ready to end this?” Beatrix asked. Starlight nodded yes, and the two of them did their All Out Attack again, this time not ending until they heard Shadow Blueblood wail in pain.

“I… how can this be…?! HOW DID YOU DEFEAT ME?!” Shadow Blueblood cried.

“A true magician never reveals her secrets,” Beatrix said, tipping her hat to Shadow Blueblood as he fell to the ground, his large empowered form dispersing to reveal his true humanoid form underneath.

play song

Beatrix stood straight up as Starlight ran over to her. The two girls looked at each other, and hugged tightly. It almost felt like a reunion they’d long waited for. Like their souls were happy to be in each other’s arms after being separated for a very long time.

“Thank you for saving me, Starlight,” Beatrix said softly.

“Thank you, for saving me, Beatrix,” Starlight said just as softly.

“You… you can’t… leave…!” Shadow Blueblood cried. The two witches looked at him as he reached for them desperately, “Please…! Don’t leave me…!”

“What should we do with him?” Starlight asked, “We didn’t kill him.”

“That’s probably for the best,” Twilight said flying to their side, “If he really is the real Blueblood’s Shadow, killing him would actually kill the real Blueblood.”

Starlight looked at her thoughts about that, and had to shudder a bit. What did it say that she honestly didn’t care if he lived or died?

“That’s fine,” Beatrix said, “I know the best revenge. Starlight, where’s the way out of here?” Starlight pointed to the white door ahead of them, no longer locked shut, “Good. Let’s go.”

Surprisingly, Beatrix started making her way to the door. Starlight had to admit, that was really strong of her. She nodded to Starlight, and the two of them followed after Beatrix.

“W-wait!” Shadow Blueblood cried, almost sounding like he was on the verge of tears, “Please don’t leave…! I… what am I supposed to do without you?!”

“You’ll figure it out,” Beatrix said, “Or not, I don’t care anymore. I’m going to find someone who’s going to help me find out who I really am. I’m done being the person you want me to be. And rest assured, your self back in the real world is going to hear the same thing, so if I were you, I’d brace him for that.”

Beatrix continued walking back to the door, actually flipping Blueblood the finger as she walked away.

“Stop! Stop walking! You get back here this instant! I own you! Do you hear me?! I OWN YOU! YOU’LL NEVER BE ANYTHING WITHOUT ME!”

Starlight shot Shadow Blueblood a look of pure venom, and tightened her fists. She had to stop herself from sending a Bufu right to his face, but Beatrix held her hand on Starlight’s shoulder.

“As touched as I am, let’s just go,” Beatrix requested, “I’m tired of this nightmare.”

Starlight sighed, nodded, and the two of them opened the door and walked through, holding hands the entire time.

“BEATRIX!” Shadow Blueblood shouted as the entire Dungeon broke apart, the one generating it no longer present.

play song

Starlight, Beatrix, and Twilight emerged in the Akashic Records. As the door closed behind them, it completely vanished in a white light. Beatrix fell to her knees in exhaustion.

“It’s really over, isn’t it?” she asked, almost unable to believe it, “The nightmare, it’s finally over,” Starlight knelt down next to Beatrix, who smiled at her, “So… you really are a witch, huh?”

Starlight nodded, “You are now, too.”

Beatrix looked at the ring on her finger. It was similar to Starlight’s, but the gem in the middle was blue instead of indigo colored, “Persona. That’s what I heard when that spirit came out of me,” she then looked at her clothes, “Whoa! I didn’t even realize my clothes changed! This is… also because of the power of Persona, isn’t it?”

“More than likely,” Twilight said hovering next to them, “We’re still trying to figure all of this out ourselves.”

Beatrix turned to Twilight, “Okay, and who are you? Are you really someone back in the real world?”

“I am. My name is Twilight Sparkle. I live in the dorm as well, but I’m usually asleep when you guys are awake.”

“She really wanted to rescue you as well, but needed a Persona User to help her,” Starlight explained.

“I see, so you were looking out for me too. Thanks Twilight,” Beatrix said with a smile.

“Y-you’re welcome… I guess… Don’t think this makes us friends or anything though, okay?!”

“Funny, I remember saying the same thing to Starlight a few days ago,” Beatrix taunted, “You and I will be best friends before this year is over.”

“You know what? Just for that, I’m automatically putting you on my shit list JUST on principle!”

Beatrix placed her hand on her chest aghast, “What?! You’d put moi on your shit list?! Oh, you slay me, Twi-Twi!” she dramatically placed a hand on her forehead, “My heart… will never love again…!”

“Jesus Christ…” Twilight sighed. As Starlight and Beatrix laughed, she couldn’t help but feel a small faint bond form between the three of them. Something about this felt right to her.

play song

Thou art I… and I am thou…

Thou hast established a new bond…

This bond shalt become the stairway to thy ascension…

Thou shalt be blessed when developing Persona of the Fool Arcana…

Did something just happen? Starlight felt something, like something connecting the three of them. She shook it off, deciding not to focus on it for now.

play song

“So… where is this place?” Beatrix asked rising up.

“Depends on what you’re referring to,” Twilight said, “Right now, the realm your in is what we call The Phase, which is the most primordial aspect of the collective unconscious. In terms where you are in The Phase, you’re in what we call the Akashic Records.”

“The collective unconscious…? Wait, I read something about that,” Beatrix said looking around, “This is supposed to be some sort of merged consciousness we’re all connected to, right?”

“You know about that?” Twilight asked.

“I read a book on Jungian Philosophy once, and it said that we all get our instructions on how to be human from here essentially,” Beatrix’s eyes suddenly widened, “Wait… if that’s the case, then…”

“Um, are you okay?” Starlight asked as Beatrix looked around frantically.

“Everything started here, so that would mean-” she cut herself off, suddenly holding her head, “Ahh… I feel really weak all of a sudden…”

“You should probably rest for now,” Twilight suggested, “If you’re anything like Starlight, you might feel sick tomorrow.”

“But… I have to find my father’s gift! I know it’s here! He…” right when she was about to fall out, Starlight caught her.

“You can get back here easily,” Starlight said, “I’ll teach you how when you’re better.”

Beatrix clearly didn’t like it, but she sighed and relented, “Fine. I’ll rest for now. Um, how do we leave this place?”

“Just take the ring off,” Starlight said, “It’s out connection to this place, so if we take it off, we’ll just have dreamless sleep until we wake up.”

“Just like that, huh?” Beatrix asked, “After having the same nightmare every night for five months, having dreamless sleep kind of feels like a relief,” Beatrix smiled at Starlight, “I’ll see you when we wake up, Starlight.”

Starlight nodded to Beatrix, who took off her Channeling Ring and vanished in a bright light.

“Okay, I concede defeat.” Starlight turned to Twilight, “You beat me. I didn’t know how to save Beatrix at all, but you figured it out almost easily. Not only that, but you actually did it.”

“Only because I had your help,” Starlight said, feeling a bit more sensitive after saying that. She couldn’t see Twilight’s face, but she was silent for a few seconds after that, so what she said did affect her.

“Well anyway, you should get some rest too. It’s almost morning, so I’ll be heading to bed shortly. I’ll talk to you tomorrow, Starlight.” Twilight said. Starlight said goodnight to Twilight right before the wisp vanished. She did it. She saved Beatrix.

If she did that, could she possibly save the whole planet?

Starlight decided to think about that later. For now, she took off her Channeling Ring, allowing herself to fade into dreamless sleep for the rest of the night. Her body would know when it was time to wake up.

Author's Note

Uploaded early so I can take the day off. This story is fun, but it takes A LOT out of me.

Still, thanks for all sticking with me for this long. This story is probably going to be the biggest and greatest story I write here. At least that's the goal.

I love all of ya'll very much. See ya~

9/8

September 8th, 2019
Saturday
Cloudy/Chance of PM Rain

Morning

play song

Just as was expected, Beatrix had a fever when she woke up. It wasn’t as bad as Starlight’s, and since it was Saturday it was fine. Still, it did mean that any plans she did have were shot. Considering who said plans would have been, no one was upset about that.

“Try to get some rest, okay honey?” Celestia said caressing Beatrix’s cheek as she laid down in her bed.

“Thank you, Ms. Tia,” Beatrix said, “Um, about last night-”

Celestia placed a finger gently on Beatrix’s lips, “Later, after you’re feeling better. For now, just rest. I’ll have Starlight bring you something to eat in a bit.”

Beatrix nodded. As she snuggled in her bed, Starlight smiled seeing her roommate finally let go of all of the tension she’d been holding onto. She was actually really adorable when she wasn’t trying to be a bitch. So far, Starlight was really liking the real Beatrix.

The two of them left the room to let Beatrix rest, closing the door behind them.

“You did a wonderful job, Starlight,” Celestia said.

“Does this mean Beatrix isn’t going to die?” Starlight asked hopefully, her heart lifting when Celestia nodded.

“I had Twilight check her Akashic Records, and shortly after Beatrix woke up, at least one hundred new volumes opened. Later this weekend, I’d advise taking her into The Phase and letting her view some of her Akashic Records for herself.”

“That would be okay?” Starlight asked.

“I don’t see why not. It might help Beatrix decide where she wants to take her life,” Celestia said. Starlight remembered that Beatrix’s father had left her a gift for her “in the place where magic got it’s start”. Maybe she could find a clue or something in the Akashic Records.

Or maybe what she was looking for was in the Akashic Records. But, that would mean that her father would have known about them. Was he…?

play song

Celestia walked over to Starlight and wrapped her in a tight, warm, and highly maternal embrace, one that made Starlight feel funny. Again, like she wanted to cry.

“I’m so proud of you, Starlight,” Celestia said softly.

“Y-you are?” Starlight asked, her heart lifting for a reason she couldn’t place.

“Absolutely,” Celestia looked into Starlight’s eyes adoringly, caressing her cheek lovingly, “You followed through with your beliefs. Not just in terms of becoming a witch, but also in your desire to save your friend. Why wouldn’t I be proud to see one of my children succeed in such an endeavor?”

There it was again. That maternal gaze. Suddenly, in Starlight’s eyes, Celestia briefly turned into her mother, smiling at her in the same manner. Seeing that was almost too much for Starlight, and she averted her gaze.

“Is something wrong, Starlight?” Celestia asked.

“When I look at you, I can’t help but think of my mother. You remind me so much of her, and you’re so motherly. I don’t know, I guess when I’m with you, I… just miss her.”

“I apologize if I bring up such complicated emotions within you,” Celestia said, this time averting her gaze, “If I make you uncomfortable…”

“No!” Starlight cried suddenly, “Please, don’t stop being so close to me! I…” she caught herself, wondering where that outburst came from. It was as if her soul was screaming out to Celestia. She wondered if she was being needy, or if Celestia would feel uncomfortable.

Instead, Celestia pulled Starlight into her embrace and tightened it.

“It’s okay, honey. You don’t have to hold anything back. I accept all of your feelings,” Celestia said, voice gentle and filled with understanding. Before she realized it, Starlight was crying, and wrapped her arms around Celestia just as tightly. She wished she were being held by her mother, and part of her felt guilty for clinging to this woman she’d only met just a week ago, but something within needed this affection.

“Is it okay… if I see you as a second mother…?” Starlight asked.

“Remember what I said, sweetie?” Celestia said, now lovingly petting Starlight’s head as she held her, “I don’t want you to view me just as your homeroom teacher. I view all of my students as my children, and that goes especially for you as well.”

That was enough for Starlight. Hearing that, she completely relaxed into Celestia’s warm embrace, finally releasing tears she didn’t even know she still carried with her. She wasn’t her real mother, but it was enough. She could already feel a faint, yet powerful bond growing with her homeroom teacher.

Thou art I… and I am thou...

Thou hast established a new bond…

This bond shalt become the stairway to thy ascension…

Thou shalt be blessed when developing Persona of the Empress Arcana…

There it was again. The same thing that happened in The Phase after she rescued Beatrix, only this time it was focused on Celestia. That gentle voice, one that sounded extremely familiar to Starlight, talking about her ascension.Starlight seriously wondered what this was. Maybe Igor had an idea.

Right now though, she just wanted to enjoy this embrace. Something she knew she desperately needed.

Daytime

play song

Beatrix was recovering quickly, but she still needed some rest. After getting her a bowl of chicken soup, which even Beatrix agreed was the best soup she’d ever had, Starlight left the dorm, choosing to take this time to ask Igor and Victor what happened to her.

When she walked to the park, she looked up at the clouds, happy she decided to bring an umbrella with her. It definitely looked like it was going to rain. Maybe she could find someplace to spend some time and enjoy the rain after she finished in the Velvet Room.

She looked ahead, and saw Victor sitting on the bench waiting for Starlight as per usual. The first thing she did when she approached the bench was greet Victor.

“Hello, Ms. Glimmer. You’re looking as radiant as ever,” he said, a slightly predatory smile appearing on his slightly effeminate features, “Honestly, I wasn’t expecting to see you again so soon.”

“I… actually came to ask you and Igor something,” Starlight said, her heart racing for some reason as Victor continued to admire her.

“Ah, well if that’s the case, perhaps I can be of assistance,” Victor said closing his newspaper, “We haven’t gotten a chance to get to know each other quite yet, so this might be a good opportunity.”

She was certain he wanted to get to know her very well. She was both drawn to him, but also terrified of him. She could tell he wanted her, and she was becoming increasingly aware that she might be attracted to her roommate. Still, something about the way Victor looked at her made her feel like something within her was awakening.

She thought about it for a few seconds, eventually choosing to sit next to Victor and ask him directly, as opposed to troubling Igor with something not related to Persona Fusions. The way Victor’s smirk widened made Starlight’s heart flutter in an odd manner.

Starlight brought up what happened in The Phase, how she felt something connect her to both Beatrix and Twilight, and how she felt that again with Celestia when she woke up. She also brought up how each one was connected to one of the Arcana.

“Ah, you refer to Social Links,” Victor explained.

“Social Links? What are those?” Starlight asked tilting her head.

“A social link is a special bond forged between the Trickster and the ones they trust. As your journey continues, you will find people that you feel you can share a piece of yourself with. Some of them will be your fellow Persona Users, and some will just be regular people you come to meet in your every day life. As you grow closer to these individuals and learn more about them, those Social Links will grow stronger, and offer you more power as well.”

More power? Well, Starlight did feel stronger when she thought about them, but she wondered what sort of power these social links could hold. She asked Victor to elaborate on that.

“Well, for one, each Social Link can offer you a new ability that will aid you in your battles in the dream world. Such as giving you new passive spells, or even ways of helping you in battle,” Victor explained, “Another use of Social Links, and possibly the best use for them, is stronger fusions.”

“Stronger fusions? Like Persona fusions?” Starlight asked.

“Yes. For example, you said you have a Social Link with the Empress now, correct?” Starlight nodded, “Then if you were to fuse two or more Personas, and the result was one of the Empress Arcana, depending on how strong that bond is, that Persona would get additional power.”

Huh, so in other words, don’t be a bitch to people, make friends, and genuinely get to know them. Who knew making friends had so many perks to them?

“A tip when growing your Social Links,” Victor added, “Try to keep Persona of the same Arcana with you when you’re with a Link you want to grow.”

“Why’s that?” Starlight asked.

“A sad truth about the world is that people are more comfortable with people that are more like themselves. When you have a Persona of the corresponding Arcana with you when near a Social Link, you’ll be reflecting back to that person a piece of who they are. This doesn’t mean those bonds aren’t genuine, but it does mean that they will be seeing more of themselves when they see you.”

"Well, that doesn’t necessarily have to be a bad thing,” Starlight said looking down at her lap smiling, “I mean, a lot of people are coming to realize we’re all one consciousness split into multiple identities anyway, so maybe this is a way of reminding people of that.”

Victor looked at Starlight intently as she spoke, taking in her words before smiling softly, “You truly are fascinating, Ms. Glimmer. Quite the deep individual. Perhaps one day, you can consider me one you form a bond with as well.”

“Is that okay?” Starlight asked, once again looking back at Victor curiously.

“Of course. All Tricksters have their own personal Compendium holder, and each one forges a relationship of some sort with them. I haven’t figured out exactly what it is I wish to see from you, but when that time comes, rest assured I will approach you about forging a bond.”

Starlight smiled at Victor, telling him she was looking forward to that. In response, Victor took Starlight’s hand into his and gently kissed her knuckles, sending an odd vibration through her being.

“I look forward to that day as well, Miss Glimmer,” Victor said, his yellow eyes twinkling oddly as he smirked at Starlight. He then rose, bowed to Starlight, and walked through the door leading to the Velvet Room. Starlight had a feeling forging a bond with him would have been akin to forging a bond with the devil itself.

And oddly, she found she didn’t mind in the slightest. What did that say about her?

Evening

play song

Starlight didn’t stay out very long, as she wanted to make sure Beatrix was okay. She remembered how sick she was after she awakened, and while Beatrix didn’t seem too sick, she didn’t want to take too many chances. Also, she really wanted to talk to her about what happened last night.

The rain had started by the time she got back to the dorm. Right when she got inside and closed her umbrella, she heard laughter coming from the living room. She looked by the couches and saw Pinkie Pie, Rainbow Dash, and Beatrix all laughing together.

“Hey Starlight!” Rainbow Dash called out to her, “You came back just in time! Beatrix was telling us embarrassing stories about Blueblood. Get this, when she’s not sleeping with him, he sleeps with a teddy bear!”

“Are you serious?” Starlight asked, trying not to burst out laughing as she signed her name.

“It’s true,” Beatrix said, smiling just as brightly as ever, “And you should see how he is with his cat. He acts all tough in public, but when it comes to that little furball, he’s a big softy. He even speaks to his cat using cutesy baby talk.”

“Oh my God, that’s priceless!” Pinkie Pie cried through her laughter, “I’m never taking him seriously ever again!”

“I don’t know what happened, but it’s great to have you back, Beatrix,” Rainbow Dash said.

“I just had a really good dream last night is all,” Beatrix said, giving Starlight a subtle look and smile, “And it’s great to be back. And don’t worry, I’m here to stay.”

“Geez, what did you do to her?” Rainbow Dash asked Starlight, “It’s like since you entered her life she’s become a completely different person.”

“All I did was be her friend,” Starlight said, walking over and hugging Beatrix from behind the couch.

“And I just decided to stop being such a bitch and let her,” Beatrix said, holding Starlight’s arms returning the hug, “Speaking of, she and I need to talk about something in our room.”

“Ooooh~ Is it something suggestive? Maybe PG-13? Or is it rated R?” Pinkie Pie said, wagging her eyebrows up and down as Beatrix rose from the couch.

“It’s still early in our friendship, so no telling where things will go,” Beatrix said airily, causing Starlight’s face to suddenly feel incredibly flushed.

“She didn’t deny anything!” Rainbow Dash laughed, “Just make sure you keep it down in there if you two decide to get it on, okay?”

Starlight moaned in embarrassment, not helped when Beatrix stood by the stairs giving Starlight a truly seductive smile. Geez, first she had to deal with Victor’s teasing, and now more from her dorm mates?

Starlight sighed and followed after her roommate into their room, shutting the door naturally so they would have privacy.

play song

“So, how do you feel now?” Starlight asked her roommate, who sat down on the bed relaxing.

“I feel… better,” Beatrix said, “I took a nap at around 2, and that seemed to get rid of the fever.”

“And how are you mentally?” Starlight pressed. Beatrix averted her eyes to the side.

“Not… perfect, but definitely better than I was before,” Beatrix admitted, “I didn’t have the nightmare again, so you did rescue me.”

“I think in a way, you saved yourself,” Starlight said, sitting on her bed across from Beatrix.

“Yeah, I suppose so,” Beatrix gave a saddened smile, but then wilted a bit, looking down somberly, “So in the end, he never really loved me.”

“Did you love him?” Starlight asked.

“I don’t know. Maybe?” Beatrix leaned back on her bed looking up at the ceiling, “Or maybe I was just so desperate that I deluded myself into thinking I loved Blueblood. Thing is, it wasn’t all bad with him, which is the fucked up part. Sometimes, he could actually be sweet.”

“You know what that was, right?” Starlight asked, hoping Beatrix understood what was really going on there.

“Yeah, I know. That’s what hurts, I think,” Beatrix laid back in her bed, still gazing up at the ceiling, “I used to try and convince myself that the sweet Blueblood was the real Blueblood. That he was just trying to fulfill my fantasy, that he was having a bad day, or he just liked it rough. Hearing his Shadow essentially call me his property, it hurt. Especially to know that was actually his Shadow.”

“You deserve better than him,” Starlight said almost immediately, looking to the side darkly.

“I… want to believe that, but I don’t know if I do yet,” Beatrix admitted, “When my Persona awakened, she told me to love myself before loving anyone else. But… I don’t know how. I’ve spent years looking down on myself for letting my Dad down, having to listen to my peers compare me to him and knowing I could never be as magnificent, having my Mom try and push her desires onto me and trying to convince myself I wanted that, and then having Blueblood just reinforce my lack of self worth. Starlight, I don’t see any reason to love myself.”

Starlight felt terrible hearing that. What could she say to that? Sure, she rescued Beatrix from her Dungeon, but the work still wasn’t done yet. Beatrix’s self worth as a person was still effectively shot. Still, as her friend, she had to say something to her.

“Well, I don’t know about you, but personally I just love the fact that you’re alive,” Starlight said. Beatrix sat up and looked at Starlight wide eyed, but then smiled.

“You know, you’re really a special person,” Beatrix said, “I can definitely see why Blueblood wanted to get me away from you. You just have this air about you, like you’re just able to bring out the best in everyone.”

“I don’t know about all that,” Starlight admitted looking at her ring, “When I tried to kill myself, I had an experience. There, I met someone who instilled within me the will to live. They told me, instead of searching for the light myself, I could be the light for someone else. When I help people, it makes me feel better about my life. I could spend this second life given to me crying about what I lost, or I can focus on bringing smiles to other people and see what I can gain from that.”

Beatrix nodded in understanding, “Yeah… I get that,” she looked at the ring that now rested on her finger, “Now you and I have the same power. Well, probably not the same. You seem to be able to use multiple Personas. Think I’ll get that myself?”

“Sorry, but I think that’s a rare trait,” Starlight sat on her bed and hugged her knees, “You’re going to probably hear about this later, but apparently I’m something called a “Trickster”. To make a long story short, it’s up to me to stop the Nightmare Epidemic.”

“Seriously?” Beatrix asked, sitting up straight and looking at Starlight wide eyed, “Sounds like a big job.”

“It is. Apparently there’s a long line of these special Persona Users who saved the world a bunch of times, and I’m the next one,” Starlight looked at the Velvet Room key, “But since this Nightmare Epidemic is affecting the whole planet, that means I have to save everyone…”

“Christ…” Beatrix breathed out. She looked down in deep thought for a second, but then perked up, “Hey, you saved me, right? That’s a big step right there. Thanks to you, I’m currently the first person to survive the Nightmare Epidemic. That means there is a chance.”

Starlight thought about that. Beatrix did have a point. No one knew there was a cure for the Nightmare Epidemic, or even what it was. Yet right now Starlight had someone who had the Nightmare Epidemic and survived sitting right in front of her.

“Also, it’s not you who has to do this,” Beatrix got up and sat next to Starlight, wrapping her arms around her lovingly, “We have to do this.”

Starlight’s eyes widened. Beatrix said “we”?

“Why are you so surprised?” Beatrix giggled, “I have this power now, so I might as well use it.”

“It’s going to be dangerous,” Starlight said, “I think any injuries you sustain in the dream translates to the real world, so if you die in the dream…”

“So, just like what I had to deal with for five months, only this time I have super powers?” Beatrix asked with raised eyebrows, “I hope you’re not trying to scare me, because after what I had to endure, I don’t think anything realistically can,” she then closed her eyes pained, “Damn it, I think I jinxed myself…” Starlight tried not to, but soon burst out laughing, which prompted Beatrix to tighten the embrace, “See? That’s another perk to having me around. I can make you laugh.”

“I… I do want you to be a part of this, Beatrix,” Starlight admitted, “I just… don’t want to send you to your death right after saving your life.”

“Well, I don’t want you to go off to yours either,” Beatrix said, “At least let me tag along so we can die together.”

“Was that… another attempt at a joke?” Starlight asked.

“Yeah, I know. That was morbid even for me,” Beatrix admitted. The two girls shared a laugh though, which was nice. It felt good to have someone she could just laugh about this stuff with.

Someone who actually wanted to fight alongside her.

“So what do you say?” Beatrix asked, “Can I share the stage with you?”

Starlight thought about what Celestia said to her about how the Trickster attracts other Persona Users to them. Was this how it was for Joker and the previous Tricksters? Did they help people, their Personas awaken, and then they just decided to stay close to them? If so, she’d be crazy to turn down this help.

“Yes,” Starlight held Beatrix’s hand, locking fingers with her intimately, “Let’s stop the Nightmare Epidemic, together.”

As the two girls held one another, Starlight felt a faint bond form between her and Beatrix. One that was a bit more intimate than her other bonds thus far.

play song

Thou art I… and I am thou…

Thou hast established a new bond…

This bond shalt become the stairway to thy ascension…

Thou shalt be blessed when creating Personas of the Magician Arcana…

end song

Starlight realized that she still didn’t have Beatrix’s number. She thought about using the investigation into the Nightmare Epidemic as an excuse, but she felt just outspoken enough to ask Beatrix outright. Just as she suspected, Beatrix’s cheeks turned a light pink at how upfront she was.

“Um… sure. Since we’re roommates, we probably should have each others numbers,” she pulled out her phone and traded contact information with Starlight, “Let’s show this world what magic really looks like.” she said with a confident smile.

Starlight smiled in return, happy that her new friend was able to smile so genuinely now. She knew she still had a lot of work to do for her, but for now it was nice to see such genuine happiness from her once dark roommate.

The two girls continued to laugh and gossip about random stuff all into the night.

Late Night

Once everyone else went to bed, Starlight brought Beatrix up to Celestia’s room on the fourth floor. Needless to say, she was floored by what she saw.

“Get out…” Beatrix breathed out looking at the complicated computer, “This is something straight out of science fiction.”

“I take it you like what you see then?”

Both girls turned to the couch, where Celestia sat waiting for them, the same pleasant smile as always on her face.

“I had no idea that there was something like this in our dorm,” Beatrix said.

“This dorm is also my base of operations,” Celestia explained, “I’m not just a History Teacher. I’m also a supporter of the Kirijo Corporation. Please, get comfortable. I have tea and cookies prepared for everyone.”

“Thank you,” Beatrix said, she and Starlight sitting down on the couch next to Celestia. A few seconds later, Twilight came through the door.

“Hello everyone,” Twilight said, choosing instead of the couch to sit at her computer, not before taking a few cookies though.

“You’re Twilight Sparkle, right?” Beatrix asked, “I remember Starlight said you were observing my Nightmares for a while.”

Twilight nodded, “I’m sorry if that seemed invasive. I was asked by Ms. Tia to keep an eye on your nightmare just in case we found a Persona User to dive in and rescue you.”

“You don’t have to apologize,” Beatrix said smiling, “I’m really happy that I had people looking out for me. Speaking of,” Beatrix turned to Celestia, “Ms. Tia, did you know that Blueblood was abusing me?”

“I did,” Celestia said gravely, “I wanted to have that boy expelled for it, but your situation made things quite difficult.”

“Sorry about that,” Beatrix said somberly, “I guess now it’s too late to get him expelled, since it went on for so long.”

“It’s never too late to take action,” Celestia said sipping her tea, “If you speak up about it, they will investigate it. But that’s neither here nor there,” she set her cup down and took Beatrix’s hand gently squeezing it, “Just know that no one here is mad at you, okay? You have nothing to apologize for.”

“Right,” Beatrix nodded with a slightly forced smile, “T-thanks, Ms. Tia.”

play song

“So, if you’re here, I’m assuming you’re joining us?” Twilight asked.

Beatrix nodded, “Starlight saved my life. I want to do what I can to return the favor. Also, with how bad things got in my nightmare, I don’t want her to face that stuff alone anymore.”

Beatrix held Starlight’s hand as she said that. Starlight couldn’t help but smile hearing how dedicated her friend was to this.

“Well that certainly makes things easier,” Celestia said, “Unfortunately, we still don’t know much about the Nightmare Epidemic, but since you survived it, you can help clear up a few things. I hope you don’t mind if we ask you a bit about your experience.”

“I-if it’ll help,” Beatrix said, clearly uncertain.

“If this is too personal-”

“No, I want to help,” Beatrix said, cutting Celestia off, “I mean, I shouldn’t run away from this, and this might help other people survive too, so please, ask me anything.”

Celestia closed her eyes and smiled in relief before she got serious, “I’ll cut right to the chase then. Do you remember when the nightmares began?”

“Well, sort of,” Beatrix said, “Things didn’t start getting bad until just a bit before Blueblood and I started dating.”

“What do you mean “things didn’t get bad until then”?” Twilight asked, finishing one of the cookies, “You mean that they started out good?”

“I mean, I think so,” Beatrix said, “I don’t have the best dream recollection normally, so I don’t remember everything exactly. However, I remember having a reoccurring dream for about a week or so prior.”

“Go on, honey,” Celestia pressed lightly.

“From what I can remember, I was a stage performer, and I had the adoration of everyone in the audience,” Beatrix explained, “But I think… in one of the dreams I messed up a trick. As the dreams went on, I got worse and worse, till eventually I was just a laughing stock on the stage.

“Then, around the time I started dating Blueblood more seriously, he started appearing in my dreams. I guess he was already showing a few red flags then, but I had already convinced myself that it was better than being alone, so I didn’t fight back or anything. Also, in the dreams, he was a Ring Leader who took command of the show as a way to get the audience to like me more. At first, everything was fine, you know?”

“But overtime, things started taking a dark turn in the dream,” Starlight reasoned. Beatrix nodded to her before continuing.

“As time went on, the entire environment changed. I was still the main attraction, only now it was because everyone there was enjoying my suffering. At the same time in the real world, I’d started becoming a bit more resentful of my peers. I told myself, they knew that I was a hack with no talent, but they kept throwing it in my face that I was the daughter of the Magnificent Balazar. They must all want me to fail. The fact my boyfriend got off on my pain didn’t help matters.”

“Huh, this is interesting,” Twilight said thoughtfully, “From here, we can insinuate that the nightmares actually base themselves off of the victims thoughts on their reality. Beatrix here thought her peers enjoyed seeing her suffer, and sure enough that’s exactly what she saw in her dream.”

Starlight remembered something else about the dream that was really important that Celestia needed to be made aware of, “Wait, it wasn’t just Beatrix’s outlook that influenced the dream.”

“Hm?” Celestia asked raising an eyebrow, “What do you mean?”

“Oh right! I ended up going right to bed, so I forgot to tell you,” Twilight said, “Apparently, that Blueblood wasn’t just a cognitive representation. That was his actual Shadow!”

“Wait… you mean that Blueblood’s actual Shadow influenced the nightmare?” Celestia turned to Beatrix, “Is this true?”

“I… think so,” Beatrix admitted, “I don’t know what you mean by “his Shadow”, but I do know that after a while the dreams seemed to get worse on their own. Especially around the time Starlight entered the picture.”

“How so?” Celestia asked.

“Well, after the first time Starlight saved me in the dream, Blueblood started paying a lot more attention to the people around me.”

“Like when he came into the classroom on the first day of school?” Starlight asked.

“Yes! That’s exactly what I mean,” Beatrix said, “I mean, he would always call me to make sure I was coming to the spots he told me to meet him, but it wasn’t until the beginning of this year that he started coming into the classroom to pick me up. That’s why I was so caught off guard.”

“A person who hasn’t faced their Shadow can fall under the trap of being influenced by it,” Twilight said, “It’s highly possible that Blueblood was following subconscious cues from his Shadow to look for Starlight.”

“This certainly changed things,” Celestia said thoughtfully, “We were operating under the assumption that the Blueblood in your dream was just a representation of the real Blueblood. But if that was Blueblood’s actual Shadow…”

“Is this unusual?” Starlight asked, “I mean, the Kirijo Corporation has dealt with Shadows before, so something like this has happened before, right?”

“The only thing remotely similar was the Mental Shutdown case a few years back in Tokyo,” Celestia explained, “However, there were a number of striking differences between that case and this one.”

“Like what?” Beatrix asked.

“Well, for starters, the Palaces that the Shadows created were exclusive to the individual that the Shadow came from,” Twilight turned to her computer and pulled up information on a strong looking man with unkempt black hair, “For example, Suguru Kamoshida, a former athlete turned gym teacher, and a registered sex offender. He viewed the school he worked at as his own personal castle, since all of the parents and faculty there essentially let him do what he wanted, even in terms of abusing his students. As a result, his Shadow in the Metaverse created a Palace where the school was a castle, and he was an actual king there. The Palace reinforced this reality back to the real Kamoshida, but beyond that it didn’t directly affect anyone.”

“Also, from what it sounds like, the Palace represented a twisted outlook on a single place, while Beatrix’s Dungeon represented her outlook on a situation,” Starlight said, walking to stand behind Twilight so she could see the information she pulled up better.

“Exactly, which leads to another big difference. It wasn’t a Shadow that created Beatrix’s Dungeon,” Twilight turned to Starlight, “If it were anything like a Palace, then it would have made more sense for Blueblood’s Shadow to have generated it, but it seems more like Beatrix herself made the Dungeon, and the Shadow just capitalized on it.”

“This is quite different than what we’re used to dealing with,” Celestia sighed, “I need to discuss this with Mitsuru. For now, you two should get some rest. Since this situation is so unusual, don’t go into The Phase until after I see what Mitsuru wants to do about this.”

“Alright. I hope I was useful, Ms. Tia,” Beatrix said. Celestia scooted closer to Beatrix and hugged her.

“More than you realize. Now, off to bed with you two. Spend some time having good dreams for a change.”

“Yes Ms. Tia,” Beatrix said rising from the couch, “Starlight, I’m going to take my shower first, okay?”

Starlight nodded, “I’ll see you in our room, Beatrix.”

Beatrix walked over to Twilight and hugged her from behind her chair, “Thanks again for looking out for me.”

“Y-yeah. No problem,” Twilight said awkwardly, “I’ll see you later, Beatrix.”

Beatrix smiled at everyone one last time, and then left the room. Starlight asked Celestia if she thought Blueblood was okay after the defeated his Shadow.

“I’m sure the real Blueblood is fine,” Celestia said, “As long as his Shadow wasn’t killed he should be okay.”

“It wasn’t,” Twilight chimed in, “For better or for worse, that piece of shit’s probably fine. At worse he probably has a really bad feeling about the next time he sees Beatrix. If he hasn’t called her yet, expect to hear from him sometime tomorrow.”

Honestly, Starlight still wasn't sure how she felt about knowing Blueblood was okay. Not because she was worried about him, rather it was the opposite. She still didn't care if he lived or died.

“What should I do for Beatrix?” Starlight asked looking down, “I think Blueblood did a number on her psyche, and she wasn’t in the best place even before then.”

“For now, just be her friend,” Celestia suggested, “Maybe take Beatrix out into town tomorrow.”

Starlight liked that idea. She wasn’t sure if she’d invite Pinkie Pie and Rainbow Dash, or just go out with Beatrix. She thanked Celestia, and said goodnight to both her and Twilight before heading back to the bedroom.

play song

Since she was alone, she decided to take advantage of the privacy and get ready for her shower. She wasn’t prepared to have a roommate initially, hence why she didn’t bother with a robe, but now she was definitely thinking of getting one. As it stood, the only cover she had was her towel.

She remembered reading that witches of old often did rituals naked, and were thus really comfortable with their bodies. Since Beatrix was still in the bathroom, Starlight took advantage of the alone time and stood in front of the shared vanity mirror, looking at her naked body and seeing how she felt about it.

She never really thought about it before, but she was pretty attractive. Maybe not as much as Rarity, who was built like a goddess, or that older student from Japan she spoke to a few days ago, but she could definitely see how people would be attracted to her. Her breasts were somewhat large, being at a high C-Cup, and turning around briefly she was definitely pleased with the size of her butt. She was attractive, pretty, maybe even beautiful. But was she sexy? She hadn’t ever thought about this stuff before, but ever since awakening Morgana, she noticed that people just seemed more drawn to her. Did something change when she awakened to Morgana? Was it an external change? Or was it more internal?

Starlight didn’t know when Beatrix was coming back, and right now she wasn’t worried about that. Looking at herself in the mirror, completely naked, she thought about how both Victor and Blueblood had looked at her. Blueblood was a pig, but he did express some form of physical attraction, and Victor… honestly Starlight could see herself being interested in a man like Victor. He had started showing signs of attraction after her Persona awakening. Was that sort of like a girl awakening to her inner woman? Starlight kind of felt like that might have been the case. She folded her arms under her bosom like Celestia typically did, pushing her breasts up a bit, imagining that she was presenting herself to Victor.

I wonder what he’d think if he saw me like this?

Her thoughts went to Celestia, and how top heavy she was. Did she have a boyfriend or husband? Was she searching for one? She’d have to be if she dressed the way she did, right? But no, she dressed that way even in school. That kimono didn’t leave much to the imagination with how she wore it, and she heard a lot of the male students making lewd comments about her when they thought no one was listening. She wondered if that was part of the reason why Cinch didn’t like Celestia.

In Principal Cinch’s defense, it was a really sexy look.

But still, Starlight wondered if she’d ever have the courage to dress like that. Her typical style of dress was more or less conservative, while still accentuating her figure tastefully. In hindsight it was really simple. But boys still noticed her. A few girls noticed her too, as she’d heard a few girls remarking at how pretty she was, and some of their comments did leave Starlight feeling rather hot and embarrassed.

Then there was Beatrix.

Ever since a few days ago, when Beatrix cheered for her in her Dungeon, Starlight had noticed her thoughts changing toward her roommate. She was really pretty, and the way she dressed normally showed off just how voluptuous she actually was. Starlight kind of felt guilty looking at her though, considering she knew Blueblood made her dress like that. While she did find herself looking at her breasts a lot in passing, it wasn’t Beatrix's figure that always made Starlight feel funny.

It was her smile.

The way her eyes lit up when she smiled genuinely, how wide and honest her true smile was, it wasn’t something she saw on Beatrix a lot sadly, but whenever she did it lifted Starlight’s spirits so much. Like that was how she was supposed to be. Hell, just seeing her bright eyed was enough to draw Starlight in. Seriously, she could get lost in those eyes forever, especially when they weren’t clouded by darkness and anger.

And she was funny too! That threw Starlight for a loop, honestly. She didn’t know that Beatrix had such a great sense of humor, since her first impression made Starlight think she’d be a bit of a downer, but no. She was actually a really upbeat and positive person when she wanted to be. She told funny stories, great jokes, was incredibly animated, and when she laughed it was such a genuine laugh Starlight couldn’t help but laugh herself.

Ever since Starlight had rescued her, Beatrix had expressed a lot of gratitude. Their friendship had quickly grown to one that was definitely more touchy feely, which Starlight didn’t mind. She knew that Rainbow Dash and Pinkie Pie teased them about them becoming more than friends, and Beatrix played along with the teasing, but… was she playing? Was it possible that… Beatrix might have been attracted to Starlight? Even though she had a boyfriend, that relationship was pretty much over now. Had Blueblood made Beatrix consider becoming a lesbian? Was Starlight the one that Beatrix was eyeing for a possible lesbian relationship? And did Starlight… want that? She remembered Beatrix mentioning that she was interested in bondage. Thinking about it, Starlight didn’t think she’d mind the idea of exploring that with her. Actually, Beatrix tied up did loo-

end song

The door clicking open startled Starlight out of her daze, and she frantically searched around for her towel. When she finally found it, she sadly didn’t have time to wrap it around herself before Beatrix came in, so she just held it over her body hoping she covered everything. The fact that she was wearing nothing but a towel didn’t help matters much.

When Beatrix looked at her, she giggled, “You know we’re both girls, right? It’s no big deal.”

“I-I know, it’s just,” Starlight looked away from Beatrix, her face feeling so hot with embarrassment at the moment, “I’ve never let anyone see me naked before. Male or female, so…”

Beatrix nodded smiling, “Well, I’m not sure if you know this, but your nipples do show through your nightgown, so I’ve seen a lot already.”

Yeah. She realized that. Thank you Twilight for pointing that out.

“So… you don’t mind seeing me… you know?” Starlight asked as Beatrix went over to her drawer and pulled out her sleepwear.

“Not at all,” Beatrix said, “I take it you’re a virgin then. Not that that’s a bad thing. Actually, I envy you,” she sighed, “I really envy you.”

play song

“Please don’t tell me you gave your virginity to him?” Starlight asked pained. To her credit, Beatrix laughed awkwardly as a response.

“Sorry Starlight,” she sighed pulling out a light blue bra and pair of matching panties, “I guess he’d probably carry that as an achievement. That kind of stuff really fucks with a girl’s head, you know? Her first sexual relationship being an abusive one.”

God, Beatrix had it bad. Not only did she have generally low self-esteem, but her first sexual experience wasn’t even a positive one. Calling her “damaged” was an understatement.

“Well, like I said, you deserve better than that asshole,” Starlight said, venom entering her voice at the thought of Blueblood. A fresh wave of embarrassment replaced the venom when Beatrix took off her towel to change into the lingerie she chose for sleeping. Starlight felt slightly guilty for not saying anything, but at the same time couldn’t help but steal a few glances.

I know it makes me a pervert, but she has a really nice body!

“Like I said, I wished I believed that,” Beatrix said pulling the panties up, “I mean, I know I’m sexy, but I don’t know if I’m girlfriend material, you know? Like, what do I have to offer besides somewhat kinky sexual interests?”

“I don’t know, you’re funny, faithful, strong willed, you have pretty eyes, a great smile,” Starlight smiled to herself, her heart racing a bit as she spoke, “And while no one else knows about this, you’re really good in a fight.”

Beatrix turned to look at Starlight and smirked with a raised eyebrow, “Uh huh. Sounds to me like you have a crush.”

Starlight’s eyes widened, face once again flushed in embarrassment, “I-I don’t know what you’re talking about! I was just speaking about what I’ve noticed from getting to spend time with you for a week! Yeah! That’s it!” she laughed awkwardly, praying that Beatrix bought it.

“Mm hm,” Beatrix nodded, still smirking, “That’s why you made sure to highlight my “pretty eyes” and “great smile”?”

“I mean… you do have a great smile…” Starlight pouted. Beatrix laughed, that same genuine laugh that Starlight loved to hear.

“Seriously though, thanks for that,” Beatrix said, cheeks tinted pink as she smiled, “I… needed to hear that.”

“You’re welcome,” Starlight said, returning the smile despite her embarrassment. She chose then to just head to the bathroom and have her shower before she said something else to embarrass herself.

“Hey Starlight?” Beatrix asked before she left, “Think tomorrow, you and I could hang? Just the two of us?”

Starlight did not turn around. If she did, she was sure that Beatrix would notice how red her face was. She tried telling her heart to calm down, but it refused, and continued to beat so loud she was sure Beatrix could hear it.

“I was going to ask you if you wanted to hang out tomorrow,” Starlight said, “So yeah. Let’s do it. Just you and me.”

“Great,” Beatrix smiled, “I’ll probably be asleep by the time you get back, hopefully at least. Good night, Starlight.”

“Good night, Beatrix. Pleasant dreams,” Starlight said.

“Thanks to you, I’m sure they will be,” Beatrix said softly as she laid in her bed. Starlight smiled to herself and left to take her shower. Despite her embarrassment at her apparent crush she definitely felt great knowing that she rescued Beatrix. Tonight, she’d finally have a goodnight’s sleep, first one she’d probably had in months.

And it was all thanks to Starlight.

play song

“I see, that is suspicious,” a woman with a deep voice said over the speaker phone of Twilight’s terminal.

“Mitsuru, have you ever encountered anything like this before?” Celestia asked.

“Mmm, no, no that I’m aware. Normally Shadows just influence the hearts of the one they spawn from. A Shadow attacking another individual? This just seems too odd.”

“What do you want us to do about this?” Celestia asked.

“You mentioned you found the Trickster, correct?” Mitsuru asked.

“Yes, and recently another one of my students awakened her Persona as well,” Celestia explained, "She’s already been updated on the situation, and wishes to aid us.”

“Good. Then I’m leaving this operation in your hands, Ms. Tia. For now, I want you to investigate The Phase using these new Persona Users. Also, try to rescue as many local victims of the Nightmare Epidemic as you can. If any of them awaken to their Personas, recruit them. Is Twilight there as well?”

“I am, Mitsuru,” Twilight said.

“Even though you don’t have a Persona, you know the most about this incident. I want you to support this Trickster and her team as much as you can. Can you do that for me?”

“Yes Mitsuru,” Twilight said, smiling proudly, “I won’t let you down.”

“I know you won’t, Twilight. I have faith in you.”

Twilight looked away somberly when Mitsuru said that. She “had faith” in her. Even though she already disappointed her once.

“Thank you again, Ms. Tia,” Mitsuru said, “If you need any help at all, don’t hesitate to ask.”

“I won’t,” Celestia said with a gentle smile, “Take care Mitsuru.”

“Bye Mitsuru,” Twilight said before the line went dead, “So, what are we doing tomorrow?”

“Tomorrow, I think I want to take Starlight and Beatrix deeper into The Phase. See if they can find anything unusual there connected to the Shadows,” Celestia said thoughtfully, “I’m going to meditate before getting started with breakfast. See if you can find anything that stands out in The Phase, and report to me before you head to bed.”

“Yes Ms. Tia,” Twilight said, immediately getting to work. Celestia kissed Twilight on the cheek before leaving the room. Once alone, Twilight stopped typing and sighed to herself.

“So now my only use is supporting other Persona Users, huh?” she said darkly before resuming her search of the Phase. Even if she hated that she was moved to desk duty, she was determined to do a good job for Mitsuru. She wasn’t going to let her hatred of her current job stop her from being professional.

Even if she still had a lot of resentment at being replaced.

Author's Note

Link to my Patreon

9/9

September 9th, 2019
Sunday
Sunny

Daytime

play song

The next morning, Starlight and Beatrix spent some time in their room deciding what they wanted to do as their first official outing together as friends. Starlight had never been friends with another girl, unless her Mother counted. Beyond that, her only other friend was Sunburst, and that friendship wasn’t conventional in the slightest.

No, not thinking about Sunburst and how they fell out. She had Beatrix now, and unlike him, she believed in magic.

Since Starlight didn’t know what to do at all, and this day was about Beatrix anyway, she decided to let her choose their activity. In the end, she decided on a movie, followed by going to the mall for a bit. After finishing breakfast, the two of them took their showers, and got dressed. As Starlight applied her make-up, Beatrix looked at herself in the vanity mirror, a lot like how Starlight did last night, but for a different reason if her expression was anything to go off of.

“Hey Starlight, I need to ask you something, and be honest with me, okay?” Beatrix asked. Starlight nodded for her to continue, “How does this outfit really look on me?”

That was a difficult question to answer. Honestly, she looked fantastic in it, but that’s mostly because she had the body to pull that off. However, it was pretty obvious that Blueblood made her dress like that, and she wasn’t sure she wanted to compliment anything that asshole made her do. Even if she had to admit that he had a good eye for what to highlight about her figure.

“Being completely honest, and I hate that this is the case, but you do look hot in that,” Starlight said, going back to finish applying her eye-shadow, “But I’m not entire sure that outfit is you, if you get what I mean.”

“No, I get it,” Beatrix sighed, holding her arms over her chest, “I’ve always been aware of my body, and I wouldn’t say I was ever anxious about it or anything, but I’ve never been too comfortable showing off so much skin publicly.”

“I could tell,” Starlight said simply.

“Yeah?” Beatrix asked. Starlight told her how she noticed her pulling her skirt down a bit when they first met, “Wow, you don’t miss anything,” Beatrix sat back on the bed and pulled on her boots, “I guess I don’t have to tell you why I got it then.”

“Blueblood made you get it?” Starlight asked, as usually not hiding the venom in her voice.

“I wouldn’t say he made me get it. He implied that he wanted me to start dressing sexier, and when junior year started, I got this as a way to change my image. I guess when I think about it, I wanted Blueblood to think I was sexy, and I wanted everyone else to stop seeing me as the daughter of Balazar Lulamoon.”

Well, Starlight felt a bit better knowing that Blueblood hadn’t actually forced Beatrix outright to dress like that. At the same time though, she really didn’t like that she felt the need to dress like this in order to get validation as a person.

“How do you feel about all of that now?” Starlight asked.

“I dunno,” Beatrix sat back on her bed looking up at the ceiling, “I’m not ashamed of my Dad, nor am I really that afraid of letting people know I’m his daughter. I just wish I could give them what they wanted.”

“You mean, you want to be able to do magic like him?” Starlight asked, now applying her lipstick, going for more a magenta color today.

“Yeah,” Beatrix lifted a leg onto the bed and hugged it close to her chest, “When the other kids asked me about who my father was, and if I could do magic like him, I was genuinely disappointed that I couldn’t. My father told me I’d be able to follow in his footsteps if I wanted, and that I would gain the secret to magic, so when I didn’t…” Beatrix perked up a bit, “Hey, do you have powers outside of The Phase?”

Starlight nodded, “That’s how I knew you needed help. I have psychic empathy.”

“Psychic empathy? What’s that?”

“It’s like, I can feel another person’s emotions when I touch them. Most of the time I need to open myself and reach out to them, but if the person’s emotions are strong enough, I’ll feel something even if I’m not prepared.”

“Wait… is that why you froze when I shook your hand?” Beatrix asked, eyes wide.

“When we met? Yes,” Starlight answered, now turning to Beatrix, “I got a sense of urgency from you, like deep down you were screaming for help. You… don’t find that invasive at all, do you?”

“Not at all,” Beatrix shook her head, “I mean, thanks to that you were able to save me. You’re literally my hero.”

Starlight smiled, a warm feeling in her heart. She liked being called her hero, probably due in small part to that crush that was growing day by day.

“I guess I was just wondering if that means I could do the same,” Beatrix held up her hand, looking at her Channeling Ring intently, “I mean, I know this thing has power. I can feel it. I just don’t know how to use any of that power. How did you get that psychic empathy thing?”

“I read it in the Akashic Records,” Starlight answered. Beatrix looked at Starlight again in shock.

“Hold on, that’s it? You just read it in a book?” Beatrix asked.

Starlight explained to Beatrix how the Akashic Records seemed to work for witches, and that there you could learn just about anything. If someone were to sit there and read the book, they could retain the knowledge instantly, and if they were to wake up holding the book, they’d know the contents instinctively. It was easier to do this with books in your own Akashic Record, but really any subject could be learned there.

When Starlight finished her explanation, Beatrix looked to the side thinking to herself.

“I wonder if that’s where…” she then turned to Starlight, “Hey, can we go there tonight? I need to see something.”

Starlight nodded, remembering that Celestia wanted her to take Beatrix into the Akashic Records anyway. Also, they’d probably have to go and investigate a bit more, so they could kill two birds with one stone.

“Thanks Starlight,” Beatrix said, smiling in that way that made Starlight’s heart flutter, “Well, we should get going. I think the movie starts in about an hour, so that gives us some time to get there.”

Starlight nodded to her roommate and followed her downstairs, where Pinkie Pie was sitting in the living room reading another manga.

“You two going on your first date?” Pinkie Pie teased. Starlight immediately rushed over to the sign-out sheet to hide how embarrassed she was. God, was she that obvious?

“Pretty much,” Beatrix teased right back, “We’re going to see a movie first, then we’ll head to the mall for the rest of the day.”

And Beatrix wasn’t making it any easier. Was she joking, or was she dead serious? It was driving Starlight crazy.

“Ooooh, what’s the movie?” Pinkie Pie asked. Starlight told her the name of the movie, which was “The Forgotten Princess”. She didn’t know anything about the movie, but she liked stuff with Princesses in them, and Beatrix said it got really good reviews. Oddly, Pinkie Pie’s eyes widened for a split second, and then she blushed averting her eyes, “Oh, that movie,” she giggled oddly, twirling her hair around her finger.

Beatrix walked over to the sign-out sheet when Starlight finished, “Hey, isn’t that the movie you-”

“SHH!!!!” Pinkie Pie shushed suddenly, “I want it to be a surprise!”

Beatrix was a bit taken aback, but then she laughed to herself and nodded, “Oh yeah, she probably doesn’t know. Well then, I’m not telling her anything.”

Wait, what wasn’t Beatrix telling her? What was the big secret? Starlight wanted in on the joke.

“You’ll see when you get there,” Pinkie Pie said, still giggling in that odd manner that suggested she was hiding something, “Hope you two have a wonderful time.”

“Thanks,” Starlight said, smirking suspiciously. She knew they were up to something. Pinkie Pie rose from the couch and hugged both of them, Beatrix first, and then Starlight.

I guess I can’t hide it forever… it was nice to be unknown by someone though…

Starlight eyed Pinkie Pie as she released her. Why did she feel so much sadness from her?

“Tell me what you think of the movie,” Pinkie Pie requested, just as perky as ever. Now though, Starlight could kind of see it. Something about that smile didn’t seem right. Was she… forcing it?

Starlight and Beatrix said goodbye to Pinkie Pie, and then stepped out of the dorm. Starlight looked down, biting her lip as she stayed with that feeling for a bit. She didn’t expect to feel that much sadness from someone as upbeat as Pinkie Pie.

“Hey, you okay?” Beatrix asked rubbing Starlight’s back. Starlight told Beatrix about what happened when she hugged Pinkie Pie, “Seriously? That’s… odd,” Beatrix looked down thoughtfully, “But considering what you’re about to see, I’m not too surprised she’d be a bit anxious,” when Starlight tilted her head, Beatrix just smiled, “Oh you’ll see. Come on. Let’s get to the theater.”

Starlight nodded and followed Beatrix down to South Street. Whatever this secret was, it must have been a really big one. Still, why was Starlight’s heart racing so much?

end song

Now alone, Pinkie Pie sat back on the couch, trying her hardest to keep from trembling. She didn’t even know why she was getting so worked up over it. Other students had seen that movie before, and everyone in the school knew who she really was, and they didn’t make a huge fuss over it.

Maybe it was because Starlight was someone who didn’t know her secret.

She was a bit confused when Starlight didn’t say anything, or go crazy when she saw her for the first time. Once she learned that she didn’t follow the media, it made sense. That oddly brought her some sense of peace, knowing that to someone she was just a regular teenager. How would Starlight react to seeing Pinkie Pie like that?

“I really am just like everyone else,” Pinkie Pie said, hugging herself as she tried to convince herself that Starlight wouldn’t change her behavior around her, “I am…”

play song

South Street was an extremely colorful shopping district, with a ton of shops Starlight didn’t expect to ever find out in the open. There was a maid cafe, a mineral shop that seemed to sell stones that Starlight knew she could get a lot of mileage out of, a couple of those “fun” shops that Starlight was really curious about entering, walking around even revealed a strip club in a more hidden alley that was still way more visible than Starlight expected.

Yeah, she was definitely home.

They stopped in front of one of the shops, “Chains and Whips Central”. Starlight didn’t have to ask anyone what sort of store this place was, especially when she saw the slightly nervous expression on Beatrix’s face. One that hinted at partially wanting to go inside.

“We do have time,” Starlight said, not in a way of forcing, but rather letting her know it was up to Beatrix.

“I… guess, it’s just,” Beatrix rubbed her arm looking away from the shop, “I don’t know how I feel about… that, you know?”

“You mean, your interest in bondage?” Starlight asked. Beatrix nodded, a somber air coming over her.

“I was Blueblood’s sub for five months. Sometimes I enjoyed the things we did, but most of the time it just seemed like he was using me to get off himself. Starlight, is it weird that… I still want that feeling?”

“It depends on what sort of feeling you want,” Starlight said, “I don’t know anything about S&M, but I get the feeling that what he was doing wasn’t it.”

“It… wasn’t,” Beatrix answered, leaning against the wall next to the door of the shop, “I mean, unless you go off the version you see in novels written by people who’ve never engaged in it or did any research. Well, that’s what I hear, at least. I still fantasize about being tied up. When I picture it… part of me feels really aroused by it,” she looked down, her bangs covering her eyes a bit, “But another part of me feels guilty for feeling that way. Almost like part of me wants what he gave me.”

Starlight looked down, both feeling bitter at what Blueblood did to her, but also somewhat guilty for actually getting a bit turned on herself at seeing Beatrix like that. She didn’t want to be like Blueblood, but she had to admit that the idea of Beatrix bound and helpless wasn’t an unattractive sight.

Did that make her a bad person?

“I guess when I think about it,” Beatrix continued, “I want to know what it’s supposed to feel like. I’ve read stories about people in those kind of relationships, and they always say that it’s uplifting and empowering when you’re with the right person. They also say that it’s about trust, and I don’t know if I can ever trust anyone like that again,” Beatrix rubbed her arm, “My mind keeps going back to that first night, when Blueblood didn’t untie me, and I keep thinking to myself, how do I know my next dom won’t take advantage of that too?”

Starlight almost wanted to scream something like “I wouldn’t”, but she lacked the courage to do so.

“Aren’t there rules against that sort of thing in a real S&M relationship?” Starlight asked Beatrix, trying to keep her from thinking too darkly.

“Well, I’d imagine things like that get discussed before hand. That’s the thing, part of me was a bit turned on being left like that, and I probably wouldn’t have minded if he’d told me ahead of time, but…”

“I think that’s the issue right there,” Starlight said, “It’s not what he did, but it’s the fact he didn’t ask first. None of that you agreed to, and I’d like to think that since you’re the one making herself helpless, that you should get more of a say of what happens.”

Beatrix looked at Starlight, a light blush tinting her cheeks, “Y-you think so?”

Starlight nodded, “Absolutely. Like I said, I don’t know anything about that sort of thing, but I know that if I were in your shoes, I’d probably want to have some say in how things ended up. You’re not a freak for liking the idea of what he did. He’s fucked up for taking advantage of his position and just doing what he wanted.”

Beatrix took in Starlight’s words, and after a second her smile returned, “Thanks Starlight. You’re surprisingly easy to talk to about these things. I’ve never had anyone I could share this side of myself with comfortably. Think maybe… I could open up to you about this stuff more?”

“Anytime you want to talk, I’m right there,” Starlight smiled, “We’re friends, after all.”

“Thanks Starlight,” Beatrix said, averting her eyes as her cheeks turned red again, “I’m… happy that we’re friends.”

Starlight could feel how much Beatrix was beginning to trust her. She felt as though their friendship had somehow gotten stronger.

“I don’t think I’m ready to go inside yet, but… whenever I do go in, I think I want you to go in with me,” Beatrix said, laughing when she saw how red Starlight’s face probably got, “Don’t worry. I’m not trying to force you into that sort of relationship. I just need the support, you know?”

Starlight nodded, trying to calm her beating heart. She suggested that they start heading to the theater anyway, so the two of them continued toward their initial destination. A few minutes later, Beatrix’s phone started buzzing. Her eyes widened when she saw the name on the caller ID.

“It’s… Blueblood,” Beatrix said, her voice shaking a bit. Starlight could hear the fear in her voice, “W-what should I do…?”

“May I?” Starlight asked, Beatrix nodding and handing her the phone. Starlight immediately swiped the “decline” option, and handed the phone back to Beatrix, “There. That’s what you do. And later on, block his number so he can’t call you, got it?”

“G-got it,” Beatrix said, face turning even redder as she put her phone back in her pocket, “Thanks Starlight. I… know I need to be stronger, but…”

“No, you don’t,” Starlight said immediately, “Take your time getting your strength back. I’ll keep you safe until then.”

Beatrix nodded, smiling softly at Starlight’s words. She must have really appreciated that. As they continued their walk, Beatrix held onto Starlight’s arm the entire time. Just like before, Starlight didn’t mind in the slightest.

end song

Beatrix was surprised that Starlight offered to pay for their tickets, but Starlight figured the money she got from killing Shadows could be used for just about anything she needed. She still wondered how that happened. Not that she was going to complain. After what she went through, part of herself felt vindicated knowing that she got paid for it.

She wondered if Beatrix was the same. Probably so, honestly.

As they made their way to the showroom, they walked past a poster for the movie, which apparently came out only a few months ago. Looking at the poster Starlight got the impression that the story was going to be a dark fairy tale of sorts, which had her even more excited to watch it. The few times she did watch TV or movies, she enjoyed stories centered around magic.

There was one thing that threw Starlight for a loop however. The main character who was the centerpiece of the poster looked very familiar to her. She had long, wavy pink hair, and big blue eyes that were currently half closed and somber looking. She wasn’t sure she was seeing things or not, but when she looked at one of the names at the top, she almost died.

Starring Pinkamena Diane Pie…

Beatrix broke out laughing, “Yep! I knew it! This was the movie!” Starlight turned to Beatrix confused, “You’re not seeing things. Pinkie Pie is actually a child actor.”

Pinkie Pie was a actress?! She was NOT what Starlight thought a celebrity would be like. She was expecting someone stuck up, immature, and flaunting her wealth around. She couldn’t even tell Pinkie Pie was a celebrity! In fact, how was she NOT getting bombarded with autographs?!

“Simple, she’s been going to Canterlot High since freshman year,” Beatrix said with a shrug, “Most of the students just see her as one of them now. Although there was a recent resurgence toward the end of last year. In never got to see it, but I’m pretty sure this was the movie she did.”

“Yep. Poor thing was terrified of returnin’ to school afterward.”

play song

Starlight looked behind her to see where the voice came from, and had to stop her eyes from bulging out. It was a girl about her age, maybe a bit older. She had super long and thick blond hair, emerald green eyes, and besides Celestia, the largest rack Starlight had seen. She had to be at least an E, if not close to an F-Cup. Currently she was wearing a light blue shirt that was unbuttoned halfway revealing a bit of her red bra, brown leather vest and matching skirt, brown western inspired boots, and an honest to God cowgirl hat. She wore deep red lipstick, and next to her mouth was a mole, giving her a really hot look. Starlight wasn’t ashamed to admit that she thought this girl was really hot, like porn star levels of hot.

So when she noticed Beatrix tense up, she was really confused.

“Whoa! Um… hi! I wasn’t expecting to see you here…!” Beatrix said, smiling despite how much she was trembling. The girl turned to them with a smirk that actually made Starlight recoil in fear.

“Howdy Beatrix,” the girl said, “Had a few choice words with yer boyfriend a few days ago. Rarity told me he was harrassin’ another student.”

“Yeah, about that,” Beatrix turned away holding onto Starlight’s arm again, “He doesn’t quite know it yet, but he’s more of my ex-boyfriend now. Starlight here helped open my eyes to what he really was.”

“Ah, so I take it this is that student he was screwin’ with,” the southern girl said approaching them, “Name’s Applejack, or “No Fun Jackie” as I’m called in school.”

Hold on, this was No Fun Jackie?! No wonder Beatrix was so terrified. Still, she seemed more or less docile at the moment, so Starlight held out her hand.

“Starlight Glimmer. It’s nice to meet you, Applejack,” Starlight said, happy when Applejack shook her hand. She was internally surprised by how strong said handshake was.

“Likewise. Now, don’t you go listenin’ to what the other students say about me, alright? If ya need anythin’ at all, the Student Council office is always open,” Applejack said. Starlight nodded, immediately put at ease when Applejack said that, getting the feeling she could trust her with just about anything, “And same goes for you, Beatrix. If ya want somethin’ done about that ex of yers, let me know, alright?”

Beatrix turned to Starlight, silently asking her if she should say something now. Starlight gave her a nod of confirmation, feeling that this meeting was divinely charged.

“Actually, those rumors about he and I? There is some validity to them. It’s a bit more complicated than what the students think, but overall…”

Applejack pursed her lips, folding her arms under her bosom like Celestia did, only looking way more intimidating, “I see. Could ya come see me durin’ lunch tomorrow? Now ain’t the best time ta go into this fully, but I am gonna want a full report on this.”

“That’s fine, Applejack,” Beatrix said, visibly relaxing, “And, thank you for looking out for me.”

“Course I’d look out for ya. Yer in the same dorm as my little cousin, so that makes ya as good as family to me.”

Little cousin? Right, Pinkie Pie did mention in passing that she was related to Applejack. Did that mean she was here to see the same movie?

“Speakin’ of, I take it this is yer first time seein’ this movie?” Applejack asked Starlight, who nodded. Applejack leaned in real close to Starlight and narrowed her eyes a bit, “Don’t you go treatin’ my little cousin differently after this, alright? She’s good, but she’s still the same as everyone else when it comes down to it.”

“I never intended on letting this change my attitude toward Pinkie Pie,” Starlight said, “I promise.”

“Holdin’ ya to that,” Applejack turned toward the theater, “I’ll see y’all around. Take care of each other, ya hear?”

With that, she walked into the same theater they were heading to. Like Rarity, her walk was filled with confidence, and gave off the air of someone you did not want to fuck around with. She could easily see them being friends.

“Want me to go in with you?” Starlight asked Beatrix, referring to her meeting with the student council.

“I… would like that, actually,” Beatrix said biting her lip nervously, “As support, and to make sure I actually go. Seriously, don’t let me chicken out, okay?” Starlight nodded to her friend, who’s smile returned shortly after, “Great. Now let’s get to our movie.”

Starlight and Beatrix continued into the showroom, which was a lot fuller than Starlight expected it to be. Usually movies that were out for a few months weren’t this full, but you’ d have thought this movie had just come out. Was it really that good?

end song

They sat closer to the middle row, where Starlight noticed Applejack was also sitting. Starlight wondered how many times she’d seen this movie. Probably a lot considering she was related to the star. After a few previews for other movies, including a sci-fi movie Starlight was thinking of checking out later, the actual movie started, where Starlight quickly got an answer to her previous question.

It wasn’t that good. It was better than Starlight thought it would be.

The plot was a lot more serious and engaging than Starlight expected, focusing on a princess with powerful healing abilities. Said princess, named Victoria, was the role that Pinkie Pie played, and boy did she put on a performance. Normally when Starlight saw Pinkie Pie, she was loud, bubbly, and almost always laughing.

The person she saw in the movie however, was the complete opposite.

Princess Victoria was quite a somber character. She was quiet, reserved, and suffered almost throughout the movie. It wasn’t on the level of torture porn, but the entire movie was definitely a tearjerker, not helped by the powerful performance that Pinkie Pie brought.

play song

“Your Highness, I-”

“Leave me alone!” Princess Victoria cried. Her mother had just died, and one of her knights was trying to comfort her.

“I… I know how you must feel, but…”

“No you don’t!” Princess Victoria screamed, turning to the knight in tears, “You all keep saying that I have this power! That I’m the final hope of the kingdom, but what’s the point of having this power if I can’t even save the one person who matters to me the most?! So far, all this power has done for me is make me a target! I haven’t been able to do anything for my kingdom that I want!” she fell to the ground helplessly, “Why did this happen to her…? Tell me…!”

The knight looked away, tightening his fists, “I… I don’t know. But what I do know is that the Kingdom needs a leader now, and that leader has to be you,” he knelt down and gently took the Princess’ hand, “I’ll protect you, no matter what.”

Princess Victoria looked into the knights eyes, and then leaned into him, planting a deep, loving, and desperate kiss on his lips. The knight was shocked, but as he had already admitted to himself that he loved her, he soon relaxed into the kiss.

Unknown to both of them however, the royal adviser watched this from behind a corner.

“Oh no… we can’t have that. That knight’s going to become a problem for sure,” he said darkly, “If we’re to get to her, said knight’s going to have to have an “accident”.”

Starlight was really engaged in the plot of the movie, and not just because her friend was starring in it. She felt like she could understand the Princess’ pain. She remembered feeling similar when her mother had died, wishing she could have used her magic to bring her back to life. Sadly, she didn’t have a noble knight to keep her safe and to comfort her like Princess Victoria did. The only person who could have filled that role was Sunburst, and he hadn’t even contacted her.

As the movie continued onward, Starlight felt Beatrix lean into her, holding her arm affectionately. It was around the time that the knight character was fighting to protect the princess. In a way, she’d done the same for Beatrix just a few nights ago. Sadly in the movie, the knight died right toward the end, with the Princess on the run as the villain took full control of the kingdom. Starlight knew there had to be a sequel. Not just because of how full the audience was, but because that ending demanded one.

After watching the credits and listening to the beautiful song played at the end, Starlight and Beatrix stood outside the showroom to reflect on the movie.

play song

“Okay, I heard she was good, but God I was not expecting Pinkie Pie to pull off a performance like that,” Beatrix said, still taken aback by their dorm mate’s stellar acting.

“She actually made me cry toward the end,” Starlight admitted.

“I was crying through most of the movie! I’ve never wanted to hug a movie character so much in my life!” Beatrix cried, “I might just give Pinkie Pie a hug when we get in just out of principle.”

“I take it ya liked it then,” Applejack said walking over to the two girls.

“Your cousin is amazing,” Beatrix said, “Um, but that doesn’t mean I’m going to treat her any differently. No way. You don’t have to worry about a thing.”

“That’s good,” Applejack said, “She really owned that role, but she ain’t really a princess. She’s just a really sweet girl who’s got a lot of talent.”

“She doesn’t really talk about that too much,” Starlight said, a bit confused by why she never mentioned anything hinting at her acting prowess. Even Beatrix told her that she wanted to be a performer.

“Pinkie Pie’s never been one to brag about her abilities,” Applejack said, “Truth is, she doesn’t even keep the money herself. All of it she donates to the local homeless shelter and church.”

“Pretty, talented, and gives to the less fortunate?! Are you sure she’s not secretly a Princess?! Because she kind of feels like one,” Beatrix asked, making Applejack laugh.

“Like I said, she really embodied that role. Who knows. Maybe in another life or somethin,” Applejack’s phone vibrated, and she pulled it out checking it, “Sorry, I gotta get movin’. Rarity needs me for somethin’. I’ll see ya tomorrow, alright Beatrix?”

“R-right. Thanks Applejack,” Beatrix said. Applejack smiled and walked off, apparently calling Rarity on the way out, “It’s weird, but now that you cleared my Dungeon, I feel like I can trust people a bit easier. Were there always so many people trying to help me?”

“Probably,” Starlight said, “You might have just needed to change your perspective to see it. Want to still head to the mall?”

“Y-yeah actually,” Beatrix said, “There’s a store there I wanted to check out, to see if something I had my eye on is still there.”

Starlight wondered what she wanted to get, but Beatrix chose to leave it at that for now as they left the theater, probably as to not get her hopes up.

Afternoon

play song

The mall, apparently named Junes, wasn’t as colorful as South Street, but it was still a nice place overall. Still, Starlight didn’t think she’d be coming here as much as South Street. It just seemed a bit too modern for her tastes. Still there was a clothing store there that seemed really nice, if not a bit outrageous.

That just so happened to be their destination.

“This place looks almost like it belongs on South Street,” Starlight said, noticing the lingerie piece on display.

“That’s what I thought too,” Beatrix said looking around, “This is where I get all of my clothes. Let’s see... there it is!”

Starlight watched as Beatrix ran over to a fancy blue blazer with black tipped sleeves, golden buttons, and a fancy black and golden collar. It was on a mannequin, over top a frilly white suit shirt, black and gold pants, and a blue bow tie around the collar of the shirt. On the mannequin’s head was a black top hat, which made the whole look look almost like a circus ring leader.

That, or a magician.

Beatrix looked longingly at the outfit, running her hands over the jacket. Looking at it, Starlight realized that she saw Balazar wear something similar in his magic shows.

Like father, like daughter.

“Do you want this?” Starlight asked, Beatrix shocked out of whatever daze she was in.

“Um, I don’t know… I mean, it might be a little much… you know?” Beatrix defended.

“Have you seen what our homeroom teacher wears? That’s over the top. This is actually really cool looking.”

“I mean… it is cool looking…”

“I bet you’d look really magnificent in it,” Starlight said, Beatrix clearly catching the emphasized word.

“I guess I’m that obvious, huh?” Beatrix asked softly, “I come here a lot actually, looking at this outfit. Part of me wants to get it, a big part of me wants to get it, actually.”

“But the other part?”

“The other part is still asking, why should I wear it?” Beatrix said, “I’m not a great wizard like him, so what makes me think I deserve to wear this?”

“Because you’re still his daughter,” Starlight said, “And no, you’re not a wizard like your father,” she turned Beatrix toward a mirror, holding up her Channeling Ring so she could see it, “You’re a witch now, possibly the greatest witch in the world. Your father left a gift for you in the place where magic got it’s start, and I’m willing to bet that gift is the secret to his power. And if it is, I think you and I both know where it is.”

“It makes sense… but at the same time, how could he possibly leave something for me there?” Beatrix asked.

“That’s something we’ll have to figure out together,” Starlight embraced Beatrix from behind, “But I think that you should get this outfit. You’re about to become the magician that your father wanted you to become, so it’s time you dressed the part.”

“You really think I should get it? Like, right now?” Beatrix asked nervously.

“Right now,” Starlight urged, “As a way of re-branding yourself. Saying goodbye to Beatrix the helpless victim, and hello to Beatrix the powerful witch.”

Beatrix looked down, taking in Starlight’s words. She then walked over to the outfit, checking the price, and then gazing at the outfit longingly. She probably was imagining herself wearing it. Starlight could honestly see it. In fact, in her eyes she liked it even better than what she was wearing currently. Something inside was just saying that this was more her style.

“Let’s do it,” Beatrix said turning to Starlight, “I might need help getting it, but… I want this.”

“I’ll help you pay for it,” Starlight offered. Beatrix smiled brightly, and the two of them ran to the counter to pay for it. Surprisingly, no one else had even looked at it, which made Starlight believe that it was meant for Beatrix. After making sure it was in her size (turned out to be perfect), they bought a pair of shoes to go with it, and left the shop in high spirits.

Tomorrow was looking to be a great day.

Evening

play song

When they got back to the dorm, Celestia had just started dinner. Beatrix said she was going upstairs to try out her new outfit in secret, as she wanted to surprise everyone with it at school, including Starlight. As such, Starlight decided to wait downstairs in the living room and lobby with Pinkie Pie, who looked uncharacteristically nervous.

“So… what did you think…?” Pinkie Pie asked, wincing in a way that expected the worst.

“You were amazing in it, but I think I prefer the real you to the character you played as,” Starlight said honestly. Pinkie Pie relaxed and sat down next to Starlight.

“Good. I was super nervous about you seeing that movie. My agent didn’t want me to take that role, saying it wouldn’t be good for my image,” Pinkie Pie explained.

“Really? Why would they say that?” Starlight asked.

“Well, I’m turning 18 later this year, so I’ll be eligible for more adult roles,” Pinkie Pie said, looking down at her lap and twirling her finger through her hair, “Before then, I had a sitcom I was starring in, and had a few minor roles here and there, but beyond that I wasn’t really well known. I actually was okay with that though, since I’m not in it for the money.”

“Why do you do it, then?” Starlight asked Pinkie Pie, now really curious about her friend.

“It’s silly,” Pinkie Pie shook her head, “You’ll laugh.”

“No I won’t,” Starlight said, “I promise. I won’t laugh.”

“Alright, well… I guess it’s because I enjoy playing pretend,” Pinkie Pie said, “Know how when you’re a kid, and you would play pretend with your friends? I just never grew out of that. That movie, The Forgotten Princess, it’s based on a series of books my Grandmother got me into when I was little. I always loved Princess Victoria, as much as I love Usagi these days. So when I got called for the role, I jumped at the chance to take it. The way I portrayed her was a bit more somber than the director initially wanted, but that was how I always interpreted her character in the books, so I just went with what I knew.

“Thing is, my agent doesn’t really like the roles I take. She keeps saying I could get more recognition if I take on bigger roles, and is setting it up for me to start branching out, but I don’t want to lose who I am, you know?”

Starlight nodded, “I think you’re doing great as is.”

“Thanks Starlight,” Pinkie Pie said pulling Starlight into a warm hug, “I hope I can convince Fleur of that.”

play song

Beatrix came downstairs and ran over to Starlight, all smiles, “I tried it on, and it looks perfect!”

“That’s great!” Starlight cheered, getting up and hugging Beatrix, “When can I see it?”

“Tomorrow,” Beatrix said, “I’m going to debut it tomorrow at school.”

“Debut what?” Rainbow Dash asked stepping out of the kitchen.

“It’s a new outfit I got while I was out,” Beatrix explained, “Starlight convinced me to change my image into something a bit more, me.”

“Yeah, no offense Beatrix, but that outfit does make you look like a slut,” Pinkie Pie admitted outright.

“Well gee, thanks for your honesty, Pinkie Pie,” Beatrix said deadpanned.

“You’re welcome,” Pinkie Pie said perkily.

Beatrix shook her head sighing, “Never let it be said Pinkie Pie didn’t speak her mind…”

“Well, you gotta admit that she has a point,” Rainbow Dash said laughing, “Come on Starlight, weigh in on this.”

Starlight’s eyes widened and she backed away a bit, “I don’t think I’m in a position to give an opinion on this subject.”

“Are you crazy?” Pinkie Pie asked rising from the couch herself, “You have even more reason to speak on this.”

“Besides, it’s not like it’s gonna matter. She’s changing her style anyway,” Rainbow Dash leaned close to Starlight smirking, “Unless you prefer her dressed like this.”

“Ohhhh~ That’s what it is, isn’t it?” Pinkie Pie taunted, “You’re going to miss seeing her luscious curves on display, aren’t you?”

Starlight looked back and forth between Rainbow Dash and Pinkie Pie, sweating nervously as they put her on the spot. The messed up part was she did admit that she thought the look was hot on Beatrix. Starlight turned to Beatrix with a pleading looked.

“Come on, guys. Go easy on Starlight,” Beatrix said, making Starlight sigh in relief, “I mean, she and I are roommates, so she gets to see it all anyway,” and just like that Starlight’s eyes widened in shock again, “I’m going to wait in the kitchen for dinner. See ya there, Starlight~”

Starlight watched painfully as Beatrix walked into the kitchen, putting more emphasis in her hips as she walked. Was she just adding to the joke? Or was she actually flirting with Starlight? She didn’t know, and it was driving Starlight insane.

“OMG, she’s right!” Pinkie Pie cried, “You totally get to see her naked like all the time!”

“So that’s what was going on between you two,” Rainbow Dash said nodding thoughtfully, “Huh, Blueblood was right. You were after Beatrix.”

“W-w-w-what?!” Starlight cried helplessly.

“How romantic,” Pinkie Pie said looking up at the sky wistfully, “You saw that she was in danger, and you rushed in to rescue her, thinking “that scoundrel, treating such a fair maiden like a cheap whore!” You then rushed to the rescue, sweeping the fair maiden off her feet and saving her from that knave Blueblood!”

“That’s… I-I-I mean, I wouldn’t… um…”

“Yep, that says it all,” Rainbow Dash said, “Damn girl, I didn’t think you had it in you to play the whole knight in shining armor trope straight.”

“There’s nothing to be embarrassed about,” Pinkie Pie wrapped her arms around Starlight, “We already know you’re an anime protagonist, so this is just par for the course.”

Starlight tried to deny it, but eventually just sighed in defeat. The sad thing was, she couldn’t refute ANYTHING they were saying. In a way, that’s exactly what she did. Almost word for word.

As everyone sat down for dinner, everyone continued to subtly tease Starlight about her totally not obvious crush on Beatrix. It wouldn’t have been so bad, except Beatrix kept adding fuel to the fire herself. At least she was happy.

After dinner, Starlight went over to Celestia as she was cleaning the dishes, “Is it okay for me to take Beatrix into The Phase tonight?”

“Absolutely,” Celestia said, “Twilight is going to want you to investigate something she found, but it shouldn’t take too long. Whatever you find, investigate it, but don’t go too far. Beatrix is still new to this.”

Starlight nodded and went up to her and Beatrix’s room to prepare.

Late Night

The Phase

play song

It didn’t take long for Starlight to drift off, and appear in Akashic Records. She told Beatrix that all she had to do was fall asleep with the ring on, but when she arrived she didn’t see Beatrix at first. Starlight looked around a bit, concerned that she missed something, or that Beatrix had accidentally fallen asleep.

“Huh, so it really is that easy, huh?”

Starlight turned around with a start, and saw Beatrix standing there looking around. Like Starlight, she was still in her witch form, which Starlight was internally enjoying the sight of. Beatrix had really nice legs.

Focus, Starlight!

“Alright, good. You two made it,” Twilight said, her wisp flying down to greet them, “I was worried you’d mess up and accidentally fall asleep without getting here.”

“All I had to do was put the ring on as I fell asleep,” Beatrix shrugged, “Even I was surprised by how easy it was to get back here.”

“How do you feel?” Starlight asked Beatrix.

“It’s weird, but I feel… normal? I think that’s the best way to describe it,” she looked around again, “It’s odd, but I don’t feel like I’m asleep in the slightest. Everything is so vibrant and real looking, like I’m actually here.”

“Well, you ARE actually there,” Twilight explained, “Just because you’re dreaming doesn’t mean what you’re seeing isn’t real.”

“I guess I’m still trying to wrap my head around that,” Beatrix said, walking forward a bit as she looked around.

“I know you probably want to explore your Akashic Records a bit, but before that I was hoping we could investigate something.” Twilight requested.

“That’s fine,” Beatrix said, “What do you need us to do?”

“Further ahead I found an odd door,” Twilight said, “I’m not sure where it leads, but I was hoping you two could head in and investigate it for me.”

“Starlight, how do you feel about that?” Beatrix asked, surprising Starlight a bit, “I figured you should have the final say, considering you’re more experienced here than me.”

Not by much, Starlight thought to herself. Still, she did want to help Twilight and Celestia, and this might give them a clue as to how to stop the Nightmare Epidemic.

“Let’s go. Lead the way, Twilight,” Starlight said.

“Follow me,” Twilight said, flying off deeper into the library. Starlight and Beatrix followed closely, the latter still looking around at everything in awe.

“How many books are here?” she asked after a few minutes.

“How many numbers are there?” Twilight asked.

“I don’t know. Aren’t they still calculating that or something?” Beatrix asked.

“Exactly. This place is infinite, and such actually goes on forever. There are various doors that lead to different places within The Phase, like other people’s dreams, and other realms, but they’re all held together in this place. The books represent anything that’s known, from the most minor, to the most obscure.”

To demonstrate, Starlight picked out a random book and handed it to Beatrix.

“How to dance like Michael Jackson?” Beatrix asked incredulously, “No way it’s that simple.”

“Why can’t it be?” Twilight asked, “The only reason you don’t see more people here is because most people don’t actually know it exists, and those that have an idea don’t know how to access it, but this is the actual place where all knowledge is stored. You two are walking through the very skeleton of the collective unconscious.”

“This is so amazing,” Beatrix said hugging the book, “Hey Starlight, do you spend a lot of time here?”

Starlight nodded, “I have a couple of books that I enjoy reading. Mostly about the history of the world. It’s why I’ve always held such a strong belief of magic.”

“So this place actually has information about how the world actually came to be? To the point of explaining things that even the government likes to keep secret?”

“Like I said, if it’s something that’s known, has ever been known, or is a possibility, it exists here.”

“I wonder if Dad knew about this place…?” Beatrix asked distantly.

“There it is,” Twilight said flying to a large golden door. This door, despite glowing and looking inviting, gave Starlight an odd feeling. Like there was something really powerful and bad waiting for them on the other side.

“Um… are we going through there?” Beatrix asked, letting Starlight know that she felt it too.

“Yes, I need to know what this place is,” Twilight said, “I found that door last night after our talk, and it’s very hard for me to get a lock on what’s there. I need you two to go inside so I can get a better image of the interior.”

“It’ll be okay,” Starlight said, “We’ll stick together here.”

Beatrix nodded to Starlight, and then took a deep breath, “Alright, let’s go.”

end song

Starlight and Beatrix pushed the door open and walked through. On the other side was an oddly beautiful yet terrifying environment. Their surroundings were a large grassy meadow that seemed to go on forever, complimented by a starry night sky and the moon shining in the background. But that wasn't what was truly important there.

Before them stood the largest tower either of them had seen. It was pure golden, and shot straight up into the sky past the clouds, seeming to go on forever.

“Um Twilight? Any idea what this place is?” Beatrix asked.

“Hold on, I’m trying to analyze this now. This is weird…”

“What is?” Starlight asked.

“My terminal is identifying what we're seeing as “Elysium”.”

“Elysium? Is that this place’s name?” Beatrix asked.

“I think so. It feels sort of like your Dungeon, but I’m defecting multiple energy sources from within.”

“Like… a shared Dungeon?” Beatrix asked.

“Maybe? I am detecting Shadows inside, so that tells me it’s connected. Okay, I need you two to head inside and give me an idea of what we’re up against in there.”

“Think this place is connected to the Nightmare Epidemic?” Beatrix asked Starlight, who just nodded in confirmation, “That’s all I needed to hear. Let’s do this.”

The two witches ran inside the large tower, activating their weapons just in case.

Malkuth

Level 1

play song

The interior looked like a dark gothic castle, with black stone walls and stain glass windows, making it look like they were traveling inside the interior of a church almost. The designs of the stain glass windows showed various scenes of humanity working and toiling the ground.

“This is definitely a Dungeon,” Twilight said, “I’m detecting shadows, and a lot of them up ahead.”

“How do you want us to proceed?” Starlight asked.

“For now, just proceed forward until you spot anything unusual, or possibly a way up. I’m going to to switch from the Remote Viewing system to the standard system, so I can provide more overall support.”

“Um, are we going to be okay without you here with us?” Beatrix asked nervously.

“Don’t worry, I’m still here, and you’ll be able to hear me. Really, I’m the only one who will notice a difference. All you’ll notice is that my wisp isn’t following you.”

“Okay then,” Beatrix shrugged and got a card out, holding it at the ready, “Starlight, you lead the way.”

Starlight and Beatrix began running through the halls of the strange dark castle. Unlike before when they were in Beatrix’s dungeon, they didn’t try as hard to stay hidden. For one, there weren’t nearly as many places to hide, and two, there didn’t seem like there was as much of a need.

“Hold on! I’m detecting an enemy up ahead!” Twilight said from the real world, “I can’t identify it yet though, so it hasn’t manifested yet.”

Starlight and Beatrix poked their heads around the corner, and saw a black dust cloud floating ahead. This dust cloud had red eyes, and for some reason Starlight felt more than one enemy over there.

“Hey, maybe we should try to get the jump on it,” Beatrix suggested, “See if we can get the advantage.”

“Yes, I really like that idea. Huh, okay then. Looks like you’ll be useful after all.”

Beatrix tipped her hat arrogantly, “Was there ever any doubt?”

Starlight was beginning to notice that Beatrix seemed to take on a more confident persona when around other people besides just herself. On one hand it was nice to see her acting how she assumed was more of her natural self, but she could tell that on some level she was just putting on an act. She wasn’t sure how she felt about that.

Starlight ran over to the enemy and slashed it in the back with her scythe. Immediately it turned into two Shadows. One was a ghostly woman in a long red dress that looked like a maid, and the other one was a pink male looking demon with wings on his back and a codpiece with a sharp phallic looking protrusion pointing upward.

“Okay, so we have two targets! One is identified as Silky, and the other one is Incubus. These are new Shadows, so be careful!”

“Please, we can take these guys on!” Beatrix said readying a card, “Starlight, let’s put on a show they’ll never forget!”

Starlight rushed at Silky and began slashing wildly with her scythe, while the Incubus rushed toward Beatrix slashing with his claws and even trying to slash with his sharp codpiece.

Silky got one lucky strike in, knocking Starlight back. Beatrix saw that and held up her Channeling Ring.

“Persona!” she shouted, Elenora manifesting behind her. She cast Agi on Silky, knocking it down on the ground as it was apparently weak to fire spells. She was so focused on helping Starlight that she didn’t notice Incubus preparing a spell.

“Beatrix, behind you!” Starlight cried. Not even missing a beat, Beatrix threw a card right at Incubus’ face, making him lose focus. She then continued throwing cards at him, ending with her turning her back and snapping her finger, causing some sort of explosion that knocked him onto the ground.

“Holy, Beatrix’s attack style counts as “Gun” on my system, and I think Incubus is weak against it!”

Beatrix held her hand up close to her face giving an almost obnoxiously arrogant laugh, “But of course! After all, I am the daughter of the Magnificent Balazar! Now, let’s take these peons to their maker!”

Starlight nodded, knowing exactly what she wanted to do. She wasn’t sure she could communicate with these Shadows yet anyway. Starlight and Beatrix both got their weapons ready, and did their aptly named All Out Attack on the Shadows, Starlight attacking with her scythe and Beatrix firing a barrage of cards out at the group. It didn’t take long for them to both disintegrate.

“That attack is a really good move to do when the enemies are all knocked down,” Twilight said, “Keep that in mind. We’re outnumbered here, so we need to take any advantage we can get.”

“Right. Thanks Beatrix,” Starlight smiled.

“You saved me, right? Trust me, that’s the least I can do,” Beatrix said, returning the smile, “Now, onward!”

Starlight nodded running ahead with her partner. It was honestly kind of fun doing this with Beatrix next to her. They managed to take down a number of other enemies while they searched the maze around them, even running into the pumpkin like Shadows from earlier, which Twilight called “Jack O’ Lanterns. Starlight managed to absorb one into her ring, showing Beatrix an example of her unusual abilities.

“So that’s how you do it,” Beatrix said after Starlight finished.

“Jealous?” Twilight asked in a slightly taunting manner. To everyone’s surprise, Beatrix shook her head.

“Not even. She already told me that she’s this “Trickster” or whatever. I’m just amazed that she was able t do that to an enemy. It explains why she has more.”

“I see, that’s one way of looking at it…” Twilight said softly. If Starlight didn’t know better, she sounded almost disappointed. Before she could say anything, Starlight looked behind Beatrix and saw something that stood out. A golden staircase going up.

“I think I know what we’re looking for,” Starlight said pointing behind Beatrix, who turned to see the staircase as well.

“That… really gives me an odd feeling,” Beatrix said as they approached it, “Almost like walking the staircase to heaven or something.”

“I wonder…” Twilight said, “This place is called Elysium… and it’s a tower, almost like what Mitsuru said Tartarus was.”

“Tartarus? What’s that?” Beatrix asked.

“When Mitsuru was an active Persona User, her team used the Dark Hour to explore a tower called Tartarus. It was sort of like this, only it had a more hellish feel to it. This might a similar situation.”

“And I take it they discovered the source of the Dark Hour at the top?” Beatrix asked, folding her arms looking up at the staircase.

“I mean, I think so. I’m pretty sure it was more complicated than that, but I do know that once they got to the top they were able to stop the Dark Hour.”

“I knew it! Starlight, this is it!” Beatrix cheered.

“Huh?” Starlight asked confused. Beatrix put her hands on Starlight’s shoulders smiling brilliantly.

“You wanted to put an end to the Nightmare Epidemic, right? I bet the source of it is right at the top of this tower. So all we have to do is climb the top, fight whatever is up there causing it, and boom! Problem solved!”

“It can’t be that simple.”

“Why not? You said it yourself that this place is the primordial aspect of the Collective Unconscious, right? So if something is up there causing the Nightmare Epidemic, then it stands to reason that if we kill it, the Nightmare Epidemic goes too.”

“I mean… theoretically it could work…” Twilight said. Even Starlight was wondering if it was that easy. Then again, if it was…

“Besides, Starlight’s the Trickster, meaning this is her show to begin with,” she looked into Starlight’s eyes, smiling in a way that made Starlight’s heart flutter, “I know you can do this. Besides, I’ll be right there next to you. Together we have nothing to fear.”

She was doing for Starlight what she did for her. She could almost feel how much faith Beatrix had in her. Just like when she was in her Dungeon, and Beatrix started cheering for her, it made Starlight want to live up to that faith.

Maybe she just needed to start believing in herself more…

“Let’s not go up more just yet,” Twilight suggested, “Not until I clear this with Ms. Tia. I’m not saying you’re wrong or anything, Beatrix, but Ms. Tia didn’t want us to go too deep without clearing it with her.”

“Yeah, I can understand that,” Beatrix said looking up, “It’d be nice if we had at least one more person before we start climbing this place.”

“I agree,” Starlight said, “I’d like to have one more Persona User in here with us for this.”

“Right. One more Persona User…” Twilight said softly.

“You okay out there, Twi-Twi?” Beatrix asked.

“I’m fine, and my name is Twilight!” Twilight shot back at Beatrix.

“But Twi-Twi is so adorable, just like you,” Beatrix said jovially. Starlight couldn’t help but laugh.

“Oooooh, you are insufferable!” Twilight fussed, “This is the thanks I get for watching over you for months!”

“Oh Twi-Twi, I tease you because I like you,” Beatrix said jovially, “Starlight knows all about that, don’t you Starlight?”

Starlight averted her eyes nervously, feeling her face turn red in embarrassment.

“Well, let’s be on our way,” Beatrix said, swaying her hips as she walked back toward the entrance, “The path should be cleared, so let’s go.”

“R-right…” Starlight said, her eyes having a hard time not following the hypnotic sway of Beatrix’s rear. She was fun, but at the same time quite a handful.

“Geez, it’s like she did a 180 after you rescued her,” Twilight sighed. Starlight laughed a bit following Beatrix toward the entrance, thinking about that herself. Only she knew what Beatrix was doing. On one hand she felt it was good for her to start behaving more like her true self.

But on the other hand, she didn’t want Beatrix to crash and burn.

play song

It didn’t take long to get back to the Akashic Records. Once there, Beatrix went right to work searching around for something.

“I wish I knew how to navigate this place,” Beatrix fussed to herself while they searched, “If this place is where my Father’s gift is, it could be anywhere.”

“If I may offer my assistance,” Twilight said, her wisp reappearing next to them, “Why don’t we search YOUR Akashic Records for it.”

“My Akashic Records?” Beatrix asked.

“If it’s a book you’re looking for, and it’s something that was meant for YOU, then it’s probably there.”

“That makes sense,” Beatrix nodded, “Where are my Akashic Records?”

“Probably back where the entrance of your Dungeon was,” Starlight suggested.

“Yes. Your Dungeon took the place of the remaining Akashic Records. You needed to wake up safely in order for new entries to appear, which was why you couldn’t see anything new before.”

“I think I remember where that is too,” Beatrix said to herself, “And based on how this place works, that would mean…” she gasped in shock and then took off back toward where they always entered from.

“Hey! What’s got her so excited?” Twilight asked. Starlight shrugged and ran after her partner. When she found her, Beatrix was in front of the bookshelf next to where her door was, carefully looking at each entry.

“No… no… I already know that about myself.”

“Want some help finding it?” Twilight asked as they approached.

“No. I need to find this myself,” Beatrix said, “Dad left this gift for me, so that means that it’s something only I’d be able to find anyway. I just need to-” she stopped, her eyes landing on one book in particular. It had a golden frame, and the title was in very fancy cursive, making it almost LOOK magical. The title of the book was called “The Secret”.

“I almost feel like this is copyright infringement,” Twilight said to herself. Beatrix ignored her and opened the book, leaning on the shelf.

“Oh my God… Oh my God…! These are his magic tricks…! Every single one of them! But how does he…” she looked at the front page, reading the front page out loud. For some reason though, Starlight heard the voice of a man she’d never met before.

play song

To my dearest daughter,

Congratulations! You’ve finally found the secret! I knew you could do it, honey!

People don’t know it, but the world that they think is real is nothing more than an illusion. The very laws of physics only apply when one believes in them.

Sadly those laws have been drilled into the minds of society. So much that people have begun to believe that lie to be the one truth in the world. It’s truly depressing, if you ask me.

But to those who know the secret, they’re able to test the boundaries of what’s real and what’s not.

They say that the magic I do is impossible, and they’re right. Only because that’s the reality that they adhere to.

Magicians are nothing more than modern day wizards. In the old days, wizards tested the boundaries of reality. They did so as a reminder that the world is filled with infinite possibility. Nowadays, people claim to be wizards, but all they do is simple tricks.

But not us. We’re different, Beatrix.

I knew from the moment I showed you my magic for the first time, that you had the eye to see the truth. That you were the one I’d pass this gift to. That I could trust this gift to you.

This secret was shown to my great grandfather, who showed his child, who then passed it down to me. Now it’s your turn.

Take this book, honey. It’s yours now. My tricks, and the secret to casting them, all of it is now yours to use as you see fit.

The world has forgotten that magic is real. It’s time to remind them.

I’m right here, always cheering for you. I always was YOUR biggest fan, and that will never change.

Knock em’ dead, kiddo!

Your Dad,

The Magnificent Balazar

PS: To the one hearing these words with her, please continue to watch over my daughter. She needs a good friend like you to believe in her.

That ending… did he somehow… did he KNOW that Starlight was there?!

“Hang on a second… that would mean,” Twilight started floating around frantically, “Did he write that RECENTLY?! But how did he do that?! There’s no way he’s… I mean.. that doesn’t make ANY sense!”

“Of course it doesn’t…” Beatrix said softly, a huge grin forming on her face, “Magic doesn’t make sense… it just is…” she laughed softly to herself, but soon broke out into a full on euphoric laugh, “It was right there the whole time!” Beatrix hugged the book close to her chest, “I know what to do with this. Starlight, I’m going to stay here and read this for the night, and then I’m taking this book with me. With this, I can become the magician that I’m meant to be.”

Starlight nodded happily, “I’ll be right there cheering you on all the way, Beatrix.”

Beatrix walked over to Starlight and hugged her tightly, “Thank you for showing this to me, Starlight. You really are my hero.”

“D-don’t mention it, Beatrix,” Starlight said, heart racing at Beatrix’s loving tone.

Beatrix happily ran back to the main lobby, where Starlight saw her sit at one of the tables, and began reading the book. She figured she should probably leave Beatrix alone for now.

“I’m going to tell Celestia about what we found behind that door,” Twilight said, “You should get some rest.”

Starlight was getting a bit tired. She said goodnight to Twilight, and took off her Channeling Ring. Tomorrow was going to be an interesting day indeed.

Author's Note

Magician Arcana: Level up!
2/10

Link to my Patreon

As always, donate whatever you feel is put on your heart to donate. :twilightsmile:

9/10

September 10th, 2019
Monday
Sunny

Morning

play song

Beatrix woke up in a really good mood. Honestly, it was kind of scary. She was heard singing to herself in the shower, and greeted everyone jovially at the breakfast table. Oddly though, she hadn’t put on the outfit she and Starlight bought yesterday. When asked about it, Beatrix just giggled excitedly.

As she and Starlight sat in the train together, Starlight stole a few glances to read her roommate’s energy. She debated on whether or not to use her empathy to see what was going on in her head, but opted against it. It was one thing when someone was suffering the Nightmare Epidemic, but Beatrix seemed fine.

“So… you’re not going to tell me what it is you have planned?” Starlight asked.

“Nope,” Beatrix chirped shaking her head, “All I’m going to say for now is that everyone is going to be talking about it. I just need the right audience. Hopefully he doesn’t keep me waiting too long.”

“You mean Blueblood?” Starlight asked. Again, Beatrix giggled like a child excited on Christmas morning.

“He won’t know what hit him,” was all she said. Starlight opted to just leave it at that and wait to see what her friend had planned.

Daytime

In History Class, Celestia called on Starlight to answer a question on the fall of the Roman Empire. She was really happy that she read that chapter over, because she was able to get the answer right. Not only did she feel a bit smarter after that, but she also felt like Celestia was really proud of her for answering correctly.

Lunch Time

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As requested, Beatrix went to the Student Council Office to tell both the Student Body President and head of the Defense Committee about Blueblood’s abuse. Starlight sat beside her, offering moral support. This did not go unappreciated.

“I see,” Rarity said, leaning against a wall and looking outside a nearby window with a slight glare, “These are serious allegations, Miss Lulamoon.”

“I’m aware,” Beatrix said demurely.

“And this went on for how long?” Applejack asked. Beatrix tightened her fists on her lap in an attempt to keep her composure.

“F-five months,” Beatrix said, “Blueblood and I were in a… um…”

“You were in a “what” exactly,” Rarity asked Beatrix, who shut her eyes tightly. Rarity sighed and walked over to Beatrix, gently lifting her chin, “I promise you, Miss Lulamoon, Applejack and I are on your side, but we need to know all the details if we’re to investigate this.”

Starlight took Beatrix’s hand and gently squeezed it, letting her know it would be alright. Beatrix nodded to Starlight before continuing.

“The thing is, Blueblood and I were in an S&M relationship,” Beatrix admitted, surprising both the president and the head of the Defense Committee, “But not everything he and I did was completely consensual. In some ways,” she looked to the side somberly, “he used my kink as a way to justify a lot of what he did.”

“Miss Glimmer, did ya see signs of this as well?” Applejack asked Starlight. Starlight turned to Beatrix, asking if it was okay.

“Please tell them, Starlight,” Beatrix begged. Starlight nodded to Beatrix, and then recounted to both Rarity and Applejack about what Blueblood did to Beatrix in the back alley of the school, how it looked like he had raped her, and that she was in tears. Needless to say, both seniors looked aghast.

“My God… Miss Lulamoon, I’m so sorry!” Rarity cried, placing a hand on her chest.

“Rarity, think we got enough to get him expelled?” Applejack asked, surprising Starlight a bit. She wasn’t sure they’d believe her so quickly.

“Hopefully. You know how his father is though,” Rarity knelt down next to Beatrix and took her hand gently, “I promise, we will do everything in our power to bring him to justice, okay Miss Lulamoon?”

“Wait, so… even knowing what sort of relationship we had… you still believe me?” Beatrix asked.

“Why wouldn’t we?” Rarity asked, “Just because you have somewhat rough sexual interests doesn’t mean you’re immune to being abused.”

“If ya ask me, that jus’ makes what he even more rotten,” Applejack seethed, “Don’t you worry. I won’t rest ‘till that sonovabitch sees his entire world crumble to pieces.”

Starlight really liked these two, especially Applejack. Maybe it was because she hadn’t been on the other side of her more disciplinary side, but she kind of respected Applejack’s integrity.

“Thank you!” Beatrix said, letting her tears flow freely, “Thank you so much!”

Rarity pulled Beatrix into a warm embrace, “You’re very welcome, Miss Lulamoon. Now, both of you try to enjoy the rest of your lunch period, alright?”

“Leave the rest of this to us,” Applejack said seriously. Starlight nodded to them, thanking both of them for their help, and then escorted Beatrix out of the student council office.

end song

“How do you feel after that,” Starlight asked as they walked into the courtyard.

“I feel, relieved honestly,” Beatrix said, “Still, do you think they’ll be able to get him expelled?”

“Don’t worry about that,” Starlight said, opening the door outside, “You just worry about the future.”

“Finally found you,” a familiar voice said, making both of them stop. They looked ahead and saw Blueblood walking up to them. On instinct, Starlight stood in front of Beatrix defending her, “Out of my way, goth. Beatrix and I need to talk, alone.”

“Anything you need to say to her you can say with me standing right here,” Starlight said sternly, but Beatrix put her hand on her shoulder.

“I appreciate it Starlight, but it’s alright. I knew this was coming,” Beatrix said, surprisingly cal, all things considered. Starlight sighed and reluctantly moved aside, “But she is right, Blueblood. Anything you say can be said with my friend Starlight beside me.”

“I thought I told you to get rid of her,” Blueblood said sternly.

“You did, and I decided not to,” Beatrix said, “Come on Starlight. We’re blocking the door for other people.”

Starlight nodded and followed Beatrix as she pushed past Blueblood and walked toward the bench they usually sat at. Needless to say, he did not like that.

“You decided not to?” Blueblood asked incredulously following them.

“Yes. I am my own person, you know? Not sure if you remember that.” Beatrix said, not once turning around. Blueblood then grabbed Beatrix’s arm and turned her around, glaring at her.

“You really need to watch what you say, bitch,” Blueblood seethed, keeping his voice low.

“No Blueblood, you need to watch what you do,” Beatrix shot back narrowing her eyes, “You don’t want too many people to see, do you?”

Blueblood looked around, and sure enough there were a couple of students watching them. He immediately released her arm.

“What’s gotten into you all of a sudden? First you stop taking my calls, and now you’re talking back to me?” Blueblood asked, face turning red in anger.

“Yes, and I’ll tell you why,” Beatrix got right in Blueblood’s face and pointed her finger right on his chest, “We’re through.”

play song

If there was a single way to describe Blueblood’s expression, god smacked would have been it, “W-what do you mean by that?”

“Exactly what I said,” Beatrix said, “We’re done. Over. You’re no longer my dom. In fact, you were never my dom. All I was to you was someone you could shape into the person you wanted me to be. Someone who was weak, helpless, and in desperate need for validation. You took advantage of that, and while I can blame you till I’m blue in the face,” she closed her eyes and folded her arms, “I’m partially to blame as well. I let you do that to me. Because I was afraid to admit who I was, and I was afraid to embrace my dream. I don’t want to be your pet. I want to be a magician just like my dad.”

Blueblood laughed, “You want to be a magician?! Need I remind you, Beatrix. You don’t have any talent in magic. That’s the whole reason you were so eager to throw yourself at me,” he sneered at her arrogantly, “Without me, you’re never going to be anything. Unless you expect this freak here to validate your poor existence.”

“Oh no. Starlight here isn’t going to validate my existence. I’m the one who does that from now on. She’s just there to get a front row seat to the show, which by the way,” she smiled arrogantly at Blueblood, “What was that part about me not having any magical talent? In case you forgot, I’m a goddamn Lulamoon. Magic is in my very blood.”

“What are you talking about?” Blueblood asked, surprised when Beatrix jumped on top of the bench. Starlight looked around, surprised by how many students were watching this.

“Know what? I think a change is in order,” Beatrix said looking at her outfit in disgust, “I’m tired of dressing like a whore. It’s time I change into something a bit more comfortable.”

What happened next was incredible. Beatrix threw some sort of smoke bomb down and spun around, vanishing in the smoke. A second later, the smoke cleared, and somehow she looked completely different. And goodness did she look amazing.

Instead of the skimpy top Blueblood made her wear, she was wearing a frilly white shirt and bow tie that actually hugged her figure perfectly, and over top was the blue magician’s blazer with black sleeves, black collar, and golden buttons, all of which securely fastened shaping her figure perfectly. Instead of the skimpy mini skirt that barely covered anything and the fishnet stockings, she wore black and golden pants that also hugged her figure perfectly, without showing anything at all. Instead of the high heeled boots, she wore black high heels that matched the ensemble perfectly, and on top of her head was the black top hat. Somehow her make up had changed as well, her lipstick a much lighter and more vibrant red, and her eye shadow was a light blue.

When the smoke cleared, she stood proudly, arms spread out presenting herself to the crowd.

“On this day, I am re-branding myself! No longer am I simply Beatrix Lulamoon! On this day, I am reborn the Great, and Powerful, TRIXIE!!!”

All the students watching gave a round of applause, one so loud and sudden that it made Blueblood jump in surprise. He then looked up at the now renamed Trixie wide eyed.

“Trixie?! But… hold on, how?!” he looked around frantically, “You were outside the entire time! Everyone’s here watching! How did you change clothes like that?!” Trixie burst out laughing, “WHAT IS GOING ON HERE?!”

“You poor soul, the answer is simple,” Trixie tipped her hat with a brilliant smile, “Magic.”

“B-but… you couldn’t do anything like this before! All you knew how to do was slight of hand stuff!” Blueblood cried.

“While true, that was before I met someone who reminded me of who I really am,” she looked down at Starlight and smiled gratefully, “The magic was right there within me the whole time. I just needed to stop telling myself I had no talent and embrace the truth. The only one who was stopping me from being the magician I wanted was me. Well no more!” she jumped down and presented herself to the students, “I am the daughter of the Magnificent Balazar, and he has passed on the secret of his power to me! Thus, I shall spend the rest of my life showing the whole world the truth! That magic is real!”

That earned her another round of applause. Starlight joined in as well, beyond proud of Trixie for embracing who she was. If she was being honest with herself, that named felt more like her anyway.

Trixie turned to Blueblood and walked toward him, “As for you, Blueblood, your days of controlling me are over. In fact, your whole world is going to come crashing down around you,” she got in his face and narrowed her eyes dangerously, “Don’t fuck with a witch, Blueblood.”

She then held out her hand and blew some sparkling dust into Blueblood’s face, making him fall back into the bench. He then started sneezing uncontrollably.

“This isn’t over bitch!” he shouted before sneezing again, “I’ll make sure you-” sneezed again, “You and your freaky goth friend pay-” two more sneezes, “for this humiliation!”

He ran off, sneezing the whole way. Starlight didn’t know what she enjoyed more. Seeing Blueblood completely humiliated, the students all laughing at him, or the brilliant smile on Trixie’s face.

“I did it,” Trixie said looking at her hands, “I used real magic just now, just like my father!” she turned to Starlight and earnestly took her hands, “Thank you so much, Starlight! Thank you for everything!”

Yep. Definitely the smile.

“You’re welcome,” Starlight said, pulling her friend into a loving embrace, “Welcome back, Trixie.”

“It’s great to be back, Starlight,” Trixie said, returning the embrace.

After School

play song

At the end of the day, Starlight and Beatrix were joined by Pinkie Pie and Rainbow Dash. Since she was no longer bound by Blueblood’s commands, she decided to celebrate by treating everyone to ramen. She took them to a place that had opened up in South Street called Kami no Tabemono, which sat next to the local bar, and was run by twin owners, a brother and sister who if Starlight was being honest, seemed a bit too close for mere siblings. Maybe they were just affectionate.

“Alright, so… what do I want?” Rainbow Dash asked looking at the menu.

“Oooh! Maybe we should try the Nine Tailed Kitsune Udon!” Pinkie Pie said excitedly.

“Are you kidding me?! I’m not trying to die! Have you seen what they put in that?!” Rainbow Dash cried. Pinkie Pie looked at her own menu, and her eyes went wide.

“Whoa! Okay, that’s way too bold for me! I think I’ll just have the regular Kitsune Udon then.”

“Same here,” Rainbow Dash turned to Trixie, “Hey Beatrix, are you sure this is okay?”

“Relax, it’s fine. I told you, it’s on me today,” Trixie said jovially, “And it’s “Trixie” now. Beatrix is old news.”

“I definitely like Trixie better,” Starlight said, naturally sitting next to Trixie.

“Thanks. I’m glad you like it,” she looked down smiling sheepishly, “I was nervous about the name change, but I wanted a name that sounded more like a performer, you know? Also, anything to distance myself from Blueblood.”

“So does that mean you’ll be dressing like this from now on?” Pinkie Pie asked, “Cause if I’m being completely honest, this look is so much more you.”

“You think so?” Trixie asked thoughtfully.

“Yeah yeah! And not just because your the daughter of a famous magician and you totally look like him right now! This look just feels more right to me.”

“Although I’m sure a lot of students are going to be pretty disappointed that they can’t see your tits anymore,” Rainbow Dash taunted, “Hell, I’m already missing the view.”

“A ha! I knew you were staring at my tits!” Trixie cried, “I wasn’t sure of it, but I always felt someone’s gaze hitting my chest at breakfast!”

“What can I say? You got a nice rack. I make no apologies for my bisexuality,” Rainbow Dash shrugged, “But I’m totally not going to step on Starlight’s toes.”

Starlight moaned in embarrassment. She wasn’t going to deny it, but her friends teasing didn’t help matters at all.

“Besides, I’m sure there’s a particular Princess here that has her eyes on you,” Trixie said, wagging her eyebrows up and down, “Don’t think I don’t notice how you two are always together.”

“W-what?!” Rainbow Dash cried, cheeks tinted red, “What are you talking about?!”

“Oh Dashie, there’s no need to pretend,” Pinkie Pie said, placing her hands on her cheeks and smiling bashfully, “Everyone knows what’s going on now, so why hide our passion any longer?”

“Yeah, I ship it,” Starlight said, really liking the idea of focus shifting from herself to someone else.

“Ack! You too?!” Rainbow Dash cried helplessly. While everyone laughed jovially, the female twin walked over to their table. She had super long black hair, and like their homeroom teacher wore a kimono that hung off her shoulders, showing off her hefty bosom, hers being black with red flowers on it.

“Hello~! Have all of you decided on your orders?” she said, just a tad to perkily for Starlight’s comfort. Also, that smile she gave rang all of Starlight’s internal alarms, as if she were looking at the devil itself. That, or something else inhuman.

“I think we’re ready to order,” Trixie said.

“Yes! Totally ready to order!” Rainbow Dash cried, earning another wave of laughter from everyone.

The four girls placed their orders, which came only a few minutes later. Starlight had to admit, this was probably the best ramen she’d tried in a while. Looking at the menu, it seemed that they served a lot more than ramen too. She’d have to come here again, assuming she had the courage to walk in by herself.

“So, I hear you guys saw the movie yesterday,” Rainbow Dash said, “What did ya think?”

“I kind of forgot that wasn’t Pinkie Pie,” Trixie said after swallowing some of her ramen, “Seriously, you did an amazing job with that role.”

“Thanks,” Pinkie Pie said bashfully, “That was a fun role to play. Emotional, but fun. You know the part where Princess Victoria cried after her mother’s death? Those weren’t fake tears. I got so into the role that I actually started crying for real.”

“I could believe it,” Starlight said, “I had a lump in my throat the entire time. Especially when your character got captured.”

“Oh my God, that part was really hard for me to do,” Pinkie Pie admitted, “See, I requested to actually be bound during that part so I could really get into the role.”

“Wait… so were you actually screaming for help during that scene?” Trixie asked.

“Kinda sorta,” Pinkie Pie admitted, eating some of her ramen before continuing, “I already told Starlight this, but when I was a kid, I always enjoyed playing pretend. My sisters Maud, Limestone, Marble, and I used to pretend to be our favorite characters in the books we read, and one of those books was The Forgotten Princess.”

“Let me guess,” Rainbow Dash slurped down a few noodles, “You were always Princess Victoria, weren’t you?”

Pinkie Pie nodded, “The first book doesn’t really show it too much, but later on in the series, she gets super tough. I loved pretending to be her, especially since we’d imagine our own adventures, and I always embodied the versions in books 2 through 6. So when I got called in to play her in the movie, I took that as my chance to show the world how I envisioned her. I think that’s why I enjoy Sailor Moon as much as I do,” Pinkie Pie smiled softly, “She’s a princess too, but she’s like what Princess Victoria becomes later on. A Princess that fights for her kingdom.”

“So… you’re doing the sequels, right?” Trixie asked, “I’m sorry, but I can’t see anyone else in that role.”

“Seriously, I wanna see what your version of Princess Victoria is,” Rainbow Dash requested, “I’ve seen that movie like, five times already.”

“I really want to do the sequels,” Pinkie Pie said, “The director said that there are plans to do the entire series, and he wants me to play the leading role,” she sighed, “But my contract is under renegotiation, so we’re waiting until I get the new contract to decide on that.”

Starlight tilted her head confused. She mentioned that yesterday, but what did that mean exactly?

“Well, I’m actually going to be turning eighteen this October, so I’ll be able to take on more adult roles,” Pinkie Pie explained.

“You mean sexier roles?” Trixie asked with a raised eyebrow.

“Ugh! Please don’t turn into one of those celebrities that gets all sex crazed and loses all innocence!” Rainbow Dash begged.

“Don’t worry Rainbow Dash, I don’t plan on completely changing my image,” Pinkie Pie giggled, “The unfortunate thing though, is that sex sells. I kind of do want to do sexier roles in the future, but not at the cost of becoming a full on sex symbol,” she sighed again, “I just wish Fleur understood that…”

Starlight frowned at that. Was someone trying to force Pinkie Pie down that road?

“But this isn’t about me right now! This is about the newly christened Great and Powerful Trixie!” Pinkie Pie cheered.

“The legacy continues!” Rainbow Dash cheered, “Seriously, I was one of your old man’s biggest fans, and was really bummed out when he vanished! So seeing you actually following in his footsteps makes me happy for admittedly all the selfish reasons.”

Trixie laughed, “It’s fine. I’m happy I can follow in his footsteps now too,” she looked at her Channeling Ring, “Wherever he is, I’m sure he’s proud of me.”

“So… how did you do the whole changing clothes thing?” Pinkie Pie asked, “Come on, we’re your friends. You can trust us.”

“Okay, I’ll tell you, but you can’t tell anyone okay?” Trixie said. Pinkie Pie and Rainbow Dash nodded, “Alright, lean in close,” they did as such, “The secret… is that it’s real live magic.”

Rainbow Dash gave Trixie a deadpanned look, “Goddamn magicians. Always being enigmatic.”

“Hey, you asked,” Trixie said, now drinking the broth of her ramen, “Not my fault the answer doesn’t make sense to you yet.”

“That would be cool if it were real though,” Pinkie Pie said wistfully, “That would mean I could fulfill my dream of becoming a Magical Girl.”

“Who knows, you just might,” Trixie said with a knowing smile, “Anything is possible, right Starlight?”

Starlight nodded happily, “That’s right. Never give up your dreams, Pinkie Pie.”

“Don’t get her started,” Rainbow Dash sighed, “Knowing her she’ll actually start fantasizing about becoming a Magical Girl!”

“Hush! I’m picturing my Magical Girl transformation!” Pinkie Pie said, looking up and clearly imagining. As everyone laughed, Starlight and Trixie held hands underneath the table. They knew the truth. Anything was possible.

As such, they were rooting for Pinkie Pie all the way.

Author's Note

So far, this is the one chapter I've had the most fun writing. Also yes, the change in outfit is permanent for Trixie.

sighs in relief Finally I can use her real name... :ajsleepy:

Link to my Patreon

9/11, 9/12

September 11th, 2019
Tuesday
Cloudy

Morning

play song

Starlight was really happy to see Trixie still dressing like a magician the next morning. Somehow the fact that it wasn’t so revealing made her even sexier in Starlight’s eyes. Or maybe now she felt like she could fully take in how beautiful she was without feeling awkward lusting over her body knowing full well she was dressed provocatively for Blueblood’s sake.

One of the two.

Beyond her attire and overall more positive demeanor, not much else had changed about her. For better and for worse sadly. On one hand, this meant she was still teasing Starlight any chance she could about her crush, playfully flirting with her any chance she could. On the other hand though, Starlight could still tell that in a lot of ways Trixie was pretending. Whenever they were alone in their room, Starlight got to see the true Trixie, as she was still having a bit of a time building up her self-esteem, and despite his number being blocked, it looked like she was still afraid Blueblood would call her.

Thankfully she had Starlight there to take charge.

As they walked to school together, they heard a few girls talking in front of them, “Pep Squad tryouts are starting today! Think you’re going to enter?”

“With Suri as the leader? No way! She’s a witch with a capital B. I hear she’s super strict about who she lets in.”

“Yeah, but being near her combined with the motions would probably make you more graceful overall.”

“Are you saying I’m not graceful?!”

Starlight tuned out the rest of their conversation, letting her mind wander a bit. Joining the Pep Squad, huh?

“Can you dance?” Trixie asked, startling Starlight a bit.

“Kinda sorta,” Starlight admitted, “But I’ve never really been the most graceful person naturally.”

“Really? Cause you’re hella graceful in the you-know-where.”

“That’s different. In there I go off of dream logic, so I can do anything. Out here in the real world though, I don’t know...”

Trixie looked down thoughtfully, “Hey, what if we just use the Akashic Records? Remember that book I found on dancing like Michael Jackson?” Starlight nodded, “Well, I might have gleamed it a bit along with my father’s book. How do you think I did that epic spin?”

Starlight did wonder where she saw that from. She was a huge Michael Jackson fan before he died, and she remembered he’d do really long spins like that in his music videos.

“That was just from reading a bit on his style. Now, imagine what you’d be able to do if you took an entire book on sexy dance moves.”

“I’ve only ever used the Akashic Records to learn more about magic,” Starlight admitted sheepishly, “Anything else… kind of just felt wrong to me…”

“That place is a well of infinite knowledge, and Twilight herself did say we could use that to learn anything instantly. That was how you learned your psychic empathy. Why not this too? It’ll give you an incredible edge. And why shouldn’t you have an edge,” she held up Starlight’s Channeling Ring, “We are witches now, after all.”

There she was throwing her own logic back at her. Still, she raised a valid point. They were witches now, so maybe she should start taking advantage of her magic more.

“Tell you what. Let’s go watch the tryouts today, and you can decide how you want to do it then.”

“You just want to see me dance around in a short skirt,” Starlight said smirking. Trixie looked up with a smile.

“Whaaaaat? Now why would I want that, Starlight?” she asked, obviously feigning oblivion. The two girls laughed and joked the rest of the way to school.

Day time

Math, taught by Ms. Harshwhinny, was a drag as per usual. No small part thanks to how grating Harshwhinny’s voice was. Still, Starlight forced herself to not fall asleep in class and listen to the lecture. She felt like she learned something afterward, like her intelligence shot up to be more alert.

end song

After School

It took a bit to reach the gym. Thankfully she had Trixie with her, otherwise Starlight wasn’t going to find this place herself. She and Trixie sat on the bleachers watching the tryouts, which so far hadn’t impressed anyone. These girls couldn’t dance at all. It seemed that most of them thought they could get by with just their looks.

“Ugh! This is intolerable,” the Pep Squad leader, a dark purple haired girl named Suri, fussed, “I swear, if I have to sit through another talentless bimbo try to dance like Shakira, I’m going to throw a fit.”

“Um… please don’t do that, Suri,” a demure girl with short blue hair begged, “Please.”

Suri sighed, “As long as someone here shows me they can dance, NEXT!”

The next girl walking up caught Starlight’s attention. She had long magenta hair with a white highlight, and wore a light purple and golden dress that was quite short, golden jacket, white high heeled boots, and an honest to God tiara on her head. Her make-up was flawless, light pink lipstick and super light purple eye shadow.

Pinkie Pie may have played a princess in that movie, but this girl looked like the genuine article.

“Let’s see here,” Suri looked at the list, “Diamond Tiara from the Junior class?” the older girl rolled her eyes, “Ugh, just hurry this up so I can get back to my dorm, please.”

The girl, Diamond Tiara apparently, looked up at Starlight and Trixie, giving them a wink. Starlight was surprised by how confident she was, even in the face of a bitch like Suri.

play song

The music started, a slow and almost mysterious beat, and Diamond Tiara started moving slowly to the music. As the tempo increased, her moves became more intense and sexy, but she still kept things slow, only giving it her all once the course came on.

And boy was her best the best they’d seen thus far.

The way she moved her hips, bent forward, throwing her hair (somehow not losing her headpiece) and the sultry smile on her face, almost like she was enticing Suri and the other girls judging her. Honestly, seeing her dance was hypnotic. Her dance was both graceful and incredibly sexy, putting every girl before her to shame.

“That girl is good,” Trixie whispered. Starlight nodded in agreement.

As the music seemed to hit the climax, Diamond Tiara threw everything she had into her dance, completely losing herself to the music but not once losing her sense of grace. As the song came to a close, she gave a sexy pose to the judges, smirking at them in a way that just screamed “I won”.

And based on how far the judges jaws dropped, she might have been right.

“Now that’s what I’m talking about!” Suri cheered, “Finally someone with real talent!” she then caught herself, and cleared her throat regaining composure, “Um, keep an eye out for the results. They’ll be put up on Thursday.”

“Thank you so much,” Diamond Tiara said. She walked away flipping her hair, her walk one that was filled with confidence.

“That girl is on a whole different level,” Trixie breathed out, just as taken aback as Starlight. She really wanted to get to know her better.

play song

“Were you two planning on trying out too?”

Both Starlight and Trixie looked back at the judges, Suri looking right at them narrowing her eyes.

“Oh, Blueblood’s whore and the girl who tried to kill herself. What a pair,”

“Ah, correction, Blueblood’s ex-whore, thank you very much,” Trixie shot back, not missing a beat, “And my friend here has a name.”

“Ah, right. What was it again? Starshine Glitter or something?” Suri asked dismissively.

Starlight thought about calling this bitch out, and part of her felt that she should. Sadly, she wasn’t nearly bold enough to do so, thus resorted to being the bigger person.

“It’s Starlight Glimmer,” she corrected, “And I was considering trying out.”

Suri laughed, “Oh really? Well, if you think you’ve got the guts to try out, come back tomorrow. Try not to get your feelings hurt,” she walked off laughing out loud, the blue haired girl and their friend following closely.

“You have to get in,” Trixie seethed, “Just to shut that bitch up.”

Starlight nodded in agreement. The last thing she was going to do was let that brunette bitch get a leg up on her.

play song

“OMG, she’s like, the worst isn’t she?” they heard behind them. Starlight and Trixie turned around and saw Diamond Tiara walking over to them, “Diamond Tiara. Please, hold for autographs. I only sign those on weekends.”

Despite seeming just as intolerable, there was a gentleness in her demeanor. When she held out her hand, Starlight gladly shook it.

“Starlight Glimmer. It’s nice to meet you,” Starlight said with a smile.

“Trixie Lulamoon,” Trixie introduced herself, also shaking Diamond Tiara’s hand.

“Oh, I know who you are,” Diamond Tiara said, “You’re the daughter of the Magnificent Balazar. I totally saw that thing you did yesterday. Hilarious! Especially when you made that guy run off sneezing.”

Trixie laughed remembering it fondly, “Yeah… that was fun.”

“And everyone in the school’s heard about you, Starlight,” Diamond Tiara said turning to Starlight, “Don’t worry though, I’m not like Suri. I don’t put down those less fortunate than I. I prefer to lift people up from on high,” she continued, placing a hand on her chest.

“Thanks, I… think…?” Starlight said/asked. This Diamond Tiara was hard to read. She didn’t seem like a bad person though. Just really in love with herself.

“You’re trying out tomorrow, right?” Diamond Tiara asked, “Just give it your all, okay? Seriously, you can’t do much worse than those other girls that came before me. I’ve seen how you carry yourself. You’re almost like a Queen,” she flipped her hair arrogantly, “Almost.”

Again, she wasn’t sure if this girl was lifting her up or also being a bitch.

“Strong opinions of one’s self aside, you were amazing,” Trixie said, “Where did you learn to dance like that?”

“A combination of ballet, and watching way too many music videos,” she looked around making sure no one else was listening, “And I might have ordered a video on exotic dancing.”

“Seriously?! But, you’re only like seventeen!” Trixie cried in shock. Diamond Tiara laughed.

“I know, right?! If Daddy knew about that, he'd have a fit for sure!” Diamond Tiara said just a bit too perkily. Still, Starlight couldn’t help but feel like despite having a very skewed sense of morality, she couldn’t help but feel a sort of connection form between her and Diamond Tiara.

play song

Thou art I… and I am thou…

Thou hast established a new bond…

This bond shalt become the stairway to thy ascension…

Thou shalt be blessed when creating Persona of the Priestess Arcana…

play song

“Well, I better get going. Daddy still doesn’t know I did this, so he’s expecting me back at the mansion. I’ll be there rooting for you, Starlight~” Diamond Tiara sashayed away, flipping her hair again as she left.

“That girl is a character for sure,” Trixie said.

Starlight was inclined to agree, but like with Trixie, she could kind of sense something behind that confidence. Something in how readily she seemed to do something that would have gotten her into trouble. Well, there was no point in staying at school any longer, so Starlight and Beatrix began making their way back to the dorm.

Late Night

The Phase

play song

After letting Celestia know they were going into the Phase to look for a book, the two witches went to sleep wearing the Channeling Rings, appearing in the main lobby of the Akashic Records. To their surprise, Twilight’s wisp flew down in front of them.

“Ms. Tia mentioned you were looking for books, right?” Twilight asked. Starlight told Twilight what she was looking for, immediately able to feel her deadpanned glare even through the wisp, “Seriously? You’re going into the Phase for that?”

“Look, there’s this bitch in school who’s totally going to give Starlight a rough time unless she’s able to shake it like Beyonce. You’re a girl, so you know how it is, right?” Trixie asked.

“I was home schooled my entire life. That, and I have a genius IQ, so regular High School is beneath me,” Twilight explained, clear pride in her voice. Trixie folded her arms giving the most adorable pout.

“Well you’re just a special little snowflake, eh Twi-Twi?”

“Twilight! My name is Twilight!” Twilight fussed, her wisp bouncing up and down, “Ugh, anyway, are you serious about doing it like this?”

“I am, if for no other reason than curiosity,” Starlight shrugged. She did want to show Suri, but she more so was doing this to test the true limits of the Akashic Records.

“Well, I can definitely relate to that. Fine, give me a second. You’re looking to be able to dance sexy, right?” Starlight nodded, and Twilight got to work, apparently typing on her keyboard, “Alright, follow me.”

Twilight floated off, going deeper into the Phase past the door leading to Elysium. She stopped in front of a shelf that had a number of books on dancing.

“So it depends on what kind of sexy you’re going for. Do you want cute sexy?”

“No way,” Trixie shook her head, “That’s not going to get Suri’s attention. Starlight needs to be hot.”

“Okay, so something a bit hotter. How about pole dancing?”

Both Starlight and Trixie’s faces turned beet red, “Are you crazy?!”

“What? You said hot, and that’s one of the hottest things I see here.”

“We want hot enough to make boys sweat when they see her, not hot enough to set off the sprinklers!”

“Okay okay, got it. So we’re not trying to turn Starlight into a porn star.”

“Jesus Christ…” Trixie rubbed her eyes. Starlight didn’t want to admit that she was slightly interested in that book.

“Well, if you want something that I’m sure will surprise everyone, why not Belly Dancing?” Twilight suggested, “I doubt anyone at school’s going to actually be able to dance like that professionally.”

“We sure as hell saw a bunch of girls try to belly dance,” Trixie said rolling her eyes, “What do you think Starlight? Go for belly dancing?”

“I dunno,” Starlight said thoughtfully, “Pole dancing is sounding really nice.” The deep red Trixie’s face turned made saying that so worth it.

“W-what?! Starlight, come on! That’s way too sexy, and you know it!” she cried, turning to the side, “Even if I kind of want to see that myself…”

Starlight laughed, deciding to go for belly dancing ultimately. She was going to choose that one, but she wanted to get a rise out of Trixie.

The book floated down to Starlight as she held out her hands to claim it. She opened the first few pages and started looking at it, feeling the information meld with her being. Looked like she had the perfect body for it, and since her typical dress hugged her figure so nicely all of her moves would come through.

“What do you think?” Trixie asked, “Think this will work?”

“Oh yeah, I’m sure it’ll work,” Starlight smirked. Suri wouldn’t know what hit her.

“If it doesn’t, you could always still go for pole dancing,” Twilight pointed out.

“We’re not turning Starlight into a pole dancer!” Trixie cried, once again her face red with embarrassment. Starlight was definitely coming back for that book later.

For research.

September 12th, 2019
Wednesday
Cloudy/Chance of PM showers

Morning

play song

This time when Starlight and Trixie approached the gate, they saw Diamond Tiara waiting for them. She gave them a smirk before walking over to them.

“So, still gonna tryout?” Diamond Tiara asked Starlight, who immediately nodded, “Great! I was hoping you’d say that. I heard Suri talking about you on the way in just a bit ago. Seems someone thinks you’re going to embarrass yourself.”

“Oh, is that so?” Trixie asked with a knowing smile, “Well she’s in for a surprise after school. Starlight’s got a few hidden talents, after all.”

Starlight giggled to herself, almost impishly. She loved being a witch.

“You’ll be there watching, right?” Starlight asked Diamond Tiara.

“Well duh! I like, totally have to be there to see the look on Suri’s face right before you melt it clean off!”

The first bell rang, alerting the girls it was time for homeroom. This promised to be a really good day, all things considered.

After School

play song

Starlight and Trixie met Diamond Tiara right outside the gym, and the three of them went over to the sign in sheet. Starlight was about to sign her name, but Diamond Tiara stopped her.

“No no no no no, you don’t want to sign your name yet,” Diamond Tiara said, confusing Starlight, “You want to go last. That way, all the no talented pleebs can go first, making you look even better.”

“That’s why you went last yesterday?” Starlight asked. Diamond Tiara gave an arrogant laugh, the kind only a true rich girl could give.

“But of course~! They’re all going to humiliate themselves anyway, so at least give them the pleasure of getting it out of the way!”

“You sound like you’re doing them a favor,” Trixie said deadpanned.

“Well it’s either that or make them wait to humiliate themselves,” Diamond Tiara shrugged, “Trust me, they already know they’re terrible. They’re just hoping that if they shake their tits and asses enough they’ll get by on their good looks.”

As she said that, two girls walked by them and signed their names. Just based on how they were dressed, even Starlight could tell they were desperate.

“Just follow my lead, and you’ll make it in for sure, alright?” Diamond Tiara asked. Starlight turned to Trixie, who shrugged, silently saying “why not?” Starlight chose to follow Diamond Tiara’s suggestion and waited until it looked like no one else was coming in before signing her name.

Just as Diamond Tiara predicted, most of the girls couldn’t dance at all. There were a couple of outliers, but they were scattered, and overall Suri didn’t look impressed in the slightest. It did have the side effect of making Starlight more confident in her dance coming up, though.

“Looks like you’re next,” Trixie said in the seat above Starlight, “Ready for this?”

Starlight took a deep breath and nodded. Despite gaining the knowledge from the Akashic Records, she was still really nervous.

“You can do it,” Diamond Tiara said giving Starlight a pat on the shoulder, “Break a leg.”

Coming from her, Starlight wasn’t put at ease hearing that. Still, she could tell that Diamond Tiara was genuinely rooting for her.

Starlight walked onto the middle of the gym, waiting for Suri to tell her to start.

“Well, looks like you had the guts to show after all,” Suri taunted, giving Starlight a smirk that sent a chill down her spine, “On the bright side, you’re last, so you can’t possibly humiliate yourself worse than everyone else.”

“Can you play the music?” Starlight asked seriously, “I’d like to start, please.”

play song

Suri raised her hands in surrender, playing a very active beat on her radio. Immediately Starlight started moving to the music, letting her instincts guide her. She didn’t want to focus on Suri right now, so instead chose to lose herself to the music.

She was amazed by how easily she found it to move.

The music wasn’t the kind one would typically belly dance to, but that was okay. That kind of added to her excitement. In the Akashic Records, she also read a book on modern dancing, thus her dance was a combination of modern and belly dancing.

During the rap sections of the music, she switched to more of the modern dancing style, still relying on belly dancing to know how to move her hips. In her head, she imagined that she was dancing solely for Trixie, which seemed to inspire her even more. At one point before the chorus, she briefly turned to Trixie, winking at her. Based on how Trixie's face turned red, it had the desired effect.

Toward the end of the song, she got a little more bold, throwing her hair around a bit, bending forward and slowly coming up, and at one point even walked over to Suri’s desk and arrogantly flipped her hair almost in her face like Diamond Tiara would. At the end of the dance, she turned her back to the judges and looked at them, hands on her hips seductively, and even blew them a kiss.

Oh my God, I have no idea how good I did! I hope I didn’t just make a fool of myself!

Suri, the blue haired girl Starlight eventually learned was named Coco, and the third girl, all had wide eyes looking at Starlight. No one was saying anything, which did not help Starlight’s confidence at all. She was either extremely good, or ungodly bad.

After a few more seconds of silence, Coco gave Starlight her answer by clapping. The third girl that was still unnamed followed, and even Suri couldn’t hold in her applause.

“Okay. I stand corrected. That was impressive,” Suri said, trying her damnest to not say that Starlight blew her away, “Um, results will be up on the bulletin board tomorrow after school.”

“Thank you,” Starlight said, bowing to the judges before walking over to her friends, swaying her hips a bit as Morgana crept out from within her subconscious. Both Trixie and Diamond Tiara had the same shocked look on their faces.

play song

“That… was… um…” Trixie stammered.

“I take it you liked it?” Starlight asked, leaning in close to Trixie with probably the sexiest smirk ever, with how Trixie covered her eyes with her hat to hide how red her face was.

“Mm hm! I-i-it was good! It was really good!” Trixie chirped. That confirmed it. If she didn’t have a crush on Starlight before, she definitely got her attention now.

Starlight was not upset about this in the slightest.

“Oh, my, God,” Diamond Tiara breathed out fanning herself, “And here I thought my dance was sexy. I should have come to you for pointers first.”

Starlight shook her head, “Don’t sell yourself short. You were really hot yesterday. I’m sure you’ll make it in.”

Diamond Tiara flipped her hair arrogantly, “Damn right I’m in. But… thanks for the compliment.”

Despite her keeping the same bratty demeanor, Starlight could tell Diamond Tiara appreciated her words.

“They better put you in too,” Diamond Tiara said, “Together, we’ll take over the entire Pep Squad for sure!”

“Are you seriously going for that?” Trixie asked, both she and Starlight afraid of the answer.

“But of course! Always aim for the top! That’s what Daddy always tells me!” Diamond Tiara said with an arrogant laugh. She was clearly a spoiled brat, but Starlight could definitely feel her genuine kindness behind the slightly bitchy exterior. She felt a little closer to Diamond Tiara.

Diamond’s phone rang, stealing her attention. Starlight wasn’t surprised in the slightest that it had diamonds etched all around it.

“Hello?” she said turning her back to Starlight and Trixie, “Hi Daddy! Guess what I did~ I joined the Pep Squa-” she was cut off by someone speaking very stoically, “Y-yes, I passed the test, but-” her father continued speaking, whatever he was saying making Diamond Tiara wilt more and more, “Yes Daddy. I know. I won’t let it interfere with my studies,” she sighed, “Yes. I’ll see you at home. I-” the person hung up, “love you…”

She looked at her phone somewhat darkly. Starlight turned to Trixie, who seemed to share her concern. Starlight slowly reached for Diamond Tiara, placing her hand on her shoulder.

He didn’t even notice…

That was not what she expected to feel. While she knew that she was sad about something, based on her heart it felt like she was on the verge of tears. She turned back around to Starlight and Trixie, just as upbeat as ever.

“Well whatever. I’m still going to become Queen of the Pep Squad,” she said flipping her hair arrogantly, “Starlight, let’s both do our best, alright?” Starlight nodded, hiding how concerned she was, “See you two later~”

Diamond Tiara walked off, flipping her hair again as she sashayed away like a super model as per usual. Starlight looked down folding her arms seriously.

“What did you feel?” Trixie asked. Starlight told her what she felt from Diamond Tiara, and how much it concerned her, “Hm… we better tell Twi-Twi and Ms. Tia about this. She might have a Dungeon.”

Starlight nodded, resolving to do whatever it took to help Diamond Tiara. If she did have a Dungeon, she and Trixie needed to do something about this.

Late Night

play song

After filling both Celestia and Twilight in on things, Twilight got to work searching The Phase for Diamond Tiara’s signature. After a while however, she shook her head.

“Nope. Nothing’s coming up,” she spun her chair back toward the group, “No Dungeon is appearing under the name “Diamond Tiara”.”

“Then maybe it’s a false alarm?” Trixie asked folding her arms thoughtfully.

“I don’t know. Her sadness felt really potent,” Starlight said, “She felt almost like how you did when I touched you the first time, just not as urgent.”

“Well, my computer doesn’t lie,” Twilight said leaning back in her chair, “That girl doesn’t have a Dungeon.”

“Not yet, at least,” Celestia said, standing by the window with an air of tension hanging over her.

“Ms. Tia?” Twilight asked. Celestia turned to Starlight and her friends with a grave expression.

“We still don’t know how Dungeons manifest. For all we know, she could be showing the early signs of one forming. If that is the case, her life could very well be in danger. Tomorrow night, I want the three of you to start looking into Elysium.”

That was sudden. Starlight kind of wondered why, but she figured it was because it felt like a shared Dungeon.

“Even though we only have two Persona Users?” Trixie asked.

“As long as the three of you support each other like you’ve been, you should be fine for the most part,” she looked to the side concerned, “I would like to get at least one to two more Persona Users before we start climbing too high, but for now, this should be fine. I have a theory that place might be intimately connected to the Nightmare Epidemic, and if so, the sooner we make progress the better off we'll be.”

“We can do this,” Starlight said confidently, surprising everyone there, “I… I believe in us.”

Trixie smiled hearing that and stepped forward, taking Starlight’s hand, “If she’s confident, then I believe we can do this too.”

Twilight sighed rubbing her eyes, “Well, it’s not like my vote would matter too much in this anyway, so I guess I’m in too.”

“Your vote does matter to me, Twilight,” Starlight said smiling at Twilight, who averted her eyes away from Starlight.

“W-well, thanks I guess, but either way I’d be outvoted. Besides, whatever Ms. Tia says I’ll follow.”

Celestia smiled warmly at all three of them, “You seem to be getting along much better these days. I feel confident you three will be fine in there.”

Starlight could feel it too. Despite Twilight being Twilight about it, she felt a lot closer to her team as a whole.

Starlight and Trixie said goodnight to Twilight and Celestia and went off to bed, resting to make sure they’d be ready for tomorrow.

Author's Note

Fool Arcana: 2/10 - Level Up!
Magician Arcana: 2/10
Priestess Arcana: 2/10 - Level Up!

Please support my Patreon to help fund my campaign for world domination.

9/13

September 13th, 2019
Thursday
Raining

Trixie went on ahead of Starlight to spend some time in the library before class, which Starlight didn’t mind at all. Unlike Blueblood, she didn’t need Trixie to be tied to her at the hip 24/7, and it was nice seeing Trixie go back to what she assumed was her typical routine. Also, it was raining today, so Starlight wanted to take some time and enjoy the sound of it as she walked to school.

After taking a quick shower, Starlight got dressed and headed downstairs. She expected to be the last one to leave the dorm, but was surprised to see Pinkie Pie talking on her cellphone. She had her back turned to the stairs, and based on her body language was having a pretty serious talk with someone.

“I know you’re trying to help, Fleur, but I-” she was cut off by whoever she was talking to, “N-no, it’s not that. I’m just not sure I’m ready to do a photo shoot like that,” the person on the phone continued, “D-do you really think so? I mean, thank you for that. My birthday isn’t until next month though, so will they-” cut off again, Pinkie Pie sighed a bit before speaking again, “A-alright. If you really think so. Um… I’ll call you after my test.”

Starlight slowly approached Pinkie Pie as she hung up her phone. She seemed really tense. Starlight debated on whether or not to use her empathy to check her mental state, but Pinkie Pie turned around before she could.

“Oh, Starlight! I didn’t know you were still here,” she said, her typical perkiness audible in her voice again. Starlight wasn’t buying it though.

play song

“Is everything okay, Pinkie Pie?” Starlight asked, “I heard a bit of that, and you sounded really nervous a bit ago.”

“Pfft, yeah, I’m fine Starlight,” Pinkie Pie lied, “My agent just called me about a photo shoot she signed me up for. She said it’s a means of testing the waters of the new contract.”

“Isn’t it a little early for that?” Starlight asked, hearing Rainbow Dash come downstairs behind her, “I mean, you haven’t signed anything yet, right?”

“N-not yet,” Pinkie Pie averted her eyes, “But… Fleur’s only trying to look out for me. I mean, I do need a push every so often.”

Something about this did not feel right to Starlight. The way she said that gave Starlight familiar vibes, and she wasn’t happy where they were coming from in the slightest.

“Hey Pinkie Pie,” Rainbow Dash walked over to them, “Are you okay?”

Pinkie Pie huffed playfully, “Yes Dashie, I’m fine. Seriously, why is everyone asking me that today?”

“I don’t know why Starlight asked you,” Rainbow Dash said briefly glancing in Starlight’s direction, “But this morning I saw something I’m not sure I liked. Pinkie Pie, were you having a nightmare or something?”

Pinkie Pie’s eyes widened briefly before she averted them, twirling her hair absently, “Well… it was a bit of a nightmare, but nothing serious. I get those sometimes.”

No, no, no… not her too. She couldn’t have been…

Rainbow Dash sighed, “Pinkie Pie, I know what I saw. You were crying when you woke up this morning. If you need to talk-”

“No!” Pinkie Pie cried suddenly before catching herself, “I mean… I promise, Dashie. I’m okay. I need to get to school.”

She pushed past Starlight and Rainbow Dash, lightly brushing against Starlight’s arm.

Dashie…! Please help me…!

Starlight’s heart started beating like crazy feeling that. It was just like Trixie. Did Pinkie Pie have it now too…?

“Pinkie Pie, wait!” Rainbow Dash called out as Pinkie Pie quickly signed herself out and ran out of the dorm. Rainbow Dash tightened her fists in frustration, “Damn it…! I need to make sure I’m wrong about this…!”

“Rainbow Dash…?” Starlight asked nervously. Rainbow Dash took a deep breath, forcing herself to relax.

“I’m sure it’s nothing. Just… keep an eye on her during homeroom, alright?” Rainbow Dash requested. Starlight nodded, telling Rainbow Dash she’d help keep Pinkie Pie safe. Oddly though, that didn’t seem to ease Rainbow Dash too much, “I’m sure it’s nothing, okay? But… thanks I guess. I’ll see ya after school.”

Rainbow Dash turned back to Starlight and patted her on the shoulder to reassure her. Instead, the opposite happened when they touched.

I have to keep her safe! I’m the only one who knows!

Urgency, a sense of duty, something that she did not expect from Rainbow Dash. She quickly signed herself out, and left the dorm, leaving Starlight alone with her thoughts. Thoughts that were filled with concern for both of her dorm mates.

Did they… both have it…?

end song

After School

Naturally, Starlight told Trixie about what she sensed off of them as soon as she saw her, and she was just as concerned. Together, they kept an eye on both of them throughout the day, Starlight focusing on Pinkie Pie and Trixie focusing on Rainbow Dash.

After final period ended, Starlight and Trixie turned to Pinkie Pie, who was slowly packing up her books for class. Starlight called out to Pinkie Pie, asking her if she wanted to hang out with her and Trixie.

“Oh, um, sorry girls. I need to get some studying done for my math test. I’ll um…”

“Why don’t we study together then?” Trixie asked as Pinkie Pie rose from her desk, “All three of us have Harshwhinny, so we’ll probably have similar tests.”

“I… I don’t…” Pinkie Pie looked away nervously.

“Actually, I’ll call Dash too,” Trixie said pulling out her cellphone, “I know she needs-”

play song

Pinkie Pie rushed over to Trixie suddenly, “Don’t call Dashie! Please!”

“Whoa!” Trixie cried, “Pinkie Pie, are you-”

“I’m fine! I just…” Pinkie Pie cut herself off, looking down nervously, and it looked like she was trembling.

Starlight turned to the front of the classroom and saw Celestia looking right at them, frowning ever so slightly.

Pinkie Pie composed herself and turned her back to them, “I need to get back to the dorm. I-I’ll see you later…”

Pinkie Pie rushed to her desk, quickly grabbing her books and ran out, just as Rainbow Dash walked into the classroom.

“Pinkie Pie wai-” she didn’t even stop, and actually pushed past Rainbow Dash rushing out, “Pinkie Pie!”

“Hey, are you two okay?” Trixie asked, she and Starlight getting up and walking over to Rainbow Dash.

“That’s what I need to know…” Rainbow Dash growled in frustration, “I’ll talk to you two later. I need to try and catch Pinkie Pie.”

Rainbow Dash rushed off before anyone could say anything. Starlight’s heart was racing. This looked way too familiar.

“They have it,” Trixie said under her breath, “That’s how I was, right?” Starlight nodded, biting her lip nervously, “Ms. Tia! Did you see-”

“I did,” Celestia said walking over to them, “It’s too early to tell just yet though.”

“But you saw them, didn’t you?!” Trixie cried, “They both looked like me when I had it!” Celestia held up her hand, calming both girls.

“I know how you feel, Trixie. Trust me, I’m just as concerned as you are, but we still don’t have enough information. Right now, you two need to focus on Elysium.”

Trixie looked down and sighed in frustration, “Yes Ms. Tia. I understand,” Trixie turned to Starlight, “I’m gonna head back to the dorm. See if I can calm my nerves for tonight. I’ll see you inside.”

Starlight nodded as Trixie left, and then turned to Celestia. She looked beside herself with worry.

“I pray that this is another false alarm…” she said quietly. Starlight took her hand and gently squeezed it, comforting her like last time, “Thank you, Starlight. I’ll be alright though. Be careful in the Phase tonight, okay?”

“I will,” Starlight said, trying to hide how worried she was about Pinkie Pie and Rainbow Dash. Celestia must have caught on, because she pulled Starlight into a warm and maternal embrace.

“Calm yourself, my child,” Celestia spoke gently, “If they do have the Nightmare Epidemic, we’ll save both of them.”

Starlight nodded, feeling Celestia’s maternal love course through her. She felt like she and Celestia got significantly closer in that moment. After enjoying the closeness for a few more seconds, Starlight grabbed her books and went downstairs to leave. She needed to get ready for her mission tonight.

play song

“Starlight, wait!” someone called just as she was about to head outside. She turned to see Diamond Tiara running up to her, “Hey, you okay? You look like, totally spaced out right now,” she didn’t know about any of this, and she wasn’t about to try and explain it. Still, she didn’t want to be rude.

“Just… a bit concerned about a friend,” Starlight said, choosing to leave it at that. To her credit, Diamond Tiara nodded in understanding.

“Ah, okay. Well, maybe this can cheer you up. We’re in!” she beamed. It took a second for Starlight to remember, but when she did her heart did lift a bit in excitement.

“We’re in the Pep Squad?” Starlight asked. Diamond Tiara nodded excitedly.

“Both of us made it in! Also, we’re at the top of the list! Seems Suri was a bit more impressed than she let on,” Diamond Tiara said smirking, “I don’t wanna hold you too long, but know that Pep Squad practice is apparently on Tuesday and Thursday, starting next week.”

Starlight was internally really happy that practice wasn’t happening today. She didn’t feel like being around too many people right now with the mood she was actually in. She thanked Diamond Tiara, who hugged her gently.

“No problem. You’re my right hand for when I take over the Pep Squad~” she said jovially, “Feel better, okay Starlight?”

Starlight thanked Diamond Tiara, and watched as she sashayed out of the school, as always flipping her hair arrogantly. Feeling a bit better, Starlight decided to head into town for a bit to calm her nerves.

play song

Since it was raining, Starlight figured it would be a good day to head into someplace quiet and study a bit for her Math Test. She decided to head into the Kami no Tabemono shop, which wasn’t too full at the moment. The owners still gave her the willies, but she liked the quiet and cozy air of the place.

After a bit of studying, she looked at her menu, deciding she wanted to order something. She looked at that one dish, the Nine-Tailed Kitsune Udon. Apparently, it was made with nine different chilies, and was one of a few dishes that was off to the side on the menu.

“Curious about the challenges?” a male voice asked, making Starlight jump with a start. She looked to see the male twin owner standing over her with the same kind of smile as his sister. One that screamed of mischief. It put her in the mind of Victor, only not lust filled.

“Challenges?” Starlight asked.

“My sister and I like to test our customer’s resolve, so we have special dishes that are advanced versions of our normal ones,” he explained, “If you can finish the whole dish, you eat for free.”

Starlight looked at the price for the Nine-Tailed Kitsune Udon, and then checked her balance on her phone. It was in her budget if she wasn’t able to finish it, but how bad could it be? She liked spicy foods anyway.

“I’ll try the Nine-Tailed Kitsune Udon,” Starlight said, feeling confident in her chances. The way the owner smiled sent a chill down her spine, however.

“Perfect,” he said, “Izumi, prepare the first challenge.”

“Yes brother~” his twin sister, Izumi apparently, said perkily, skipping off into the kitchen to prepare the dish. She seemed just a bit too excited for this for Starlight’s comfort.

A few minutes later, right after Starlight finished all of her studying, Izumi came back, carrying a bowl of ramen and setting it down in front of her. Starlight’s eyes were already watering from the smell alone. It looked just like the Kitsune Udon, only the noodles were red, as was the broth they were sitting in. She also saw pits of jalapeno peppers floating in the broth. This didn’t look safe to eat at all.

Izumi handed Starlight a pair of rubber gloves, “You’ll need these,” she said with an all too friendly smirk, “Good luck~”

Starlight slowly took the gloves, thanking Izumi and watching her skip away. She then looked back at her food and swallowed nervously. She’d have to gather up all of her courage to finish this dish.

She took a deep breath, put the gloves on for safety, and carefully began diving into the dish. It occurred to her almost immediately that she might have made a terrible mistake.

play song

The first mouthful of noodles actually burned a bit going down, and she could still feel the spices on her tongue. Even after waiting a few seconds, her tongue still burned a good bit, and that was from just one mouthful!

Starlight could feel eyes on her. She turned to the counter, and saw both twins looking right at her. It felt almost like they were testing her. Maybe they were testing her. Knowing that, she couldn't chicken out now.

She swallowed nervously (even her saliva burned a bit) and ate a few more noodles. Her chest started burning a bit. It was almost like when Morgana first manifested from within her, only this didn’t feel empowering. She almost felt like she was going to die all over again.

No! I can do this! I’m a witch, so I can handle this!

She tried a bit more. Her eyes were watering so much now, and she wasn’t sure she could feel her tongue anymore. This couldn’t be legal, making food this spicy! Still, she powered through as much as possible, not even because she wanted to eat for free. She just needed to prove to herself that she could do this.

The room was spinning a bit. Her head was getting lighter. She looked at herself and started seeing her witch attire appear over her clothes. When she looked at the owners, she actually saw what appeared to be a pair of red fox ears on both of their heads.

Shoot! She was starting to hallucinate!

She went back to her meal, which she could have sworn was bubbling a bit. Was she even still awake, or was she having an out of body experience right now? She couldn’t tell what was real anymore. What even was reality? Maybe Pinkie Pie was right, and she actually was just the main character of an anime.

Starlight gathered her courage and went in for another bite. Everything was fading around her. The world was disappearing as she kept eating. She couldn’t feel her tongue anymore, her eyes were watering so much, she felt like she was crying from how spicy this was. She kept going, eating more and more, until her entire world went dark.

“Looks like you lose this time~” Izumi voice echoed in the darkness.

play song

When Starlight came to, it was getting dark. She felt her head resting on something soft and warm like a pillow, and someone was lightly petting her head.

“Not bad for your first time.”

Starlight opened her eyes, seeing the male twin sitting in the seat across from her. Curious as to where her head was, she looked up a bit and saw Izumi smiling gently. That soft warm pillow was her breasts.

“Comfy?” Izumi asked. Starlight felt a warm blush form on her cheeks as she slowly sat up. Honestly, that was comfortable.

“Drink this,” her brother said, pushing a cup of tea in front of her, “Don’t worry, it’s not going to hurt you. It’s an herbal tea meant to heal you.”

Starlight thanked him and drank the tea. It went down incredibly easy, and she could feel her throat healing. She apologized to both of them for not being able to finish.

“Don’t worry, we knew you weren’t going to make it,” Izumi admitted, “You’re not strong enough yet to finish the whole dish. Iruka and I wanted to see how far you’d get.”

“I’m impressed with how well you did, though,” Iruka said, pulling her dish over to him examining it, “Looks like you at least managed to eat a fourth of it, which is more than most customers can say even on their seventh attempt.”

“Still, a deal’s a deal,” Izumi pulled the check out from between her breasts and placed it in front of Starlight, “Try again anytime. Who knows, you might be the one we’ve been waiting for.”

Starlight wasn’t sure what she meant by that, but she thanked both of them and happily paid for the meal. Somehow, she felt a good bit more courageous, and oddly enough a bit more popular as well.

Checking to see how late it was, she hadn’t missed curfew yet. She bade farewell to Iruka and Izumi, and made her way back to the dorm. She was definitely trying that again one day. No way was she going to let that beat her.

Late Night

The Phase

play song

Starlight told Trixie and Twilight about what happened at the ramen shop while they walked toward the door leading to Elysium. Needless to say, Trixie looked at her like she was insane.

“Why would anyone eat something that spicy?! No, scratch that, why would anyone make something that spicy?!” she asked incredulous.

“Challenges like that are typically to prove that you can do it,” Twilight explained, “Mind you, you’re still insane for doing that.”

“I won’t let them beat me,” Starlight said in determination.

“And you’re going to try again. Of course you are.”

“Well more power to you,” Trixie said, “Personally, I don’t hate my taste buds, so I’ll pass.”

Starlight and Trixie made it to the large golden door. Starlight looked around a bit, wondering if Pinkie Pie or Rainbow Dash’s Dungeons were close by.

“Don’t worry, Ms. Tia told me about your friends,” Twilight chimed in, “Starting tomorrow, I’ll begin looking for their dungeons.”

“If they have Dungeons, how long will it take to find them?” Trixie asked nervously.

“Well, the system will tell me if a Dungeon tied to that particular name exists almost immediately, so you’ll know if they have Dungeons by tomorrow,” Twilight said, Starlight almost visualizing her shrug, “Now, as to WHERE said Dungeon is will take a bit more time. Once we identified that you had a Dungeon, it actually took close to a month to track down where that Dungeon actually was in the Akashic Records.”

“I don’t want to wait a month to rescue them,” Starlight said, Trixie nodded in agreement.

“Me neither. This time we have powers. Also,” Trixie looked to the side rubbing her arm, “I was kind of a bitch to them while I was trapped in my Dungeon. Please, Twilight, find their Dungeons as quickly as possible.”

Twilight was silent for a bit, probably processing the fact that Trixie used her name. Starlight could feel how much she really wanted to help them, and now understood why she wanted to act so quickly.

“I’ll work as fast I can, okay?” Twilight said after a while, her voice sobered despite sounding like her typical annoyed self, “I make no promises it’ll be quick, but I will make this my top priority when we’re not in Elysium.”

“Thank you,” Trixie sighed. Starlight placed a comforting hand on her shoulder, getting a smile from the magician, “I’ll be alright, Starlight. Let’s do this.”

Starlight and Trixie pushed open the door, running right into the tower.

Malkuth

Lv: 1

play song

Inside the dark gray labyrinth, Starlight looked around and noticed something odd. From what she remembered, the paths looked a bit different.

“What the hell?!” Twilight cried, “The layout changed!”

“Wait, what?! How the hell did that happen?!” Trixie asked.

“It must be some sort of effect of it being a shared Dungeon. I don’t know, but this will make things harder. Hopefully you’ll find a checkpoint somewhere in there. That or a means of skipping floors as we climb.”

“I seriously hope so,” Trixie pouted, “This is going to be a real hassle otherwise.”

Starlight agreed. Still, no point in complaining about it. She and Trixie and Trixie began running forward, being careful not to get ambushed by too many enemies. The interior felt like a maze, which meant finding those steps wasn’t going to be easy.

“Careful. I’m picking up three enemies around the right hand corner.”

Starlight peaked around the corner and saw a large black dust cloud floating ahead of her. Sure enough, she felt three essences from within. She rushed behind it when it wasn’t looking and slashed with her scythe, causing the enemies to manifest from the cloud. One was an Incubus, but the other two were new. One looked like a dark green ghostly horse with a wet mane, and the other one kind of looked like a small plant with a humanoid body and kind of cute face.

“My terminal is marking the new enemies as Kelpie and Mandrake!” Twilight said. Naturally Trixie immediately started throwing cards at Incubus, while Starlight rushed at the two new ones. She tried slashing them a few times with her scythe, and managed to push Mandrake back. Kelpie kicked with his front hooves breaking through Starlight’s defense, and then charged up a spell.

Starlight held her scythe in front of herself in defense, taking a Garu directly. Thankfully she didn’t get knocked down since it was her default weakness, but she did take full damage from it.

Just as Mandrake tried to rush in to attack Starlight, Trixie managed to knock the Incubus off his feet and turned to Starlight’s fight. She threw a card at Mandrake’s face to stop it, and then held up her Channeling Ring, “Light ‘em up, Elenora!” she cried summoning her Persona. Elenora snapped her fingers, casting Agi and knocking Mandrake off it’s feet.

“AGATHION!” Starlight shouted, switching Personas. She figured Kelpie probably wouldn’t be weak to ice, so she tried casting Zio on it, successfully knocking it to the ground. She could perceive lines connecting her to all three of them, but only Incubus was resonating with her directly.

“Up to you how we go about this,” Trixie said, “Take them out, or add one to the team?”

Starlight thought for a second, and then decided to just go for it, casting empathy on Incubus with Morgana. Communicating with it like she did, she felt intentions that were somewhat sexual, but not necessarily bad per say. As long as she kept them in check at least.

After a second, Incubus got on one knee and gave Morgana a dramatic bow before bursting into flames and getting sucked into Starlight’s Channeling Ring. The other two Shadows ran away in the confusion.

“Ugh… of all the ones you had to pick, you went with that one…?” Trixie groaned, “Please, just keep that thing away from me.”

“You sure? You seemed to get along pretty well from what I saw,” Starlight taunted jovially. Trixie’s face turned bright red and she shook her head screaming.

“No no no! Trust me, the last thing I want is to be anywhere near anything with a member that sharp! Touch me with that and I will shoot it off!”

Starlight laughed despite herself. It was nice that she had company in here, otherwise this place would be really-

Starlight stopped when she heard an odd sound around her and Trixie. It sounded like rattling chains.

“Starlight…? What’s that…?” Trixie asked nervously. Starlight shrugged her shoulders looking around, but then felt an odd feeling in her heart. A fear unlike any other.

“Get… moving… NOW!” Twilight cried, “Something big is heading your way, and I can’t tell what it is, but it’s strong. TOO strong!”

Starlight didn’t need any convincing. She grabbed Trixie’s hand and the two of them continued frantically through the maze. It took a minute, but they eventually found the staircase. This time, Starlight and Trixie ran up the stairs without a single word or hesitation.

Lvl: 2

Once on the second floor, the rattling stopped. Also, the terrible feeling in Starlight’s chest went away.

“What… was that?!” Trixie asked catching her breath, “I felt like I was going to die for some reason!”

“Whatever that thing was, it didn’t follow you. Not yet at least,” Twilight sighed in relief, “Probably best not to tarry on individual floors.”

“Lovely, so it’s an ever changing maze and we’re on a timer?” Trixie fussed, “Elysium my ass! This place is hell itself!”

Starlight was inclined to agree. She and Trixie agreed to keep playful banter to a minimum while here, and mostly try to focus on moving forward. About halfway there, they were assaulted by two Silkies. With Trixie’s help plus Jack-O-Lantern, they were easily knocked down. Like before, Starlight could feel a resonance with the Shadows, and thus empathized with one of them.

Oddly, this Shadow made her think of Diamond Tiara.

When she finished communicating with it, the Shadow elegantly bowed to Starlight and Morgana, vanishing into the Channeling Ring. However, Starlight felt something within her stop, and her head felt a bit overloaded.

“I apologize, my pupil, but you are overtaxed. Before proceeding, we must release one of the souls we carry.”

That sucked, but she understood. Each Persona was a different personality trait, right? She imagined that would be difficult to keep track of. Starlight looked within, and decided to release Bicorn. If she met a Social Link centered off the Hermit Arcana, she could always call it back. Either that or if she needed a noble steed to ride into battle or something.

“Was it that devil Incubus you released?” Trixie asked hopefully. When Starlight shook her head, Trixie gave the most adorable pout, “Boo! You got rid of the cool one!”

Starlight laughed, but she and Trixie did continue onward.

Lvl: 5

It wasn’t easy climbing floors of this place, and both Starlight and Trixie were beginning to get tired, both physically and mentally. Coming here was good practice though, which was nice. Still, Starlight was starting to wish there was a checkpoint.

When they reached the fifth floor, they were greeted with a different kind of floor. This one was an open area instead of a maze, and looked almost like an arena. Ahead of them, Starlight saw two things, one made her happy, the other not so much.

A large, familiar looking brown door…

And a large angel in knights armor and with red wings standing in front of it…

“My terminal reads that enemy as Archangel,” Twilight said, “It’s stronger than most other Shadows we’ve faced, so be careful.”

“Starlight, think we can handle this?” Trixie asked Starlight. She honestly wasn’t sure, but she had to at least try. They weren’t getting out of here otherwise, so she nodded as confidently as she could, “Alright then, I’ll back you up. Let’s go!”

Both witches drew their weapons and rushed toward the armored angel, who immediately drew he blade pointing it at them.

play song

Starlight reached it first, clashing blades with it. While she and Archangel pushed at each other’s weapons, Trixie called on her Persona.

“Sukukaja!” Trixie called out, casting a new spell on Starlight, who instantly felt lighter. She jumped back from Archangel, and then did an elegant back flip out of the way as it swung its sword in a wide arc. She asked Trixie what that spell she cast was meant to do.

“I think it increased your speed or something, which I think is a good idea against something like this!” Trixie cried, casting it again on herself. At the same time, Archangel gathered energy into his blade, “That doesn’t look fun,” Trixie said.

“Its attack strength skyrocketed!” Twilight cried, “Do not get hit by that thing’s sword!”

Naturally then, Archangel rushed at them holding his sword ready. Both witches ran in opposite directions away just in time, but then Archangel spun around with his blade, sending a shock wave out all around him. Somehow Trixie managed to jump over the attack, but Starlight had to hold up her scythe to defend.

“INCUBUS!” Starlight cried switching Personas. She saw one of his spells was called Tarunda, and if she was hearing his impression correctly, it decreased the enemies attack for a bit. She wasted no time casting the spell on Archangel, who visibly wilted after the spell took effect.

“Persona!” Trixie cried, summoning Elenora and casting Dia on Starlight, who had once again began clashing blades with Archangel.

“Keep using spells!” Starlight cried, spinning around to swing her scythe in a horizontal arc, “No offense, but I don’t think your cards will do much against it!”

“None taken!” Trixie said summoning her Persona again, “Don’t hesitate to boss me around! I want to survive a lot more than I want to showboat!”

She really put a lot of trust in Starlight. It was touching, if not a bit overwhelming. Either way, right now it meant Starlight could control this fight a bit easier. She had a plan, but it meant she’d have to be the one in front for the most part. First part, she’d need her partner.

“MORGANA!” Starlight cried, summoning her default and favorite Persona to her side. Recently she’d learned a few new attacks, which gave Starlight a few creative ideas. Keeping Archangel locked with her scythe, she had Morgana do an elegant back flip, kicking Archangel into the air. Starlight swung her scythe upward hitting Archangel, and at the same time Morgana bent backwards, opening her torso and unleashing a barrage of black blades from her body.

When Archangel fell back onto the ground, Trixie had Elenora cast Agi on the armored foe. It seemed to do significant damage, but it didn’t get knocked down.

“Persona!” Starlight shouted, once again summoning Morgana and casting Bufu on Archangel. Again, did significant damage, but didn’t knock it down.

“I don’t think this enemy has a weakness! If he does, I can’t find it on my system!” Twilight cried.

“Then we’ll just resort to the most tried and true tactic!” Trixie said summoning Elenora again, “Hit it until it dies!”

She ran in a circle around Archangel and Starlight as they fought close quarter, rapidly firing Agi at the Shadow in coordination with Starlight’s slashes. Archangel pushed Starlight back, and slammed his blade in Trixie’s direction, knocking her off balance.

“I’m the one you’re fighting!” Starlight shouted, summoning Morgana and rushing toward Archangel. Together, she and Morgana slashed and kicked their way through his defense, getting in a critical hit and knocking the large angelic looking Shadow to one knee. Starlight immediately ran over to Trixie and helped her up, asking if she was okay.

“Yeah, I’m fine,” Trixie said dusting herself off, “Let’s get this guy real good with this one!”

Starlight readied her scythe as Trixie held out her arms, and the two of them launched their All Out Attack, which shockingly seemed to do a lot of damage to it. Once they finished, it looked like it was staggering, having a rough time staying airborne.

Starlight had a creative idea. She jumped back, summoned Morgana to her side, and both of them dashed forward back to back, Morgana leading with her bladed leg and Starlight with her scythe. Trixie followed that up with an Agi right into Archangel’s stomach, knocking him onto his back and causing him to disperse.

play song

Trixie fell to the ground in exhaustion, “Fuck. This. Goddamn. Tower!” she cried.

“If this was just the first layer, I don’t want to think of how bad it is going up,” Starlight said, noticing that there was another staircase going up off to the side.

“I really hate to say this, but I don’t think it’s safe to go up any higher without at least a third front line fighter,” Twilight said, “Alright, use the checkpoint to come back here. I’ll reserve one of the two files on this computer just for Elysium.”

“Good idea,” Starlight said, helping Trixie to her feet, “You were great back there. Thanks.”

“Aw, don’t mention it,” Trixie said bashfully, “Besides, the real MVP here is you. Rather, you and Morgana,” Starlight tilted her head confused, “I tried to wrap my head around the whole fighting beside my Persona thing, but I can’t quite get a grasp for it. Somehow thou, you’re able to fight beside your default as if she were a separate entity.”

“From what Ms. Tia tells me, that’s not uncommon for a Trickster,” Twilight explained, “Something about how they relate to their Personas, and the unlimited potential they have. The guy in Inaba we mentioned fights using a similar style with his starting Persona.*”

“Well, it looks really badass from here,” Trixie smiled widely, “See why I believe in you so much, Starlight? I can’t do stuff like that. You’re absolutely amazing.”

“T-thanks…” Starlight said, once again feeling a warm blush tint her cheeks.

“Oh just fuck already!” Twilight snapped. Starlight sighed, sarcastically thanking Twilight for making it even more awkward. What a team she had. What a team.

play song

The checkpoint that Twilight saved took them right to the bottom of the tower, but they’d still have to come to the golden door if they wanted to get to Elysium. Starlight didn’t mind that walk too much though. She rather liked the Akashic Records. She also found that walking through the main hallway seemed to rejuvenate her, as she wasn’t nearly as tired now.

“I’ll get to work on searching for Rainbow Dash and Pinkie Pie’s Dungeons,” Twilight said when they reached the main plaza again, “With any luck, one of them will awaken to their Persona after we save them.”

“Think that’ll happen?” Trixie asked thoughtfully, “Do we want that to happen? I know we need help, but I’m not sure I want to get them involved.”

“We need new Persona Users, and you’re already friends with them. Besides, if they do have Dungeons, they’re already involved.”

“I don’t like it either, but it is a possibility,” Starlight said, “For now, let’s just get some rest and focus on rescuing them if they have Dungeons.”

“Alright,” Trixie nodded, yawning and stretching in a manner that pushed her breasts forward, “I’m going to bed, Starlight. I’ll see you in the morning.”

“Y-yeah. See you in the morning,” Starlight said, trying/failing to not look at Trixie’s breasts.

Trixie giggled in a manner that said she knew what she was doing, and then took her Channeling Ring off to get some sleep.

“I’m logging off for now,” Twilight said, “I want to get a head start searching for those Dungeons. You should probably get some sleep too.”

“I will, but I think I want to do some reading here before I leave. It’s been a while since I just enjoyed the library.”

“Well, okay then. I’ll talk to you tomorrow.”

“Twilight,” Starlight said before her wisp vanished, “Thanks for all of your help. I really appreciate it.”

Again, Twilight was silent, her wisp not moving at all. Starlight wondered what went on in Twilight’s head a lot of the times, especially when she was being nice to her.

“Good night, Starlight,” Twilight said, logging off immediately. Starlight sighed, a little frustrated with Twilight. Why was she so resistant to being friends with her? In a way, she was worse than Trixie when they met. At least there she had an idea of what was going on.

She had no idea why Twilight didn’t like her though.

Starlight shrugged, and decided to search for a book to read. After looking around a bit, she found books on S&M. Maybe if she read a few of these books she’d be able to relate more to Trixie.

She picked up a book on doms, and another one on subs, and sat down at her usual desk and began reading. Hopefully she could learn a bit about what S&M was supposed to be like, so she could help her friend understand her kink a bit more.

Possibly even show her the ropes herself.

Author's Note

*Twilight is talking about Yu Narukami's fighting style in Persona 4 Arena, for those who haven't played that game.

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9/14, 9/15

September 14th 2019
Friday
Sunny

When Starlight and Trixie stepped into the dining room, they were surprised to see only Celestia inside, naturally sitting before a full on feast she probably prepared (seriously, how did she do all of this?). It did however make talking about certain things easier, which was all well and good considering how serious she looked.

“Ms. Tia, are you okay?” Trixie asked, she and Starlight sitting next to her. Celestia gave a heavy sigh before speaking.

“Twilight confirmed it last night. It’s not both of them, but Pinkie Pie does in fact have a Dungeon.”

play song

Starlight tightened her fists over her lap. She was really worried that would be the case.

“Pinkie Pie has one, but not Rainbow Dash?” Trixie asked, folding her arms confused, “Okay, I am relieved to hear that, but still.”

“I don’t think my empathy is able to outright tell when someone has a Dungeon,” Starlight admitted, “It just helps me identify the emotions that lead to one.”

“Well, either way this means we need to start preparing,” Trixie said, “Ms. Tia, how long do you think it’ll take to find it?”

“That, is what has me concerned,” Celestia said, pouring herself a cup of tea, “Twilight said that the signal was weak, and she doesn’t have nearly enough information to track down her Dungeon. The only reason we found yours as quickly as we did was because I knew about the abuse.”

And even then, according to Twilight it took about a month to find. Did Pinkie Pie have that much time?

“For now, you two should keep getting ready,” Celestia said, taking her tea and rising from her chair, “I’m going to finish this and start heading to class. Until we find her Dungeon, try not to worry too much.”

“You want us to just go about our days?” Starlight asked, a bit shocked. Did Celestia really think they’d be able to relax knowing Pinkie Pie was in danger?

“For now, yes. Stressing isn’t going to help Pinkie Pie. Right now, you two are the only Persona Users I have active, so I need you to be in top form,” she turned to the girls and smiled warmly, “You should try to have some fun until then.”

“But…” Starlight looked down in frustration. This was worse than when it was Trixie’s Dungeon. Sure, it was frustrating that she couldn’t save her right away, but she was still entering her Dungeon actively. Here though, she knew her friend was suffering, and there wasn’t anything she could do to help.

Celestia must have sensed her turmoil, because she set her cup on the table, walked over to Starlight, knelt beside her, and took her hand gently squeezing it. It was a gesture she did for Celestia a few times, but having it done for her made Starlight think it was her mother doing that for a split second.

“Don’t fret, my child. Twilight and I will take care of everything,” Celestia said with a gentle, loving smile, one that for the first time Starlight began to recognize.

Mom…

“If there’s, anything I can do to help, please…” Starlight requested.

“We’ll let you know if we need help,” Celestia said, “Trixie, take care of Starlight, okay? You two are partners now, so you have to look out for one another.”

Trixie nodded smiling herself, “I will, Ms. Tia,” she said holding onto Starlight’s arm and leaning into her, “I’ll keep her smiling all the way into her Dungeon.”

Starlight couldn’t help but smile at Trixie. She really was becoming her closest friend.

“Then I’ll leave you to it,” Celestia rose up and kissed both Starlight and Trixie on the foreheads, “I’ll see you in homeroom.”

“See you, Ms. Tia,” Trixie said, Starlight just nodding to her wordlessly. As she walked out of the dining hall, Starlight’s mind wandered back to her thoughts from earlier. It had to just be the grief playing tricks on her mind, but for some reason Celestia kept making Starlight think of her mother.

Why did she have such an effect on her?

“So, why don’t we go do something today?” Trixie asked suddenly, rising up to make a plate of just about everything there, “The weather’s going to be nice all day, and it’s the weekend, so curfew is later today.”

“That sounds like a great idea,” Starlight said, going to prepare a plate herself. She wasn’t sure she had an appetite, but then she remembered who made this food. Honestly, she’d probably go for seconds.

The two girls spent time discussing their plans while they ate breakfast, and then made their way to class.

Daytime

play song

Starlight was really happy she studied for that test, because it was a lot harder than she thought it would be. She wasn’t sure how well she did, but she expected to at least get around a B on it. Still though, Ms. Harshwhinny was expecting a lot from her students.

After School

play song

After classes ended, Starlight and Trixie went to the park. When they reached the bench next to the door to the Velvet Room, Starlight was a bit surprised she didn’t see Victor sitting there. She did see the door though, so he was probably inside with Igor.

“Hey, question,” Starlight asked Trixie when they reached the bench, “Do you see… anything unusual next to this bench? Like, a blue elevator door?”

To her credit, Trixie looked right at the door squinting her eyes a bit, but shook her head, “No, I don’t see anything here. I feel something, but I don’t see anything. Why? Is there something here?”

Starlight explained to Trixie a bit about the Velvet Room, and the people inside.

“That… sounds super terrifying, to be honest,” Trixie said, looking back at where the door stood, “Is it safe to be sitting here then?”

“They’re harmless for the most part,” Starlight said sitting down, “Besides, they were the ones who convinced me not to end my life.”

“Really?” Trixie asked tilting her head. Starlight told Trixie the full story about how she met them, and how when she signed the contract Igor gave her, the elevator started rising, “Huh… well, as terrifying as they sound, they don’t seem dangerous,” she then looked around a bit to make sure no one else was looking at them, and then stood before the door, “Um, Mr. Igor? Mr. Victor? If you can hear me in there, thank you for saving Starlight.”

Starlight couldn’t help but smile. She wondered if any of the other Tricksters told their partners about the Velvet Room.

Finally relaxed, Trixie sat down next to Starlight, clearly still trying to keep her distance from the door though, “You’re kind of spooky, but in a good way, you know? If we’d met when we were kids, you and I’d probably be best friends. Hey, did you have any friends when you were a kid?”

play song

“I… had one friend,” Starlight looked down sadly, “He and I were best friends for a while. He actually believed in magic too, and we were planning to become a witch and wizard duo.”

“So… what happened?”

“Know how when you grow up, you sometimes give up the things you were interested in as a kid? Well, as we got older, he seemed to be showing less and less interest in magic, focusing more on his studies. Eventually, this led to a really bad argument where he accused me of living in a fairy tale world.”

“Ooooooh, so one of you grew out of magic, and the other one continued to believe,” Trixie winced as she said that.

“I didn’t mind that he stopped believing,” Starlight closed her eyes and shed a few tears thinking about it, “But he said I was being juvenile because I still believed in magic. It hurt hearing that from him.”

Trixie pulled Starlight close to her and wrapped an arm around her.

“Well, if it’s any consolation, I’d have probably benefited from having a friend like you in my life. I might not have given up my dream if I had someone reinforcing it like you,” she gave Starlight that genuinely loving smile that made her heart flutter, “I’m so happy you never stopped believing in magic, Starlight, and I know my Dad would have loved you.”

Starlight pulled Trixie into a loving embrace. Hearing her say those words touched her heart so much. Truth was, she did sometimes wonder if Sunburst was right. In a way, she dived head first into magic to prove it to him and herself that it was worth believing.

Which led to her Mother…

“Hey, can I ask you something about your past?” Starlight asked releasing Trixie.

“Sure, that’s only fair after all,” Trixie said.

“What got you interested in bondage?” Starlight asked, feeling a burst of courage for asking so outright.

“Going right for the tough questions, huh?” Trixie asked blushing ever so slightly, “So… it’s kind of embarrassing, but it actually started when I was a kid. Maybe about, seven I believe? Yeah, around then.”

“When you were a kid?” Starlight asked. She didn’t think it was that long ago.

“I forget what I was watching, but there was this show I really liked that came on when I was little. One of the episodes had the female main character get captured by the bad guys, and she was tied up with a bomb set to go off next to her. When I saw that, something inside of me got curious. I didn’t know why I felt the way I did, but it made me feel funny seeing her in that position. Normally she was a great fighter, and not someone who would be helpless. But in that moment, all of her power was taken away.”

Starlight thought back to when she actually did watch TV, because that sounded familiar to her. She vaguely remembered seeing a TV show with three teenagers who transformed into this kind of cool looking armor, and there was one episode that she remembered where something like that happened to the one girl in the group. Looking at it now, it was kind of frustrating that the girl got damseled so hard, but she remembered really enjoying that show, that episode in particular*.

“When I was by myself, I started experimenting a bit with bondage,” Trixie continued, “I’d wrap myself up with my bed sheets, or tie my wrists together with a jump rope, and I’d pretend to be helpless crying for help,” Trixie giggled softly in embarrassment, “It helped a bit, but since I could always escape on my own, I knew it was just pretend. That lasted till I was about 10, and my Mom caught me.”

“That had to be embarrassing,” Starlight said.

“Oh, it was,” Trixie nodded furiously, “What made it worse too, was that this was after Dad vanished, so Mom was becoming a lot more strict with me. She told me that I shouldn’t do things like that, and made me promise to stop.”

Starlight couldn’t hold in her sigh hearing that. It sounded like Trixie’s mother was a bit of an old fashioned prude.

“I never stopped being curious about it though. Actually, hearing Mom say it was wrong made me even more curious. So when I learned that this was something people actually did, and there was a word for it, I knew I had to experience it.”

Yeah, too bad the first actual experience she had was with an abusive asshole.

“I’ll admit something,” Trixie turned away from Starlight, hiding her eyes with her hat, “When Blueblood tied me up the first time and didn’t untie me, there was a small part of me that found that thrilling…”

“Like a fantasy come true?” Starlight asked.

“Y-yeah…” Trixie rubbed her arm, “When we were together at his place, he’d always tie me up. Most visits I was tied to his bed post, tied up on his bed, at one point he even tied me to a chair.”

Starlight wasn’t sure how she felt knowing that Blueblood tied her up so much. She also wasn’t sure how she felt noticing how aroused she was getting picturing this.

“I think that’s one of the reasons it was so hard to let him go,” Trixie admitted, “This is something most people still consider taboo, so it’s not like anyone else would be interested in doing that to me. And… as much as I hate saying this… being tied up like that was fun sometimes…” she gritted her teeth, and Starlight saw a stream of tears flow down her cheeks, “Naturally he always threw that right in my face! How aroused I was being what amounted to his prisoner! I hated it! I still do hate it!”

Starlight tightened her fists hearing this, and seeing Trixie in this state. For as jovial and playful she seemed around other people, Starlight knew the truth, and it saddened her to no end. This was the real Trixie.

“I’m sorry,” Starlight looked down somberly, “I didn’t realize bringing that up would upset you.”

“No, it’s fine,” Trixie said, wiping her eyes with a handkerchief she made appear out of nowhere, “I need to talk about this. You’re the only person I feel safe opening up to,” she turned to Starlight and smiled despite how watery her eyes still were, “Thank you for being there for me, Starlight.”

“You’re welcome,” Starlight said returning the smile, “And I’ll say it again, Blueblood was an asshole for how he took advantage of your kink.”

“That feels good to hear,” Trixie averted her eyes, “I do wonder if I’ll ever find someone who can give me that feeling, the right way. Or if there even is a right way?”

Starlight wanted to say “I would”, but refrained from doing so. One, she lacked the courage to say that, and too, she didn’t want to make Trixie feel uncomfortable.

“I’m sure there’s a right way,” Starlight stated, “The first step, I think, is to not be so ashamed of your sexual interests.

“I… I’ll get there eventually,” Trixie sighed, “I just wish I knew how to.”

Starlight simply pulled Trixie into a loving embrace, “I’ll be beside you helping you figure it out.”

Trixie returned the embrace, actually tightening it, “Thank you, Starlight. You really are the best thing to happen to me in years.”

Starlight felt just how much Trixie was beginning to trust her. She could tell their friendship had gotten significantly stronger.

Starlight and Trixie stayed in the park for a bit longer, simply enjoying the peace and quiet till it was time to return to the dorm. During the walk back, Trixie held onto Starlight’s hand the entire time.

end song

September 15th, 2019
Saturday
Partially Cloudy

Morning

Starlight went downstairs for breakfast, surprised to see Pinkie Pie sitting on the couch as if waiting for something. She looked really nervous.

“Hey Pinkie Pie,” Starlight said, startling Pinkie Pie a bit.

“H-hi Starlight,” Pinkie Pie said, clearly relieved that it was Starlight.

“Are you waiting for someone?” Starlight asked leaning on the couch next to Pinkie Pie.

“My agent,” Pinkie Pie said somberly, “She’s supposed to be coming to pick me up.”

“For that photo shoot?” Starlight asked, only getting a quick nod from the pink haired teen, “Are you sure you want to do this?”

“I… well Fleur signed me up for this. This is going to be good for my career.”

“That’s not what I asked,” Starlight pressed, “Is this something you want to do?”

Pinkie Pie glanced to the side, a somber and unsure expression on her face. Before she could answer, someone rang the doorbell. Starlight went over to answer it for Pinkie Pie, just in case it was who she thought it was.

play song

When she opened the door, she was greeted by a smart looking woman with extremely long pale pink hair, square framed red glasses with a beaded lanyard hanging off the rims, wearing a purple suit jacket, tight suit skirt, white shirt, black necktie, white gloves, dark sheer stockings, and dark purple high heels. She was quite stunning in her own right, but something about the air she gave off turned Starlight off immensely.

“Bonjour,” the woman said, voice elegant and her French accent apparent, “You must be one of Pinkamena’s roommates. A fan, I’m sure.”

“Yes, I’m her friend, Starlight Glimmer,” she held out her hand, trying to be friendly. The woman looked down at her hand pursing her lips, and then took Starlight’s hand with just a few fingers and her thumb, as if she were afraid she had germs or something.

“Fleur de Lis, Pinkamena’s godmother and agent. May I come in?” Fleur asked, still looking at Starlight with her nose pointed up.

Yep. That’s why she didn’t like this woman.

Starlight sighed and moved aside, ushering her in just as Trixie, Rainbow Dash, and Celestia stepped out of the kitchen.

“Oh, hello there, Ma’am,” Celestia said jovially walking up to Fleur and holding out her hand, “You must be Fleur. I’m Celestia, the headmistress of this dorm and Pinkie Pie’s homeroom teacher.”

Fleur looked Celestia up and down, lips pursed as if judging her, “I hope you do not dress so provocatively around my Pinkamena all the time, Celestia.”

“It’s… actually typical attire for me. It’s a garment from my place of origin, and well within school-”

Fleur snorted with an arrogant sneer, “So you let your students see you like this as well? I can see you’re a “wonderful” influence on my Pinkamena.”

Now it was Celestia who narrowed her eyes at Fleur. The only other time she saw that expression on Celestia was when she looked at Blueblood.

“Pinkamena, come ma chere,” Fleur said turning away from Celestia, “We don’t want to be late.”

“C-coming Fleur,” Pinkie Pie said demurely, standing up and walking over to everyone, “I’ll see you all on Monday.”

“Wait, you’re going to be out the entire weekend?” Rainbow Dash asked incredulous, “I thought this was going to just be for today!”

“Non, I extended it to go for two days,” Fleur explained, pushing her glasses up elegantly from the side, “We’ll need the extra day to bring out Pinkamena’s true beauty.”

Something about this did not feel right to Starlight. If she was reading the room correctly, no one else seemed to like this either.

“Allons-y, Pinkamena,” Fleur sighed walking toward the door. Pinkie Pie walked over to Celestia.

“Is… it okay if I’m a bit late for curfew on Sunday, Ms. Tia?”

“That’s perfectly fine, dear,” she embraced Pinkie Pie lovingly, “Stay safe, okay honey?”

“Pinkamena, viens,” Fleur said sternly. Pinkie Pie tensed visibly when she heard that.

“Yes, Fleur. I’m sorry,” Pinkie Pie released Celestia and ran over to the sign-out sheet.

“I would appreciate it if you weren’t so friendly with my Pinkamena, Mademoiselle Tia,” Fleur said sternly, “You’re her prof, not her mère.**”

“Your concerns have been noted, but I would appreciate it if you didn’t tell me how to do my job, Ms. Fleur,” Celestia said equally sternly.

“Hmph,” Fleur turned her nose to the air and elegantly walked out of the dorm, putting her hand on Pinkie Pie’s back and guiding her outside. As she left, Starlight saw a glimpse of Pinkie Pie in a dress and tiara similar to what she was wearing in her movie. She looked back at them, and actually was reaching out to them pleadingly.

That was her heart. Pinkie Pie didn’t actually want to leave with Fleur.

“Someone sure has a mile long stick up her ass,” Trixie said folding her arms.

“Hmm,” Celestia hummed to herself, pressing a finger to her lips thoughtfully, “I wonder…”

“Ms. Tia? Are you going to be okay?” Starlight asked the normally sunny and cheerful woman.

“I’ll be fine, honey, don’t worry. I need to meditate on this. Please eat without me,” with that, Celestia walked upstairs, probably to her room.

“She tells us to eat without her, but I don’t think I’ve ever actually seen her eat with us,” Trixie sighed, turning to Rainbow Dash as she looked down seriously, “Hey, are you okay?”

“She didn’t even say bye to me,” Rainbow Dash said quietly.

“I’m sure she’s just stressed out,” Starlight said, placing a hand on her shoulder to comfort her, and see what was going on in her heart.

That bitch is doing something to Pinkie Pie…!

She’s lucky I didn’t get my hands on her!

Starlight fought back the urge to flinch back. She did not expect to feel such violence from Rainbow Dash.

“I know she’s stressed,” Rainbow Dash pushed Starlight’s hand off her and walked upstairs to her room, “I just wish she’d tell me why…”

Starlight and Trixie both looked upstairs, equally tense at the moment.

“You thinking what I’m thinking?” Trixie asked.

“Pretty sure I am,” Starlight answered. She was definitely taking a trip to the Velvet Room today.

Daytime

play song

At around noon, Starlight made her way to the park so she could see Igor and Victor. She needed to get a few new Personas, and she also needed to see if there was anything she could do to lessen the time needed to find Pinkie Pie’s Dungeon.

They had offered guidance before. Surely they could help her again.

Also however, she just really liked being in that room. There was something soothing about that place, like it was the safest place in the entire world. The song she heard inside was beginning to grow on her too. She found herself humming it in a lot, and at one point even sang it a bit while she was in the shower. She was sure her singing voice was akin to nails on a chalkboard, but she was using the third floor shower, so it wasn’t like anyone could hear her.

This time, she saw Victor sitting on the bench, reading a newspaper as per usual. He smiled his usual kind/slightly lust filled smirk when she approached.

“Hello, Ms. Glimmer,” Victor said, rising from the bench and bowing to Starlight, “The Master had a feeling we’d be seeing you today.”

“Was it… okay that I told my friend about the Velvet Room?” Starlight asked nervously.

“No need to worry. The Master was quite pleased to hear your friend thank us. So far, you are one of the few Tricksters to share the Velvet Room with their companions at all. The Master and I both find you quite fascinating,” he looked her up and down and smirked, “Quite fascinating indeed.”

As usual, Starlight found herself blushing at his gaze. Oddly though, instead of wanting to cover up, she found herself wanting him to see more of her.

What was he doing to her?

Starlight shook it off and let Victor escort her to the door, which she promptly opened.

play song

“Welcome, to the Velvet Room,” Igor greeted with his usual creepy grin. Oddly Starlight was not disturbed by it in the slightest.

“I’d like to fuse a few Personas,” Starlight said, taking her seat in front of Igor.

“Splendid. I’m quite pleased you find our services useful,” Igor said, his pride visible on his face. She wondered how many made such use of his services. She have to make it a habit to come here at least before going into a new Dungeon.

First thing she did of course was register her current Personas, and check the prices to be able to get any of them back if she needed (really to ensure she could buy back Morgana if she fused with her). Once that was done, she got to work deciding what to fuse.

First two she fused together were Silky and Jack-O-Lantern. It always felt weird feeling the Personas pulled out of her and placed on the table. Almost like she was letting go of aspects of her personality to form new ones.

Well, in a way that was what she was doing.

The result of that fusion was a Persona shaped like a large turtle with a serpentine dragon at it’s tail. The name that came to her was “Genbu”, and it gave her a feeling of integration, almost like she were combining two aspects of her life into one.

Huh… that did get her thinking about things.

However, she didn’t hold onto Genbu, since she did promise herself she’d fuse Incubus as to not make Trixie uncomfortable. Fusing them together formed a Persona shaped like a tiny creature that almost looked like a child with purple hair and a huge smile that took up most of his face.

“My name’s Obariyon! I’ve got your back through the Dungeons!” he said cheerily. Suddenly thoughts of her team came to her, and how close they were despite being so early in their relationship. She then noticed energy entering the new Persona before it turned into a card and floated into her soul.

Was that how her friendships helped her? Did Obariyon get stronger because of her Fool Arcana Social Link?

Finally, she decided to try one more fusion, if for no other reason than to see what would happen. After promising Morgana she’d reunite with her immediately, she fused Morgana with Agathion. The result was quite surprising to Starlight.

The resulting Persona was a female with long blond hair, black devil’s wings and a black devil’s tail, wearing a black body suit that hugged her curves, black gloves, and black high heeled boots. Just looking at this new Persona made Starlight feel more in touch with herself somewhat, but also like on some level she could become everyone’s fantasy.

“My name’s Succubus,” the new Persona said smirking at Starlight, “You’re a real cutie. Stick with me, and I’ll turn you into a sexual goddess.”

The Persona vanished into a card and floated back into her soul. Oh yeah, she liked this feeling a lot.

Before she forgot, she bought back Morgana so she wouldn’t forget herself in the process. She sort of liked the way she felt now. However, just because she wasn’t sure when she’d be going into the Phase again, she bought back both Silky and Jack-O-Lantern so she’d relate to both Trixie and Diamond Tiara easier when she saw them later.

“Before you go,” Igor said adjusting his hands, “Was there something else Victor and I could assist you with in order to move forward?”

She did want to know if there was a means of helping Celestia and Twilight with their search. She explained the situation to Igor and Victor, and how badly she wanted to help them.

“This is quite troubling indeed,” Igor said thoughtfully, “Your concerns are not misguided, Miss Glimmer. Just as it was with the Magician, your friend’s life is in more danger than even she realizes.”

“So… she doesn’t have an entire month, does she?” Starlight asked, a bit afraid of the answer.

“No, she does not,” Igor shook his head, “Based on what you told me, she has maybe two weeks at best.”

Two weeks?! That wasn’t as bad as she thought, but it was also in a sense a bit worse. How quickly did this extend? Also, why did she have so little time?

“If I were to take a guess, it’s probably due to how long this has been going on, along with how much the issue weighs on her,” Victor said thoughtfully, “In the case of the Magician, she suffered for months, but the Empress caught wind of it early.”

So this wasn’t anything new. Come to think of it, didn’t Rainbow Dash mention seeing her having a nightmare? Maybe she could help them figure out what was going on, as long as she sat still long enough to listen.

“Perhaps the key to this is in Pinkie Pie’s own Akashic Record,” Igor suggested, “If her story has been cut short, then you simply need to figure out where her story is being told.”

Figure out where her story was being told? Wait, Twilight was able to search Trixie’s Akashic Record once she knew the name of her father. What if they did something similar here?

“However, simply finding the Akashic Record will not be enough to save this friend,” Igor said, “I’m afraid that as your team stands now, rescuing her would be impossible.”

“W-what do you mean impossible?” Starlight asked.

“I mean exactly what I said,” Igor adjusted his hands, “As it stands now, with your team as limited as it is, rescuing your friend is destined to fail. Worry not though, for you aren’t the only one who is looking into this issue. I see a chariot in your immediate path. Once you gain the aid of this chariot, the path will open to you.”

A chariot? He did keep referring to her friends by their Arcana. Perhaps he meant the Chariot Arcana?

Starlight thanked Igor and Victor for their aid, and chose to leave the Velvet Room for now. She needed to think about this for a bit.

end song

When Starlight stepped out of the Velvet Room, she sat down at the bench and folded her arms in deep thought. They didn’t understand enough about what was going on with Pinkie Pie to accurately find her Akashic Record, and anything she did have was just an assumption at best. She didn’t want to send Twilight in the opposite direction on a whim.

And then there was the issue of the Chariot. Even if they found Pinkie Pie’s Dungeon, if they didn’t have the Chariot’s help, apparently they weren’t going to succeed at all.

What did she know about the Chariot Arcana?

Momentum, self discipline, and determination. Those were the words that described it from what she read in the Akashic Records. She’d begun reading up on the Arcana when she first got her Channeling Ring, because she wanted to understand the significance to the Fool Arcana and her life, so of course she read up on the Fool’s Journey as a whole.

It seemed that the people in her life represented stops on her Fool’s Journey. Trixie was the Magician, Diamond Tiara was the Priestess, and Celestia was the Empress. So far she’d lucked out on finding them relatively in order, but now she had to probably search for the Chariot before she could even proceed forward. Still, something about those aspects did ring familiar to Starlight.

play song

A shout in front of her caught her attention. She looked ahead and saw someone wearing what looked like Japanese training attire: a white gi shirt, extremely baggy yellow pants, white socks, and sandals. In their hand was a long wooden training sword, and they had their extremely long pink hair tied into a high ponytail. They were in the process of training with their sword, using very professional looking techniques, almost like a real samurai.

It wasn’t until they turned around that Starlight recognized who it was. It was that one Japanese student! The one who helped her find Trixie that one time. Holy hell she looked terrifying right now. Her expression was fierce, almost like she was fighting an enemy that very moment, and her sword swings were fast, swift, and sharp. Clearly she’d been training for a long time, probably her entire life.

Starlight was torn between wanting to get to know her better, and running far away before she turned that sword on her. In the end, she settled for just watching from a distance.

The Japanese student/samurai apparently did a few more scary looking moves, and then readied her sword almost like how Starlight held her scythe before an All Out Attack. She then dashed forward almost too quickly for Starlight to see, swinging her wooden blade out and holding it forward. Still in the same position, she carefully did the motion of sheathing the sword, and then stood straight up bowing. She turned around to where her water bottle and towel was, and met eyes with Starlight.

A bit unnerved, but wanting to be friendly, Starlight waved to the pink haired student. Said student/samurai’s eyes lit up happily, and she waved to her before walking over to her.

“Student from before, hai? Searching for friend?”

Starlight nodded, “That’s right. Thanks to you I was able to find her, um… how do you say thank you… uh… ari… gato…?”

The older girl giggled in good nature, and then nodded, “Hai, hai. You know Japanese?”

“I’m sorry, but not really,” Starlight said a bit disappointed, “Sadly the most I’ve picked up is from watching a few anime here and there. That… doesn’t upset you, does it?”

The older girl shook her head, “You honest, and at least make attempt.”

Starlight relaxed hearing that. She seemed really nice. Maybe this was a good time to strike up a friendship with her.

“Do you want to sit for a bit?” Starlight asked moving aside and patting the space next to her. The older girl smiled and sat down next to Starlight, “I’m Starlight. Starlight Glimmer.”

“Glimmer-san…” the girl said taking in her name before lightly bowing, “Tokugawa Fluttershy.”

Realizing she gave her last name first, she was kind of shocked hearing such a powerful Japanese name, “Whoa… um, that’s really a cool name. Um, should I call you Tokugawa-san, or…”

“Fluttershy fine,” she said kindly, “Easier to remember student and teacher tell me.”

“Alright, then please, call me Starlight,” Starlight said. Fluttershy nodded with a soft smile. Starlight could tell she was friendly, but she felt something about her was very guarded for some reason. For a while the two of them just sat in silence together, but it didn’t feel awkward at all. In fact, Starlight felt kind of relaxed next to Fluttershy.

“Friend okay now?” Fluttershy asked after a second.

“Oh, yes. She’s okay now. At least, she’s getting better,” Starlight sighed, “Now there’s another friend I’m worried about.”

“Different friend hurt now?” Fluttershy asked tilting her head.

“Sort of. It’s complicated, but… I found out that I don’t have everything I need to help her, but I need to try and do something. Thing is, I don’t know if what I have is even enough to move forward, and in terms of the thing we’re missing…” Starlight caught herself, “Ah, I don’t want to bore you with my issues.”

Fluttershy shook her head smiling, and then looked up at the sky thoughtfully, “I say, take chance anyway.”

“Take a chance? You mean, even if I don’t have all of the information?” Starlight asked. Fluttershy nodded.

“Do nothing, nothing change. Do something, everything change,” Fluttershy said simply with a kind smile. Starlight couldn’t help but feel better after talking to her. She didn’t talk much, probably because she didn’t speak the language well, but what little she did say really hit home.

And she was right, after all. Even if she wasn’t sure of the information, or where the Chariot was, she could still do something, and that alone would make all the difference.

“Thank you, Tokugawa-san,” Starlight said bowing slightly. When Fluttershy tilted her head confused, she laughed, “I had to. For one, I try to accept other people’s culture as much as possible, and two,” she blushed a bit, “You have a really awesome name.”

That actually got Fluttershy to laugh, “Arigato, Starlight-san.”

“You’re still okay calling me Starlight?” Starlight asked, almost expecting her to use her last name.

“My culture you accept, so return favor,” Fluttershy said with a gentle smile. She then rose up from the bench and bowed to Starlight, “I go now. Um… have, great day…?” she said, clearly unsure of her words.

Starlight nodded with a pleasant smile, “You have a great day too, Tokugawa-san. Hope to see you at school.”

Fluttershy smiled again and started making her way up the path, apparently on her way home. She was probably one of the coolest people Starlight had ever met, but she could tell she was guarded about something. Considering how the Japanese were about formalities, touching her to feel her emotions would be difficult too.

Oh well. At least they talked finally.

It was starting to get late. Starlight decided to start heading back to the dorm herself.

end song

Evening

The dorm was quiet when Starlight got back. Celestia hadn’t left her meditation since morning, and Rainbow Dash had gone to the arcade more than likely to blow off some steam. Since Twilight wasn’t set to wake up for a bit, that meant it was just Starlight and Trixie. They sat in the living room, where Starlight told Trixie about what Igor suggested.

“That makes sense,” Trixie said when Starlight finished, “But I’m really concerned finding out we don’t even have what we need to rescue Pinkie Pie when we find her. I mean, will we even be able to extend the time she has left without this chariot?”

“I don’t know,” Starlight shrugged, “But we have to try something. If we do nothing, then nothing changes.”

Trixie sighed, “Yeah, I hear you,” Rainbow Dash walked in at that moment, still looking really tense, “Hey Dash.”

Rainbow Dash turned to them and nodded slightly, “Hey.”

“Feeling better?” Trixie asked with a hopeful smile.

“At the moment, not really,” Rainbow Dash admitted walking upstairs. Trixie sighed folding her arms.

“Geez, she’s worse than I was, and she’s not the one with a Dungeon,” Trixie pouted. That did bring up a question though. Why was Rainbow Dash so tense right now? Was she just that worried about Pinkie Pie? Or was there something else going on?

A bit after Rainbow Dash went into her room, they heard another door open, followed by Twilight trudging down the steps.

play song

“Good evening everyone,” Twilight yawned when she saw Starlight and Trixie.

“Hey. Isn’t this kind of early for you?” Trixie asked.

“This is common for me when I’m working on something,” Twilight explained, “I’m sure Ms. Tia already told you about Pinkie Pie’s Dungeon.”

“That she has one? Yeah, we heard,” Trixie said, “Starlight has an idea that might help narrow the search a bit.”

“Oh? Come with me into the kitchen while I make coffee. Tell me there,” Twilight said walking into the kitchen.

“Seeing someone have their morning coffee at 8 in the evening is way too surreal for me,” Trixie said, Starlight nodding in agreement.

They followed Twilight into the kitchen, where Starlight filled Twilight in on her idea of using keywords in the Akashic Records.

“Not a bad idea, being honest,” Twilight said thoughtfully, “As it stands right now, I’m sort of searching for a needle in a haystack, but this might narrow the search a bit. And Igor told you that she doesn’t have much time?”

“Two weeks, at best,” Starlight said.

“Mmmm, that’s not what I wanted to hear, honestly,” Twilight sighed, rising up to pour herself a cup of coffee once it finished brewing, “Being completely honest, with such a small time window, we’d need a pretty precise keyword to link up with Pinkie Pie’s dungeon.”

“Then search for anything pertaining to Fleur de Lis.”

They all looked at the door and saw Celestia walking in. She sat down looking completely exhausted.

“Ms. Tia, are you okay?” Twilight asked running over to her side.

“I spent the entire day meditating, but I realized what I think it was about Pinkie Pie’s agent I didn’t like,” Celestia explained.

“Besides the fact she’s a self-righteous know-it-all bitch?” Trixie asked.

“When I looked at her, she felt similar to how Blueblood felt concerning you, Trixie,” Celestia explained as Twilight poured her a cup of orange juice from the fridge, “And with the way she kept referring to Pinkie Pie as hers, I’m almost positive. It’s Fleur’s shadow that’s influencing Pinkie Pie,” Twilight set the glass of juice in front of Celestia as she finished, “Thank you, Twilight.”

“You’re welcome, Ms. Tia,” Twilight said rubbing her back, “That will replenish your energy.”

Starlight pulled out her phone and began searching for Fleur de Lis on her phone, “That’s odd. She’s not bringing up anything on my phone.”

“So what, she’s just some nobody who’s mooching off of Pinkie Pie’s success?” Trixie asked, “Just when I didn’t think I could dislike that bitch any more than I already do.”

“Ms. Tia, would it be alright if I just brought my coffee upstairs? I want to get to work on this as soon as possible. According to Starlight, Pinkie Pie doesn’t have much time.”

“How much time does she have?” Celestia asked.

“Two weeks, according to Igor,” Trixie said, Starlight nodding in agreement.

“Damn,” Celestia swore, “Very well. Get to work, Twilight. Until we figure this out, make this your top priority.”

Twilight nodded, “Yes Ms. Tia. I won’t let you down.”

“As for the two of you,” Celestia said to Starlight and Trixie as Twilight went upstairs, “Throughout the week, I need you to gather as much information as you can concerning either Fleur de Lis, or Pinkie Pie herself. Even if it’s Fleur’s Shadow causing this, just one name will narrow the search but so much.”

“Yeah, I’m pretty sure there are a couple of people with that name in the world,” Trixie sighed.

“Which is why we need to find more keywords that either tie her to Pinkie Pie, or words that can lead us directly to Pinkie Pie,” Celestia explained, “For now, get some rest. You’ve done a wonderful job today.”

“You should get some sleep too, Ms. Tia,” Starlight said, feeling a good deal more sensitive after saying that.

“Oh, thank you honey, but I’ll be alright. I just need to sit here for a bit, and then I’ll be fine,” Celestia assured. Starlight didn’t want her to push herself too hard, but she accepted that. She and Trixie said good night to her and went upstairs to their room.

end song

“Hey Starlight, why don’t we ask Diamond Tiara if she knows anything?” Trixie suggested, “She’s kind of a gossip in school, and this seems like something she’d know about.”

“Good idea,” Starlight said pulling out her phone and calling Diamond Tiara.

“Hello?”

“Diamond Tiara, it’s Starlight.”

“Oh Starlight! How are you? Feeling better since yesterday?” Diamond Tiara asked.

“Kind of. Are you doing anything tomorrow? I was hoping to ask you something, and figured we could make it a hang out day.”

“That sounds great, Starlight. I’ll be free after 12 tomorrow. Want to meet in South Street?”

“That sounds perfect,” Starlight said, “Thanks. See you then.”

“Bye~”

Starlight hung up and turned to Trixie, “I’ll be meeting up with Diamond Tiara at around 12 or so in South Street.”

“Alright sweet. While you do that, I’ll try to get some information from Rainbow Dash. She’s been acting really weird for a couple of days now, and I’m starting to get really worried.”

“Good luck, Trixie.”

“You too, Starlight.”

Their plan set, the two witches took their showers and spent the rest of the night relaxing before finally heading to bed.

Author's Note

*This isn't made up, nor is it a reference to Code Lyoko EG where this happened to Rarity. The show they're talking about was called VR Troopers, and the episode was called Caitlin's Little Helper or something like that. I remember, because that was my favorite episode for the same reasons as Trixie here.

**For those who don't know French, Fleur told Celestia here "You're her teacher, not her mother."

Fool Arcana: 2/10
Magician Arcana: 3/10 Level Up!
Priestess Arcana: 2/10
Empress Arcana: 2/10

Link to my Patreon

9/16

September 16th, 2019
Sunday
Sunny

Daytime

play song

Diamond Tiara told Starlight she’d meet her in the park in South Street, so at around 11 noon Starlight made her way there. She expected to have to wait a bit, but when she got there she was surprised to see Diamond Tiara already sitting on a bench looking at her phone.

When she saw Starlight, Diamond Tiara beamed and ran over to her.

“Hey Starlight!” she cheered hugging Starlight.

“Hey, you got here early,” Starlight said returning the hug, “I wasn’t expecting you till sometime around 12.”

“I know, but something came up so I chose to come by early,” Diamond Tiara said with a hint of somberness. Was she disappointed about something? “Hey, wanna see my favorite shop here?” Diamond Tiara asked. The mischievous smirk she gave worried Starlight a bit, but she figured she’d open up to her easier if Starlight followed along. Honestly, she felt like she and Diamond Tiara would really click today.

When she focused within, she felt like Silky was hovering around her.

“I’d love that,” Starlight said with a smile. Diamond Tiara jumped up and down excitedly clapping her hands.

“Perfect! Let’s go!” she said, taking Starlight’s hand and pulling her into town. It seemed like she was pushing herself somewhat. Since they were holding hands, Starlight opened herself and felt out her friend’s emotions.

Screw him! I’ll go where I want thank you very much!

Starlight frowned a bit. Despite how jovial she seemed right now, Diamond Tiara was really upset about something. It didn’t feel as dark as Pinkie Pie or Rainbow Dash, but still. This was concerning. For another time though. She was here on a mission.

play song

One that took Starlight to a place called “Lady Love”. All of the clothes here were super provocative, like the kind one would wear to a strip club.

“Well, what do you think?” Diamond Tiara asked expectantly. Honestly, this was not the sort of place Starlight would buy clothes, but she didn’t want to make Diamond Tiara feel bad.

“It’s… surprising to say the least,” Starlight said. Diamond Tiara gave her high pitched “rich girl” laugh.

“Right~? Daddy doesn’t know it, but I have quite a few outfits from this shop. He’d be so upset if he knew!” she said, a little too happy honestly. Was she actually trying to anger her father?

The two girls entered the shop, Starlight feeling really awkward walking through. Still, she kind of got the feeling wearing something from this shop would make her more popular in school. She was no where near bold enough to do that though.

Diamond Tiara on the other hand…

“Well? What do you think?” Diamond Tiara said stepping out of the dressing room. She was currently wearing a skimpy red top that showed off an almost indecent amount of cleavage, black jacket, black mini skirt, fishnet stockings, and black high heeled boots.

“Honestly, you look like a stripper,” Starlight said honestly. Just as she thought, Diamond Tiara started laughing.

“I know! This outfit just screams slut, doesn’t it?” she walked over to a nearby window and gave a sexy pose, “It’s like I’m saying “throw me onto a table and fuck me, please”!”

She gave another arrogant laugh. Starlight was really wondering what went on in her head.

“Hey, why don’t you try on something?” Diamond Tiara suggested, giggling when she saw how terrified Starlight was, “Don’t worry. I won’t take pictures of you or anything. But you like, really need to get in touch with your sexual side. You’re a cheerleader now, remember?”

Well, she did have a point, and she already knew how short the cheerleader uniform skirts were. Starlight sighed and reluctantly let Diamond Tiara pick out something.

She immediately regretted her life choices afterward.

Said outfit consisted of a black top that was way too provocative by itself, a fishnet shirt that went over top that made it a bit better, red flannel mini skirt, and black ankle boots with a golden heel. Starlight felt practically naked while wearing it.

She wasn’t sure she ever wanted Ms. Tia to see her wearing this.

Starlight stepped out to present it to Diamond Tiara, who gasped when she saw it.

“OMG, you look so hot in that!” Diamond Tiara cheered.

“I feel so exposed right now…” Starlight said, holding an arm over her breasts and looking away embarrassed.

“That’s the whole point, Starlight. A woman’s power is in her sexuality. Oh my God, if everyone could see you like this at school you’d easily become the most popular girl in school! Like, even more popular than the Student Body President!”

Really? Starlight wasn’t too sure about that herself, but she at the very least felt wearing this in a controlled setting would really boost her courage.

“Let’s get it,” Diamond Tiara said suddenly, scaring Starlight immensely, “Don’t worry, it’s on me. Besides, don’t you want to look sexy for Trixie?” she wagged her eyebrows knowingly.

“Does the whole school know now?” Starlight groaned, her face feeling like it was on fire.

“I don’t know if the whole school knows, but with how you two are all over each other, anyone who sees you can tell,” she walked over to Starlight and placed a comforting hand on her shoulder, “On the plus side, they do ship you two.”

“I’m… not sure if that comforts me too much,” Starlight admitted, earning another laugh from Diamond Tiara.

“You are so precious! Please, never lose that honesty of yours. It adds to your charm,” she averted her eyes somberly, “And I really need more friends like you in my life.”

Despite everything, Starlight did feel like she understood a bit more about what sort of person Diamond Tiara was. She felt like their bond increased significantly.

play song

After paying for their outfits (and changing back into their typical attire THANK GOD) Starlight and Diamond Tiara stepped out of the shop. Right when Starlight was about to ask Diamond Tiara about Fleur, they bumped into another girl around their age. Based on how Diamond Tiara’s eyes lit up, she knew this girl.

“Silver Spoon!” Diamond Tiara cried happily, hugging the new girl. Said girl had long silver hair that was partially braided on one side but still flowing freely, blue square framed glasses, wore a silver and white dress that was expensive looking but more conservative than Diamond Tiara’s attire, black shoes, and dark pink lipstick.

“Oh Diamond, it’s been a while,” Silver Spoon said returning the hug.

“Tell me about it. I didn’t know you were back in town,” Diamond Tiara said.

“I was going to call you tonight actually and tell you,” Silver Spoon noticed Starlight and looked her up and down, almost like how Fleur did earlier, “Who’s this? Your new pet or something?”

Well screw you too, Starlight thought frowning.

“Come on Spoony, don’t be like that. This is my new friend Starlight Glimmer. Starlight, this is my childhood friend Silver Spoon.”

“Ah, I see. My apologies. Diamond is the one who typically associates with the common folk,” Silver Spoon elegantly held out her hand, trying to be polite, but clearly forcing herself, “It’s a pleasure to meet you, Starlight Glimmer.”

“Yeah, likewise,” Starlight said, shaking Silver Spoon’s hand.

Ugh! Who does this skank think she is! Diamond is MINE!

Whoa! It almost felt like she was being attacked by her emotions. That, was new.

“Hey, why don’t we all hang out together?” Diamond Tiara requested, “I’d love it if my oldest friend could meet my newest.”

“That sounds lovely, Diamond!” Silver Spoon said before Starlight could speak up, “You don’t mind, do you Starlight?” Silver Spoon looked at Starlight with an expression that Starlight couldn’t read.

“Not at all,” Starlight said, a bit unnerved with how Silver Spoon smirked.

“Great! Let’s go get something to eat then. I think Starlight wanted to ask me something anyway, so we can talk there.”

Starlight nodded and followed Diamond Tiara, all the while feeling Silver Spoon’s gaze on her.

“Fleur de Lis?” Diamond Tiara asked. She’d taken them to a pizza place called "The Mushroom Kingdom", which was owned by two Italian men who dressed more like plumbers than owners of a Pizza Parlor. Diamond Tiara had ordered a large pepperoni pizza which sat in the middle of their table.

“You know Pinkie Pie? My dorm mate with the pink hair?” Starlight asked.

“She’s the celebrity, right? The one who stared in The Forgotten Princess,” Diamond Tiara asked.

Starlight nodded, “That’s her agent apparently. She came by yesterday to take Pinkie Pie to a photo shoot, but I’ll be honest, I didn’t like the vibe she gave off. I was wondering if you knew anything about her.”

“Hm… not much, sorry,” Diamond Tiara said, “I’ve seen her a few times, though, so I get what you mean by not liking the vibe she gives,” Starlight tilted her head confused, “Well, she came by last year at one point, while Pinkie Pie was working on the movie. She was super possessive of her. It was like, so creepy.”

Starlight did pick up on that. The way she kept calling Pinkie Pie “her” Pinkamena did raise a few red flags.

“Hey Spoony, your father was on the set for one of her movies, so you saw Fleur, right?” Diamond Tiara asked, turning to her friend who of course was eating her pizza with a knife and fork instead of using her hands like a normal teenager.

“Hm? Oh, yes. I met Fleur. She’s nothing but a money grubbing bitch who’s angry she didn’t make the cut,” Silver Spoon answered simply.

“What do you mean?” Starlight asked taking a bite out of her slice. Silver Spoon gave her a look before she answered.

“In the world of show business, there are two kinds of people. The one’s who have talent, and the ones who don’t. She was the latter.”

Why did Starlight get the feeling she wasn’t just talking about Fleur?

“She was a thing for a hot minute,” she continued, elegantly cutting another piece of her slice, “Problem with being a model though, unless you have “the look”, no one will hire you,” she ate the piece she cut off, which finished her current slice, before grabbing another one, “Since she didn’t have any other talents to fall back on, she faded. Now her much prettier and more talented goddaughter is the star, and she’s nothing more than the star’s servant. Exactly where all the no talented hacks should be.”

The way she narrowed her eyes at Starlight this time said it all. She was trying to make her uncomfortable so she’d leave. Starlight knew exactly how to fix her.

“Thank you Silver Spoon, that really helped,” Starlight said, adding a bit of venom to her tone, but feeling a good deal more poised gracefully. And based on how Silver Spoon scowl became slightly more pronounced, she got the memo.

I’m not going anywhere, bitch.

“Hey, I need to step away for a second,” Diamond Tiara said rising, “Don’t eat all the pizza without me.”

“Don’t worry, Diamond, I’m sure there will be a couple of slices left when you get back,” Silver Spoon said in her overly perky tone she used around Diamond Tiara.

As Diamond Tiara sashayed toward the restrooms, Starlight could feel the air around her get colder.

play song

“Well, now it’s just you and me,” Silver Spoon said, not even trying to hide her scowl anymore.

“I get the feeling you don’t like me very much,” Starlight pointed out. Silver Spoon gave an exaggerated gasp.

“Really? Whatever gave you that idea!” she narrowed her eyes, “I’m going to make this simple for you, okay? You’re nowhere near our level. Honestly, you don’t deserve to lick the souls of Diamond Tiara’s shoes.”

Starlight narrowed her eyes at Silver Spoon. Normally she tried to be nice, but this girl was making that really hard. Not even Trixie was this much of a bitch when they met.

“So, how are we going to make this work?” Starlight asked, resting her head on her hand in a way that showed her Channeling Ring. She knew Silver Spoon didn’t know what it was, but she felt more dangerous showing it openly.

“Oh that’s simple, you just vanish from Diamond’s life and never speak to her again,” Silver Spoon said, leaning forward and resting her chin on both hands with a phony smile.

“That’s not going to happen.”

“Oh really?”

“Diamond Tiara is my friend too, so you can either get used to having me around, or you can disappear.”

“And that’s really not going to happen,” Silver Spoon said, narrowing her eyes still smiling, “See, I’ve always been Diamond’s guardian against peasants. She’s always being nice to unfortunate souls like you, and they always start thinking that they’re good enough to be her friend. That’s until I put them in their place.”

“In other words, you’re the only one who’s good enough to be her friend,” Starlight stated, “That’s really fucked up, you know that?”

“Oh you misunderstand. It’s not that I’m the only one who’s good enough, just that they weren’t. I’m not going to let anyone take advantage of my best friend, especially not some creepy goth bitch.”

“Well I’m not going to let anyone take advantage of her either, least of all some phony rich slut,” She said, feeling Morgana take over from within. She felt a lot more courageous speaking up like that.

Silver Spoon’s smile slowly faded back into a sinister scowl, but Diamond Tiara came back before she could say anything.

“Sorry I took so long~” Diamond Tiara said sitting back down, “Decided to retouch my make-up while I was in the ladies room,” she looked between Starlight and Silver Spoon, “Is everything okay?”

“Oh yeah, we’re perfectly fine,” Starlight said giving Silver Spoon a slight glare, “Right Silver Spoon?”

“That’s right, everything is perfectly fine,” Silver Spoon said, putting on her fake smile but still glaring at Starlight. Despite the tension surrounding them, Starlight could feel a faint bond forming between herself and Silver Spoon.

play song

Thou art I… and I am thou…

Thou hast established a new bond…

This bond shalt become the stairway to thy ascension…

Thou shalt be blessed when developing Personas of the Devil Arcana…

Wait… seriously? This bitch was one of her Social Links? But Starlight didn’t like her! At all! How the hell was she supposed to work on a bond with someone who hated her guts?! Why was she expected to form a bond with someone like her?!

This had to be a sick joke.

Realizing that now she had to at least try to be friendly with Silver Spoon, at least around Diamond Tiara, she resumed the hang out session. Despite Silver Spoon making it clear she did not want her around, she was still able to enjoy herself.

The three of them spent the rest of the day together until it was time to return to the dorms.

end song

When Starlight returned to the dorm, she was exhausted. She thankfully got the information she needed, but the idea that it came from that bitch Silver Spoon didn’t sit well with her. Also, now she was expected to form a friendship with her?

What the hell was this?

“Welcome home, Starlight.”

play song

Starlight looked ahead and saw Celestia sitting on the couch, as usual drinking tea.

“Hi Ms. Tia,” Starlight said going to sign her name, “I have information on Fleur.”

“Excellent, what did you discover?” she asked.

Starlight sat down next to Celestia on the couch and relayed what Silver Spoon told her. Turned out, Trixie had already made it back and given her some information as well.

“This is perfect,” Celestia said thoughtfully, “Hopefully with this we can find Pinkie Pie’s Dungeon swiftly.”

“Yeah… hopefully,” Starlight sighed. Before she could get up and leave, Celestia placed a hand on her leg.

“Are you okay, dear? I sense that you’re upset about something,” Celestia said. Good God, she was like a mother. She could feel that something was wrong without Starlight needing to say anything.

Starlight found herself confiding in Celestia what happened when she hung out with Diamond Tiara and Silver Spoon, and how Silver Spoon was now one of her Social Links.

“Ah, I see,” Celestia nodded in understanding, “Yes, I could see how someone like that would trigger you.”

“Ms. Tia, if she’s one of my Social Links, do I have to be nice to her?” Starlight asked, genuinely confused. Normally she just stayed away from people who she didn’t like. Leave me alone, and I’ll leave you alone.

“That’s… a difficult question, honestly,” Celestia admitted, “I can see why you would want to stay away from her, and normally that would be best. At the same time though, you are Diamond Tiara’s friend.”

“I think she really needs someone like me as a friend. Especially if she has someone like that close to her,” Starlight said, trying to keep the venom in her voice to a minimum.

“And there’s your answer on what to do for now. Be Diamond Tiara’s friend. This Silver Spoon sounds like she wants to bully you into leaving Diamond Tiara. Diamond Tiara values you as a friend, so you should stay by her side. However, I wouldn’t judge Silver Spoon so harshly either.”

She wouldn’t? Well of course she wouldn’t. Starlight asked her why, however.

“There’s no telling what’s going on in her head right now, but no one is truly malicious without a reason. From what you told me, she seems to genuinely see Diamond Tiara as a friend, so she’s not inherently bad. I’m not saying to tolerate how she treats you, and if she does do something harmful, you should take proper action, but if she is a Social Link, that means there’s something the two of you are meant to learn from one another. For now, I would just focus on being there for your friend. If she DOES cause you too much trouble, there’s no shame in letting either myself or one of your other friends know.”

“Should I tell Diamond Tiara?”

“Not yet,” Celestia shook her head, “She’s known Silver Spoon longer. Play it by ear for now, but also trust in Diamond Tiara. She’s a good kid, and I know she won’t let Silver Spoon bully you but so much.”

Actually, that was probably right. It seemed like Silver Spoon was content acting like a nice person when Diamond Tiara was around. She’d see what happens there for now, and see how that Social Link developed. Starlight thanked Celestia, who responded by pulling her into a maternal embrace.

“You’re very welcome. I’m glad I could help you,” Celestia said gently. Starlight felt a bit closer to Celestia from that exchange.

After relaxing in her arms, Starlight went upstairs to her and Trixie’s room to rest and check on her roommate. She wondered if she’d still be up. When she entered the room, she saw Trixie lying on her bed relaxing. Her jacket and hat were both off, and her shirt was unbuttoned halfway, revealing her dark blue bra underneath.

Okay, seeing that makes me feel a good deal better.

play song

“Hey Starlight,” Trixie said sitting up, seemingly exhausted, “You look like you had a rough day.”

“You too,” Starlight said closing the door and sitting down on her bed, “What happened on your end?”

“Rainbow Dash was mostly just being distant and evasive,” Trixie sighed, “At one point I had to pin her to a wall and yell at her, reminding her that I’m her friend and I want to help.”

“She’s really being affected by all of this,” Starlight said.

“Yeah, and I think I’m kind of figuring out why. Apparently Pinkie Pie’s been crying in her sleep since the beginning of the school year.”

Starlight’s eyes were wide. Was she suffering the Nightmare Epidemic all this time too and they didn’t realize it? Who else did she know that was suffering from it?

“Pinkie Pie normally seems so jovial and positive though. The idea that she was suffering the whole time…” Starlight said, more to herself than Trixie.

“I don’t think she consciously remembers the nightmares,” Trixie stated, “At least, they’re not clear to her yet.”

“How do you figure that?” Starlight asked.

“Rainbow Dash told me that she tried asking her about her nightmare once, and Pinkie Pie said that it had mostly faded by that time,” Trixie explained, “So whatever is happening to her in there, it’s not vivid enough for her to consciously recall it yet.”

“Pinkie Pie’s supposed to be coming back later tonight,” Starlight checked her phone, which showed 7:20 at the moment, “Want to stay up and see how she is?”

Trixie nodded, “I think if we can see the state she’s in after the photo shoot, it’ll tell us a lot. Also, I don’t know if it’s painful or anything when you do this, but try to get a hold of her and use your empathy. Maybe if we know her full emotional state, we can figure out a keyword that will guide us directly to Pinkie Pie’s Dungeon.”

Starlight nodded in agreement. She didn’t like knowing how long she was suffering the Nightmare Epidemic. However, she’d made physical contact with Pinkie Pie a bunch of times and hadn’t felt anything. Starlight wondered why that was.

“So that’s my day, what about yours?” Trixie asked, leaning close to Starlight with a frown, “I may not be an empath, but I can tell when my friend is upset about something.”

Starlight sighed, “I ran into one of Diamond Tiara’s friends today, her name is Silver Spoon.”

“Oooooh, I know exactly who she is,” Trixie winced, “She and I had the same homeroom last year. I did not like her at all. She was kind of a bitch to everyone, throwing the fact she’s wealthy at everyone.”

“Sounds about right,” Starlight fell back onto her bed, “She basically told me to my face I’m not rich enough to be Diamond Tiara’s friend.”

“Is that right?” Trixie asked with a raised eyebrow, “Well, Diamond Tiara doesn’t seem to mind us being her friends.”

“I’m really starting to like Diamond Tiara, and I can tell she’s got a lot of issues that I want to try and help her through. At least be there to support her. But I get the feeling Silver Spoon is going to be hovering around her now.”

“Well, I don’t think she can sabotage you against Diamond Tiara. No offense Starlight, but you already have a bit of a reputation in school.”

Oh fuck, Trixie was right. Silver Spoon didn’t know that she tried to kill herself yet. What would happen when she found out?

“How do I stop her from using that against me?” Starlight asked sitting up suddenly, “Trixie, this is a huge deal! She doesn’t have any leverage on me yet, but when she finds out I tried to kill myself, I’m screwed!”

“Oh shit, I hadn’t thought about that,” Trixie said looking to the side, “Um… um… okay, don’t panic. Listen, I’m going to think of something, okay?”

“You will?” Starlight asked hopefully.

“Relax, I’ve got you, Starlight. You saved my life, in more ways than one. Ensuring some rich bitch can’t ruin your life is the least I can do.”

Starlight actually moved to sit next to Trixie and hugged her, “Thank you.”

“That’s what sisters are for,” Trixie said, secretly eyeing her Channeling Ring.

play song

At around dinner time, the doorbell rang. Rainbow Dash immediately rushed out of the dining room to answer the door.

“Pinkie Pie!” Rainbow Dash cried, hugging the pink haired teen.

“H-hey Dashie…” Pinkie Pie said, her voice a bit more quiet than usual, “How was your weekend?”

“You weren’t here, so I was pretty much bored all weekend,” Rainbow Dash said. Starlight, Trixie, and Celestia all entered the living room/main auditorium too.

“Oh Pinkie Pie, it’s wonderful to see you!” Celestia said lovingly. Pinkie Pie actually ran into Celestia’s arms hugging her, “Pinkie Pie, is everything okay?”

“Y-yeah. I just missed you, Ms. Tia. That’s all.”

“Hey, don’t we get hugs too?” Trixie asked jovially.

"Well duh! Hugs for everyone!” Pinkie Pie said, now hugging both Trixie and Starlight at the same time.

I’m… sorry everyone…! I didn’t know what that photo shoot was…!

Starlight frowned looking at Pinkie Pie as she released them. What sort of photo shoot did she have to do…?

“Hey, I’m going to head upstairs and rest up,” Pinkie Pie said, clearly trying to hide how upset she was.

“You don’t want to join us for dinner?” Celestia asked. Pinkie Pie shook her head.

“I already ate, and I’m really tired. I kind of want to head right to sleep,” Pinkie Pie said.

“Well, alright. Get some rest, sweetie,” Celestia said gently before kissing Pinkie Pie on the forehead.

“Good night Ms. Tia. Night everyone,” Pinkie Pie said jovially. She then turned to Rainbow Dash, and oddly enough averted her eyes sadly before running upstairs to her room.

“Pinkie Pie…” Rainbow Dash said to herself. She then walked back into the dining room to finish her dinner, and more than likely to ponder her own personal thoughts on the situation.

“Well? Did you feel anything?” Trixie asked Starlight. Starlight told her and Celestia exactly what she felt from Pinkie Pie, “She’s… upset about the photo shoot?”

“I wish I knew what magazine she was modeling for,” Celestia said looking upstairs, “I get the feeling something happened concerning it.”

“Well, news travels fast in Canterlot High, and I’m sure that if it’s something like Cosmopolitan, someone in school is going to get it, for better and for worse,” Trixie suggested, “Let’s just wait for that to happen.”

Starlight didn’t like waiting for that, but she didn’t see an alternative this time around. The most she could do was keep gathering information to give to Twilight and be on the lookout for any news of Pinkie Pie’s photo shoot.

Starlight really hoped none of this took too long.

Author's Note

Fool Arcana: 2/10
Magician Arcana: 2/10
Priestess Arcana: 3/10 Level Up!
Empress Arcana: 3/10 Level Up!
Devil Arcana: 1/10 Established!

9/17, 9/18, 9/19, 9/20

September 17th, 2019
Monday
Sunny

Morning

play song

Starlight and Trixie walked on to school together, just in case they ran into Silver Spoon. Starlight didn’t normally care about things like popularity, but she didn’t want to know how Silver Spoon would capitalize on her suicide attempt. The last thing she needed was for Silver Spoon to run her reputation into the ground or something.

When they approached her, they saw her standing by the gate. She smirked at Starlight and then walked over to her and Trixie.

“Hello Starlight~ So wonderful to see you!” Silver Spoon said, tone oozing with phony perkiness.

“Cut the bullshit, Silver Spoon. Starlight already told me about your interaction with her yesterday,” Trixie said deadpanned.

“Aw, you ran to hide behind your girlfriend? How sweet,” Silver Spoon said, “I know about you, by the way.”

“Is that so?” Starlight said raising an eyebrow.

“Oh don’t worry, I’m not going to use that to ruin you. I’m not so basic that I’d resort to something that juvenile.”

Starlight didn’t know how she felt hearing that, but assumed she was referring to using her suicide attempt as juvenile. Otherwise they’d seriously have issues.

“I have other ways of ensuring you’re reputation is ruined,” Silver Spoon said with a sinister edge, “Besides, in the end, all I want is for Diamond Tiara to realize what a filthy skank you are.”

“Take one to know one~” Trixie said airily, looking toward the sky jovially.

“What was that, Lulamoon?! Why don’t you say that to my face?!” Silver Spoon spat glaring at Trixie, who just laughed arrogantly.

“I have no idea what you’re talking about!” before anyone else could say anything, the bell to homeroom rang.

“Watch yourself, Glimmer,” Silver Spoon said, “Your magician friend here can’t protect you forever.”

With that, Silver Spoon walked into the school building.

“Congrats,” Trixie said patting Starlight on the back, “You’ve found your school bully.”

“Lovely…” Starlight sighed. She had no idea how she was going to form a social link with that one.

Daytime

In Physical Education (otherwise known as Gym Class) Bulk Biceps surprised all of the students by asking a question on how the body processed energy. He asked Trixie the question, but she didn’t know the answer. Thankfully Starlight was right next to her, because she whispered the answer to her. She felt she became more sensitive helping her friend, and could tell Trixie appreciated her.

Starlight got the feeling she and Trixie could become significantly closer soon.

Since nothing of interesting happened in school that day or afterward, Starlight and Trixie just spent the entire day together after school, all the while keeping an eye on Pinkie Pie, who seemed really tense about something the entire time.

September 18th, 2019
Tuesday
Cloudy

Lunch Time

As Starlight and Trixie ate together on a bench, Diamond Tiara ran over to them excitedly.

“Today’s the big day! You ready for practice?” she asked. Honestly, Starlight wasn’t sure at first, considering she had a feeling Silver Spoon was going to be there, but she didn’t want to disappoint Diamond or give Silver Spoon any leverage by chickening out.

“Yeah, I’ll be there,” Starlight said with a smile. Diamond Tiara clapped her hands happily.

“Yes! I knew you’d come! I’ll wait for you outside the gym. See ya there~” Diamond Tiara walked off, as usual flipping her hair arrogantly. Since it seemed that Celestia was right about her friendship with Diamond Tiara being okay, Starlight decided not to worry about Silver Spoon.

After School

play song

Pep Squad Practice was a lot of fun. Turned out, Starlight liked being a cheerleader! She thought they’d be practicing in the gym, but they were in fact outside on the football field, which made sense when Starlight thought about it. As such, at one point the boys on the football team walked onto the field to admire them, and Starlight found that she enjoyed practice even more knowing that they were watching her.

She didn’t even mind the length of the skirts. Yeah, they were shorter than Starlight usually wore, only falling right past her rear, and that was initially embarrassing, but once she got into it, she found that the short skirt was a lot of fun to wear.

By the end of practice, she felt she’d become a good amount more graceful and gained some popularity.

After practice, Starlight sat down on one of the bleachers to catch her breath. Diamond Tiara giggled and sat down next to her.

“You… don’t really exercise much, do you?” Diamond Tiara asked.

“Physically, no,” Starlight panted, thinking about how different it felt moving around in the real world.

“Did you see that goth girl?” one of the other cheerleaders asked her friend off to the side, “What’s her name? Starlight or something? She’s good!”

“She and Diamond better be careful though. Suri doesn’t like it when girls outshine her,” her friend said. Apparently they didn’t know that Starlight and Diamond Tiara were right there listening.

“Pssh, ignore them,” Diamond Tiara said waving it off.

“Is that true though? What they said about Suri?” Starlight asked.

“Sadly. Suri became the head of the Pep Squad because her Mother’s on the school board, but she mostly just uses it to stroke her ego. Like, take Coco over there for example.”

Diamond Tiara pointed off to the side, where the blue haired girl was doing a few stretches on her own. She had a slightly curvier build than the other girls, but she was still pretty good. Honestly, Starlight was surprised by how much better she was than most of the girls here.

“She’s been on the Pep Squad since Freshman Year,” Diamond Tiara said, “Before Suri came along and took over, she was slated to become the leader. So of course once Suri joined, she strong armed her way to the top, and forced Coco to be her lackey.”

While she was talking, Starlight saw Suri walk over to Coco, who immediately shot up and bowed to Suri submissively. Suri said something stern to Coco, and then pointed ahead of her. Coco then ran off to grab a water bottle and towel for Suri.

Starlight frowned and turned to Diamond Tiara, “Is that the reason you want to become head of the Pep Squad?”

“Part of the reason,” Diamond Tiara opened her water bottle and drank some before handing it to Starlight, “I can’t stand seeing people not able to live up to their potential. Those with power should help the weak, not trample on them,” she sat back and sighed, “I just wish the people around me understood that.”

“Do you mean Silver Spoon?” Starlight asked after drinking from the water bottle and handing it back to Diamond Tiara, who laughed ruefully.

“Yeah, I’m sure you could tell. She’s nice to me, but she’s definitely the standard of what the upper class is,” Diamond Tiara looked forward with a somber smile, “Most of the people around me just see the middle and lower class as stepping stones, existing just to solidify their wealth. I hate that mentality. My Mom was like that, and actually cost me a lot of friends.”

“What happened to her?” Starlight asked, a bit concerned.

“Dad divorced her once he found out she was a money grubbing bitch,” Diamond Tiara shrugged, “Smartest decision of his life, if you ask me. I couldn’t stand that woman.”

Starlight was relieved to hear that she was alive, but shocked at how dismissive Diamond Tiara was of her.

“She was the one who introduced me to Silver Spoon, saying I needed friends of the same social standing as myself,” Diamond Tiara continued, “The only reason she and I are still friends is because I actually do enjoy her company. That and without her, I wouldn’t have anyone,” she looked to the side pained, “It’s lonely being upper class…”

“Well, we’re friends, right?” Starlight asked. Diamond Tiara perked up immediately.

“Yeah, we are,” Diamond Tiara took Starlight’s hand earnestly and looked into her eyes, “I’m so happy that you and I became friends, Starlight. Please, never stop being honest with me, okay?”

Starlight nodded, feeling just how much Diamond Tiara seemed to rely on her presence. She got the impression that she was a breath of fresh air for Diamond Tiara. Starlight felt like their bond had become stronger.

Starlight and Diamond Tiara hung out for a little bit longer before curfew.

end song

September 19th, 2019
Wednesday
Raining

After School

Nothing really exciting happened today in school, so Starlight and Trixie mostly spent the day gathering intel and keeping an eye on both Pinkie Pie and Rainbow Dash. Throughout the week, Rainbow Dash was getting increasingly tense, and kept trying to stay close to Pinkie Pie. Pinkie Pie on the other hand seemed like she was almost afraid throughout the week, and at one point Starlight thought she saw her wiping away tears in History Class. Whenever Rainbow Dash or even Ms. Tia tried to ask her what was wrong though, she’d always dodge the question.

“I’m getting concerned,” Trixie said after class ended, “It looks like they’re getting worse.”

“Did you figure out the magazine she modeled for?” Starlight asked Trixie.

“She refuses to say,” Trixie shrugged, “I can tell she’s really torn up about it though.”

Both witches turned to Pinkie Pie, who like always packed her books somberly and started making her way out of the classroom with saying a word to anyone. Even their other classmates were starting to worry about her. Just as she walked toward the door, Rainbow Dash rushed through.

“There you are,” Rainbow Dash said sternly, “Pinkie Pie, we need to talk.”

“Not now, Dashie. I… I have homework,” she pushed past Rainbow Dash out of the classroom, but this time Rainbow Dash followed immediately. Starlight and Trixie ran out of the classroom to follow.

play song

“That can wait, this is important!” Rainbow Dash said, pinning Pinkie Pie against a locker.

“Dashie…” Pinkie Pie turned away, tears building up in her eyes.

“What’s going on with you? You’ve been crying in your sleep every night, you look constantly depressed, and I know you’re avoiding me.”

“Please… stop…!” Pinkie Pie begged trembling.

“I’ve been avoiding putting you on the spot, but now I need to know,” she leaned in close, “Do you have it?”

Pinkie Pie’s eyes widened, “Have what…?”

“You know what I’m talking about. That Nightmare Epidemic thing.”

“No!” Pinkie Pie cried shaking her head, “I don’t have it! I need to-”

Rainbow Dash slammed her hand on the locker, “Don’t lie to me! You do have it, don’t you?!” she sobered, “Pinkie Pie, why didn’t you tell me? I’m your knight, remember? I could protect-”

“Stop it!” Pinkie Pie screamed, “Just… stop! You don’t know anything, so please, leave me alone!” she shoved Rainbow Dash aside and ran off.

“Pinkie Pie!” Rainbow Dash shouted. Once Pinkie Pie turned the corner, Rainbow Dash slammed her fist on the locker, “Goddamn it! How can I protect you if you won’t let me?!”

Starlight was getting really worried about Rainbow Dash, and if Trixie’s expression was anything to go by, she felt the same. Before they could say anything, Rainbow Dash stormed off, hands thrust into her skirt pockets.

“I really hope Twilight finds that Dungeon soon,” Trixie said, “We really need to get in there.”

Starlight nodded in agreement. Even if they couldn’t save Pinkie Pie, they needed to at least buy her some time.

end song

September 20th, 2019
Thursday
Cloudy

Morning

When Starlight and Trixie walked into school, they could immediately feel something off in the air around them. All of the students seemed to be talking about something among themselves, some of the girls were gossiping about something it seemed, and the boys seemed almost excited.

“You feel it too, right?” Trixie asked Starlight, who nodded without a word, “Something’s different here.”

Pinkie Pie walked into the school building a bit after them, hugging herself as she walked through the halls with a truly terrified air surrounding her. As she walked, one of the boys whistled at her, prompting the pink haired teen to gasp and rush off to her locker.

Uh oh.

A few more boys cat called her while walking by her. As she got her books, she turned to where three girls were talking, and all of them turned away from her walking off. Starlight walked over to Pinkie Pie and placed a hand on her shoulder.

“Hey, are you okay?” she asked, instantly hit with a wave of terror.

No! Everyone’s seen it now! I know it!

play song

“Starlight, I…” When Pinkie Pie turned to Starlight, her eyes said it all. She was on the verge of tears.

“Pinkie Pie, what’s the matter?” Trixie asked soothingly, “You can tell us.”

Pinkie Pie shook her head and rushed off to their homeroom. Starlight looked down thinking about what Pinkie Pie’s heart cried. Everyone’s seen what?

Lunch Time

It didn’t get any better as the day went on. Boys kept making lewd comments and gestures whenever Pinkie Pie walked by them, and most of the girls avoided her like she was diseased or something. Starlight and Trixie watched Pinkie Pie from their usual bench, both getting increasingly worried for their friend. Currently she sat by herself, slowly eating her lunch with almost a dark cloud hanging over her.

After a minute, two boys walked over to Pinkie Pie and sat next to her on the bench, one wrapping his arms around her. Starlight couldn’t hear what they were saying since they were so far away, but with how Pinkie Pie pushed his arm off of her and kept shaking her head, she could easily guess they were making her uncomfortable.

“Hey dumbasses!” they heard Rainbow Dash shout rushing over to them, “Get your hands off of her!”

Trixie frowned and shot up from their bench, running over to the scene. Starlight set her lunch aside and followed suit.

“Relax, Dashie,” the boy on the left said, “We were just asking Pinkie Pie here about her pictures in that magazine, and if she’d pose like that for us sometime.”

“She’s not some cheap slut you can ogle!” Rainbow Dash shouted, raising her hand to strike the boy. She might have if Trixie hadn’t grabbed her arm, “Let go of my arm, Lulamoon!”

“Are you trying to cause a scene here?! This isn’t helping Pinkie Pie or anyone!” Trixie fussed.

Starlight looked at Pinkie Pie, who buried her face in her hands sobbing to herself. Through her eyes, everything darkened briefly, and Pinkie Pie was suddenly dressed in a fancy pink and white gown, white high heels, and wore a tiara on her head. Starlight also noticed shackles on her wrists!

“Stop, all of you!” Starlight shouted, “We’re making Pinkie Pie upset!”

That seemed to get through to Rainbow Dash, who turned to Pinkie Pie with a shocked look on her face, “This is…” she shook her head and gritted her teeth, “You assholes need to leave… now,” the boys looked at each other unsure, but flinched when Dash stomped her foot, “I SAID NOW!”

They rushed off immediately. Rainbow Dash took a deep breath and sat down next to Pinkie Pie, who hadn’t stopped crying.

“Talk to me,” Rainbow Dash said, her voice now gentle as she lightly rubbed Pinkie Pie’s back, “What’s going on?”

Pinkie Pie shook her head, and just held onto Rainbow Dash tightly crying even harder than before. Trixie sat down next to Pinkie Pie as well, lightly rubbing her back, but Starlight looked around for someone who could tell her what was going on. Her eyes stopped on a nearby bench, where she saw Silver Spoon sitting by herself, legs crossed, and eating a box of Chinese Food with chopsticks. She was looking right at them with a knowing smirk on her face.

Starlight sighed internally. She knew what she was about to do, and she hated every second of it.

Starlight walked over to Silver Spoon’s bench, “Do you know what this is all about?”

“What what is all about?” Silver Spoon asked airily, “I’m sorry, you’re going to have to elaborate.”

Starlight took a deep breath to control her temper, “This thing with Pinkie Pie. Why is everyone harassing her?”

“Oh that,” Silver Spoon had the audacity to sound slightly concerned, “Poor thing. If her career is going in that direction, her school life is pretty much over.”

“Stop being coy!” Starlight fussed, “What happened?!”

“Wait… you haven’t seen them, have you?” Silver Spoon looked up at Starlight laughing a bit, “I didn’t believe it at first when Diamond told me, but you really don’t follow the media.”

Silver Spoon set her food aside and patted the spot next to her. Starlight narrowed her eyes, but sat down as Silver Spoon pulled out her phone, “It’s all over social media right now,” she pulled up something and handed her phone to Starlight, “Looks like Pinkie Pie’s all grown up~”

end song

When Starlight saw what was on the phone, she almost threw up.

It was a picture of a magazine cover, the magazine itself called “Bad Girlz”. On the cover was clearly Pinkie Pie, but she didn’t look like her usual childlike self. She was wearing red and black sheer lingerie, dark purple eye shadow, dark red lipstick, and was posing with her hands running through her hair pushing her chest out. It was a super sexy pose, made worse with the bedroom eyes she was giving the camera.

Starlight pushed the button to look through the magazine to find where Pinkie Pie’s shots were. It only got worse from there. Each pose was getting increasingly racier, to the point where a few were borderline pornographic. One picture she was sure Pinkie Pie was actually naked, with a prop strategically placed to prevent anything from actually showing, and even then…

Starlight’s breathing became a bit labored, and she could almost feel Morgana behind her holding her shoulder and tightening her grip, also trembling in rage.

“Oh don’t be too surprised,” Silver Spoon said resuming her lunch, “That’s just how show business is.”

“What?” Starlight asked, voice low and seething.

“If someone’s going to make it big these days, they have only two options to stay relevant. Either get on drugs, or start taking their clothes off. Looks like your friend chose the latter. Honestly, it was the better deal if you ask me.”

Starlight knew that if she stayed there any longer she’d slap Silver Spoon, and she could tell Morgana wanted to. Instead, she shot up and ran over to her friends, motioning for Trixie to follow her back to their bench. Trixie nodded, said something to Pinkie Pie, and then ran over to Starlight.

play song

“Well? Did you find anything?” she asked. Starlight pulled out her phone and fiddled with it a bit till she found the picture that Silver Spoon showed her. When Trixie saw it, the color drained from her face, “Oh. My. God… This is disgusting…!”

“If Silver Spoon’s seen it, by now the entire student body has seen it,” Starlight said, “I don’t think Pinkie Pie should stay here.”

“Neither do I. I’ll go with Pinkie Pie and Rainbow Dash to Principal Cinch’s office and try to convince her to let Pinkie Pie leave early. Show this to Ms. Tia. Sad as it is, I bet this will help Twilight track down Pinkie Pie’s Dungeon.”

Starlight nodded and ran back inside. She didn’t even care that she left her lunch behind. This was way more important.

When she saw the pictures, Celestia covered her mouth in horror.

“Oh… Pinkie Pie…” Celestia breathed out.

“Ms. Tia, can we use this to find Pinkie Pie’s Dungeon?” Starlight asked urgently.

“It will certainly narrow the search a good deal. With how much this affected her, this is directly tied to her Dungeon, so I’m sure it will reflect this. Where is Pinkie Pie now?” Starlight told Celestia what Trixie and Rainbow Dash were doing, “Good thinking. I don’t think she should continue school right now.”

Trixie walked into the history classroom and shut the door behind her, eyes closed in frustration, “That bitch…!”

“What happened?” Starlight asked Trixie.

“Cinch said that this isn’t bad enough for Pinkie Pie to leave class,” Trixie seethed, “Apparently she cares more about her school’s reputation than Pinkie Pie’s safety.”

Starlight’s eyes widened in shock. Not bad enough? Pinkie Pie was being harassed left and right!

“That woman…!” Celestia seethed, scowling like she did when she looked at both Fleur and Blueblood, “Knowing her, she’s going to have Rarity make an announcement about it instead, telling the students to cease their harassment.”

“What?! All that’s going to do is put Pinkie Pie on the spot even more!” Trixie cried.

“Ms. Tia, you have to do something!” Starlight cried. Celestia closed her eyes pained.

“I’m sorry, but there’s nothing I can do in this situation,” Celestia said, placing a hand over her heart, “I’m merely a History Teacher. Here, I have no real power beyond this classroom and my dorm.”

“Damn it!” Trixie shouted slamming her fist on a wall, “This is so effed up! You mean we can’t do anything?!”

Starlight looked down thinking about the situation. As it stood, they didn’t have any real sway over the situation. It was going to get worse, and there really wasn’t anything they could do. However, when Trixie was trapped in her Dungeon, it seemed that Starlight’s actions also reflected in the Dungeon as well. Maybe…

“We just need to try and support Pinkie Pie,” Starlight said. Thinking about Pinkie Pie first made her feel a lot more sensitive, as if her heart became more open.

“Yes, if we’re upset, we won’t be able to do anything for Pinkie Pie,” Celestia said calmly, “For now, just focus on supporting Pinkie Pie as best as you can. I’ll have Twilight get on this as soon as she wakes up.”

Trixie took a few deep breaths to calm down, “Right, right. Gotta keep my cool. Thanks Starlight.”

Starlight smiled at her friend. She was glad she could keep everyone calm.

“There are a few more minutes left for lunch,” Celestia said, “If possible, try to relax for the rest of the period. I’ll do what I can to help keep Pinkie Pie calm as well.”

Starlight nodded and followed Trixie back outside to finish lunch, even if she’d honestly lost her appetite over all of this.

end song

Midday

“Attention students of Canterlot High,” Rarity’s elegant voice spoke through the intercom when Starlight was in History, “It has been brought to my attention that a few pictures have come up of one of our students. Miss Pinkamena Diane Pie.”

Pinkie Pie whimpered hiding behind an open book.

“I have not seen these pictures myself, but I know enough about the situation. I would ask all of you to not harass Pinkie Pie while she goes about her day, and in light of this to still treat her as one of your classmates. Should any harassment be spotted by anyone of the Defense Committee, actions will be taken accordingly. That is all.”

One of the students groaned, “In other words, No Fun Jackie strikes again.”

“She is Applejack’s cousin, so I’m not surprised she told,” a girl whispered in the back.

“But to have the entire Defense Committee defending her now? Maybe she does think she’s better than us,” her friend whispered in response.

“But… I don’t think that…” Pinkie Pie cried softly, “I am like everyone else… really…”

Trixie tightened her fists under her desk gritting her teeth in frustration, and when Starlight looked up front, she saw Celestia rubbing her eyes groaning to herself. This was exactly what they were all afraid of. Now Pinkie Pie was in the spotlight in more ways than one. Starlight didn’t blame Rarity for this, as she was probably forced to do that, but still.

This was not doing Pinkie Pie any favors.

After School

It felt weird still going to Pep Squad, but since this was only her second day she felt it would be in poor taste to miss it. Still, even Diamond Tiara was surprised to see her, saying she’d understand if she didn’t want to come.

Starlight appreciated that. She really was the complete opposite of Silver Spoon.

Starlight tried to focus on practice while there, but didn’t stick around to hang out afterward. Still, she did walk away feeling more graceful, so at least she got something out of it. As she walked home, she sent a silent prayer out that Pinkie Pie would be okay.

Although with how bad things got today, she was almost afraid of how bad it would be tomorrow.

Author's Note

Fool Arcana: 2/10
Magician Arcana: 3/10
Priestess Arcana: 4/10 Level Up!
Empress Arcana: 3/10
Devil Arcana: 1/10

Please support my Patreon~ I can't finish my Death Star and continue my campaign for world domination without you~

9/21

September 21st, 2019
Friday
Sunny

Morning

play song

Celestia knocked on Pinkie Pie and Rainbow Dash’s door, “Pinkie Pie honey, please come out.”

“No! I’m not leaving!” Pinkie Pie screamed, “I don’t care what Cinch says, I’m not going back to that place!”

Celestia sighed, “Alright. I won’t force you, but at least eat breakfast, alright? I’m heading to school now, but I’ll check on you later, sweetie.”

Celestia turned to Starlight, Trixie, and Rainbow Dash behind her shaking and shook her head.

“I’m not surprised,” Trixie groaned, “Yesterday was terrible.”

“Ms. Tia, please let me stay with Pinkie Pie,” Rainbow Dash begged, “I’m worried she might hurt herself if she’s alone.”

“Mmm, I don’t know, Rainbow Dash,” Celestia said looking back at the door, “I do think having someone stay behind with her is a good idea, but…”

“I have to protect her,” Rainbow Dash stated, “Ms. Tia, I’m begging you.”

Celestia looked at Rainbow Dash intently for a few seconds to a minute before sighing in resignation, “Cinch is going to have my head for this... Alright Rainbow Dash, you can stay here and watch over Pinkie Pie. Everyone else has to go to class though, understood?”

“Yes Ms. Tia,” Starlight and Trixie said in unison.

“Thanks, Ms. Tia,” Rainbow Dash sighed. Celestia pulled Rainbow Dash into a loving embrace.

“I could never separate a knight from her princess,” she said affectionately, “Take care of her, alright?”

“I will, promise,” Rainbow Dash released Celestia turning to Starlight and Trixie, “Think you could do damage control?” Starlight nodded saying she was okay with that, “Thanks. You guys are the best,” Rainbow Dash turned back to the door and knocked on it, “Pinkie Pie, it’s me. I’m coming in, okay?”

Rainbow Dash walked into the room shutting the door behind her. Starlight, Trixie, and Celestia went off to school without a word, this time just taking Celestia’s car since they were all together.

Daytime

“Hey um, Starlight! Wait up!”

Starlight stopped right before walking into her science class and turned around to see Applejack running up to her.

“How is she?” Applejack asked, visibly worried. Starlight explained to Applejack how Pinkie Pie was in the morning, causing the blond teen to close her eyes in frustration, “Yeah. I expected as much. Rares hated doin’ that yesterday, but Cinch had our hands tied.”

“I’m not blaming you or Rarity, neither is the dorm,” Starlight said. Applejack sighed relaxing.

“Good. Didn’t want y’all thinkin’ that was me. Um, think Ms. Tia would mind if I stopped by the dorm to check on my little cousin after school?”

“I doubt she’d mind,” Starlight said.

“Thanks Starlight. Glad someone in this school ain’t thinkin’ I’m the devil or somethin’,” Applejack turned to walk off, but stopped, “Never did like Fleur managin’ Pinkie Pie.”

Wait, Applejack knew Fleur? That’s right! She would know her!

“Applejack, hang on!” Starlight called out stopping her, “What sort of relationship does Pinkie Pie have with her agent?”

“Ya met Fleur, huh? She’s Pinkie Pie’s godmother. She was friends with Pinkie Pie’s Ma, so when she died of cancer Fleur offered ta take care of her an’ help with her career.”

“So Fleur raises Pinkie Pie?” Starlight asked.

“’Raise’ ain’t what I’d call it,” Applejack spat, continuing with Starlight tilted her head confused, “Now, I’m a tad biased ‘cause Pinkie Pie’s family, but if ya ask me she acts like she owns Pinkie Pie. Almost like she were a possession of some sort.”

So she didn’t imagine that. Fleur was treating Pinkie Pie like a possession.

“Why the sudden interest?” Applejack asked, walking over to Starlight and narrowing her eyes, “You ain’t plannin’ on goin’ after Fleur, are ya?”

Starlight shook her head vehemently, “I just wanted to understand Pinkie Pie’s situation, that’s all. She’s my friend, and I’m worried.”

Applejack backed away and nodded in acceptance, “That’s fair. Sorry, jus’ on edge lately. It ain’t just Pinkie Pie. I’m-” she caught herself rubbing her eyes, “It’s nothin’. Look, jus’ look out for my cousin, alright?”

Applejack walked off, leaving Starlight with the impression she was really stressed about something. Was there something else that had her upset?

For another time. Starlight knew she had enough information now. With this, they’d be able to get into Pinkie Pie’s Dungeon, hopefully tonight. She decided to head right to the dorm after school.

Late night

play song

Starlight and Trixie stayed up to wait for Twilight. Starlight wasted no time telling Twilight what Applejack told her about Fleur’s relationship with Pinkie Pie.

“If that’s true, I think that might be just what I need,” Twilight said, “Give me a second,” she turned to her terminal and got to work. Starlight had no idea what the numbers on the screen meant, but apparently Twilight did, as her eyes were glued to the screen, “Bingo!”

“You have it?” Celestia asked.

“Pinkie Pie’s Dungeon is located on the third floor, section D-79!” Twilight said, “It’s hidden in a back section away from the other books, and on the completely other side of the library where we usually enter from.”

“Brilliant work, my student!” Celestia said hugging Twilight from behind, “I knew you could do it!”

“Of course I could. I am a genius,” she held onto Celestia’s arms returning the embrace, “Still, the praise helps my ego immensely.”

Trixie turned to Starlight, “Did you understand, any of what she said?” Starlight shook her head, “Okay good. It’s not just me then.”

“I don't like sending you in unprepared like this, but we can't afford to wait,” Celestia said turning to Starlight and Trixie, “For now, just focus on tracking Pinkie Pie down in her Dungeon and keeping her safe.”

“It’s about time!” Trixie said, “Finally, we get to do our part!”

“I have some ice chamomile tea in my mini fridge,” Twilight said rising from her chair, “Drink that before you go to sleep. It’ll help you drift off quickly and give you an edge in the Phase.”

“Thanks Twilight,” Starlight said. Twilight just nodded and rushed to her room.

“Please be careful, my students,” Celestia urged, “This is new territory, so there’s no telling what will happen in there.”

“We will,” Starlight said. She and Trixie ran downstairs to get ready to head out.

The Phase

play song

It didn’t take them long to drift off to sleep, so within minutes they were in the Akashic Records. Twilight’s wisp guided them through the library, taking them deeper than they’d ever been and eventually into a small open area hidden away behind the bookshelves. It was a real cozy section, and would have been great for reading in if not for the black and red door in the middle of the space.

“Yeah, there was no way we were going to find this on our own,” Trixie said looking around.

“From what I’m reading, this Dungeon is significantly bigger than yours, Trixie,” Twilight said, “There’s no way we’re clearing this place in one night.”

According to Igor, they weren’t clearing this place period without finding that chariot. She sincerely hoped they found that on their way. They could rescue Pinkie Pie in her Dungeon all they wanted, but without that, they had no way of actually getting her to safety.

“Are you ready for this, Trixie?” Starlight asked her partner, “This is your first official Dungeon.”

“I was going to ask you the same question,” Trixie asked, “Technically we’re all inexperienced here.”

“Hopefully that won’t hinder us too badly,” Twilight said, “I really wish we knew what we were up against here though. I had at least seen the inside of Trixie’s Dungeon beforehand. This time, we’re going in blind, and I really don’t like that.”

“Neither do I, honestly,” Trixie said folding her arms, “Well, nothing ventured, nothing gained. Lead the way, Starlight.”

Starlight nodded and slowly approached the Dungeon. This was the moment she was waiting for. She was terrified, but at least she wasn’t going in alone. Hopefully just having Trixie fighting beside her was enough to keep her safe.

Starlight took a deep breath, and opened the door, leading her team inside the unknown Dungeon.

end song

They emerged in what appeared to be a dark forest, like with Trixie’s Dungeon. The sky was black and ominous, not a star in the sky, and it was unnaturally quiet. The moon was shining brightly in the sky, offering the only source of light in the black forest.

“Is this how my Dungeon felt?” Trixie asked, probably referring to the sense of pure wrongness in the air, along with the feeling of being watched.

“Yeah, more or less,” Starlight said, she and Trixie looking around.

“Hold on, there’s a structure up ahead,” Twilight said. Starlight and Trixie looked to see a black fortress in the distance. From there it looked like there were torches lit, suggesting that people were over there.

People, or Shadows.

“That’s our first stop,” Starlight said, “Let’s go!”

play song

Starlight and Trixie carefully moved through the trees, keeping an eye out just in case anyone tried to jump out and assault them. It didn’t take long to reach the fortress, which at the moment had the gates wide open. As they approached the gate, Starlight though she heard something. It sounded like crying.

“What is it?” Trixie asked. Starlight held a finger to her lips and listened carefully.

“Stop, please! Don’t- AHH!”

“Shut up, Princess! Your knight can’t come to your rescue this time!”

“That’s Pinkie Pie!” Twilight cried, “We need to get in there! I think she’s in trouble!”

“Don’t have to tell me twice,” Trixie seethed pulling out a card, “Starlight, remember in Elysium when I said I don’t mind being bossed around? That applies here too. I’m following your lead in this.”

Starlight readied her scythe and nodded. For now, they’d try to stay hidden as they made their way through the Fortress.

It always took forever to find this place again since she always ended up in a different spot. Not all of the dreams took place here in the fortress, but enough did where she realized it was a reoccurring theme. She always found it eventually though, so it didn’t take long to get there. She didn’t expect to run into anyone else though, and those two looked familiar.

“Why are Starlight and Trixie here?” Rainbow Dash asked stepping out from behind the tree, “And… why were they dressed like witches…?”

They had a few close calls, but thankfully no one had seen them yet. This wasn’t like in Elysium, where they could afford to be out in the open. Here, the Shadows had an agenda, and Starlight did not want to find out what would happen if they got caught.

The inside of the fortress was brightly lit with torches all around, giving this place a very old fashioned feel. Starlight felt like she was moving through a fantasy world, like a fairy tale almost. Eventually they reached a path where they wouldn’t be able to get through without a fight.

“We can take him,” Trixie said, noting that there was another one close by walking around, “Rip of that guy’s mask, and I’ll cover you.”

Starlight nodded and carefully moved into position. Once the enemy was within range, Starlight jumped out onto his back, “Show me your true form!” she shouted, ripping the mask off. The enemy she ripped the mask off turned into a cute, tiny old man looking spirit with a gray beard in Japanese robes holding a leaf like an umbrella. His partner turned into a tiny white snowman wearing a blue jester’s hat and a huge smile.

play song

“I have their ID! One is called Koropokkuru, and the other one is Jack Frost!” Twilight said, “Careful! They’re small, but they’re stronger than what we’ve faced so far.”

“Take care of Jack Frost!” Starlight shouted, “I’ll fight the other one!”

“Got it!” Trixie said readying her cards. Immediately she threw a few at Jack Frost knocking him onto his back, and summoned her Persona, “Come Elenora!”

Elenora began throwing fireballs at Jack Frost, who gave an animated scream and started running around the field dodging the attacks.

“Hey! Come back here!” Trixie fussed racing after him.

Starlight wasn’t having much more luck herself, as her opponent was also quite agile. She spun around swinging her scythe in wide arcs, eventually slamming her scythe right in front of Koropokkuru.

“SUCCUBUS!” Starlight shouted, switching to Succubus and casting Agi on the stunned enemy, knocking it onto it’s back. Since he wasn’t going to be getting up anytime soon, she switched back to Morgana, who rushed over to Jack Frost and slammed her claws in front of him, stopping him in his tracks.

“Thanks! Persona!” Trixie shouted, once again summoning Elenora, who once again threw Agi at Jack Frost, this time hitting her mark and knocking him to his feet, “How do you want to end this?”

“All Out Attack!” Starlight commanded, none of these resonated with her heart yet, so they needed to disappear before they called reinforcements. Starlight threw Koropokkuru into Jack Frost, and both she and Trixie unleashed their All Out Attack, as always coordinating their attacks perfectly. The enemies dispersed immediately from that assault.

“You were all a wonderful audience~” Trixie tipped her hat to the fallen enemies.

“Great job. Now, let’s keep moving!” Twilight urged. Starlight nodded and lead Trixie and Twilight deeper into the fortress.

end song

Rainbow Dash hid behind a wall, eyes wide as she tried to process what she just witnessed. They weren’t just dressed as witches. They were witches!

“What… did they do to those things…?” Rainbow Dash breathed out, “I can’t even touch them, and they just… what the hell is going on here…?!”

After searching around a bit more, they began hearing Pinkie Pie’s helpless sobs. It hurt listening to that, but Starlight did manage to follow that all the way to where Pinkie Pie was being held. When they found her, she was in what appeared to be the barracks, surrounded by Shadows shaped like knights in black armor. There had to be at least thirty of them.

play song

Pinkie Pie herself was chained to the back wall, sobbing helplessly. She was dressed like the Princess Starlight kept seeing, but the front of her gown was completely torn, as was her bra leaving her completely exposed save for her bangs _barely_ covering her nipples. She looked up at the knights pleadingly.

“No more…! Please no more…!” Pinkie Pie sobbed.

“You haven’t finished pleasing the rest of us though,” one of the guards sneered grabbing Pinkie Pie by the cheeks, “You still have twenty more to go.”

“This is…” Trixie breathed out in horror.

“This is easily worse than it was in Trixie’s Dungeon…” Twilight said, sounding just as aghast as everyone else, “If we don't do something, who knows what Pinkie Pie's psyche will be like tomorrow?”

Starlight looked around at the number of guards there. There was no way they’d be able to take on that many guards, but like Twilight said, they needed to do something.

“We don’t have a choice,” Trixie said getting a card ready, “I’ll cast Agi on the one in front, and lead them away. While that’s done, you get Pinkie Pie out of there.”

“Hold on a second!” Starlight cried grabbing Trixie’s arm, “You’ll get caught for sure!”

“I don’t see another option here,” Trixie said, “It’ll be alright, Starlight. It’s nothing I can’t handle.”

“Trixie, don’t!” Twilight cried, but it was too late. Trixie rushed in summoning her Persona.

“Elenora, Agi!” she shouted, firing right at the guard that was about to touch Pinkie Pie.

“Argh! What the?!” he and the rest of the guards turned to Trixie, who arrogantly wagged her fingers.

“Come and get me~” she taunted running out of the room.

“After her!” the Shadow shouted, he and all of the men running out of the room after Trixie, thankfully not spotting Starlight. Starlight swore to herself but ran over to Pinkie Pie.

“Pinkie Pie, are you okay?!” Starlight asked frantically. Pinkie Pie looked up at Starlight, eyes widening in surprise.

“Wait… Starlight? Why are you…?” she asked.

“No time to explain!” Starlight looked around frantically for the key.

“Starlight, we have a problem!” Twilight cried suddenly, “Trixie’s getting overwhelmed!”

“No!” Starlight cried looking around frantically. She couldn’t leave Pinkie Pie here, but if she didn’t get to Trixie…

“Go!”

Starlight turned to Pinkie Pie in shock. She she seriously want her to just leave?

“You stopped them, that’s enough! Please, help Trixie! I…” Pinkie Pie turned away shedding a few tears, “I already know I’m not leaving this place…”

Starlight hated this, especially after hearing that. Still, she needed to get to Trixie, and fast. She thanked Pinkie Pie and rushed out of the room, stopping at the door briefly.

“We’re going to get you out of here, Pinkie Pie! One way or another, I promise!” she stormed down the hall with her scythe out, praying to God that Trixie was okay.

Eventually she made it back to the clearing, where she saw Trixie surrounded by Shadows, alternating with throwing cards at them, having Elenora kick them away, or casting Agi at them. Since they hadn’t taken off their masks though, she didn’t know if any of these attacks were having any effect on them though.

“Damn it…! At this rate, I’ll…!” she tried to cast Agi again, but she was getting way too tired, and eventually fell to her knees, “Starlight… I’m sorry…!”

Before the knights could swing their swords at Trixie, Starlight rushed in and blocked the attack, pushing all of them back.

“Are you okay?” Starlight asked.

“Sorry Starlight. I guess I really was too reckless,” Trixie said forcing herself to her feet.

“This was an impossible situation. Still though, try not to make that a habit please,” Starlight joked despite the situation.

“I’ll think about it,” Trixie said, getting her cards ready again. The two of them tried fighting off the Shadows as best as they could, trying to push past them and find a Checkpoint, but they were easily overwhelmed. Before Starlight knew it, one Shadow broke through her defense and struck her before she had a chance to summon Morgana.

And her entire world went dark.

end song

“Shit!” Rainbow Dash swore, watching the Shadows carry her friends off, “I need to rescue Pinkie Pie, but if those two are here like me, that means…” Rainbow Dash gritted her teeth, wracking her brain for what to do. Right now, Pinkie Pie wasn’t guarded at all, so Rainbow Dash might have been able to get Pinkie Pie out.

But what about Starlight and Trixie? Would they get out? Or would they be stuck here too?

When Starlight came to, she was in what looked like a small cell. She sat up from the floor and looked around for a way out. Nothing. Standing up, she walked over to the bars and tested them. Once she saw that was futile, she tried summoning Morgana and having her slash at the bars, only to hit a force field guarding them.

“I already tried that,” Trixie sighed, her voice coming from the cell to her left.

“Trixie, are you okay?” Starlight asked.

“Physically, yeah. Emotionally…” she sat with her back pressed against the wall and hugged her legs close, “I feel terrible. I messed up, big time…”

“Yeah, that was reckless,” Starlight sat down leaning against the wall herself, “But what you did wasn’t wrong. That’s what I did for you, remember?”

“Yeah, but you didn’t drag anyone else down with you,” Trixie pouted, “I just… I wanted to help her. I had to help her…”

“You’re really taking this personally,” Starlight reasoned, “Is it because she has a Dungeon like you did?”

play song

“That’s part of it…” Trixie closed her eyes tightly, letting her tears flow freely, “But also… I couldn’t just watch that…! It made me think about… about… him!”

Starlight looked down hearing that. She knew exactly what Trixie was talking about.

“I know it was stupid, but I couldn’t stand seeing Pinkie Pie like that! You didn’t leave me, so I couldn’t just do nothing!” she buried her face in her hands, “But all I managed to do was get us both stuck in the Dungeon!”

“Trixie, listen. This whole mission was messed up from the start,” Starlight explained, “Twilight didn’t have time to learn the layout, we don’t have the chariot yet, I hate to say it, but this mission was doomed from the start. If anyone’s to blame here, it’s me.”

“You…? How can you say that?”

“I’m the Trickster, so I should have used my head some more too. I was so ready to take action that I didn’t stop to think that I might have been leading you into someplace dangerous,” Starlight sighed sadly, “Some witch I turned out to be…”

end song

“Oh boo hoo! Now, are you done feeling sorry for yourselves, or should we wait to bust you out of there?"

“Twilight?” Starlight asked looking around, “Where are you?”

“I lost the signal after you two got caught, so I had to disconnect the Remote Viewing system to track you down. Thankfully I had some help.”

Before either of them could question what she meant, Starlight saw the last person she expected to see in the Dungeon holding a set of keys.

play song

“Yo,” Rainbow Dash said waving to Starlight.

“Rainbow Dash?!” Trixie cried, she and Starlight shooting to their feet, “But… how?!”

“I dunno myself,” Rainbow Dash said shrugging, “I just know that I’ve been having this dream for the last few weeks. Your friend the voice told me that she needed help rescuing you though, so here I am.”

“Wait… you’ve been entering Pinkie Pie’s Dungeon the entire time?” Starlight asked as Rainbow Dash fiddled with the lock to Trixie’s cell.

“I… guess so?” Rainbow Dash said, “I don’t know what you mean by a Dungeon, but like I said, I’ve been having this same dream every night. I’m either here, in the village down the east, or somewhere in the forest connecting the two. I’ve been trying to keep Pinkie Pie safe all this time,” she finally got Trixie’s cell opened, “This is the first time I saw anyone else here that wasn’t one of those black things, at least here to help Pinkie Pie.”

Starlight looked at Rainbow Dash wide eyed. It was the same as her with Trixie. She thought it was because of her Channeling Ring, but Rainbow Dash didn’t have one. Did that mean… did she have the potential?!

“So… either you guys left a serious impression on me this week, or you’re really here,” Rainbow Dash said fiddling with the lock to Starlight’s cell now, “And since none of us can wake up right now, I’m assuming it’s the latter.”

Starlight looked at Trixie, silently asking her what to do.

“I… think we should tell her,” Trixie said, “I don’t know why but, I feel like she’d believe us.”

Starlight nodded, “You’re right Rainbow Dash. This isn’t just a dream. It is a dream, but it’s also an actual place. Trixie and I are really here, and we’re here to try and rescue Pinkie Pie.”

“So… this place isn’t a dream, but it is?” Rainbow Dash asked, “That’s confusing. But my take away from that is we’re really stuck here, so we need to get out, right?”

“That’s the basic gist of it,” Starlight said as Rainbow Dash got her cell open, “Trixie had a Dungeon like Pinkie Pie, but I managed to rescue her. We became witches in the process.”

Starlight held up her ring for Rainbow Dash to examine, “Get out… Wait a second,” she turned to Trixie, “So when Blueblood was abusing you…”

“Y-yeah,” Trixie rubbed her arm looking away, “If you’re wondering why I was such a bitch to everyone, that’s why.”

“Fuck…” Rainbow Dash breathed out, “Okay, I get the idea now. So, how do we get Pinkie Pie out of here?”

“Right now, we don’t,” Twilight chimed in, “Sadly we can’t take her through the exit until we know exactly what caused the Dungeon to manifest.”

“Also, unless Pinkie Pie believes she can leave this place, I don’t know if it’ll work,” Starlight admitted, “I had to instill hope into Trixie’s heart before I could rescue her, and that had to be done the day I went to save her.”

Rainbow Dash swore silently to herself, “Alright, fine. So first we need to get out of here. You said there’s an exit?”

“It’s back through the forest. Starlight and I could take a Checkpoint to leave, but since you don’t have a Persona, you wouldn’t be able to see it, I don’t think,” Trixie explained.

“Persona? You mean those flaming ghost looking things you keep summoning?” Rainbow Dash asked, “Huh. So that’s how you damage the guys in black.”

“Hey, I think the guard’s coming. Can we go? Like, NOW?”

Starlight nodded, “Rainbow Dash, we’re going to get you to the exit, so stay behind us, alright? Let us do the fighting.”

Rainbow Dash sighed but nodded, “Fine. I hate it, but I know when I’m outclassed. Wish I had one of those Persona things though.”

“Who knows, maybe one day,” Trixie said getting a card ready, “Now, let’s get out of here.”

Now with Rainbow Dash closely behind them, Starlight and Trixie started slowly making their way through the lower corridors to make their way back to the surface. Right when they hit the staircase leading to the surface however, they saw three Shadows standing guard.

“How are you feeling?” Starlight asked Trixie, “Can you fight?”

“Yeah, I think I’m recovered enough to fight,” Trixie answered, go for it.

Starlight rushed , landing on one of the guards back and grabbing his mask, “Show your face!” she shouted, ripping it off and jumping away, forcing the Shadow to shift into what appeared to be a dark green voodoo doll carrying an orange boomerang. His partner transformed into a tiny fairy with blond hair, red skin, translucent butterfly wings, wearing a fancy white and gold Japanese looking shirt and golden shoes.

play song

“The one Starlight exposed it called Mokoi, and the other one is Hua Po!” Twilight said as the two witches got into position, “Rainbow Dash, stay behind the corner as to not get in the way.”

“R-right,” Rainbow Dash said, poking her head out to get a good view of the action.

Mokoi threw his boomerang at Starlight and Trixie, but both witches rolled out of the way of the attack.

Trixie started rapidly throwing cards at Mokoi keeping him from retaliating while Starlight rushed toward Hua Po and began swinging her scythe at the tiny fairy. Hua Po kicked Starlight back a bit and then charged up a spell, casting Agi on Starlight. She blocked the attack with her scythe and continued her assault.

Trixie on the other hand was having a long ranged battle of attrition with Mokoi, who seemed to keep dodging her attacks perfectly, “I’m sick of you! Persona!” Trixie shouted, summoning Elenora and casting Sukukaja on herself. She then quickly rolled to the side and had Elenora fly over to Mokoi with an elegant flaming spin kick, killing it instantly.

Starlight finally landed a hit on Hua Po, knocking her out of the sky. She then summoned Morgana, “Get out of my way!” she shouted, casting Bufu on the fiery fairy and knocking her unconscious.

Instead of calling out an All Out Attack, however, Starlight used her empathy through Morgana, communicating with Hua Po. Feeling out it’s emotions, she got the impression of someone who was stuck between two extremes, unable to choose either. She kind of felt bad for the tiny creature after that.

After sharing their emotions, Hua Po flew around happily before bursting into flames and flying into Starlight’s Channeling Ring. Since she had run out of space, she let go of Jack-O-Lantern to make room for the new friend she made.

end song

“Hang on, what was that?” Rainbow Dash asked running up to them, “Did you just capture that thing in your ring?”

“Starlight here is what’s called the Trickster, which is a special Persona User who can use multiple Personas,” Trixie said, wrapping an arm around Starlight beaming.

“Wait, so you turned that Shadow thing into a Persona? How does that work?” Rainbow Dash asked. Starlight wanted to answer, but honestly she wasn’t sure what the connection to that was, “Ah, whatever. All I know is that it looked awesome, and just confirms what Pinkie Pie said about you being an anime protagonist.”

“Please don’t call me that,” Starlight said, bashfully pulling her hat over her eyes, “Right now, I just want to focus on getting us out of here safely.”

“Yes, please let’s NOT fangirl over the oh so powerful Trickster,” Twilight urged.

“I sense some bad blood between you two,” Rainbow Dash said folding her arms, “Or is that just me?”

“All things that can wait for AFTER you’re not in immediate danger,” Twilight pressed. Rainbow Dash shrugged.

“Fair enough. Lead the way, Trickster,” Rainbow Dash smirked. Starlight groaned inwardly, but now she was really curious. This confirmed that Twilight actually did have some weird grudge against Starlight, and she wasn’t sure why that was.

Like she said though, all for later. Right now, they needed to get out of here.

When the three girls ran out to the clearing, they were surprised to see that it was empty.

“That’s odd,” Twilight said, “I’m not detecting any enemies in the immediate vicinity.”

“There should be a ton here like last time,” Trixie said, she and Starlight both looking around, “I don’t like this.”

play song

“So, these are the ones who broke into my forteresse.” a familiar but distorted voice spoke in a thick French accent. They looked ahead and saw Fleur, only like with Blueblood she looked off. Her skin was far more pale, she was wearing a fancy black and red gown like an evil queen, and her eyes were demonic yellow.

“Ms. Tia was right!” Trixie said getting a card ready, “It was Fleur’s Shadow!”

“Fleur’s Shadow…?” Rainbow Dash asked, “Wait a second. You mean that isn’t some weird mental apparition of Fleur?”

Starlight readied her scythe and shook her head, “No, that’s Fleur’s actual Shadow! Anything she’s doing to Pinkie Pie here the real Fleur is doing to Pinkie Pie in the real world in some shape of form!”

“So… I was right, then…” Rainbow Dash said gritting her teeth, “You are hurting Pinkie Pie!”

Shadow Fleur gave a chilling laugh, “I suppose there’s no point in hiding it. Oui, I am Fleur’s Shadow Self, the embodiment of her true emotions.”

“What the hell is this?!” Trixie asked, “What do you want with Pinkie Pie?!”

“Nice try. But I see no reason to share my desires with a weak child like you,” A Shadow knight in golden armor walked up to Shadow Fleur, pulling a chain with Pinkie Pie bound at the other end, “Ah, there you are, Princess. It appears your knight has gained compagnons.”

“Pinkie Pie!” Rainbow Dash shouted, “Don’t worry! I know what’s really happening now, so I can save you!”

“Dashie…” Pinkie Pie looked at Rainbow Dash and shook her head sadly, “No… you need to run…!”

“What?! How can you say that?! I’m not going to leave you! I’ll keep coming back here until I get you out!”

“No… No…! No!” Pinkie Pie cried desperately, “Please stop Dashie! If you keep coming here, eventually you’ll-”

“SILENCE!” Shadow Fleur shouted, casting an odd spell on Pinkie Pie, who went completely silent. It looked like she was trying to speak, but nothing was coming out. Starlight frowned seeing that. Something about that seemed really wrong to her.

“Can’t have you ruining the story, now can we?” Shadow Fleur taunted, gently caressing Pinkie Pie’s cheek as she sobbed silently, “You, take care of these infidels! I’m going to take the Princess back to the my castle.”

“Yes, Your Majesty,” the golden armored Shadow said with a bow. He handed the chain to Shadow Fleur, who sauntered away into a black hole, pulling Pinkie Pie through with her.

“PINKIE PIE!” Rainbow Dash shouted, pushing past Starlight and Trixie toward the black void, but the armored Shadow held his sword in front of her.

“By orders of Her Majesty, Empress de Lis, the three of you are sentenced to death!” the Shadow shouted, raising his sword to strike Rainbow Dash, but Trixie pushed her out of the way just in time.

“What are you doing?!” Trixie fussed as Starlight clashed blades with the Shadow, “We told you to stay behind us!”

“But I…” Rainbow Dash stammered before gritting her teeth in frustration.

Trixie threw a card at the Shadow’s face knocking him back a bit, and ran to Starlight’s side, “Let’s hurry and take this guy out so we can get Rainbow Dash out of here!”

“No one is leaving here alive!” the Shadow shouted, shedding his form and turning into a monster with a yellow body reminiscent of a lion, the face of a monkey, and a sinister looking snake for a tail.

Starlight and Trixie both summoned their Personas and had them charge at the shadow as he raised his claws up to block their respective attacks.

play song

“This Shadow’s ID is Nue, and it’s a stronger variant!” Twilight said, “Both of you, exercise extreme caution!”

Starlight rushed over to join her Persona’s side, the two of them coordinating their attacks to overwhelm Hue as Trixie brought her Persona back to her side.

“Cast that spell to increase our speed! Me first, then yourself!” Starlight commanded.

“Got it!” Trixie said, casting Sukukaja on Starlight, who was then able to swing her scythe with much more speed behind it. Trixie then quickly cast the same spell on herself and ran to the side throwing cards at the large Shadow. Unfortunately it’s tail blocked all of the cards before they could hit the main Shadow, “What?!”

Starlight jumped back and charged a spell, casting Rakunda on Hue to lower his defense. She was about to summon Morgana again to cast Bufu, but Hue’s tail lunged at Starlight, hitting her hard and knocking her back.

“Starlight, hang on!” Trixie summoned Elenora and cast Dia on Starlight, healing her a bit, but that attack hurt a lot more than what she was used to.

Hue charged up his magic, this time sending a black wave out at both Starlight and Trixie, knocking both of them back into a wall.

“Shoot! They’re outmatched!” Twilight cried, “We need to retreat! I don’t think you can beat that thing!”

“We can’t, leave,” Trixie pushed herself to her feet, “The only way out of here is behind this overgrown ape, and I will go through it!”

“Even if we can’t save Pinkie Pie yet, we can at least get, Dash out of here!” Starlight and Trixie rushed at the Shadow again, continuing their increasingly futile assault on it.

play song

Looking at this, Rainbow Dash was beyond frustrated. Starlight and Trixie were clearly fighting a losing battle, and Pinkie Pie was who knew where in this living nightmare. And here she was, just sitting on the sidelines watching all of this.

“Damn it…! Damn it! DAMN IT!” Rainbow Dash slammed her fist on the ground, “Why is it always like this?! I couldn’t do anything for my Mom! I can’t do anything for Pinkie Pie! Now I can’t do anything for the people right in front of me?!”

Flashes of her Mom lying in a hospital bed smiling at her flashed before her eyes. Rainbow Dash remembered that day like it was yesterday. Seeing her Mom in her last moments, holding her hand urging her to hold on, only to see the flame of her life fade away.

She wasn’t even able to get her Dad to come and see her. That asshole didn’t even care! He had all of that money, so he could have easily done something to help her, but instead he just threw both Rainbow Dash and her mother aside.

Now she was about to lose the last few people she had left that she gave a damn about. Starlight and Trixie were going to die fighting that monster, and, Pinkie Pie…

“I’m tired of this…!” Rainbow Dash seethed, tears of frustration building in her eyes as she listened to her friends struggle, “I’m tired of being weak…! I’m tired of being protected…!” she screamed at the top of her lungs to the sky, “JUST THIS ONCE! PLEASE LET ME BE STRONG ENOUGH TO PROTECT MY FRIENDS!”

If you want to be strong, then stop calling yourself weak!

Rainbow Dash’s eyes widened. A voice… in her head. Was that… her voice?

The only reason you keep getting left behind is because you deny your true strength!

Aren’t you her knight?

Aren’t you the one who swore to protect her?

“I am…!” Rainbow Dash said to the voice.

Then you know where you need to be right now!

Not sitting here crying over the illusion of weakness!

But over THERE, fighting beside your friends!

Pinkie Pie is the person who matters most to you in this world now!

She’s the only one you have left!

So she’s the one you need to protect no matter what! Even at the cost of your own life!

play song

“Even… at the cost of my own life…?” Rainbow Dash asked, feeling her temperature rise. Something about these words spoke to her.

How far would you got to protect your special someone?

Answer me truthfully, soldier!

“I’d… give anything…!” Rainbow Dash seethed, the heat now becoming almost unbearable.

Then pick up that sword, and show that monster who Pinkie Pie’s knight truly is!

Hold nothing back any longer!

CHARGE FORWARD, AND SLICE THROUGH THAT DEMON TO REACH YOUR PRINCESS!

Rainbow Dash looked ahead and saw a discarded sword lying on the ground. Without thinking, she ran over to it, picked it up, and charged at the Shadow screaming in rage.

“Whoa! Rainbow Dash?!” Trixie cried.

“Hang on! She isn’t about to awaken HER Persona, is she?” Twilight asked.

Rainbow Dash swung the blade, actually damaging Hue and knocking off it’s feet.

“I… am Pinkie Pie’s knight…!” Rainbow Dash said, breathing heavily from the intense heat radiating off of her, “I swore to protect her… no matter what!” she held her sword ready, “I’ll fight you…! I’ll fight you and then get to your Empress…! I’LL RIP EVERY LAST ONE OF YOU MOTHER FUCKERS APART!”

With that, Rainbow Dash exploded in an intense blaze, forcing Starlight and Trixie to cover their eyes it was so bright.

Inside the flame, Rainbow Dash’s normal clothes burned away completely, soon to be replaced with a dark blue noble shirt with fancy red and gold shoulder pads, red cuffs on the sleeves, red fancy collar, and dark blue shorts with a short, frilly skirt flowing around them, almost making her look like a prince while still showing her femininity. On her feet were long red socks and elegant black shoes, and in her breast pocket sat a single red rose. She held the sword she grabbed above her, and the flames engulfed it, turning it into a fancier looking broad sword. Finally, the flames trailed down the blade onto the handle, and stopped around her finger forming her Channeling Ring.

The flames dispersed, revealing Rainbow Dash standing straight up proudly in her new form, holding her blade in front of her face. Behind her, the rest of the flames formed a terrifying looking Persona. This Persona looked like a fancy white and golden full suit of female knights armor with a long red cape, and glowing yellow eyes. Anywhere skin would have shown, the only thing that was visible was a constant stream of electricity, and it’s sword looked like a mix between a blade and a gun at the same time.

“Thou art I, and I am thou! You may call me Eclair Farron, lightning given form! Remember soldier, hold nothing back for her sake!”

“Yes, I hear you Eclair,” Rainbow Dash said, eyes closed in concentration, “Wait for me, Pinkie Pie,” she then swung her sword to the side and then got in a ready stance, “Out of my way! My Princess needs me!”

play song

Hue charged at Rainbow Dash, but once he was right in front of her, she slashed her blade so quickly that Starlight and Trixie could barely even see it. She then continued to slash it a few more time before dashing past the Shadow and slashing, creating a stream of electricity and then quickly sheathing her sword, which somehow caused an explosion of electricity around the Shadow, knocking it down. Rainbow Dash rose up and turned to Starlight and Trixie.

“Hey! Let’s hit it while it’s down!” Rainbow Dash shouted. Starlight shook herself out of her daze and nodded to Rainbow Dash. The three of them held their weapons ready, which for Dash meant holding her blade close to her head still pointing forward as if ready to charge, and the three of them charged at the Shadow using their now much stronger All Out Attack. For Rainbow Dash, it looked more like she teleported over to the Shadow, turning into a bolt of electricity and slashing the shadow with strikes that all seemed electrically charged.

When they finished, they jumped away as the Shadow slowly rose to his feet. He threw his tail out toward Rainbow Dash, but Starlight jumped in the way blocking with her scythe.

“I need to ask you an odd question,” Starlight asked Rainbow Dash, “What’s the Arcana of your Persona?”

“The Arcana?” Rainbow Dash looked inward, “It’s the Chariot. Why?”

Starlight couldn’t hold in her smile, “I’ll tell you later. Just know this mean you’re exactly who we were looking for.”

Rainbow Dash looked at her Channeling Ring, and then nodded to Starlight, “Then I’m in your hands!”

“Both of you, go all out!” Starlight commanded her team, “Hold nothing back on it!”

“Understood!” Trixie shouted summoning her Persona. Elenora charged at the Shadow with her flaming spin kick attack, knocking the Shadow to the side a good deal and onto the ground. Rainbow Dash ran up to the Shadow and held her sword up to her face, activating her Channeling Ring.

“I release my inner self!” she proclaimed, Eclair appearing behind her in the same position, “ZIO!”

Eclair held up her sword, and a sharp bolt of lightning came down on top of the Shadow, doing massive damage to it. While it was down, Starlight summoned Morgana to her side, and the two of them rushed at Hue slashing it together, ending their combo with Starlight slashing Hue into the air, and Morgana bending backwards to slash it with the blades from her torso.

As Hue came down, Trixie threw cards into the air, causing them to catch fire and rain down on top of the Shadow for massive damage, and Rainbow Dash finished their group combo by rushing at the Shadow and summoning her Persona, the two of them slashing continuously with their electrically charged blades. Unlike Starlight, it seemed Rainbow Dash’s persona moved in complete unison with Rainbow Dash.

Once again, the Shadow fell onto the ground weakened. Starlight wasted no time giving her team the command to use their All Out Attack, this time killing the Shadow almost instantly.

play song

Now that the threat was over, Rainbow Dash sheathed her sword and looked at her clothes, “This is… amazing!”

“Holy cow…” Trixie breathed out, “Okay, um, Rainbow Dash is broken as hell!”

“Her Persona’s power is off the charts,” Twilight said equally shocked, “I don’t think I’ve ever seen a Persona with such raw strength before! Not after just awakening!”

Starlight smiled and walked over to Rainbow Dash, placing a hand on her shoulder.

“So… this that power you were using, right? What did you call it? Persona?” Starlight nodded, and Rainbow Dash looked at her Channeling Ring. The gemstone’s color was hard to place, as it seemed to change color in the light as Rainbow Dash moved her finger, “Eclair Farron. My inner knight,” suddenly, Rainbow Dash fell to one knee holding her head.

“Whoa!” Trixie cried, both she and Starlight kneeling down next to her, “Easy there, Sparky.”

“I feel really light headed all of a sudden,” Rainbow Dash said.

“That’s a side effect of awakening your Persona. Expect to have a fever in the morning when you wake up,” Twilight explained.

“Is that why you both got sick?” Rainbow Dash asked.

“Yeah… turns out suddenly exploding is really hard on the body,” Trixie said, “Go figure, huh?”

Rainbow Dash laughed, “This is insane. Personas, Shadows, this dream world-” she gasped, “Shoot! What about Pinkie Pie?! Is she okay?!”

“Define okay,” Twilight said, “The bad news, she’s still in a lot of danger. The good news, we managed to at least buy her some time.”

“This isn’t going to solve itself in a day,” Starlight said, “But trust me, we will rescue Pinkie Pie.”

“Damn right we will,” Rainbow Dash said, “I’m joining you guys, no questions asked. I need to save Pinkie Pie.”

“That saves a lot of time,” Trixie said, “Come on, let’s get to the nearest Checkpoint and return to the Akashic Records.”

Starlight helped Rainbow Dash up, and carried her over her shoulder as they walked back to the Akashic Records. There would be time to fill Rainbow Dash in on things later. For now, their newest member needed to rest.

Now that they had the Chariot, they could focus on rescuing Pinkie Pie.

Author's Note

Yeah... I did NOT mean to make Rainbow Dash as broken as I did, but every video game has that one party member that's OP for no reason. Think of Rainbow Dash as the carry in the party.

Link to my Patreon!

Special thanks to William Smith, who just recently joined my Patreon, and again to Aero Dragon for his continued support. Thanks to you, production on my Death Star can begin really taking off.

Hrm, maybe I should expand to taking over the galaxy. :applejackunsure:

9/22

September 22nd, 2019
Saturday
Sunny

Morning

play song

Just as everyone suspected, Rainbow Dash had a fever when she woke up. Hers was actually pretty bad, which at first Starlight was really concerned about, but Celestia assured her that everything would be okay.

“You’ll be fine after you get some rest, okay Rainbow Dash.” Celestia said lovingly caressing Rainbow Dash’s cheek.

“Yeah Ms. Tia. Thanks. Um, you know about-” Celestia placed a finger on Rainbow Dash’s lips.

“We’ll talk more about it later, after you’re better,” Celestia said. She leaned forward to kiss Rainbow Dash on the forehead, and then whispered in her ear, “I’m so proud of you.”

Rainbow Dash’s face turned red, and she averted her eyes, “T-thanks Ms. Tia.”

Celestia patted Rainbow Dash on the shoulder and walked out into the hallway, where Starlight, Trixie, and Pinkie Pie were waiting for her.

“Ms. Tia, are you sure Dashie’s going to be okay?” Pinkie Pie asked somberly, “Her temperature was so high…”

“Don’t worry, Pinkie Pie. Rainbow Dash will be okay. Why don’t you go in and tend to her,” Celestia suggested. Pinkie Pie nodded and walked into the bedroom, briefly meeting eyes with Starlight and Trixie before closing the door.

“Think she remembers us?” Starlight asked.

“It’s possible,” Celestia said, “But she probably thinks it was just a normal dream.”

“Ms. Tia, I’m sorry for last night,” Trixie said looking down, “I messed up big time. Thanks to me, Starlight and I were almost trapped in Pinkie Pie’s Dungeon too.”

“That was reckless, and I wish you’d use more tact,” Celestia sighed folding her arms underneath her bosom, “But thanks to that, we did find the Chariot. Still, you were very lucky that Rainbow Dash was there. Had she not, I don’t know what we would have done to get you out.”

“Yeah… I know,” Trixie closed her eyes, fighting back tears actually. Starlight didn’t like seeing her so upset, especially since she knew what happened in there.

Before she could say anything, Celestia wrapped her arms around Trixie lovingly, “No one is upset with you, Trixie. Personally, I’m just happy you all are safe.”

“Next time, let’s just work together,” Starlight suggested, giving Trixie an assured smile. Trixie turned to Starlight still in Celestia’s embrace and returned the smile as best as she could.

“Thanks. I’ll be more careful next time,” Trixie promised.

“For now, I want all of you to take it easy for today,” Celestia said releasing Trixie, “We’ll decide how to proceed once Rainbow Dash has recovered.”

“With Rainbow Dash’s help, do you think we can get higher in Elysium as well?” Starlight asked Celestia.

“Yes, which is why I want to wait to decide how we’ll proceed,” Celestia turned to the door, “Pinkie Pie’s Dungeon is our top priority, but with Dash as a Persona User now, this is a golden opportunity to get higher in Elysium. Also, that's a good place to train in using Personas.”

“Neither Dash nor I have a lot of experience using Personas. Even though I don’t think she needs much training,” Trixie’s eyes went wide as she remembered, “I mean, you should have seen her, Ms. Tia!”

“I’m not surprised that her power was so strong. She is the Chariot Arcana, which often has heavy offensive capabilities. She’ll be a real asset to the team,” Celestia said.

“I’m glad she’s on our side,” Starlight said, her mind going back to what Pinkie Pie said in her dream. She “knew” she wasn’t ever going to escape. Had she truly giving up all hope?

“I think I’m going to head out for a bit,” Trixie said, “I kind of need some time alone after last night.”

“Try not to beat yourself up over that, okay honey?” Celestia urged, “All is well now.”

“Right, all is well,” Trixie agreed, even if her expression said otherwise, “Starlight, I’ll catch up with you later.”

Starlight nodded and watched as Trixie walked downstairs.

play song

“I’m truly getting worried about her,” Celestia sighed, “Even though we’ve rescued her from her Dungeon, her heart is still damaged.”

“What can I do?” Starlight asked, “I’m there for her, but I wonder if it’s actually enough. Especially after last night.”

“You might need to take charge a bit more,” Celestia suggested, surprising Starlight.

“Wait, what do you mean?” Starlight asked.

“You are the Trickster, Starlight, the one who wields the power of the Wild Card,” Celestia folded her arms regarding Starlight seriously, “Regardless of how strong Rainbow Dash or Trixie become, your power is destined to rise higher. In the end, you are the one who has to find a way to stop the Nightmare Epidemic. I know you’re afraid, but it’s the truth.”

Starlight knew she was right. She had hoped that having more members would take the heat off of her, but it seemed almost like the opposite was happening.

“So… what should I do?” Starlight asked earnestly, “How do I fix this?”

“Every team needs a leader,” Celestia stated, “As your team grows larger, the need for a leader will also grow.”

With that, Celestia walked off, leaving Starlight to her thoughts. A leader, huh? Should someone like her really be the leader? She looked at her Channeling Ring, thinking about how to best approach this situation. They were all witches now.

And witches were always stronger as a coven.

end song

As she relaxed in her bed, Rainbow Dash looked at the ring that had now materialized on her finger. She remembered that appearing in her dream, but she didn’t expect to see it again when she woke up. Then again, she remembered both Starlight and Trixie had similar rings.

Was this the source of their power? Was this a symbol that they were real live witches? And if so, did that make Rainbow Dash a witch now too?

“Dashie, are you okay?” Pinkie Pie asked sitting on her bed, looking almost like she was about to cry.

“Yeah Pinkie Pie, I’m okay,” Rainbow Dash said sitting up in her bed, “I’m a fighter, remember? You don’t need to worry about me,” she averted her eyes, “W-what about you? Are you okay?”

Pinkie Pie was silent for a few seconds, “I don’t know how to answer that. Everything is just so… ugh!” she shot up and walked over to her window, “Everything is falling apart now! I’m a social outcast in school now, my best friend is suddenly sick, and I’m-” she hugged herself and closed her eyes tightly, tears streaming down her cheeks, “Why is this happening to me?! I just wanted to make people smile!”

Rainbow Dash looked down at her lap and clenched her teeth in frustration. She hated seeing Pinkie Pie so broken. She wasn’t supposed to cry like this. She was supposed to be laughing, joking, imagining herself as a Magical Girl. That’s the Pinkie Pie she loved.

And that was the Pinkie Pie she was going to save.

play song

“I don’t know why this has to happen to you of all people, but I do know that it’s not going to last forever,” Rainbow Dash said seriously.

“Dashie…”

“I refuse to let things just stay like this,” Rainbow Dash looked at her ring, “Pinkie Pie, when I lost my Mom, you were there to pick up the pieces of my heart. You’re the whole reason I’m even able to smile at all. I… I can’t lose you!” this time Rainbow Dash broke down, “If I lose you, then I have nothing left! You’re my family now! You’re the person I care about most in this world, and I’m not letting anyone or anything take you away from me! Not some pink haired French bitch, and not some freaky killer nightmare either!”

Pinkie Pie’s eyes widened as she looked at Rainbow Dash, a soft blush on her cheeks. Made even worse as Rainbow Dash forced herself to her feet and walked over to Pinkie Pie wrapping her arms around her tightly.

“I will always be your knight, Pinkie Pie. If you’re afraid, then cling to me. If you’re in danger, scream my name. Don’t stop screaming, even if I’m far away. I’ll hear you, I promise.”

“Oh Dashie…” Pinkie Pie wrapped her arms around Rainbow Dash and completely broke down, crying harder than Rainbow Dash had ever seen her cry. She was terrified right now. Terrified of her nightmares, of Fleur, of school, possibly of everything at the moment. But it was okay. It would always be okay.

No matter what, Rainbow Dash would be right there to hold her as she cried. She’d be strong for her, so Pinkie Pie could be as weak as she needed to be right now.

Let it out, my Princess. I will save you.

I have power now, so don’t worry. You won’t have to suffer in this hell for much longer.

end song

Evening

Starlight didn’t go out today, mostly because she was thinking about what Celestia said. Not just about her being the leader, but also about Trixie’s mental state. Starlight knew that the Trixie most people saw at school was a facade, and she’d seen the sort of person Trixie was behind that mask. However, that was the first time she’d seen the mask fall away so harshly. She was free from Blueblood’s influence, but to say she was saved entirely was a stretch.

“What do I do?” Starlight asked no one in particular. She often wondered if someone was up there listening. In terms of God, she wasn’t sure what she believed honestly. The modern interpretation of the Bible demonized magic, which was really the crux of why Starlight and her mother never agreed on religion. After meeting Igor however, she wasn’t so sure what was true anymore. She got the feeling that something was up there, or someone, but were they God? Was there something else entirely up there?

Then there was the tower, Elysium. To Starlight, it reminded her of the Tower of Babel almost. It was certainly large enough to supposedly reach up to the heavens. Was that the real live Tower of Babel they were climbing? And if so, did that mean that God was real, and at the other end of it.

But Trixie believed that the source of the Nightmare Epidemic was up there, and honestly it did make sense. If so, then was God responsible for this? Just what were they getting themselves into with this?

“There you are,” Rainbow Dash said coming downstairs fully clothed, “I was expecting you to be out with Trixie.”

“She needed some time alone,” Starlight said sitting up, “I’m surprised to see you dressed. Are you feeling better?”

“Sorta,” Rainbow Dash rubbed the back of her head, “I still feel a bit funny, but I’ve never been one to just sit around when I’m sick.”

“Just don’t over do it,” Starlight said, “I don’t know if the fever we get after a Persona Awakening is normal or not.”

“Don’t worry, I’ll still take it easy,” Rainbow Dash plopped onto the couch and held up her ring, “So, witches huh? It’s weird. You read about this stuff in books, but you never actually believe that it’s real, ya know? Not like this.”

play song

“I know what you mean,” Starlight said looking at her Channeling Ring, “When I got mine, I always had a feeling it was connected to being a witch, but I didn’t think I’d become one like this.”

“So, did you have one of those nightmares too, or were you like me?” Rainbow Dash asked.

“My awakening was more like yours. When I came to this school, I started having this really weird dream where Trixie was being tortured by Blueblood. I didn’t know what was going on at first, but once I saw Blueblood the night after seeing his Shadow, I started becoming suspicious. That night, things got so bad that I needed power, otherwise we’d both die.”

“And then you heard a voice, right?” Rainbow Dash asked, “A voice telling you not to give up?”

Starlight nodded, “I was terrified at first, but I ended up realizing that it was just me talking back to myself, so I decided to just indulge in the feeling. That was when I met Morgana.”

“So that was your first one,” Rainbow Dash closed her eyes and smiled, “I could sort of tell. The way you fight beside her suggests you’re close. I kind of thought you were a veteran or something.”

“Oh no, I’ve only been doing this since the beginning of the school year,” Starlight looked up to the ceiling, “The real veterans, I don’t know if I’ll ever amount to.”

“You mean the other Tricksters, right?” Rainbow Dash asked, “I bet you’ll beat all of them.”

“They only had to save one country. The Nightmare Epidemic is affecting the whole planet,” Starlight hugged herself, “Besides, I know I’m not the Trickster that Ms. Tia’s been waiting for.”

“How do you know that?” Rainbow Dash asked, “I’m serious. What’s the reason you’re assuming that you’re not the Trickster?”

Starlight thought about it, but eventually decided to tell Rainbow Dash the truth. How Igor sought out the previous Tricksters beforehand, but Starlight just so happened to fall into the Velvet Room by chance. Even Igor was surprised that she appeared in the Velvet Room in such a roundabout manner.

“Huh, so that’s the reason. Yeah, I can see why you’d think that. Kinda sounds like you were just turned into a Trickster because you were there at the time,” Rainbow Dash scooted closer to Starlight and wrapped an arm around her, “So we just have to make you into the Trickster, that’s all.”

“How do we do that?” Starlight asked.

“Through intense training, what else?” Rainbow Dash said as if it were obvious, “Not just physical training either. We gotta read books, watch anime, do you play video games?” Starlight shook her head, “Ya do now. All a part of my class, Protagonist 101.”

Starlight was wide eyed looking at Rainbow Dash. Was she serious about this?

“Trust me, I have a reason for this,” Rainbow Dash released Starlight and folded her arms thoughtfully, “That place is a dream realm, so everything we do there is subjective. That means it doesn’t matter what we do physically as much as mentally. By that logic, if we watch things that make you feel like an anime protagonist, you’ll be able to program your mind into thinking like an anime protagonist. Then you can carry that into the dream world. I’ve done it myself once.”

“Wait, you have?” Starlight asked. This was getting intriguing.

“Last year, Pinkie Pie and I really got into this multiplayer RPG. Every night after we finished our homework we’d turn it on and play for a few hours, and then we’d binge it during the weekends. I got so into it that I started dreaming that I was the main protagonist. Also, while awake I’d kinda see the world around me like it was the game itself. I think I even saw a text box show up when the Teacher was talking to me.”

“Sounds like you were just playing too many video games, being completely honest,” Starlight laughed awkwardly. To her credit, Rainbow Dash laughed too.

“Yeah, that’s what I thought initially too, but after seeing that dream world, I’m not so sure. You know how I was fighting in the dream world? I actually was using the same fighting style as the main character in that game. Kinda makes you wonder, you know?” Rainbow Dash looked up at the ceiling with a confident smile, “A lot of people say that reality is based on how we choose to see it. So what if, you know? If what they say is true, then when I saw reality like that game, that means reality for me was that game. Maybe we can do the same for you.”

Honestly, when she explained it like that, scarily enough it kind of made sense to Starlight. Hell, according to “reality”, nothing that they were doing was possible. And yet here they were with real live super powers, able to enter people’s dreams, and Starlight had even saved Trixie from a nightmare. Hell, Starlight was now a skilled belly dancer despite never taking any classes in it.

“What do ya got to lose?” Rainbow Dash asked, “Worst case scenario, I’m full of shit, but we get to hang out and play video games. Best case scenario, I’m actually onto something and you get to become a badass anime protagonist.”

“What the hell,” Starlight said after a second, “I’m in. If nothing else, it does sound like fun.”

“That’s my girl,” Rainbow Dash held out her hand, “Welcome to Shonen Anime Protagonist 101.”

“I thought your class was just called Protagonist 101?” Starlight asked shaking Rainbow Dash’s hand.

“No way. Shonen protagonists are the best protagonists, and I only train the best.”

She could feel Rainbow Dash’s confidence oozing off of her, and it was honestly hard not to feel confident herself. Starlight could feel a faint bond forming between her and Rainbow Dash.

play song

Thou art I… and I am thou…

Thou hast established a new bond…

This bond shalt become the stairway to thy ascension…

Thou shalt be blessed when developing Persona of the Chariot Arcana…

end song

Before Starlight could say anything else, Trixie walked back into the dorm, “Hey guys. I see Dash is doing better.”

“Yeah, I am. What about you?” Dash asked as Trixie went to sign herself in, “Feeling better?”

“Oh yeah, I’m fine,” Trixie waved it off with a confident smirk, “Nothing can keep me down for very long, Dash.”

Starlight frowned a bit seeing that. She knew what she was doing, and after seeing what happened in Pinkie Pie’s Dungeon, she didn’t like it one bit.

“What about you two,” Trixie walked over to the couch and leaned forward next to Starlight, “The two of you getting chummy chummy without moi present? I almost feel a twinge of jealousy.”

“Don’t worry Lulamoon, I ain’t trying to steal your girl or anything,” Rainbow Dash joked, “I was just signing Starlight up for my personal training from hell. Wanna be a part of it? Guaranteed to turn you into a full fledged anime/video game protagonist or your money back.”

“Thanks, but I don’t know if I want to become a full fledged anime protagonist. Wouldn’t want to steal Starlight’s thunder, after all,” Trixie subtly bragged. She could feel it in her smile, what Trixie was trying to tell Starlight.

I’m okay. Don’t worry about me.

Starlight sighed internally, but smiled in acceptance. At least she didn’t look like she was on the verge of tears anymore.

“So, how’s Pinkie Pie doing?” Trixie asked Rainbow Dash.

“She’s sleeping now,” Rainbow Dash sighed, “Hard to tell if that’s a good thing or not, all things considered.”

“We managed to rescue her in the dream, so that gives us a bit more time,” Starlight said, “But only a bit.”

“Do you know how much time?” Rainbow Dash asked, visibly concerned.

“Probably a couple of days at least.”

play song

Everyone turned to the stairs and saw Twilight walking over to them, already fully dressed.

“I take it you’re mission control, right?” Rainbow Dash said getting up, “Twilight?”

“Yes, I’m Twilight Sparkle. Also known as the annoying voice that yells at everyone from the waking world,” Twilight said straightening her glasses.

“Nice to meet you, Twilight,” Rainbow Dash held out her hand, “The names Rainbow Dash. Pinkie Pie’s roommate and her knight in shining armor.”

Twilight sighed shaking her hand, “It’s nice to meet you too, Rainbow Dash. Hopefully you won’t be as grating as these two.”

“You know you love us, Twi-Twi. Don’t even pretend otherwise~” Trixie said with a wink, and Starlight couldn’t help but giggle herself.

Twilight closed her eyes in frustration and sucked in a breath, “Ignoring that one, have you been updated on the situation?”

“Not yet,” Rainbow Dash said as Celestia stepped out of the kitchen, “I was about to ask about that when you came downstairs.”

“Then now is the best time, since we’re all together,” Celestia said sitting down on the couch across from Starlight. Trixie and Rainbow Dash both sat down beside Starlight, and Twilight too a seat off to the side, “How do you feel now, Rainbow Dash?”

“I feel, better,” Rainbow Dash said, “Not perfect, but definitely better than I was before. So… can I start by asking an odd question, Ms. Tia?”

“Certainly,” Celestia said with a pleasant smile.

“Who are you?” Rainbow Dash asked outright, “It’s pretty clear that you’re a lot more than just a homeroom teacher.”

“Rainbow Dash, you’re not suspicious of Ms. Tia, are you?” Trixie asked.

“I don’t want to be, but people who are enigmatic like this set off alarms in my head. It’s just a habit of mine,” Rainbow Dash admitted. Starlight didn’t like it, but it was fair to ask those questions. She was actually really curious herself as to where Celestia had come from.

“That’s perfectly understandable,” Celestia said, “However, there isn’t much I can say that I feel will alleviate your concerns. The most I can say is that I’m someone who’s quite curious about the depths of Persona, and that I’ve been supporting the Kirijo Corporation in Japan for quite some time.”

“Kirijo, huh? Yeah, I’ve heard about those guys,” Rainbow Dash said, “They’re kind of shady in their own right. I take it they’re connected to these Personas?”

“They’re more than just connected,” Twilight stated, “They’re at the center of Persona activity. They’re leader, Mitsuru Kirijo, was a Persona User who fought during an incident in Japan around 2009 and 2010.”

“Have you heard of something called Apathy Syndrome?” Celestia asked.

“I think I read about that somewhere. What, was that sort of what we’re dealing with here?”

“In a way, you could say that it was the first time humanity ever came into contact with Shadows,” Celestia closed her eyes seriously, “The original head of the Kirijo Corporation began messing with powers he shouldn’t have, and as a result caused the first major Shadow related incident*. Since then, there have been a number of Shadow related incidents, most of which happened in Japan. What scientists are calling the Nightmare Epidemic is just the latest in a series of events where people are targeted by Shadows.”

“Right, but this time it’s the whole planet that caused the problem,” Rainbow Dash frowned to herself, “Fuck. How bad can these incidents get?”

“According to the various Persona Users that deal with these issues, quite,” Celestia explained, “I honestly feel terrible getting you children involved in this. Sadly, teenagers have the easiest time awakening and using the power of Persona.”

“Which brings me to my next question, what the hell is a Persona? I sort of get that it’s my inner self, but what part?” Rainbow Dash asked.

“I can answer that,” Starlight said, “Everyone has a Shadow, which is the manifestation of their inner emotions. You remember how Fleur showed up in Pinkie Pie’s Dungeon?”

“Yeah, you said that was her Shadow. Don’t tell me all of us have something like that,” Rainbow Dash said incredulous.

“We do,” Starlight said awkwardly, “It doesn’t take away who you are. Think of it like the piece of you that you don’t want to face. Like hatred for a person, jealousy or resentment, stuff like that.”

“Alright, I think I’m following you so far,” Rainbow Dash said slowly nodding.

“Now from there, one of two things can happen. One is the person denies their Shadow forever, never looking at it, and it influences them subconsciously,” Starlight continued, “You saw that with Fleur’s Shadow. On the other hand, you can face your Shadow and accept it as a part of who you are. Once you do that, it’s tempered by the ego and becomes a Persona.”

“So to put it simply, think of a Persona as the Shadow purified,” Twilight shrugged, “Don’t feel bad if you don’t get it. Most people don’t really get the concept.”

“No, I get it,” Rainbow Dash said thoughtfully, “Basically, Eclair is my Shadow turned into power, while that evil Fleur is Fleur’s Shadow running amok because she’s too much of a pussy to face herself.”

“That’s… a blunt way of putting it, but essentially,” Twilight said.

Rainbow Dash got up from the couch and walked away from the group laughing to herself. Starlight was about ask if she was okay, but then Rainbow Dash slammed her fist against a wall.

“THAT BITCH!!!”

“Rainbow Dash…!” Trixie breathed out, mirroring how shocked everyone was at her outburst.

“I can’t believe this! Pinkie Pie’s suffering right now because of a stupid reason like that?! What the hell?!”

Celestia rose from the couch, walked over to Rainbow Dash, and embraced her from behind.

“I know this is frustrating, Dash. Believe me, I understand. However, losing control isn’t going to save Pinkie Pie right now,” Celestia said gently.

“Then what is?!” Rainbow Dash asked pulling out of the embrace and turning to everyone, “Do we just kill the Shadow?”

“Sadly, killing the Shadow itself wouldn’t put an end to the nightmare,” Trixie said, “Also, that would also kill the real Fleur, and I don’t know if I want to have someone’s death on my conscious. Even if they're a bitch like Fleur.”

The way Rainbow Dash averted her eyes made Starlight a bit uncomfortable. Was she considering…

“First, we need to gather information on how the nightmare formed,” Twilight explained, “If it’s anything like with Trixie’s Dungeon, we need to find the book in Pinkie Pie’s Akashic Record that’s the last entry to understand what truly created the Dungeon. Once we know that, we have to instill hope into Pinkie Pie’s heart, dive into her dungeon, and get her to the exit.”

“Why can’t we get her to the exit right now?” Rainbow Dash asked.

“Because doing that wouldn’t put an end to the nightmare,” Celestia explained, “At best, Pinkie Pie would end up right back there the following night. At worst, we might not be able to get her through the door first place.”

“She has to believe that the nightmare can and will end for that to happen,” Trixie explained, “Starlight did that by telling me she was actually going into my dreams and protecting me, and promising me that she’d put an end to the nightmare that night.”

“So can we just tell her about the Dungeon when she wakes up?” Rainbow Dash asked, “That way she knows that help is coming?”

“Absolutely not,” Twilight said immediately, “Telling her now would instill her with so much hope that if we can’t get her out immediately, she’ll fall into such deep despair that she could possibly die on the spot.”

“I know you want to do something for her right away, but rushing will only make things worse,” Celestia said placing a hand on Rainbow Dash’s shoulder, “Saving Pinkie Pie in her dream while we gather information instills small bursts of hope that can sustain her life for a bit. As long as we continue to do that we’ll rescue her.”

Rainbow Dash sighed calming down finally, “Okay okay, I get it. Take your time,” Rainbow Dash went back to her seat on the couch, “I fucking hate that phrase…”

play song

“Hey, I was thinking,” Trixie said after a second, “Dash and I have a lot of emotion about this situation, and our group isn’t getting any smaller. I think before we move forward at all we need to elect a leader.”

“Is that right?” Celestia asked with a knowing smile.

“I thought about it while I was out today. I think one of the reasons I acted so hastily is because I didn’t have a direction. I’ll admit, I’m resourceful, but reckless.”

Rainbow Dash sighed, “Yeah, especially looking at how upset I just got, I’d do something stupid too without someone guiding me. I hate it, but I think Trixie’s right on this. We need a leader.”

“So, who do you elect as leader?” Celestia asked everyone.

“Personally, I vote Starlight,” Trixie said surprising Starlight, “She’s the most level headed one here, and I already don’t mind being bossed around by her.”

The way she smiled gave Starlight an odd feeling. Not unpleasant, but odd.

“Same here,” Rainbow Dash said, “I’m like lightning, I’ll just charge forward until I hit my target. But I feel like if Starlight is the one guiding my blade, I won’t make a mistake.”

Now Rainbow Dash was giving her the same smile. What was this feeling that was coming over Starlight? Before she made a decision, she turned to Twilight and asked for her opinion.

“Why do you want my opinion?” Twilight asked, “It’s not like it matters or anything.”

Starlight shook her head, “I always value your input, Twilight. Even if you don’t have a Persona, I consider you a part of the team.”

Twilight looked down with an odd expression before folding her arms and sighing, “Honestly, out of everyone here, you are the best choice. I’d suggest myself, except I’m not actually there fighting, and like you pointed out, I don’t have a Persona. So yes, I nominate you as Leader as well.”

A warm feeling came over her. She realized what it was. It was a sense of duty. She didn’t just want to lead, she knew she had to lead. Her friends were putting their faith in her.

She didn’t want to let them down by making a mistake, but if she turned them down now, wouldn’t that also let them down?

“I believe it’s unanimous, Starlight,” Celestia said with a gentle smile, “The question now is, what do you want to do?”

“I… I’ll do it,” Starlight said, “In fact, let’s make ourselves an official witch’s coven. From this day forward, we’re not just friends. We’re sisters.”

“I coven, huh?” Trixie looked up taking that in, “Know what? I like it.”

“What the hell, I’m in too,” Rainbow Dash said, “Wasn’t planning on becoming a witch last night, but since it happened, it’s nice to have someplace safe to call home.”

“You too, Twi-Twi,” Trixie said smiling, “Like Starlight said, you’re a part of this now too.”

“I’m pretty sure you need to actually be a witch to be in a coven,” Twilight said.

“My coven, my rules,” Starlight said with a smile, “You’re in, whether you like it or not.”

Twilight sighed rubbing her eyes, “Know what? Fine. I’m not going to fight this. Because it’s pretty clear that you’re all insistent on adding me to your friends 4 ever club for some reason.”

“Pretty sure that’s because you’re our friend,” Rainbow Dash said as if it were obvious, which it was honestly. It seemed that the only one who kept denying that they were friends was Twilight herself. Still, Starlight felt a good deal closer to her friends now, like their bond became significantly stronger.

“For now, I think I need to get some sleep,” Trixie yawned, “Hope you don’t mind if we not go back into the Dungeon right now, because I need to actually sleep.”

“I don’t think we should go back in at all until we know for sure Dash is better,” Starlight said, “Twilight, while we’re resting, try to learn the layout of Pinkie Pie’s Dungeon, please.”

Twilight sighed and gave a half-assed salute, “Yes, oh gracious leader. Not like I didn’t already plan on doing that anyway.”

As everyone walked back upstairs to their rooms, Rainbow Dash stopped and went over to Celestia.

“Ms. Tia, I’m sorry if I upset you earlier,” Rainbow Dash said, “I… I shouldn’t have suspected you.”

“It’s alright Rainbow Dash,” Celestia said with a loving smile, “I know I’m a bit of a mystery. Just know that my love for my children is genuine, and I only want what’s best for all of you.”

Rainbow Dash smiled and hugged Celestia, “Thanks. Good night,” Rainbow Dash said, leaving Celestia and Twilight alone in the living room.

After everyone left, Twilight sighed, “I better get to work.”

play song

“Twilight,” Celestia asked as Twilight rose from the couch, “Don’t think I don’t sense the animosity you have for Starlight and the others.”

“I’m not going to let my personal feelings get in the way of my job, Ms. Tia,” Twilight said softly.

“That’s not what I’m worried about,” Celestia said, rising up to embrace Twilight from behind like she did with Rainbow Dash earlier, “Your emotional well being is what matters most to me. Please tell me what’s on your mind, honey.”

“I…” Twilight closed her eyes, “I just…”

“You’re still upset about their decision to cancel the project, aren’t you?” Celestia asked. The way Twilight tensed up said everything, “Twilight-”

“Don’t,” Twilight interrupted, “I don’t need to hear anything like “I still matter” or “I’m not being replaced”. Right now, I just need to focus on my job.”

“If you ever do need to talk, I’m right here,” Celestia said tightening the embrace, “I love you, my pupil.”

It looked like Twilight was about to say something but in the end she just pulled away and walked upstairs without a word. Celestia sighed folding her arms. She hated seeing Twilight like this, but didn’t know what to say to comfort her. She knew why Twilight was hurting, and she was well within her right to be upset. She gave up a lot for that project, all for it to be scrapped in the end.

All Celestia could do was pray that somehow Twilight would find peace in a new dream, rather than being eternally resentful for the dream that would never come true now.

Author's Note

*Naturally this isn't counting Persona 1 and 2, since they didn't deal with Shadows as far as we know. Also, the ending of Persona 2 Eternal Punishment hints at this being an alternate reality. I know, it's weird, but bear with me on this.

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9/23

September 23rd, 2019
Sunday
Sunny

Morning

play song

As Starlight walked downstairs she noticed Rainbow Dash sitting on the couch with a bunch of books. Just from a distance it looked like they were books on magic and other esoteric subjects.

“Where did you get all of those?” Starlight asked Rainbow Dash, her focus on one really large and complicated looking book.

“Twilight’s room,” Rainbow Dash explained, “Went to see her before she went to bed and asked if she had any books on witchcraft. I figured if I’m a witch now, I might as well read up on it.”

Starlight was really happy to see her taking this so seriously. Still, the idea that Rainbow Dash could handle reading books from Twilight’s library was scary. Just how smart was this girl?

“Hey, think we should name our coven?” Rainbow Dash asked finally looking up at Starlight, “You know, for the sake of unifying us under one name or some shit like that?”

“Probably should,” Starlight said leaning over the back of the couch, “Not sure what to call us, though.”

“Whatever it is, it’s gotta have meaning behind it,” Rainbow Dash said, “It can’t be dark for the sake of being dark, you know?”

“No, I get you,” Starlight said, “A lot of the modern day covens I’ve seen try to sound dark and edgy because it’s cool, but in reality they’re just angsty teenagers.”

“Exactly, but not us. We’re the real deal,” Rainbow Dash said.

“Hey, what ‘cha talking about?” Trixie asked walking out of the kitchen over to them.

“I’m thinking we need to name ourselves,” Rainbow Dash said, “Something that sounds cool without being too dark and edgy.”

“How about Sister’s of the Phase?” Trixie suggested.

“That sounds cool, but no one actually knows what the Phase even is, you know?” Rainbow Dash said, “We go with a name like that, and people will start asking questions like “what’s the Phase” or something.”

“Mmm, yeah you’re right,” Trixie folded her arms, “Coming up with names is hard, especially if we’re going with something meaningful.”

“What about you, Leader?” Rainbow Dash asked Starlight, “You know more about this witch stuff than we do.”

Starlight thought about it for a bit, but nothing immediately came to mind. There was a time where she wanted to name her coven “Daughters of Hades” but she openly admitted that was in her edgy teen phase. Once she swore to become a witch for the light, she realized naming her coven after the Greek God of the underworld wasn’t sending the right message.

“I need to think on this for a bit,” Starlight told her friends.

“That’s fair,” Trixie said, “This is a dream come true for you, after all.”

“Whatever you come up with, I’m sure it’ll be perfect,” Rainbow Dash said, “We’re counting on you, Leader.”

That was seriously going to take some getting used to. But it was nice that they trusted her to come up with something good. She’d have to make sure it really fit with the overall theme of what they were doing.

Once she finished eating breakfast she decided to go up and check on Pinkie Pie. Apparently she didn’t eat much, and went back upstairs to her room afterward.

play song

“Pinkie Pie, it’s me,” Starlight said knocking on her door. She heard movement, and a few seconds later Pinkie Pie opened the door slightly.

“Hi Starlight…” Pinkie Pie said somberly.

“How are you feeling?” Starlight asked, “Any better since Friday?”

“I don’t know. Maybe a bit better,” Pinkie Pie said averting her eyes, “I’ll be okay, Starlight.”

“Are you sure? I’m worried about you,” Starlight said, “I haven’t known you long, but seeing you this upset feels wrong. If there’s anything you want to talk about-”

“No,” Pinkie Pie shook her head backing away a bit, “I don’t want to talk. Right now, I just… I want to be alone.”

Starlight sighed internally. It seemed Pinkie Pie wasn’t going to open up much yet. Starlight relented and told Pinkie Pie that whenever she wanted to talk, she’d be there.

“T-thanks Starlight,” Pinkie Pie said before shutting the door. Starlight was getting really concerned about Pinkie Pie. Based on how she looked just now, Starlight was wondering just how much time they actually bought her.

Since she didn’t see Celestia downstairs at breakfast, she figured she was probably upstairs in her room. Starlight ran up to the fourth floor and knocked on the door.

“Just a minute,” Celestia called out, opening the door a second or so later, “Starlight, is something wrong?”

“I want to go back into Pinkie Pie’s dream tonight,” Starlight requested, “I don’t think we bought her a lot of time.”

“Neither do I, being completely honest,” Celestia said folding her arms, “Her nightmare is progressing much faster than Trixie’s did. Alright, take your team into the Phase tonight. Please be careful in there, honey.”

Starlight promised and went back downstairs to let Trixie and Rainbow Dash know they were going back into the Phase. Needless to say, both of them were happy to hear that.

Late night

The Phase

play song

When Starlight opened her eyes she saw Rainbow Dash and Trixie already there waiting for her. A second later Twilight’s wisp joined them.

“Good, everyone’s here,” Twilight said.

“Rainbow Dash was actually here before anyone,” Trixie said, turning to their newest member sitting at a table reading a book, “Apparently she went to bed early and waited here for us.”

“How are you holding up?” Starlight asked Rainbow Dash, sitting on the table next to her.

“I’m fine, it’s Pinkie Pie I’m worried about,” Rainbow Dash closed her book, “I’m not sure, but I think she’s dreading something.”

“Okay, so it’s not just me,” Trixie said, “You guys felt it too.”

“We need to head into her Dungeon and see if we can find a clue as to what that is. I get the feeling Fleur’s going to try something soon.”

Starlight was about to lead her team into the Dungeon, but stopped when she saw a familiar figure sitting at another table off in the distance. Next to a familiar looking elevator door and reading a book was Victor.

“Hey, I’ll be right back,” Starlight said, “I need to prepare for this.”

Starlight walked over to Victor, who greeted her with his usual kind but lust filled smile.

“Greetings, Miss Glimmer. The Master has prepared a means for you to enter the Velvet Room within the dream realm as well as the Real World,” Victor explained, eyes falling a tad lower, “Which I must say, while you are perfect no matter what, I certainly prefer you like this.”

Realizing where his eyes were would have normally made Starlight feel really bashful and embarrassed, but here she almost felt like flirting back. Internally she wondered why she felt so different in the dream world.

“Feel free to enjoy the view while I talk with your Master,” Starlight said airily, “Please.”

Victor rose up from his chair and elegantly kissed Starlight’s knuckles before standing to the side of the door. Starlight pulled out her Velvet Key and opened the door, immediately greeted by the sound of a familiar melody.

“Welcome, to the Velvet Room,” Igor said smiling as Starlight sat down before him.

“I want to fuse a few Personas,” Starlight said, crossing her legs and resting on the left arm of her chair. She felt so powerful sitting like this.

“I’m quite pleased you’re making such use of my services,” Igor said, pride filling his voice, “Before we get to fusion however, I’d like to share with you something Victor and I have created for Morgana. We call it, Persona Harvesting.”

“Persona Harvesting?” Starlight asked.

“Under normal circumstances one’s starting Persona reaches a skill cap,” Victor explained, “At this point, they can’t learn any new skills. Through Persona Harvesting however, we’ll be able to feed Morgana the power of another Persona,” sensing her apprehension at this, Victor chuckled, “Don’t worry. As long as you have the Persona registered, you can call it back from the Compendium anytime.”

Okay, now that she knew that, she felt better about this. She wanted to make Morgana stronger, but she sort of saw each Persona she collected like a new friend.

First she registered all of her current Personas. After that, she willed all of her Personas to appear in her hand as cards. After careful consideration, she chose to use Obaryion for this demonstration. As she handed Igor the card, she felt Morgana manifest behind her.

Igor took the card and concentrated his energy into it, causing the card to glow. He then threw the card into the air, and Starlight saw the most terrifying thing ever. Morgana flew up after the card, her torso opened revealing what looked like black teeth or blades that reached out for the card, and then essentially ate the card and the Persona inside of it.

At first Starlight felt bad for the little guy. That changed when she felt a sudden burst of energy from Morgana. Not only had she become stronger overall, but two new spells came to Starlight. Sukunda and Snap.

“Thank you, my pupil. My power grows because of your tribute.”

Starlight nodded to Morgana smiling. She really was more psychologically connected to Morgana than her other Personas, it seemed.

Before she left, she chose to fuse a few more Personas. First she chose Silky and Succubus, the resulting Persona being a powerful looking knight riding a red horse. The name “Berith” came to mind immediately, and she felt a number of physical skills from him.

Yeah, keeping him, Starlight thought.

Satisfied with this build, and wanting to make sure she had room for new Personas when she met them, she thanked both Igor and Victor for their service.

“Good luck in your friend’s Dungeon,” Igor said. Starlight seriously got the feeling he was more personal with her than most of his other guests. Why, she had no idea. Either way, she was thankful for not only his help, but for his presence.

play song

When she returned to her friends, they all looked at her a bit confused.

“Where were you just now?” Trixie asked, “You were there, and suddenly you just… weren’t.”

Right, they couldn’t see the door. Since they were the realm of dreams she expected to physically enter the door, but she wasn’t sure how that would look. She explained to them that she was in the Velvet Room.

“That creepy elevator place?” Rainbow Dash asked, “Hey, as long as it helped you get stronger, that’s all that matters.”

“Now, are you finally ready to head out?” Twilight asked a bit impatient.

“Yes, let’s go,” Starlight said, leading her team to the Checkpoint they opened last time they entered. She had a feeling they’d have to start heading toward the village, but just in case they missed something here it was better to play it safe.

play song

The checkpoint let the girls off in a hallway in the fortress. Starlight looked around and was surprised to see the entire fortress was still empty.

“That’s odd,” Twilight said, “No Shadows around anywhere in the fortress.”

“Maybe it’s because we cleared out that big Shadow,” Trixie said, “He seemed like he was the leader.”

“That’s not how Shadows work, though,” Twilight said, “For as intelligent as they are, they still follow a set pattern.”

Rainbow Dash walked over to a banner on the wall and examined it closely, “Guys, I think I know why this place is empty,” she called out, “This look familiar to anyone?”

Starlight walked over to check out the banner herself. It only took a few seconds for it to register where she saw that. That was the school banner!

“Wait, what?” Twilight asked, “Why is the school banner here?”

“I think I get it,” Trixie looked around, “To Pinkie Pie, this fortress represents the school. Remember how it looked like she was being raped last time we were here?”

“You think that was an abstract representation of the harassment she went through at school,” Starlight said. Trixie nodded.

“It was the same for me. When I started feeling like I had no allies in school, the Shadows all started to really get off on seeing me suffer. One time I tried escaping, and one of the Shadows representing a patron grabbed me and brought me back to Blueblood as soon as I made it out to the forest.”

“From there, it makes sense that the Shadows would clear out then,” Twilight said, “She’s avoiding school, and I imagine she’s even staying off social media for the same reason. She has no idea how the other students are feeling about her right now.”

“But she also has to know that she can’t stay away from school forever, so maybe…” Starlight gasped, “We need to find her, fast! I know why this place is empty!”

“Shit, I get it!” Rainbow Dash swore, “They’re all wherever Pinkie Pie is probably trying to bring her back here!”

“I can’t get a lock on her location right now!” Twilight said, apparently typing on her computer outside, “Damn it! She could be anywhere!”

“Follow me!” Rainbow Dash said running down the hall, “I know the way to the village!”

Starlight and Trixie followed Rainbow Dash out of the fortress’ left exit into the dark forest. Despite the dark atmosphere, Starlight felt a lot of magic in the air.

“Are you sure she’s in the village?” Trixie asked as they carefully moved through the trees.

“She’s either there, or somewhere in between,” Rainbow Dash said, “There are only three major locations here, and the forest is pretty big.”

“Did you memorize the layout of the dream?” Twilight asked.

“Sorta. It wasn’t easy since I kept ending up in different sections of the dream, but I quickly learned where most of the landmarks were,” Rainbow Dash said.

Starlight suddenly felt like they were being watched. Not just by the dream itself, but by someone or something in the dream. She looked toward Trixie and noticed a branch shaped like a hand moving toward her.

play song

“Get down!” Starlight cried pushing Trixie out of the way before the tree grabbed her. Instead, it grabbed Starlight.

“Starlight!” Trixie cried.

“Leave it to me!” Rainbow Dash said getting her sword ready, “Persona!”

Eclair manifested before Rainbow Dash, and the two of them started slashing wildly at the tree. When they both turned around and sheathed their blades, the tree exploded releasing Starlight.

“Thanks,” Starlight said rising to her feet and readying her scythe.

“Don’t mention it, Leader,” Rainbow Dash said, the three witches now standing back to back surrounded by trees that were clearly alive.

“Are these Shadows?” Trixie asked, throwing a few cards at one of the trees cutting it’s branches off before it could grab her.

“I think they’re manifestations of the dream itself!” Twilight cried, “Whatever you do, do NOT let those things grab you, Starlight!”

“I don’t see you in here fighting tree monsters!” Starlight shot back, slashing through another tree with her scythe.

“That’s a real shame, too. Then maybe I could show you a thing or two about not getting captured every five seconds!”

“Hey, could we NOT have this lovers spat right now?!” Rainbow Dash said, slashing through two trees, “I don’t know why, but I feel Pinkie Pie! I think she’s close!”

“Then I’ll clear a path! Burn them to ashes, Elenora!” Trixie shouted summoning her Persona. Elenora proceeded to throw a series of fireballs at the trees to make a path forward, “There!”

“Move! Before they regroup!” Starlight shouted. The three girls and wisp proceeded through the trees, all of which reached out to grab them.

“Hey! I think a few of the trees are following you!” Twilight shouted. Starlight looked behind them and sure enough, saw a couple trees following after them.

“Keep moving!” Starlight commanded, “I’ll take them out!”

Starlight stopped and turned to her foes, summoning Morgana to her side. She then slammed her scythe’s blade into the ground in front of her, and Morgana opened her torso again, this time revealing what appeared to be the barrel of a large gun.

“Snap!” Starlight ordered, casting one of the new spells. Morgana’s chest gun opened fire on the trees and breaking them apart. Once they were gone, Starlight ran after her friends, who were waiting for them in a clearing.

end song

“What… is going on in Pinkie Pie’s head?!” Trixie cried trying to catch her breath, “This forest is straight out of a hentai!”

“I don’t like this at all.” Twilight said, “Hold on! I’m picking up Pinkie Pie’s signature!”

“Where?!” Rainbow Dash asked.

“RAINBOW DASH!” a familiar voice screamed ahead.

play song

“Pinkie Pie!” Rainbow Dash cried running in the direction of the scream, Trixie, Twilight, and Starlight closely following behind.

They didn’t have to run long, as they soon found Pinkie Pie, held up against one of the largest trees there by it's branches, two Shadow knights attempting to fight it off. Based on the number of corpses around them, they were probably the only ones left.

“DASHIE, HELP ME!” Pinkie Pie screamed trying to reach out, but one of the branches grabbed her arm and held it back, forcing another shrill scream from the helpless Princess.

“Let her go you overgrown pile of kindling!” Rainbow Dash shouted running toward the tree, only to be smacked away by another branch.

“Rainbow Dash!” Starlight cried.

“Oh no you don’t!” one of the knights shouted turning to Starlight and Trixie, “Empress Fleur ordered us to kill you all on sight! The tree can wait!”

Both shadows melted away, revealing their true forms. One was another Jack Frost, but the one who spoke to them before turned into a new Shadow. This one looked vaguely like a bird, but it’s body looked like the feathers had all been plucked, and it’s head was shaped more like an onion with a mouth and shut eyes. It’s neck was long with black stripes, and ever so often it spouted fire out of it’s mouth.

play song

“The new one’s ID is Onmoraki!” Twilight said, “No wonder Pinkie Pie was so tense! She’s probably been here since Saturday night!”

“Rainbow Dash, get Pinkie Pie out of that tree!” Starlight commanded, “Trixie and I will keep the Shadows off you!”

“Got it, Leader!” Rainbow Dash pointed her sword, “Don’t worry, Pinkie Pie! I’m going to get you out of there!”

Rainbow Dash charged at the tree as it lashed it’s branches out at her. Meanwhile, Starlight and Trixie both had their hands full with their opponents, both of which charged at them and began fighting them close quarter.

Trixie rolled out of the way of Onmoroki’s attack and summoned her Persona, casting Sukujaka on Rainbow Dash, “There! That should give you a speed boost!”

“Thanks!” Rainbow Dash shouted summoning Eclair. She was about to cast Zio, but stopped herself, “Shoot! If it doesn’t stand still I can’t be sure I won’t hit Pinkie Pie!”

Starlight swore to herself realizing that herself, but then noticed Onmoroki casting an odd looking spell. She looked underneath Trixie and saw a black magic circle form underneath her, “Trixie, dodge!”

“Huh? Whoa!” Trixie jumped out of the way just as the magical circle exploded, “That didn’t look pretty!”

“Shoot! I think it cast Mudo!” Twilight cried, “Know how before I said don’t get hit? Well, that spell’s an INSTANT DEATH SPELL!”

“You’ve got to be kidding me!” Trixie cried summoning her Persona, “Alright chicken, prepare to be roasted!” Elenora threw an Agi spell at the tiny “bird” Shadow, only for it to endure the attack without much damage, “Oh you’ve got to be kidding me!”

Onmoroki charged at Trixie and flew around her, once again casting its Mudo and targeting her.

“She can’t dodge it this time!” Twilight cried, “Starlight, do something!”

“Right!” she kicked Jack Frost away from her and turned to Trixie, “MORGANA!”

Morgana opened her chest and fired her new projectile spell at Onmoroki, actually knocking it to the ground and canceling the spell.

“Thanks for that!” Trixie said, summoning Elenora again and casting Agi on Jack Frost, knocking it to its back, “Want to try and take one of these guys into your ring?”

Starlight nodded and reached out to both of them. Both resonated, and she wanted to go for Jack Frost. Something told her that instant kill spell would be a bit more useful though. She cast Empathy on Onmoroki, feeling a sensation that could only be described as “tsundere like” from it.

Honestly, it kind of felt like Twilight.

The tiny Shadow perked up, and made an almost happy cry before bursting into flames and flying into Starlight’s ring. Just as she suspected, Jack Frost escaped in the confusion.

As for Rainbow Dash, she had resorted to simply using her blade to slash the branches away from herself before they could reach her. She tried rushing over to grab Pinkie Pie, but once again one of the branches whacked her back. This time she caught herself mid air and landed next to Starlight and Trixie.

“It’s too fast, even with that speed up spell you gave me!” Rainbow Dash said, “And if I use Zio, I might hit Pinkie Pie!”

“I’ll slow it down with Morgana,” Starlight said stepping forward, “Trixie, focus on healing and using your cards on the branches to keep them off Rainbow Dash.”

Trixie nodded, “Got it!”

“Rainbow Dash, once you get an opening, grab Pinkie Pie. Once she’s free, we’ll hit it with an All Out Attack,” Starlight continued.

“Understood, Leader!” Rainbow Dash said bracing herself to charge.

Starlight started out by casting Sukunda on the tree monster, slowing it’s movements considerably. At the same time, Trixie cast Dia on Rainbow Dash healing her, and then proceeded to throw cards at the branches that reached out for them.

“Now!” Starlight shouted.

Rainbow Dash rushed toward the tree as fast as she could. One of it’s branches reached out to grab her, but was then shot away by one of Morgana’s bullets. Now with nothing standing in her way, Rainbow Dash jumped and slashed wildly at the branches holding Pinkie Pie to the tree, before picking her up and kicking away from the tree back to the others.

“Are you okay?” Rainbow Dash asked Pinkie Pie, who immediately embraced Rainbow Dash tightly.

“I am now! Thank you, Dashie!” she cried happily.

“Don’t thank us yet!” Trixie said, “I think we made the tree mad!”

The tree started flailing around even more, actually reaching further out as if to grab Pinkie Pie again. It was so bad that both Morgana and Elenora had to hold it back.

“Don’t worry,” Rainbow Dash said softly to Pinkie Pie, “I won’t let that thing get you again.”

Pinkie Pie said nothing. She just nodded, her cheeks rosy with a light blush.

Rainbow Dash stepped in between her friends and held up her Channeling Ring and sword, “Come forth, my inner self!”

Eclair appeared behind Rainbow Dash and held up her blade, causing a lightning bolt to shook down onto the tree monster. Apparently that hit a critical point, because the tree hunched over not moving.

“All Out Attack, go!” Starlight commanded. The three of them readied their weapons and unleashed everything they had on the demonic tree. It did not survive that assault, and was instantly broken apart.

Rainbow Dash let out a relieved breath and sheathed her sword, “Glad that’s over,” before she could turn to ask if Pinkie Pie was okay, she felt said princess wrap her arms around her from behind.

“Thank you…!” Pinkie Pie sobbed, letting her tears flow freely as she tightened the embrace, “I kept crying out for you, just like you told me to… and you came…! You really came…!”

Rainbow Dash closed her eyes and held Pinkie Pie’s hand, “Of course I came. A knight always comes to her Princess’ aid.”

play song

“Aw, how touching. It makes me sick.”

Starlight and Trixie both turned to late as a black blast knocked them back. Rainbow Dash turned around and pushed Pinkie Pie behind her.

“Fleur!” she shouted.

“Non non non, this won’t do at all, ma chere,” Shadow Fleur said sauntering toward her, “I can’t have the story end just yet.”

“You bitch…!” Rainbow Dash said through gritted teeth, “You set all of this up to torture her, didn’t you…?!”

“It’s true that my magic is what made the trees attack, but that’s a spell I cast a long time ago,” Shadow Fleur explained, “Can’t have the Princesse thinking she has a safe place to hide from me. Now, viens Princesse. It’s time to return you to the castle.”

“Like hell it is…!” Rainbow Dash seethed, electricity coursing through her body and condensing on her blade, “You’re not touching her… ever, again! ECLAIR, AWAKEN!”

Eclair manifested in front of Rainbow Dash and the two of them slashed wildly at Fleur, who effortlessly moved out of the way of all of the ghostly knight’s slashes. One slash came down on top of Fleur, but she held up her finger stopping the blade with a smirk.

“I am intouchable,” Shadow Fleur bragged, “Especially by you. Everyone knows the chevalier falls to the villain in the end.”

“SHUT UP!” Rainbow Dash screamed, casting Zio on Shadow Fleur, who immediately vanished only to appear right in front of Rainbow Dash. She then held her hand out at Rainbow Dash, magically gripping her by the neck and holding her up.

“No!” Pinkie Pie cried running up to Shadow Fleur, “Please, let her go, Fleur! Don’t do this!”

“You need a reminder of who’s truly in power in this kingdom, Princesse,” Shadow Fleur said, “I think using this one as an example will suffice.”

“Pinkie Pie, move!” Starlight commanded. As soon as Pinkie Pie jumped out of the way, both Morgana and Elenora charged at either side of Shadow Fleur. Both Persona’s attacks were stopped by a force field.

“What?!” Trixie cried, “Why can’t we touch her?!”

“Because it’s as I already said,” Shadow Fleur said arrogantly, “I’m intouchable.” a powerful magical force knocked both Personas and their users back onto the ground, “Too bad the same can’t be said for you, Chevalier,” she used her magic to grip Rainbow Dash’s neck even tighter.

play song

Pinkie Pie ran up to Shadow Fleur and embraced her from behind, “I’LL GO WITH YOU!”

“P-Pinkie Pie… don’t…!” Rainbow Dash forced out, “Don’t… go with…” whatever she was going to say was lost in a scream as Shadow Fleur’s grip tightened.

“Please stop this!” Pinkie Pie begged tearfully, “Please! I’ll go with you, I promise! I won’t fight you, just please let Dashie go!”

Shadow Fleur considered her words for a second before sighing, “Bien,” using her magic, she tossed Rainbow Dash into another tree before turning to embrace Pinkie Pie as she cried helplessly, “No more of this foolishness, ma chere. I know what’s best for the Royaume.”

“I… I know…” Pinkie Pie sobbed, completely defeated.

“Is that… it?!” Trixie shouted at Pinkie Pie, “You’re not even going to fight?! You're just going to go with her?!”

“Unlike you three, Pinkie Pie here is intelligente,” Shadow Fleur said as a black portal opened behind them.

“You can’t give up, Pinkie Pie!” Trixie cried desperately, “She only has as much power as you give her!”

“I… I’m sorry Trixie…” Pinkie Pie said somberly, “But this… this is all I can do…”

Shadow Fleur guided Pinkie Pie through the black portal just as it was starting to close.

“PINKIE PIE!” Trixie shot to her feet and ran toward the portal, but it closed right before she could reach it, “DAMN IT PINKIE PIE!” she fell to her knees and tightened her fists in frustration, “Why…? Why is she of all people giving up so easily...?”

Starlight closed her eyes somberly. She understood where her head was more than likely. It was just a bit ago that she was in the exact same situation, after all.

“Ugh…” Rainbow Dash groaned sitting up, “Pinkie… Pie…?”

“Rainbow Dash!” Twilight cried flying over to her, “Rainbow Dash, are you okay?”

“Where’s Pinkie Pie…?” Rainbow Dash asked nursing her neck.

“Fleur’s Shadow took her,” Starlight said walking over to Rainbow Dash and kneeling before her, “How do you feel?”

“I’ll live,” Rainbow Dash groaned, “Damn that woman.”

“Odd,” Twilight said, “Nothing you three did seemed to have any effect on the Shadow.”

“Was that some sort of spell?” Starlight asked Twilight.

“More than likely. However, everything here is a representation of something within Pinkie Pie’s subconscious.”

“Meaning that until we figure out what she means by “I’m untouchable” we won’t be able to hurt Fleur or get Pinkie Pie out of here, is that it?” Trixie asked now walking over to them.

“Seems that way. At least now we know the biggest obstacle in rescuing Pinkie Pie.”

“We just need to find something in Pinkie Pie’s Akashic Records like last time,” Starlight said, noticing a Checkpoint appearing in front of the remains of the tree, “Let’s use that and return to the library. Emotions are way too high right now, and we don’t even know where to move forward from here.”

“Hate to say it, but you’re right,” Rainbow Dash said rising to her feet, “Let’s end this here for now.”

Starlight rose up and walked toward the door, but stopped when she noticed one member not moving, “Trixie, let’s go.”

Trixie sighed in frustration and stormed toward the door, pushing past everyone. As she passed Starlight, she noticed the same dark look she used to have before being rescued.

“What’s her problem?” Twilight asked, “She’s been really emotional this entire mission.”

“I’ll talk to her,” Starlight said approaching the door, “Everyone else, rest up.”

Rainbow Dash sighed rubbing her eyes and walked toward the door after Starlight. Once everyone was gone, the door vanished behind them as if it was never there to begin with.

end song

Rainbow Dash decided to leave early, one because she was really tired, and two because she figured Starlight and Trixie needed some time alone. After confirming that she was in fact still in the Akashic Records, Twilight also logged out, letting Starlight handle this.

It took a bit of searching, but she eventually found Trixie deeper in the library. She sat at a desk, legs crossed, and shuffling her cards probably in an attempt to calm herself down. If the scowl on her face was any indication however, it wasn’t working too well.

Starlight sighed and sat down in front of her, choosing not to speak right away.

play song

“Come to call me out on my temper?” Trixie said, her voice low and dark, sounding just like she did when Blueblood had her.

“Not exactly,” Starlight said, “I’m worried about you.”

“I’m fine.”

“No you’re not. I know that look, Trixie.”

“What look?”

“You’re upset.”

“Well yeah. My friend is in danger. Why wouldn’t I be upset?”

“I’d expect to be having this talk with Rainbow Dash, not you,” Starlight sighed as Trixie turned away from Starlight and folded her arms, “Trixie, don’t shut me out, please. I want to help you through this.”

“I don’t know what’s wrong with me, okay?!” Trixie screamed breaking down, “There, are you happy now?!”

“Trixie…” Starlight felt her heart shatter in two seeing her friend in such a state.

“I thought I could keep myself in control, and I did for a bit! But when I saw Pinkie Pie just go with Fleur, I just…!” she held her head and screamed in anger, sadness, and frustration. Seeing that, Starlight understood.

Trixie saw herself in Pinkie Pie just now.

Starlight rose up and walked over to Trixie’s chair, and held her gently as she cried.

“It’s okay,” Starlight said, “Just let it out.”

“It’s… just like with me!” Trixie sobbed, “It’s Blueblood all over again!”

“No, it’s different,” Starlight tightened the embrace, “Because this time you have power.”

“What good is it?! I wasn’t doing any more damage than you or Rainbow Dash! And I still can’t keep myself together!” she turned to look at Starlight desperately, “Why does it hurt still?! You saved me from my Dungeon, so why am I still so affected by this?!”

Starlight closed her eyes sadly, “Because for as much magic as I have, no spell can heal a wound of the heart this deep. I don’t know how to help you through this, Trixie, but I will help you. I’m not giving up on you.”

“Starlight…” Trixie turned away from Starlight sadly, “Maybe I shouldn’t be a part of this mission… I don’t know if I can keep myself in control.”

“I need you beside me, Trixie,” Starlight said kneeling in front of Trixie and taking holding her hands, “Not just because we’re short on fighters still, but because you’re my friend. Your presence helps me just as much as mine helps you.”

Trixie started trembling, and still wouldn’t look Starlight in the eyes, “Can I… be alone for a bit, Starlight?”

Starlight sighed, but nodded relenting. She rose up, but before she left she gently kissed Trixie on the cheek, surprising the broken teen.

“I’ll see you in the morning, Trixie,” Starlight said before taking her ring off. Seemed like the hardest part of this mission wasn’t keeping Pinkie Pie safe. Rather, it was keeping her team from breaking apart.

Her first official run as leader, and Starlight wasn’t sure if she succeeded or failed.

Author's Note

*hugs Trixie*

Support my Patreon and help fund my campaign for world/galactic domination! :twilightsmile:

9/24

September 24th, 2019
Monday
Cloudy

Morning

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Starlight didn’t expect Pinkie Pie to come to school today, so she wasn’t surprised to see that she was still holed up in her room. She also wasn’t too surprised that Trixie was still being a bit distant after last night. She was worried, but she understood. Truth was, Starlight didn’t have a better answer for Trixie. The wound was still fresh, after all.

As such, today she spent most of the walk to school alone, with just her thoughts as her companion.

She didn’t really notice it till now, but she was starting to prefer being around her friends when she was on her way to school. Before she preferred the loneliness, or at least she thought she did. Now though, Starlight found herself being almost disappointed when no one could join her for these walks.

It took a bit for the train to arrive. While waiting, her thoughts went to the events of their last raid inside Pinkie Pie’s Dungeon. Should she consider it a failure? Was it a success? They did manage to save Pinkie Pie from that tree monster, but it didn’t seem like she gained any hope afterward. If she did, it was snuffed out almost immediately by Fleur’s Shadow. She looked down the tracks and saw her train ride up, one of the doors stopping right in front of her. Maybe that was a good omen or something.

“Hold that door!” Starlight heard some cry out as she entered the train. She looked and saw Rainbow Dash running up to the platform. Starlight stood in between the doors preventing them from closing, which allowed Rainbow Dash to push through, “Thanks, Leader. I can’t afford to be late again this month, or else Harshwhinny’s going to throw a fit.”

“Please stand clear of doors.”

“Ah shaddup, ya insensitive computer!” Rainbow Dash fussed at the computerized voice of the train. That got Starlight to giggle. This was why she enjoyed having her friends beside her.

The two of them managed to find a seat together on the train and sat down.

“How’s Pinkie Pie?” Starlight asked Rainbow Dash, who sighed rubbing her eyes.

“I think she’s a bit better after we rescued her last night, but she’s still got this defeated look in her eyes,” Rainbow Dash explained, “What about Trixie?” Starlight shook her head and explained a bit about what happened last night when she left, “Damn, she’s that messed up, huh? I really hope the rumors aren’t true then.”

Starlight raised an eyebrow, her heart racing for some reason.

“I heard some of the guys on the football team saying something about his Dad complaining to the school,” Rainbow Dash shrugged, “Don’t know if it’s true or not though.”

“You don’t think Cinch would choose not to expel him, do you?” Starlight asked nervously.

“This is the same woman who chose not to let Pinkie Pie leave early after being sexually harassed. I wouldn’t be surprised,” Rainbow Dash rubbed her eyes groaning, “You’re new, so you don’t know, but Cinch is one of those principals who cares mostly about the school’s rep than the people in school.”

Meaning the reason she didn’t let Pinkie Pie leave early was because it would mess up her attendance, and thus mess with the reputation of the school as a whole. Starlight knew she didn’t like Cinch from the moment she laid eyes on her, but sheesh.

“She’s notorious for basically going easy on the students she likes, which are basically the kids who’s parents are on the school board or fund the school in some way,” Rainbow Dash continued.

“Meaning Blueblood’s dad?” Starlight asked, sighing when Rainbow Dash nodded.

“Orphans like us she doesn’t give two shits about, because as far as she sees it, we’re just taking up space,” Rainbow Dash looked out the window glaring at a large tower like building in the distance, “I bet he’s one of the people in her pocket too,” she seethed, confusing Starlight. It seemed Rainbow Dash was content to just leave it at that, but it did make Starlight wonder.

Just what did Rainbow Dash mean by “orphans like us”? Was she an orphan too?

Daytime

play song

Science class was taught by a woman with frizzy pink and white hair named Cheerilee. She was super perky and excitable, and actually dressed like a cheerleader for some reason. Come to find out that she used to be a cheerleader when she attended school. This class was always interesting, since Cheerilee has a lot of energy, but a lot of times classes devolved into listening to her go on and on about her apparently tragic love life.

This… was one of those days.

Still, Starlight forced herself to stay awake, if for no other purpose than to ensure that she didn’t get caught dozing off. Turned out, something she said was going to be on a test later. Starlight actually felt smarter listening to her lecture. At least she felt more informed afterward.

Still, her teachers were real characters.

Lunchtime

After getting her lunch she walked toward the courtyard, which meant she’d have to go past the principal’s office.

SLAM

play song

“We need to talk, Cinch!”

Holy… was that… Ms. Tia?

“You’ve got some nerve storming into my office like this, Celestia,” Cinch said.

“I’ve got some nerve?! I just heard that Blueblood’s expulsion was “under consideration”! What does that mean?!” Celestia shouted. Starlight’s heart threatened to beat out of her chest. She’d never heard Celestia sound this outraged before.

“Exactly what it sounds like. It’s under consideration.”

“What’s there to consider?!”

“Quite a lot, to be honest,” Starlight heard Cinch stand up and apparently walk toward her window, “This situation is a lot more complicated than you seem to think.”

“He abused one of my children!” Celestia seethed, sounding like she was about to explode, “How is it any more complicated than that?!”

“Considering what Blueblood revealed about their relationship, quite a bit. Celestia, what do you know about your “child’s” relationships?”

No… that asshole didn’t…

“Nothing more than she’s willing to share,” Celestia stated, “I find it’s best to not dive into my children’s private life.”

“Well, turns out Beatrix’s relationship with Blueblood was a bit on the… kinky side, if you get my meaning.”

Starlight saw red at that moment. That motherfucker actually did.

“What are you implying…?” Celestia asked, a dangerous edge in her voice.

“Only that it’s rather odd that they had that sort of relationship, and now Beatrix is claiming that Blueblood abused her.”

“The nature of their relationship has nothing to do with this,” Celestia seethed, “My child claimed that Blueblood abused her, and I believe her.”

“Which is another issue here. You’re biased.”

“What are you-”

“Your job isn’t to be a mother to Beatrix. Last I checked, she already has one of those. The special treatment you give your “children”, as you insist on calling them, is starting to irritate me.”

“The way I choose to handle my children is my business, not yours, Cinch,” Celestia said, her voice so low and filled with hatred that Starlight could barely hear her.

“Regardless, I’m going to be the voice of reason here, so I’ll be investigating this further,” Cinch said with an air of finality, “You’re dismissed, Celestia.”

“You-”

“Oh, and I expect to see Pinkamena in class tomorrow,” Cinch said sitting back at her desk apparently, “Have a good rest of the day, Celestia.”

Starlight quickly ran around the corner, just in time too, as the door flew open and Celestia stormed out of the office. She turned to where Starlight was and met eyes with her, but then closed them somberly and walked back to her classroom. Starlight wanted to run over to her side and hug her, but she realized there was something far more important she needed to do.

She needed to find Trixie.

Starlight ran toward the courtyard, hoping she could get there before-

play song

“YOU FUCKING BASTARD!”

Before… Trixie found out.

“What are you talking about?” Blueblood asked feigning ignorance, “All of these attacks on my character hurt, Beatrix.”

“Don’t… you dare play the victim!” Trixie cried, enraged tears falling down her cheeks, “You told them about us! About me!”

“All I said to them was the truth,” Blueblood explained, “That you like it rough, and that you asked me to tie you up when we were intimate. And now you’re accusing me of abusing you, when all I ever did was try to give you what I thought you wanted. Tell me, who’s the real abuser right now?”

Trixie’s eyes went wide and she stepped back, “You… fucking son of a bitch…” she breathed out. Starlight rushed over to the scene as fast as her legs could carry her.

“Now I’m willing to forgive you for this, as long as you drop all of the charges, and admit that what we did was consensual,” Blueblood walked over to Trixie and reached for her cheek, “Hell, I’ll even consider taking you back.”

“Don’t. Touch. Her!” Starlight seethed, sending all of her hate through her gaze right at Blueblood. She could feel Morgana manifest behind her, doubling her rage.

“And here’s the one who started it all,” Blueblood said now walking over to Starlight, “You just had to pry into things didn’t you? I bet you were the one who convinced Beatrix to make these accusations.”

“You know you abused Trixie!” Starlight/Morgana said venomously.

“I don’t know if that’s what she told you, or if that’s what you want to believe,” Blueblood shrugged, “Either way, I’m not going to stay silent. I’m going to fight this, and with luck, it’ll be you who’s expelled from this school.”

Starlight tightened her fists, trembling in rage. She hated him so much right now, and was starting to wish she had killed his Shadow when she had the chance.

“This is making me late for class,” Blueblood said, “I’ll be seeing you, ladies.”

Starlight watched as Blueblood walk off back into the school, hands in his pocket and pretending to be victimized. She wanted to kill him. She honestly wanted to kill him now.

“Yes, I know, my pupil. We hate this so much, but there is something else we must do right now.”

Starlight’s attention was caught by the sound of Trixie breaking down behind her. She turned to see her dear friend on her knees, crying almost as hard as she did in the Phase last night.

“It’s not true…! It’s not true!” Trixie sobbed, “He’s the abuser in this… not me…! I’m the victim!”

Starlight said nothing, she just scooped up Trixie and escorted her away from the forming crowd. They needed to be alone right now, and Starlight knew the one place where that could happen.

Starlight took Trixie to the back alley of the school, where Trixie could just cry and let everything out. That lasted for a few minutes till she finally calmed down. Even then, though, Starlight held Trixie close, petting her soothingly.

“Am I abusing him, Starlight?” Trixie asked softly.

“Not at all. That’s what he wants you to think,” Starlight said, “I’m sure Ms. Tia would agree with me on that.”

“It’s not fair…” Trixie held onto Starlight tightly as a fresh wave of tears came, “I’m the one who’s being victimized here, not him.”

Starlight said nothing. What could she say?

“This is because I’m a freak, isn’t it?” Trixie asked harshly.

“No,” Starlight said immediately, “You’re not a freak.”

“I get off from being tied up, Starlight!” Trixie cried looking at Starlight desperately, “That has to be the issue here! The reason he’s getting off scott free is because I asked for this! Because I’m just some sexual deviant who enjoys being abused!”

“STOP IT!” Starlight shouted stopping Trixie, “Don’t, you ever say that about yourself again! You don’t enjoy being abused! You enjoy being tied up! He’s using that to exert control over you, just like this.”

“Well it’s working…” Trixie said looking away defeated.

“Then take away his power,” Starlight said, “He wants you to be miserable right now, so we need to find a way to lift you up and empower you.”

“How though?” Trixie asked, “I haven’t felt strong since… honestly I can’t remember when I ever felt strong.”

“Remember when you got your magic?” Starlight asked, “Maybe we should put on a show of some sort. Something like your father would.”

play song

“Something like… Dad…?”

“You were so happy when you found his secret,” Starlight pulled lightly at the collar of Trixie’s jacket, “And you look more alive than ever dressing like this. This person is who you are, Trixie. He keeps calling you “Beatrix” but that’s the past. You’re the Great and Powerful Trixie, daughter of the Magnificent Balazar.”

“That’s right…” Trixie said with a soft smile, “I’m… the Great and Powerful Trixie. And I’m the daughter of a great wizard,” Trixie wiped her eyes, “I forgot that for a second there. I think since we started Pinkie Pie’s Dungeon, I’ve been so focused on her issue that I lost myself. Both Pinkie Pie and I need The Great and Powerful Trixie right now,” she took a deep breath and gave a more confident smirk, “So that’s who’s going to lead right now. Even if it’s just a mask I’m putting up, right now, I feel stronger like this.”

“That’s my girl,” Starlight said caressing Trixie’s cheek, “Don’t forget yourself, but if this makes you feel strong, then it’s okay to dive into the role.”

Trixie nodded and hugged Starlight tightly and lovingly. Starlight was surprised by the sudden act of affection, but what really hit her was how intimate this felt. Despite partially losing herself in how lovely Trixie’s hair smelled, Starlight could feel that their bond got significantly stronger.

“Thank you, Starlight,” Trixie said lovingly, “You really are my hero.”

“You’re welcome, Trixie,” Starlight said slowly wrapping her arms around Trixie, afraid she’d feel how fast her heart was racing, “I’m just happy I can be there for you.”

The two girls stayed in the alleyway for the rest of lunch, since neither one wanted to be around other students at the moment.

end song

After school

Starlight and Trixie decided not to stay out too long after school, only going to get something to eat. Upon returning to the dorm however, they were saddened to see Celestia laying on the couch with a forlorn expression.

“Ms. Tia?” Trixie asked as she and Starlight approached their usually sunny headmistress.

play song

“Trixie, I’m so sorry,” Celestia said sadly, “I heard about Blueblood gas lighting you. I tried everything I could, but-”

“No Ms. Tia. It’s okay,” Trixie said kneeling before the couch and placing a hand on Celestia’s shoulder, “I mean, no it’s not alright, but you did help me. You got Starlight into my Dungeon, and even before then you helped keep me safe from Blueblood a few times.”

“I feel so powerless here sometimes,” Celestia said sitting up, “In school I’m nothing more than a History Teacher, and I don’t have the ability to summon a Persona myself, so I can’t help in the battlefield.”

“You’ve never had the awakening?” Starlight asked sitting next to Celestia.

“For all the power I do possess, the power of Persona is beyond one such as I, I’m afraid,” she said, with so much certainty that Starlight found it hard to argue. Odd though. Why couldn’t she summon a Persona?

“I don’t know what that means, but you’re important to us, Ms. Tia,” Trixie said, sitting at Celestia’s other side and hugging her, “Cinch is just being a bitch.”

“Don’t stop doing what you can do, Ms. Tia,” Starlight said also hugging Celestia, “We need you.”

“Starlight… Trixie…” Celestia wrapped her arms around them and pulled them closer, “Thank you, my children. I love all of you immensely.”

“Ms. Tia?”

They all turned to the stairs, where Pinkie Pie stood with a worried expression.

“Hello honey,” Celestia said releasing Starlight and Trixie, “Are you feeling better now?”

“Not, really but,” Pinkie Pie looked away, “Is it true that Cinch is giving you a hard time?”

“You heard all of that,” Celestia sighed closing her eyes, “Cinch will always be Cinch, and sadly there isn’t much I can do about that.”

“It’s because of me, isn’t it?” Pinkie Pie asked.

“No, it’s not you,” Trixie shot up and walked over to Pinkie Pie placing her hands on her shoulders, “It’s something concerning me and my situation.”

“But she is giving Ms. Tia a hard time because I refuse to come to school,” Pinkie Pie looked past Trixie to Celestia, “Right Ms. Tia?”

Celestia closed her eyes in frustration. Starlight couldn’t think of what to say right now, so just stayed beside Celestia squeezing her hand gently.

“I’ll… come to school tomorrow.”

“Are you sure that’s a good idea, Pinkie Pie?” Trixie asked, “I heard a number of students still talking about those pictures.”

“But I don’t want Ms. Tia to get in trouble because of me,” Pinkie Pie closed her eyes fighting back tears, “Everyone needs Ms. Tia, and Cinch might try something like fire her for giving me special treatment! I don’t want anyone to suffer because of me!”

“Pinkie Pie…” Starlight sighed. Something told her there wasn’t anyway to stop her at this point.

play song

“If that’s what you want, then I’ll protect you,” Rainbow Dash said as she walked inside and signed herself in. Pinkie Pie turned to Rainbow Dash in shock.

“Dashie…?”

“I hate the fact you’re doing this, but I also know how determined you are,” once she finished, Rainbow Dash walked over to Pinkie Pie and gently caressed her cheek, “So I’ll keep you safe, just like I always do.”

With the way Rainbow Dash smiled at Pinkie Pie, and the light blush on her cheeks, they almost looked like a knight and Princess out in the real world. Starlight even felt like for a brief second she saw both Rainbow Dash and Pinkie Pie take on their dream appearances.

“All of us will,” Rainbow Dash looked around at Trixie, Starlight, and Celestia, “Right girls?”

Trixie nodded with a confident smirk, “That’s right. We’ll all look out for you.”

“Even though you have a lot to deal with too, Trixie?” Pinkie Pie asked. Trixie waved it off.

“Please, I’m the Great and Powerful Trixie, greatest witch of the modern era,” Trixie snapped her finger, making a red rose appear in her hand, “Now dry those tears, Princess.”

Pinkie Pie giggled taking the rose, “I really like this new more friendly you, Trixie.”

“Of course you do. I’m the best, after all~” Trixie said with a dramatic flair.

“And you’re humble too,” Rainbow Dash said slightly deadpanned, earning a loud and arrogant laugh from Trixie.

“Trixie is the epitome of humble!” she bragged.

“Please don’t start speaking in the third person,” Rainbow Dash sighed, “Please.”

Starlight rose up and walked over to hug Pinkie Pie from behind, surprising Pinkie Pie a bit.

“Starlight?” Pinkie Pie asked. Starlight said nothing, simply let her caring smile speak for itself, “Thank you. All of you.”

“You’re sure about this, Pinkie Pie?” Celestia asked walking over to Pinkie Pie and gently caressing her shoulder, “I’m willing to fight Cinch over this.”

“No Ms. Tia, I have to do my part too,” Pinkie Pie forced a smile, “I’ll be okay. As long as I have everyone with me, I’ll be just fine.”

“How about tomorrow, we all walk to school together,” Trixie suggested, “All four of us. That way we can send a message that we’re protecting her.”

“I like that idea,” Rainbow Dash said turning to Starlight, “What do you think?”

Starlight nodded, “It’s a perfect idea.”

“In that case, why don’t all of you rest up to prepare for tomorrow,” Celestia suggested, “I’ll get started on dinner.”

“Ms. Tia, wait,” Pinkie Pie called out stopping Celestia. She then ran over to her and hugged her tightly, “Thank you for looking out for me, Ms. Tia.”

“Of course, Pinkie Pie,” Celestia said returning the embrace, “Even limited, I will do everything in my power to keep my children safe.”

“Can I help with dinner?” Pinkie Pie asked, “I kind of want to stay close to you.”

“I would love that, Pinkie Pie,” Celestia smiled adoringly. As she escorted Pinkie Pie into the kitchen, Starlight addressed her team.

“A lot’s happening right now, but we need to stay vigilant,” Starlight said, “Trixie, are you sure you’ll be okay?”

“I will, seriously,” Trixie said, this time without the flair, “Doing this will help distract me from whatever he does.”

“So, “greatest witch in the modern era” huh? Making a lot of assumptions there, Lulamoon,” Rainbow Dash said with a smirk. Trixie gave her standard arrogant laugh.

“Aim for the moon, and you’ll hit the stars~! I’m merely aiming for the top!” Trixie said jovially. Personally, Starlight preferred this version of Trixie over the more sad and depressed Trixie she was earlier.

“Celestia said we should rest up tonight, so no going into the Phase tonight,” Starlight said, “Also, new rule. We only go into Dungeons on nights where all of us feel comfortable going in.”

“I think I would like another night to gather my thoughts,” Trixie said, “Today was stressful for me, you know?”

“I won’t go near Pinkie Pie’s Dungeon, but there is something I wanna find there,” Rainbow Dash said.

“What’s that?” Trixie asked.

“Well, you were telling me earlier how one of those books taught you your Dad’s secret,” Rainbow Dash said, “And I know that you have a few psychic abilities from that place too, Leader.”

“You want to try and find a power there for yourself?” Starlight asked.

“Nothing flashy. Just something that’ll help take some heat off of Pinkie Pie,” Rainbow Dash said. Starlight asked her if she wanted some company, but Rainbow Dash shook her head, “I’m sure Twilight will be there with me, so that should be enough. You guys just get some rest, okay?”

Starlight nodded, choosing to just let Rainbow Dash do her thing. She was really curious to see what she’d get when she woke up.

Author's Note

Fool – 3/10
Magician – 4/10 Level Up!
Priestess – 4/10
The Empress – 3/10
Chariot – 1/10
The Devil – 1/10

Please support my Patreon and aid me in my campaign for world/galactic domination~

9/26, 9/27

September 26th, 2019
Wednesday
Sunny/P.M. Overcast

Morning

play song

Starlight sat up from her bed and stretched. Even though she didn’t dream anything last night, she still felt rested. Maybe it was because she didn’t dream anything last night, considering what or who she’d probably dream about.

Her eyes went to her roommate, who like always seemed to be sleeping peacefully. Seeing that every morning reminded Starlight of how much good she could do with her power. Trixie was truly beautiful when she actually slept peacefully.

Well, time to get ready, Starlight thought to herself. As she got undressed and put her towel on (she seriously needed to remember to buy a bathrobe) she felt like there was something she was supposed to do. That, or something she was waiting for. Since she couldn’t remember off the top of her head she decided to just go ahead and take her-

“Ah!” Starlight cried with a start when she opened the door, again almost dropping her towel.

“Perfect timing, I was just about to knock,” Twilight said before shoving a stack of six books into Starlight’s chest, “Here. The entire series.”

“T-thanks,” Starlight said, slowly bringing her heart rate back to normal. Somehow, even though she’d been doing this for a couple weeks now, seeing her dreams continue in the waking world was still surreal to her. Also, seeing Twilight in the daytime just felt… weird.

“No problem,” Twilight stretched with an adorable yawn, “I remember reading those when I was a kid. Good series. I’d go watch the movie if the theater was open while I was up.”

“That doesn’t get to you?” Starlight asked, setting the books on her bed and stepping out of the room so she could shut the door, “Being asleep when the rest of the world is active?”

“Why would it get to me?” Twilight asked genuinely confused.

“Well, don’t you want to make friends?” Starlight asked.

“I have a friend. Her name is Ms. Tia, and she’s always up with me,” Twilight explained.

Starlight was about to correct herself by saying friends her age, but then something Twilight said caught her attention. Celestia was up with Twilight all the time? When did she sleep?

“If there’s nothing else, I’d like to get to my shower and head to bed, please,” Twilight said.

“Sorry, um, good… night? I guess?” Starlight said/asked Twilight, who was already walking off. Twilight waved to Starlight as she walked into her bedroom. Starlight figured she’d want the shower on their floor, so she decided to once again use the third floor shower.

But now she was really curious about her homeroom teacher/dorm master. If she was always up with Twilight, then up with Starlight and her friends in the morning, and then teaching class all afternoon, when did she get time to sleep?

Lunchtime

play song

Starlight got her lunch out of her locker and started heading toward the courtyard, this time spotting Rainbow Dash at her locker. After getting a few of her books, she turned to Starlight and smiled.

“Heya Leader,” Rainbow Dash said closing her locker and walking over to Starlight, “Trixie volunteered to keep an eye on Pinkie Pie after school, so if you want, we can get started with your training.”

Right, they were going to get started with that. Well, she did want to get better at fighting in the Phase, and Rainbow Dash seemed pretty confident in her abilities to teach her. If nothing else, it sounded like fun.

“Sure, let’s meet after school,” Starlight said, a bit surprised by how Rainbow Dash’s eyes lit up.

“Awesome! Just you wait, Starlight. I’ll turn you into the best anime protagonist in the world!”

Starlight had to admit, she was looking forward to this. At the very least it would be a nice break from all of the stress from helping Pinkie Pie.

After School

play song

After school, Rainbow Dash and Starlight went back to the dorm together, but this time they hung out in Dash and Pinkie Pie’s room. They had a small flat screen TV, a computer, and a few game systems. Nearby was a shelf similar to Twilight’s, but only half of it was filled with books. The other half was full of video games. Needless to say, they had quite a few.

“Welcome to my room,” Rainbow Dash said ushering Starlight inside.

“Are these games yours?” Starlight asked looking at the games on the shelf.

“Mine and Pinkie Pie’s,” Rainbow Dash explained, “She was more of a Nintendo gamer before I met her, and I was strictly Playstation. When we met, we shared our collection of games, and ended up getting Steam together. These days we actually buy games for each other’s…” she trailed off and looked at Starlight, “You… don’t understand anything I’m saying right now, do you?”

Starlight shook her head, but was still smiling, “But I love your enthusiasm.”

Rainbow Dash laughed, visibly relaxing, “Glad you don’t think I’m a total dork,” she walked over to the shelf, “I was so relieved to learn that Pinkie Pie was also a gamer.”

“You must really enjoy video games,” Starlight said.

“They’ve always been an important part of my life. That and anime. It’s kind of silly, but I always envisioned myself becoming a JRPG protagonist one day,” Rainbow Dash admitted pulling out a game and looking at the cover.

“Your roommate wants to be a Magical Girl, Trixie is the daughter of a modern day wizard, and I wanted to become a witch,” Starlight said, “Trust me, you fit right in.”

“Yeah, fair enough,” she showed Starlight the game cover, “And looks like my dream came true too. This is my Persona.”

Starlight looked at the box of the game, which showed only one character on it. It was a young woman with light pink hair dressed vaguely like a soldier. She was kind of dead eyed on the cover, but Starlight figured her expression was supposed to denote determination.

“In the game she’s called Lightning, but her real name is Eclair Farron,” Rainbow Dash said, “I’d like to think I’m at least twenty percent cooler than her though. Just an estimate.”

“Interesting how your Persona is a video game character,” Starlight said handing the box back to Rainbow Dash.

“Surprised me too,” Rainbow Dash said, “But it kind of makes sense when you really think about it. That place is a conceptualized world of some sort, and our Personas are essentially just our Shadows turned into something we can use. Kind of makes sense they’d become something we can identify.”

“You identify with Lightning?” Starlight asked.

“She has someone she wants to protect too. Her younger sister, Sarah,” Rainbow Dash looked at Lightning’s picture intently, “She’d do anything to keep her safe, even if it meant dying. That’s how precious Pinkie Pie is to me.”

“As noble as that is, I sincerely hope you don’t die trying to save her,” Starlight said, “I need you too, after all.”

“Don’t worry, I’m not going to randomly die with no explanation and become a valkyrie,” Rainbow Dash laughed. When Starlight raised an eyebrow in confusion, Rainbow Dash sighed, “Final Fantasy 13 is weird, okay?”

Starlight nodded in acceptance, but then thought about how paradoxical that name was. How could a game be called Final Fantasy, but have 13 installments?

“But we ain’t here to play that,” Rainbow Dash said putting the game back on the shelf, “First part of your training is to get you familiar with how to use that scythe of yours,” Starlight asked if there was anything wrong with how she used her scythe, “Nothing except it’s so basic. Anime characters never just swing their scythes. If you’re going to become a true anime protagonist, you gotta learn how to use that thing the right way, which means flashier moves.”

“Flashier moves?”

“Yeah, like spinning it around in between slashes, drawing it closer to you to slice your enemies head off,” she folded her arms thoughtfully, “Shame yours doesn’t have a sniper rifle.”

“Wait, wha…?” Starlight asked, eyes wide in confusion. A sniper rifle?

“Oh, you didn’t know that was possible? Right, you don’t watch much anime either,” Rainbow Dash nodded in understanding.

“I’ve only seen a couple of anime, and mostly nothing too violent,” Starlight folded her arms thoughtfully, “I think the most violent anime I ever watched was this one with a red haired girl with big breasts, who I think was the devil or something. Pretty good story from what I remember.”

“Wait, you mean High School DxD?” Rainbow Dash asked.

“Yep, that was the name of it,” Starlight nodded. Oddly, Rainbow Dash had a deadpanned expression.

“You watched… that anime for the story…?” Rainbow Dash asked, genuinely confused.

“Was that… wrong…?” Starlight asked slowly.

“I mean, it’s not bad or anything. As far as harem anime goes, that one probably has one of the better plots, but I mean, most people watch ecchi anime for a completely different reason,” when Starlight tilted her head in confusion again, Rainbow Dash sighed rubbing her eyes, “Oh boy. I’ve got a lot of work with this one.”

From there, Starlight’s training commenced. The anime they watched was something Starlight learned began as an independent project, but then exploded becoming something more mainstream. The main character used a scythe just like Starlight, but like Rainbow Dash said, it had a sniper rifle in it as well. How that worked, Starlight had no idea, but she quickly just allowed herself to enjoy the spectacle.

She could almost feel herself moving in the same manner.

After they watched a few episodes of it, Rainbow Dash showed Starlight a fighting game that had the same character in it. She played against the computer, using the scythe wielding character to go through the story mode. It was hard, and it took a while for Starlight to figure out how to actually play, but Rainbow Dash was a really good teacher.

“Congratulations! Ya beat the story mode,” Rainbow Dash said with a huge smile. Despite knowing she was playing it on easy, Starlight actually did feel like she achieved something.

“Thanks. Sorry we had to lower the difficulty though,” Starlight said.

“No worries. This is your first time playing. I’m not one of those teachers who swears you have to play these games on the highest difficulty to actually learn,” Rainbow Dash said folding her arms thoughtfully, “Also, you wouldn’t learn anything going against me at full power. I’ve basically mastered this game, so the fight wouldn’t be fair.”

In any other context she’d think Rainbow Dash was bragging, and she probably was to a degree. However, she had a feeling if she fought Rainbow Dash, her feelings would get hurt bad.

“Then I’m really happy you’re my teacher, Rainbow Dash,” Starlight said smiling in appreciation. Rainbow Dash rubbed her neck smiling a bit bashfully.

“Geez, don’t say it like that. You’ll end up making me fall in love with you,” Rainbow Dash teased.

“I’m not trying to step on Pinkie Pie’s toes,” Starlight teased right back.

“Yeah, and the last thing you want is to make Trixie jealous,” Rainbow Dash said. As the two of them laughed together, Starlight felt like she and Rainbow Dash were closer. She could feel their bond had become significantly stronger.

They decided to hang out for a few more hours till it was dinner time. Starlight could tell they were going to get along just fine.

end song
Evening

After dinner, Starlight took the Forgotten Princess downstairs and began reading it. She was curious about how faithful the movie was to the source material, and she was pleasantly surprised to see it was pretty faithful. The only differences were that there were a bit more suggestive material in the story, and the entire book was in first person, told from Princess Victoria’s perspective.

It was a pretty easy read, so Starlight breezed right through it. Not only was she learning more about the characters themselves, she got a better sense for how much the main character suffered. After reading about one third of the book, she felt a lot more sensitive.

It was getting late now. Starlight decided to head to bed to prepare for the movie.

September 27th, 2019
Thursday
Sunny

Morning

Today was a full Professional Development day for the teachers, so there was no school. The plan today was for Starlight to go see The Forgotten Princess again and see if there was anything she missed. Since the movie wasn’t supposed to start for a few hours, Starlight decided to use this time to read through more of the book.

She was finally past the part where Princess Victoria’s mother was poisoned. Seeing Victoria break down in the movie was hard enough to watch since Pinkie Pie was playing her. However, reading in the book was a completely different experience. Since the perspective was first person, Starlight got a better idea of how devastated she was. She actually found herself getting a bit misty eyed, and for a brief second felt like she was Princess Victoria begging her mother not to leave.

She was definitely more than two thirds done with the book now, and felt significantly more sensitive afterward. She closed the book and set it down on the couch next to her, taking a second to process her emotions.

It amazed her how fresh it still was. Starlight often found herself wondering when the pain would stop, or at least when it wouldn’t hurt so much. It seemed like just about everything reminded her of how much she missed her Mother. Sometimes she’d find herself staring out the window in class thinking about her, and a few times she even started crying thinking about it.

play song

Reading The Forgotten Princess didn’t help matters at all.

Like her, Princess Victoria had a massive falling out with her mother sometime before she died, and never got the chance to apologize. In Starlight’s case however, it was worse because not only did she never get to tell her mother how sorry she was, but she also went ahead and became a witch anyway.

Looking at her Channeling Ring, Starlight began to wonder just what her Mother would think of her if she saw her now. The tears were coming again. Shoot, she couldn’t break down right now. She was the leader. She needed to be strong. If anyone caught her like this now, they’d question how capable she was.

Starlight closed her eyes tightly, trying her hardest to keep the dam from breaking. Right when she felt like it was no use, however, she felt someone wrap their arms around her from behind the couch. The shimmering multi-colored hair told her exactly who it was.

“Ms. Tia…” Starlight said softly.

“Just let it out, honey,” Celestia said tightening the embrace, “I’m right here.”

“You… you’re going t-to be-”

“No one will miss me if I’m a few minutes late,” Celestia said, “Besides, my children are what’s most important to me.”

Celestia released Starlight briefly, but only to sit down beside her. Immediately, she pulled Starlight close to her in a loving embrace. Like this, Starlight felt safe enough to let her tears out, and the way Celestia was rubbing her arm made Starlight feel like she was actually in her mother’s arms.

“Is it bad that it still hurts so much?” Starlight asked.

“Not at all,” Celestia said immediately, “I would be surprised if you were okay after only six to seven months after the fact. Even if the two of you disagreed on certain subjects, you still love her.”

She did still love her mother. In fact, these past few months without her showed her just how much she did love her. All of the nagging, how she always sang Starlight’s favorite songs off key, the mornings where she’d drag Starlight out of bed and take her to church, she missed all of that. Yeah, it annoyed her in the moment, but it was who she was, and Starlight missed that.

“I want her back…” Starlight said through her tears.

“Oh sweetheart,” Celestia said tightening the embrace as Starlight continued to cry in her arms, “I know, you’d probably do anything to get your mother back.”

“I guess… that’s impossible though. Even with my magic.”

“I’m afraid so,” Celestia said sadly, “However, as cliched as it is to say, your mother is with you always. As long as you remember her, and continue to love her, she won’t ever truly disappear.”

“That isn’t always enough though,” Starlight admitted, “I still miss being in her arms.”

“And that’s why I’m here,” Celestia said, “It may not be the embrace you desire for, but if you ever need someone to hold you, I’ll be here for you.”

This time Starlight tightened the embrace, allowing herself to just relax in Celestia’s arms. She still had a lot of questions for Ms. Tia, like when she ever slept, but for now none of that mattered. Right now, she just needed this closeness.

Daytime

play song

Once she was certain she felt better, Starlight began making her way to the theater. She seriously hated being so weak like this, but like Celestia told her, it would still be a while before she was completely over it. She might not ever get over it.

That was a bit of a scary thought.

Well, right now wasn’t the time to worry about that. She needed to focus on getting the information she needed to get from this movie. Now that she got the emotional side out of the way, maybe she could focus. Something she didn’t quite notice in the movie was how important the knight was. Starlight was so caught up in Pinkie Pie’s performance that she didn’t realize that the knight was just as much of a main character as she was.

As she walked into the theater and bought her ticket, she had a creative idea. What if she substituted all of the characters in her head with the people they represented in the version found in Pinkie Pie’s Dungeon? She’d never seen Pinkie Pie’s sisters, but she could always just imagine based on the descriptions Trixie gave her. The real important one was Rainbow Dash and her connection to the knight.

That might help her see pretty clearly what was going on in Pinkie Pie’s head.

While waiting for the show, Starlight tried to remember some of the French words Shadow Fleur used in the Dungeon. It was a shame that Fleur was such a bitch, because French was a really pretty language. She figured that English wasn’t her first language, since even in the real world she spoke partial French. Although, she could have just been a pretentious bitch.

Or both. Both was an option.

“So that one word actually meant knight,” Starlight said after looking up the word “chavelier”. She remembered that’s what Shadow Fleur kept calling Rainbow Dash in the Dungeon.

Everyone knows the chavelier dies in the end…

Wait, toward the end of the story, didn’t the knight-

play song

The lights lowered, showing that the movie was about to begin. Starlight decided to wait to see when what happened. She was almost certain that the movie ended the way she thought it did, and if she was right…

Despite going there for business purposes, Starlight had to admit that she enjoyed the movie more this time around. It was amazing how precise it was to the actual book, and reading Princess Victoria’s narration really put into perspective how Pinkie Pie portrayed her character. She was really good at conveying subtle emotions, and just like last time, Starlight forgot that this was her usually jovial and bubbly dorm mate.

The characters that her sister’s represented were good characters, but if Starlight remembered their descriptions in the dream version, their characters were almost the complete opposite of who Pinkie Pie put in their place. The caretaker was really empathetic and caring, the captain of the guard was stern but still a calm individual, and the handmaid wasn’t shy in the slightest. Actually, she was the comedy relief!

The knight on the other hand was almost exactly like Rainbow Dash.

The way he spoke, the way he carried himself, the way he held the Princess, all of that Starlight remembered seeing Rainbow Dash do on some level in the Dungeon. It was no wonder Pinkie Pie was always calling Rainbow Dash “her knight”. In a way, she was her knight. It was really easy to substitute Rainbow Dash for the knight, both because the character was so similar, but also because Rainbow Dash essentially became a knight in the Phase.

Which made one part in particular really hard to sit through.

“Princess… leave now!” the knight said, hunched forward and bloody from a previous fight, but still gripping his sword tightly.

“Richard, no! You can’t win! They’ll kill you…!”

“I swore to… protect you no matter what…! This is… the knight’s purpose…!”

“N-no! I’m not leaving you!” she ran over to Richard and hugged him tightly, “I can use my magic to keep you safe! We can leave together! Please leave with me, Richard! I need you!”

“If you say… they will recapture you… and I can’t let that happen… I’m sorry Princess…!” the knight, Richard, shoved Princess Victoria through a door and shut it, immediately locking it. The Princess ran over to the door and started banging on it frantically.

“RICHARD! DON’T DO THIS! DON’T LEAVE ME!” she screamed, tears of devastation falling down her cheeks. Behind the door, she heard an enraged scream, and a violent battle broke out. A few seconds into the fight, she heard the sound of a blade piercing flesh, followed by Richard grunting in pain. Princess Victoria held her hand tightly to her mouth to keep from screaming, and then ran down the hallway as fast as her high heels could take her.

“The knight… dies at the end…” Starlight said to herself, remembering how Pinkie Pie seemed to be pushing Rainbow Dash away. Almost like she was afraid of something. Was that the reason? Did that have something to do with why Pinkie Pie kept running away from Rainbow Dash?

Starlight more or less tuned out the rest of the movie. She saw what she needed to see. Now she just needed to finish the book and see where that death happened in there. She had an idea about why that page was torn out now, and suddenly Starlight was really worried for Rainbow Dash’s safety for some reason.

end song
Evening

When Starlight made it back to the dorm, she saw both Trixie and Rainbow Dash waiting downstairs at the couches. For some reason, neither of them looked too pleased. Starlight signed herself in and asked them what was wrong.

play song

“Guess who just showed up unannounced,” Trixie said. Starlight asked if it was Fleur, her heart sinking when Trixie nodded, “Got it in one.”

“Damn it!” Rainbow Dash slammed her fist into her palm, “We were finally starting to make headway with Pinkie Pie too!” Starlight inquired as to what she meant by that, “Pinkie Pie had finally started smiling again like normal. We went to the comic book store in the mall, and she spent the entire time reading some new Magical Girl manga.”

“When we got back here, she was all smiles” Trixie added, “But when Fleur rang the doorbell, all of that went right away.”

“Fleur really has a tight grip on Pinkie Pie,” Starlight sighed, “Is Ms. Tia back yet?”

“She’s upstairs meditating,” Trixie said, “We told her about Fleur being here. You can imagine how well she took it.”

Not well at all, then. Celestia was usually pretty friendly to just about everyone, so to see her look at anyone in venom was always shocking.

“What about you?” Trixie asked, “Did you find anything?” Starlight relayed to both Trixie and Rainbow Dash what happens in the movie, and how the knight character dies right toward the end of it, “Shoot, that’s right. That character does die in the end.”

“And that’s the role she gave me in the story,” Rainbow Dash said thoughtfully, “But that doesn’t affect me directly, does it?”

“For all we know, it might,” Trixie said, “Remember, that’s a cognitive world. Who knows how you’d be affected in there.”

“You aren’t suggesting I sit this out, are you?” Rainbow Dash said shooting up, “You guys need me to save Pinkie Pie.”

“No one is suggesting that,” Starlight said.

“You’re the Chariot, after all,” Trixie said, “According to Igor, we can’t rescue Pinkie Pie without your help,” Trixie looked down and folded her arms, “But this is a big issue here.”

“Let’s stay up and speak to Twilight about this,” Starlight said, “We need to know more about how the Phase works concerning this.”

Trixie and Rainbow Dash both nodded in agreement. Hopefully Fleur didn’t set them too far back in the meantime.

play song

“Fleur, I…” Pinkie Pie said after seeing the outfit that Fleur got for her.

“What’s wrong? You don’t like it?” Fleur asked.

“It’s nice, it’s just… should I really start wearing something like this now? I’m getting a lot of harassment from the other students from the pictures alone.”

“I know this is a bit scary, Pinkamena, but is the best way to take power away from them,” Fleur said walking over to Pinkie Pie and placing a hand on her shoulder, “Besides, if you’re going to make this transition to more adult roles, it’s better to start making that shift now.”

“But… does that mean I have to become a sex symbol?” Pinkie Pie asked.

“Sadly, to some degree,” Fleur averted her eyes and pursed her lips, “This is how the industry is, I’m afraid. Sex sells, and if you’re still going to be able to do the roles you enjoy, this shift is necessary. The fact your peers are noticing you actually works for us.”

Pinkie Pie didn’t feel like it worked. She liked it when they saw her more so as one of them. If she started dressing like this, that would be the end.

“Don’t worry, ma chere,” Fleur said embracing Pinkie Pie, “I’ll look out for you. Trust me, and you’ll become the star I know you can be.”

“I… I don’t…”

“I promised your late mother, remember?” Fleur asked.

“R-right. You did,” Pinkie Pie said softly, remembering when her mother died. Fleur promised her that she’d make sure Pinkie Pie’s career took off. She did look out for her in that regard, and she knew this business a lot better than Pinkie Pie did.

“Trust me, Pinkamena,” Fleur urged tightening the embrace, “I’d never lead you astray.”

“You’d… never lead me astray,” Pinkie Pie recited, slowly embracing Fleur in return, “I… I trust you.”

Late Night

play song

“Yeah, that makes sense with what I’m seeing too,” Twilight said after Starlight filled her and Celestia in on what happened in the movie, “I looked up some of Pinkie Pie’s Akashic Records using some of the terms found in that book, and from there I can gather the version of the Forgotten Princess we found there is crossed with Pinkie Pie’s life growing up.”

“So, she actually grew up on a farm?” Trixie asked.

“Not a farm as much as a rural area,” Twilight explained, “I couldn’t read too much detail on that, I’m afraid, but I get the feeling she grew up somewhere without modern technology.”

“Has she ever been in contact with the rest of her siblings?” Starlight asked.

“To my knowledge, only Maud,” Celestia said, “She stops by from time to time, but she works out of Canterlot.”

“Hey, something I wanted to ask,” Rainbow Dash said, “If Pinkie Pie’s afraid that I could die in the dream, is that a likely possibility?”

Twilight folded her arms and closed her eyes thinking, “It would have to be a very solid cognition, but yeah. That is a possibility. Pinkie Pie doesn’t realize it yet, but she’s in control of what happens in that dream. If she believes in something strongly enough, then it will happen.”

“We need to find that torn page,” Celestia said, “Starlight, see if you can finish that book by tomorrow, and mark the exact page where the knight character dies. If the outcome is the same in her Dungeon, that will let us know more about what’s going on in her head.”

“Got it,” Starlight nodded.

“When are we going back into her Dungeon?” Rainbow Dash asked, “Can we go back in tonight?”

“I’d rather you not,” Celestia said, “With Fleur showing up suddenly, there are going to be significant changes to Pinkie Pie’s Dungeon. The last thing we need is to be caught off guard again.”

“Twilight, could you analyze her Dungeon and take note of any changes?” Starlight requested.

“Sure, I can do that,” Twilight shrugged, “Not like I have anything better to do out here.”

“Then the rest of you should get some sleep,” Celestia said, “Keep an eye on Pinkie Pie tomorrow, like always.”

“Yes Ms. Tia,” Trixie said, Starlight nodding as a response.

“Yeah, got it, Ms. Tia,” Rainbow Dash sighed.

Author's Note

Fool – Seekers of Light: 3/10
Magician – Trixie Lulamoon: 4/10
Priestess – Diamond Tiara: 4/10
The Empress – Ms. Tia: 3/10
Chariot – Rainbow Dash: 2/10 Level Up!
The Devil – Silver Spoon: 2/10

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9/28

September 28th, 2019
Friday
Cloudy

Morning

Starlight had a bit of a late start this morning since she sat up in her bed a bit later than she had liked. She was still having racy dreams about Trixie, this last one was real steamy. She didn’t want to start avoiding Trixie, but she didn’t know how to deal with this issue. She couldn’t just come out and tell Trixie about them.

That would just make things really awkward between them.

Besides, right now wasn’t the time to worry about that. Pinkie Pie was her top priority. After getting up, taking a quick shower, and getting dressed, she went downstairs to eat breakfast. She stopped when she saw Trixie leaning against the back of the couch, arms folded and frowning.

Starlight walked over to Trixie and asked if everything was okay. Trixie sighed and looked at Starlight with a concerned expression.

“It’s… better if you just see it for yourself,” Trixie said. That didn’t sound pleasant.

Starlight went into the dining room, prepared for anything. At least, she thought she was prepared for anything. Then she saw what Pinkie Pie was wearing and was frozen.

play song

Normally Pinkie Pie dressed very conservatively. Long dresses and such, making her look almost like a modern princess of sorts. This time however, she was wearing a skimpy red top with an opening in the middle to show off her bust, booty jean shorts, dark sheer leggings, and black and golden boots. For make-up, her lipstick was a darker red, and she actually wore purple eye-shadow, making her look almost like she did in the pictures.

“Um…” Starlight said, eyes locked on Pinkie Pie, who looked up at her and smiled.

“Heya Starlight,” she said waving sweetly. Her voice sounded the same, but something in her tone felt… off.

“Trust me, we’re just as confused as you are,” Rainbow Dash chimed in, finishing her breakfast, “She said she was changing her style a bit for school, but I wasn’t expecting this.”

“None of us were,” Celestia said, folding her arms and pursing her lips, “Sweetheart, are you sure everything is okay?”

“Yeah, Ms. Tia. Everything is fine,” Pinkie Pie said waving it off, “This was Fleur’s idea to combat the sexual harassment.”

“By making it worse?” Starlight asked as Trixie stepped back in behind her.

“No, by taking the power away from them,” Pinkie Pie rose up from her seat, “Ms. Tia, I’ll take my plate into the kitchen before I head out.”

“That’s fine, honey. I’ll take care of all of that. Just…” Celestia averted her eyes and bit her lip, “Are you sure this is a good idea?”

“I’m not breaking dress code, right?” Pinkie Pie asked, putting her hand on her hips, “And this isn’t nearly as bad as how Trixie was dressing at the beginning of the year.”

“Being completely honest, it’s not much better in my opinion,” Trixie said.

Oddly, Pinkie Pie turned to Trixie and glared at her.

Celestia sighed, “Just be careful, okay Pinkie Pie?” Celestia urged, “Please be careful.”

Pinkie Pie sighed, “Yes, Ms. Tia. I’ll see you at school, girls.”

“Pinkie Pie, wait!” Rainbow Dash asked shooting up, “Um, why don’t I walk you to-”

“No.”

Rainbow Dash’s eyes widened in shock, “N-no?”

“I’ll be fine, Rainbow Dash. I don’t need you or anyone protecting me,” with that, she turned and left the dining room. Even her walk was different.

“Ms. Tia, what’s going on with her?!” Rainbow Dash asked, “It’s like she became a completely different person over night!”

“I’m not sure,” Celestia said running her hands through her hair nervously, “This… this is very bad though.”

“It’s… just like me.”

Everyone turned to Trixie, who had a horrified expression on her face.

“Just like you?” Rainbow Dash asked.

“Remember when I was trapped in my Dungeon? Everyone in school kept saying it was like I became a completely different person. During that time, my dreams were getting really graphic, like I was in danger of dying every night almost.”

“So what are you saying, that Pinkie Pie’s running out of time?” Rainbow Dash asked frantically.

“That’s, the most likely possibility,” Trixie said nervously.

“No…” Rainbow Dash backed up against a wall, “I… should have gone in to protect her…”

“Absolutely not,” Celestia said immediately. Rainbow Dash turned to her enraged.

“What do you mean absolutely not!” Rainbow Dash exclaimed, “If I had been in there, maybe we could have stopped this!”

Celestia rose from her seat and took a deep breath before speaking.

“This wasn’t caused by something within her Dungeon, Rainbow Dash. This was due to a shift in her reality that affected her Dungeon. Going in would have put the three of you at risk, and I can’t allow that. No matter how badly I want this to end as soon as possible.”

“Besides, we’re still not in the village,” Trixie explained, “If we went in, there’s no telling if we’d even make it to Pinkie Pie in time. Take it from me, Dash, when inside of a Dungeon, you need to always use your head,” Trixie turned away from everyone and rubbed her arm, “Or else you end up screwing up like I did.”

Rainbow Dash took a deep breath, “Okay, I get it. I’m sorry I snapped at you, Ms. Tia. I’m just frustrated here.”

“We’re all frustrated, Rainbow Dash,” Celestia walked over to Rainbow Dash and hugged her, “But now isn’t the time to lash out at each other. That doesn’t help Pinkie Pie.”

“Right, I know,” Rainbow Dash said returning the hug, “Starlight, Pinkie Pie might still be here. If she is, could you do your empath thing to see what’s going on in her head?”

Starlight nodded and ran out of the dining room, glad to see Pinkie Pie just coming downstairs.

“Pinkie Pie, hold on!” Starlight called out stopping Pinkie Pie at the front desk.

“Yes, Starlight?” Pinkie Pie asked, looking ever so slightly impatient, “Let me guess, you want to tell me this is a bad idea too?”

Starlight shook her head, “I just wanted to let you know that I’m here for you. If things get too bad, just run to me, okay?”

Pinkie Pie smiled, “Oh Starlight, you’re such a great friend. Seriously though, I’m not worried,” she walked over to Starlight and hugged her, “But I’m grateful that you care so much.”

Starlight, help me! I can’t control myself!

Starlight returned the embrace, looking at Pinkie Pie suspiciously.

“See you in homeroom, bestie~” Pinkie Pie said, kissing Starlight on the cheek before sauntering out of the dorm. As she left, Trixie, Rainbow Dash, and Celestia stepped out of the dining room.

“Well?” Trixie asked Starlight, who told her the emotions coming off to Pinkie Pie, “What the…?”

“We’re going into her Dungeon for sure tonight,” Rainbow Dash said, “Pinkie Pie’s in danger in there, I know it.”

“Agreed,” Celestia said, “I pray for your safety, Pinkie Pie.”

Starlight felt a familiar drive looking at Pinkie Pie right now. Just like with Trixie, she knew that she had to do something. Not just because she was the Trickster, but because Pinkie Pie was someone really special to Starlight.

She was her first friend in Canterlot High.

play song

While sitting in the train going to school, Starlight chose to finish the rest of the Forgotten Princess. Since they were going into the Phase tonight to help Pinkie Pie, this was the best time to sit down and read, since she wasn’t sure she’d be able to do any reading later in the day.

Seeing the knight die in the movie was one thing, but reading it in the book was a much more powerful experience, not at all helped by Princess Victoria’s narration. Starlight easily empathized with the character at the end of the book.

After taking a mental note of where Richard’s death happened in the book, Starlight closed it and reflected a bit on what she read. She felt a good deal more sensitive after reading that book. She didn’t get a lot of time to reflect though, as her stop came shortly after.

Afternoon

play song

So far in school, things were going just as Starlight expected them to. All of the students were looking at Pinkie Pie differently. The boys were all clearly undressing Pinkie Pie in their minds, and the girls were of course talking about her behind her back. Oddly though, it didn’t seem like it really phased Pinkie Pie at all. In fact, it seemed almost like she was enjoying the attention.

This was a huge shift from the last time, and it was getting concerning to-

“Starlight Glimmer,” Ms. Harshwhinny’s voice shot through the classroom, “Since you clearly seem to be phasing in and out of reality yourself, perhaps you’d like to answer this question. What makes the number zero special as a real number?”

Starlight was so caught off guard that it took a second to remember what they were discussing in class. Thankfully though, she remembered reading about that in her textbook, how zero was both a real and imaginary number. When she gave the answer, Harshwhinny clapped her hands, visibly impressed.

“Oh, so you were paying attention. Either that, or you just do the homework, unlike some students in my class,” she said glaring at Rainbow Dash, “But yes, zero is a special number, as it’s considered to be both a real number and an imaginary number at the same time. It’s also the only number like it. In many ways, the concept of zero puts into question many aspects of reality. For example…”

“And there she goes, talking about the magical nature of numbers,” Rainbow Dash said rolling her eyes, “Still, that was impressive. Good on, Starlight.”

Starlight smiled proudly, feeling significantly smarter after answering that question correctly.

After School

play song

Rainbow Dash managed to catch up with Pinkie Pie, insisting that they walk back to the dorm together. As such, Starlight and Trixie decided to take this time to relax a bit before going into the Phase tonight. Well, relax as much as they could, all things considered.

“I’m getting seriously worried about her,” Trixie said as they walked through the park, “So far, she seems like herself for the most part, but…”

“She’s not herself,” Starlight said, “At least, I don’t remember Pinkie Pie being so flirtatious.”

“She’s always been more playful with it,” Trixie answered, “Most of the time, she’d focus on Dash, though,” they stopped at the bench next to the Velvet Room door, “Hey, what if we asked Igor about this?”

“About Pinkie Pie?” Starlight asked.

“I just need to know if my hunch is correct, and that this is a red flag that we’re running out of time,” Trixie said, “I’ll sit next to the bench and cover for you while you ask, but I’m really concerned about this. Please, Starlight.”

Starlight nodded to Trixie, took off her Velvet Key, and opened the door.

play song

“Welcome, to the Velvet Room,” Igor greeted in his usual manner. Starlight sat down before Igor, as always feel the heat of Victor’s lust filled gaze.

“My friend and I wanted to ask you something concerning Dungeons,” Starlight said, going into what was going on with Pinkie Pie.

“Indeed, this is quite serious,” Igor said, closing his eyes and looking down, somehow looking gravely serious despite still grinning, “The Magician is right to be concerned, I’m afraid. Your friend is running out of time.”

“Do you know how much time she has left?” Starlight asked urgently.

“If hope is not restored to her soon, she will probably die within the next few days,” Igor stated, “Either way, I’d estimate you only have a week left to rescue her at best.”

Only a week? Certainly they could extend that by rescuing her like usual, right?

“I’m afraid that won’t be as effective at this point,” Igor explained.

“Master, if I may?” Victor asked Igor, who nodded for him to continue, “The heart can only take so much. While rescuing her may keep her alive for another day or two, eventually her heart will give up completely.”

Starlight did remember that Pinkie Pie didn’t seem too hopeful about her situation in the beginning, and had even given up hope in her dreams. Not even Trixie was this bad off. Realizing that she needed to get stronger, she decided to spend some time fusing Personas.

After registering her Personas thus far, she first chose to fuse Berith with Onmoraki. The resulting fusion was a female spirit with light blue skin dressed like a dancer.

“My name is Apsaras. Please, allow me to strum out the true emotions of your heart,” the new Persona said. Before bursting into flames, the image of Diamond Tiara shot through Starlight’s mind. She felt that this Persona became a good deal stronger.

Next up, since she had enough money to get these back if she needed them, she fused Jack Frost (which she was going to get back immediately) and Hua Po. The resulting Persona threw Starlight for a loop. She had dark blue, almost purple skin, black hair, two swords, and was wearing a golden horned helmet, white and red loincloth skirt, and nothing else. Her black hair strategically covered her ample cleavage, but Starlight felt like one gust of wind…

“I am Yaksini,” the Persona said, “I shall merge with the flame of your heart and consume those that stand against you.”

Before she entered Starlight’s channeling ring, an image of Celestia shot through her mind, empowering the Persona. She ended this fusion session by buying back Jack Frost before bidding Victor and Igor farewell.

“Good luck, Miss. Glimmer,” Igor said, Victor bowing to Starlight as she exited the Velvet Room.

play song

“That took longer than I thought,” Trixie said as Starlight sat beside her.

“Decided to fuse a couple of Persona while I was there,” Starlight said, “Igor says you’re right to be concerned. Pinkie Pie only has a week left maximum.”

Trixie paled, “Only a week? Starlight, we have to get to that village tonight.”

Starlight agreed. If possible, they needed to find the castle Pinkie Pie was being kept in too.

“This is so stressful,” Trixie leaned forward closing her eyes seriously, “Between this and Blueblood…”

“How is that, by the way?” Starlight asked.

“Well, the good news is I’m getting more support than I thought I would,” Trixie said, “A few students are standing up for me, and I hear they’re signing a petition to get Blueblood expelled.”

“That’s great news,” Starlight said, trying to be positive. Oddly, Trixie sighed gravely.

“Yeah, except that the boys on the football team are all siding with Blueblood,” Trixie said, “I hear he’s being really rough with them during practice, venting his frustrations on them.”

Meaning they wanted them back together just so they’d stop getting beat up in practice. Starlight wasn’t sure what pissed her off more. That, or the fact that Blueblood was using that to get sympathy.

play song

“Have any of them approached you?” Starlight asked.

“Not yet, but I know they will,” Trixie sat back and huffed in frustration, “This so fucked up! I’m the one who was abused! Why are they treating me like I did something wrong?!”

“This isn’t fair at all,” Starlight said, “If they knew the truth, they’d side with you for sure.”

“Would they?” Trixie asked somberly, “Or would they just assume that because I was his sub, I asked for it?”

“I won’t let them do that to you!”

Trixie’s eyes shot open and she looked at Starlight blushing, “W-what?”

“I uh…” Starlight looked away, suddenly feeling really embarrassed, “I mean, I’ll stand up for you. If they try and say something to you about that. I’m on your side.”

Trixie smiled and pulled Starlight into a tight and loving embrace.

“Thank you, Starlight,” Trixie said, “You’re really special to me.”

“Y-your welcome, Trixie,” Starlight said, losing herself a bit in the embrace, and how wonderful Trixie smelled.

“Hey, can I ask you something, kind of odd?” Trixie asked releasing Starlight, “If you were in an S&M relationship, where would you see yourself?”

Um, wow. That was an odd question to ask, and Starlight felt really flushed thinking about it. Still, she took a second to think about that.

“Well, I suppose I’m a little curious what it would feel like being tied up,” Starlight said, “But being completely honest, I see myself more as the one doing the tying.”

Just as she suspected, Trixie’s face turned bright red hearing that.

“I-I see,” Trixie lowered her hat to hide her eyes, “Yeah, I can see that, honestly. You strike me as someone who would really take charge in the bedroom.”

“I wouldn’t be like… like him though,” Starlight said immediately, “As in, I would make sure that whoever my, um, sub is, that she’s okay with whatever we do.”

“S-she?!” Trixie asked.

“N-not to say that the sub has to be a girl! I mean, I guess to me it makes more sense that way, and I’m not entirely sure what my sexuality is, but, I guess-” she closed her eyes and covered her face in her hands, wishing she knew how to turn invisible.

Crash and burn, Starlight!

Surprisingly, Trixie started laughing. It wasn’t a mocking laugh either. More like, relief?

“It’s okay, Starlight. Everyone in school knows, and I don’t mind that you have a crush on me,” Trixie said, “I guess, I just needed to hear your thoughts on… well… you know.”

Suddenly, Starlight started remembering some of her dream. Seeing Trixie tied to her bed, writhing and pulling at her bindings as Starlight sat on top of her, groping her and kissing her all over…

Starlight shook her head, bringing herself back to reality.

“So… it doesn’t make you uncomfortable?” Starlight asked.

“Not at all. Like I said before, I kind of find it flattering. Also,” Trixie averted her eyes, “I just… feel safe when I’m with you. I know you’ll protect me.”

Starlight wanted so badly to close the distance between them, and kiss her sweet, soft lips. However, she knew that might be going a bit too quickly, so instead just placed her hand on top of Trixie’s.

“Well, I am your hero, right?” Starlight asked with a smile. Trixie met eyes with Starlight, and nodded smiling lovingly before embracing Starlight once again.

“I’m so happy we’re friends, Starlight. Thank you so much.”

Starlight returned the embrace, feeling just how much Trixie was beginning to love Starlight as a friend. She felt their bond had become significantly stronger.

They didn’t say much the rest of their time outside. They simply sat together and enjoyed the closeness until it was time to return to the dorm.

Late night

play song

The Phase

Upon reentry of Pinkie Pie’s Dungeon, the three witches got to work searching for the missing page. It had to still be inside of the cabin. At least, that made the most sense.

“Okay, so what page did you say the death happened?” Twilight asked from her end while they searched. Starlight reminded Twilight of the page number, “Right. Searching… searching… got it. Yeah, it’s just as I was afraid of. The missing page is the exact same page where Richard dies in the actual book.”

“She seriously internalized that book, huh?” Trixie asked as she looked behind a bookshelf.

“Well, according to you guys, this was the role she was dying to play. Also, look at her Dungeon. If she didn’t outright internalize it, then it’s pretty clear she at least resonates with the role.”

“She always was very much like a fairy tale princess,” Rainbow Dash said, getting on her knees to search under the couch, “I even asked her if she was searching for her Prince Charming once.”

“How did she answer that?” Starlight asked looking on another shelf.

“She said “Why would I search for him when I have you?” God I was so embarrassed when she said that,” Rainbow Dash sat up and rubbed her eyes, “She was always making jokes like that about us.”

“Oooh~ Sounds like you two had a serious thing going on,” Trixie taunted jovially. Rainbow Dash responded by taking a pillow and throwing it at Trixie.

“Yeah, like you’re one to talk, Lulamoon. You’re even more obvious with your flirting with our Leader.”

“I can’t help it,” Trixie shrugged, “She’s just so adorable with her reactions~” she then turned to Starlight, winked, and blew her a kiss. Starlight responded to that by turning away quickly to hide how red her face was, which prompted Trixie to start laughing.

Rainbow Dash chuckled a bit, but then sat down on the floor resting her back against the back of the couch, “That’s why the way she’s acting right now just… I dunno.”

“You know that’s not really her, right?” Trixie asked walking over to Rainbow Dash and kneeling next to her, “That’s just Fleur’s Shadow influencing her.”

“I know, but it still upsets me. She wasn’t even that interested in me after school. She kept looking on her phone and reading what people were saying about her on social media.”

“I take it that’s out of character for Pinkie Pie,” Twilight inquired.

“Heavily out of character. She has a Facebook account, but she never uses it. Says she’s rather make friends in person than through the internet,” Rainbow Dash sighed, “So to see her glued to her phone like that is just…”

Starlight grimaced hearing that, but then turned to the shelf noticing something underneath one of the books. It looked like a page was stuffed underneath. Starlight pulled it out and quickly skimmed it, “Found it!”

“You found the page?” Trixie asked, she and Rainbow Dash getting up and running to her side.

“What’s on it? What happens to my character in the book?” Rainbow Dash asked, trying to hide how tense she was. Starlight read through the page out loud so everyone could hear, her heart sinking at each word she spoke. This was just like the real book, almost to an eerie degree. As such, at the every end of the passage…

The knight, this time represented by Rainbow Dash, died at the hands of the villain, who this time Starlight realized was probably Fleur since they kept speaking in random French.

After she finished, everyone was silent. Everything else in the book was more or less different, mirroring aspects of Pinkie Pie’s life to a degree. So… why was this one part still the same?

“What does this mean?” Trixie asked, mirroring Starlight’s thoughts, “Why is Pinkie Pie’s version the same as the real book?”

“Yeah, that is weir-” Twilight cut herself off with a gasp, “Girls, Shadows are surrounding the castle!”

“What?!” Rainbow Dash shouted.

“We know you’re in there, witches! By order of the Princess, you’re under arrest! Either come quietly, or we’ll be forced to use violence!”

“Wait, did I hear that correctly?!” Trixie asked, “The Princess, doesn’t that mean Pinkie Pie?!”

“No! I refuse to believe that!” Rainbow Dash said adamantly, “Even if this is just a dream to Pinkie Pie, she wouldn’t ever send her guards after her friends!”

There was a loud banging on the door, prompting all three witched and Twilight’s wisp to gather close to each other, all of them drawing their weapons.

“Yeah?! Well they seem pretty fucking serious to me!” Trixie cried, “Hey Starlight, what are we doing about this?!”

Starlight looked around frantically for an idea, and then looked at her scythe. She remembered the character in that anime she watched, and what she would do. The difference between her and that character however was that her weapon was both long ranged and short ranged. Starlight’s scythe couldn’t-

Wait a second, what if it could?

“I have an idea,” Starlight said walking toward the door and holding her scythe in front of her, sticking the black into the ground and summoning Morgana to her side, “When Morgana and I clear the doorway, you two rush outside and start making your way through the forest.”

“Got it, Leader,” Rainbow Dash said standing beside Starlight and holding her sword up close to her head ready to charge.

“I have no idea what you’re about to do, but I’ll follow you,” Trixie said standing on Starlight’s other side and holding her arms out, “I seriously hope you know what you’re doing.”

Me too, Starlight thought briefly. She then felt a hand placed on her shoulder. She looked up and saw Morgana looking down at her. She nodded in assurance, silently telling Starlight it would work. If her other self was confident in this, Starlight knew it would work.

Starlight closed her eyes and imagined the scythe that character was using. She imagined herself holding the scythe in her hand, remembering where the trigger would be for the gun part. She then moved her other hand to where it was, and was surprised to see something was there.

play song

It was a gun trigger!

The door burst open at that moment and knights came charging in. Starlight opened her eyes at that moment and started firing at the Shadows with her scythe. At the same time, Morgana’s chest opened and she started firing her long ranged spell from the gun sticking out.

Once the pathway was cleared, Rainbow Dash turned into a bolt of lightning and charged through the front door. At the same time, Trixie unloaded a barrage of cards at the Shadows that started coming in afterward. Starlight and Morgana fired another round of shots at the Shadows, and she then turned to Trixie.

“Grab on, I’ll give you a lift!” Starlight commanded. Trixie didn’t ask questions thankfully. She just grabbed onto the scythe, and Starlight spun around throwing her toward the door. Trixie spun in mid air and actually kicked one of the Shadows in the chest pushing it out through a few more Shadows, and then joined Rainbow Dash’s side as they ran out of the forest, leaving Starlight and Morgana by themselves.

“Don’t think too hard about what to do next, my pupil! Just let go!”

Starlight nodded to Morgana and held her scythe behind her. She then fired a shot to push herself forward, and while in mid air spun around slicing through a Shadow. Once she landed outside, she summoned Morgana again and had her slice and kick a few of the Shadows surrounding them, which seemed to be much faster than before.

One of the Shadows charged at Starlight, but she spun her scythe around and held it out grabbing the Shadow with it. Morgana then rushed past the Shadow slicing it in half.

“Don’t get caught up here, Starlight!” Twilight said, her wisp hovering close to her, “We need to help the others!”

Starlight nodded, and again shot behind her to propel herself forward. She then began jumping on and off the Shadows slashing them in mid air, throwing them into Morgana so she could finish them off, she even had Morgana pick her up and throw her forward a few times.

Before landing on the ground, she summoned Morgana again and this time the two of them spun together, turning into a red and black razor wheel almost and sliced through two of the Shadows killing them before running forward to where her friends were.

“Okay, so where did you learn how to do that?!” Twilight asked, clearly shocked.

“Saw it in an anime, and decided to try it out!” Starlight said, not stopping for a second.

“Seriously? But that doesn’t make-” she cut herself off with a sigh, “Oh never mind. It works, so just go with it.”

Starlight made it to a clearing, where she saw Trixie and Rainbow Dash standing back to back, both summoning their Personas and pushing back a few Shadows that apparently followed them. By the time Starlight reached them there were only four left. The Shadows shed their assumed forms, taking on their true appearances. Two turned into a large figure that almost looked like he was made of paper with a crescent moon on its head, and the other two turned what appeared to be a one legged black smith with a few metallic pieces welded onto it’s body.

“The paper looking one is called Shiki-Ouji, and the blacksmith is Ippon-Datara!” Twilight said, “These are strong, so be careful!”

The two Shiki-Ouji held out their arms and shot sharp projectiles at the girls, prompted them to scatter.

“Persona!” Trixie called out, summoning Elenora and casting Sukukaja on Rainbow Dash to speed her up.

“Thanks!” Rainbow Dash said holding her sword ready, “Awaken, Eclair Farron!”

Her Persona appeared behind her, and the two of them began fighting off both Ippon-Dataras at once as they tried slamming Rainbow Dash with their sledge hammers.

“Twilight, do these have weaknesses?” Starlight asked.

“Nothing is coming up for Shiki-Ouji, but Ippon-Datara is weak to ice magic!”

“Thanks! JACK FROST!” Starlight shouted, switching Personas to the cute hat wearing snowman Persona. She then cast Mabufu on every enemy present, doing seemingly average damage to the two paper demons, but knocking the two Ippon-Datara Shadows down.

“Perfect!” Rainbow Dash slashed wildly at one of the Ippon-Dataras, doing a fast and fancy combo combined with electricity and ending with her sheathing her sword. Immediately the Shadow exploded and died on the spot, “You’re up, Leader!”

Starlight switched back to Morgana and charged at the second Ippon-Datara. The two of them slashed at it together, ending with Starlight knocking it into the air and Morgana rising up and slamming it back onto the ground. Starlight then rushed past it at high speed slashing it in half and killing it.

The remaining two Shadows had put their focus on Trixie, who did a series of back flips out of the way. Once they were done firing at her, she threw her cards out at the two Shadows and snapped her fingers, causing them to explode and fall to the ground.

“Starlight, let’s attack them while their on the ground!” Trixie requested. Starlight nodded and the three of them proceeded to use their All Out Attack on the Shadows. This oddly didn’t do much of anything to them.

“Okay, what the hell?!” Rainbow Dash asked.

“Hey, that one attack you used on them. Was that a physical move, or does it count as fire?” Twilight asked Trixie.

“I think fire, why?” Trixie asked, bracing herself as the Shadows began firing at them again.

“Because those Shadows are immune to physical attacks!”

“Fantastic!” Rainbow Dash said rolling her eyes.

“Then switch to magic!” Starlight said, “I’ll try to make them lose focus with my attacks, and then you two hit them when you see an opening!”

“Understood!” Trixie said.

“You got it, Leader!” Rainbow Dash said.

“YAKSINI!” Starlight shouted, switching Personas. Immediately she felt like her attack had gotten stronger just by that Persona being present. Said Persona drew her blades and rushed at the Shadows, attacking with her swords and making them lose focus despite not actually doing any damage to them.

“Light ‘em up, Elenora!” Trixie shouted, summoning her Persona and casting a multi-targeting version of Agi. The name “Maragi” came to mind when Starlight saw that, “So um… question. Is that Persona of yours… topless?” Trixie asked with a raised eyebrow.

Starlight blushed, suddenly remembering how well endowed her new Persona was and how it left very little to the imagination.

“L-let’s focus on the fight! Please!” Starlight cried.

Trixie shrugged, “You got it, Just know that I am enjoying the view~” she winked to Starlight, who’s face felt even hotter after that. Goddamn it, Trixie.

“Persona!” Rainbow Dash shouted, summoning Eclair behind her. The two of them held their blades above them, and cast Zio on both of them, again a multiple target version of the spell. Starlight felt the name “Mazio” come to her upon seeing it.

One of the Shadows was killed, and the other one was knocked to the ground as it was apparently knocked off guard.

Since she knew that there was no point in doing an All Out Attack, Starlight instead cast empathy on it. Through Morgana’s eyes, she found herself filled with an urge to plow forward no matter what, even if it meant throwing her life to the wayside. Was this how Rainbow Dash felt?

As soon as she came to that understanding, the Persona rose to his feet and nodded to Starlight, bursting into flames and flying into the ring.

play song

“Whew! Glad that’s over with,” Rainbow Dash said sheathing her sword, “So… about that Persona.”

Starlight’s felt her face turn red again, “T-that’s just how she appeared! It’s not like I came up with that design!”

“I dunno,” Trixie placed her hands behind her head and walked forward, “These things are made from our subconscious after all. That means on some level…”

Starlight moaned in embarrassment as her friends laughed. Hell, even Twilight was heard laughing from the real world.

Somehow, she blamed Ms. Tia for this. She didn’t know why, but the fact this Persona was the Empress Arcana like Celestia made her wonder.

After getting in a good laugh at Starlight’s expense, the four of them made their way further into the forest. Thankfully they didn’t have much more to go, as after a few minutes of walking, a somewhat large but dilapidated village came into view. Way in the back was what appeared to be a large, lavish castle made of golden bricks. It was the nicest thing there, as if the village’s budget went solely into building that.

“That place has seen better days,” Trixie said looking down at the village, “Unlike that castle over there.”

“That’s where Pinkie Pie lives in this place,” Rainbow Dash said.

“In the castle? That doesn’t seem like a place where Pinkie Pie would be comfortable,” Trixie said.

“I’m willing to bet that Fleur’s Shadow has something to do with that.” Twilight said.

“Do you ever see Pinkie Pie in the village?” Starlight asked.

“Only a couple of times, being completely honest,” Rainbow Dash said shrugging, “And she always has Fleur beside her.”

“I bet Fleur does all of the talking for her too, right?” Trixie asked, Rainbow Dash nodded as a response, “Okay, we need to get down there. I hope Pinkie Pie is there at the moment.”

“Me too. Sadly I can’t quite control what Checkpoints we go to yet, so if she’s in that fortress we have no way of getting there without just going through the main door again.”

“If we have to, we’ll do that,” Starlight said, “But for now, let’s just hope she’s somewhere down in that village.”

As they walked closer to the village, the sense of wrongness grew more and more. It felt almost like Starlight was back in the carnival that Trixie was trapped in. Like something was watching out for them, searching for them.

And of course, all of the villagers present were Shadows.

“Do you think they’ll catch them?” one Shadow said to it’s friend.

“I hope so. I hear they’re incredibly dangerous. The Princess’ Royal Adviser said that their goals are to destroy the entire village!”

“Gee, think they’re talking about us?” Rainbow Dash asked as they hid behind a building.

“Hopefully the Shadows don’t know what you look like,” Twilight said, “Otherwise we’re going to have one hell of a time getting to the castle.”

“Yeah… about that,” Trixie said pointing to another building with a wanted poster on the front. They carefully moved to investigate the posters, which Starlight internally face palmed at the sight of. Her picture had her smiling demonically almost like an evil villain, Rainbow Dash’s picture looked like she was ready top bite someone’s head off, and Trixie was actually blowing a kiss to the camera.

“You’ve got to be kidding me,” Rainbow Dash said, “I’m not that violent!”

“Do I really look that sinister…?” Starlight asked.

“Looking good~” Trixie said with a proud smile, prompting everyone to turn to her deadpanned, “What? I can’t help it if the Shadows captured my charming personality.”

“Do you hear yourself talk sometimes?” Rainbow Dash asked, “Like, seriously?”

play song

“Shh!” Starlight said, pulling her friends down as a fancy chariot rode up to the bar. When it opened, both Shadow Fleur and Pinkie Pie stepped out, but Pinkie Pie was wearing an odd golden collar around her neck, and her wrists were shackled together by golden chains.

“I wonder what that is,” Trixie said, narrowing her eyes at the collar.

“I’m going inside to get some help in dealing with those witches,” Shadow Fleur said, casting a spell causing more chains to appear on Pinkie Pie, wrapping her to a nearby pole, “I’ll be back shortly, Princesse.”

Shadow Fleur patted Pinkie Pie on the head and sauntered inside. Once alone, Pinkie Pie began pulling at the chains holding her futilely, but stopped after a few seconds and just sobbed silently to herself.

“Treating Pinkie Pie like a pet…!” Rainbow Dash seethed, “Is that how she sees Pinkie Pie?!”

“Either that or something similar,” Twilight said from the real world, “This is how it was for Trixie and her Dungeon too.”

Rainbow Dash growled to herself, but then shot up and rushed over to Pinkie Pie.

“Hey! It’s not safe!” Trixie cried as Starlight reached out for her.

“Pinkie Pie, I’m here!” Rainbow Dash said as quietly as possible, catching Pinkie Pie’s attention, “Don’t worry, I’m going to get you out of here!”

Oddly, Pinkie Pie didn’t seem happy to see Rainbow Dash. In fact, she seemed terrified and was shaking her head frantically. Oddly though, she still wasn’t saying anything.

“Pinkie Pie, what’s wrong?” Rainbow Dash asked placing her hands on her arms, “Why do you look so afraid?”

Pinkie Pie looked up at Rainbow Dash pleadingly, tears streaming down her cheeks. Starlight had an idea and ran over to them, Trixie quickly following suit.

“Hey, something’s wrong with Pinkie Pie,” Rainbow Dash said to Starlight, “She’s not saying anything, and she looks terrified for some reason.”

Starlight nodded and switched places with Rainbow Dash. She then opened herself completely and placed a hand on Pinkie Pie’s shoulder, immediately hit with a wave of terror.

Get Dashie out of here! Fleur’s targeting her directly! The chains can’t be broken, so just leave me, please!

“We have to go, now!” Starlight said urgently.

“But Pinkie Pie’s-”

“These chains can’t be broken by normal means!” Starlight said, “And Fleur’s main focus is-” she cut herself off looking inside, noticing Fleur moving, “Hide!”

Starlight pushed Rainbow Dash behind a barrel hiding with her, while Trixie ran to hide behind another pole. Just in time too, as Fleur stepped outside and removed some of the chains with her magic.

“Bien, now we can focus on strengthening the castle,” Fleur said caressing Pinkie Pie’s cheek lovingly, “You didn’t get any visitors while I was gone, did you, Princesse?”

Pinkie Pie’s eyes turned to where Rainbow Dash and Starlight were, but she then shook her head. Fleur then led Pinkie Pie back into the chariot, which then drove off back to the castle.

“Damn it all to hell!” Rainbow Dash fussed briefly running after the chariot, “How are we going to save Pinkie Pie now?!”

“With her Shadow keeping such a close eye on Pinkie Pie now, it’s going to make things really difficult. Also, I did a scan on that collar while you were talking to her.”

“What was that?” Starlight asked.

“My guess is the reason she couldn’t speak,” Twilight explained, “There was an odd spell on the collar, one that kept flaring while Rainbow Dash was in front of her. It almost looked like it was doing that when Pinkie Pie wanted to say something.”

“This is worse than what Blueblood’s Shadow did to me,” Trixie said folding her arms, “This isn’t just Fleur treating her like a pet. She’s treating Pinkie Pie more like an object.”

“How much time do we have left in this Dungeon, Twilight?” Starlight asked.

“Hard to say, honestly,” Twilight said, “It’s almost morning, though, so probably not much.”

Starlight swore to herself and looked at the castle in the distance. It was such a ways away from where they were. If Pinkie Pie woke up before they got there, they’d have to get back here from the cabin all over again, and she knew that place was going to be heavily guarded.

“No choice then,” Starlight sighed, “Twilight, find us the nearest Checkpoint and get us out of here. We’ll continue this tomorrow night.”

“Give me just a second… okay. There’s an alleyway nearby. I’ve found a Checkpoint there. Follow me.”

play song

Twilight flew off, guiding the three of them behind what appeared to be the Village Guard. Deep inside the alleyway was the Checkpoint.

“Good, let’s head back to the Ajashic Records,” Starlight said. Trixie ran through first, but Starlight stopped and turned to Rainbow Dash, who was still glaring at the castle, “Dash.”

“I know, I know,” Rainbow Dash said, “Just… planning the kill is all.”

Starlight walked over to Rainbow Dash and placed a hand on her shoulder, “I know how you feel, believe me. But right now we need to get out of here.”

“Right,” Rainbow Dash said, her voice a bit lower and absent of… something. Starlight couldn’t tell honestly, but her tone unnerved her a bit. Thankfully Rainbow Dash walked through the Checkpoint at that moment.

Starlight frowned to herself and ran through the door, which vanished behind her as if it wasn’t ever there to begin with.

play song

In the Akashic Records, the three of them sat down at a nearby table, both to calm their nerves and to discuss what had come about from their most recent encounter.

“If Fleur’s watching over Pinkie Pie that much now, we can expect things to get harder from here on out,” Trixie said.

“Hey, if her Shadow’s watching over Pinkie Pie so much, what about the real Fleur?” Rainbow Dash asked, “She’s connected to that thing, right?”

“She is.” Twilight said, “And we have good reason to be concerned too. I imagine Fleur’s going to try and do something to keep an eye on Pinkie Pie from here on out.”

“Like possibly take her out of the Starswirl Dorm?” Starlight asked, shocking everyone.

“You don’t think she’d…” Trixie asked.

“If she does anything like that, it would confirm that these Shadows are indeed connected to the originals,” Twilight said, “I’ll talk to Ms. Tia about this, see if she can stop that from happening.”

“Good, cause otherwise that’s going to make it even harder to protect Pinkie Pie,” Rainbow Dash said.

“It’s almost morning, so let’s get some rest for the night and prepare for tomorrow,” Starlight said, “It’s the weekend, so hopefully we can hover around Pinkie Pie for the day.”

“Good idea,” Trixie said stretching, “Hey, on another note, what are we going to do concerning Elysium?”

“Elysium? What’s that?” Rainbow Dash asked.

“It’s a bit of a side mission we have. I say we not worry about Elysium for now, and instead focus on Pinkie Pie’s Dungeon. Especially since we’re running out of time.”

“I agree,” Starlight said, “Rainbow Dash, I’ll fill you in on Elysium when we wake up, alright?”

“Okay,” Rainbow Dash looked back and the door and narrowed her eyes, a dangerously dark expression on her face.

“Hey, Rainbow Dash, are you-” Trixie asked.

“I’ll see you guys in the morning,” Rainbow Dash said, taking off her Channeling Ring and vanishing from the Akashic Records.

“That, was odd,” Trixie said.

“She’s taking this whole thing with Pinkie Pie personally,” Twilight said, “At least she’s not being too reckless.”

"Why do I get the feeling you're looking at me?" Trixie asked deadpanned.

Starlight wasn’t concerned about Rainbow Dash being reckless. Actually, she had an idea of what she might have been thinking, and it scared her to think about it. Not because she didn’t want someone’s death on her conscious, but because she didn’t know what to tell Rainbow Dash.

Not when she was starting to think along the same lines…

Author's Note

Fool – Seekers of Light: 3/10
Magician – Trixie Lulamoon: 5/10 Level Up!
Priestess – Diamond Tiara: 4/10
The Empress – Ms. Tia: 3/10
Chariot – Rainbow Dash: 2/10
The Devil – Silver Spoon: 2/10

Please support my Patreon and aid in my campaign for world domination~ :twilightsmile:

Thank you to the following supporters:
Aero Dragon
William Smith
Kidkaboom1

9/29

September 29th, 2019
Saturday
Sunny

Morning

When they woke up, Starlight and Trixie brought Rainbow Dash into their room so they could talk about their operation thus far privately. Naturally Rainbow Dash noticed how sheer Starlight’s nightgown was, but she didn’t comment on it, which Starlight appreciated. She still spent the entire meeting using her arms to cover her breasts though.

“And that’s what’s been going on so far,” Trixie finished. Unlike Starlight, Trixie was perfectly comfortable sitting before Rainbow Dash, wearing nothing but her blue and black lingerie. How she did that, Starlight had no idea. But she was secretly enjoying the sight.

“You really think that Elysium is the source of the Nightmare Epidemic?” Rainbow Dash asked, wearing a baggy red and white t-shirt and white panties for sleepwear. Like Trixie, completely undeterred by her lack of clothing at the moment.

“That’s at least the idea we’re going by for now,” Starlight chimed in, “One of the reasons we were looking for more Persona Users was to get higher up in Elysium, since the Shadows there are stronger.”

“Instead we’re stuck in Pinkie Pie’s Dungeon,” Rainbow Dash sighed, “And she’s running out of time. Sorry this is slowing you two down.”

“No need to apologize,” Trixie waved it off, “Pinkie Pie’s life is more important right now. Also,” she folded her arms thoughtfully, “There’s a possibility that she’ll awaken to a Persona after this too.”

“Hold on a second,” Rainbow Dash turned to Trixie and frowned, “You’re not thinking about getting Pinkie Pie involved in this too, are you?”

“She’s going to find out about this at some point either way,” Trixie said, “If it’s anything like what Starlight did for me, we’re going to have to reveal the truth to her before we can rescue her, remember? She’s more than likely going to want to help us.”

Rainbow Dash sat back on Trixie’s bed and sighed, “I hate that you’re right, but that is the kind of person Pinkie Pie is. She’s not the type to want to sit by and watch when she can do something. I just don’t want her getting hurt anymore than she already is, you know?”

“We won’t force her to join,” Starlight said, “We’ll let it be her decision if she helps us ultimately. It would be nice to have a team of four going in instead of just a team of three.”

“Speaking of, where is Pinkie Pie?” Trixie asked.

“Still sleeping,” Rainbow Dash said, “She usually does sleep in on the weekends, but still…”

“Mmm, maybe we should have stayed in a bit longer then,” Trixie said biting her thumb nervously. Before anyone could say anything, they heard Pinkie Pie and Rainbow Dash’s door open. Immediately, the three of them stepped outside to see if Pinkie Pie was okay.

play song

“Hey, Pinkie Pie,” Rainbow Dash called out to Pinkie Pie, who was still wearing her pink and white nightgown (that wasn’t sheer like Starlight’s) but had this almost dazed look on her face. She slowly turned to Rainbow Dash and the others, looking at them almost like she wasn’t really there.

“Rainbow Dash…” Pinkie Pie said softly.

“Hey, how’d you sleep?” Rainbow Dash asked walking over to Pinkie Pie, who flinched slightly when Rainbow Dash’s hand touched her arm.

“Fine,” Pinkie Pie said pulling away, “I need to get ready for Fleur. She’s coming to pick me up.”

“Pick you up?” Trixie asked folding her arms under her bosom, “What does that mean?” oddly, Pinkie Pie didn’t answer her. She just turned and began walking toward the bathroom, “Pinkie Pie!”

Starlight ran over to Pinkie Pie and took her hand, mostly to get her attention, but was immediately hit with a powerful emotion.

AHH!!! LET ME GO!!!

At the same time, Pinkie Pie pulled away from Starlight and looked at her almost fearfully. Starlight was wide eyed by this display. It seemed like Pinkie Pie was genuinely afraid of her.

After a second, the daze took hold again, and Pinkie Pie began trudging back toward the bathroom, shutting the door behind her. Starlight’s heart was racing for some reason. It looked like something happened to Pinkie Pie in her Dungeon after they left.

“Something is seriously wrong with her,” Trixie said. Rainbow Dash said nothing. She just growled to herself and then stormed off into her room, slamming the door behind her.

“I’ll use the shower on the third floor,” Starlight said, “Once we’re dressed, let’s consult Ms. Tia about this.”

“Agreed,” Trixie said. They needed to get Pinkie Pie out of there fast. With a reaction like that, she was definitely running out of time.

Daytime

“This is quite troubling, indeed,” Celestia said once Starlight, Trixie, and Rainbow Dash filled her in on what happened in the dining room.

“Is there any way of telling what Fleur did to her in there?” Rainbow Dash asked Celestia, who shook her head gravely.

“I’m afraid not. Not without getting into the castle first,” Celestia said, “Twilight and I had time to analyze Trixie’s Dungeon and learn the layout by the time Starlight joined us. For Pinkie Pie, we’re going in more or less blindly.”

“Damn it!” Rainbow Dash shot up and leaned against a wall, “Pinkie Pie’s running out of time here! What do we need in order to rescue her?”

“We need something that can help us figure out where the Nightmare Epidemic started with Pinkie Pie,” Starlight explained, “A clue that Twilight can use to analyze her Akashic Records and find the last volume there.”

“And then we can tell her what’s going on and rescue her?” Rainbow Dash asked, Starlight nodding in response, “Okay, good. Then tonight we’re going to get that one way or another.”

“We don’t know what that clue’s going to be though,” Trixie said, “For me, it wasn’t anything to do with Blueblood’s abuse. It was connected to my father.”

“I know you want to rescue Pinkie Pie as soon as possible,” Celestia said, “I do too. However, rushing is only going to result in you getting yourself killed in there.”

Rainbow Dash sighed in frustration. Honestly, Starlight was right there with her. This was far more stressful than trying to rescue Trixie, simply because they’d been at it much longer. Nothing was standing out to Starlight though. The book was the only thing really, and they probably weren’t going to find anything else from there.

They needed to get inside of that castle.

end song

After she finished breakfast, Starlight went outside into the living room, where she saw Pinkie Pie sitting on the couch, fully dressed and glued to her phone like before. She was still wearing the clothes she wore yesterday, but oddly she didn’t seem like she was dazed anymore.

That was a bit more concerning.

“Pinkie Pie,” Starlight called out, startling Pinkie Pie.

“Starlight, hey,” Pinkie Pie said, averting her eyes somberly.

“Are you okay, Pinkie Pie?” Starlight asked sitting beside Pinkie Pie, “You seemed out of it this morning, and the way you looked at me earlier…”

“Oh that, I was still partially asleep,” Pinkie Pie said waving it off, “I’m fine, Starlight.”

“With all due respect, I don’t believe that at all,” Starlight said, “The way you’re dressing, the way you were acting at school, it’s like you’re a completely different person from who I met in the beginning of September.”

Pinkie Pie put her phone down and lowered her head, causing her bangs to cover her eyes completely. Starlight needed to test something. She needed to know how she’d react.

“Pinkie Pie, you’re not suffering the Nightmare Epidemic, are you?” Starlight asked Pinkie Pie. Like she suspected, she sucked in a breath and started trembling, “Pinkie Pie, talk to me. I want to help yo-”

play song

“You can’t help me,” Pinkie Pie said, her tone low and defeated, “No one can. You’re a great friend, Starlight, but this isn’t just about my nightmares. Fleur’s coming here to-” she oddly stopped herself, and her eyes widened a bit.

“Pinkie Pie?” Starlight asked, worried as Pinkie Pie brought a hand up to her throat, a look of sheer horror on her face, “What’s wrong? What’s Fleur coming here to do?”

Pinkie Pie turned to Starlight with a look of pure desperation, but like in the nightmare wasn’t saying anything. Starlight then remembered Trixie’s Dungeon, and how after she was whipped that one time, the same marks appeared on Trixie’s back.

This wasn’t the same thing, was it? Was the nightmare… starting to affect her reality.

The doorbell caught their attention. Starlight put her hand on Pinkie Pie’s shoulder, silently telling her to stay there, and then rose up to answer it herself, just in case it was who she thought it would be.

She wasn’t disappointed.

“Ah, you are Pinkamena’s roommate,” Fleur said, pushing her glasses up with her typical snooty expression, “Is she up yet?”

Starlight nodded, narrowing her eyes a bit, “She’s not feeling well right now though.”

“I’m sorry to hear that. However, I’m sure I can take it from here. If you would please step aside,” Fleur asked nicely, but also narrowing her eyes at Starlight, who briefly saw her Shadow in place of the real Fleur.

Reste à l’écart, sorcière! The Princesse comes with me!

Starlight had to stop herself from saying “fuck you” right to Fleur’s face, but felt a comforting hand touch her shoulder.

“Ms. De Lis, it’s nice to see you again,” Celestia said as pleasantly as possible, “I assume you’re here to take Pinkie Pie for the weekend.”

“Ah, Mademoiselle Tia, I was hoping I could speak to you personally,” she reached into her purse and pulled out a paper, “I believe this will make my purpose clear.”

Celestia took the paper and read it closely, becoming more tense by the second. When she looked up at Fleur, she didn’t even try to hide the venom in her gaze.

“You can’t be serious,” Celestia said.

“Oh, quite serious, in fact,” Fleur said, “Pinkamena’s birthday is coming up, and with this, I have official permission to take her for the rest of the week.”

“Damn it, Cinch…!” Celestia seethed. Starlight asked Celestia what was on the paper, “According to this, Fleur has requested that Pinkie Pie spend the week of her birthday with her instead of here at the dorm.”

“What?!” Starlight asked, suddenly turning to Pinkie Pie, who held her arm biting her lip, “Pinkie Pie… did you…?”

“What’s going on?” Rainbow Dash asked, she and Trixie stepping out of the dining room. Starlight filled them in on what was going on. Needless to say, Rainbow Dash saw red, “Absolutely not.”

“Oh? I’d like to see you try to stop me,” Fleur said, pushing Celestia aside and walking into the dorm toward Pinkie Pie. Rainbow Dash immediately got in her way and held her arms out, “Out of my way, enfant.”

“Bite me,” Rainbow Dash said immediately. Fleur’s eyes actually widened briefly, and she flexed her hand in an attempt to control herself.

“It’s children like you that I strive to keep Pinkamena away from, lest you become a poor influence on her,” Fleur said, tone low and dangerous.

“Say what you want, but I’m not letting you touch Pinkie Pie,” Rainbow Dash said, her voice so calm it was terrifying, “She’s spending her birthday here, with her friends,” Rainbow Dash was stopped though, by Pinkie Pie, who placed a hand on her shoulder, “P-Pinkie Pie…?”

Pinkie Pie shook her head sadly, and then walked over to Fleur, “I’m ready to go, Fleur,” she said, her tone somewhat odd like before. Almost like she was under some weird spell.

“Excellent. Good to know these people haven’t poisoned you too much,” before Fleur could leave, Celestia stood in front of her, narrowing her eyes dangerously, “Do we have a problem, Mademoiselle Tia.”

“Keep talking to my children like that, and we will,” Celestia said, “Have your week with Pinkie Pie, but afterward, I don’t ever want to see you here again.”

“Trust me, that won’t be an issue,” Fleur said pushing her glasses up, “Come, Pinkamena.”

“Yes, Fleur,” Pinkie Pie said.

“Pinkie Pie, please!” Rainbow Dash called out stopping them, “I know you’re worried, but if you leave like this, I can’t protect-”

“I don’t need you protecting me anymore,” Pinkie Pie said, her voice low and almost angry, “I can protect myself from now on.”

With that, Pinkie Pie walked over to the front desk to sign herself out, and she and Fleur left the dorm together.

“What just happened…?” Trixie asked.

“It was Fleur’s Shadow Self,” Starlight said, “I saw her for a split second when I was talking to Fleur. She even spoke to me. It was right before you showed up, Ms. Tia.”

“Yes, I felt it too,” Celestia sighed, “She’s being influence by her Shadow to get Pinkie Pie away from us.”

“Yeah, but Pinkie Pie is letting her do it,” Trixie sighed.

“This isn’t Pinkie Pie!” Rainbow Dash defended, “It’s just Fleur speaking though Pinkie Pie! She’s manipulating her!”

“No Dash, that’s not true,” Trixie folded her arms seriously, “Yes, Fleur is partially to blame for this, but Pinkie Pie is still the one who’s giving Fleur all of this power over her.”

“What are you saying, Lulamoon?” Rainbow Dash asked, walking over to Trixie, “Choose your words carefully.”

“I’m saying that what’s happening here is both Fleur and Pinkie Pie’s fault,” Trixie said, “She’s the one who’s giving up here.”

“Pinkie Pie isn’t that weak!” Rainbow Dash seethed gripping Trixie by her jacket.

“You don’t know anything about what she’s going through right now!” Trixie shot back angrily.

“Like you do?!”

“Unlike some people here, I had a Dungeon!”

“Pinkie isn’t you, Lulamoon!”

“What’s that supposed to mean?!”

“Exactly what I-”

“KNOCK IT OFF!” Starlight shouted, stopping both of them, “Getting upset at each other isn’t going to do anything for Pinkie Pie! Also, did you stop to think that maybe this is what Fleur’s Shadow wants?! For us to fight each other instead of her?!”

Both Rainbow Dash and Trixie turned away from each other scowling. Starlight breathed out in in relief before continuing.

play song

“We’re all concerned about Pinkie Pie here, but the fact remains we don’t know much about how Dungeons work. On one hand, it’s not fair to just blame Pinkie Pie for being weak. Like you said, Trixie, you know better than any of us what she’s going through.”

Trixie looked down somberly.

“However, that also means we need to take into consideration her side of things,” Starlight said right to Rainbow Dash, “Chances are, this is something that Pinkie Pie is allowing on some level, and getting upset at Trixie isn’t going to change any of that.”

“Damn it…” Rainbow Dash swore, narrowing her eyes in frustration.

“Pinkie Pie needs us right now, and now we have to work even harder inside of her Dungeon. Tonight, let’s go back in and break into the castle. In the meantime, both of you apologize to each other,” Starlight folded her arms glaring at both of them.

“I’m… sorry, Trixie,” Rainbow Dash said, “I shouldn’t have attacked you like that.”

“I’m sorry too,” Trixie said, “I know I’m critical of Pinkie Pie. That’s because, I’m ashamed of my weakness,” she turned away and rubbed her arm, “I let Blueblood’s Shadow into my nightmare, and let him turn it into a Dungeon. I guess I’m just, projecting my anger toward myself onto Pinkie Pie. I know it’s not fair, but…”

“Your still that messed up over it, huh?” Rainbow Dash asked finally looking up at Trixie, who just turned away from everyone and lowered her hat over her eyes, “Damn it. Now I really feel like a bitch…”

“This is why the three of you need each other,” Celestia said, finally speaking up, “All three of you gained the power of Persona differently; Starlight is the Trickster, Trixie awakened from within her own Dungeon, and you, Rainbow Dash, awoke through sheer willpower. All three are valid methods, but all three also give you a different perspective on the situation. You need to work together, but also support one another. Isn’t that what a witch’s coven does?”

Rainbow Dash nodded to herself and then turned to Trixie, “Listen, you don’t just have Starlight now, okay? I know I’m not the most sensitive person in the world, but… I’m there for you too, okay? So, if you need anything at all, well… you know.”

“Well, think next time you see Blueblood, you could kick him in the nuts for me?” Trixie asked with a slight smile. Rainbow Dash turned to Celestia, silently asking her if she could. To her credit, Celestia turned away and covered her ears.

“I hear nothing,” Celestia said with a slightly impish smile on her face. Starlight couldn’t help but giggle at that.

“Well, I guess if I run into him off school grounds, sure,” Rainbow Dash smiled. Starlight sighed in relief and walked over to her friends, “Starlight, thanks for taking charge there.”

“Yeah, I’m really happy you’re the one calling the shots here,” Trixie said.

“I just don’t want us fighting each other,” Starlight said, “Save that for Fleur’s Shadow.”

Starlight pulled both of them into a group hug, feeling much closer to them as a whole. She felt like their bond as a coven got significantly stronger.

“I need to spend some time meditating on this issue,” Celestia said walking toward the stairs, “The three of you should take it easy today, since you’re going back in so soon.”

“Why don’t we hit up the arcade then?” Rainbow Dash requested, “Maybe teach Lulamoon a thing or two about the joys of video games.”

“You’re not going to give up until I’m a gamer too, are you?” Trixie asked Rainbow Dash.

“Not on your life, sister,” Rainbow Dash said with a huge grin.

“Well, I suppose watching you two play will be fun,” Trixie sighed, “Alright, let’s go.”

Starlight, Trixie, and Rainbow Dash signed themselves out, and wished Celestia a good meditation before stepping out to enjoy themselves. Starlight was truly beginning to feel like they were less of a team and more of a family.

Despite the arguments, it felt nice.

play song

Once alone, Celestia went up to the roof of the dorm. It was here she preferred to do her meditation, as she could feel the sun quite well on her body from up here. She hated not being able to do more herself, but one such as her couldn’t gain the power of Persona. At first she was fine with that, but as time went on, her current position seemed to limit her more and more.

“It’s not fair that they have to shoulder this burden themselves, but alas, all I can offer them is guidance,” Celestia said, leaning against the banister and looking out at the city she called her sanctuary, “I do have faith in them, but still,” she laughed ruefully looking up at the sky, “What’s to be done when not even God has the answers?”

The Phase

play song

The following night, the girls began making their way through the village toward the castle. Dodging most of the villagers, it didn’t take long to reach it, but Starlight timed it in her head. They wouldn’t have made it in time last time they were here.

“Well, here’s the place,” Trixie said once they reached the castle. It was even gaudier up close. The bricks were solid gold, and they even shimmered despite the constant night in the village.

“This must be Pinkie Pie’s equivalent of the tent in your Dungeon,” Twilight stated, “Like then, I’m detecting a lot of Shadows in there, one of which is Fleur.”

“What’s that bitch doing to Pinkie Pie?” Rainbow Dash asked gripping her sword, “When I get my hands on her, I swear I’ll-”

“Shh!” Starlight shushed, prompting everyone to listen.

“I think I heard something from over here.”

“Hide!” Starlight commanded, guiding her team behind a few trees. A few seconds later, two Shadows wearing odd armor walked over to where they were initially.

“It was probably just the wind,” one of the Shadows said.

“It’s never the wind,” his partner said, “We need to be on high alert. The Empress ordered us to assassinate those witches on sight.”

The two guards walked back to their post, but Starlight and her team didn’t step back out, instead turning to each other.

“Shoot! Those guys look tough,” Rainbow Dash said.

“I couldn’t tell the kind of Shadow they were, but I could confirm that they were stronger than the ones we’ve faced before.”

“That must have been the help Fleur was talking about last time we were here,” Trixie said, “Damn it! Getting to Pinkie Pie was hard enough as is!”

“We need to find a way inside,” Rainbow Dash said poking her head back out, “Taking the front door is definitely out.”

Starlight frowned looking at the castle, searching for any means of getting inside. The only thing she saw was a cluster of vines near one of the windows. Could that work?

“See something?” Trixie asked Starlight, who pointed to the vines, “Hey, that’s a pretty good idea.”

“Only issue is the guards. If they walk by they’ll definitely see you,” Twilight said.

“Only solution then is to take them out,” Rainbow Dash said drawing her sword.

“You’ll have to get up there fast afterward, though. I’m sure they’ll call in reinforcements.”

“They definitely seem to be patrolling the entire perimeter now,” Trixie said, “Let’s try to get the jump on them first.”

Starlight nodded and braced herself, waiting for them to walk back into view. It took a few minutes, but after a while they walked back around. Starlight rushed out toward them as fast as she could and jumped on their shoulders when they were close.

“Show me your true form!” she shouted, ripping both of their masks off and forcing them into their true forms. One turned into a Nue, the same kind of Shadow they faced with Rainbow Dash the first time. The other one turned into what looked like a long canine spirit made of paper.

play song

“The new one’s ID is Makami!” Twilight said, “They’re strong ones, so be careful!”

“Persona!” Trixie shouted, summoning Elenora. She immediately cast Sukukaja on Rainbow Dash, who immediately rushed at Makami and traded blows with her sword. Starlight had an idea, and thought about one of her new Personas.

“SHIKI-OUJI!” she shouted, switching to the new Persona. She then cast a new spell, Tarukaja on Rainbow Dash. The impression she got from it was that it raised her attack power.

“Sweet!” Rainbow Dash said, now swinging her blade with a bit more force. Meanwhile, Trixie began throwing her cards at the Nue present.

“Both of these enemies seem immune to ice spells,” Twilight said to Starlight.

“That’s fine! I have an idea anyway,” Starlight said, now casting Tarukaja on Trixie. Her cards seemed to do a bit more damage after that, but the Shadow slashed her away and began casting a spell. Suddenly, black tendrils came out of the ground and lashed out at all three witches, knocking them back.

Makami followed up by also casting a spell, hitting all three of them with an odd green explosion. One that actually knocked Rainbow Dash off her feet.

“Augh!” she cried, “What the hell?!”

“Shoot! Are you weak to nuclear spells?!” Twilight asked frantically.

“I think so,” Rainbow Dash said trying to force herself to her feet, “That’s the impression I got at least. Was that one?”

“Yes it was! Please, be careful when you see it charging up!” Twilight urged.

Both Shadows rushed at the girls, Nue focusing on both Starlight and Trixie, while Makami assaulted Rainbow Dash. These two were definitely stronger than the usual Shadows, as they were clearly starting to overwhelm the girls.

Starlight used an opening to jump away and switch Personas, “YAKSINI!” she shouted, shifting to the topless Persona with the large breasts. She then willed Yaksini to attack both Shadows with a spin slash, knocking them back. In response, both Trixie and Rainbow Dash held up their Channeling Rings.

“Light ‘em up, Elenora!” Trixie commanded, casting Agi on Nue, knocking him down.

“Awaken, my inner self!” Rainbow Dash shouted, having Eclair cast Zio on Makami, also knocking him to the ground, “Hey Leader. What are we doing with them?”

“All Out Attack!” Starlight commanded, “No prisoners!”

“Just what I wanted to hear!” Rainbow Dash said, readying her sword as Trixie and Starlight got their weapons ready. The three witches then proceeded to do their All Out Attack, which while doing a lot of damage, didn’t actually kill them this time.

“We need to end this fast!” Trixie cried, “I don’t want another repeat of our first assault on this Dungeon!”

“Leave it to me then,” Starlight said running forward and summoning Yaksini again, “OUT OF MY SIGHT!” she shouted as Yaksini did her spin slash again, this time killing the Shadows.

play song

“Hurry! Before someone comes out to check on things!” Twilight urged. The three of them ran over to the vine and climbed up to the window as fast as they could, Starlight going last to A) make sure her team got up first and B) because she was the only one on the team wearing a dress.

Just because they were all girls did not mean she wanted her team seeing her panties. At least not right now.

The window lead into a hallway, which showed them just how extravagant the interior was. The walls were so bright it was kind of hurting Starlight’s eyes.

“What in the world…?” Rainbow Dash asked looking around, “Pinkie Pie would never live in a place this gaudy.”

“No, but I bet it’s perfect for someone like Fleur,” Twilight said, “Remember, she took Pinkie Pie back with her, so this probably represents Fleur’s place. Or wherever they stay when they’re together.”

“Pinkie Pie is here somewhere,” Starlight said, “Let’s be on the lookout for her and anything that could help identify where this nightmare began.”

The group began running through the castle, still being careful not to get seen by any guards. The interior didn’t make any sense though. It was almost like a maze, it was so confusing.

They stopped in front of a red door, one marked “Pinkie Pie’s room”.

“Let’s see what we can find inside here,” Trixie said. Starlight nodded and pushed the door open, but then something odd happened. There was a white flash, and the four of them found themselves not inside a bedroom, but in the dining room.

“Whoa whoa whoa! What happened just now?!” Rainbow Dash asked.

“Try heading back the way you came,” Twilight suggested. Starlight turned back to the door and opened it, but saw it lead to a different hallway entirely.

“Okay, what the actual fuck is going on here?” Trixie asked folding her arms.

“Let’s try searching for another door,” Starlight said, leading her team deeper inside of the castle. Eventually, they found the door out of the dining room, but when they went through it, there was another bright flash, and they were in the throne room.

“Ugh! This is impossible to explore!” Twilight fussed, “Every time you go through a door, it sends you in another part of the castle!”

“There must be some sort of spell placed on the castle,” Starlight said looking around, “Meant to confuse intruders.”

“Well, it’s working,” Trixie said, “There’s now way of knowing what door actually leads to Pinkie Pie’s room. As far as we know, it changes every time.”

“I’m willing to bet none of the doors lead to Pinkie Pie’s bedroom,” Rainbow Dash said, “Assuming that’s where she is right now.”

“That makes too much sense, sadly,” Twilight said, “Unless we do something about this spell, I don’t think we’ll get to Pinkie Pie.”

“What do we do then?” Trixie asked leaning against a pillar, “Pinkie Pie’s running out of time, and like this we can’t even navigate enough to find anything that’ll help us figure out what started this whole mess.”

“Well, we are in the throne room,” Rainbow Dash said, “Maybe we’ll find something like that here.”

“Like what?” Trixie asked, “Not like we’re going to find any secret documents here.”

“Maybe not, but search anyway,” Starlight said, “Fleur’s arrogant, so she might have left something out in the open.”

Trixie shrugged and joined everyone in searching around the throne room. Even Twilight’s wisp was flying around searching. It looked almost like a chapel’s sanctuary, and being in there gave Starlight a really odd feeling.

“Hey, I think I found something,” Twilight said, catching everyone’s attention, “The wall behind the throne is false. I think there’s something behind here.”

“Told ya,” Rainbow Dash said with a shit-eating grin. Trixie sighed rolling her eyes.

Starlight put her hand on the wall, and with a bit of effort managed to push through. Inside they saw a hidden library filled with old books and scrolls. The interior wasn’t nearly as nice as the rest of the castle, meaning not a lot of people knew about this place.

play song

“This is…” Trixie breathed out as they looked around.

“Someone really doesn’t want this information getting out,” Rainbow Dash said. They walked around, carefully checking every book and scroll for anything that stood out. Starlight’s eyes eventually stopped on what appeared to be a promo for a food place, with Pinkie Pie’s picture on it. Something like that didn’t belong inside of this dream.

“Did Pinkie Pie ever do commercials?” Starlight asked.

“Not that I know of,” Rainbow Dash said turning to Starlight, “She’s fine with modeling, but she doesn’t like the idea of selling products.”

“Well, I found this,” Starlight showed Rainbow Dash the promo.

“What the fuck…?” Rainbow Dash frowned looking at it, “Bob’s Burgers…?”

“Wait, I think I remember that,” Trixie said, “It was last year, and the commercial was only up for a few days, but I think I remember seeing Pinkie Pie’s image used in that commercial. It was around the time the Forgotten Princess first hit theaters.”

“It must have been pulled shortly after airing,” Twilight said, “This object doesn’t fit in this nightmare, so I imagine it has a strong connection to Pinkie Pie’s psyche.”

“Think this could get you what you need?” Rainbow Dash asked.

“I think so, actually. There should be a checkpoint in the throne room, so take that back to the Akashic Records. I’ll begin searching for the keywords.”

Starlight nodded to Twilight, and the witches left out through the nearest checkpoint. Hopefully this was the lead they needed.

play song

Once they got back to the Akashic Records, Twilight sent them back toward Pinkie Pie’s records to search for a particular book. It didn’t take long for them to find the one book that was glowing on the shelf. The title of the book read “Bad Decisions”.

“Bad decisions?” Trixie asked, “That… doesn’t sound pleasant.”

“It might explain why Pinkie Pie lets Fleur do all of the thinking for her, though,” Starlight said, putting the book into a nearby mail box, as there were a lot of those scattered around apparently.

“So what do we do now?” Rainbow Dash asked.

“Now, you let me do my part,” Twilight said, “This might take a while to go over, so I say get some rest.”

“So, we just rest now? That… feels kind of weird, honestly,” Rainbow Dash said folding her arms frowning.

“Well how do you think I feel being the only one here not fighting?” Twilight shot back, “You guys have the actual important job here.”

“Your job is just as important as ours, Twilight,” Starlight said. This time, she could have sworn she heard Twilight groan before she answered.

“Yeah. Right,” Twilight said, “I’m logging off. I’ll let you all know when I find something.”

With that, Twilight’s wisp vanished, leaving Starlight and her friends confused.

“So… does she like, not like you or something?” Rainbow Dash asked Starlight, “She seems to really have an issue with you.”

“Yeah… I’ve noticed,” Starlight said looking down. She didn’t understand why it was Twilight seemed to hate her so much. Especially since Starlight tried to be nice to her constantly.

“Don’t sweat it,” Trixie shrugged, “Twi-Twi is fussy, but I’m sure we’ll all be friends soon. I mean, how could she not want to be friends with moi?”

“Gee, I wonder.” Rainbow Dash asked deadpanned. Starlight tuned the rest of their playful bickering out though, as her thoughts went to their navigator. The anger she got from her was weird. It almost seemed like she took Starlight’s presence personally.

What had Starlight done to make Twilight dislike her so much?

Author's Note

Fool – Seekers of Light: 4/10 Level Up!
Magician – Trixie Lulamoon: 5/10
Priestess – Diamond Tiara: 4/10
The Empress – Ms. Tia: 3/10
Chariot – Rainbow Dash: 2/10
The Devil – Silver Spoon: 2/10

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Thank you, all of you for your continued support. :twilightsmile:

9/30, 10/1, 10/2

September 30th, 2019
Sunday
Cloudy

Morning

play song

The air in the dining room was heavy that morning. Both because Pinkie Pie wasn’t there, and everyone knew where she actually was. The mere thought of what Fleur was doing to Pinkie Pie upset Starlight. She prayed that Pinkie Pie would be in school tomorrow.

But with their luck, Starlight almost expected her to be absent all week.

After finishing breakfast, Starlight went into the living room and sat down on the couch. She had enough mind to lie back down and get some more sleep. She probably would have too, if her phone hadn’t rung, showing Diamond Tiara’s number.

“Heya Starlight!” Diamond Tiara chirped once Starlight answered the phone, “If you’re busy, that’s fine, but I was wondering if you wanted to hang out today. Spoony has a spa appointment, and I really don’t want to be home right now.”

Starlight could feel the desperation in Diamond Tiara’s voice. Since she had Apsara of the Priestess Arcana, Starlight felt like she and Diamond Tiara could really connect today.

“Sure, let’s meet up,” Starlight said.

“Oh, thank you Starlight! I’ll see you at South Street!” Diamond Tiara cheered before hanging up to get ready. Well, it certainly beat spending the entire day stressing about Pinkie Pie.

Daytime

play song

Like last time, Starlight saw Diamond Tiara waiting for her on a bench in South Street. Apparently, she spent a lot of time here on Sundays, so it was a good place to run into her on the weekends. Oddly, when Starlight asked Diamond Tiara why Sundays and not Saturdays, she just somberly told her that those days were dedicated to other obligations.

Starlight seriously wondered if her friend was okay.

Ultimately though, Starlight didn’t want to stress about it right now, and Diamond Tiara wouldn’t let her anyway. Instead, she took Diamond Tiara into that fetish store Chains and Whips Central. Starlight felt her face turn bright red walking inside, but with Diamond Tiara beside her it was okay.

“Ooooh! Look at this~” Diamond Tiara said picking up a box for what appeared to be a stripper pole. Of course she’d gravitate toward that.

“So… any reason why you’re always trying to be a stripper?” Starlight just asked outright. Diamond Tiara laughed her loud “rich girl” laugh, which Rainbow Dash called the “Ojou-Sama laugh”.

“Because I like being sexy, what else?” Diamond Tiara asked, “One of the things my deadbeat Mother gave me was thankfully my good looks. Physical beauty doesn’t last, so I figure I might as well have fun with it while I can.”

That… made sense. On one hand, it did make Diamond Tiara seem shallow, but seeing it from her perspective, why wouldn’t you try to have fun while you could?

“Daddy doesn’t get that at all,” Diamond Tiara said, twirling her finger through her hair with a somewhat somber expression, “He acts like dressing provocatively is a problem, always complaining about how “teenagers don’t have any class anymore”. I mean, he’s not entirely wrong, but there’s nothing wrong with a girl showing a little skin here and there, or wanting to be sexy. If I ever wanted a boyfriend, I’d have a better shot at getting one by being a sexy girl with a great personality than a submissive nerd who doesn’t show any skin at all. You understand what I mean, right Starlight?”

“I do,” Starlight said looking at some of the items on the shelf, “I enjoy the attention I get from the boys at school, and on some level kind of thrive on it internally.”

“See? Someone who gets it!” Diamond Tiara said happily, “I knew I wasn’t crazy!”

As expected, today was a great day for them, and Starlight really felt like they connected. At random points, she almost felt Apsara manifest next to her and speak through her. If she didn’t know that Apsara was another personality within her, Starlight would have been spooked.

By the end of the day, Starlight felt like she understood Diamond Tiara a lot better. She felt like they’d become significantly closer soon.

October 1st, 2019
Monday
Rainy

Morning

play song

As Starlight approached the train station, she saw Trixie on the platform ahead of her. Starlight called out to her as she approached.

“Hey Starlight,” Trixie said with a smile, “Looks like we’ll be heading to school together after all. The train’s running a bit late,” she sighed, “I was hoping to get to school early to search for Pinkie Pie.”

“Has anyone heard anything from her?” Starlight asked Trixie.

“According to Dash, she said she’d be at school. Honestly, that’s not all I’m concerned about though. I hope Pinkie Pie is still Pinkie Pie, you know?”

Starlight understood. She knew that Pinkie Pie was still alive, but was she the one in the driver seat of her body? Starlight prayed that she was.

Daytime

play song

Pinkie Pie was in class, thank God. However, something was seriously off about her. For one, she refused to make eye contact with Starlight or anyone in her coven. She seemed to even be dodging Celestia, and the look in her eyes just seemed off.

Starlight could barely concentrate in English class, her eyes stuck on Pinkie Pie. She seemed almost like she was under a spell of some sort.

Bulk Biceps must have noticed that Starlight’s head was elsewhere, because he called on her suddenly to answer a question about proper grammar. Thankfully this was Starlight’s best subject, so she answered correctly. She felt significantly smarter after answering correctly.

After School

Once class ended, both Starlight and Trixie shot up from their desks and walked over to Pinkie Pie.

“Hey Pinkie Pie,” Trixie said, “How are you doing?”

Pinkie Pie looked up at them and looked like she wanted to say something. Instead, she looked to the side somberly, but then nodded to them without a word. She then rose from her desk and pushed past them walking toward the door.

“Um, maybe we could still do something for your birthday,” Trixie suggested, “I bet we could talk Fleur into-”

play song

“Fleur and I already have plans on my birthday,” Pinkie Pie spoke suddenly, “After I sign the new contract, she and I are going to celebrate together.”

“You’re signing it on your birthday?” Starlight asked, “Have you seen it yet?”

“I have,” Pinkie Pie turned to them, that odd look in her eyes returning, “It’s going to give Fleur permission to guide my career a bit more directly.”

“In other words, she’ll be making all the decisions for you,” Trixie stated.

“Fleur’s my manager. She knows best,” Pinkie Pie defended.

“Do you really believe that, or is that just Fleur talking through you?” Trixie asked.

“Fleur’s looking out for me!” Pinkie Pie shouted angrily, “She’s smarter than I am when it comes to my career! She’s actually been in the business! So why wouldn’t I let her make those decisions for me?!”

“All I’m hearing is myself concerning Blueblood,” Trixie said, “I don’t know what’s going on here, but maybe you could-”

“You’re right, you don’t know what’s going on!” Pinkie Pie said, tears falling down her cheeks, “So do me and Fleur a favor and mind your own business!”

“Pinkie Pie, wait!” Trixie called out as Pinkie Pie stormed out of the classroom, pushing Rainbow Dash aside as she ran, “Damn it!”

“Does anyone know when Pinkie Pie’s birthday is?” Starlight asked.

“I do,” Rainbow Dash said walking in, “It’s October 3rd. Why?”

“Because that’s how long we have to rescue Pinkie Pie,” Starlight said, “Meaning Twilight needs to find Pinkie Pie’s final entry tonight.”

“Thankfully she’s almost there,” Celestia said walking over to them, “She told me herself. I hate it when she does this, but she’s actually pulling an all nighter to search.”

“Meaning she’s probably up right now,” Starlight reasoned, “Don’t worry, guys. We’ll make it in time.”

“I seriously hope so,” Trixie said, “This is cutting it way too close for me.”

“Same,” Rainbow Dash seethed, “That bitch is walking on thin ice as far as I’m concerned.”

Starlight nodded in agreement, and then turned to Celestia, who had a look of both sorrow and frustration on her face. She seemed to almost be taking this personally.

end song

Evening

After eating dinner, everyone chose to stay up and wait for Twilight. As they sat in the living room, Trixie paced back and forth by the stairs, Rainbow Dash leaned against a wall with her arms folded, and Celestia was sitting on the couch, her leg bouncing up and down nervously. Starlight herself tried to stay calm, but this was really tense.

She thought back to when she saved Trixie. Was she on a deadline then too? Did she cut it this close then too? She almost prayed not. She also planned on ensuring that the next mission they took on didn’t get this bad. At least, as much as she could.

“I got it!” they heard Twilight cheer happily, before running downstairs with a folder, “I found Pinkie Pie’s last entry!”

play song

“You did?!” Trixie cried.

“Oh, wonderful, my student!” Celestia cheered, shooting up and pulling Twilight into a tight embrace, “I knew you could do it!”

“Uhh… thanks Ms. Tia,” Twilight said blushing, as her face was a bit close to Celestia’s bosom with how she was holding her, “I always strive to give an A plus performance.”

“So, what did you find?” Rainbow Dash asked.

“They key was that place, Bob’s Burgers,” Twilight said sitting on the couch next to Starlight, “Apparently, she ended up being tricked into doing a promo for them. Just to confirm,” Twilight pulled out her phone and began searching the internet, “I know it’s there, now. I just watched- aha! There it is,” she pulled up a video and showed it to Trixie, “This was the commercial, right?”

Everyone gathered around Trixie to watch the commercial. It wasn’t much, but it did show Pinkie Pie’s character quite a bit. It looked like she was cut in through CGI, and they took some of her dialogue out of context, but it was definitely her.

“Yeah, that’s the one,” Trixie said, “It was only up for a few short days, but that was clearly the commercial.”

“That’s what I thought,” Twilight said putting her phone away, “Pinkie Pie didn’t want to do that commercial. In fact, according to what I found, she specifically stated she didn’t want to be in a promo for that role.”

“Then how did she end up in that commercial?” Starlight asked.

“Simple, Hollywood did what Hollywood does,” Twilight shrugged, “They went behind her back, took advantage of her age and lack of experience, and did it anyway to make more money.”

“Now I remember when that happened,” Rainbow Dash said looking to the side, “She was really upset about that, and spent the entire day crying.”

“Wouldn’t be surprised if Fleur had something to do with that,” Trixie sighed.

“That’s where things get interesting,” Twilight continued, “I couldn’t find evidence that Fleur manipulated that directly, but according to Pinkie Pie’s Akashic Records, Fleur saved Pinkie Pie.”

“She saved her?” Rainbow Dash, “Bullshit.”

“I want to say that too, believe me,” Twilight said opening her folder and pulling out the document inside, “After reading this though, even I’m not sure.”

play song

Since I was little, all I’ve ever wanted was to act.

Pretending to be different characters was my escape from how bleak my world actually was.

Growing up on my family’s homeland, everything was always the same. My future wasn’t a bright one in the slightest. At most, I could expect to marry someone I didn’t love, have a few kids, grow old, and then die.

What kind of life is that? That’s not living! That’s just existing!

When I met my Godmother, Fleur de Lis, she convinced me to pursue my dream. She said “life is too short to not give it your all. Even if you fail, at least you lived.”

She was so cool to me! Mom told me that they had been friends for so long, and that if anything were to happen to her, Fleur would take care of me. I even heard Mom tell Fleur once to ensure that my dream came true.

I love both my mother and my Godmother so much.

When my Mother died, Fleur immediately took charge. She said I’d never have to worry about anything, so long as I trusted her. At first, being a professional actress was scary, but Fleur was with me the whole way, cheering me on, pushing me to always give it my all. All I had to do was trust her, and everything would be perfect.

The one time I chose to do something she and I didn’t agree on, I regretted it immediately.

It was the role of a lifetime! The Forgotten Princess was getting a movie, and they wanted me to play the starring role! She was my favorite character growing up, and I could actually bring her to life? This was straight out of a fairy tale!

Who knows? Maybe one day I could play Sailor Moon on the big screen too.

Sadly, the dream quickly turned into a nightmare. I said that I didn’t want to be in a promotion. So why was I suddenly on a Bob’s Burgers commercial? I didn’t agree to that! I did that role because I wanted to, not because I wanted to make money!

I didn’t know what to do! I enjoyed doing the movie, and I loved the role, but the Studio that produced it turned me into a product anyway! How do I get out of this?! What if they make me do more commercials?! What if they turn me into a walking advertisement?!

Someone! Anyone! HELP ME!

Fleur stepped in just in time. She said that if they didn’t pull the commercial, she’d sue them for millions of dollars. She looked so amazing. In that moment, she was my hero. But she then told me that this, as sad as it is, just how the business is. I told her that I’d let her handle all of those decisions, and from now on, I’d always trust her.

In hindsight, that might not have been a wise decision either…

Fleur’s completely taken charge now. It’s okay, for the most part. I mean, she knows the business better than I do. She said that sometimes I’d have to put up with things I hate in order to stay in the business. She began pushing the bar, using her connections to get me jobs that make me a bit uncomfortable. But whenever I tell her, she asks me the same question.

"Don't you trust me, Pinkamena?”

I do, but… this isn’t the way I wanted my dream to go! I don’t want this! I feel… trapped…!

Every night, I have the same dream over and over again. In it, I’m a princess like Victoria, but Fleur’s there as my advisor. Things were perfect at first, but after a while, Fleur started making all of the decisions for me. The guards were under her control now, and would do whatever they wanted to me.

I’d beg Fleur to make them stop, but she’d just insist that this was better for the kingdom. That I was helping to keep the morale of the guards high.

Even the villagers got in on it a few times.

I’m less of a Princess, and more like a slave! No matter where I go, my voice isn’t heard! I barely even have control over my own body! And soon, once that contract is signed, I’ll completely disappear…!

My story… is over…!

end song

“That’s the final entry in her Akashic Records,” Twilight said somberly, putting the document back in the folder.

“It sounds to me like Pinkie Pie doesn’t know what to think herself,” Celestia said thoughtfully, “She’s trapped between two extremes. On one hand, Fleur is helping with her career. On the other hand though, it looks like even she can see Fleur’s taking advantage of her.”

“Give people an inch, and they’ll take a mile,” Rainbow Dash said, “Damn that Fleur, using Pinkie Pie’s lack of experience to do what she wants!”

“But what I want to know is, why?” Trixie asked, “Something about this doesn’t add up. It seemed like Fleur was genuinely helping Pinkie Pie, but based on what we’re seeing in her Dungeon.”

“Hey Leader, what’s your take on this?” Rainbow Dash asked.

Starlight folded her arms thinking about what she just heard. True, it sounded like Fleur was genuinely helping Pinkie Pie, but the idealized image Pinkie Pie saw didn’t match up with how Fleur’s Shadow seemed to carry herself. Then there was that castle, and how Pinkie Pie seemed to genuinely be treated like a prisoner there.

Almost like the Royal Advisor usurped the throne.

play song

“Fleur’s using Pinkie Pie,” Starlight stated, “Remember how her Shadow behaved in the dream. It seems like she’s trying to slowly take control of the kingdom. If that kingdom represents Pinkie Pie’s career…”

“Then it would make sense for Fleur to be doing the same thing in Pinkie Pie’s real life,” Twilight finished, “Yeah, I hate to say it, but that makes the most sense here.”

“Starlight, remember what Silver Spoon told us about Fleur?” Trixie asked, “That she was a has been who didn’t make the cut?” Starlight nodded, “What if that’s the reason Fleur’s taking control of Pinkie Pie’s career? Living vicariously through Pinkie Pie!”

“Damn, that makes way too much sense!” Rainbow Dash added, “Notice how she keeps calling Pinkie Pie “her Pinkamena”? She seems more like she’s carrying Pinkie Pie around like an accessory!”

“And that even goes along with how Fleur’s Shadow kept Pinkie Pie in chains that one time, and used that collar to keep her from speaking!” Trixie added, “She’s using her as a means to an end!”

“Pinkie Pie mentioned a contract. Do any of you know what that is?” Twilight asked. Starlight explained to Twilight what Pinkie Pie said, making the nocturnal teen’s eyes widen, “That’s bad! If she signs that in the real world, it’ll play itself out in her Dungeon as Pinkie Pie losing all control of herself! She might even die the night after!”

“We can’t let that happen!” Rainbow Dash said urgently, “Ms. Tia, can we do it now? Can we tell Pinkie Pie what’s going on in her Dungeon?!”

“Absolutely!” Celestia said, “We know the whole story now. All we need to do is give Pinkie Pie enough hope that her destiny isn’t set in stone.”

“Then tomorrow, we let Pinkie Pie know that magic is real,” Starlight said standing up, “This is only the second Dungeon I’ve ever entered, but so far I haven’t failed yet. I’m not losing Pinkie Pie to this!”

“I might not be able to do much, but I’m right there with you,” Twilight said standing up too, “When I joined the Kirijo Corporation, I swore to protect the people from Shadows with everything I have.”

“Pinkie Pie’s like me,” Trixie said, “She’s trapped in a prison of her own making. As someone who escaped hers, I’ll make her realize that she has the key to her cell.”

“I don’t have any of the experience you guys have,” Rainbow Dash said, “But I’m Pinkie Pie’s knight. It’s my duty to protect my princess no matter what. So yeah, let’s do this!”

Starlight held her hand in the middle, and all three of her teammates put their hands on top of hers. Even Twilight, shockingly enough. Like she said, she hadn’t failed yet. She wasn’t going to fail this time either.

Magic was real. It was time that Pinkie Pie learned that herself.

end song

October 2nd, 2019
Tuesday
Cloudy

Daytime

Now came the tough part. Convincing Pinkie Pie to meet up with them. As usual, Pinkie Pie seemed to be avoiding them. In order to get to her, they’d have to talk to her directly. If they couldn’t get even a second with her, their plan was shot.

After English, Pinkie Pie shot up from her desk and rushed toward the door. Not this time, Starlight though.

“Pinkie Pie!” Starlight shouted running after her. Immediately she grabbed her arm stopping her, “Pinkie Pie, we need to talk.”

“I can’t talk right now…” Pinkie Pie said trembling, “I… I can’t be late for-”

play song

Starlight pushed Pinkie Pie up against a wall and cornered her, “Pinkie Pie, this is ridiculous! I’m your friend, but you’re acting like you’re afraid of me! Trixie and Rainbow Dash too! What’s going on, Pinkie Pie? What aren’t you saying to us?”

“I…” like before, Pinkie Pie’s voice seemed to vanish all of a sudden. Her eyes went wide for a second, but she then pressed herself against the wall, trembling. Starlight looked at Pinkie Pie intently, and saw her dream self before her, and she was wearing the collar.

It’s just like with Trixie. She literally can’t talk right now…

“Use your phone,” Starlight said softly, surprising Pinkie Pie, “You can text it to me.”

Pinkie Pie averted her eyes unsure, but she quickly pulled out her phone and began typing out a text before sending it to Starlight’s phone.

Fleur doesn’t want me around anyone at the dorm anymore!

“So that’s it,” Starlight said darkly, “It’s just as I thought,” she noticed that Pinkie Pie had started crying, her sobs silent yet intense, “Pinkie Pie, I’m your friend. You know that, right?” Pinkie Pie nodded vigorously, “Alright, I need you to do something for me. After school, come to the roof. There, I want you to tell me everything.”

“Fleur wants me to-”

“I don’t care what she wants right now. This is extremely important. I know you’re suffering from the Nightmare Epidemic, and I want to help you, but I can’t unless you do this for me.”

“B-but… I…”

“Don’t you trust me, Pinkie Pie?”

The way Pinkie Pie’s eyes widened said it all. Those words reached her. For a second, it looked like she was fighting with herself, but eventually she nodded and sent another text.

I’ll be there. Promise.

Starlight smiled at Pinkie Pie and caressed her cheek to comfort her. She then leaned in close to her ear and whispered the same words she whispered to Trixie.

end song

“The nightmare is almost over.”

Just like with Trixie, Pinkie Pie froze in a way that suggested she almost understood what she meant. Starlight chose that moment to walk off, letting herself become more of her witch self in the real world. She enjoyed letting herself out a bit more.

Starlight the student was fine and all, but she definitely preferred Starlight the witch.

Starlight said “the nightmare was almost over”, and she had been seeing Starlight quite a bit in her dreams as of late. Not just her, but Trixie and Dashie too. They were all dressed differently, more like anime characters.

And just now, for a split second, Starlight looked like she was wearing that same outfit.

Pinkie Pie placed a hand on her chest, looking down and trying to process what just happened. Did she know that using her phone would work? Ever since Fleur put that weird collar around her neck in the dream, whenever she spoke to her friends about anything concerning her situation, her voice gave out. Did Starlight know about that? Did she know that the phone would work? But in order for her to know about that, she’d have to be…

It’s not possible, is it…?

Starlight said she wanted to become a witch… and the way she dresses in my dream…

Could she… actually be…?

Pinkie Pie thought about what Starlight asked her to do. She needed answers. She needed to understand what was going on, and something told her that Starlight knew. Yeah, Fleur might not like it, but she had to make it to the roof. After tomorrow, she might not get the chance to ever seen them again on her terms.

She needed to live for one more day.

After School

In the end, Starlight felt it would be better for everyone to be there. As such, when she went up to the roof, she had Trixie and Rainbow Dash beside her. This almost felt like an intervention. In a way, it kind of was when Starlight thought about it.

“So… we’re actually doing this, huh?” Trixie asked, her back against the fence and her arms folded, “If anyone’s getting cold feet, now’s the time to bail out.”

“Fuck that,” Rainbow Dash said, sitting on the floor on Starlight’s other side, “I wanted to do this ages ago,” she looked up at Starlight, who like last time was looking out at the city, “Hey Leader, what happens if we don’t pull this off?”

“If we don’t succeed tonight, then Pinkie Pie will die,” Starlight said, trying to hide the fear in her voice, “We only get one shot at this.”

“No pressure, right?” Trixie asked, “Well, I know that with Starlight leading us, we can’t fail.”

“Yeah, I have faith in you too,” Rainbow Dash said confidently, “We can do this.”

Pinkie Pie stepped outside, closed the door behind her, and then gave all three of them a sweet smile. One that said “I made it.”

Starlight took a deep breath before turning to Pinkie Pie, “Thank you for coming, Pinkie Pie,” Starlight said, “I’m sorry this is so odd, but we need to tell you something. First though, understand that we’re going to ask you some difficult questions. If you need to type your answers, you can, alright?”

Pinkie Pie nodded, and pulled out her phone, walking over to them.

play song

“You said earlier that Fleur doesn’t want you around us anymore,” Starlight said, “What did you mean by that?”

Pinkie Pie looked down somberly and began typing a text on her phone, sending it to all three of their phones.

Fleur hates Ms. Tia. She says that she’s a bad influence on me, and that you’re all poisoned by her.

“Seriously? She thinks Ms. Tia is a bad influence?” Trixie asked, “Um, my grade point average would like to have a word with Fleur.”

“That woman’s a saint,” Rainbow Dash said, “Yeah, she dresses odd, but anyone who doesn’t like Ms. Tia is insane.”

Pinkie Pie nodded quickly and began typing another message.

That’s what I said too! I tried telling her that Ms. Tia is a great teacher, and that all of the students adore her, but Fleur refused to hear it! She said that if I stay at the Starswirl Dorm, I’ll become poisoned too!

“You don’t think that, do you?” Starlight asked. Pinkie Pie shook her head and sent another message before breaking down completely.

I don’t! Really! I love you guys so much! I don’t want to spend my birthday with Fleur, I want to spend it with you three, my cousin, and Ms. Tia!

“They why don’t you just do that?” Rainbow Dash said, rising up and taking Pinkie Pie’s hand gently, “You’re in control, not her. Why don’t you just do what you want to do?”

Pinkie Pie averted her eyes briefly, but began typing another message.

Because I don’t make good decisions! I make terrible decisions by myself! Fleur told me not to trust the company that was producing The Forgotten Princess, but I did it anyway, and look how that turned out!

“Oh Pinkie Pie,” Rainbow Dash said wrapping her arms around Pinkie Pie, “Who told you that you made terrible decisions? Was it Fleur who drilled that into you?”

Pinkie Pie winced before typing her response.

Not in so many words, but she told me that she’d handle all of those decisions for me so I wouldn’t have to. She said that if I trust her first and foremost, I’ll be safe in the industry.

“Hence this new contract? What’s on there, anyway?” Trixie asked.

I don’t remember it all word for word, but it basically gives Fleur absolute control over my career. Where I work, how much money I get paid, and she’d be the one to handle all legal issues for me.

“But that would mean you wouldn’t get a say in what happens at all,” Starlight said, “You’d just be her doll to play with as she sees fit. You see that, don’t you?”

Pinkie Pie, like before, fought with herself internally, but then nodded before typing another text.

I see your point, Starlight. You’re right, and I know you’re right. But I… I don’t know how to explain it, but I don’t have a choice anymore. When Fleur asks me to sign that new contract, I know I’m going to.

That was it. That was their opening. She looked to both her teammates, and silently asked them if they were on the same page. Both of them nodded in agreement.

end song

“It’s because of what’s going on in that castle, right?” Starlight asked, “That collar she put on you is taking your freedom away even now, isn’t it?”

Pinkie Pie didn’t text anything. She just slowly raised her head, looking at Starlight both in awe and terror at the same time.

“What, surprised?” Trixie asked, “You’ve seen us there a few times. Back in that fortress first. We saved you from that tree monster, and again in the village. That was where we saw the collar.”

“Don’t you remember, Pinkie Pie?” Rainbow Dash held Pinkie Pie close, caressing her cheek and gazing into her eyes, “I rescued you a bunch of times by myself before I ran into these two in your dream. After that, you started seeing me dressed like a knight, right?”

Pinkie Pie’s eyes began to water, but she quickly pulled out her phone and began typing on it.

How are you doing this? What are you?

play song

“That’s easy,” Starlight said, she and Trixie walking over to Pinkie Pie and Rainbow Dash, “We’re witches.”

“Through these rings, the three of us can use magic to enter peoples dreams and fight what we call “Shadows”,” Trixie and Starlight both held up their hands and showed their Channeling Rings, “Trust me, I know it’s hard to believe. Starlight did the same for me too when I had a Dungeon.”

Pinkie Pie looked down at Rainbow Dash’s hand, and gave a silent gasp when she saw her Channeling Ring. She then typed another message.

What’s a Dungeon?

“It’s what the Nightmare Epidemic really is,” Rainbow Dash explained, “The people who’ve died are trapped in their nightmares, just like you are right now. Eventually, when a person dies in their dream, they die in the real world too.”

“But you’re not going to die,” Starlight said placing a hand on Pinkie Pie’s shoulder, “Because tonight, the three of us are going into your dream and rescuing you.”

“Magic is real, Pinkie Pie,” Trixie said, “We’ll prove it to you by putting on a show you won’t forget.”

“I told you that I was your knight, Pinkie Pie,” Rainbow Dash said, “Don’t worry. I’m coming to rescue you.”

Pinkie Pie looked like she wanted to believe, but she quickly shook her head and began typing another text.

No! You can’t come in there! Fleur’s expecting you to try something! She’s done something weird to the castle! And I know that if you try to save me, you’ll die Dashie! I don’t want you to die!

“I don’t want you to die either!” Rainbow Dash said, “It’s a knight’s duty to protect their Princess! If I can’t do that, if I can’t save you, then I will die! I love you too much to lose you, Pinkie Pie!”

Pinkie Pie was blushing at Rainbow Dash’s words. After the longest few seconds of their lives, Pinkie Pie shocked everyone by pulling Rainbow Dash into a deep and loving kiss. At the same time, Starlight suddenly saw both of them dressed in their dream attire, which only enhanced how romantic the scene looked.

The Princess and her Knight, together once more.

“Wait for me, Princess,” Rainbow Dash said, still in her knight attire, “I’ll save you. I promise.”

It looked like Pinkie Pie wanted to say something so badly, but instead just nodded and embraced Rainbow Dash. Starlight took a deep breath to control her nerves, but felt a bit flushed as Trixie wrapped an arm around her.

“We can do this, Starlight,” she said softly, “I’ll be right there beside you.”

Starlight nodded, fighting the urge to pull Trixie in and kiss her just as deeply. Tonight was a big night. They only had one chance to win this.

They had to succeed. For both Pinkie Pie and Rainbow Dash’s sake.

Late Night

The Phase

play song

That night when Starlight entered the Akashic Records, she called a meeting briefly to discuss the rescue. After all, there was one issue they still had to deal with.

“How are we going to navigate through the castle?” Trixie asked, “If we can’t get to Pinkie Pie, we’re not rescuing her.”

“I assume the castle won’t be too much of an issue this time,” Twilight said, “That place is connected to Pinkie Pie’s cognition ultimately. So since she’s not as confused anymore, the castle shouldn’t be as confusing either.”

“And if you’re wrong?” Rainbow Dash asked.

“Pray that I’m not,” was all Twilight could say to that. Starlight took a deep breath and rose from her chair.

“We’ll cross that bridge when we get to it. For now, let’s get moving. Pinkie Pie is counting on us,”

Everyone nodded and followed Starlight to the Checkpoint.

“The spells broken!” they heard one guard shout from outside of the throne room, “Guard the Princess’ chambers! Don’t let those witches get to it!”

“Looks like you were right, Twi-Twi,” Trixie said affectionately.

“Of course I was right. I know a thing or two about cognition. And again, Twilight!”

“We’re going to have to fight a few Shadows on the way,” Starlight said, “Everyone, brace yourselves. Don’t worry about staying hidden! Just plow through!”

Everyone nodded to Starlight and followed her through the castle. It didn’t take long before they were ambushed by three Shadows standing in their way.

“Don’t even think about it, witches! We won’t let you capture the Princess!” the Shadow in the middle said.

“Wait, we’re capturing Pinkie Pie?! You assholes are the ones keeping her prisoner!” Rainbow Dash said.

“We can’t waste too much time here! Remember, if Pinkie Pie wakes up before we get to her, she’s dead!” Twilight said.

“Any ideas, Twi-Twi?” Trixie asked getting a card ready.

“It’s risky, but if the three of you split up and take different paths, we’ll split them up too! I have the entire castle map on my computer, so I can guide you all to Pinkie Pie’s room!”

“Good thinking, Twilight! Everyone, split up! We’ll meet at Pinkie Pie’s room!” Starlight commanded.

“Got it, Leader!” Rainbow Dash said running down the right hall.

“Be careful, Starlight,” Trixie urged squeezing Starlight’s hand.

“You too, Trixie,” Starlight said, returning the gesture before Trixie ran down the left hall. Two of the Shadows followed them, leaving Starlight with just one opponent, who revealed itself to be a humanoid Shadow with purple skin, wearing orange clothing, a scroll hanging from it’s neck, a white mask with a sharp nose and no eyes, and large black wings on its back.

“This target’s name is Koppa Tengu!” Twilight said, “After taking it out, head straight down that hall, and take a left at the next corner!”

Starlight nodded and held up her Channeling Ring, “MORGANA!”

Morgana manifested next to Starlight and rushed at the winged Shadow. The two fought close quarter for a bit, until Koppa Tengu flew up in the air and charged up a Garu Spell.

Shit! Just Starlight’s luck!

When the spell hit, both Starlight and Morgana rolled in separate directions out of the way. Starlight willed Morgana to cast Bufu on the Shadow, which apparently was it’s weakness as it fell to the ground.

Starlight held her scythe behind her and pulled the trigger on it, propelling herself forward toward the Shadow. She then spun in mid air slicing through the Shadow as she flew over it, landing perfectly on her feet. She wasted no time running on ahead.

“I see her! She’s over there!” another Shadow called out. She looked down the right pathway and saw four more Shadows running toward her. No time, Starlight thought as she pressed on down the left path.

Trixie found herself back in the dining hall, which suited her just fine as the room was big and there were quite a number of Shadows chasing her. This time though, she had enough room to maneuver around them though.

She ran toward the table and held up a chair to block a Shadow knight’s sword. She pushed him off her with the chair, and quickly put the chair down, only to find herself sitting in it and using a plate to block another Shadow’s attack.

“Good thing I watched that movie last night!” Trixie said, thinking of the fight scene she saw toward the climax that also took place in the dining hall. She did what the main character did, kicking the Shadow off her and rolling backward onto the table.

Another Shadow raised its sword to attack her. She gave a slightly shrill scream before rolling out of the way just in time. She then kicked to her feet and ran toward the door, jumping over their blades and throwing just about everything she could at the Shadows chasing her. They must have been getting impatient, as two of the Shadows began writhing before shifting into Jack Frosts. They charged up their magic, throwing Bufu spells at Trixie, who jumped on the chandelier above her and hung on it, swinging toward the door.

She let go and flipped in the air, throwing two cards at the Shadows at the same time knocking them off balance. When she landed, the last Shadow stood in front of her and transformed into a Nue. She held her hands forward, and fired a barrage of cards out of her sleeves, eventually knocking it on its back.

“Once you get out of there, go right! That will take you down a short cut toward Pinkie Pie’s room!”

“Thanks! Persona!” Trixie shouted, summoning Elenora and casting Maragi on the Shadows surrounding her, killing all of them instantly, “Hang on for just a little longer, Pinkie Pie! We will save you!”

Trixie ran down the hall, hoping she could reach Starlight and Rainbow Dash soon.

Rainbow Dash had managed to slice through most of her opponents before they could even take on their true forms, and thanks to Twilight’s guidance she knew she was probably the closest to Pinkie Pie’s room at the moment. Unfortunately, she got stuck in the barracks as an Apsaras as Makami held her up.

The Apsaras flew toward Rainbow Dash, and raised her leg for a drop kick. Rainbow Dash held up her sword to block the attack, but saw Makami charging up what looked like a Nuclear spell.

“Damn it! I don’t have time to play with you!” Rainbow Dash shouted pushing Apsaras off her. She managed to roll to the side away from the Frei spell, and then readied her Channeling Ring, “Come forth, Eclair Farron!”

Rainbow Dash’s Persona appeared in front of her with her blade ready. Instead of slashing at them though, she held her sword forward like a gun and began firing at the two Shadows, knocking them back to the ground. Eclair then held up her blade, casting Mazio on all of the Shadows, dispersing them. Just as she reached the door, another Shadow kicked through, turning into another Kappa Tengu.

“I said, GET OUT OF MY GODDAMN WAY!!!” Rainbow Dash screamed, electricity coursing through her body. She rushed at the Shadow screaming in rage, slashed at the Shadow a few times with her broad sword, and then sliced through it, quickly sheathing her sword causing the enemy to explode behind her.

“Twilight, where am I going now?!” Rainbow Dash asked rushing down the hall.

“Hold on, I was guiding Starlight, so I need to track you down again. And… good! Just keep heading straight! Trixie and Starlight are almost there too, so you three should arrive around the same time!”

“Thanks, Twilight!” Rainbow Dash said, continuing her sprint through the castle. Twilight might have hated being mission control, but she was definitely good at it.

Starlight and Trixie found each other first, and the two of them made it to Pinkie Pie’s room just as Rainbow Dash arrived.

“Good, we made it! How much time do you think we have?” Rainbow Dash asked Twilight.

“It’s currently twelve in the morning, so you still have time, but we need to seriously wrap this up.”

“Pinkie Pie’s in here, right?” Starlight asked.

“She is, but for some reason she’s not moving.”

“That’s concerning,” Trixie said, “Let’s hurry and get inside.”

end song

The three of them pushed through the door, which lead to a sort of fancy looking bedroom. Lying on the bed was Pinkie Pie. Her wrists were shackled together still in golden chains, she was wearing that collar around her neck, but the most concerning thing…

She was unconscious.

“Pinkie Pie!” Rainbow Dash ran over to her and began shaking her awake, oddly to no avail, “Pinkie Pie, we’re here! Please, wake up! Pinkie Pie!”

“Twilight, what’s going on here?” Starlight asked nervously.

“That’s clearly Pinkie Pie, but she seems to be under some sort of spell. I’m afraid that unless we can wake her up here, we can’t get her out of this Dungeon.”

play song

“What?! Why not?!” Trixie asked.

"It wouldn’t register in her mind. Right now, to her she’s in a state of dreamless sleep more than likely,” Twilight explained.

“How do we wake her up?!” Rainbow Dash asked frantically, “Please, Twilight! You have to know what to do!”

“I’m sorry, but… I don’t,” Twilight said reluctantly, “I don’t know if this has ever happened before…”

“This must be why Pinkie Pie was in that weird daze back at the dorm, and how she’s able to be controlled in the real world,” Starlight reasoned.

“DAMN YOU, FLEUR!!!” Rainbow Dash screamed, “I SWEAR TO GOD, I’LL FUCKING KILL YOU FOR THIS!!!”

“Rainbow Dash...” Twilight said somberly as Rainbow Dash broke down before Pinkie Pie’s bedside. Trixie lowered her hat over her eyes, and was trembling in rage herself. Starlight had no idea what to do in this situation. They were running out of time too, meaning they couldn’t afford to leave her here to find a solution. They needed to do something now, or else…

I see a chariot in your immediate path. Once you gain the aid of this chariot, the path will open to you.

Igor’s words echoed in Starlight’s mind. He said that without the aid of the chariot, they wouldn’t be able to rescue Pinkie Pie. Was this why? Sure, Pinkie Pie’s dream seemed to mirror that of a fairy tale, but… would that work in this context? She looked at both Rainbow Dash and Pinkie Pie, and suddenly came to a startling realization. This wasn’t just Pinkie Pie’s Dungeon. In fact, from the moment this started, it seemed that Rainbow Dash’s fate was intertwined with Pinkie Pie’s.

This was both Pinkie Pie and Rainbow Dash’s Dungeon…

end song

“Dash, I know what we need to do,” Starlight said, “You need to kiss Pinkie Pie.”

Rainbow Dash calmed down a bit and turned to Starlight confused, “Wait, what?”

“How is that going to-” Twilight cut herself off, “Wait a second… I see it. Yes, Starlight’s right. That probably would break the spell.”

“Igor told us that until we found The Chariot, we wouldn’t be able to rescue Pinkie Pie,” Starlight said, “You’re Persona is of the Chariot Arcana, and you were the one keeping Pinkie Pie safe from the beginning. Also, you’re her knight. Isn’t this how those stories usually end?”

“What have we got to lose, Rainbow Dash?” Trixie asked, “If what Igor said is true, then it all fits.”

Rainbow Dash looked at Pinkie Pie, and gently caressed her cheek, “You said that you didn’t need to wait for your prince charming, because you had me,” she said softly, “Well then, time to wake up, my Princess.”

Rainbow Dash leaned in slowly, and gently pressed her lips against Pinkie Pie’s, causing a bright light to engulf both of them. A second later, Pinkie Pie’s eyes fluttered open. When she saw Rainbow Dash over her, she gasped in shock.

play song

“Rise and shine, Princess,” Rainbow Dash said smiling, helping Pinkie Pie sit up “Sorry to keep you waiting.”

Pinkie Pie teared up, her eyes never leaving Rainbow Dash’s, and then fell into her embrace. Thanks to the collar she was still silenced, but her expression said it all. She was both in disbelief, but also overjoyed that they kept their promise.

“I told you the nightmare was almost over, Pinkie Pie,” Starlight said, she and Trixie walking over to them.

“According to the Shadows, we’re here to kidnap you,” Trixie said rubbing her nose with a huge grin, “Hope you don’t mind.”

Pinkie Pie shook her head smiling, and then rose up. She then looked down at her wrists in sadness, and then touched the collar around her neck, sighing hopelessly.

“Sadly we can’t do anything about that until we get you out of here,” Twilight said, her wisp appearing before them again, “I know it’s frustrating, but it’ll all be over soon.”

Apparently Pinkie Pie could now hear Twilight, since she looked a bit confused for a second, but then nodded in understanding.

play song

“So, how are we going to get her out of here?” Trixie asked, “She doesn’t have a Persona, so taking a Checkpoint is out, and the exit’s all the way back through the forest.”

“If we have to walk, we’re not going to make it in time,” Twilight said, “God, it’s just one obstacle after another with this Dungeon!”

Pinkie Pie looked down thoughtfully, but then smiled happily. She then pulled on Rainbow Dash’s arm to get her attention.

“You have an idea?” Rainbow Dash asked. Pinkie Pie nodded, and then began pulling Rainbow Dash toward the door in a manner that said “follow me”. “Alright, lead the way, Your Highness.”

Thankfully her ankles weren’t shackled together, so she could still run. She still had to raise her gown a bit as to not trip though as she guided Starlight’s team through the castle. The sight was something straight out of a fairy tale, which was something Starlight was really beginning to enjoy. She wasn’t sure if she’d tell everyone else this, but she this was actually kind of fun.

Pinkie Pie guided them to where the chariots were held. There they saw the same chariot that Fleur used before, a black horse with red eyes already hooked to it.

“Good thinking!” Rainbow Dash said, picking Pinkie Pie up and spinning around, “Whether here or in the real world, you’re just as resourceful!”

“Hurry! Before the Calvary shows up!” Trixie urged.

play song

“It’s a bit too late, Sorcière,” Shadow Fleur said. Before them, a black hole appeared and Shadow Fleur stepped out, “I can’t allow you to take the Princesse.”

“I’d love to see you try to stop us!” Rainbow Dash said standing before Pinke Pie in defense, “Pinkie Pie is coming with us!”

“Non non non, I’m afraid that isn’t how this story ends,” Shadow Fleur said straightening her glasses, “Pinkamena is my key to success. I can’t just let her leave the kingdom.”

“So you finally admit it,” Trixie seethed readying a card, “You were just using Pinkie Pie so you could get back in the business!”

Shadow Fleur laughed, “Oh, foolish enfant, you’re so determined to see me as the villain you can’t see the truth! I am helping Pinkamena. Helping to ensure she doesn’t fuck it up for both of us.”

“What…?” Starlight asked.

“In show business, one wrong move will cost you everything. I learned that the hard way. Even still, I supported Pinkamena in her endeavor, since I saw it as a means of making up for my mistake. Pinkamena has the makings to be a star, even bigger than I ever was,” Shadow Fleur narrowed her eyes, “Yet she treats acting and modeling like it’s a game! Giving money to charities, taking on roles that don’t take full advantage of all of her gifts, Pinkamena has no idea that she has an entire Kingdom’s worth of talent! So since she won’t make the right decisions, the only solution is for me to do the thinking for her!”

Pinkie Pie looked down in shame at her words.

“Oh fuck you!” Rainbow Dash spat, “You’re upset that Pinkie Pie doesn’t go about things like you did?! You get more pathetic every second!”

Shadow Fleur scowled at Rainbow Dash, “W-what?!”

“Ever think that maybe that’s a good thing?” Trixie asked, “No offense, but you weren’t exactly the most successful person in show business either.”

“NON!!! IT WASN’T MY FAULT!!!” Shadow Fleur screamed, tears of rage falling from her eyes, “THOSE IDIOTS WOULDN’T KNOW TALENT IF IT SLAPPED THEM IN THE FACE!!!” she gave a chilling laugh, “But with Pinkamena, I’ll show them! Once I finish grooming her into the perfect celebrity, everyone will see that I, Fleur de Lis, was truly a genius!” she held out her hand, “Now viens, Pinkamena! Leave those enfants and return to my side!”

Pinkie Pie hid behind Rainbow Dash and looked to the ground, a look of uncertainty on her face.

“Don’t you trust me, Pinkamena?” Shadow Fleur asked gently, “I’ll never lead you astray, you know that, don’t you?”

“Think about what happened at school, Pinkie Pie!” Starlight said, catching her attention, “Who are you going to trust more? The woman who put you in this situation, or the friends who came to get you out?”

Starlight’s words seemed to reach Pinkie Pie, because she responded by shaking her head at Fleur and holding onto Rainbow Dash’s arm as tightly as she could.

“Pinkamena… you can’t be serious…” Shadow Fleur said in disbelief, “You would… choose them over… me?”

“Pinkie Pie is her own person, meaning she’s free to make her own decisions!” Trixie said tightening her fist, “You’re just like Blueblood…! Taking advantage of someone else because you can’t face how disgusting you are on the inside…! I hate people like you!”

“Around you, or through you, it’s all the same to me!” Rainbow Dash said, holding her sword forward, “Either way, I’m not letting you take advantage of Pinkie Pie anymore!”

Shadow Fleur looked down, laughing softly to herself. Her chilling laugh soon became loud and maniacal, a crazed expression appeared on her face as a black aura engulfed her, “Go though me?! Oh you foolish chevalier! Don’t you remember?! I’M INTOUCHABLE!!!”

She screamed in rage as was engulfed in darkness, forcing Starlight and her friends to cover their eyes. When they looked where Fleur was, they saw a truly grotesque sight. She had become what looked like a large demonic bird, but it’s entire body was just a skeleton. It wore tattered robes, and had demonic red eyes. The gigantic bird based Shadow landed in front of them and gave a loud, enraged screech.

Pinkie Pie looked at Shadow Fleur’s terrifying new form, but then closed her eyes in fear holding onto Rainbow Dash’s jacket tightly.

“Don’t worry, Pinkie Pie. I promised I’d get you out of here, and I don’t ever go back on my word,” Rainbow Dash said softly, “Leader, Trixie, you two ready for this?!”

“This is what I’ve been waiting for!” Trixie said, she and Starlight getting in their fighting stances, “Let’s end this!”

play song

“YOU WON’T ESCAPE!!!” Shadow Fleur screamed flying toward them as if to tackle them. The four of them scattered, causing her to fly into a wall, shattering it.

“We can’t actually hurt her!” Twilight cried, “Get in the chariot and get Pinkie Pie to the exit! Maybe if we get her to the door, we won’t have to worry about Fleur!”

“Got it!” Rainbow Dash pulled Pinkie Pie toward the chariot and lifted her onto the seat behind the horse before sitting next to her, “Hey, could you two keep her off us?”

“I think we can manage that!” Trixie said, she and Starlight running onto the chariot and jumping on the roof. Rainbow Dash took the reins and ordered the horse to go, and it took off at high speed. Starlight was thankful this was just a dream, otherwise this wouldn’t have worked at all.

“GET BACK HERE!!!” Shadow Fleur shouted. Behind them, the castle walls exploded, and Fleur flew after their chariot. Seeing her in the distance flying after them was truly terrifying, especially with her keeping up with them as they rode through the village.

“SHIKI-OUJI!” Starlight shouted switching Personas. She willed Shiki-Ouji to hold out his arms, and he began firing at Shadow Fleur with his gun based spells. The attacks seemed to at least distract her if her bird like screech was anything to go by, but she didn’t seem to be taking any damage.

“Persona!” Trixie shouted, summoning Elenora and casting Sukukaja on Starlight, and then firing Agi spells at the demonic bird. Shadow Fleur took those attacks head on, but then flew into the air above them and charged up a powerful looking spell. She spread her wings giving another loud screech, and then ground around them began exploding.

“WHOA!!!” Rainbow Dash cried trying to dodge the attacks, “You two okay back there?”

“We’re fine! What about you and Pinkie Pie?” Starlight asked.

“Pinkie Pie’s okay, a bit shaken up though,” Rainbow Dash said turning to her charge, “Just hang on, okay Pinkie Pie?”

Pinkie Pie nodded, holding onto Rainbow Dash as tightly as she could.

Shadow Fleur flew down next to the chariot, and looked like she was about to start pecking at it.

“MORGANA!!!” Starlight shouted, switching back to her default Persona. She and Elenora both kicked Fleur back, and then threw Ice and Fire magic at Fleur as she flew around them. Thankfully they managed to get into the forest.

“I think you’re about a third of the way to the exit!” Twilight said, “Be careful going through the trees!”

“I’ve played enough video games with this exact same scenario to know what to do!” Rainbow Dash said, “Just keep attacking her when she gets close!”

“If I were watching this on a movie, this would be a great climax!” Trixie said summoning Elenora again, “Living it is another story though!”

She threw another barrage of fireballs at the Shadow, but she was too fast to hit, and now she was using the trees as a means of blocking their attacks.

“Leave it to me!” Starlight said, summoning Morgana and casting Sukunda on the flying Shadow, which seemed to slow her down a good deal, “That should help on two fronts!”

“I’m seeing the cabin up ahead!” Rainbow Dash called back, “That’s the halfway point!”

“You won’t get any further!” Shadow Fleur shouted, flying overhead and charging up another spell. This time large lightning bolts rained down on top of them. Rainbow Dash managed to dodge most of them, but the last one managed to hit the back of the chariot, knocking it off balance a bit. Pinkie Pie held onto Rainbow Dash for dear life, pressing herself against her actually crying.

“I know, Pinkie Pie! I’m sorry this is so terrifying, but we’re almost home free!” Rainbow Dash said, “Just hold onto me, and everything will be okay!”

Shadow Fleur flew down in front of the chariot this time, her entire body glowing as she prepared to attack them again.

“Give her everything you’ve got!” Starlight said slamming her scythe down in front of her, pointing the gun at Fleur as Morgana appeared with her chest open and her gun pointed forward, “We can’t let this hit us!”

“Right!” Trixie said holding out her hands as Elenora appeared next to Morgana with two fire balls in her hands. All four of them attacked Fleur with their projectiles, which after a second seemed to distract Fleur enough to send her flying back away from them. She then flew straight into the sky, this time vanishing.

“What’s she doing?” Trixie asked looking up?

“I don’t know, but you should be approaching the exit!” Twilight said.

“I see it!” Rainbow Dash said, spotting the white door in the distance, “See that, Pinkie Pie? That’s the way out!”

Pinkie Pie nodded and hugged Rainbow Dash’s arm lovingly. Starlight sighed in relief, as it seemed they were home free. Twilight’s sudden gasp screamed otherwise though.

“RAINBOW DASH, DODGE!!! FLEUR’S ABOUT TO ATTACK!!!”

Rainbow Dash reacted to late however, as Shadow Fleur dived downward, knocking the chariot off balance completely, sending everyone flying out of the chariot.

play song

Thankfully they all landed on the ground together, but their chariot was totaled. That wouldn’t have been a problem, except they were still a bit away from the door. Just as they were starting to get up, Shadow Fleur landed right in between them and the door, which was promptly locked in red chains just like with Trixie’s Dungeon.

“This has been cute, but playtime’s over!” Shadow Fleur said looming over them, “Pinkamena is coming back with me!”

“Like… HELL SHE IS!!!” Rainbow Dash screamed rising to her feet and summoning Eclair, “Screw you and your invincibility!”

Rainbow Dash cast Zio on Shadow Fleur, but the attack was stopped by an invisible barrier just like before. Shadow Fleur laughed arrogantly in response.

“I keep telling you, I’m intouchable!” Shadow Fleur taunted, “Try all you want, you won’t defeat me!”

“Oh shut your beak, you overgrown buzzard!” Trixie shouted, casting Agi repeatedly, also running into the same problem, “Damn it! How do we get past that barrier?!”

Starlight jumped in the air, and then shot at the ground to propel herself higher. She then summoned Morgana, and the two of them came down at the same time slashing at Shadow Fleur, only to be stopped cold by the same barrier.

“No one can stop me from doing what I want!” Shadow Fleur shouted, pushing Starlight and Morgana back with her wing, “No one, let alone a group of insignificant les enfants can oppose me!”

Shadow Fleur spread her wings again, and cast another area of affect spell, this time causing the ground to explode around them like in the village. Everyone fell back onto the ground, taking massive damage from that attack.

“It’s time I ended this story once and for all!” Shadow Fleur shouted, “Once I finish with you, I’ll make sure no one touches my Pinkamena ever again!”

“I… won’t let you…!” Rainbow Dash said, slowly rising to her feet and pointing her sword forward. Based on her expression, she was barely standing, and practically unconscious herself, “I’m… Pinkie Pie’s… knight…! You will… not keep my princess… a prisoner here… anymore!”

Pinkie Pie looked around her and saw Starlight and Trixie rise to their feet too. They summoned those flaming ghosts again (they kept calling them “Personas”?) and started attacking Shadow Fleur again, but as always it was no use. Shadow Fleur’s barrier kept their attacks from reaching her.

She tried to scream for them to stop, but the collar tightened around her throat, stopping her from speaking. Instead she had to watch as they were knocked back to the ground by another large attack from the monstrous bird before them. This time, they screamed even louder than before, and actually didn’t move for a split second.

No! You can’t be dead! Please get up!

“Don’t you remember what I told you before?” Shadow Fleur said, “The chevalier always dies at the end of the story!”

“What… stupid fairy tales… did you read…?” Trixie asked forcing herself to her feet and holding a single card ready, “Cause last time I checked… the knight lives happily ever after… with the princess…!”

“FOOLS!!! You’re all fighting a losing battle! The three of you can barely stand! What can you possibly do?!”

“Shut… your goddamn… mouth….!” Rainbow Dash breathed out rising to her feet and pointing her blade forward, “I’m… not going to… LOSE!!!”

Starlight used her scythe as a support, staggered forward, and then held her arms forward in a manner to protect Pinkie Pie. Pinkie Pie shook her head frantically, wishing so badly she could speak.

Please… no more! Just stop this! You can’t beat her! No one can beat her!

I… I don’t want you to die! Not for me!

“Then I suppose I’ll just have to keep knocking you down until you stay down!” Shadow Fleur said, casting another area wide spell, this time creating a large green tornado that knocked all three witches back. Pinkie Pie ran over to them, kneeling before Rainbow Dash and began shaking her frantically.

end song

No… No! NO!!!

YOU CAN’T DIE!!! PLEASE DASHIE, GET UP!!!

Please…!

Pinkie Pie broke down into heavy sobs, crying into Rainbow Dash’s chest as she heard Shadow Fleur’s heavy footsteps slowly approach them. This was exactly what she was afraid of! She was powerless to stop Fleur! Here, she was just a helpless damsel! A princess with no real strength of her own! Without someone guiding her, she couldn’t do anything!

And now, thanks to her stupid decision, her friends were about to die! It’s just like before! She never made the right decision!

play song

“Pinkamena, I don’t want to hurt you,” Shadow Fleur said softly, “Stand aside. Let me end this, and then I can return you to the castle.”

Pinkie Pie shook her head vehemently.

“Pinkamena, don’t be foolish!” Shadow Fleur shouted, “I’m trying to protect you! Don’t you see? I’m turning the Kingdom into something that can keep you safe for all eternity! Those witches are standing in your way! They’re distracting you from what’s important!”

Pinkie Pie shook her head again, gripping Rainbow Dash’s jacket tightly as she continued to sob silently, yet heavily.

“I’m not joking, Pinkamena! Get out of my way!”

“Pinkie Pie, don’t listen to her!” Twilight urged, “She can’t attack as long as you stand right there! You have so much more power than you think! Look within! It’s right there! You can end this right now!”

Pinkie Pie knew that the second she did as Fleur asked, she’d kill Starlight, Trixie, and Rainbow Dash. But what did Twilight mean by that? She could end this? But she was nothing more than a helpless damsel in distress! There was nothing she could do! She didn’t have any power!

end song

No, Pinkie Pie, that girl is right.

You have so much more power than you realize.

Pinkie Pie looked around. She heard a voice. Soft, gentle, kind of like hers, but with more strength behind her words.

Remember, there are two kinds of Princesses.

The kind that are protected by the Kingdom, and the kind that fight for the Kingdom.

What sort of Princess do you want to be, Pinkie Pie?

Pinkie Pie tried to speak again, but the collar stopped her. But maybe… if this voice was in her head, they could…

I want to protect my friends…! But I… I can’t! I’m scared!

Shh… Shh… It’s okay, honey. I understand.

I know you’re afraid. Standing alone is the most terrifying thing in the world.

But if you don’t act now, you truly will be alone.

You must be strong, Pinkie Pie! Your friends need you!

Your Knight needs you!

Pinkie Pie looked down at Rainbow Dash, and noticed that she was thankfully still breathing. All of her friends were. They were alive, but if she ran away now…

Don’t give up yet, Pinkie Pie. There is still something you can do.

Something ONLY you can do.

Something… only I can do…

As those words echoed in her mind, she felt her temperature rise, almost to a fever pitch.

If you make a mistake, that’s okay! Your friends will be there to help you!

They will lift you up, and support you like always!

But if you don’t stand up for yourself now, then you’ll lose everything that you care about!

Will you help me?

Whoever was speaking to her, they giggled. It was a pleasant sound, one that almost felt like it came from her own heart.

Of course I’ll help you. I’ll always be by your side.

Right here, always.

Suddenly, Pinkie Pie felt something in her chest. Her heart felt elated. That voice, it was the voice of her heart. She was speaking… to herself! When she realized that, her temperature rose even higher, so much she felt like she’d explode. All of a sudden, she knew she could do this. She was still afraid, but she didn’t feel like the fear could stop her.

“I won’t ask you again, Pinkamana! Stand aside, NOW!” Shadow Fleur commanded.

play song

“No.”

Shadow Fleur stepped back in shock, “W-what…? How are you speaking…? My collar should-”

“You don’t have… any real power over me…!” Pinkie Pie said, rising to her feet and walking toward Fleur, “I get it now. My friends kept trying to tell me… I was the one allowing this to happen. I let you control my Kingdom, but now I’m taking both my Kingdom, and my life back!”

As she spoke, the heat melted the shackles, letting her wrists free. Pinkie Pie then reached for the collar, and gripped it so hard that it shattered, before she tossed the remains aside.

You know what to do now, Pinkie Pie!

Say the words, and become your true self!

Pinkie Pie nodded, and held up her hand saying the first thing that came to mind, “MOON PRISM POWER!!! MAKE UP!!!”

She was then engulfed in an intense flame, one that knocked Fleur far back. Behind her, Rainbow Dash, Starlight, and Trixie slowly rose to their knees and looked at Pinkie Pie in awe.

“I don’t believe it,” Twilight said relieved, “That actually worked!”

Inside the flame, all of Pinkie Pie’s clothes and undergarments burned away. The flames then gathered around her body, converging into a tight white sailor styled top with a blue collar, a red bow in front of her breasts, and a golden broach in the center of the bow. She then raised her arms above her in a cross, and the flames converged into long white gloves that were red at the ends. More flames converged around her feet, forming both red high heeled boots with a crescent moon on the front, and at the same time an extremely short blue skirt. Pinkie Pie looked up, and on her forehead a small ember appeared, growing to form a golden tiara with a crescent moon on the front. Red lipstick appeared on her lips, silver earrings shaped like crescent moons formed dangling from her ears, and around her neck appeared a red choker with the same crescent moon symbol in the center. A Channeling Ring appeared on her finger, and to end the transformation, Pinkie Pie spun around and did a powerful yet somewhat sexy pose, holding one hand to her hip and another close to her forehead.

As the flames dispersed, everyone was in awe of Pinkie Pie’s new form. What really surprised them however was what formed from the flames behind her. Her Persona took form as a humanoid white bunny rabbit, with long bunny ears that fell down behind her almost like hair. She was wearing a short, red and blue armored dress, armored red gloves and red and golden high heels. The Persona’s eyes were red, her expression was a confident smile that seemed both noble and impish at the same time, and floating behind her head was a golden crescent moon.

“Thou art I, and I am thou! I am Serenity, warrior princess of love and justice! Pinkie Pie is my friend, and I will protect her along with all those she holds dear!”

“Fleur de Lis! You hurt my friends, took advantage of my career, and tried to make me your puppet! For that I can’t forgive you! In the name of the moon,” Pinkie Pie proclaimed, doing an oddly choreographed and fancy pointing motion that her Persona mirrored perfectly behind her, “I’LL PUNISH YOU!!!”

play song

“You dare talk back to me?!” Shadow Fleur shouted, “Perhaps it’s you who needs to be punished!”

Fleur tried to peck at Pinkie Pie with her beak, but she jumped high into the air, doing an impressive back flip before landing right in front of her friends. She then held her hands together as if praying and closed her eyes.

“Serenity, please heal my friends!” Pinkie Pie pleaded. Serenity manifested behind Pinkie Pie and did a fancy one legged spin, raising her other leg like a ballerina. As she spun around, a healing wave engulfed everyone, healing their wounds.

“Hey… the pain’s going,” Trixie noted rising to her feet.

“Pinkie Pie’s Persona, is a healer?” Starlight asked in awe. Rainbow Dash rose to her feet and looked at Pinkie Pie, blushing a bit like Pinkie Pie did earlier when they kissed.

“Wow…” Rainbow Dash breathed out, “She’s so beautiful…”

“Everyone, I’ll take down her barrier!” Pinkie Pie said bracing herself, “Once it’s down, let’s bombard her with everything we have!”

Starlight nodded, “We’ll follow your lead here, Pinkie Pie!”

“Come, Serenity!” Pinkie Pie called out summoning her Persona, and this time pointing forward, “Go!”

Serenity ran toward Shadow Fleur really quickly despite wearing high heels. Shadow Fleur tried to attack the white rabbit Persona, but she was too quick, jumping and flipping out of the way. She then jumped high into the air, landing on Shadow Fleur’s back, and proceeded to stomp on the barrier continuously until it broke. As the Persona vanished, Shadow Fleur let out a pained yell and fell to the floor.

“And we couldn’t do that because…?” Trixie asked, waiting for someone to answer her.

“This is Pinkie Pie’s nightmare. She was the one who gave Fleur all of that power, so only she could take it away,” Twilight said.

“Thank you, by the way,” Pinkie Pie said to Twilight, “Your words really got to me.”

“D-don’t mention it, Pinkie Pie,” Twilight said, probably blushing a bit from behind her terminal.

“All Out Attack!” Starlight commanded, “Before she gets up!”

Everyone got their weapons ready, which for Pinkie Pie meant summoning what appeared to be a pink scepter with a crescent moon on top, and spinning it above her before pointing it forward. Everyone rushed at Shadow Fleur attacking with everything they had. For Pinkie Pie, she stayed back with Trixie, raising her scepter and casting a spell of some sort, which sent sharp white beams of light down from the sky piercing Fleur.

“What…? How is this possible…?!” Fleur asked when the attack ended, “I… I’m intouchable…!”

“Let’s test that!” Rainbow Dash shouted raising her ring and blade, “Come forth, my inner self!” Eclair Farron appeared in front of Rainbow Dash, and both of them raised their blades to the sky. Both knight and her Persona then began slashing wildly at Shadow Fleur, apparently doing massive damage and knocking her back deeper into the forest, “What was that about being “intouchable”?” Rainbow Dash asked mockingly, Pinkie Pie giggling beside her.

God everyone missed that sound.

“My turn!” Trixie shouted running forward with a full hand of cards ready. She jumped on a tree, and kicked off it jumping over Fleur, throwing all the cards down and piercing her body, doing a surprising amount of damage if her screams were any indication. She then summoned Elenora, and while she charged up Agi, Trixie turned her back to Fleur and snapped her finger. The cards still inside of her exploded into flames at the same time Elenora unleashed her spell.

“Stop this! Stop this you annoying brats!” Shadow Fleur demanded. She then charged up another spell.

“Everyone, defend!” Starlight commanded, “Pinkie Pie, get ready to heal us!”

“Got it, Starlight!” Pinkie Pie said. Everyone took defensive stances, so when Shadow Fleur cast her spell and made the ground explode around them, they weren’t hurt as bad as before. Immediately, Pinkie Pie closed her eyes and held her hands together prayerfully, “Help us, Serenity!”

Like before, Serenity appeared behind Pinkie Pie and spun around elegantly like a top, casting that mass healing spell on everyone. The name “Media” came to Starlight’s mind when she thought about it.

Fleur gave an odd screech, and what looked like a new barrier appeared around her.

“Not this time!” Pinkie Pie said, “You don’t get to be untouchable anymore!” She summoned Serenity and pointed forward like before. This time Serenity ran toward Fleur and began punching at the barrier continuously, eventually punching through the barrier, knocking Fleur to the ground again, “Starlight, use yours to finish this!”

Starlight nodded and readied her Channeling Ring, “MORGANA!” she shouted, Morgana appearing beside her. The two of them rushed at Shadow Fleur and slashed her together, as always coordinating their attacks perfectly. Their combo ended this time with both of them jumping away from Shadow Fleur before charging past, forming an X as the slashed her.

“NON!!! THIS CAN’T BE!!!” Shadow Fleur cried helplessly as her empowered form dispersed, leaving her in her smaller, weaker, human form.

play song

Starlight raised her scythe and breathed out in relief, she then turned to Pinkie Pie, who was looking at her hands in awe.

“I can’t believe it…” Pinkie Pie said, “I did it. I really became a Magical Girl! Dashie, look! I became-” she cut herself off when she saw Rainbow Dash, who was looking down gripping her blade tightly, “D-Dashie…?”

“Hey, we did it,” Trixie said walking over to Rainbow Dash, “We won.”

“No,” Rainbow Dash said, voice low and filled with hatred, “I still have one more thing to do…”

“One more thing to…” Trixie asked as Rainbow Dash began walking toward Shadow Fleur, “Dash, what are you doing?”

play song

Shadow Fleur slowly rose to her knees and shook her head. When she looked up, she saw Rainbow Dash staring down at her, her expression devoid of all emotion. It was so terrifying that Shadow Fleur backed away from Rainbow Dash in fear.

“W-what are you doing…?” Shadow Fleur asked.

“Making sure you never touch Pinkie Pie again…” Rainbow Dash said, gripping her sword as electricity flowed through the blade.

“Whoa whoa whoa! Rainbow Dash, you know what’ll happen if we kill her Shadow, don’t you?!”

“Oh, I do,” Rainbow Dash seethed, voice so low and terrifying that she barely sounded human, “She tried to kill Pinkie Pie. Besides, it’s not like anyone would know, right?”

“We would know!”Trixie cried, “Dash, we came here to save Pinkie Pie, not kill Fleur!”

“I AM SAVING PINKIE PIE!!!” Rainbow Dash screamed, tears falling down her cheeks, “Pinkie Pie doesn’t deserve to suffer like this…! She never hurt anyone…! But this bitch… she tried to take advantage of Pinkie Pie… and damn near killed her… all because she couldn’t face how disgusting and ugly she was…!” Rainbow Dash raised her blade, “Too bad for her, I faced myself! I know exactly what kind of person I am! And for the sake of my Princess…! For the sake of Pinkie Pie…! I’m going… TO RIP HER APART!!!”

“Je t’en prie, non…!”Shadow Fleur begged, backing up against a tree, “I… I’m sorry…! I know it was wrong…! D-don’t kill me…!”

“It’s too late for that…!” Rainbow Dash seethed walking toward Fleur, “I’m going to make sure that you never hurt Pinkie Pie… ever again…!”

“I… I’ll let her stay at the Dorm!” Shadow Fleur cried, “I’ll let Pinkie Pie handle her career how she wants to! She can even spend her birthday with you!” Rainbow Dash loomed over her, again raising her sword, “DON’T KILL ME!!! I DON’T WANT TO DIE!!!”

“Starlight, we have to stop her!” Trixie cried. Starlight knew that she needed to, but for some reason… she couldn’t bring herself to. Pinkie Pie was her friend too, and she remembered how badly she wanted to kill Blueblood for what he did to Trixie.

“I…” Starlight averted her eyes, unsure of what to do right now.

Pinkie Pie on the other hand, ran over to Rainbow Dash, and just as she was about to lower her blade, embraced her tightly, stopping her.

“P-Pinkie Pie…?” Rainbow Dash asked.

play song

“Don’t do this, Dashie, please,” Pinkie Pie pleaded, “You’re not a killer.”

“She… almost killed you, Pinkie Pie,” Rainbow Dash said trembling, “I can’t forgive her for that…! Because of her… I almost lost you…!” Rainbow Dash closed her eyes tightly, trying to stop from breaking down, “It was just like before with my Mom! I couldn’t do anything but watch as she suffered, all the way until she died! I couldn’t even convince my Father to pay for her surgery! I swore, that I wouldn’t ever be weak like that again! And that I wouldn’t let anyone else that I loved die!”

“And you succeeded,” Pinkie Pie said turning Rainbow Dash around to face her and holding her cheeks lovingly, “I’m right here, Dashie. I’m alive, and that’s thanks to Starlight, Trixie, your other friend I still don’t know the name of-”

“Twilight, by the way.”

“And you, my beloved knight,” Pinkie Pie looked into Rainbow Dash’s eyes lovingly, shedding a few tears herself, “Don’t become a killer for my sake. Your Mother wouldn’t want that, and neither do I.”

Rainbow Dash dropped her sword, completely breaking down before everyone. Pinkie Pie held her tightly as she cried, a gesture so loving that not even Starlight could hold back her tears. She really was a loving person.

“Pinkamena… can you ever forgive me…?” Shadow Fleur asked.

“I don’t know yet,” Pinkie Pie said, “You’re still my Godmother, and I don’t believe you’re a bad person, but you did hurt me, Fleur. I don’t know how much of this you’ll remember when we wake up, but I do want to talk about a few things when I do.”

Shadow Fleur nodded, “I’ll reunite with my other self, and I’ll let her know all of this. Thank you, Pinkamena, for your mercy.”

Pinkie Pie nodded to Fleur sadly, watching as she faded away in a white light.

“W-what happened to her?” Trixie asked.

“She returned to the real Fleur,” Twilight explained, “Even if she won’t remember any of this, when Fleur wakes up she’s going to be a completely different person. You could say, Pinkie Pie healed Fleur.”

“Well what do you know?” Trixie said smiling at Pinkie Pie, “A healer in every sense of the word.”

“Pinkie Pie, I’m sorry,” Rainbow Dash said once she calmed down enough, “I… I almost-”

“Shh, none of that,” Pinkie Pie said, “All is well now. Thank you so much,” she turned to everyone, “All of you, thank you for not giving up on me. Even when I gave up on myself.”

“True friends never give up on you,” Starlight said smiling.

“You guys,” Pinkie Pie smiled at them, but then began breathing heavily, “You guys are… the greatest…” and just like that, Pinkie Pie fainted.

“Whoa!” Rainbow Dash caught her just in time, smiling when she noticed that Pinkie Pie was completely out, “Poor thing tired herself out. Hey, if I take her back to the Library and remove her ring, she’ll return to her body, right?”

“Yes. Doesn’t matter if she takes it off or someone else does. She’ll wake up when she normally would,” Twilight explained.

“Good,” Rainbow Dash said, carrying Pinkie Pie bridal style as she rose to her feet, “I’m gonna make sure Pinkie Pie gets back home and then get some rest. I think, I’m gonna sleep well.”

“We’ll see you in the morning, Dash,” Trixie said. Rainbow Dash pushed the door open, and exited the Dungeon with Pinkie Pie in her arms.

Starlight looked down at her Channeling Ring, a feeling of uncertainty in her heart. She was happy that Pinkie Pie was saved, and Fleur living should have made her feel great too. But… why didn’t it? Why couldn’t she stop Rainbow Dash?

“Hey, Starlight?” Trixie asked, “Earlier, when Rainbow Dash was going to kill Fleur, were you willing to…”

“I… don’t know how to answer that,” Starlight admitted, “I know it’s wrong, but…”

Trixie walked over to Starlight and hugged her, “Let’s head back to the real world, and forget all about this horrible place, okay?”

Starlight nodded, and followed Trixie through the door. As no one was left to have the dream, the Dungeon completely broke apart, vanishing in a white light.

end song

As the door vanished, and the last two left the Akashic Records, a lone figure sat on a higher floor watching them leave. Said figure had fiery red hair, and wore a sexy red dress that was high cut on both sides.

“So, that’s the Trickster, huh?” she said folding her arms, “I don’t get it. What kind of witch uses her magic to heal people like that?”

Author's Note

Since the party is now complete, I'm going to take this time to put up basic stats for everyone's Personas (default for Starlight)

Starlight Glimmer
Persona: Morgana (based on Morgan le Fey from King Arthur)
Arcana: The Fool
Strengths: Ice and Physical Attacks
Weakness: Wind and Light

Beatrix Lulamoon
Persona: Elenora (from the book Elenora Mandragora: Daughter of Merlin)
Arcana: The Magician
Strengths: Fire and Darkness
Weakness: Ice

Rainbow Dash
Persona: Eclair Farron (based off Lightning from Final Fantasy XIII)
Arcana: The Chariot
Strengths: Electricity and Blade
Weakness: Nuclear

Pinkamena Diane Pie
Persona: Serenity (based off Sailor Moon)
Arcana: The Lovers
Strengths: Healing and Stat augmentation
Weakness: Darkness

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10/3

October 3rd, 2019
Wednesday
Sunny

Morning

When Starlight and Trixie came downstairs, they saw Celestia and Rainbow Dash on the couch together. Rainbow Dash was on her cellphone, and both she and Celestia seemed to be in a good mood.

“Alright, I’ll let them know,” Rainbow Dash said, “You should get some more rest. Uh huh. Yeah, we’ll see you after school,” whatever was said to her made Rainbow Dash blush, “L-love you too, Pinkie Pie. See you later,” she hung up and held her phone to her chest, “It’s been way too long since I heard her sound that happy.”

“You did a wonderful job, Rainbow Dash,” Celestia said wrapping an arm around her, “I’m so proud of you.”

“Even though I almost… well, you know?” Rainbow Dash asked looking down. Celestia lifted her chin and gave her a truly maternal smile.

“The important thing is that you didn’t see it through, Rainbow Dash. Besides, I don’t know if even I would have been able to stop myself from hurting Fleur,” Celestia explained looking to the side somberly.

“I take it there’s good news?” Trixie asked as she and Starlight walked over to them.

“Great news!” Rainbow Dash shot up and walked over to her friends, “Pinkie Pie’s voice came back!”

play song

“Seriously?!” Trixie cried happily, “Then… that means…”

“You did it,” Celestia said walking over to her students, “Pinkie Pie’s Dungeon is gone, and she’s free from the Shadows.”

“Yes!” Trixie cheered, “Starlight, we won! We actually won!”

Starlight nodded, just as overjoyed as everyone else there. This was only her second Dungeon cleared, and back then she felt exuberant. Somehow though, having Rainbow Dash and Trixie just as happy beside her made this feel even better.

“Starlight, Trixie, Ms. Tia, thank you so much,” Rainbow Dash said, “I… I almost lost my best friend. If you hadn’t been there with me…”

“I can say the same for you,” Starlight said, “We couldn’t have done this without you.”

“Besides, after last night, it’s pretty clear you’re a lot more than “best friends”,” Trixie said wagging her eyebrows, but then looked deadpanned, “Unless you two got too embarrassed and decided to do the whole “let’s not talk about last night” thing.”

“N-no, we’re not doing that,” Rainbow Dash blushed, “Pinkie Pie made her feeling perfectly clear when I spoke to her on the phone. Some of the things she said were um,” she coughed in embarrassment, “Let’s just say having Ms. Tia right next to me when she said that was really embarrassing…”

Starlight looked to Ms. Tia, who’s face was also bright red with embarrassment. Starlight was curious as to what Pinkie Pie said, but part of her didn’t want to know at the same time.

“Daaaaamn Dashie,” Trixie said, visibly proud, “Sounds like you made it past first, second, and third base all in one night,” she held her hand up, “Up top!”

“L-LULAMOON!!!” Rainbow Dash cried, which made Trixie laugh loudly, “Geez, I wonder who has the dirtier mind, Pinkie Pie or you.”

“There’s no contest,” Trixie said shrugging, “I already won.”

Celestia cleared her throat loudly to catch everyone’s attention, “In any event, tonight we’re also going to be telling Pinkie Pie about our operations, after the party, of course.”

“There’s a party?” Starlight asked.

“Well, it’s going to be a bit last minute, but Pinkie Pie’s decided she’s going to have her party here at the dorm,” Celestia explained, “I think I can throw together a cake for such an occasion.”

Starlight was so curious as to what a birthday cake made by Celestia would be like. If it was anything like the other food she made, Starlight was in for a big surprise.

“I hate to be the one to bring up the elephant in the room, but what about “you-know-who”?” Trixie asked.

“Oh yeah, that’s another thing,” Rainbow Dash said, “Pinkie Pie wants us all to come to her place after school. Both to pick her up, and because apparently Fleur wants to tell us something.”

“Wait, does she remember last night?” Starlight asked.

“I doubt it,” Celestia said, “However, the cognitive world she projected her insecurities onto is gone, and her Shadow merged with her true self again. If it’s anything like with Joker’s team, she’s probably done a complete 180 and had a change of heart.”

“According to Pinkie Pie, Fleur asked us to come by,” Rainbow Dash said folding her arms, “I still hate that woman’s guts, though.”

“I’ll believe that she’s had a change of heart once I see it with my own two eyes,” Trixie said, “I know what I said in the Dungeon, but now that I’m awake, I wonder just how different she’ll be.”

“We’ll worry about that when we see her,” Celestia said, “For now, we need to get ready for class. Breakfast is already in the dining room, so eat up, my children.”

Everyone began walking to the dining room. Breakfast today promised to be a happy occasion, even if Pinkie Pie wasn’t there.

play song

“Starlight,” Celestia said stopping her, “You did a wonderful job.”

“Thank you,” Starlight said blushing a bit, “I… I’m happy you’re proud of me.”

Celestia walked over to Starlight and embraced her, “As long as you’re living your dream, I’m always proud of you. The important thing is for you to be proud of yourself. You’ve done something magnificent, Starlight.”

Starlight returned the embrace, as always somehow feeling like she was hugging her mother. She could almost hear her mother saying those words to her. She tightened the embrace, feeling even closer to her homeroom teacher. She felt as if their bond became significantly stronger.

Starlight and Celestia joined Trixie and Rainbow Dash in the dining room. As usual, Celestia didn’t eat anything, and Starlight was curious about that. She just assumed she already ate. She did make the meal after all.

That made sense… right?

Afternoon

play song

“Ugh! Who does he think he is, anyway?!” Ms. Cheerilee whined, “He really thinks I’d take him back after he dumped me for that big breasted bimbo?! First of all, I’m a lot more fun than she is. The things I was willing to do in-” she cut herself off blushing, remembering that she was in class. She cleared her throat and tried to look serious, well as serious as she could dressed like a cheerleader, “In any case, always remember that when it comes to who you end up dating, chemistry is what’s important. He could look like Casanova or Adonis, but have the emotional sensitivity of a spoon,” she placed a hand on her chest and sighed sadly, “Why can’t I find Mr. Right?”

“How did we get on this topic again?” Trixie asked Starlight, “I’m pretty sure we were going over Newton’s Laws of Motion.”

Starlight shrugged her shoulders. This was par for the course in Science, sadly. Starlight debated on dozing off a bit, but opted against it, if for no other reason that to see where this lecture went.

“And as for anyone interested in women; boys, lesbians, or bisexuals, also remember that looks aren’t everything,” Cheerilee continued, “What’s important aren’t how big her tits are, or how filthy she’s willing to be in bed. What’s important is what’s in the heart,” she walked over to one boy’s desk in the front and slammed her hands on his desk, “You understand, right?”

“A-a-absolutely, Ms. Cheerilee!” the poor student said, sweating buckets as Cheerilee loomed over him. Starlight and Trixie couldn’t help but giggle at that. Had nothing to do with science, but it was still a good lecture, and Starlight felt a bit more intelligent by the end of class.

After school

“Holy shit…!” Rainbow Dash said looking up in awe.

“Pinkie Pie lives… here…?” Trixie asked, also looking up.

“I must say, I wasn’t expecting this,” Celestia said, also looking somewhat shocked. Starlight just shook her head slowly, agreeing with what their homeroom teacher said. Before them stood a magnificent white mansion, one that in and of itself almost looked like a castle.

This must have been what the castle in Pinkie Pie’s Dungeon was based off of.

“So… who’s gonna ring the doorbell?” Trixie asked.

“I mean, I could, but…” Rainbow Dash looked to the side nervous, “Kind of feel like commoner trash compared to this.”

“Now Rainbow Dash, there’s nothing to be ashamed of,” Celestia lightly chided, “It’s just a building, after all.”

“Oh yeah? Then why don’t you ring the doorbell?” Rainbow Dash asked Celestia.

“I wouldn't want to ruin this learning experience,” Celestia covered, trying to hide how nervous she felt more than likely. Starlight shrugged her shoulders and walked over to the doorbell, ringing it without a problem. She could almost feel how shocked everyone behind her was.

“Starlight!” Trixie cried helplessly. Before anyone could say anything else, the door opened revealing a sharply dressed butler.

“Ah, you must be Ms. Pie’s friends. She’s been expecting you,” the butler said properly, “Please, right this way.”

The butler stepped aside, allowing everyone to enter. The interior was just as lavish as Starlight imagined it would be, with paintings on the walls, various ornaments on display, and a number of people tending to various tasks throughout the mansion.

play song

“Suddenly I feel slightly under dressed…” Celestia said, for the first time trying to close her kimono a bit more, only for it to fall back into place. No wonder she always wore it like that.

“Now you feel under dressed?” Rainbow Dash asked deadpanned.

“Dashie! Everyone!”

They all turned to the top of the stairs and saw Pinkie Pie, wearing the long dress and jacket she wore when Starlight first met her, and a huge smile on her face. She rushed down the stairs, actually jumping into Rainbow Dash’s arms.

“Whoa!” Rainbow Dash cried catching her, “I take it your happy to see us.”

“Not only that, but I can talk again!” Pinkie Pie said, visibly exuberant, “Also, lookie!” she released Rainbow Dash and held up her hand, revealing her Channeling Ring. Hers was different than the others, in that the pink gem in the middle was shaped like a heart, “This means I’m part of the super secret club now!”

“Speaking of, you haven’t told anyone about… that, have you?” Trixie asked.

“Nope. I don’t think anyone would know what I’m talking about anyway,” Pinkie Pie said, “I guess you know about this too, Ms. Tia?”

“I do,” Celestia said, “I’m sorry we kept this from you for so long. Being the only one who didn’t know must be frustrating.”

“Well, I don’t like not knowing, but it’s okay,” Pinkie Pie walked over to Celestia and hugged her, “I’m just happy you did what you could to help me. I love you so much, Ms. Tia.”

“Oh Pinkie Pie, I love you too, sweetie,” Celestia said hugging Pinkie Pie.

“How are you feeling, by the way?” Rainbow Dash asked, “Usually people have a fever when they wake up to their Personas the first time.”

“I feel just fine now,” Pinkie Pie said releasing Celestia, “I did have a fever when I woke up, but it wasn’t too bad. Fleur insisted I stay home though, both because birthday, and also so I didn’t make my fever worse.”

“Oh shit, that’s right,” Trixie said, “Happy birthday, Pinkie Pie!”

“Yeah, sorry we didn’t say that earlier,” Rainbow Dash said smiling, “I mean, I know I said it this morning, but with everything that happened last night.”

Pinkie Pie shook her head, “It’s okay. Yesterday was hectic, and we do have a lot to talk about. But thanks,” she said smiling.

“In terms of having a lot to talk about,” Starlight said narrowing her eyes a bit, “Where’s Fleur?”

“She’s in the sitting room,” Pinkie Pie said rubbing her arm, “She and I already talked.”

“How did that go?” Trixie asked folding her arms.

“Surprisingly well, actually,” Pinkie Pie said, “Fleur doesn’t remember the fight per say, but she does remember that she hurt me. I think to her, last night was more of a normal dream.”

“I’d imagine so,” Celestia said folding her arms under her bosom, “She isn’t a Persona User, so she wouldn’t be lucid, but she was connected to her Shadow, so I’d imagine she’d remember a few things as if they were a dream. Especially if her Shadow did tell her like she said she would.”

“What about that contract?” Rainbow Dash asked narrowing her eyes a bit.

“I asked, but she said she wanted to talk to everyone about that,” Pinkie Pie said.

“Then let’s not keep her waiting,” Starlight suggested.

Pinkie Pie led everyone deeper into the mansion, stopping in a very nice and cozy living room with a fire place, multiple chairs, and three red couches, arranged almost like the ones at the dorm, with a desk in the center.

end song

And sitting on the middle couch with a document in front of her, was Fleur.

“Bonjour, everyone,” Fleur said. Starlight noticed that something was definitely different about her.

“Greetings, Ms. Fleur,” Celestia said as cordially as possible, “Pinkie Pie said you wanted to see us.”

“Oui,” Fleur said averting her eyes, “Make yourselves comfortable, S’il vous plaît.”

Starlight, Trixie, and Rainbow Dash all narrowed their eyes, but walked over to the couch and sat down, Celestia and Starlight sitting on the couch to Fleur’s left, and Trixie, Rainbow Dash, and Pinkie Pie taking the one to her right. Rainbow Dash and Trixie both sat at either side of Pinkie Pie, flanking her as if to protect her.

“I take it this is Pinkie Pie’s new contract?” Celestia asked regarding the document.

“The one I had written up before, oui,” Fleur said looking downcast, “Pinkamena hasn’t signed it, as I felt it would be better for you to read it first.”

Celestia picked up the document and read it over carefully. When Starlight saw her homeroom teacher purse her lips, that spoke volumes to what was on it.

“I’m sure I don’t have to tell you my problems with this, do I?” Celestia asked. Fleur winced as if Celestia’s voice was painful.

“N-non, I’m sure even your students could read it over and see the issues. If any of you want to, you can,” Fleur said softly.

“I better not,” Rainbow Dash said folding her arms, “I’m in a relatively good mood today.”

The way Fleur closed her eyes at Rainbow Dash’s voice suggested fear almost. Well, Rainbow Dash did almost kill Fleur’s Shadow.

“Yeah, I’m with Rainbow Dash personally,” Trixie said, “I think I already have an idea as to what’s on it.”

Starlight looked at the contract. Be it morbid curiosity, or because she was the head of the coven, she decided to take a look at the contract herself. It was carefully worded, using a lot of big words that most people wouldn’t understand, and not even Starlight had enough intelligence to know what was being said. However she did notice a trend in the terms.

A lack of mention of what Pinkie Pie had a say in.

Reading it over a few more times, Starlight was sure of it. Had Pinkie Pie signed it, Fleur would have essentially been able to make all of the decisions for Pinkie Pie. At least all the important ones. Starlight threw it down on the table, feeling just outspoken enough to speak her mind.

“This is disgusting,” Starlight said, not once raising her voice, “If she signed this, Pinkie Pie would have given up her freedom entirely.”

Fleur took a deep breath, “So it is as I feared,” she picked up the document, rose from the couch, and walked over to the fireplace, and did something shocking.

She threw the contract into the fire.

“F-Fleur…” Pinkie Pie said softly.

play song

“I… I have to confess my sins…!” Fleur said, closing her eyes and trembling, “The truth is… on some level… I was jealous of Pinkamena…!”

“Jealous… of me…?” Pinkie Pie asked.

“When I went into show business, things were different…” Fleur explained, tears building up, “Much more strict than what they were now. I was like you… doing it because I loved it… taking jobs that I wanted, not the ones my agent at the time said I should take… Also… when I refused to sleep with him…”

“Wait, seriously?” Trixie asked, “Could he really do that?”

“Sadly, times were different when Fleur was Pinkie Pie’s age,” Celestia said sadly, “We haven’t covered this in class yet, but I’m sure you all know that women had it much rougher back in the day than they do now. It’s not perfect, no, but compared to how bad things used to be, and with Fleur being as attractive as she is, it makes sense her agent would require sex as payment.”

“Fleur… I’m sorry,” Pinkie Pie said.

“My agent… let me go after only a year of work…!” Fleur continued, breaking down completely, “He told me that I wasn’t worth the trouble! He said I was unreasonable, but I new the truth! He was just upset that I wouldn’t sleep with him! When I saw how easily Pinkamena got work, doing the same thing I did, I was overjoyed, truly,” she held her head tightly, “But deep down I also hated it! I started hearing this voice in my head, screaming that it wasn’t fair! That it should have been me!”

Starlight knew what that voice was. It was her Shadow, telling her to resent Pinkie Pie for having the success that she wanted when she was Pinkie Pie’s age, and probably to this day still wanted. Seeing her like this, it was almost hard for Starlight to hate her. Instead, she pitied her.

“I thought about what I would do differently if it were me,” Fleur continued, “I pushed Pinkamena into doing the sort of jobs my agent kept telling me to take, the kind of jobs that I refused because of my morals! I kept pushing her, more and more, taking advantage of the fact she didn’t ever tell me to stop! When she ended up in that commercial, I even used that to my advantage, making it into an issue of trust! Making Pinkamena feel guilty for not listening to me, all so I could assert more control over her!”

“So, you were taking advantage of Pinkie Pie,” Rainbow Dash seethed.

“OUI!!! I WAS!!!” Fleur screamed turning to the group, “I KNOW I’M A TERRIBLE PERSON!!! I LET MY JEALOUSY CONSUME ME, AND TURNED INTO THE EXACT SAME PERSON MY AGENT WAS!!! CLOUDY QUARTZ TRUSTED ME TO LOOK AFTER HER DAUGHTER, AND INSTEAD I…” Fleur collapsed to the floor, crying so hard that she was practically laying.

Starlight’s eyes were wide seeing this display. Yes, she knew what they did was real. Seeing both Trixie and Pinkie Pie infinitely better was a sign of that. However, seeing Fleur de Lis, the same woman who looked down on everyone, reduced to a pitiful husk of a woman, it was almost too real.

“Jesus Christ…” Trixie breathed out looking at this display, “She really did have a change of heart…”

Pinkie Pie held her hand over her heart, silently crying to herself. Rainbow Dash however, was trembling. She gritted her teeth, and clenched her fists tightly before rising off the couch.

“You think… this changes my opinion of you…?” Rainbow Dash seethed, slowly walking over to Fleur, “You think by apologizing… and crying your eyes out… that just wipes away everything you did…?” Rainbow Dash stood over Fleur, tears of rage falling down her cheeks, “Do you have… any idea what Pinkie Pie went through because of you?! Because of your selfishness?! SHE WENT THROUGH HELL!!! ALL BECAUSE YOU WERE TOO MUCH OF A PUSSY TO FACE HOW SHITTY YOU FELT ABOUT YOUR LIFE!!!”

“I… I know…” Fleur rose to her knees, unable to meet Rainbow Dash’s gaze, “I even… said terrible things to her friends… to you…”

“I don’t fucking care about what you said to me.” Rainbow Dash said, getting down on one knee in front of Fleur, “I’ve dealt with much worse than anything a bitch like you could throw at me,” Rainbow Dash grabbed Fleur by the collar of her blazer, pulling her close as if she were about to shove her into the fireplace, “Selfish adults like you make me sick. Taking advantage of people who can’t help themselves. Thanks to someone just like you, I had to watch my own Mother suffer, and die in the hospital. You made the only person I’ve ever loved as much as Mom suffer just as much. If it were just the two of us, I’d toss you into this fireplace right now and watch you burn alive.”

Everyone was silent, afraid to move or say anything right now. Rainbow Dash’s voice sounded just like it did back in Pinkie Pie’s Dungeon, and Starlight was worried that Rainbow Dash would do it this time.

To her credit, Fleur said nothing to any of this. Her eyes were to the floor, and she didn’t even fight to get out of Rainbow Dash’s grip. If she did shove her into the fireplace, would Fleur have even stopped her? Shockingly, Starlight didn’t think so.

“The only reason I’m not going to kill you, is because I know for some reason, Pinkie Pie still loves you,” Rainbow Dash continued, “She’s a much better person than I am. If I killed you, that would just make Pinkie Pie suffer all over again. But I want you to remember something,” she leaned in close to Fleur’s ear, “I let you live.”

Rainbow Dash released Fleur, slowly rose to her feet, and walked out of the room.

“Dashie, wait!” Pinkie Pie cried shooting up from her seat.

“Pinkamena,” Fleur said stopping her, “That girl, she is the one you love, oui? The one you always call your chevalier?”

“She is,” Pinkie Pie said softly, “I love her with my whole heart and soul.”

“I… can see why,” Fleur said, “Go to her… I, I don’t deserve your forgiveness yet…”

Pinkie Pie walked to the door, but stopped, “You may not deserve it, but that doesn’t mean you won’t get it. I need some space from you, but… I do forgive you.” Pinkie Pie then ran out of the sitting room to search for Rainbow Dash.

Fleur’s eyes widened hearing that. She then placed a hand over her heart and smiled somberly.

“She… truly is an angel,” Fleur said, more to herself than anyone else, “All of you, take Pinkamena with you back to your dorm. I… I need to be alone…”

“Very well,” Celestia said rising to her feet, “Starlight, Trixie, let us depart.”

“Yeah… let’s,” Trixie said, she and Starlight following Celestia out of the sitting room. Starlight took one last look at Fleur before leaving the broken woman to her thoughts. Part of her wondered if that could have happened to Blueblood.

Probably, but sadly his Shadow hadn’t returned to his true self, and was still talking down to Trixie even as they left. Sadly, unless he faced his own shadow, he probably wouldn’t change.

When they found Rainbow Dash and Pinkie Pie, they were outside, sitting on a bench in the yard together. Starlight didn’t know what they had talked about, but based on the much calmer expression on Rainbow Dash’s face, and how they were holding hands, Starlight knew they were okay.

play song

“There you guys are,” Rainbow Dash said as they approached, “So, ready to go?”

“More than ready,” Trixie said, “It’ll be a tight fit Pinkie Pie, so I hope you don’t mind being squished in the car on the way home.”

“Nope, I’m just happy to go home,” Pinkie Pie said, “So a question about Personas. Is it common to feel their presence even in the real world? Cause while we were in that room, I felt Serenity hugging me from behind.”

“I get that sometimes myself,” Starlight said, “I think it just means you and your Persona are psychologically connected to each other.”

“Kinda makes sense when you think about it,” Trixie said, “You wanted to be a magical girl about as much as Starlight wanted to be a witch, and our Personas are just the manifestations of our inner selves. Speaking of, is your Persona seriously… Sailor Moon?”

Pinkie Pie nodded happily, “I was so shocked when I realized that! It didn’t hit me until I woke up, but when I pictured her in my head, I realized that she was actually based off Sailor Moon!” Pinkie Pie gasped dramatically, “Oh my God! That means not only did I become a Magical Girl, but I became Sailor Moon! I’m really really Sailor Moon!”

Celestia laughed happily, “That’s right. You did it. From now on, when you fall asleep wearing your Channeling Ring, you’ll be able to enter the dream world. In that world, you’re now in fact the very Magical Girl you always wanted to be.”

Pinkie Pie giggled and then jumped up and down happily, “This is so awesome! I always dreamed of becoming a Magical Girl, but I never thought it would actually happen! This is the best birthday present ever!” she then turned to Rainbow Dash and smirked, “So, did you like seeing me dressed like that?”

“I… uh…” Rainbow Dash’s face turned red, “I mean, yeah. That’s a much better look on you than the helpless princess look.”

“Mmm, that’s not what I mean~” Pinkie Pie sauntered over to Rainbow Dash and held onto her arm, “I’m fully aware of how short my skirt is in that form, Dashie~”

“Um… uh…” Rainbow Dash stammered.

“And since I wasn’t wearing any stockings, my legs were on full display,” she continued, “Admit it, you just had to give them a nice, slow rub before you sent me back to the real world, right Dashie~?”

Rainbow Dash looked around nervously, and then turned to her friends with a pleading expression, “M-Ms. Tia, please…!”

“I should probably go start the car,” Celestia said airily, walking back to the car.

“Um… come on, Great and Powerful Trixie! You gotta help me!”

“Mmm, oh yes! Hearing you stroke my ego so thoroughly really gets me going,” Trixie said, “I’ll see you back at the car Starlight.”

As Trixie walked back to the car, Rainbow Dash turned to Starlight desperately. Starlight could practically see the hearts coming off of Pinkie Pie, and she could have sworn she had real hearts in her eyes.

“Come on Leader, be a pal,” Rainbow Dash pleaded.

“Mmm, I’d rather not, actually,” Starlight said, “I know you’d do the same for me, after all,” Starlight turned to the car and started walking back, “Don’t keep us waiting too long, you two~”

She had no idea what Pinkie Pie did to Rainbow Dash, but based on how red her face was, and how happy Pinkie Pie was on the car ride back, she could fill in the blanks. At least they were happy.

“You have good friends, Pinkamena,” Fleur said, watching them drive off from the window, “They will take good care of you.”

She walked over to the fireplace again, looking at a picture of herself with Pinkie Pie’s Mother. They both looked so happy together. She could only imagine how Cloudy Quartz felt about her now.

“Forgive me, old friend. I betrayed your trust in me,” Fleur closed her eyes somberly, “But I will make amends. Someday, if Pinkamena will still have me, I will turn her into the brightest star in the world. Just like I promised you that day.”

Evening

play song

When they got home, Celestia went right to work preparing a cake for Pinkie Pie. As it was last minute, they couldn’t have a super big party, but Pinkie Pie didn’t mind at all. She was just happy to have her friends from the dorm, Ms. Tia, and her cousin Applejack over to celebrate. Since it was so late, Twilight got up, so she was “invited” to the party too, and to everyone’s surprise, Applejack brought Rarity over too.

It was a truly lively party, all things considered. Since they were coming late, Applejack and Rarity brought snacks and drinks with them, and with Celestia’s permission they brought a few of the game systems down from Rainbow Dash and Pinkie Pie’s room, thus had a bit of a fighting game tournament. Shockingly, Twilight revealed herself to be a bit of a gamer herself, but preferred RPGs to fighting games. Still, she did well in the tournament. Pinkie Pie did request that they play a multi player RPG later on so Twilight could enjoy herself more.

Speaking of Twilight, Starlight was surprised to see how well she and Pinkie Pie got along. Upon their first meeting, it seemed like they just instantly clicked. Starlight couldn’t help but be slightly jealous, but she was just happy to see Twilight talking to someone close to her own age.

Another surprise was how nice both Applejack and Rarity were. Rarity not so much, as even Starlight could tell she was a nice person. Applejack on the other hand wasn’t anywhere near as stern as the students made her out to be. “No Fun Jackie”? More like “Tons of Fun Jackie”. She and Rainbow Dash even had a bit of a rivalry building between them on the fighting games.

Throughout the party though, Starlight’s eyes kept falling on Rarity, who Starlight really wanted to get to know better. There was just something really cool and mysterious about her. In a more relaxed setting, she seemed a bit more aloof than Starlight imagined she’d be, but in a cool senior sort of way, if that made any sense.

Still, Starlight couldn’t help but feel like she was a bit more guarded than everyone else. Visibly she seemed okay, socializing with everyone at the party, and seemed to get along with Ms. Tia just fine. However, Starlight noticed that she seemed a lot more relaxed with Applejack than anyone else there.

Toward the middle of the party, Celestia brought out the cake she had started baking when they got back from Pinkie Pie’s mansion. It was beautiful, and Starlight couldn’t wait to taste it. Naturally there were approximately 18 candles on it.

“Oh my,” Rarity breathed out when she saw the massive pink cake Celestia made, “Ms. Tia, did you seriously put this together on short notice?”

“Yes, sadly it’s probably not my best work. It’s not nearly as fancy as I wanted to make it, but there’s been so much going on lately,” Celestia said setting the cake down on the dining room table.

“Don’t listen to her,” Trixie said, “Ms. Tia doesn’t know how to make a dish that doesn’t taste good.”

“Oh Trixie, you flatter me,” Celestia said laughing.

“I hear your cookin’ is that of the Gods,” Applejack said, “Honestly, I’m kinda afraid to eat this. Might spoil me against anythin’ Granny Smith makes.”

“If you don’t want it, I’ll totally take your slice,” Rainbow Dash said.

“Nice try, Dash. It’s risky, but that’s a risk I’m willin’ to make,” Applejack said.

“So Pinkie Pie, know what you’re gonna wish for?” Trixie asked Pinkie Pie.

“Are you seriously going to follow that tradition?” Twilight asked rolling her eyes, “We’re teenagers, not little kids.”

“Not everyone is trying to be an adult like you are, Twi-Twi,” Trixie shot at Twilight, who just tightened her fists in frustration at her nickname. One that Trixie had no intention of giving up, apparently.

“A wish, huh? Well, that’s hard considering that my wish already came true,” she said looking at her Channeling Ring, “Both of them, in fact~” she then turned to Rainbow Dash, who averted her eyes as her face turned slightly redder, “Wait! I know exactly what I’ll wish for!” she then closed her eyes, and blew out the candles.

“So, what did ya wish for?” Trixie asked.

“She can’t tell us, Lulamoon,” Rainbow Dash said, “If she does, it won’t come true.”

“That’s okay, Dashie,” Pinkie Pie said, “I never believed that part. I always felt that wishes gained more power when shared with the people you love,” she placed her hands over her heart smiling softly, “I wished for everyone’s wishes to come true. Everyone here in this dorm, both my old friends, and my new ones.”

“Oh darling, that’s so sweet of you,” Rarity said, visibly touched.

“Told ya my cousin would send ya into diabetic shock,” Applejack joked, but smiling just as warmly.

“I don’t know about my dream, honestly,” Twilight said looking a bit downcast, “That’s something I gave up on a long time ago.”

Starlight noticed that Celestia turned away somberly hearing that. What was Twilight's dream, she wondered. And more importantly, why did she have to give it up?

“Especially your dream, Twilight,” Pinkie Pie said taking Twilight’s hand, “Never give up on your dream. It’ll come true, I know it will.”

Twilight blushed a bit at Pinkie Pie’s smile, but then averted her eyes, “Geez, you really are too sweet.”

“So, can we eat some of this cake now?” Rainbow Dash asked, “I’m dying over here!”

“Yes, Rainbow Dash, we can cut the cake now,” Celestia said laughing, proceeding to cut the cake for everyone. When Starlight ate her first bit of the cake, everything stopped. It was so good she damn near cried from the taste alone.

“My God, this is incredible…” Rarity said, visibly shocked, “Applejack darling, I think I’ve found heaven.”

“Right there with ya,” Applejack said, equally surprised, “Sorry to cheat on ya, Granny Smith.”

“This isn’t right,” Trixie said looking at her cake, “It should be illegal for anything to taste this good…”

“Oh, you all like it! That’s wonderful!” Celestia said happily, “Again, not my best work, but I’m happy all of you are enjoying it.”

If this was what happened when Celestia “just threw something together”, Starlight was afraid of what would happen if she put effort into it. It might kill her.

As it approached midnight, the party began to wind down a bit. Starlight used this party to mingle with everyone a bit, but hadn’t gotten a chance to really speak to Rarity. She planned on doing that before the party ended, since she wasn’t sure she’d ever get the chance to do so at school.

Only, where was Rarity?

Starlight looked around a bit, and noticed that Rarity wasn’t in the dining room with everyone else. She frowned, a bit concerned.

“You alright, Starlight?” Applejack asked walking over to Starlight. Starlight told Applejack she was wondering where Rarity went, “Ah. Yeah, she does that. She tends to get uncomfortable in large crowds. I told her she didn’t have to come, but she really wanted to show her support to my little cousin. If you’re lookin’ for her, chances are she’s either in the kitchen or livin’ room. Anyplace she can get away from the crowd.”

Starlight suddenly felt unsure about approaching her then. It seemed like she was a bit more solitary in nature, and she didn’t want to make her uncomfortable.

“Ya wanted to talk to her?” Applejack asked, surprising Starlight, “Why don’t ya track her down. She an’ I are probably gonna head back home in a bit, so now’s the time to get to know her.”

Starlight nodded, thanking Applejack before leaving the dining room in search for Rarity. She didn’t have to search long, as sure enough, she found the lone senior sitting on a couch in the living room, eating her second slice of cake alone.

play song

“Hm?” Rarity asked when she noticed Starlight’s presence, “Oh, were you looking for me, darling?”

“I hope you don’t mind,” Starlight said, “If you want to be alone...”

“No, please stay. I know it’s odd, but I’ve wanted to get to know you better for some time,” Rarity said with a pleasant smile. Starlight smiled herself and sat down next to Rarity, immediately hit with her powerful aura. The way she carried herself, how classy she dressed, her make-up, even her perfume all somehow came together to create someone that Starlight was both terrified of, yet drawn to.

“I apologize for how distant I’ve been at the party,” Rarity said, “I’ve always been bit of a lone wolf, as it were.”

“It’s fine,” Starlight said. Yeah, a wolf was definitely a good way to describe how Rarity felt. Someone both elegant and ferocious at the same time.

“How’s Trixie doing?” Rarity asked after a second, in a way that suggested she was struggling with what to say.

“She’s… better,” Starlight said, “Blueblood’s gas lighting isn’t helping, though.”

“Mmm, I’d imagine not,” Rarity said, “Never did like that one. He once showed interest in me, back when I first came to Canterlot High.”

“Being completely honest, I’m not surprised,” Starlight said, “Not just because I’m positive he’d try to fuck anyone with an extra x chromosome, but because… well, have you looked in a mirror lately?”

Rarity laughed at that statement. It wasn’t the kind of laugh Starlight expected from her in the slightest. It was loud, genuine, almost like how a delinquent would laugh. Not at all the way someone of high class would laugh.

“Yes, that’s true, I suppose. I wish that were all it were though,” Rarity took another bite of her cake before continuing, “Back when I came to this school, I guess you could say I had a somewhat tragic air to me. Blueblood’s always been attracted to those types, claiming he could be the answer to their problems.”

“You don’t seem like someone who had a tragic air to you,” Starlight said, finishing off her cake and setting her plate on the table.

“That means the mask is working, darling,” Rarity admitted, “Tell me, why do you dress like you do?”

“What do you mean?” Starlight asked.

“You know, like a goth. The make-up, the tattered style of your dress, that key shaped necklace, and your ring. You dress like a goth, but you don’t really act like one from my understanding.”

Starlight hadn’t really thought about that. Really, she just liked the style. She didn’t dress this way before, but after her mother died, she found herself dressing a bit more on the darker side. When she thought about it though, there was one reason in particular. Maybe she could trust Rarity with that.

“Well… when I think about it, I guess it’s to convey the message that I’m a witch,” Starlight explained, “It’s something that I always wanted to be, and dressing like this helps me feel that way at all times, if that makes sense.”

“I get it,” Rarity said nodding, “You have an idealized person you want to be, and thus you dress the part. It doesn’t matter whether you’re a real live witch or not. What matters is that you feel like you’re a witch, and that others believe it too.”

“I… guess so,” Starlight said.

“I’m the same way, darling,” Rarity continued setting her plate down after she finished her cake, folded her arms elegantly, and crossed her legs, “The clothes I wear, the make-up, the very way I carry myself, all of them are a part of the mask that is “Rarity”. This is my ideal person, and I wear her so others can’t see who’s really underneath, and most of all, so I don’t have to see her either.”

“So… you don’t have to see her…?” Starlight asked. Something about that felt odd. As a response, all Rarity did was chuckle softly.

“Everyone has things in their past they’d like to forget. I’m certain you have yours. This is just my way of covering up mine,” she turned to Starlight with a soft smile, “I like you, Starlight. You strike me as someone who’s quite dependable.”

“I… guess so,” Starlight said, blushing and looking down at her lap, “I won’t say I’m perfect, but I always try to help people when I can.”

“Yes, I could tell,” Rarity said scooting closer to Starlight, “The truth is, darling, I get rather stressed out working for the student council, and I’ve been looking for a personal assistant. Someone like a secretary.”

“Are you… asking me?” Starlight asked, her heart racing at being so close to Rarity. It suddenly felt like she was next to a wild beast that could attack at any moment, but just wasn’t at the moment. Why she got that feeling from Rarity, Starlight had no idea.

But she wondered if it had anything to do with whatever her make-up was covering up.

“You wouldn’t have to come in every day,” Rarity said, “I know you’re a cheerleader, and I don’t want to monopolize on whatever social life you have. But, if you could come by at least twice a week to help out with things, I would be very grateful. Would you consider it?”

Starlight couldn’t find the words at the moment. In fact, she seemed to have forgotten how to speak. She settled on a quick nod, trying to hide how nervous she was being so close to Rarity. Again, why she was so nervous felt irrational, but there was just something about Rarity that kind of terrified Starlight.

Like a beast wearing the disguise a human.

“Wonderful. Just come into the Student Council Office when you want to help out,” Rarity held out her hand, “I’m looking forward to working with you, Starlight.”

“L-likewise,” Starlight said, slowly taking Rarity’s hand.

end song

THIS IS MY FIGHT!!! STAY OUT OF THIS, WITCH!!!

Starlight sucked in a breath on instinct. Holy shit. She’d felt powerful emotions before, but this… this was on a whole different level. She felt… intense. Like she was fighting someone right this second. Also, did she already know that she was a witch? But how could she have-

No, it wasn’t Rarity herself who screamed at her. It was her dream self. But if that were the case, did that mean… did Rarity-

“Hey, ya ready to go?” Applejack asked stepping out of the kitchen, “It’s gettin’ late, an’ sounds like Ms. Tia wanted to talk to everyone before they went to bed.”

“Yes, Applejack. Starlight and I just finished our talk,” Rarity said jumping up and walking over to Applejack’s side, “Let’s head home.”

“Alright,” Applejack said, caressing Rarity’s cheek in an affectionate manner, “It was great seein’ ya again, Starlight. Keep lookin’ after my little cousin, alright?”

Starlight nodded, “I will. And I’ll see you in the Student Council Office, Rarity.”

“See you soon, Starlight,” Rarity said. Starlight walked them to the door, and watched as they walked down the street, arm in arm. She could tell they were close. If not dating, then at least sister. Starlight wondered if Applejack knew anything about the level of terror coming from Rarity. Probably not, but to feel that way, and for her dream self to speak to Starlight directly like that, it could only mean one thing.

Rarity had a Dungeon.

Late Night

play song

With the party pretty much over, Starlight helped clean up before they all went upstairs to fill Pinkie Pie in on everything that they were doing. Starlight was trying to be attentive, but she couldn’t help but worry about what she felt from Rarity. Should she let everyone know her suspicions now, right after they cleared Pinkie Pie’s Dungeon?

“And that’s the situation concerning the Nightmare Epidemic,” Twilight finished.

“So, that whole thing was another world, and I was trapped there?!” Pinkie Pie asked, “That’s so terrifying! These Shadows can just pull people into that place and attack them?!”

“It’s worse, if you can believe it,” Celestia said folding her arms, “When one dreams, they naturally enter the Phase. It’s just how human existence works. What’s happening is that the Shadows are so abundant now, and people aren’t as mentally protected against them, so they’re easy targets for the Shadows.”

“That’s…” Pinkie Pie looked down concerned, “And Starlight, you’re this Trickster?”

Starlight nodded, “I’m a special Persona User, someone who can use multiple Personas at once.”

“Apparently, whenever something like this happens in the Collective Unconscious, someone else awakens to this power and leads the charge against the Shadows,” Trixie said wrapping an arm around Starlight, “Starlight here is part of a huge legacy.”

“You really are an anime protagonist…! That’s so awesome!” Pinkie Pie cheered, making Starlight blush.

“I-it’s not that impressive…” she said.

“No, no, let her gush, please,” Twilight said rolling her eyes, “Everyone else is falling at the feet of Our Lord and Savior Starlight Glimmer, why stop now?”

Now Starlight knew Twilight had an issue with her. Still, while she wondered what that was, she got the feeling if she were going to tell anyone about this, sadly Twilight was the best candidate. Celestia did say she wanted them to work closely together.

“Pinkie Pie, you don’t have to get involved if you don’t want to,” Rainbow Dash said taking Pinkie Pie’s hand, “I know this is scary, and with you just being rescued from-”

“No Dashie, I want to help,” Pinkie Pie said, “Not just because so many people are suffering, but because everyone involved in this is special to me. Besides, so far I have the best healing powers in that dream world, and you guys are going to need a white mage.”

“Told ya she’d want to help,” Trixie said.

“In that case, welcome to our coven,” Starlight said, “I know you’re a Magical Girl, but that’s kind of similar to a witch, so you’re in.”

“A Witch and Magical Girl are basically the same thing, Starlight,” Pinkie Pie said, “Besides, I already said I wanted to be a part of your super secret club,” she squealed in excitement, “I know this is dangerous, but I can’t help it. I’m so excited to help out!”

Rainbow Dash sighed, “Well, as long as you’re okay with it. So Leader, what’s the new plan?”

Everyone turned to Starlight now. Should she let them know about Rarity now? While yes, that was a big issue, they also needed to start getting higher in Elysium. Starlight didn’t know for sure if that was where the Nightmare Epidemic got it’s start, but it did seem important.

“There’s something I’m going to be looking into for this month concerning a possible new target,” Starlight said, “I’ll let you all know more when I’ve confirmed things, but for now we need to focus on Elysium. Starting tomorrow night, we’re going back into Elysium to start exploring.”

“Yes! We’re going back to Elysium!” Pinkie Pie cheered, “Question, what’s Elysium?”

“I’ll fill you in on all of that tomorrow,” Rainbow Dash said wrapping an arm around Pinkie Pie and pulling her close, “But it’s good to see you’re enthusiastic about it.”

Pinkie Pie giggled. Starlight could tell she was going to be fun to have around.

“For now, all of you get some rest,” Celestia requested, “No going into the Phase tonight, since that does exert energy.”

“Got it, Ms. Tia,” Rainbow Dash said with a yawn, “Come on, Pinkie Pie. Let’s head back to our room.”

“Alright. Night night, everyone,” Pinkie Pie said.

“Good night,” Celestia said with a gentle smile, “Pleasant dreams, honey.”

“That sounds great,” Pinkie Pie said, walking over to Twilight and hugging her, “I can’t thank you enough, Twilight. I’ll see you sometime tomorrow, okay?”

“R-right. See you tomorrow,” Twilight said slightly returning the hug.

“I’m jumping in the shower,” Trixie said, “Starlight, you coming?”

“I’ll be there,” Starlight said, “I wanted to talk to Twilight about something first,” she leaned in close to Trixie, “I’ll tell you when I come into the room.”

Trixie nodded subtly and then gave an exaggerated yawn, “Good night, Ms. Tia. Night Twi-Twi~”

“Twilight!” Twilight fussed as Trixie left the control room with Rainbow Dash and Pinkie Pie, laughing the whole way.

“I’m going to go meditate for a bit,” Celestia said, “I’ll be back in a few minutes Twilight.”

“Alright, Ms. Tia,” Twilight said. That confirmed it for Starlight. Celestia didn’t sleep. Starlight said good night to Celestia as she left, but planned on asking her about that at some point.

"Good night, Starlight. Pleasant dreams," Ms. Tia said walking out of the room.

“So, what’s up?” Twilight said folding her arms, “This have something to do with that possible new Dungeon?”

Starlight was tempted to ask her what their issue was, but decided to instead stay on topic.

“A bit before the Student Council President left, I got strange vibes from her,” Starlight explained, “I didn’t want to spoil the day, since this one kind of snuck up on me, but I was wondering if you could identify whether or not she has a Dungeon, and if so, located it for me.”

Twilight shrugged, “Sure. I don’t mind. Hell, I might be able to do that first part right now. Do you know her full name?”

“I don’t, sorry,” Starlight sighed, “Just her first name.”

Twilight rubbed her eyes, “Well, that’s going to make things a bit harder, but if she’s the Student Council President, that should narrow it down a good deal.” Twilight went over to her computer and typed in the information she had. It took a few seconds, but much to Starlight’s dismay there was a hit.

“Looks like she does have one,” Twilight said, “Based on these readings though, it’s a newly manifested one, so we have time to track it down.”

“I don’t want to overwork you, but do you think you can search around for it when we’re not exploring Elysium?” Starlight requested, “I want to clear this one as soon as humanly possible.”

“Sure, but I can’t search tonight since we don’t have any information on her,” Twilight said turning to Starlight, “So I’ll need you to get close to her and find out as much as you can.”

“I can do that,” Starlight said, happy she had a means of getting closer to Rarity. Looks like she’d be working with the Student Council after all.

“You should get some rest,” Twilight said, turning to her computer, “I’m going to wait for Ms. Tia to finish meditating, and then probably do some reading.”

Starlight nodded and went to the door, but stopped, “Twilight, I don’t know why you don’t seem to like me, but know that I appreciate everything you do for us, alright?”

Twilight was silent for a few seconds, “I’m just doing my job. Good night, Starlight.”

Starlight sighed, bidding Twilight goodnight before leaving the room. Seemed it would still be a while before she and Twilight could start bonding.

end song

After saying good night to Trixie, Rainbow Dash and Pinkie Pie returned to their room. It had been a while since Rainbow Dash felt like she could honestly relax, so needless to say she was in a good mood. I mean, they did it. They rescued Pinkie Pie. This was something that was bothering Rainbow Dash since the beginning of the school year, so to finally resolve it felt great.

“It’s finally over!” Rainbow Dash cried falling onto her bed, “Remember how I said I wanted to be an RPG protagonist?”

“Yeah, I remember,” Pinkie Pie said, still standing by the closed door of their room.

“I didn’t know it was so hard! Don’t get me wrong, I’m happy. I mean, not only did we save you, but between you and me, it was kind of fun, ignoring the existential horror aspect of it, you know?”

Pinkie Pie laughed softly, “I feel you. Anime and video game heroes always make it look easier than it actually is.”

play song

“So, you’re sure you’re okay with this, Pinkie Pie?” Rainbow Dash asked, “You know, helping Starlight and Trixie with this whole Nightmare Epidemic thing?” when Pinkie Pie didn’t speak up right away, Rainbow Dash continued, “I can tell when you’re pushing yourself. That, and your Persona isn’t as offensive as the rest of ours.”

“I know. I am okay with it, though,” Pinkie Pie walked over to the window and looked out at the moon shining in the night sky, “I watched modern day Magical Girl shows, so cosmic, existential horror was something I was prepared for if I became one too. What about you? Are you going to keep fighting?”

“Well, duh. Of course I’m gonna keep fighting,” Rainbow Dash laid on her back and rested her hands behind her head, “Let’s face it, Lulamoon’s gonna keep doing this if for no other reason than she and Starlight are besties, you know?”

Pinkie Pie giggled, “They do feel like us, don’t they? Almost like they were friends for years.”

“I know, right? Now, me? I don’t have any real loyalty to them beyond them helping me save you, but… I feel like that’s enough. Sides, not like I know what else to use this power for,” Rainbow Dash looked at her Channeling Ring, “Persona. The power to fight Shadows. This kind of stuff you only see in video games, you know? Maybe that’s why I wanna do this. I want to see where this goes. Sides, so far I’m physically the strongest fighter, so it wouldn’t feel right leaving them alone now.”

“Yeah… I figured you’d say that,” Pinkie Pie said quietly.

“Hey, are you okay, Pinkie Pie?” Rainbow Dash asked sitting up, “We’ve been friends since last year, so I know when you’re upset.”

“The truth is, Dashie, I am afraid. Not for me, though,” Pinkie Pie placed her hands on her chest, “I’m scared for you.”

“For me? Why?” Rainbow Dash asked.

“Why wouldn’t I be? You kept mentioning how precious I am to you, Dashie, but the truth is, you’re just as precious to me. The thought that awakened my Persona was the idea that… I could lose you. When you fought Fleur’s Shadow, and you almost died, I was terrified,” she let her jacket fall off, and slowly unzipped the back of her dress.

“P-Pinkie Pie?” Rainbow Dash asked, her face turning red, “Um… w-what are you…”

“I know I made it seem like I was joking earlier, but this whole thing with my Dungeon helped me realize just how I truly feel about you. Dashie, I… I love you.”

Rainbow Dash’s heart threatened to shoot out of her chest it was beating so hard. Made worse when her dress fell to the floor, leaving Pinkie Pie in just her red bra and matching panties. She didn’t know what to say to any of this, both because she was terrible with words in meaningful situations, but also because, well, what do you say to this?

“I thought about this all day, taking time to feel my emotions, and figuring out how I wanted to proceed. In the end, this just felt right to me,” Pinkie Pie unhooked her bra and tossed it aside, and then dropped her panties, before turning to Rainbow Dash, face about as pink as her hair, “I want us… to fight together, Dashie. N-not just as best friends, but as… lovers.”

“Pinkie Pie…” Rainbow Dash breathed out, taking in how beautiful her princess was. Her figure wasn’t over the top in the slightest, but she could definitely see how she’d make in the modeling business. Her figure was just voluptuous enough where she’d drive just about anyone crazy.

Pinkie Pie walked over to Rainbow Dash and crawled on top of her, “That Dungeon… was my fairy tale… and this is the ending I’ve chosen. So please… take me, my knight. Erase the terrible memory of what happened to me in there…”

As their eyes met, Rainbow Dash understood what she was trying to say. In a way, she wasn’t saved yet. Yes, she wasn’t trapped in that place anymore, but she was still terrified. Also, the knowledge that she was actually there on some level meant that all the times she was assaulted, abused, possibly even raped, all of those things actually happened to her. Rainbow Dash had a duty to keep Pinkie Pie safe. As such, there was still one job she had to do.

She had to replace the terrifying memory, with a wonderfully happy ending.

“What am I gonna do, say no?” Rainbow Dash asked with a smile, placing a hand on Pinkie Pie’s cheek, “You’re mine, and I’m yours, Princess. Now and forever.”

Pinkie Pie teared up, but quickly kissed Rainbow Dash deeply and lovingly before she broke down. Rainbow Dash held her close, their kiss soon turning into a full on make-out session. Neither of them could think of a better way for this story to end.

The fight was far from over, yet somehow they both felt like as long as they were together, they would live happily ever after.

Author's Note

Thus officially ends the first arc. Yes, Trixie's Dungeon was a part of that too, since it all took place in September. The next Dungeon is one I've been waiting to write for a while, but I'm going to warn everyone now. It's obviously Rarity, and I know my track record with dress horse/best pony is um... brutal. So warning all of you to brace yourselves for a much heavier arc coming up.

Pleasant dreams~ :pinkiecrazy:

Fool – Seekers of Light: 4/10
Magician – Trixie Lulamoon: 5/10
Priestess – Diamond Tiara: 4/10
The Empress – Ms. Tia: 4/10 Level Up!
Chariot – Rainbow Dash: 2/10
The Devil - Silver Spoon: 2/10

And as always, please support my Patreon, and help in my campaign for world domination~

Current supporters:
Aero Dragon
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Thank you all for your continued support~ :twilightsmile:

10/4

October 4th, 2019
Thursday
Cloudy

Morning

play song

Since they planned on going into Elysium tonight, Starlight figured it would be better to wait till tomorrow to start gathering information on Rarity. She wondered where her Dungeon came from. It was a recently spawned one according to Twilight, meaning that the inciting incident probably happened while they were still dealing with Pinkie Pie’s Dungeon.

Sitting at the breakfast table with her friends did help calm her though. It was strange realizing that everyone now knew about the Phase. It helped her relax, as she didn’t feel like she was keeping this huge secret. Rainbow Dash seemed like she was in a super good mood, like almost unnaturally so. When Starlight saw Pinkie Pie briefly, she was downright giddy in excitement.

Something good must have happened between them.

Starlight looked around the dining room, and noticed that Pinkie Pie was still not there. Was she okay? She got Rainbow Dash’s attention and asked if she knew why Pinkie Pie was taking so long.

“Beats me,” Rainbow Dash shrugged, “Pinkie Pie told me to come downstairs ahead of her though, saying she needed to decide what she was going to wear.”

“I guess now that she’s able to wear what she wants to, she’s giving it a lot of thought,” Trixie said, “Well, I can understand that. Speaking of, Starlight. Don’t you have another outfit that you bought with Diamond Tiara?”

Starlight’s face felt flushed at the thought of that outfit. Yeah, she remembered it. It was super provocative, like almost as bad as what Trixie wore at the beginning of the school year, and what Pinkie Pie wore at the behest of Fleur.

“I… do, but I’m not sure if wearing it would be a good idea,” Starlight said.

“Are you worried about it being to provocative?” Celestia asked, catching Starlight off guard, “Don’t worry. There is a dress code, but most of the student pretty much ignore it in favor of self expression. Cinch rarely says anything to any student about it.”

“One of the only good things about that woman,” Rainbow Dash said rolling her eyes, “I wish she’d get fired or something.”

“She doesn’t care about the students at all,” Trixie added, “All she cares about is the reputation of the school.”

“As much as I don’t like speaking ill of someone behind their back, even I have to admit that Cinch’s attitude is rather intolerable,” Celestia sighed, “But if you wanted to dress a bit sexier in school Starlight, I wouldn’t make a fuss. With all that you do for me and the world, you should have a little fun.”

Knowing that Celestia didn’t have a problem with Starlight dressing more proactively was both shocking and relieving at the same time. Still, as embarrassing as hearing her surrogate mother tell her it was okay to show a little skin, she had to admit that if she really were a mother, she’d be a really cool one.

One who apparently didn’t sleep, didn’t eat, and kept making Starlight think of her mother. Just what was Ms. Tia?

The door opened, and Pinkie Pie walked in, shocking everyone. Minus the eye make-up, and a lighter shade of lipstick, Pinkie Pie was wearing the skimpy ensemble Fleur gave her: red top that showed off her bust, tight jean booty shorts, dark sheer leggings, and black and gold high heeled boots.

play song

“Heya everyone!” Pinkie Pie said perkily.

“Hi… Pinkie Pie…” Trixie said slowly watching her get her food and sit down next to Rainbow Dash. So far she seemed like herself, but the way she was dressing…

“Mmm, this is really good, Ms. Tia!” Pinkie Pie said happily, “Fleur’s cooking is okay, but yours is straight out of heaven!”

“Thank you, Pinkie Pie…” Celestia said, apparently just as confused as everyone else. Starlight decided that as the leader of the coven (which they still needed to name) she’d just ask the question on everyone’s mind.

“So… why are you wearing, um… that?” she asked, feeling a burst of courage for asking outright.

“Oh, this? I just felt like it,” Pinkie Pie said simply.

“You… felt like it,” Trixie said, “Even thought that’s the outfit Fleur made you wear while you were… well, you know.”

Pinkie Pie nodded, “Yep. It doesn’t bug me that much. I mean, you saw what I’m wearing in the Phase, right? This is mild compared to the “skirt” I’m wearing there.”

“I mean… you’re not wrong,” Rainbow Dash said blushing, “It’s just… are you sure you wanna wear this in light of what happened at school?”

“Well, it is true that it’s probably going to ensure that everyone’s still undressing me in their minds,” Pinkie Pie said thoughtfully, “But being completely honest, I kinda like the attention. Also, after last night, I’m feeling really sexy, so I sort of want to hold onto that feeling.”

Wait, after last night?! What happened last night?!

“Wait a second…” Trixie narrowed her eyes looking at Pinkie Pie and Rainbow Dash, “You two had sex last night, didn’t you.”

The way Rainbow Dash’s face turned red said it all. Knowing that went on next door actually made Starlight both a tad embarrassed, but a bit turned on too.

“Um… I mean…” Rainbow Dash stammered. Pinkie Pie on the other hand giggled.

“Well, I guess the secret’s out, Dashie,” Pinkie Pie said, visibly blushing herself, “You don’t mind, do you, Ms. Tia?”

“Oh no, not at all,” Celestia said, completely unfazed and smiling lovingly, “As long as everything that happens is consensual, you girls are free to do whatever you so please in your rooms.”

“Hear that, Starlight?” Pinkie Pie said, “That means you and Trixie better be next.”

Starlight’s eyes widened at that statement. She turned to Trixie, who wagged her eyebrows smiling. As Starlight covered her face in mortification, everyone in the dining hall had a good laugh. Like this, they truly felt like a family. Starlight felt that their bond as a team got significantly stronger.

Lunchtime

play song

As Starlight got her lunch and the books she’d need for her next class, she spotted Diamond Tiara walking down the hallway. Oddly, she didn’t seem to be in too good of a mood, if the scowl on her face was any indication. Concerned for her friend, Starlight called out to her.

“Huh? Starlight!” Diamond Tiara cried happily running up to hug her, “You’re coming to Pep Squad, right? Please say yes. Please.”

This was really concerning. Still, Starlight had planned on waiting till tomorrow to check out the Student Council Office.

“I’ll be there,” Starlight said to Diamond Tiara. Based on how relieved Diamond Tiara seemed, Starlight really made her day.

“Thank you. You have no idea how much this means to me, Starlight.”

“Are you okay, Diamond Tiara?” Starlight asked. Diamond Tiara gave her typical laugh as a cover.

“Of course I am, Starlight. I just can’t can’t stand being around bitches with no substance,” Diamond Tiara said, but Starlight wasn’t convinced, “I’ll see you at practice, Starlight~”

With that, Diamond Tiara flipped her hair and strutted off. Starlight had a bad feeling about whatever Diamond Tiara was dealing with. She hoped she didn’t have a Dungeon too.

After School

play song

Pep Squad practice was fun as always. Silver Spoon wasn’t there this time, which Starlight was extremely relieved by. She didn’t feel like dealing with her bad attitude today, not right after clearing Pinkie Pie’s Dungeon. Thanks to that being cleared and Silver Spoon not being there, Starlight was able to really lose herself and have fun. Even Suri noticed how well Starlight was doing. Starlight felt a bit more graceful.

Sadly, she couldn’t quite say the same about Diamond Tiara. Usually she was just as good, if not better than Starlight. However, today she seemed a bit off her game. Moves she was usually really good at she just seemed unable to get right today.

“Ugh! Why can’t I get it right today?!” Diamond Tiara fussed.

“Um, are you okay?” Coco asked walking over to her, “You seem stressed out.”

“I’m fine,” Diamond Tiara said, “I’ll get it right, I promise.”

“Look, as much as I want to get this routine down quickly,” Suri said walking over to Diamond Tiara, “you’re just getting worked up right now. Head to the benches and cool off, m’kay?”

“But…!” Diamond Tiara looked down and tightened her fists in frustration. Starlight knew that she needed to step in, otherwise this could get ugly.

“Why don’t you get some rest for a bit,” Starlight suggested. Diamond Tiara looked at her surprised, but then sighed.

“Fine,” Diamond Tiara relented walking off to the bench and sitting down.

After finished up practice, Starlight walked over to Diamond Tiara and asked if she was okay.

“I hate bringing everyone else down,” Diamond Tiara sighed, “How am I going to take over the pep squad with moves like that?”

“That’s not what I was referring to,” Starlight said, pressing Diamond Tiara about her mood. Diamond Tiara averted her eyes with a somber expression.

“Like I said, it’s fine. You don’t need to worry-”

play song

“So this is what you’ve been doing.”

Diamond Tiara closed her eyes pained, “Shit…!”

Starlight looked and saw a sharp and stern looking man wearing a blue suit and red tie walk over to them. He did not look happy.

“Diamond Tiara, what are you doing here?” he asked sternly.

“What do you think?” Diamond Tiara asked glaring at the man, “I’m having fun with my friends.”

“Friends?” the man turned to Starlight, “I assume this is one of those friends?”

Diamond Tiara sighed, “Starlight, this is my father, Filthy Rich. Father, this is my new friend, Starlight Glimmer.”

“Call me Mr. Rich, please,” the man requested before turning to give Diamond Tiara another stern glare, “I thought I told you that you don’t have time for fun. You need to be focused on our plan for the future.”

“Your plan for the future,” Diamond Tiara fussed, “I’m not worried about that right now.”

“Which is why your grades are suffering,” Filthy Rich said, “Come. We need to have a talk about priorities.”

Diamond Tiara folded her arms and turned away, trembling.

“Now, young lady,” he commanded.

“Ugh! Fine! I’m coming.” Diamond Tiara turned to Starlight somberly, “I’ll see you tomorrow, hopefully.”

Starlight nodded, telling Diamond Tiara to try and have a good rest of the day regardless. To that, Diamond Tiara just rolled her eyes.

“Yes, I’ll try. But, thanks though. You’re a great friend,” Diamond Tiara said with a somber smile. Starlight felt significantly closer to Diamond Tiara.

She started walking after her father, but then stopped suddenly, “AHH!!!” she screamed holding her head. Starlight was about to run over to her, but stopped when she saw something weird. For a split second, she saw Diamond Tiara split in two almost. A second Diamond Tiara appeared over her, this one wearing a skimpy purple top, a black micro skirt, fishnet stockings, and high heels. She looked a bit like a stripper.

No… was that…?

“W-what was…” Diamond Tiara asked looking at her hands, which were now shaking. She then shook her head and ran after her father, probably before he fussed at her again. Was that how it started? Did Starlight just witness someone create a Dungeon right before her very eyes?

Starlight swallowed nervously. She needed to have Twilight look into this.

Evening

Once Twilight woke up, Starlight called everyone to the computer room, and had Twilight search for Diamond Tiara’s file in the Akashic Records. Last time they did this, she didn’t have a Dungeon. This time though, Twilight’s computer made an ominous beep like an alarm.

“Dungeon confirmed,” Twilight sighed, “Diamond Tiara just created one.”

“Oh no!” Pinkie Pie cried, “That means she’s going to be attacked by Shadows like I was!”

“Maybe we can get the drop on it before it gets too bad,” Rainbow Dash said, “Can you search it’s location?”

Twilight typed on her computer furiously, but frowned at her screen, “This is odd. My computer keeps pointing to Elysium.”

“Elysium? Why there?” Trixie asked.

“It might be because it’s a new Dungeon,” Celestia suggested folding her arms under her hefty bosom, “So far, all of the Dungeons we’ve located have matured somewhat. It’s highly possible that they start within Elysium, and then break off and settle near the victim’s Akashic Record, replacing any documents on the persons future from there on.”

“Do you know what floor her Dungeon is on?” Starlight asked. Twilight searched Elysium from her computer, but then shook her head.

“All I can tell you is that it’s a good deal higher from where we are currently. I don’t know how much higher, but we’re a ways away from it.”

“We need to hurry there then,” Rainbow Dash said, “We don’t want that thing turning into a real Dungeon before we find it.”

“I agree,” Pinkie Pie said, “I want to try and save Diamond Tiara before it gets too serious.”

Starlight nodded to her friends and told Celestia they were heading into the Phase.

“Alright then, be careful,” Celestia said.

“We’ve got this, Ms. Tia,” Trixie said, “Don’t worry.”

With that, the four of them ran back to their rooms, put on their Channeling Rings, and headed off to bed. Next stop, the Phase.

Late Night

The Phase

play song

Starlight and Trixie arrived first, with Twilight’s wisp already floating around waiting for them. Not too long afterward, Rainbow Dash and Pinkie Pie appeared in the Phase. As they made their way to the door leading to Elysium, all eyes were on Pinkie Pie. She was dressed exactly like Sailor Moon, but with her being older than the actual character (who was like 14 is Starlight remembered correctly) her figured filled it out much more, making the look a lot sexier than it was probably initially intended.

“I’m sorry, I just have to say something,” Trixie said once they reached the door, “I know my outfit is sexy in it’s own right, but goddamn Pinkie Pie!”

Pinkie Pie giggled, “I take it you all like it?”

“You wear that way too well!” Trixie said, actually looking away blushing, “You’re making my heart skip a beat.”

Starlight couldn’t refute any of this. It was hard not to stare at Pinkie Pie’s legs. Not helped by her boots being high heeled, so she had added height and a bit of a sexier walk.

“Oh thank you, Trixie!” Pinkie Pie said perkily, “You all look great too! Especially Dashie~” Pinkie Pie said leaning into Rainbow Dash and holding onto her seductively, “This jacket looks so dashing on you~”

“Um… t-thanks Pinkie Pie,” Rainbow Dash said looking down and blushing, “B-but, I think for now we should keep the flirting to a minimum, you know?”

“Yes, I would really appreciate it if we could at least TRY to stay focused here,” Twilight fussed.

“Sorry Twilight,” Pinkie Pie said sheepishly, “I’ll try to behave myself. Keyword is try.”

“Oh, don’t worry about Twi-Twi, Pinkie Pie,” Trixie waved it off, “She’s just frustrated having to look at so many sexy women. And who can blame her? Especially with moi standing here!”

“Okay, first off, Vegeta called. He said you’re being arrogant. Second of all, I’m straight, so your sexy figures don’t move me in the slightest, and third of all TWILIGHT!”

Trixie just burst out laughing arrogantly. Starlight wasn’t sure if this was just her overcompensating, or if she was just literally that arrogant. Oddly, Starlight hoped it was the latter, because she thought Trixie was so cute like this.

“So, what’s going to happen here, anyway?” Rainbow Dash asked approaching the door and looking up at it.

“Alright, so the goal for now is to just get to either the next checkpoint, or clear the section,” Twilight explained, “The floors are constantly changing, and The Reaper might also start chasing us if we stay on a floor too long, so it’s important we keep moving up.”

“Question,” Pinkie Pie said raising her hand adorably, “What’s the Reaper? Like, the Grim Reaper?”

“Not exactly,” Twilight explained, “Mitsuru said it’s an extremely powerful Shadow that attacks people if they’re in Shadow infested areas for too long.”

“Does that mean it’s also inside Dungeons?” Starlight asked.

“Honestly, I don’t think so,” Twilight said, “Not sure how to explain it, but I just can’t see the Reaper invading someone’s dreams. It only seems to attack us if we’re on a floor for too long.”

“Argh! This is too complicated!” Rainbow Dash fussed, “Look, the important thing is not to waste time, right?”

“Pretty much,” Trixie said, “Not sure what the limit is, but it seems to attack after like fifteen minutes or so on a floor.”

“Alright then, so as long as we keep moving, we should be okay,” Rainbow Dash said turning to Starlight, “Lead the way, Leader.”

“Oh right! Starlight’s the main character!” Pinkie Pie said, “I’m in your capable hands, Starlight!”

Starlight could hear Twilight groan at Pinkie Pie’s words. Statements like that weren’t going to help them become friends. Based on how impatient Twilight was getting though, Starlight figured it was best to proceed onward to Elysium.

With her team ready, Starlight pushed through the door, guiding her team to the heavenly looking tower.

Malkuth: Lvl 5

play song

Like Twilight said, there was a Checkpoint door waiting for them at the base of the tower. Taking that, Starlight’s team jumped straight to the fifth floor of the tower.

“Okay, so it looks like two sections lit up on my radar,” Twilight said, “The first section is right above you, but the other one is a bit of the way up. Odd, cause I couldn’t see this much before.”

“Think it’s because we rescued Pinkie Pie?” Trixie asked.

“I think it has something to do with that. Not sure what, exactly. Doesn’t matter. For now, we can get higher up. Stay calm, and proceed carefully, but swiftly.”

Starlight nodded to her team, and the four of them moved up the nearby stairs to the next floor. This place was definitely going to be a side project of theirs this month.

Yesod: Lvl 1

This floor looked a bit different than the last one. Where in the last section, the walls looked dark and gothic, this area looked a bit fancier. There were much more colorful stain glass windows, the walls were dark blue, seemingly made of diamond of some sort.

“Oh, this place is so pretty,” Pinkie Pie breathed out mesmerized.

“You say that now,” Trixie said getting a card ready, “Wait until you see what the enemies here are like.”

Starlight, Rainbow Dash, and Pinkie Pie all readied their weapons, and the four witches began heading down the long hallway. It didn’t take long for them to run into a large black cloud with eyes floating around.

“I’m detecting three enemies from that cluster,” Twilight said. Starlight waited until it’s back was turned to them, and she then rushed out and slashed it with her scythe. Two of the Shadows that formed from the cluster were Jack Frosts, but the third one was an Apsaras.

As soon as they appeared, Apsaras cast an odd spell on one of the Jack Frosts. It looked like a red shield appeared around it.

“I don’t know what you just did, but you ain’t doing that again!” Rainbow Dash said summoning Eclair Farron and casting Zio on Apsaras, knocking her to the ground, “Trixie, you’re up!”

“Thanks!” Trixie said summoning Elenora.

“Don’t waste magic on the Jack Frost to the right! It’s immune to fire thanks to that shield spell!”

“Thanks for the info!” Trixie said, instead casting Agi on the Jack Frost to the left and knocking it off it’s feet, “Pinkie Pie, wanna get some practice in?”

“Sure!” Pinkie Pie said perkily, closing her eyes and holding her hands together almost as if praying, “Come, Serenity!” Her bunny like Persona appeared in front of her and ran up to the remaining Jack Frost, delivering a powerful looking spin kick, apparently knocking it off it’s feet with a critical blow, “What now?”

“All Out Attack!” Starlight ordered, “Take them out in one go!”

All four witches got their weapons ready, and then rushed the Shadows, attacking them with everything they had. It was a bit more chaotic now with four people attacking, but it was also that much stronger. The Shadows were immediately taken out from that.

Pinkie Pie giggled jumping up and down happily, “YAY! WE WON!” she cheered.

“Good job, rookie,” Trixie said walking up to Pinkie Pie and patting her on the shoulder, “Don’t expect them all to be that easy.”

The four of them kept moving, fighting a few Shadows here and there, but nothing they hadn’t seen before. However, something inside of Starlight changed after a few fights, as if her mind expanded a bit.

“This is good, my pupil. This means you can carry three more selves within you.”

So now she could hold more Personas? That was handy. She’d have to get a few Personas back then and maybe do a Persona fusion or two later.

Yesod: Lvl 5

Around this point, they made it to what appeared to be another Checkpoint floor, but there weren’t any shadows here. Starlight and her friends took this time to rest up for a bit. It wasn’t too bad though, thanks in no small part to Pinkie Pie.

“I think we can all agree that adding Pinkie Pie to the team was the best decision,” Trixie said as they all sat in the middle of the room together.

“Damn right it was,” Rainbow Dash wrapped her arms around Pinkie Pie, “Your Persona’s kind of the MVP today.”

“Aw, thanks you guys,” Pinkie Pie said smiling, “But you three are doing most of the fighting. I’ve been getting a few hits in, but I’m mostly just healing.”

“That’s super important here,” Trixie stated, Starlight nodding in agreement, “Starlight and I both have a few healing spells here and there, but a dedicated medic is something we were sorely lacking.”

“So, I’m really helping?” Pinkie Pie asked hopefully.

“More than you can imagine,” Starlight smiled, “Remember, there are no small roles in this coven.”

“Thanks, Starlight!” Pinkie Pie said. Starlight felt like she was really seeing a new side of Pinkie Pie here. She’d have to congratulate her privately later on.

“No small roles, huh?” Twilight sighed to herself, “Yeah, sure.”

“Something wrong, Twilight?” Pinkie Pie asked.

“It’s nothing,” Twilight said, her wisp floating off away from everyone, “I can deal with it.”

Starlight frowned at that, but chose for now to leave it be. She’d find a way to talk to Twilight about it eventually. That, or ask Ms. Tia about it.

Yesod: Lvl 7

Here the team ran into a team of four Shadows, and it was a tough team. Three Makamis and a Shiki-Ouji. Starlight and Trixie entered a bit of a battle of attrition with the Shiki-Ouji with their spells, and for the most part Rainbow Dash and Pinkie Pie were okay fighting two of the Makamis together, as they focused mostly on physical attacks. It wasn’t until the last one cast Frei on Rainbow Dash that things got serious.

“AHH!!!” Rainbow Dash cried, falling back as the attack knocked her down.

“Dashie, no!” Pinkie Pie cried. She was about to cast Dia on her, but that same Makami rushed at Rainbow Dash before she could, hitting her with a physical attack.

“Starlight, Trixie, Dash is in trouble!” Twilight cried.

“I’ll heal her! APSARAS!” Starlight shouted, switching Persona and casting Dia on Rainbow Dash and healing her a bit, “Pinkie Pie, increase everyone’s Defense! Rainbow Dash, as soon as you’re able, cast Mazio on everyone! We’re almost done with Shiki-Ouji, and I can then try and use Empathy on the Makami!”

Pinkie Pie nodded, “Protect us, Serenity!”

Serenity appeared behind Pinkie Pie, and began spinning like a ballerina as if she were about to heal everyone. Instead, a purple energy field appeared around all of them, making Starlight’s body feel more reinforced. She felt the name “Marakukaja” come to her.

“Come forth, my inner self!” Rainbow Dash shouted, summoning Eclair Farron. Both of them held their blades up in the air, and lightning bolts rained down on top of all of them. The Makamis were knocked down, and the Shiki-Ouji died instantly. With all of the enemies knocked down, Starlight switched back to Morgana and cast empathy on one of the Makami. From the paper/ghost looking Shadow, Starlight got the feeling of someone who was just trying to find balance in their lives, and was willing to compromise.

Why did she think of Coco Pommel just now?

Either way, the Makami in the center rose up, and flew around happily before bursting into flames and flying into Starlight’s Channeling Ring. Another friend to add to the fold.

“Dashie, are you okay?” Pinkie Pie asked running up to Rainbow Dash.

“Yeah, I’m fine,” Rainbow Dash said, leaning forward a bit and panting heavily, “But I think, I need to rest up a bit.”

“I think there’s a Checkpoint up ahead,” Twilight said, “I’m not detecting any high level Shadows up there, so you can use that and return to the surface.”

“Thanks Twilight,” Starlight said, “Let’s head back to the Akashic Records. From there, we can all return to our bodies and get some rest.”

It didn’t take long for them to reach the stairs. Like Twilight said, the Checkpoint didn’t have a Shadow waiting for them, so they were able to use that to return to the Library.

play song

Once back in the Akashic Records, Rainbow Dash and Trixie both decided to return to their bodies. Dash was really tired after that fight, and Trixie mentioned she was also hitting her limit. Twilight chose to log out herself, but Starlight wanted to talk to Pinkie Pie briefly before they left. Thankfully, she was still there, leaning against a bookshelf.

“Dashie will be okay, right?” Pinkie Pie asked Starlight.

“She will,” Starlight said, “She’s probably going to be tired when she wakes up, but she should recover.”

“Good,” Pinkie Pie sighed in relief, “This place is even more terrifying than I thought. When I realized that this is real, and I saw Dashie fall like that, I just panicked.”

“That’s understandable,” Starlight said standing beside Pinkie Pie, “But panicking doesn’t help anyone. You’re the medic here now, so you need to remain calm.”

“I know,” Pinkie Pie sighed rubbing her arm, “I guess, taking on so much responsibility is still really scary for me,” she then turned to Starlight, “Hey, could you help me become more independent?”

Wait, she wanted her to help her with that?

“I know this is sudden, but you’re such a great leader,” Pinkie Pie continued, “I’ve never had to take care of myself. I’ve always had my parents, my sisters, or Fleur holding my hand. Now, I have to stand on my own two feet, and well,” she turned away nervously, “I’m scared.”

Starlight thought about that a bit. It’s true that Pinkie Pie seemed a bit sheltered compared to the rest of them. In fact, Starlight could remember a time where she was just like Pinkie Pie. Shortly after her mother died, and she had to figure out where she wanted to go from there.

That was the day she decided to come to Canterlot Academy, a decision that seemed more and more like the right one.

“Alright,” Starlight said, “I’ll help you become more independent.”

Pinkie Pie beamed and hugged Starlight tightly, “Thanks Starlight! You’re the best!”

Starlight returned the hug, feeling a faint bond form between her and Pinkie Pie.

play song

Thou art I… and I am thou…

Thou hast established a new bond…

This bond shalt become the stairway to thy ascension…

Thou shalt be blessed when creating Persona of the Lovers Arcana…

Even though she already considered Pinkie Pie a friend, something about this felt more official. She also felt that if she didn’t already have a huge crush on Trixie, she could easily see herself becoming romantically involved with Pinkie Pie.

But she was Dash’s girl. Besides, she had future plans for her and Trixie’s relationship.

With a new bond forged, the two witches (well, witch and Magical Girl) chose to head back to their bodies together. Tomorrow, Starlight would get to work searching for information on Rarity’s Dungeon.

Meaning she’d be taking a trip to the Student Council office after school.

Author's Note

Fool – Seekers of Light: 5/10 Level Up!
Magician – Trixie Lulamoon: 5/10
Priestess – Diamond Tiara: 5/10 Level Up!
The Empress – Ms. Tia: 3/10
The Lovers - Pinkamena Diane Pie: 1/10 Established!!!
Chariot – Rainbow Dash: 2/10
The Devil – Silver Spoon: 2/10

Special thanks to the following Patreon supporters!
Kidkaboom1
Aero Dragon
Grand General Luna
William Smith

You guys are all wonderful! Thank you so much for aiding me in my campaign for world domination~ :twilightsmile:

So it occurs to me that a lot of my music is probably gone now (thank you Nintendo...) so I'm going to be going through the chapters this month to replace the music as much as I can. I ask that every be patient with me, as this is a long process.

10/5

October 5th, 2019
Friday
Rainy

Morning

play song

Starlight debated on using today to test the waters of her other outfit, but opted against it, choosing instead to wear her usual attire today. She wasn’t exactly trying to entice any of the other students today. She was here on a mission.

Get close to the Student Body President.

As she walked to school, her thoughts went to Rarity. She still remembered the odd response that her heart had when Starlight reached out to her. She seemed almost antagonistic toward Starlight. Was that how she really felt about her?

No, that didn’t make sense. She had asked Starlight herself to join the student council because she wanted to get to know her better. If Applejack was to believed, this was Rarity’s idea, too. So why did Rarity’s heart seem to be rejecting Starlight?

Especially if she already had a Dungeon.

“Hey, did you hear the news about the Diamond Dogs?”

Huh? Starlight looked up ahead of her and heard two girls from school gossiping.

“You mean that gang that caused trouble last year?” her friend asked.

“Some of their members were spotted around town yesterday. They said they were looking at the school, too.”

Her friend gasped, “You don’t think they’ll attack the school, do you?”

“I don’t think we have to worry. Miss President and the Defense Committee will keep us safe,” the girl who started the topic said right before the bell rang. Starlight had heard a bit about the Diamond Dogs, but since she didn’t follow the media, she didn’t know much. Maybe Rarity could fill in the blanks.

Daytime

Whatever the current lecture was got lost once Bulk Biceps started talking about famous poetry in the 16th century. He surprised Starlight by asking her a question about one of the poets of that time. Starlight didn’t know the answer, but based on what he was talking about, she took a guess and surprisingly got it right.

She felt significantly more intelligent after answering that question.

After School

Pinkie Pie and Rainbow Dash decided to go to the arcade together, so Starlight only had Trixie to escort her to the Student Council office. Which was perfect, since she still needed to fill her in on some of her suspicions concerning Rarity.

“That does sound serious,” Trixie said thoughtfully as they walked down the hall, “My heart wasn’t that antagonistic toward you, was it?”

Starlight shook her head, and explained to Trixie how her heart was crying for help even before Starlight broke the ice between then. That seemed to be the norm, honestly.

“Huh. You know, thinking back on it, something within me did want to reach out to you when I met you,” Trixie said folding her arms and looking down, “Like, part of me wanted you to give me a reason not to leave that first day.”

That matched up with what Trixie’s heart said to her the second time. She begged Starlight to stop her. She wished that she had said something back then, knowing what she knows now.

“Speaking of, Blueblood hasn’t harassed you since last time, has he?” Starlight asked.

“Not at all,” Trixie said, “Not sure if that’s a good thing or a bad thing. I hear he’s still being rough on the football team, though.”

“Remember, if any of them approach you, come to me, okay?” Starlight requested, “I promised to keep you safe, after all.”

“R-right,” Trixie said blushing a bit, “Thanks, Starlight,” she lowered her hat over her eyes, “I… um, I was wondering… if some time this weekend… we could go shopping together? I wanted to get a few props for my magic show, and… there was one store that I was hoping to try walking into together…”

Starlight had a feeling that she knew what store she was talking about, but she didn’t want to put Trixie on the spot. Being seen in that place with Trixie would probably do wonders for her courage.

“Sounds fun,” Starlight said, opting to not openly ask her where they were going, “We can go tomorrow.”

“Really? Great!” Trixie said enthusiastically before catching herself, “Right, so tomorrow is our day. J-just you and me, alright? I’m… not sure I’m ready to go in with anyone else.”

“No worries,” Starlight said rubbing Trixie’s arm comfortingly, “This will be just the two of us.”

“Thanks Starlight,” Trixie said, shocking Starlight by hugging her, “I feel so much safer when it’s just us.”

Trixie was being kind of weird today. Was she…

“I’ll see you back at the dorm,” Trixie said, giving Starlight her best confident smile before walking off. Maybe Starlight did have a chance with Trixie.

For another time though. Today, Starlight had a job to do.

end song

Starlight took a deep breath, and opened the door to the Student Council room. It was just as neat as Starlight remembered it being. There were a few students here and there, but two immediately caught Starlight’s eye. One was a boy with kind of spiky green hair wearing a purple jacket, black t-shirt, blue jeans, and black and white sneakers. Hadn’t she’d seen him around the football team?

The other one made Starlight’s heart leap out of her chest.

A boy with short orange and yellow hair that was somewhat unkempt, thick glasses, wearing a white suit shirt, red necktie that was partially undone, blue pants, and black dress shoes. He hadn’t looked up from his book yet, so he didn’t notice Starlight, but she certainly noticed him, and seeing him made her tremble uncontrollably.

play song

Why…?

Why is he here…?!

Rarity and Applejack were talking in the back of the room, but Rarity noticed Starlight and smiled, “Oh wonderful! You came!”

“H-huh?” Starlight was snapped out of her daze as Rarity ran over to her and took her hand smiling brilliantly.

“You came to join us, yes?” she asked hopefully. Starlight was again taken aback by the powerful aura of this girl. Like this, she didn’t seem like the sort who would push Starlight away. In fact, it seemed she was almost clinging to her.

Starlight nodded wordlessly, still reeling from both Rarity’s entire presence, and also from who was sitting across from her in the room.

“Splendid,” Rarity pulled Starlight into the middle of the room and then clapped her hands to get everyone’s attention, “Everyone, I have an announcement! Starting today, a new member has joined the Student Council as my secretary!”

Everyone save for the student that Starlight recognized looked up at her.

“Wait, isn’t that the goth chick who transferred in the beginning of the year?” the green haired boy asked.

“Why yes, Spike. That’s exactly who this is,” Rarity said, “Everyone, this is Starlight Glimmer, the newest member of our team!”

That made the boy sitting off to the side flinch suddenly. He looked up slowly at Starlight and swallowed nervously, also trembling a bit.

“S-Starlight…?” he asked in disbelief. Starlight looked at him, breathing heavily. She almost felt like she was going to have a panic attack.

Why do you have to be here…?

Why now of all times?!

“You already know the Head of the Defense Committee, Applejack,” Rarity pointed to Applejack still sitting on a desk in the back.

“Glad ya could join us,” Applejack said tipping her hat.

“This is Spike, our Treasurer, Pip over there is our Fundraising Officer, and the young man surrounded by all the books is my Vice-President, Sunburst.”

“It’s nice to meet you,” Pip said in a thick British accent.

“You might have seen me on the football team as well,” Spike said with a smile, “Don’t worry. I hate Blueblood just as much as you do.”

“T-thanks,” Starlight said nervously, “Good to know…” her eyes turned to Sunburst, who just looked away biting his lip nervously. He remembered.

“I have a few things to discuss with Applejack, so for the time being, I’d like it if someone could help Starlight get acquainted here. Sunburst, could I count on you for that?” Rarity asked Sunburst.

“M-me? Um, Miss President, are you sure that’s a good idea?” he asked nervously.

“You’re the best person for this, since you’re my Vice-President,” Rarity said with the most adorable pout, “Also, you’ve been more or less my secretary up until now, so this means she’ll be taking a lot of your responsibilities.”

“Don’t even try to decline that look, Sunburst!” Spike teased, “She could get me to jump into traffic with that pout!”

“That’s because you have a monster crush on her, and know you don’t have a shot in hell,” Pip sighed.

“H-hey! I’m not that pathetic!” Spike defended.

“Exactly,” Rarity said, “Spike’s actually quite the dashing young man when he wants to be.”

“Wait, so I do have a shot?” Spike asked hopefully.

“I didn’t say that,” Rarity said shooting him down immediately.

“That’ll teach me to get my hopes up,” Spike sighed.

“I guess there’s no avoiding this, huh?” Sunburst said walking up to Starlight, “I’ll um… walk you through everything, Starlight.”

“T-thanks…” Starlight said, averting her eyes somberly. Sunburst guided her to his desk away from everyone else, which made Starlight a bit nervous. She didn’t want to be alone with him.

“So um… h-how have you been?” Sunburst asked nervously, “Do you still want to… be…”

“I don’t need to want it anymore,” Starlight said presenting her Channeling Ring, “Because I am a witch now.”

Sunburst’s eyes widened a bit at that, “O-oh. Wow, um, that’s something. Good for you,” he smiled a bit.

“Don’t,” Starlight said shooting him down immediately, “I know you think I’m crazy.”

“Starlight, I…” Sunburst turned away, “I guess you’re still upset about… that.”

Starlight folded her arms and turned away, groaning in frustration. She was way beyond upset at him. She thought he understood her. She thought they had the same dream. Now knowing that magic was real, and being a witch herself now, it only made that day hurt even more.

“Can we… talk after this?” Sunburst urged, “Please, I… I want to know how you’ve been.”

“So now you care?” Starlight asked, tearing up a bit, “When I needed you the most, you weren’t there, but now you-” she was blindsided by a sudden embrace from Sunburst, and an influx of powerful emotions.

Starlight, I… I didn’t mean to hurt you…

“I’m so sorry,” Sunburst said after a second, “This is why I wanted to talk. I… I need to explain what happened. Please let me explain.”

She didn’t want him to explain. She wanted to keep being angry at him. It still hurt, knowing that he didn’t believe in magic, and that he wasn’t there for her when… when her Mother passed away.

But… his heart was reaching out to her… and he said…

“My pupil, let’s hear him out.”

Starlight looked up a bit, and saw Morgana floating before their desk. She looked more ghostly, so Starlight knew that she was the only one who could see her currently. She mentally asked Morgana why she should give Sunburst this chance.

“Because at one point, he WAS our friend.”

Morgana was right. Truth was, she did miss him. She wanted answers, that way she could make the pain ebb away a bit.

“Fine, we’ll talk,” Starlight said curtly. She could almost feel the relief wash over Sunburst.

“Thank you,” Sunburst said releasing Starlight, “After that, you can hate me all you want. I just want a chance to explain my side of things a bit.”

That was fair, Starlight supposed. The two of them went back to work in the meantime. Sadly, Starlight didn’t get a chance to really talk to Rarity this time, but at least she broke the ice a bit. Thankfully her job wasn’t too involved, and she’d probably be significantly close to Rarity.

It might take a bit, but she’d get something so Twilight could track down her Dungeon.

end song

After finishing the meeting, the two of them went to the Kami no Tabemono ramen shop. Starlight was tempted to order the Nine Tailed Kitsune Udon, but opted against it since she had other reasons to be here.

“So, I take it you have questions,” Sunburst said as the female twin, Izumi, brought their orders to the table.

“Why did you say those things to me?” Starlight asked, “You have no idea how much you hurt me that day.”

play song

“I’m sorry, Starlight,” Sunburst sighed, “In truth, I hated myself for saying those things. See, my Dad was getting on my case about my school work.”

“You weren’t failing, from what I remember,” Starlight said, starting on her ramen.

“No, I wasn’t. But getting As and Bs wasn’t enough for him,” Sunburst said, “He wanted me to be the best. He was actually setting me up to become a Teacher, like him.”

“That’s why you started focusing so much on your studies,” Starlight reasoned.

“He kept telling me that magic wasn’t real, and that I was wasting my time fantasizing about becoming a wizard,” Sunburst said, eating a bit of his ramen, “He was all I had, though, and we didn’t have as close of a relationship like you had with your Mother, so to earn his favor, I sort of… pushed you away.”

Starlight averted her eyes pained. She understood now, but it still hurt immensely.

“I’m not trying to defend myself, Starlight,” Sunburst said after a second, “Like I said, if you want to still hate me, you can. I… hate myself. Especially considering I didn’t make the cut anyway.”

“What do you mean?” Starlight asked looking at him again.

“My Dad enrolled me into this really prestigious school across the state called Crystal Prep,” Sunburst explained, “It’s also a boarding school, but it’s way more strict that Canterlot High. Over there, you don’t get freedom to express yourself. The subjects are also really hard, almost college level courses,” he sighed in defeat, “I didn’t even last the semester.”

Starlight’s eyes widened as she saw Sunburst go back to his ramen. Sunburst… dropped out?

“That was around the time your Mother died,” Sunburst continued after a bit, “Because I was across the state, I didn’t hear about it right away. I even asked my father why he didn’t tell me, and of course his response was something like “I didn’t want you distracted by that girl’s problems,” Sunburst scowled, “Never mind that girl was my best friend…”

Starlight couldn’t believe it. He… still considered her to be his best friend?

“I wanted to get in touch with you, but I didn’t know how,” Sunburst continued, “By the time I did, you were already in the hospital, and I didn’t know which one. No one else knew either, so I…” he closed his eyes, and Starlight saw a single tear fall, “I know I’m a terrible friend, Starlight. You have every right to hate me.”

Starlight looked down and pondered this. Knowing everything that happened didn’t make it right, but it… did put things into perspective. She remembered that his Dad really didn’t care for her. Hell, even her mother hated the guy, and she loved just about everyone.

“Sunburst, I… I don’t hate you,” Starlight said after a minute, “I’m just hurt. The truth is… Mom’s death was my fault…”

“Your fault? I don’t understand,” Sunburst said.

Starlight explained the argument she and her mother had to Sunburst. She also went into the ritual she cast shortly afterward in their old ritual grounds, and how her mother was in a car crash shortly afterward. She didn’t go into how she met Igor and Victor, but she did tell him that she attempted suicide shortly after, and that for better or for worse, the ritual worked.

But… at the cost of everything she held dear.

“Oh Starlight…” Sunburst said, drinking the broth of his ramen, “I… I’m sorry.”

“Go on, tell me I made a mistake!” Starlight cried, “Tell me that I’m a terrible person, and that I should have listened to you and put more focus on my studies! Tell me that I killed my Mother!”

As Starlight broke down, Sunburst rose from his seat, sat down beside Starlight, and wrapped his arms around her.

“I would never tell you those things,” Sunburst said softly, “I’m sorry that Mrs. Glimmer passed away, and if that ritual was connected to it, I’m sorry that it happened the way that it did. But, you say that it worked, and you are a witch now, right?” Starlight nodded, “Have you decided what you’ll do with this power?”

“I… I swore that I’d only use my magic to help people,” Starlight said quietly, “I’ve already helped a few people with my powers.”

“Then I’d like to think that in the end, Mrs. Glimmer is happy to know your magic is being used for a good purpose,” Sunburst lifted Starlight’s chin, “She wouldn’t want you to tear yourself down like this, and neither do I. Let me make up for all the time I missed by being there for you now.”

“You… want to be my friend…? Despite everything?” Starlight asked hopefully.

“Well, outside of the Student Council, I don’t have any friends in school. Besides, we made a promise to always lift each other up, right?”

Starlight’s eyes widened in surprise. He remembered…

In that moment, she felt as though a faint bond formed between her and Sunburst.

play song

Thou art I… and I am thou…

Thou hast established a new bond…

This bond shalt become the stairway to thy ascension…

Thou shalt be blessed when creating Personas of the Hermit Arcana…

Starlight stayed with Sunburst for the rest of the night until it was close to curfew, and then went back to the dorm to prepare for her date with Trixie. Now she could go into this feeling much better.

Author's Note

Fool – Seekers of Light: 5/10
Magician – Trixie Lulamoon: 5/10
Priestess – Diamond Tiara: 5/10
The Empress – Ms. Tia: 3/10
The Lovers - Pinkamena Diane Pie: 1/10
Chariot – Rainbow Dash: 2/10
The Devil – Silver Spoon: 2/10
Hermit – Sunburst: 1/10 Established!!!!

Special thanks to the following Patreon supporters!
Kidkaboom1
Aero Dragon
Grand General Luna
William Smith

You guys are all wonderful! Thank you so much for aiding me in my campaign for world domination~ :twilightsmile:

10/6

October 6th, 2019
Saturday
Sunny

Morning

play song

When Starlight finished her shower, she was surprised to see Trixie already dressed and putting on her make-up. Only she wasn’t wearing her magician’s attire this time. She was wearing the sexy outfit she wore when Starlight met her. It had been while since Starlight saw that outfit on her roommate, and she honestly forgot how much cleavage it showed off.

Naturally her eyes went right to Trixie’s chest.

“Hey Starlight,” Trixie said turning around to face Starlight, leaning forward a bit with a smirk, “Surprised?”

“Q-quite…” Starlight said, praying to God she wasn’t blushing too obviously, “I never thought I’d see you wear that again.”

“Dunno why, but it felt right today,” Trixie said, getting up and walking to her bed, slowly putting on her boots, “Especially since it’s just the two of us.”

“Wearing that doesn’t trigger you at all?” Starlight said, eyes slowly moving up the zipper of her boots as Trixie zipped them up. Starlight swore she was going intentionally slow.

“Nope. I never truly hated this look, besides, it doesn’t just have bad memories tied to it,” Trixie continued.

“It doesn’t…?” Starlight asked, a bit captivated at the moment.

“Of course not. After all,” Trixie rose up and walked over to Starlight, and hugged her, “This was how I was when I met you.”

Starlight swallowed nervously. Both from the fact that she was still wearing just her towel (one of these days she’d remember to buy a bathrobe!), and from how Trixie was talking right now. For the past few days, she’d been acting really strange around Starlight. Not that she minded.

“I’ll wait for you downstairs,” Trixie said releasing Starlight a bit to look into her eyes with a slightly… unreadable smile, “See you in a bit, Starlight.”

“Yeah… see you in a bit,” Starlight said, heart pounding out of her chest. Trixie walked out of the room, leaving Starlight to try and catch herself. Trixie was always flirtatious around Starlight, but that was always sort of teasing. Just now though, that felt different.

She wanted so badly to believe that this was what she thought it was, but what if this was just Trixie being Trixie? What if Starlight was projecting what she wanted it to be? Again, Trixie was naturally flirtatious it seemed. But… was she? Was that just how she was dealing with Blueblood’s abuse? Was she just clinging to Starlight because she saved her? Or through all of this, did Trixie start to get genuine feelings for Starlight?

Argh! This was so confusing! Stupid, sexy, Trixie! Why did she have to be so freaking hot?! And for the love of God, why was Starlight still having steamy dreams about her?!

Starlight fell onto her bed, letting her towel fall open. Trixie was messing with her head so much that it was becoming hard to think straight. She needed to get back at her somehow.

Then Starlight had a thought. Her attention went to her closet, where it was. She walked over to her closet and pulled out the ensemble. Black shirt underneath a fishnet shirt, red flannel mini-skirt, and she could see the black and golden boots that went with this. If she wore the right make-up, this could actually be really hot on her.

Starlight smirked thinking about it. Maybe now was the time to show this off. Might help get a better picture of whether or not Trixie was showing signs of being interested in her. At the very least, she’d probably be interested after seeing this.

Didn’t take long for Starlight to get dressed. She decided to go with more of a blood red lipstick like she wore in the Phase, and dark purple eye shadow. When she stepped downstairs and Trixie laid eyes on her, she actually did a double take.

“Whoa! That’s what you got with Diamond Tiara?” Trixie asked, eyes wide.

Starlight nodded, “Like it?” she smiled, knowing exactly what her answer would be.

“I… didn’t know you could be so… I mean, it should have been obvious, with how you dress in the dream world,” Trixie stammered.

“Mm hm,” Starlight nodded, folding her arms underneath her bosom.

“So uh… yeah! You look really, um…” Trixie reached for where her hat would be, but then remembered she wasn’t wearing it. Instead, she just rubbed her arm and looked away, facing about as pink as Pinkie Pie’s hair.

So she is into me. I’m not going to rush things, but I can work with this.

Before either of them could say anything, Rainbow Dash stepped out of the dining room. She stopped when she saw how the two of them were dressed, “Um… holy fuck.”

“Very nicely put, Dash,” Trixie said deadpanned, making Starlight giggle.

“I’m sorry! But I did say that outfit looked hot on you! And goddamn, Leader! I didn’t know that other outfit was this sexy!”

“Thank Diamond Tiara,” Starlight said, “She’s into this sort of stuff.”

“That doesn’t surprise me in the slightest,” Rainbow Dash said folding her arms, “Not sure how I feel that it doesn’t…”

Now Starlight was thinking about Diamond Tiara, wondering how she was doing. She hoped her Dungeon was still an extension of Elysium and didn’t extend out into a lone Dungeon. Maybe they should take another trip into Elysium soon.

“Hey, why don’t we have breakfast here before we head out?” Trixie suggested.

“You just want Pinkie Pie and Ms. Tia to see me like this,” Starlight pointed out.

“Whaaaaaaat? I don’t know what you’re talking about Starlight,” Trixie said with a smirk. Okay then, Starlight thought, I’ll play your game.

“Sounds fun,” Starlight said walking over to Trixie and placing her hand on her back, but a bit lower than usual, “Lead the way, Trixie.”

“R-right,” Trixie stuttered, trying to not lose her cool. Starlight felt her courage skyrocket from that.

“Oh for the love of God, just fuck already!” Rainbow Dash shouted, making both teens blush like crazy. What a way to make it awkward, Dash…

Daytime

play song

After being teased by everyone at the breakfast table, the two girls started making their way down South Street. Starlight had to admit, walking through public wearing so little was exhilarating. Every small gust of wind left her terrified, which of course made Trixie laugh.

That was a sound Starlight could never tire of.

She noticed that Trixie stayed really close to her the entire time. Either holding onto her arm, or holding her hand. It was a pleasant feeling, and reminded Starlight of how they were when they met, and she was fighting through her Dungeon to rescue her. Ever since that day, it seemed she was always acting as Trixie’s protector.

She wondered vaguely if that’s how doms were supposed to behave with their subs.

Like last time, Starlight let Trixie take the lead. They went to see another movie, this time that science fiction movie Starlight had wanted to see, went into a few of the clothing stores together, got a few supplies for Trixie’s magic show, and both of them decided to both try the Nine Tailed Kitsune Udon challenge. Trixie gave up pretty quickly, once she lost feeling in her tongue. Like last time though, Starlight powered through until she completely fell out.

It wasn’t the evening when she came to like last time, but she had apparently lost at least ten minutes.

“You are insane, you know that?” Trixie asked as they left the ramen shop.

“They won’t beat me,” Starlight said seriously.

“Geez, you’re almost as competitive as a boy sometimes,” Trixie shrugged, “But if you do complete the challenge, let me know. Maybe we could post it on Facebook or something.”

“You just want to brag about being best friends with the girl who beat the challenge,” Starlight ribbed Trixie playfully.

“Why wouldn’t I want to brag that my bestie is a super hero~?” Trixie replied. They laughed together at that, but then Trixie sobered a bit when she saw where they were, “I guess now would be a good time to go in here…”

play song

Starlight looked up at the shop in question. She wasn’t surprised. It was exactly where she thought Trixie would want to go yesterday when she asked Starlight out.

Chains and Whips Central.

Starlight placed a hand on her back, “If you’re not ready yet, you don’t have to.”

“No Starlight, I have to face it,” Trixie said tightening her fists, “I can’t keep pretending that side of me doesn’t exist. Sooner or later, I have to try and enjoy BDSM again without having memories of… him.”

Starlight looked down at that. That must have been rough and frustrating. Her first BDSM experience was with someone who used it to abuse her. That clearly painted her outlook on it. Starlight wondered if Trixie was open enough to answer something she’d wanted to know for a while.

“What are some of the things you imagine?” Starlight asked Trixie, who understandably turned red at the question.

“Y-you want to know some of my fantasies…?” she asked slowly.

“If it’s too personal, I understand, I was just-”

“No!” Trixie shook her head turning to Starlight, “No, it’s not. I was just… caught off guard,” she walked away from the window and leaned against the wall, looking up at the sky, “To be honest, the idea of being tied to a pole or structure outside… that sounds really exciting.”

“Even if someone were to catch you?” Starlight asked leaning beside her.

“That’s part of the appeal,” Trixie answered, “Like… in the alleyway next to the school, there’s this window close to the ground, and there are bars in front of it. One time, Blueblood, he-” she caught herself and looked down, “He…”

“Go on,” Starlight pressed comfortingly, “It’s okay.”

Trixie nodded, “He tied me to the bars there, and forced me to give him a blow job,” Trixie rubbed her arm, “It was humiliating, yes, but there was a huge part of me that enjoyed that.”

Starlight took Trixie’s hand and squeezed it. She knew admitting this was hard, but she was really proud of Trixie for saying this out loud.

“Mostly though, my fantasies involve me being tied up while my captor is off doing something else,” Trixie blushed a bit smiling, “I’m struggling, screaming through my gag for someone to come to my rescue, and then my captor walks into the room, and begins fingering me, forcing an orgasm, well, “against my will” I suppose. And… being forced to sleep tied up again… would be nice in a controlled setting.”

“So… you like feeling restricted,” Starlight reasoned.

“That’s kind of how it was with Blueblood,” Trixie admitted, “Whenever he and I were in his room, I would be tied up someplace, and every so often he’d come over to me and do something. Sometimes he’d just start randomly fucking me right there. Only…”

“Only…?” Starlight asked.

“He was rarely ever tender with it,” Trixie said, “It might sound odd to say, but while I enjoy being tied up, I’d want a dom with a more… gentle touch, I suppose. Like… someone who makes me feel captured… and like a prisoner, but… maybe isn’t so rough with me…”

“I’m afraid to ask, but… did you ever tell Blueblood he was too rough with you?” Starlight asked. Much to her sadness, Trixie nodded.

“Once, early in our relationship. He responded by calling me out for “topping from the bottom”.” Trixie explained.

“Topping from the bottom?” Starlight asked tilting her head.

“It’s a term to describe when the sub exerts more control than they’re given,” Trixie explained, “Like, if you and I were in a BDSM relationship, and I started contradicting your commands, ignoring your orders, or started pulling away from physical contact more than the scene required. A bit of resistance is fine, but if we negotiated certain terms, but then I started ignoring said terms, that would be topping from the bottom.”

“Doesn’t the sub control the scene though?” Starlight asked.

“It’s a bit of a gray area where it’s acceptable or not,” Trixie explained, “That’s usually where safewords come into play. If there’s something you don’t like happening in the scene, the sub just says the safeword and everything stops.”

It didn’t take a genius to figure out that Blueblood probably didn’t give Trixie a safeword. If he did, he probably just ignored it.

“After that, I just… stopped,” Trixie sighed, “I let Blueblood do whatever he wanted to me, even if it was too rough. I didn’t suggest anything either. I just… stayed silent and let him have fun with my body.”

Starlight wrapped an arm around Trixie lovingly, “Well, no more of that. I’m still learning about BDSM, but know that if we were in one together, I wouldn’t just take advantage of you.”

“Thanks Starlight,” Trixie said, her face suddenly turning red. Starlight then realized that they’d just openly discussed… “H-hey! Why don’t we go inside now?” Trixie said with an awkward smile. Starlight happily agreed, but she knew she’d be thinking about that for the rest of the day. Despite the awkward turn of the day, they had a lot of fun, and Starlight felt significantly closer to Trixie.

The two girls stayed out till curfew, and then made their way back to the dorm.

Late Night

play song

It was probably the seediest club in South Street. Personally, she hated coming here, especially with everything that went on inside of this place. However, it was the one place that she knew she’d find her. The bitch wasn’t answering her cellphone, which meant she was probably here doing who knows what.

No, she knew exactly what she was doing. Being a complete slut.

As she walked inside, there was a big contrast between herself and the rest of the patrons here. Most of them were wearing collars, leather pants, skimpy leotards, and the like. She on the other hand, wore a red top that showed off a bit of cleavage, black leather jacket, black booty shorts, fishnet stockings, and red high heeled boots. The club was dark with lots of red lights, women in cages dancing around, a huge crowd dancing to some rave song that she wasn’t paying any attention to, and scattered around were various tables and lounge chairs. Times like this she hated how her red and orange hair stood out so much. She just hoped she found Chrysalis before she attracted unwanted attentio-

“Well, what do we have here?” a male voice said, grabbing her butt and squeezing it.

SHIT!

“You value that hand, fucker?” she asked venomously, “Cause if you do, you’ll take it off my ass.”

“Aw, don’t be like that, baby,” the young man said, his two cronies standing beside her and admiring her assets, “My boys and I were just admiring the goddess who walked through the door.

They were all clearly in a gang, all of them wearing spiked collars and leather jackets with silver spikes on them, but that was about all she could tell about them in the light. She did notice their leader (who still hadn’t taken his hand off her ass) had shoulder length black hair and wore a black cap.

“That’s sweet,” she said, her heart racing as she flexed her hand, “But I don’t think you need your hand on my butt to admire me. So I’ll say it again, hands off.”

Stop touching me…! Stop touching me…! Stop touching me…!

“Clearly you don’t know who I am,” the leader said, hand now moving up and down her waist, “Not surprising, though. I haven’t been on top here in a while. Just know you’re in the midst of a king.”

She didn’t care that he was a king. He was touching her. Only one person was allowed to touch her in any manner without asking, and she still didn’t know where said person was.

Stop it…! Stop it…!

“So what do ya say, gorgeous?” the man touching her asked leaning in close to her ear, “Wanna sit with the real rulers of this street?”

“I just want two things,” she said, nursing the Channeling Ring around her finger, “To find someone, and for you to stop touching me. Now,” she turned to the leader as she said that, her blue eyes glowing red for a split second. A slightly dazed look came over him as his eyes turned slightly orange.

“As you command, my Queen…” he said removing his hands. As his partners looked freaked out, she turned to them and cast the same spell.

“When I leave, none of you will remember ever seeing me,” she commanded. The same effect came over them.

“Yes, Your Majesty,” the two boys said bowing to her, almost as if they were knights or retainers. She pushed past them and walked up the stairs to the lounge. Before she reached the top, she stopped and slammed a fist on the wall beside her, screaming in rage.

She hated being touched without permission!

She continued up the stairs, where she finally found who she was looking for. A young woman either in her late teens or early twenties at the oldest, with long straight neon green hair, light green eye shadow, black lipstick, long dark green nails, and an extremely voluptuous figure. Currently said figure wasn’t obstructed by much though, wearing a short green dress with a single strap over her left shoulder holding it up, black belt around her waist, and green high heels. At the moment, she had three men with her, all of them wearing collars and leashes. One man she held close to her by the leash as she made out with him. The second man she was lovingly petting as he suckled on her right breast. The final man was on his knees before her spread out legs, lovingly eating her out.

“God fucking damn it,” the red/orange haired girl said rolling her eyes. The green haired woman opened her eyes and looked at the newcomer and broke the kiss, letting her partner start kissing her neck.

“Mmmm, Sunset. Care to join me, love?” she asked, voice deep and oozing with lust and sexuality. Her eyes were sharp and green, and full of confidence.

“I’m not a filthy whore like you, Chrysalis,” Sunset said walking over to her friend, “We need to talk.”

“Can’t it wait?” Chrysalis whined losing herself to her lust, “Moth was just about to hit my g-spot.”

“You getting off can wait,” Sunset said, raising her hand and showing her Channeling Ring, “This can’t.”

Chrysalis looked at that, and pursed her lips, her own Channeling Ring shining vaguely in the light, “Boy, let’s finish this later. Me and my friend need to talk privately.”

The three men all got up and walked off, clear disappointment evident on their faces. As Chrysalis pulled herself together as much as she could, Sunset sat down beside her.

“So what’s so important you had to end my fun early?” Chrysalis asked pouring herself and Sunset some wine.

“Remember that thing I said I was looking into?” Sunset said taking her glass, “I confirmed it. There are four other witches in the Phase now.”

“Ooooh, that is big news,” Chrysalis said, sitting back and crossing her legs with a smile, “We need help if we’re going to revive Strega.”

“Don’t celebrate yet,” Sunset continued, “I’ve been following them around. They entered the Tower of Salvation. I think they’re trying to put an end to the dreams.”

“Really now? What utter nonsense,” Chrysalis said sipping her wine, “God shines upon us, and has granted us the gift of dreaming. They can’t hope to destroy said gift.”

“I don’t know,” Sunset shook her head, “Their leader used multiple Personas when she fought.”

That got Chrysalis’ attention.

“You mean… she has the Wild Card?” Chrysalis asked, actually looking a bit worried.

“See why I needed to get in touch with you?” Sunset asked, “If she’s a Trickster, she might be able to do it.”

“NO!” Chrysalis shouted slamming her fist on the table before them, “I won’t let these witches who renounce God’s blessing destroy this miracle!”

“So what do we do about this?” Sunset asked, “So far, it looks like the Trickster already destroyed a few Dungeons.”

Chrysalis looked down in deep thought, “We need to increase our numbers. At least one more witch.”

“I’ve been looking through the internet for possible candidates,” Sunset pulled out her phone, opening a forum talking about the Nightmare Epidemic, “Most of these peasants are just terrified, but there is one person I’m keeping an eye on.”

“Oh?” Chrysalis asked raising an eyebrow.

“The lead singer in that music group,” Sunset said pulling up a picture of a girl with impossibly long and full orange and golden hair, purple eye shadow, and red lipstick, “I don’t know about her sisters yet, but she definitely has the potential. She isn’t hiding the fact she’s having the dreams to the public, and even posts about it on the forum. Listen to this post: The demons are starting to get more persistent, the day I either die, or bring about the end of days is nigh. I’m scared, but if this is my fate, then so be it.”

“She’s not fighting the dreams…” Chrysalis looked thoughtful.

“Apparently the three of them live in the area,” Sunset said putting her phone away, “They ended their tour early once they confirmed she was having the dreams. I think she had a meltdown on stage or something.”

“Poor thing,” Chrysalis placed a hand over her heart, “She fears what’s happening to her, but she doesn’t yet see that she’s one of the chosen. Alright, tonight we’ll begin scrying for her dream. We’ll try to wake her up, and together we’ll revive Strega, and put a stop to these witches who seek an end to the world’s salvation,” she held her glass toward Sunset for a toast, “For Nyx, the harbinger of the end.”

“For Nyx, harbinger of the end,” Sunset said, her glass meeting Chrysalis’.

Author's Note

Fool – Seekers of Light: 5/10
Magician – Trixie Lulamoon: 6/10 Level Up!!!
Priestess – Diamond Tiara: 5/10
The Empress – Ms. Tia: 3/10
The Lovers - Pinkamena Diane Pie: 1/10
Chariot – Rainbow Dash: 2/10
The Devil – Silver Spoon: 2/10
Hermit – Sunburst: 1/10

Special thanks to the following Patreon supporters!

Kidkaboom1
Aero Dragon
Grand General Luna
William Smith

All of their families are now safe for when I begin my campaign for world domination. If you want to help push me closer to my goals of becoming the new Queen of the World (and future Empress of the Galaxy) then please consider supporting my Patreon.

10/7

October 7th, 2019
Sunday
Sunny

Daytime

song: When the Moon's Reaching Out Stars - Persona 3

Starlight chose to go into town today. Both to just spend some time with her thoughts, but also to see if she could run into Diamond Tiara. Tonight, she planned on tackling Elysium again, but she wanted to gauge how bad off Diamond was, see if she needed to worry at all. Mostly though, she just needed to be with her thoughts after yesterday’s date with her roommate.

Was it a date? It felt like a date. She hoped it was a date. Until she learned otherwise, she’d assume it was a date.

Please be a date…

After spending time with Trixie yesterday, it seemed like she and Starlight had become visibly closer. Maybe she was imagining it, but it almost felt like Trixie was more focused on Starlight. Her flirting seemed a bit more prominent now, and if Starlight didn’t know better, she lingered for a bit longer when they hugged this morning.

By now, Starlight strongly suspected that Trixie had a thing for her. She was really happy about that, as now she was willing to admit that she did in fact have a crush on her. But there were a few concerns she had concerning that.

For one, was Trixie seriously interested in her? Or was she just clinging to Starlight because she saved her? Starlight tried to focus on just being friends with Trixie, which was easy since they did have a lot in common, and she enjoyed her company. She wanted to be friends first and lovers second, assuming they ever went in that direction. It seemed more and more like they might go in that direction, but Starlight didn’t want to risk hurting her. Which led into the other reason she was worried about engaging in a sexual relationship with Trixie ultimately.

Was it healthy for Trixie to be in a relationship now?

It’s been close to a month since Starlight helped Trixie awaken to her Persona. She considered that to be when she and Blueblood broke up, since she had said as much in her Dungeon. That, wasn’t really a long time to be single, and Starlight could tell that Trixie was still very traumatized by the whole thing. She tended to avoid members of the football team, and would run the other way down the hall if she even glimpsed Blueblood approaching. If they entered in a romantic relationship now, would that be good for Trixie? Or should she maybe spend some more time single in order to gather herself, figure out who Trixie was alone.

Though Starlight would have gladly helped her figure that out.

But that led into another concern she had. Where was she mentally in this? Were her intentions pure, or was she just enamored by the idea of being Trixie’s “knight in shining armor” of sorts? If her interest were more in the latter category, she did NOT feel safe engaging in a relationship with her. And that didn't even consider the highly erotic dreams she was still having about Trixie!

Starlight groaned rubbing her eyes. This was so complicated. She still wasn’t sure how she’d get closer to Rarity, or how she’d get information on her. Diamond was in danger now, possibly with a fully fleshed out Dungeon, and now she was worrying about this weird, thing with her roommate!

As she wasn’t paying attention, she ended up bumping into someone as she turned the corner.

song: Ideal and the Real - Persona 5 Royal

“Oh! Careful honey,” a gentle voice purred, with the subtlest hint of sensuality. Starlight froze as the woman she bumped into held her. She smelled of lavender. That scent, and the way she spoke… it was almost just like…

Mom…?

Starlight slowly looked up wide eyed. The woman before her was most certainly not her mother. She had super long and full dark blue hair, cyan eyes that almost looked green, and wore clothes very similar to Ms. Tia’s. A dark blue kimono with a light blue flower design on it, hanging off her shoulders in the same manner as her homeroom teacher, showing off a hefty bust like said teacher, a green band around the middle of the kimono to hold it closed, which tied behind her in a large bow, and high heeled sandals that were silver instead of golden. The way she wore hers was a bit looser, which allowed her legs to poke out a bit more, and she also wore black cat eye glasses, dark blue eye shadow, and purple lipstick.

“Are you alright, honey?” the woman asked after a bit, “You seemed to be in a daze.”

“Ah, y-yes, I’m fine,” Starlight said pulling off of the woman, “Sorry about that. I have a lot on my mind, and you kinda reminded me of, someone close to me.”

The woman nodded with an understanding smile, “I see. So long as you’re alright,” she looked around and then sighed, “This place is so hard to navigate…”

“Are you, looking for something?” Starlight asked.

“Yes. I just recently moved here for work, and I heard there was a lovely ramen shop here. Trouble is, I can’t seem to find it,” she placed a hand to her cheek and closed her eyes in frustration, “This town is so labyrinthine…”

Starlight blinked, needing to take a second to try and understand what she meant. This woman, whoever she was, radiated an aura that screamed “timeless”, not helped by how she carried herself and spoke. Still, she seemed nice enough. Kind of like a wise sage, almost.

Starlight did want to find Diamond Tiara, but she couldn’t leave this woman hanging. Not when she had an idea of where it was she was going.

“If you’d like, I can lead you there,” Starlight offered, “”It’s, kind of my favorite place to eat here.”

“Oh, would you? I would be most gracious,” the woman smiled in relief, holding out her hand, “You may call me Luna.”

Starlight smiled, “Starlight Glimmer. It’s a pleasure to meet you,” she took her hand, and immediately felt her powerful aura wash over her. It was so similar to how it was when she first shook Ms. Tia’s hand.

“Likewise,” the woman, Luna, said, her smile widening and her expression softening somewhat. Starlight’s heart was racing from this woman’s presence, and yet she felt herself suddenly happy she was close to her still.

Starlight led the woman down the path to the Ramen Shop, which much to her embarrassment meant walking past Chains and Whip’s Central. For some reason, walking past a fetish shop with Luna made Starlight SUPER embarrassed.

Made worse when she stopped and turned to look up at the shop.

“A fetish shop, out here in the open?” she asked looking at the sign, “How brazen.”

“I take it, where you come from, that’s not exactly common…?” Starlight asked.

“The people certainly wouldn’t be so upfront by it,” Luna said walking around the front of the shop and examining it. She then threw Starlight for a loop, by smiling, and walking inside.

Starlight panicked a bit and walked inside, finding Luna near the riding crops, actually holding one and looking it over. Starlight walked over to the oddly dressed woman and asked about the ramen shop, eager to get her out of here.

“We can continue in a bit. But my curiosity must be sated,” she said eagerly, waving it around, “Where I come from, these shops exist, but the people are far more ashamed of their urges. Truly maddening.”

Based on her attire and how she carried herself, she had a feeling she might have been from Japan. As such, she wasn’t expecting her to be so, chill about it. Downright accepting even. Was she Japanese? Starlight wasn’t courageous enough to just ask outright, so she instead chose to inquire about her kimono.

“Oh this? It’s attire from my homeland,” Luna answered honestly, “Though I understand it’s a bit odd, I’ve seen far more outlandish clothing since coming here.”

It was true that Canterlot was a colorful place. Hell, Starlight’s clothes were considered standard here, and she used to get odd looks in her old town for dressing like a witch. Also, she did see a few other people dressed in kimonos and Japanese clothing for artistic purposes, so it wasn’t too strange.

“You’re right,” Starlight winced, “Sorry if I offended you.”

Luna shook her head and walked over to Starlight, gently caressing her cheek, “You have nothing to apologize for. You were curious, and so you asked a question,” she smiled warmly, “Questions are how one fights off ignorance, and replaces it with knowledge.”

Starlight nodded in agreement, unable to keep from smiling.

“May I, ask you a question next, to slake my own curiosity further?” Luna asked. Starlight nodded, “Do you frequent this shop?”

Holy shiz, that was a personal question. While she was embarrassed by it, she got the feeling Luna was just curious about her, and meant no harm.

“Only with friends,” Starlight admitted, “My roommate and I came here yesterday on a date t-” she covered her mouth suddenly. Why did she blurt that out?!

To her credit, Luna laughed jovially, “I see! So you and this roommate have that sort of relationship? My companion of the hour is truly fascinating!”

“Um, she and I aren’t-” Starlight defended, feeling flushed as she looked away, “N-not that I, um, don’t want to be, uh… it’s just, things are… well…” she closed her eyes and sighed, “They’re, complicated, I guess.”

“You, don’t have to tell me,” Luna frowned, folding her arms under her bosom, “But I get the feeling this was what you were thinking about when you bumped into me?”

“It was, part of it,” Starlight averted her eyes, “One of a myriad of problems I’m dealing with at the moment…”

“I happen to be good at listening, so I’ve heard at least,” Luna said, taking Starlight’s hand, “And you seem like you need to get quite a bit off of your chest.”

“Well… I don’t want to put her business out there,” Starlight said after a bit, “But someone, seriously hurt her. I, do want to enter into a relationship with her, but I… I’m worried about causing more harm.”

Luna pursed her lips and raised her head, “Why would you entering in a relationship cause more harm, if I may ask?”

Starlight was hesitant to tell her, as she just met this woman. Still, she hadn’t said any names, and Luna seemed to genuinely want to offer advice. She kinda felt like Ms. Tia, albeit with more of a sensual air compared to Ms. Tia’s more alluring air.

“That, person who hurt her?” Starlight said after a bit, “They were her, ex.”

Luna winced hearing that, “Ah… I see… Yes, this does, complicate things…”

“I, helped her get away from him,” Starlight continued, “And since then, she and I are best friends. But, I’m concerned about a few things.”

“Go on,” Luna said, guiding Starlight out of the shop, since this was becoming more personal by the second. Starlight appreciated this.

“For one, I don’t know if being in a relationship with her now is the best thing,” she said once they were outside, “She’s still in a fragile mental state, and her ex is still harassing her. She might be interested in me, but she might also just be clinging to me because I was there for her.”

Luna nodded, taking that in. She waited for Starlight to continue rather than speaking up herself.

“The other thing, are my thoughts,” Starlight continued, “I don’t know if my reasoning for wanting to be her girlfriend is because I’m just attracted to her, or if I just, enjoy being her hero, I guess.”

“Concerning, your feelings,” Luna said, looking away in thought, “I don’t think, you have anything to worry about.”

“You don’t?” Starlight asked.

Luna shook her head, “Because you are concerned. The mere fact you’re self aware enough to notice that could be an issue, tells me that you genuinely care about her. So long as your feelings are coming from that source, you don’t have anything to worry about. At least, this is how I feel.”

Starlight nodded slowly. That, made sense at least, and it was a relief to hear it from an adult that she was probably okay.

“Now, in terms of your roommate, this is something to consider,” Luna agreed, “I don’t know the nature of how her ex hurt her, but from you’re saying, it seems as though her emotional state is fragile. She might not be rational.”

“That’s, what I’m afraid of,” Starlight looked down, “She does know about me having a crush on her, and she does say she’s okay with it, as she knows I won’t hurt her like he did.”

“Then, I say for now, just take things slow with her, and let her make the first move,” Luna suggested, “Afterward, sit with her, and talk. Ask her how she truly feels, and share with her your concerns.”

Starlight liked this plan. Hell, if necessary, she could even ask Trixie if she could use her Empathic Touch to get a better feel for her emotions. Starlight smiled and thanked Luna.

“You are most welcome, my dear,” Luna smiled lovingly, “My desire is to help as many people as I can with my own power. How could I turn you away?”

She seriously felt similar to Ms. Tia, in that way that made Starlight think of her late Mother. It made Starlight feel emotional, but she didn’t hate this feeling. Still, she had to fight the urge to hug Luna.

They continued their walk to the Kami no Tabemono mostly in silence. Every so often, Luna would ask Starlight about something that caught her interest, which made the walk fun for Starlight. She kind of felt like she’d made a new friend today.

“Ah, here we are,” Luna said looking up at the ramen shop, “Thank you so much for this, Starlight.”

“You’re welcome. Um, thank you, for listening to me,” Starlight rubbed her arm, “I know I’m just some teenager you just met, but-”

“No,” Luna said suddenly, “You aren’t just “some teenager”. You matter, to me, and to this world. I am truly elated that we met today,” she held a hand to her chest, still smiling warmly, “Today was a blessed day, my child, and I hope that we can meet again in the future.”

“I’d, like that,” Starlight smiled. She felt a faint bond forming between her and this mysterious woman.

song: Power of the Heart - Persona 4

Thou art I, and I am thou…

Thou hast established a new bond…

This bond shalt become the stairway to thy ascension…

Thou shalt be blessed when creating Persona of the Transformation Arcana…

“I will see you again soon, Starlight,” Luna gave her a soft smile and bowed, “Very, very soon, I imagine.”

And with that, she walked into the shop. Starlight was a bit, confused. She knew the Tarot very well, and she was under the impression that all of the Social Links would have been Major Arcana to represent the Fool’s Journey.

But Transformation? That, wasn’t one of the Major Arcana… was it…?

“Starlight!”

song: Like a Dream Come True - Persona 4

Starlight turned around and saw Diamond Tiara running up to her. Before Starlight could say anything, she hugged her tightly.

“Whoa! Someone’s in a good mood,” Starlight smiled, returning the hug.

“Well, I’ve been having some really good dreams, is all,” Diamond said, looking into Starlight’s eyes adoringly, “That, and I was hoping I’d run into you today.”

“Even though she had me with her the whole time,” another familiar voice drawled. Great, Starlight thought. Silver Spoon was here too.

“Like I said, both you and Starlight are my best friends,” Diamond said, turning to Silver, “Hey, since we’re already here, why don’t we eat something together? My treat!”

Silver sighed, but smiled, “Anything for you, Diamond.”

Starlight nodded in agreement to this, a bit surprised by how happy Diamond seemed. Then she remembered how Dungeons grew. Right. They started out as good dreams, and slowly turned into nightmares. This meant Diamond still had time.

But based on how Silver Spoon looked, there was still cause for concern. Somehow though, she had a feeling she and Silver would become closer soon.

Diamond pulled her two friends inside the ramen shop and went to get them a table, leaving Starlight alone with Silver Spoon.

“Please tell me you’re not too dense and clueless to see it,” Silver muttered to Starlight, who just rolled her eyes. Even when concerned for her friend, she had to be a bitch.

“I see it, don’t worry,” Starlight sighed, “Has she been animated like this all day?”

Silver nodded, “She won’t tell me anything, and she’s being overly perky. Like, she’s always been upbeat and excitable, but this?”

“What do you say to a truce, until we know Diamond’s alright?” Starlight offered. Silver looked at her intently with narrowed eyes, but then took a breath.

“Fine. You may have your truce, peasant,” she said airily, holding out her hand subtly to Starlight, who gladly shook it while opening herself up.

Ugh! I hate needing to rely on this vapid, suicidal bitch! But, she and Diamond are friends, so I’ll work with her.

Starlight stiffened, but kept her smile cordial. God, this girl was unlikable. Even now, she maintained this “I’m better than you because I’m rich” attitude. She was happy Diamond was nice. A world where Diamond Tiara was just as bad as Silver Spoon was not a world she wanted to live in.

The three of them sat down at their table and looked over the menu.

“You know what? I’m gonna do it,” Diamond decided.

“Going to do, what exactly?” Silver asked stiffly.

“I’m taking the challenge,” Diamond nodded, “I’m ordering the Nine Tailed Kitsune Udon!”

“What?! Are you insane?!” Silver cried, “We don’t need to do some challenge to eat for free! We could probably buy this whole shop if we wanted!”

“It’s about proving that you can,” Diamond said, “You only live once, right? So like, why not just go for it?”

“Starlight, please please please talk some sense into her!” Silver urged. Honestly, Starlight kinda wanted to try it again herself, and she did have the money for it, so…

“Let’s do it together,” Starlight said to Diamond, who nodded beaming.

“That’s the spirit, Starlight!” Diamond beamed.

“I can’t believe what I’m seeing…” Silver muttered, “You’re insane… both of you are insane…”

“It’s alright if you’re too scared to join in,” Starlight said narrowing her eyes subtly, “The regular Kitsune Udon is good enough for you.”

Silver’s face scrunched up into an admittedly cute scowl as she looked at Starlight, “Know what? Just for that, I’m taking the challenge too. And I’m going to win the challenge.”

“Is that so?” Diamond asked raising an eyebrow.

“At the very least, I’ll do better than this one,” she looked at Starlight.

“Bring it on,” Starlight said leaning in, “I won’t lose, to you or the Udon.”

“Waiter!” Silver raised her hand, still glaring at Starlight, “We’re taking the challenge. Three orders of Nine Tailed Kitsune Udon, please.”

Iruka, the male twin, laughed, “Three for the challenge, coming right up!”

As their ramen was being prepared, Starlight turned to see Luna sitting at a table a bit away from her. She was looking at her curiously, but still smiling. She even raised a fist in a manner that seemed to suggest she was rooting for Starlight.

Starlight nodded to her. Now she really couldn’t let herself lose.

“Here you go, girls,” the female twin Izumi said, setting down the bowls along with their safety gloves, “Have fun~” she purred walking off.

“Oh my God,” Diamond blinked, “I haven’t even eaten any of it yet, and my eyes are watering…”

“This isn’t legal,” Silver said, her glasses fogging a bit, “Nothing should be this spicy…”

“We can do this, girls,” Diamond said, putting the gloves on, “Together.”

“Yeah, together,” Silver said, setting her glasses aside and picking up her chopsticks (because of course she’d use those, just to rub it in Starlight’s face that she could).

“On three,” Starlight said, “One, two, three.”

The three girls began at the same time. Starlight thought it’d be easier since she’d already done this twice.

song: Troubled - Persona 3

Oh how wrong she was.

The first mouthful was painful. She’d been stupid and ate more than normal as her first bite, and paid for it by feeling it slowly set her throat on fire as it went down.

Silver was panting heavily, “What, the actual, fuck?!”

“You, can curse?” Starlight asked wide eyed, breathing heavily herself.

“Normally, I’m above, such language, but holy fucking shit this is evil…!” she ate a bit more, and winced in pain.

“I can’t feel my tongue…” Diamond said all too calmly, “I literally can’t feel my tongue right now…”

Starlight whimpered, going in again for another bite. She was getting lightheaded from the amount of spices there were. Would she be able to taste food again after this?

Starlight looked at the two girls, blinking a bit as she seemed to be hallucinating. Diamond was dressed more like a stripper or prostitute, and Silver actually looked like a Medieval Queen of sorts.

Wait, she saw that look on Diamond once before, didn’t she…? Was that, what she wore… in her Dungeon…?

“What’s, the matter, peasant?” Queen Silver asked, face red and tears in her eyes, but having the audacity to smirk, “Lost, your nerve?”

“Not on your life, Your Majesty,” Starlight sneered at her. She then had an idea, focusing on Morgana while she ate, seeing if that’d help her get through this. The added strength made it a bit easier. She was able to get a few more mouthfuls in, at least.

“I’m tapping out!” Diamond said after a bit, “I, I made it like, half way but, I can’t keep going…!”

“Don’t, worry,” Silver said, eating another bit of noodles, “I can bea- oh that was painful… Mmmm! I can beat this insignificant commoner!”

Starlight shook her head, and the two began furiously eating the offending dish, glaring at each other. She didn’t even care about the pain in her throat right now. If only because she wasn’t going to give Silver the satisfaction of seeing her fail to this, she wasn’t about to lose here.

As such, before she knew it, she hit the last noodle. Now all that was left was the broth. It looked like Silver Spoon had hit the same point. The two of them picked up their bowls and began drinking the broth at the same time, Silver Spoon clearly forgoing class at the moment in her desire to beat Starlight.

song: Daydream - Blue Reflection Second Light*

In the end, both of them slammed their bowls down at the same time glaring at each other, “I WIN!!!” they both shouted at the same time.

The two girls heard a click beside them, and both turned to Diamond, who had her phone out, “Congrats, you two!” she got up and hugged them, “I knew at least one of us was going to win!”

song: Like a Dream Come True - Persona 4

“Um, D-Diamond…?” Silver asked, “W-what did you do, on your phone…?”

“Took a picture of you two winning, of course~” Diamond pulled up her facebook account and showed them the picture. Starlight had to admit, she looked really cool in the picture. Begrudgingly, so did Silver Spoon.

“You already posted it?!” Silver cried, “B-b-but, then others will see, Starlight and I…!” Silver took off her gloves and then buried her face with her hands, whimpering in frustration.

“Looks like you guys are already getting a ton of hits, too,” Diamond noted, “You’ll be the talk of the school tomorrow!”

“Damn it all to hell…” Silver muttered, “People are going to start thinking she and I are… friends!”

Starlight’s chest felt like it was on fire, but she was glowing with pride. Thanks to Diamond being there, and her winning the first challenge, Starlight felt a good bit more popular. Also, by some miracle, Starlight felt like she and Silver Spoon got significantly closer.

“Congratulations on winning the challenge,” Izumi said walking up to the group, “Is, what I have to say to the two of you,” she bowed to Starlight and Silver, but then reached into her bosom and pulled out the bill, handing it to Diamond, “This however, is for you.”

“Oh, what I always wanted,” Diamond muttered dryly, “The bill…”

Starlight couldn’t help herself. She and Silver both laughed a bit at that. Despite everything weighing on Starlight, this was a fun day.

She turned to where Luna was sitting, and saw the older woman bow to her smiling. Starlight bowed subtly to her as well. This ended up being a solid day after all.

end song

Evening

Starlight bid her friends farewell (Well, Diamond Tiara. Silver was not her friend,) and began making her way back toward the dorm. She’d probably hang out there for the rest of the day, relaxing as she prepared to enter the Phase. Diamond seemed like she had a bit of time, but she didn’t want to take any chances.

But this was good, seeing how people behaved when they had Dungeons forming. She met Diamond before she had any contact with the Shadows, and now she knew for certain that Diamond was forming one in Elysium. She could use this as a means of seeing the behavior of Dungeons, see how they grew, and how Diamond’s behavior-

What? No no no! Diamond wasn’t some guinea pig! Diamond was her friend, and she was in mortal danger! Even if the dreams were still good dreams, that could change in an instant! They needed to reach the floor her Dungeon was forming as soon as possible!

It was getting late. The sun was starting to set, making the sky turn orange. Starlight didn’t want to risk missing curfew, even if Ms. Tia was cool, so she began to search for a shortcut back to the dorm. She quickly found what looked like an alleyway she could cut through. It was risky, but at this rate, she’d be late getting home.

So she took a deep breath, and went into the alleyway.

It was just as dark and ominous as Starlight thought it was. The further she went in, the more she was beginning to think Ms. Tia’s disapproving glare at being late would have been better than anything she’d experience here. At least that she could survive. Anything that happened here could have easily resulted in her being assaulted, possibly even killed!

And she was almost certain she was being watched.

song: Troubled - Persona 3

The alleyway turned into a semi more open area, and she stole a glance. Sure enough, she saw a guy wearing a black jacket, blue jeans, boots, and a choker around his neck. He looked like he was part of a gang.

She took a breath and sped up a bit, noticing a few others like him stalking her. All of them were wearing chokers, the same black jacket, and she could see one of them at least was holding a rope. She felt like she was prey being stalked by predators.

Oooooh, how she wished she could summon Morgana in the real world right now. She nursed her Channeling Ring, praying to whatever higher power was up there that she’d get out of here safely.

Right when she could see the exit in sight, she saw it sudden blocked by two gang members, both of them eyeing her, licking their lips lecherously. She backed away from them only to bump into a much bigger member of this gang, who held her shoulders and smirked at her.

“Well well well, what do we have here?” one of the skinnier members said leering at Starlight, “You look lost, little girl.”

“I’m, just passing through,” Starlight said, her heart racing.

“Oh, you’re passing through, alright,” another said leaning into her, “Passing through our territory.”

Oh shit. They were a gang…

“Tiny, hold her still,” the one with the rope said, walking up to her and brandishing it, licking his lips, “Let’s have some fun with this one while we wait for the boss to finish with his 'meeting'.”

The big buy, ironically named Tiny, grabbed her wrists just as the panic was beginning to set in. Not knowing what else to do, Starlight let out a loud scream just as the one with the rope was beginning to-

“Let. Her. Go.”

song: Maya's Theme - Persona 3

All of them froze, as Starlight heard a familiar voice. One she was surprised to hear. She turned to the side to see who it was, only to get the shock of a lifetime.

It was Rarity. She looked more or less the same as always, wearing the same purple and white blazer, short purple skirt, black leggings, and purple high heels. Her face was made up in the same blue eye shadow and purple lipstick, but there was something very different about her.

For one, her purple and white blazer was open, and her white blouse was partially unbuttoned, revealing the middle of a purple lacy bra. Her neck tie was undone, hanging over her collar. And while she still stood with the same grace and poise Starlight recognized, something about the air she gave off now. She looked like a beast ready to strike at any moment.

The one with the rope laughed as Rarity sauntered over to him, “So now you think you can order us around? Sorry, but you ai-”

Rarity grabbed him by the neck and squeezed, digging her purple nails into his neck and glaring daggers into him.

“I'm trying to be nice,” she narrowed her eyes, gritting her teeth, “Let me keep being nice, please.”

Starlight's gaze was locked on Rarity, and her heart raced. It looked like what little control she had was waning. As if at any moment, she'd actually kill him.

“Do as she says, boys,” another voice said, this one male. Starlight looked back at where Rarity came from, seeing a young man about Rarity’s age standing there, leaning against a doorway. He wore the same black jacket as the others, and the same choker, but he also wore a cap, and had baggy black pants on along with black boots. He wasn’t wearing a shirt underneath the jacket, revealing a pretty toned body, but Starlight also noticed, his pants were slightly undone, and he looked super relaxed.

Her eyes darted back to Rarity and then to the newcomer, who felt like their leader. No way. Did, Rarity…

“But Boss, this girl’s in our territory!” the one with the rope protested, “’Sides, ain’t like she got a say in-”

The “Boss” had approached the one with the rope and headbutted him, knocking him to the ground.

“What is it I’m always tellin' you punks? Take too much from the bowl, and we end up back in the pound!” he growled, snapping his finger, “Tiny, release the goth bitch.”

Tiny released Starlight immediately, and Rarity let go of the guy she was choking. Starlight ran into Rarity’s arms immediately, holding onto her tightly as Rarity rubbed her back comfortingly.

“It’s alright, darling,” Rarity said softly, “You’re safe now.”

“Make sure your little pet there knows where it’s safe to walk and where it ain’t,” the Boss said to Rarity, “Next time she walks into Diamond Dog territory, I won’t be so nice.”

Rarity narrowed her eyes at him, “I’ll take care of her. But what I said before stands. Hurt any of my students, Rover, and you will regret it.”

Rover barked out a laugh, “Whatever you say, Rares! Let’s go, boys. We need to have a bit of a talk about things going forward.” The rest of the gang members walked back into what was apparently their base, but Rover lingered a bit, “Come back soon. The dogs really miss you, as do the boys,” he said more sobered before walking inside.

Rarity took a breath, “Come Starlight. Let’s get you back to the dorm.”

Starlight nodded quickly, letting Rarity guide her out of the alleyway and to safety. The walk was in silence. Starlight did have a ton of questions for Rarity, but right now she didn’t have the strength to, and she had a feeling that Rarity wouldn’t give much of an answer.

“Looks like we made it just before curfew,” Rarity said when they arrived at the dorm, “Still, we did cut it close. If Ms. Tia gives you a hard time, you can tell her you were with me, darling. I’ll cover for you.”

“T-thank you,” Starlight said demurely, “Um, about, what just happened, I-”

end song

“Nothing happened,” she said, her eyes narrowing ever so slightly, “Understood?”

Starlight nodded quickly, dropping the subject right then and there. She felt like she needed to tell Twilight about this at least, as this could have been a clue as to where her Akashic Records were kept, but something about her tone brokered no argument.

“Good,” Rarity smiled, kissing Starlight on the forehead, “I’ll see you at Student Council, darling.”

And with that, Starlight watched as Rarity strode away, her walk denoting grace and strength as usual. She really felt like a powerful beast in a human’s body, and the way she handled that gang just now…

This is my ideal person, and I wear her so others can’t see who’s really underneath, and most of all, so I don’t have to see her either.

Just now, did Starlight get a small glimpse, of the real Rarity…?

Surprisingly, Twilight was already up when Starlight got inside. Everyone was gathered in the living room, but all looked at Starlight when she entered suddenly.

“There you are!” Trixie cried shooting up, “I was just about to call you!”

“Y-you were?” Starlight asked softly.

“We were getting worried when you didn’t come home,” Trixie said, Pinkie Pie apparently running into the kitchen to get Ms. Tia, “Ms. Tia got a bad feeling, and was preparing to head out to look for you.”

Starlight looked down, biting her lip. Just now, she was almost, she didn’t even know WHAT was going to happen to her. All she knew, was seeing her friends so concerned for her safety, it was hitting her that she was safe, and it was becoming very hard to hold in her tears.

“Hey, um, you okay Leader…?” Dash asked, slowly approaching Starlight. Before she could say anything, Ms. Tia came out of the kitchen and ran over to Starlight.

“Oh thank heavens!” she cried, wrapping her arms around Starlight.

“Ms. Tia…!” Starlight wrapped her arms around her, crying into her chest.

“Is Starlight okay…?” Pinkie Pie asked.

“I don’t think so,” Trixie said, rubbing Starlight’s back.

Twilight looked at this, and sucked in a breath, wiping her glasses. From what Starlight could see, even she was relaxed now knowing she was okay.

“I’ll talk to her,” Ms. Tia said, “For right now, just try to relax everyone. She’s here with us, so we can all rest easy.”

“Just in case, I’ll keep my terminal set up,” Twilight said after a bit, “But let me know in advance if we’re still going in or not.”

Starlight bit her lip, but nodded. She wanted to still go in, but right now, she wasn’t sure if it was a good idea.

song: Xion's theme - Kingdom Hearts 358/2 Days

Celestia brought Starlight up to her and Trixie’s room, where they sat down on Starlight’s bed and talked. She didn’t go into too much detail, but she did mention how she was almost assaulted by a gang calling themselves the Diamond Dogs.

“Oh honey,” Celestia wrapped her arms around Starlight, “That was incredibly reckless. Thank heavens you aren't hurt.”

“I’m sorry,” Starlight said softly, “I lost track of time being with Diamond and Silver, and I didn’t want to miss curfew.”

“I’d have forgiven you for being a bit late,” Celestia chided lightly, “These things happen. I’m not a slave driver. At least, I try not to be,” she joked lightly, making Starlight laugh a bit, “The important thing here, is that you’re not hurt.”

“Y-yeah…” Starlight looked away a bit.

“You, aren’t, right?” Celestia asked, noticing how Starlight tensed apparently.

Starlight assured Celestia she was okay. And she was. She was just, not sure how to tackle a certain subject. The subject of why she was okay. She had to tell someone about this, but Ms. Tia was still school staff, and she was having a rough time as it was with Cinch.

“Whatever it is, you can tell me,” Celestia said, lifting Starlight’s chin, “I won’t be upset. Promise.”

“It’s not that,” Starlight shook her head, “The one who saved me, they, don’t want anyone to know about it,” Starlight looked away a bit, “And I’ll admit, it does kind of make this person look… questionable.”

“Is this person, a friend of yours from school?” Celestia asked Starlight, who gave a hesitant nod, “Are you worried about Cinch finding out?”

“Yes, I am,” Starlight said immediately, “Also, this is someone I really admire, and I do not want to get them in trouble. Especially after they saved my life. But, this information, it might be connected to…” she rubbed her Channeling Ring.

Celestia took a breath and slowly nodded, “That narrows it down a bit.”

“Did, Twilight tell you…” Starlight asked.

“All she told me is that she’s looking into a Dungeon, and that the two of you would tell me more details when you found them,” Celestia looked at Starlight intently, “And I imagine, you have those details.”

Starlight nodded, and went into said detail. How Rarity’s Dungeon snuck up on her on Pinkie Pie’s birthday party, how she was assaulted by the Diamond Dogs, and how Rarity stopped them. She also went into how it seemed like they knew Rarity, and how there were signs that Rarity might have had sex with the leader.

When she finished, Celestia folded her arms and looked down, “Well, I understand you not wanting to tell anyone about this right after saving Pinkie Pie, but I do wish you’d told me about this sooner.”

“S-sorry Ms. Tia,” Starlight winced.

“I’m not mad, dear. Don’t worry,” she assured her, “But, I will admit, this doesn’t look good. You’re certain that it looked like Rarity had slept with the leader of this gang?”

“Her top was open, and her tie was undone,” Starlight said, “Also, their leader, Rover I think, his pants were partially undone.”

“Mmmmm, that does imply things…” Celestia grumbled, “I’ll admit, as a member of the faculty, I should report this…”

Starlight closed her eyes and groaned softly.

“But, as a member of the Kirijo Group, this information could lead to us uncovering Shadow related activity,” Celestia gave Starlight a sideways smile, “As such, it’s classified.”

Starlight sighed in relief, and thanked Ms. Tia.

“You’re welcome. But, I’m going to want you to continue investigating this,” Celestia said, “If this does lead us to Rarity’s Dungeon, we’re going to need more information, and with you not having any classes with her, Student Council is your best bet to get said information.”

Starlight nodded, saying she’d do what she could to get that information. She then asked Ms. Tia what they should do about Elysium tonight.

“I’ll, leave that to your discretion,” Celestia decided after a bit, “Personally, I’d rather you not go, as your Persona’s abilities can shift due to your mental state, and you’re a bit frazzled at the moment.”

That was true. Also, it seemed like Diamond still had time. She decided to talk it over with her team.

“Very good,” Celestia smiled, kissing Starlight on the forehead, “Let’s talk in the kitchen, and discuss what we’re going to do.”

Starlight nodded, following Celestia back downstairs. It was a relief knowing that everyone was aware of the Shadows now, so she didn’t need to hide anything from them. Time to come clean, and tell them, everything.

song: Riku's Theme - Kingdom Hearts 2

Starlight gathered everyone into the kitchen, and told them everything. Thankfully no one was mad at her for keeping so much from them.

“I didn’t think my first actual Dungeon would be Rarity’s…” Pinkie Pie said, looking down worried.

“Pinkie Pie, do you know anything about Rarity?” Twilight asked, pouring herself a cup of coffee, which still threw Starlight for a loop. It was after eight at night, and she was just NOW drinking her morning coffee.

“Sorry, but no,” Pinkie Pie shook her head, “First time I ever met her was during a holiday gathering three years ago. Fleur and I went to visit Applejack and her family, and Rarity was just, there.”

“She was just, there?” Trixie asked, sitting beside Starlight and holding her hand comfortingly.

Pinkie Pie nodded, “Uh huh! Everyone told me to more or less treat Rarity like a member of the family. She seemed nice once she relaxed a bit, but no one would say anything about where she came from. Just that they were effectively adopting her.”

“Yeah, she’s kind of a mystery at school,” Rainbow Dash added, “No one knows where she came from, and she never talks about her past. Far as I can tell, her only friends are in the Student Council, and even then, I’m pretty sure the only one she considers a friend is No Fun Jackie.”

“I didn’t even have real extended contact with Rarity until she started looking into the abuse,” Trixie admitted, “Before then, she was kind of, unapproachable. I imagine it’s like that for a lot of students.”

“What of this gang? The Diamond Dogs?” Celestia asked, “Do any of you know about them?”

“Now those guys I know about,” Rainbow Dash said, “They were all on the news for a while back.”

“They kinda sorta acted like they owned the area,” Trixie said, “For the most part, they were just trouble makers, but they didn’t really do anything overt, you know?”

“I take it, that changed?” Starlight asked.

“Trixie nodded, “And super suddenly, too. It was like one day, they escalated to bigger and bigger things, till one day they robbed Tartarus Bank.”

Starlight noticed Rainbow Dash narrowed her eyes subtly at that name. She was curious about that, but felt it was better to leave it be for now.

“That was really the last time any of them were heard from,” Pinkie Pie said, “I heard that the police arrested them, and all of the members got sent to juvie.”

“Juvie?” Twilight frowned, “How old were they?”

“That’s the thing. They were all in their early teens at the time,” Pinkie Pie explained.

Starlight was wide eyed. Early teens? She did notice that their leader seemed around Rarity’s age at the oldest. But to be such a notorious gang, at such a young age. What did their parents think of this? Come to think of it, where were their parents?

“Concerning Rarity’s Dungeon, I think we should start with investigating this angle,” Celestia said, “It isn’t much, but it’s the best lead we have.”

“I’ll see if I can find us another lead,” Starlight offered.

“Good,” Twilight said, “Because while I’m good, and can piece together a bit of what’s happening here, the information is too vague to pinpoint an exact location.”

“So, what are we doing about the Tower?” Dash asked, “Like, are we going in or what?”

“If you need to take some more time to recover, we can wait, Starlight,” Trixie said, “None of us are going in without you.”

Starlight looked up at Twilight, asking what her take on this was.

“Personally, I’d rather we not, go in tonight,” Twilight said turning away, “Both for your mental health, and also so I can work on this without any interruptions.”

“Besides, it sounds like from what you said, Diamond’s got plenty of time,” Pinkie said, “I remember when I was at this phase of my Dungeon. It lasted at least a month before things started to get bad, and even then, another few month or two before Fleur started making decisions for me.”

Starlight looked down, reaching out to her Persona, to ask for her opinion.

“We should wait, my pupil. I can feel your magic, and it is somewhat erratic. Let us take time to rest, and gather ourselves.”

Starlight nodded, “Let’s, take a rain check on exploring Elysium today,” she said, “I might enter the Phase to do some reading in the Records, but no Shadow Hunting.”

She noticed everyone breathed out in relief. Seemed she made the right decision here.

“In that case,” Celestia clapped her hands together, “I’ll get started on dinner.”

“Ms. Tia, everyone, thank you,” Starlight said looking down, “I, I appreciate you all so much.”

“Your safety is what matters to us most,” Celestia said, hugging Starlight from behind.

“Hey, why don’t we all hang out in our room and play video games together?” Pinkie Pie offered, “It’s big enough where we won’t be crowded.”

Trixie shrugged, “Alright. I can at least watch.”

“You too, Mission Control,” Rainbow Dash said to Twilight, who just scoffed, “You’re joining us.”

“Didn’t you hear the part where I’m working on finding that Dungeon?” Twilight shot back.

“Ah, you can do that when we go to sleep,” Rainbow Dash waved her off, “Till then, you’re hanging with us.”

“Ms. Tia, please help me…” Twilight groaned, “Tell them I’m doing important work.”

“Sorry honey, but you need to start socializing with others,” Celestia laughed lightly, “Until they all go to bed, you’re banned from the computer room.”

Twilight pursed her lips and folded her arms. Pinkie Pie then grabbed Twilight in a hug.

“Yes! We’re going to have so much fun, Bestie~!” she beamed. Twilight rolled her eyes and sighed.

“Oh never mind,” she gave up.

As everyone filed out of the kitchen, Starlight thanked Celestia again and stepped out of the kitchen, only for Trixie to wrap her arms around her tightly.

“I’m so happy you’re okay,” Trixie said softly.

“Trixie…” Starlight said softly, slowly returning the hug.

“You’re my best friend, Starlight,” she continued, tightening the embrace, “If anything happened to you, I…”

“I’m safe now, Trixie,” Starlight smiled, “Safest place in the world, is here in your arms.”

Starlight took a chance, and opened herself up to take in Trixie’s emotions.

I wish I’d been there with you, Starlight. With my magic, maybe I could have kept you safe…

Once again, Starlight found herself tearing up a bit. Now she knew for certain. Whatever they ended up becoming, Trixie genuinely cared for her beyond just her being her hero.

She was beginning to think this crush was something more.

end song

Late Night

The Phase

She spent the night in the Akashic Records mostly reading, but she did pay the Velvet Room a visit while she was there. After buying a few old Personas back and fusing them, she ended up with one of the Death Arcana called Matador, a new Persona of the Justice Arcana named Angel (which for some reason was wearing BDSM gear…), and Orobas, a weird upright horse looking Persona of the Hierophant Arcana.

Afterward, she bought back Morgana, because she would always keep her default with her, and went to Persona Harvesting. That always made Starlight cringe a bit. Igor assured her that the Personas Morgana “ate” didn’t hold any ill will toward her, but she still felt kinda bad. Considering Morgana got powered up afterward though, it paid off afterward. After harvesting Yaksini, Shiki-Ouji, and Makami, she managed to fully fill out Morgana with skills.

She didn’t know what they’d be facing in the next Dungeon, so better safe than sorry.

She stayed with them for a bit, only taking her ring off when she was certain she was ready to face the day. Hopefully she didn’t oversleep.

Author's Note

*This is the victory theme I hear in combat.

The Transformation Arcana isn't from standard Tarot. It's from the Osho Zen Tarot Deck, acting as a rebranding of the Death Arcana.

Fool – Seekers of Light: 5/10
Magician – Trixie Lulamoon: 6/10
Priestess – Diamond Tiara: 5/10
The Empress – Ms. Tia: 3/10
The Lovers - Pinkamena Diane Pie: 1/10
Chariot – Rainbow Dash: 2/10
The Devil – Silver Spoon: 3/10 LEVEL UP!!!
Hermit – Sunburst: 1/10
Transformation - Ms. Luna: 1/10 ESTABLISHED!!!

If you want to support my writing, the best way right now is to check out this GoFund I started, and consider making a one time donation to it. Any little bit can help, even if you just spread the word on social media.

10/8

October 8th, 2019
Monday
Cloudy

Morning

song: I (sun) - Blue Reflection

When she woke up the next morning, she was admittedly still a bit shaky. Nothing happened, of course, but the thought that it could have did put Starlight on edge. Ms. Tia offered to let her stay home, but she insisted on going to school. For one, she didn’t have much to do at the Dorm, but also, they needed information on Rarity.

But as she sat in her room, she found it shockingly hard to gather herself.

She stood in her room in her bra and panties, looking over her clothes for the day, and sighed. She needed to get dressed soon or she’d miss the train, but she couldn’t bring herself to put on her normal dress and makeup.

She heard a knock on the door, “Starlight, it’s me,” Pinkie Pie said, “Can I come in?”

Starlight hesitated, but opened the door, warning Pinkie that she wasn’t entirely decent yet. She walked inside, still wearing the sexier piece that Fleur picked for her, which did look nicer now that she was being her true self in it.

“I was thinking we could walk to school together,” Pinkie Pie offered, to her credit only looking at Starlight’s breasts a bit. Starlight didn’t mind, but did wonder if everything was okay, “Oh, I’m fine, Starlight. I just figured, with what happened last night, you’d want a bit of company on the way to school.”

Okay, that was sweet. Pinkie Pie was a very good friend.

“Alright. I’d like that a lot,” Starlight said with a relaxed smile.

“Great! But um, you might wanna put on something more than just lacy underwear,” Pinkie Pie giggled, blushing a bit, “Not that I’m not enjoying the view.”

Starlight sighed, explaining that she was planning to, but just couldn’t bring herself to wear what she’d normally wear.

“Huh. Yeah, I guess I can see that. Hey, why don’t you wear that other piece? You know, the super sexy ensemble with the red mini skirt and fishnet top?” Starlight blushed and looked away. She had thought about wearing that to school, but it was a really hot piece, “It should be fine. Think of it as, a change of pace. Like Ms. Tia said, no one really pays much attention to the dress code all that much. Besides, it might help get you out of your head a bit.”

“I, guess I can see your point,” Starlight said thinking it over. After a bit, she pulled out the tops, skirt, and boots. She was able to wear it on her date with Trixie (yes she was still calling it that), so maybe she could wear it to school? It’d certainly boost her popularity quite a bit.

She asked Pinkie Pie if she could have some privacy to change, to which Pinkie Pie nodded excitedly, “Yeah yeah! I’ll wait outside!” she stepped out of the room shutting the door behind her. Starlight took a deep breath, and changed into the outfit.

They’d definitely be talking about this…

Lunch Time

song: School Days - Persona

Everyone was looking at her differently today it seemed. She knew that a lot of students thought she was attractive, and among those on the football team, she was easily a favorite along with Diamond Tiara, Suri Polomare, and Coco Pommel, but that was when she was in Pep Squad mode.

This was the first time she felt that during the main school day.

“You see what she’s wearing, right?” Starlight heard one girl ask her friend as she got her lunch.

“Oh my God. She looks so different right now…” her friend replied. They were pretty quiet, so they probably didn’t realize she could hear them.

“She’s kinda hot though, you know?”

Starlight blinked, grabbing her lunch. What did they just say...?

“Okay, so it’s not just me then?” her friend sighed in relief, “Good. Cause she’s making me seriously question my sexuality.”

Starlight smiled proudly, and walked off to the courtyard to eat lunch. She felt significantly more popular now.

After School

song: Like a Dream Come True - Persona 4

Despite not being in her usual attire, Starlight decided to stop by the Student Council. Again, she needed to check on Rarity, but she was curious what everyone’s reactions would be to seeing her like this.

When she walked into the Student Council office, she felt everything in the room more or less stop, all attention on her now. Only one who wasn’t there ironically was the Student Body President herself.

Spike and Pip both looked up at her, clearly checking her out. Applejack looked like she was suppressing a smile, and failing miserably, and when she stole a glance at Sunburst, it looked like his brain had crashed.

“Um, everything okay…?” Spike asked Starlight slowly.

“Yep!” Starlight smiled, “I’m having a great day today. What about you all?” Starlight folded her arms in a way that called attention to her breasts, “Everyone, doing alright here?”

“Aye!” Pip nodded vigorously, a silly smile on his face, “We’re having a fantastic day! Right Spike?”

Spike swallowed nervously, but nodded, “Yeah! G-great day! And um, glad you’re, having a good day too!”

Starlight giggled somewhat impishly. She didn’t expect this to be so much fun. That, and she kind of felt empowered as well. She felt out Morgana, and asked her why that was the case.

“A witch’s power is more than just her magic, my pupil. A witch’s, nay, a WOMAN’S true power, stems from her ability to command attention, simply by walking into a room.”

No wonder she felt better like this. Well, she’d have to remember this anytime she needed something to lift her spirits.

“So long as y’all focus on work today,” Applejack chided lightly, “Jus’ cause we got an extra set of hands don’t mean y’all get to spend the whole day oglin’ Starlight.”

“Don’t act like you’re not checking her out!” Spike shot at Applejack, who just laughed.

“Never said I wasn’t. Ain’t no secret what my preferences are. I’m jus’ able to check out the sexy secretary an’ still do my job,” Applejack looked at Starlight and smirked, wagging her eyebrows, “But I am checkin’ out the sexy secretary~”

Starlight blushed, twirling her hair around her finger. Seriously, where did the nickname “No Fun Jackie” come from? She seemed tons of fun, actually.

She confidently walked over to Sunburst, deciding to have some fun as this was a very casual setting, it seemed. As such, she leaned over the desk closer to Sunburst smirking.

“You’ve been awfully quiet today,” Starlight smiled, loving how Sunburst’s eyes widened, “See anything you like?”

“Uh….! Well I um…” she knew exactly where his eyes were, and she loved it. In her peripheral, she noticed Spike and Pip tilting to the side a bit, only for a balled up piece of paper to hit Spike, and then bounce off to hit Pip.

“Don’t, even, think about it,” Applejack scolded.

“There’s No Fun Jackie…” Pip sighed.

“Was wondering if Hell froze over…” Spike muttered, “A guy can dream, at least.”

Starlight laughed, and sat down beside Sunburst, who did look a bit nervous.

“You, sure everything’s okay?” Sunburst asked softly, “Not that this is a bad thing, it’s just, well… seeing you dress so…”

She assured Sunburst she was fine. Really at this point, she was just having a bit of fun. She’d probably go back to her usual clothes tomorrow. As they got to work on some of the paperwork, Starlight noticed someone was missing. She turned to Sunburst and asked where the President was.

“Rarity got called to Cinch’s office,” Sunburst explained, “As soon as she got settled in, too.”

“Cinch has been ridin’ Rarity pretty hard, lately,” Applejack folded her arms, looking at the loudspeaker on the wall, “Hope everything’s alright…”

“She is the President,” Pip chimed it with a shrug, “With so much going in with the Nightmare Epidemic, I’m not surprised Cinch needs her more.”

“Rarity’s a thousand times more capable than that stuffy woman anyway,” Spike shot, giving the loudspeaker two middle fingers, “Might as well call Rarity the Principal, seeing how Cinch can’t do jack shit without her.”

Applejack chuckled, “Yeah, guess that’s true…” she said softly, looking away a bit. If Starlight didn’t know better, Applejack seemed a bit, tense. Did she, know somethi-

song: Troubled - Persona 3

The door swung open. Everyone jumped and turned to see Rarity, breathing in and out as if trying to control her temper.

“Um, h-hi Rarity,” Sunburst said first, standing up, “Everything, um, alright?”

“Fine,” she answered curtly, walking over to the other side of the room and sitting down by herself. She didn’t say anything to anyone, not even Applejack. Instead just covered her face with her hands and crossed her legs, turning away from everyone.

“Oh boy…” Spike muttered softly, “Best keep our distance right now…”

Starlight tilted her head. Was this, common here? Pip walked over to her and leaned in.

“It doesn’t happen too often,” Pip whispered, “But when she gets like this, we all keep our distance. Not even Applejack can calm her down.”

She looked at Applejack, who was biting her lip looking at Rarity. Clearly she wanted to go talk to her, but she didn’t know what to say or do. Starlight took a breath, and got up, making her way over to Rarity, only to be stopped by Sunburst grabbing her hand.

He said nothing, but he shook his head, visibly afraid. Starlight patted his hand and lightly pulled free, continuing toward Rarity. She could feel how nervous the room had gotten. Still, this might have been related to her Dungeon. Besides, she had a bit of an edge being a witch.

She just hoped Rarity didn’t bite her hand off…

“Um, Rarity?” Starlight asked carefully, reaching for her shoulder, “Is everything alrigh-”

I FUCKING HATE CINCH!!! WHEN GET OUT OF THIS CAGE, I'M GONNA RIP HER APART!!!

Starlight froze, sucking in a breath. That, was NOT the classy and contained anger she expected from Rarity. It almost felt animalistic, it was so intense. She'd never felt that much anger for one person in her life!

“Hm?” Rarity turned to look at Starlight, and gave her a gentle but tired smile, “Oh, I’m sorry darling. I just had, words with Cinch is all. It’s nothing to worry about.”

“If, you’re sure…” Starlight said cautiously. Her emotions told a very different story than her words and expression.

Rarity nodded, “Oh, but there is, one thing,” she held Starlight’s hand and pulled her close to her ear, “You didn’t, tell anyone about last night, did you?” she asked calmly, but Starlight could feel something radiating off of her in that moment. It almost felt like a beast was eyeing her, baring its teeth at her. She could almost hear growling.

Just what was this girl…?

“All I said to Ms. Tia was that I was almost assaulted,” Starlight answered as calmly as she could, “But I didn’t mention anything that could implicate you.”

“Ms. Tia…?” Rarity repeated, her voice low. However, Starlight could feel Rarity relaxing a bit, “Well, so long as it’s her, its fine.”

You're lucky I like her, but I got my eye on you, bitch.

Starlight nodded, slowly pulling her hand free, “If there’s, anything I can do, to um…”

“I’m afraid not at this time. Thank you, though,” Rarity said, “I do appreciate you, darling.”

“Of course, Rarity,” Starlight smiled, “What are friends for?”

Rarity blinked at that, and just looked at Starlight surprised for a beat, “Right. Friends…” she slowly smiled again. As Starlight returned to her desk, Applejack went up to her, placing a hand on her shoulder.

“You alright?” she asked Starlight softly. She nodded, explaining to Applejack Cinch was just giving Rarity a bit of a time. Oddly, she felt Applejack’s emotions flare up suddenly.

Had a feelin’ it was her! Better handle this away from everyone!

“Thanks,” Applejack nodded, patting Starlight on the back. She then walked over to Rarity, rubbed her back to comfort her, and spoke softly to her. After a bit, Rarity nodded, and got up, walking out of the Student Council office into the hallway.

That confirmed it. Applejack did know something.

“How are you not ripped to pieces?” Spike asked once they were gone, “I tried talking to her once when she was in a mood, and she damn near bit my head off.”

“I just, reached out to her, is all,” Starlight explained, rubbing her hand, “She’s still human.”

At least, Starlight assumed she was...

As she sat back down next to Sunburst, he rubbed her back comfortingly, “Let’s go get something to eat after this, alright?” he offered. She’d bought back Bicorn, a Hermit Arcana Persona, before leaving the Velvet Room last night, so she felt like they’d get along pretty well today.

Starlight nodded with a smile. She appreciated it. It was nice having her best friend back in her life.

play song: When the Moon's Reaching Out Stars - Persona 3

After finishing up in the Student Council, Starlight and Sunburst went out to South Street to the Mushroom Kingdom for pizza. The atmosphere here was a lot of fun, and super colorful. Apparently, both brothers had super hot girlfriends who were high class. Starlight saw one of them today, a kinda ditzy looking blonde wearing a lot of pink, who had the air of being completely helpless. She was such a bombshell, that when she kissed the smaller brother wearing red on the cheek, and saw him blush, she was a bit surprised. He didn’t seem like her type.

Well, the heart wanted what the heart wanted. She was happy for them.

“So um, can I, ask you something?” Sunburst asked when they sat down with their pizza, “When you touched Miss President’s shoulder, you locked up a bit.”

“You, noticed that?” Starlight asked.

“It was subtle, but yeah,” he said, “What, happened there?”

Starlight bit her lip, thinking about her next move carefully. They’d just become friends again, and she did tell him about her being a witch, but he didn’t know the extent of her power. Also, she wasn’t sure she could tell him about Dungeons or the Phase just yet. Still, there might be a way to spin this…

“As you can probably guess, it, was related to my magic,” Starlight took a bite of her pepperoni slice, “I’m an empath now, meaning I can feel people’s emotions if I touch them.”

“Wait, really?” Sunburst asked wide eyed, biting into his pineapple slice before continuing, “How’s that work?”

She explained that normally she needed to open herself up to their emotions first, but sometimes the emotions would jump out at her if they were strong enough.

“That, sounds kind of terrifying, but intriguing,” Sunburst said after she finished, “I take it, you’ve used that often to help people?”

Starlight nodded, “You heard about the thing with Trixie, right?”

“How Blueblood was abusing her?” Sunburst asked, “Kind of hard not to hear about that.”

“Fair enough,” she muttered before continuing, “I, actually found out about that through my empathy. I shook her hand, and immediately felt a sense of urgency come from her. So when I touched Rarity's shoulder, I felt all of her anger hit me at once.”

“Fascinating…” Sunburst breathed out, pulling out a notebook and writing in it. Starlight asked what he was doing, “Oh, this is just my personal journal. Ever since coming here I… kinda became interested in magic again. Anytime I find something that points to magic being real, I write it in my notebook. Is that, okay…?” he asked carefully.

Starlight nodded, “I don’t mind. Just so long as I get a cut when you become a famous author.”

“F-famous? Me? No way,” Sunburst shook his head, “This is just for my own personal investment, really.”

“Why not, though?” Starlight asked, “I mean, you’re smart, and you’ve always been a great writer. I bet if you wrote a book, it’d become a best seller.”

“I, I mean, I’ll admit I have always enjoyed writing…” Sunburst admitted, “I did come up with a setting for a story based off of the school, and a bit of what’s going on with the Nightmare Epidemic.”

“Tell me,” Starlight took another bite of her pizza and then leaned in smiling, giving her old friend her full attention.

“It’s, not much, you know,” Sunburst winced, but Starlight didn’t care. She shook her head and urged him to tell her anyway, making him sigh in defeat, “Alright. So basically, it’s Canterlot High, okay? More or less the same, but there’s an underlying magic present. The whole town is magical, but the school sits on a leyline, so there’s MORE magic here.”

Starlight nodded attentively. It felt almost like old times.

“Now, in this setting, the Nightmare Epidemic is actually being caused by a demon from another world,” Sunburst continued, “This demon sends its minions into people’s dreams, who then torment them in their sleep, feeding on their life force,” he continued, “Effectively, once they die in the dream…”

“They die, in real life,” Starlight finished, her heart racing. It wasn’t exact, but it was just accurate enough where Starlight got chills a bit.

“Only thing I’m missing here, is a hero,” Sunburst sighed, “I know some people put themselves in their works as a protagonist, but…”

“Why not do that yourself?” Starlight asked tilting her head.

“It’s kind of hard to see myself as a hero type,” he admitted, “Also, in case I end up writing and publishing it, I don’t want to come off pretentious, you know?”

Starlight nodded at that. True, a lot of writers tended to make themselves the protagonists of their works. Sometimes it worked out well. But a lot of times it made their works come off as more of a power fantasy.

That said, the story was already, pretty accurate to real life, and it wasn’t like he’d have any way of knowing this was actually happening…

“What if the hero, was a witch who just enrolled?” Starlight asked, “Maybe to reunite with a friend?”

“A witch who, came to reunite with a friend…?” he repeated, looking at her intently.

“Yeah. Maybe she’s searching for this friend, and her search led her to this school,” she continued, “Along the way she… gets wrapped up in the whole Nightmare Epidemic thing, and uses her magic to fight off the demons.”

He nodded slowly, writing that down, “Yeah… that’s perfect! Think other witches could come in to help her?”

Starlight nodded, “In fact, I have an idea for the first friend she could meet,” she then began telling him a bit of what happened when she rescued Trixie from her Dungeon. Naturally she kept out certain details. Her name for one, along with anything private like her kinks, and how Blueblood abused them. However, she did drop in the idea that this friend was “descended from a line of great wizards and witches, and who up until that point didn’t have any magical powers of her own”.

“Okay… okay yeah… I like this… I like this a lot!” he smiled, looking at Starlight, “This is, kind of what happened with Trixie, right? Are you sure it’s okay for me to use this?”

That, was a good question actually. She decided to give Trixie a call to ask her directly.

“Hey Starlight. What’s up?” Trixie asked once she picked up. Starlight explained to her that she caught up with Sunburst, and he was writing a book on the Nightmare Epidemic, explaining a bit of the plot, “No fucking way… Well, he’s not too far off from the truth, scarily enough…”

“He wants to base the main character off of me roughly,” Starlight said, “Would it be okay if, he used what you went through concerning Blueblood as slight inspiration?”

“Hm…” Trixie hummed in thought, “Well… sure. He’s your friend, after all. Besides, it’s already common knowledge what happened between he and I, so what would be the point in hiding it? Just tell him I want to be super sexy and badass, alright?”

Starlight laughed, “I mean, I figured that was a given.”

“You know me too well,” Trixie said airily, “I’ll see ya back at the dorm, Starlight. Love ya.”

“Love you to- H-huh?!” Starlight blushed, hearing Trixie burst out laughing before she hung up.

“Oh. I see how it is, then,” Sunburst gave a teasing grin, “You and Trixie, huh?”

“I-I mean…” Starlight blushed looking down at her lap.

“You know, lesbians are hot…” Sunburst mused to himself, “Ah. I see it now,” he moved to sit beside her, wrapping an arm around her and holding his hand out to the ceiling, “The witch, enamored by the tragic beauty of her new roommate, just couldn’t help herself, no matter how much the maiden pushed her away. Partially due to her pure heart, but also drawn to the maiden’s tear stained eyes, the witch pushed onward, determined to rescue the helpless maiden from the demon tormenting her.”

“Stop it… please…” Starlight begged, burying her face into her hands. The fact that's actually how it happened didn't help. Hearing Sunburst laugh did lift her spirits, though.

“Sorry. I couldn’t help it,” he smiled, returning to his seat, “But I take it she was okay with things?” Starlight nodded, saying she just wanted her character to be a sexy badass, to which he frowned, “How else… was I going to write her…?”

The two friends shared a good laugh at that. Things weren’t, quite the same as they were before, but they were close enough. Starlight felt like she and Sunburst got significantly closer.

end song

Evening

Starlight returned to the dorm at the usual time today, much to the relief of everyone there. After signing herself in, she sat down on the couch with Rainbow Dash, Pinkie Pie, and Trixie, naturally sitting beside her roommate.

“So, how was it being undressed by the whole school?” Dash teased, making Starlight feel incredibly embarrassed.

“Seriously, Dash…?” Starlight asked, making her rainbow haired friend laugh.

“Sorry, I’m sorry. But a lot of students saw you like that,” Rainbow Dash pointed out, “They were all talking about how sexy you looked.”

“Think you’ll make that look your new default?” Pinkie asked.

“I, doubt it,” Starlight shook her head, “It’s fun every now and again, and I might buy some other outfits at some point, but tomorrow, it’s back to my usual gothic self.”

“So long as you’re comfortable. That’s what’s important,” Trixie said. Starlight nodded smiling, but internally was wondering about what she said a bit ago over the phone. Was she, serious? Was that just her joking?

“What about Rarity? You find out anything?” Rainbow Dash asked. Starlight explained what happened at the Student Council meeting today, “Shit. Seriously?”

“Cinch does ride her pretty hard,” Trixie frowned, “Apparently, she forced Rarity to make that announcement about the pictures when you had your Dungeon, Pinkie Pie.”

Pinkie nodded, “My Cousin told me. She said Rarity hated herself for that, and that she missed a day because she was so sick to her stomach.”

“But, Cinch can’t force Rarity to do anything she doesn’t want to,” Starlight frowned, “Can she…?”

play song: Riku - Kingdom Hearts 2

Rainbow Dash turned away frowning to herself.

“Cinch rules over the school with an iron fist, essentially. Well, tries to,” Trixie sighed, “Most of the students hate her, for obvious reasons. When it comes to authority, most listen primarily to Rarity and Applejack.”

“And it’s common knowledge that they both hate Cinch just as much as the rest of the students,” Pinkie Pie added.

Yeah, she figured as much. Based on how Rarity’s emotions were, she hated Cinch probably more than any of them combined.

“I wonder…” Rainbow Dash muttered, catching Starlight’s attention, “Leader, you said that when you touched her shoulder, you felt a murderous rage, right?”

Starlight nodded, “Her emotions felt directed at Cinch, too.”

“And yet, she still listens to her,” Rainbow Dash pointed out, “Kinda like how Pinkie Pie still listened to what Fleur told her, despite being uncomfortable, and how Trixie stayed with Blueblood for so long, even though he was abusing her.”

“H-hang on, Dash,” Trixie leaned in frowning, “Are you thinking… that Rarity’s Dungeon is being controlled, by Cinch’s Shadow?”

Rainbow Dash nodded, “Yep. The pattern fits, doesn’t it?”

“I mean, it does but…” Trixie rubbed her arm nervously, “That’s a huge accusation.”

“It is, I’ll admit,” Rainbow Dash conceded, “But, think about it. Rarity had just finished talking with Cinch about something. Our Leader touches her shoulder, and feels murderous level rage? Come on Lulamoon. You see it, I know you do.”

Trixie bit her lip and groaned softly.

“And like I said, it fits the pattern,” Rainbow Dash continued, “These Dungeons, they seem to attracts other people’s Shadows, who uses them to control the person in their dreams, which then bleeds into them controlling them in the real world, with the person feeling like they have to listen to them even if they hate it.”

“That… is how it was for me,” Pinkie Pie said cautiously, “That photo shoot? I wasn’t supposed to get it till after my birthday, but Fleur managed to pull some strings, and convinced the photographer to let it slide since I was turning 18 so soon.”

“And let me guess,” Rainbow Dash said, “When you said you were uncomfortable, all she had to say was “Don’t you trust me, Pinkamena”?”

Pinkie nodded sadly, “And any resistance I had, gone. It was the same way she took over the kingdom in the Phase. She’d suggest something, I’d mention how uncomfortable it was, and the second she asked me that question, I’d fold.”

“And finally, the fact her feelings don’t match her appearance,” Rainbow Dash said, now looking at Starlight, “You said that she seemed calm on the outside, but her emotions were a hurricane directed at Cinch on the inside, right?”

Starlight nodded. At most, she just looked tired and just, done with everything, but her emotions were way more violent.And that was pretty much how it was for Trixie and Pinkie Pie too. For Trixie, she'd actively try to push Starlight away, only for her emotions to beg Starlight for help. And Pinkie Pie, same thing. She wanted to escape Fleur's influence, but did everything she told her to do on the outside.

But that wasn't all that was happening with Rarity's emotions. On the outside, Rarity seemed to really like Starlight, but on the inside, it felt like Rarity didn't trust Starlight at all.

“We, should talk to Ms. Tia and Twilight about this,” Starlight said, “Before going into Elysium. I see the pattern, and it is damning, I’ll give you that, but I don’t know if we should accuse the principal of our school of something like this till we clear it with them.”

Rainbow Dash sighed but nodded, “That’s fair, yeah.”

“Girls, dinner’s ready~” Celestia said, coming out of the kitchen, “Trying something new today, so I hope you’re all…” she frowned when she saw how serious everyone looked, “Oh dear. Did something happen, girls?”

“Nothing to us, but,” Trixie turned to Celestia, “Dash has a theory about what’s going on with Rarity. We’d like to talk to you and Twilight about it when she wakes up, before we head into the Phase.”

Celestia nodded, “I understand. Tell you what, you girls eat, and meet us upstairs in my room when you’re finished. I’ll wake Twilight, and tell her its urgent.”

Once again, she wasn’t eating. Despite being in the kitchen cooking since school ended, probably. Maybe she’d eat when they went into the Phase? Maybe she ate before coming in? Yeah, that made sense.

“Alright,” Starlight nodded, “Thanks Ms. Tia.”

Celestia bowed to them, took off her apron, and went upstairs to get Twilight. The rest of the girls went into the dining room to eat dinner. They were going to just eat quickly before going upstairs, but… it was Ms. Tia’s cooking.

They all savored their meal, and had seconds.

Late Night

The room was heavy as Starlight finished explaining what happened at the Student Council room today. Dash helped her explain her thoughts on things, and what led her to think that Cinch’s Shadow was the Dungeon Master, using a term that Twilight had come up with as it felt appropriate.

Needless to say, Celestia’s reaction was about what Starlight suspected.

“Mmmm,” she hummed in frustration, sitting on her couch, “I hate that this makes so much sense…”

“This Principal Cinch,” Twilight asked, “Is she really that bad?”

“From what little I’ve seen, she is,” Starlight nodded, “She didn’t even want me enrolling in the school, on the grounds of my suicide attempt,” she looked away, still ashamed of herself for that. Trixie rubbing her back and Pinkie Pie holding her hand helped.

Twilight blinked and frowned, “She, didn’t want you to enroll, because you tried to kill yourself? My opinion of that aside, why should that be a deciding factor?”

“Because she’s a bitch who only cares about the school’s reputation, that’s why,” Rainbow Dash spat folding her arms, “She made Pinkie Pie stay in school despite being sexually harassed, and forced Rarity to make an announcement that made it worse.”

“She’s also refusing to expel Blueblood, saying him abusing me is “under investigation”,” Trixie growled, closing her eyes, “And is refusing to let me, the one who was abused, speak on it on grounds of him outing my bondage fetish.”

Twilight was visibly aghast, leading her to turn to Celestia, who sighed and nodded, “Blueblood’s father is on the Board of Directors for the school, and puts quite a bit of money into funding the school. While I imagine it could survive without his money, him pulling funding for any reason…”

Twilight muttered something in what sounded like Japanese, “And I thought things were bad back home…”

“Corruption exists all over the world,” Celestia said gravely, “Be it in Japan, or here, there will always be those who abuse their power…”

“Isn't there any way to check?” Rainbow Dash asked, “Like, what if we search for Cinch’s Shadow on your computer? Couldn’t that lead us to Rarity’s Dungeon?”

Twilight took off her glasses and rubbed her eyes, “I’m, sorry but, that’s not how the system works. The way I find Dungeons is through key words connected to books within the Akashic Records. I search for the number of books that have those keywords in them, take note of how many there are in any given area, and keep zeroing in on the central location until I find a large section absent of any books. That’s where the Dungeon is.”

“Okay, so… search for Cinch’s name,” Rainbow Dash suggested, “That’ll have to-”

“Connect to Rarity’s Akashic Record, yours, Pinkie Pie’s, Trixie’s, Starlight’s, Ms. Tia’s, and every single person who’s come into contact with her and who knows her name,” Twilight finished for her, “And all of this, again, is still based on the assumption that her Shadow is the Dungeon Master.”

“You saw the pattern,” Rainbow Dash pressed, “Even Ms. Tia says she’s crooked.”

“I’m not saying she isn’t crooked,” Twilight clarified, “Trust me, just from what I’m hearing, this woman is not fit to be the Principal of the school. But her being a self righteous bitch who doesn't care about her students' well being, I’ll admit she probably is Shadow Possessed, but that doesn’t mean her Shadow is in anyone’s Dungeon, let alone Rarity’s.”

Rainbow Dash closed her eyes in frustration at this. Starlight shared in her frustration, but she did see where Twilight was coming from with this. It sounded like searching for Dungeons was really hard, and this just didn’t give her enough information to work with.

Twilight sighed, “This does make sense, Dash. I’m not shooting it down, but my computer can’t search for Shadows. We didn’t even know that the Blueblood in Trixie’s Dungeon was his Shadow until he started saying things that Trixie didn’t know.”

“And also, when we searched for Pinkie Pie’s Dungeon, Fleur de Lis as a keyword helped,” Celestia added, “But it wasn’t until we found the connection between her and Pinkie Pie that we found it.”

“Um, what was the keyword for my Dungeon?” Pinkie Pie asked, "The one that showed you our connection?"

“It, was “Possession”,” Twilight said reluctantly, “Fleur’s Shadow, saw you as a possession to own…”

“Oh,” Pinkie said quietly, looking down, “I, see how that works, then.”

“Pinkie Pie…?” Starlight asked softly, “Are you, okay…?”

“We just, need to figure out how Cinch sees Rarity, and get a general idea of why, right?” Pinkie asked, perking up a bit too quickly for Starlight’s comfort.

“If, we’re still tackling this from the angle of Cinch being the Dungeon Master, then yes,” Twilight said after a bit, turning to Starlight, “What’s it gonna be, Leader?”

“It’s, as good of a starting point as any,” Starlight said, “Today, focus on helping us in Elysium. We’ll try to get as close to where Diamond’s Dungeon is being formed as possible, and then give you a few days to work on this.”

Twilight gave a half ass salute, “Roger that, oh mighty and divine Trickster.”

“Okay, I gotta know,” Rainbow Dash asked, “Just what is your beef with Starlight? You act like she ran over your cat or something.”

Twilight closed her eyes and folded her arms, “It’s nothing you need to be concerned with. I’ll keep her and all of you alive while you’re off in Dream Land, so just focus on your part, okay?”

Rainbow Dash was about to say something, but Pinkie Pie held her hand, shaking her head, “She’ll tell us when she’s ready.”

Rainbow Dash sighed, “Fine. Let’s head to our room and prepare. Leader, Trixie, we’ll see ya in the Library.”

Starlight nodded to them, watching them leave. Tomorrow, she had Pep Squad, but she’d definitely be checking in on Pinkie Pie soon.

“We’ll get ready to head in as well,” Trixie said to Twilight and Celestia.

“Good. I’ll be praying for your safety, as always,” Celestia said.

Starlight nodded and followed Trixie out of the room. Once they were away from the door, Starlight sighed looking down.

“We’ll figure it out, and you and Twi-Twi will be friends in no time. I promise,” Trixie smiled, rubbing Starlight’s back affectionately again.

“Thanks Trixie,” Starlight smiled in return, hugging her roommate.

“Anytime,” Trixie said, hugging her in return.

end song

The Phase

Yesod: Lvl 8

song: BREAKTHROUGH.EXE - Blue Reflection

Once they all arrived in the Akashic Records, they made their way to Elysium, entering the through their last Checkpoint to continue where they left off.

“Okay, so I have good news, and bad news,” Twilight said, her wisp floating around them, “Which do you wanna hear first?”

“Tell us something good,” Trixie requested.

“Well the good news is, I have a general idea of where Diamond Tiara’s Dungeon is being constructed,” Twilight said, “I can’t see it from my terminal, and I can tell construction is steady, but it’s got a long way to go before it becomes a fully fleshed out Dungeon.”

Starlight sighed in relief. She was hoping she still had time.

“So, what’s the bad news?” Rainbow Dash asked.

“The bad news, it’s in the NEXT area of Elysium,” Twilight groaned, Starlight picturing her rolling her eyes, “Also, that section looks bigger than this one, which I can already see goes five floors higher. So that’s fun.”

“Just five more floors? Alright then,” Pinkie Pie ran forward and turned to the group, “In that case, let’s clear this section tonight, wait a few days for Twilight to work on Rarity’s Dungeon, and then we can tackle the next section.”

“What do you think?” Trixie asked Starlight, “Wanna go for a complete run?”

Starlight nodded, “Yeah. I do. Both to get closer to where Diamond is, but also to give Twilight less to worry about.”

“Oh gee, thanks,” Twilight said, her voice oozing with sarcasm, “Your kindness knows no bounds.”

Starlight sighed shaking her head. Even when she was trying to be nice to her, she retorted by being a bitch. What did she do to offend Twilight so much?

Yesod: Lvl 9

For the most part, they weren’t running into too many issues. Thanks to Starlight spending so much time in the Velvet Room last night, she was able to better support her party. The group managed to find where the staircase was without too much hassle, but saw a Shadow cluster floating in front of the stairs.

“We gotta take those guys out first,” Dash said, drawing her sword, “Leader, you’re up.”

Starlight nodded, summoning her scythe and slashing the cluster in the back, stunning the mass as it manifested into two Shadows; Makami, and one that they’d run into a few times on other floors called Inugami, which looked like a really long white ghost dog with a black dog’s head with an odd red symbol on its head.

“BICORN!” Starlight shouted, shifting to the first Persona she ever caught and casting her wind spell Garu on it, before it had a chance to make their lives hell. She learned the hard way to deal with that one first.

Rainbow Dash held up her sword and channeling ring, “Come forth, my inner self!” she roared, summoning Eclair Farron. Eclair raised her sword in unison to Rainbow Dash, knocking it down at the same time Starlight knocked down the Inugami, “What are we doing leader? Taking one of them, or ending this?”

Starlight looked at Inugami, feeling it out a bit. She, felt like she could resonate a bit with it. She nodded and summoned Morgana, channeling her empathy through her to share her emotions with Inugami. Interestingly, she felt something akin to how Rarity felt during Student Council. An intense, burning need for vengeance. To make some pay.

Yeah. Anytime she thought of Blueblood these days, she felt the same way…

Realizing they were kind of alike, Inugami gave a triumphant howl before bursting into flames and flying into Starlight’s channeling ring. Immediately she felt loaded though, as she restocked to maximum capacity. She ended up giving up Orobas, as she didn’t feel like she’d use his powers at the moment.

“Which Arcana is that one?” Trixie asked Starlight.

“Hanged Man,” she said looking down, a hand pressed over her heart, “It, kind of feels like The President.”

“Maybe if she awakens to her Persona, she’ll be the Hanged Man,” Pinkie Pie said.

“It’d be nice to have her, and it seems likely, all things considered,” Starlight folded her arms, “But, she doesn’t strike me as the sort who’d want to assist us. She seems to have enough issues on her own.”

“On top of Cinch, she’s a Senior, which means she’s got more exams to worry about than us,” Trixie pointed out, “We just have Midterms, but she’s got those and SATs and stuff to worry about.”

“Gah! Don’t bring up Midterms here, please!” Rainbow Dash fussed, “I don’t want to worry about school shit while I’m fighting Shadows!”

“Which tells ME that you’re not prepared,” Twilight said airily, “Boy, I’d hate for Ms. Tia to see you get poor marks on the test~”

“I’m plenty prepared!” Rainbow Dash defended, “C-come on! Let’s go before the Reaper catches up with us!”

As she stormed upstairs, Trixie went over to Starlight, Pinkie Pie, and Twilight’s wisp, “Something tells me she’d rather deal with the Reaper than Midterms.”

Starlight nodded in agreement, both Twilight and Pinkie Pie laughing a bit.

Yesod: Lvl 11

The tenth level wasn’t all that rough, all things considered. Somehow, the room organized itself where the stairs going up were really close to where they entered from. Only a few Shadows got in their way, so they were able to move forward pretty easily.

The eleventh floor of Yesod though, not so much.

Starlight ran up to the Shadows and slashed them, but the cluster turned around just in time to catch her do so. The cluster dispersed into four different Shadows; Koropokkuru, Hua Po, Jack Frost, and a new one Starlight didn’t recognize. It looked like a tiny lion/dog hybrid with an orange body, green fluff on its legs and where its tail would be, a green beard instead of a lion’s mane, and an odd face that was grinning from ear to ear.

“The new one is called Shiisaa!” Twilight said, “Brace yourselves! They seem to be coordinated to support each other!”

Before any of them could begin attacking, Koropokkuru cast a red shield around the enemy Jack Frost.

“Was that what I thought it was?” Trixie asked, pulling a card out to brace herself.

“Afraid so. It cast Fire Wall on Jack Frost, so it’ll be immune to your fire spells.” Twilight sighed.

“Well isn’t that just pea- AHH!” Trixie dodged just in time as Jack Frost launched a Bufu right at Trixie.

“Pinkie Pie, raise everyone’s defense!” Starlight commanded, “Trixie, focus on the Koropokkuru, since we know that one’s also weak to fire!”

Rainbow Dash held up her blade to defend as Shiisaa fired a nuclear blast at her, “Shit! That guy’s got my weakness!”

“Focus on blocking and dodging!” Starlight commanded Rainbow Dash, “If you see an opening to attack, go for it!”

“Got it, Leader!” Rainbow Dash nodded.

“I understand, Starlight!” Pinkie Pie said.

“On it!” Trixie shouted.

“Protect us!” Pinkie Pie prayed, summoning her Persona. Serenity appeared before her spinning like a ballerina, casting Rakukaja on Rainbow Dash first, since her Persona was weak to the new one’s attacks.

Hua Po charged at them, but Starlight slashed her back with her scythe and then held up her Channeling Ring, “APSARAS!!!” she shouted, shifting to the light blue dancer Persona. She felt a spell called “Ice Wall”, and cast it on Trixie, “There! Jack Frost can’t knock you down for a bit!”

“Aw, my hero~!” Trixie purred, summoning Elenora, who threw an Agi to Koropokkuru, briefly lifting her leg as if to throw a baseball before tossing it, knocking the Shadow down. This was immediately followed up by Rainbow Dash charging in with her blade, slashing him wildly with electric charged strikes.

While that went on, Pinkie Pie cast Rakukaja on Starlight next, who then switched to another Persona she had fused into recently, “MATADOR!!!” she shouted, shifting Apsaras with a skeleton dressed as a Mexican Matador, complete with the hat and red cloth.

“Psi!” she held her hand forward, casting an odd looking spell on Shiisaa, hitting it with a psychic wave that messed with the space in front of it, knocking it down.

“Good! Keep this up!” Twilight cheered, “Hua Po is weak to Gun spell! Anyone got anything for that?”

“I got something!” Rainbow Dash said, “Starlight, cover me with yours!”

Starlight nodded to Rainbow Dash, who summoned her Persona again. This time, Eclair Farron pointed the gun part of her sword forward, firing at Hua Po and knocking her down. Rainbow Dash then gave Starlight a High Five, “Your turn!”

BATON PASS!!!

“Thanks! MORGANA!!!” Starlight shouted, shifting to her default and favorite Persona. She then had Morgana open her chest, revealing her gun, which fired two powerful shots at Hua Po, killing her instantly.

Jack Frost cast Mabufu on the whole group, pushing them back with sudden ice shots. Trixie thankfully didn’t fall down, but it was clear it still hurt.

“Don’t worry everyone!” Pinkie Pie prayed, summoning Serenity again, “Help is on the way!”

Serenity danced and twirled all around them, casting Media and healing them more or less back to full health.

“Pinkie Pie, how are you holding up?” Starlight asked their healer, who’d been pretty active today casting spells, “Still okay?”

“Yep!” Pinkie nodded, “I can keep going, Starlight!”

Koropokkuru prepared to cast Mabufu as well on them, but Trixie had already charged up a Maragi spell, knocking both him and somehow Jack Frost down, “Perfect! Starlight, do your thing on Shiisaa before he can attack again!”

Starlight nodded, “MATADOR!!!” she shouted, once again casting Psi on Shiisaa, knocking it down just as it looked ready to attack again, “All Out Attack! Now!”

Trixie held her sleeves forward smirking, Pinkie Pie readied her Magical Girl Scepter, Rainbow Dash held her blade up and ready, and Starlight held her scythe back, ready to charge. All four girls launched their assault on the fallen enemies, wailing on them with everything they had. When the smoke cleared, there was nothing left of them.

Starlight hunched forward, holding her knees and panting heavily as Rainbow Dash patted her on the back, “Boy, if we didn’t have you on the team, I don’t know WHAT we’d do.”

“Yeah! That Wild Card power of yours is amazing!” Pinkie beamed, “You were all ‘MORGANA!!!’ and ‘MATADOR!!!’ switching back and forth! You looked so cool!”

“I-I’m pretty sure you’d all be much cooler if you had this power,” Starlight defended humbly.

“But see, we don’t have it,” Rainbow Dash leaned in and smiled, “So stop being humble and just take the compliment already.”

“G-geez, you guys…” Starlight muttered.

“If, you’re all quite done stroking Starlight’s ego,” Twilight chimed in.

Trixie gasped, “Twi-Twi! We’d never do something so crass in public!” she cried.

“What are yo-” she stopped when Trixie burst out laughing, “Oh ha ha. Very funny. But that fight took up a lot of time. You might wanna start booking it to the next floor. Like NOW.”

Starlight was about to ask Twilight what she meant, but was horrified to hear the rattling of chains, “It’s the Reaper. Move. Now!” she ordered, all of them booking it down the hallway.

“Everyone, watch out!” Twilight cried, “Two Shadows are about to attack you!”

“Where are they-” Starlight was cut off by Trixie screaming in pain, as a Shadow knocked her down. Everyone was so stunned that they didn’t even see the other one come up behind them, leaving them surrounded.

When they manifested, they became an Inugami and Mokoi.

In their desperation, they weren’t able to prepare as Inugami cast Tarukaja on Mokoi to increase his attack. This was then followed up by Mokoi hitting Pinkie Pie hard with his boomerang, knocking her down.

“PINKIE PIE!!!” Rainbow cried in shock. Another boomerang was thrown in her direction but she dodged, “Leader, can you heal Pinkie Pie?!”

Starlight nodded, “I got it! Focus on attacking! PIXIE!!!” she shouted, shifting to Pixie and casting Dia on their fallen cleric immediately. At least she wouldn’t die, even if she couldn’t get up yet.

Rainbow Dash learned before that Mokoi wasn’t good against her electricity, so she rushed at him with her blade, slashing wildly before shooting past him with her blade out, slashing through him before sheathing her blade, causing him to double over from the assault.

“Persona!” Trixie cried urgently, casting Sukukaja on Starlight, “Quickly, Starlight! They’re all weak to Wind!”

Starlight nodded, “BICORN!!!” she shouted, summoning her noble steed and casting Garu on Inugami to knock him down. One more All Out Attack cleared the area quickly of all Shadows.

“Pinkie, are you okay?” Rainbow asked helping her up.

“Y-yeah, I am,” Pinkie Pie confirmed, “But the rattling’s getting louder.”

“The stairs are literally just ahead!” Twilight cried, “Go go go!”

Starlight looked and saw the stairs. She urged everyone ahead, making sure they all got upstairs first. Right before going up herself, she saw it turn the corner and look at her. It was large, wearing a black long coat and covered in chains. It wore a red bloodstained cloth over its head, which only showed one eye looking right at her, and held two large hand guns in its hands.

Starlight’s eyes widened, and she was frozen in fear. It was as if she were seeing an embodiment of Death itself. Made worse when it approached her slowly.

You can’t… escape… death…!

“NO!!!” Starlight screamed in horror. Right as it was about to strike, someone grabbed her arm and pulled her up the stairs away from it.

Yesod: Lvl 12

Trixie had her arms around Starlight, rubbing her back as Starlight tried to pull herself together. Her heart was pounding, and she could feel herself beginning to break down a bit.

“Shh… shh… it’s alright,” Trixie said softly, “You’re safe now.”

“You okay, Starlight?” Twilight asked, her wisp floating up to her.

“I, think so,” Starlight confirmed, “But… w-what is that thing?”

“Sadly, I don’t have much information on the Reaper,” Twilight said softly, “There might be a few books on it in the Akashic Records, but I don’t know where any of them are.”

Rainbow Dash rubbed the back of her neck and looked around, “Looks like this floor’s a rest spot. We got a Checkpoint?”

“Let me check,” Twilight muttered, typing away at her terminal apparently, “Okay, good. There IS a checkpoint here. And considering the signal I’m seeing above you, we better take it.”

“What’s above us?” Pinkie Pie asked.

“A high level Shadow,” Twilight answered, “You’d best end this here for now, and come back fresh.”

Starlight didn’t want to leave now. Honestly, she wanted to keep going. They were going to try and clear this section, right? They were literally one floor away from doing so. She protested and tried to plea her case.

“Sorry, but you’re in no condition to keep going,” Twilight insisted, “You’ve been using a lot of magic, so you HAVE to be tired. Keep in mind that you still have school tomorrow, and you’ve been using your dream time to fight Shadows, so your bodies aren’t resting.”

“Diamond has plenty of time, Starlight,” Trixie urged, “And if there’s a powerful Shadow up ahead, we need to be at our best.”

“Come on,” Rainbow Dash rubbed Starlight’s arm, “Let’s head back to the Akashic Records and just chill for a bit. Alright?”

Starlight sighed, knowing she lost this fight. She nodded, and let her friends guide her to the Checkpoint.

song: Qualia - Blue Reflection

They gathered in the main lobby outside of the door to Elysium, all sitting at the nearest table to relax a bit. Pinkie Pie even found a book and was reading it, sitting with her legs crossed in a way that drew Starlight’s attention to her. She knew that Sailor Moon was actually wearing a leotard with a skirt connected, but something told Starlight that Pinkie Pie’s was more risque.

“There, feeling better?” Rainbow Dash asked, rubbing Pinkie Pie’s leg as she sat next to her. Based on how Pinkie smiled, she enjoyed the feeling.

“Immensely so,” Starlight smiled, resting her head on the desk, “I can feel my stamina returning by the second.”

“What made you think of this for post Elysium runs?” Trixie asked Rainbow Dash.

“Pinkie Pie and I were talking about how real it feels to be in here,” Rainbow said, “Like, we know our bodies are asleep, but… it doesn’t feel like it.”

“Yeah, I know what you mean,” Starlight nodded, “It’s kind of like we’re still awake, just in a more liberated form. I can’t even feel my body in the real world.”

“Exactly,” Rainbow Dash wrapped an arm around Pinkie Pie, who leaned into her still reading, “So we got to thinking, what if after a run either in Elysium or a Dungeon, we just took a second to relax before returning to our bodies?”

Pinkie Pie nodded, “Yep. So Dashie and I came here and tested that theory.”

“I’m afraid to ask, but how did you test this?” Twilight asked dryly.

“We came here and spent the whole night having sex,” Pinkie said, not missing a beat or looking up from her book, “Did it once on Saturday, and once again on Sunday.”

“Just, comes right out and says it… alright.” Trixie muttered, cheeks a bit flushed.

“Oh my God… really? You fucked in the Akashic Records?” Twilight asked shakily, but then flinched as Starlight heard laughter in the background, “M-Ms. Tia?! Why are you laughing?!”

Starlight couldn’t hear Celestia exactly, since she was probably sitting on the couch, but she did hear something about no one saying they couldn’t.

Rainbow Dash cleared her throat, “Anyway,” she pressed firmly, Pinkie giggling beside her, “We did this two times. Friday night going into Saturday, we just, well, that, and then just took off our rings. Saturday, we were pretty much dead to the world.”

“But then on the following night, we did the same thing for about just as long, but then rested for a bit until we heard our alarms go off,” Pinkie Pie finished, “When we took off our rings and woke up, we weren’t as tired.”

“I’ll admit, while the method of testing it was a bit, questionable,” Trixie said, “This is good information.”

“It is. This means we can plan things out to include rest periods after a run,” Twilight said, “I’ll keep track of how long you stay active, and make sure you have at least a bit of rest time afterward.”

“You’re the best, Twilight,” Pinkie Pie smiled, still reading her book.

“Glad I can help- okay, I gotta ask. What are you reading?” Twilight asked Pinkie Pie.

“Oh this? It’s a book on healing,” Pinkie said, “Starlight and Trixie both have magic from the Phase, right? I figured I’d get something too.”

“Hey, didn’t you get something, Dash?” Trixie asked, “You mentioned you’d look into something to help Pinkie Pie during her Dungeon.”

“Oh yeah, I did,” Rainbow Dash said, “Ended up getting both technomancy and electrokinesis,” she explained, “Simply put, if I want to shut off a machine, I just point to it like my finger’s a gun, fire at it, and the machine shorts out. As for Technomancy, that I just got for shits and giggles. Hey, next time we game, I’ll show ya.” she said to Starlight, who nodded smiling. She was looking forward to it.

“By the way, it’s about 5 o’clock out here,” Twilight said with a cute sounding yawn, “You should head back.”

“That late, huh?” Trixie stretched in a manner that pushed her breasts out and a bit toward Starlight, “Yeah, let’s head back to our bodies. See ya in the room, Starlight.”

“Y-yeah! See you,” Starlight said, averting her eyes from Trixie and feeling flushed. Trixie giggled and took off her ring, vanishing in a white light.

“She’s totally hot for you,” Rainbow Dash chuckled, making Starlight feel even more flushed.

“Oh yeah. You two make a cute couple,” Pinkie Pie giggled, closing her book, “We’ll see ya in school, Starlight!”

“Y-yeah, see you,” Starlight muttered. Dash and Pinkie Pie both took their rings off and vanished together, leaving Starlight alone with Twilight’s wisp.

“I’m logging off,” Twilight said immediately, “Starlight, if you find out anything about Cinch’s connection to Rarity, let me know.”

“I will,” Starlight said smiling, “Good night, Twilight. Sweet dreams.”

This time, Starlight heard Twilight scoff, “Sure. Whatever,” and with that the wisp vanished. Seemed Twilight’s heart was still closed off to her. Starlight sighed to herself, and then took off her ring. She seriously hoped she and Twilight could become friends one day.

Author's Note

Fool – Seekers of Light: 5/10
Magician – Trixie Lulamoon: 6/10
Priestess – Diamond Tiara: 5/10
The Empress – Ms. Tia: 3/10
The Lovers - Pinkamena Diane Pie: 1/10
Chariot – Rainbow Dash: 2/10
The Devil – Silver Spoon: 3/10
Hermit – Sunburst: 2/10 LEVEL UP!!!!!!
Transformation - Ms. Luna: 1/10

If you want to help support my writing, right now the best way is to check out this Go Fund page I started for my parents, and consider making a donation, or at least spreading the word. Any contribution would be SUPER helpful.

10/9, 10/10

October 9th, 2019
Tuesday
Sunny/PM Overcast

Daytime

song: School Days - Persona

As midterms were coming up, all of the teachers were drilling the students extra hard in class. For the most part, they stayed on topic, but as was often the case with this school, Starlight’s teachers tended to let their characters shine through, and thus succumb to their passions.

As such, English devolved into a lecture about a super famous poet that Bulk Biceps was a huge fan of. Starlight found it to be quite boring, but something told her to stay up to listen to it. She was happy she did too, as he made an offhand comment that he might put that on the test!

Starlight sighed, taking notes on as much as she could catch and remember. She felt significantly more intelligent afterward.

After School

song: Like a Dream Come True - Persona 4

Once she finished with her classes, Starlight went to Pep Squad, both to relax and catch up with Diamond Tiara. She seemed, more or less her usual self, but something about it felt, wrong. She couldn’t put her finger on it, but something about how she carried herself just felt off.

Starlight’s feeling got worse when they started their routine.

Their moves were always somewhat enticing and sexy. That was just par for the course when you were a cheerleader. Starlight actually didn't mind this, especially after wearing her skimpier ensemble to school. Letting her inner witch come out, and also letting her Priestess Arcana Persona Apsaras shine through her made all of the sexy moves fun to do, and Starlight felt significantly more graceful afterward.

Diamond Tiara though, seemed to really be in her element today.

Whenever she could, Starlight found herself drawn to the enticing moves of her fellow cheerleader, who seemed to add an extra sexiness to all of her moves. Their routine was significantly sexier today than others, which was fine with Starlight. She liked being sexy, and enjoyed knowing that all of the boys had their eyes on her. But there was something about Diamond Tiara's movements that felt, extra sexual today.

At one point, Diamond bent forward for the routine, and then slowly came up looking back with an enticing gaze, and Starlight’s vision shifted. She suddenly saw Diamond in the same position, same expression, but dressed in the stripper attire she saw before.

Starlight was seriously wondering if that was her imagining it, or if she was seeing Diamond’s inner dream self.

“Like, oh my God, Diamond!” Suri beamed running up to her at the end of the routine, “You’re like, totally on fire up there~!”

Diamond giggled, “I’m in a really good mood right now,” she hugged herself and hummed softly, “Had a really good dream, and I’m still riding the high from it.”

“Mmmm, I think I know what sort of dream it was,” Suri purred, “If it leads to moves like that, I hope you have more dreams like that.”

As Suri and the other girls walked off, Diamond turned to Starlight and walked over to her, “They didn’t say it, but I was like, totally into your moves too, Starlight,” she looked Starlight up and down with a somewhat sensual gaze, “Shame Trixie’s probably got dibs.”

Starlight sighed, “Trixie confuses the Hell out of me, honestly. Not that I’d mind, but…”

“Wait, you haven’t talked to her about your feelings yet?” Diamond asked wide eyed.

“I mean, she knows that I have this crush on her, but well, she doesn’t know how bad it’s getting…” Starlight looked away rubbing her arm.

Diamond pursed her lips and then walked over to her bag to grab her phone. She looked at it, frowned, and then put it away, going back to take Starlight’s hand, “Talk to me.”

“You sure? Cause I, don’t want you to get in trouble with your Father,” Starlight winced.

“Please, he doesn’t control me,” Diamond scoffed waving it off, “I don’t need him telling me how to live my life. Besides, you’re my friend.”

Though she was almost certain this was stemming from her Dungeon, she did appreciate what a good friend Diamond was. Even when she was dealing with her own shit, and even though she was rich like Silver Spoon, she genuinely looked out for Starlight.

As such, Starlight sat down on a bench with Diamond Tiara, and opened up to her about the dreams she’d been having on and off. How in all of them she was tying up Trixie, and how aroused she got from seeing her struggle, writhe in protest, and hearing her beg to be set free. She even went into detail about a couple of them, which based on how Diamond was looking at her, they were really hot.

Throughout the conversation, Diamond’s phone vibrated, but she seemed intent on ignoring it.

“OMG…!” Diamond gasped softly, covering her mouth.

“Please don’t tell anyone…! Let alone Silver Spoon…!” Starlight begged.

“Oh, don’t worry! This is between us, girl!” she assured, “Hope you don’t mind if I touch myself to it though.” Starlight looked at her wide eyed, making Diamond laugh out loud, “I’m kidding Starlight!” she then smirked wagging her eyebrows, “Or am I~?”

Starlight groaned shutting her eyes, “Damn it, Diamond Tiara…”

Diamond snickered again, “But seriously, wow. You’ve got it bad. I guess it doesn’t help that she is apparently into that sorta thing.”

“Thank you Blueblood for making that public…” Starlight growled under her breath.

“Yeah, like what a piece of work, that guy,” Diamond sat back crossing her legs, “I should probably warn you now, Blueblood’s still being super hard on the football team.”

“Spike told me,” Starlight sighed, “Taking his anger at losing his “slave” out on his fellow players, right?”

Diamond nodded, “I overheard some of them talking, and they really want them back together. I think he’s even making it sound like she asked for all of the abuse.”

Starlight looked down, trembling in rage as she felt Apsaras place a gentle hand on her shoulder.

Stay in control, Starlight. I know this is infuriating, but losing yourself now will not help Trixie.

She hated that Apsaras was right. Still, she took a breath, keeping her anger contained within. It kinda felt like something Diamond would have done.

“What she wants… is someone who can make her fantasy a reality, not use it to make theirs a reality…” she said softy, but still seething.

“Makes sense,” Diamond nodded, “Not sure how I feel about BDSM as a kink. Like, I don’t know if I’d be into being tied up or anything, but if that’s what she’s into, she should be able to enjoy it. What he’s doing though…” she looked at Starlight, “I bet you’d be a much better “Dom” than he ever was.”

“You, think so?” Starlight asked, “Even though I’m dreaming about it so much?”

Diamond nodded, “Yeah! Cause you actually care about her well being in this. You’re not gonna do some shit like, tie her to the bed, gag her, and start molesting her without asking her first. Which I’m sure, he did shit like that to her,” when Starlight didn't say anything, Diamond's eyes widened, "Oh fuck. Please don't tell me..."

Starlight turned away, “I’d, rather not put her business out there…”

“It’s alright. I’m not too basic to understand a situation,” Diamond said softly, “But see? This is what I mean. You’re worried not about getting off with this, but in making sure Trixie’s okay,” she took Starlight’s hand and looked into her eyes, “You’re a wonderful person, Starlight. I personally don’t know what I’d do without you as a friend, so I know Trixie’s in good hands around you.”

“D-Diamond…” Starlight blushed. She could truly feel just how much Diamond believed in her. She felt significantly closer to Diamond Tiara.

Diamond’s phone vibrated in her bag again. This time, she huffed and turned to pick it up.

song: Troubled - Persona 3

“What?” she asked harshly, “I’m exactly where you think I am,” the person on the other end said something that made Diamond shoot up, “Yeah? Well I felt like going to Pep Squad! I enjoy it!” Starlight didn’t hear what was said, but she could see and feel Diamond getting angrier and angrier, “Then I guess that makes me one too! Since those are the only kinds of girls who’d be into that sort of thing!” the person on the other end argued back, “Well clearly not, since you said it yourself! I'm eating out tonight, so don't bother waiting for me!” she hung up, tossed her phone back in her bag, and sat down. She held a hand to her head and was breathing in and out heavily, and Starlight saw “Stripperific Diamond” appear suddenly in the same position, “If all he sees is a cheap slut, then fine! That’s what I am!”

Starlight swallowed nervously. Was that, what her dream self was saying, or was she hearing the real Diamond speak through her? Or the scarier option…

Was it both…?

“Diamond…?” Starlight asked, carefully reaching for her friend.

“Starlight, could we maybe, stay together for a bit longer…?” Diamond asked softly. Starlight nodded, assuring her it’d be okay, “Thank you,” she smiled in appreciation, but Starlight could tell Diamond was forcing it a bit.

They went to a few shops in South Street before parting ways at sundown.

October 10th, 2019
Wednesday
Sunny

Morning

song: I (sun) - Blue Reflection

“Starlight, heya!” Pinkie Pie beamed as Starlight got up to the train platform, “Looks like the train’s a bit late right now.”

“That’s alright,” Starlight said, “This means we get to ride together.”

Pinkie Pie nodded happily, but then sobered a bit, “I, asked Twilight how she’s doing in terms of finding Rarity’s Dungeon. She says that this one is really elusive for some reason.”

“It’s almost like this Dungeon doesn’t want to be found…” Starlight muttered, noticing that Pinkie Pie giggled at that.

“Twilight said the exact same thing. It’s really odd you two aren’t better friends,” Pinkie Pie pointed out, “She’s a lot like you.”

“Maybe one day I’ll get to see that side of her,” Starlight sighed.

“I know you will,” Pinkie Pie hugged her, “She seems to like me a lot, so I’ll do what I can to help bridge the gap.”

Starlight appreciated that immensely. The two of them talked about anime and other stuff while they waited for the train to arrive.

Lunch Time

song: School Days - Persona

After getting her lunch and closing her locker, Starlight began making her way to the courtyard, but stopped when she felt Trixie run up to and hug her from behind affectionately.

“Hey Starlight!” Trixie beamed.

“Hey Trixie,” Starlight smiled, “You’re in a good mood today.” She smelled really nice. Was she wearing a new perfume?

“No more than usual. Just happy to catch up with you,” Trixie said, “Hey, wanna hang out later today? We haven’t had any real one on one time since we went to Chains and Whips together.”

That was true. In hindsight it wasn’t that long ago, but with everything that was going on, it felt longer. Since Starlight still had Jack Frost equipped, she felt like she and Trixie could really connect today.

Looking into her eyes, seeing her light blue eye shadow and rose red lipstick, along with her innocent and loving smile, Starlight couldn’t say no to her.

“I’d love to,” Starlight smiled. The way Trixie lit up made Starlight’s heart leap.

“Great! I gotta go get my lunch, so I’ll meet up with you at our usual spot,” she hugged Starlight, and then walked off. Starlight couldn’t tear her gaze away from her as she walked. Her pants and blazer hugged her figure just enough to be enticing. She remembered Trixie worrying if she was still at all sexy despite wearing magician’s clothes almost exclusively.

Starlight stood by what she said. Much as she liked seeing her body on full display, she really shined dressed as a magician.

After School

Trixie went ahead of Starlight to get something from the library, and said she’d meet her at the front gate. After getting her books, Starlight went out to meet up with her, but couldn’t find her right away. Shit, had Blueblood gotten to-

play song: Troubled - Persona 3

“What the fuck is that supposed to mean?” she heard Trixie snap. She looked to her left and saw Trixie standing there with two other boys. She recognized them as members of the football tea-

Shit.

“Look, Blueblood said that he’d forgive you if you just apologized,” the one on the left said, “You gotta admit that this dumb fight’s gone on long enough.”

“Dumb fight?” Trixie asked, her voice dangerously low. Starlight immediately made her way over.

“We know you're into that kinky stuff,” the other one said, “We’re not judging, okay? It’s actually kinda hot, not gonna lie.”

“But come on, you can’t blame it all on him. You told him what you were into, and he gave it to you, right?” the first one asked.

“That’s so far from the truth that it’s sickening!” Trixie said, her voice shaking she was so upset.

“So you’re saying you’re not into-”

“What gets me off has nothing to do with this!” Trixie fussed, “He used that to abuse me!”

“That’s, not the story he told us,” the other boy said cautiously, “Yeah, he was a bit controlling, but isn’t that what that S&M stuff’s all about?”

Trixie’s eyes widened, and she looked like she was about to explode. Thankfully Starlight had just arrived on the scene.

“Hey!” she called out, catching everyone’s attention, “I know I’m not seeing what I think I’m seeing!”

Trixie pushed past them and ran over to Starlight, who wrapped her arms around her tightly, “Help me…! Please…!” she begged Starlight. She was trembling.

Starlight assured her everything would be fine and told her to wait by the door. Once she left, Starlight glared at the two boys harassing her, “I can’t believe this! You’re siding with him?!”

“Hey look, we’re only going off of what he told us, alright?!” the one on the left defended, “You don’t know how bad it is for us! He’s turned into a drill sergeant since they broke up!”

“Seriously! ‘Sides, according to him, you’re the one who got her brainwashed, thinking what they did wasn’t-”

SLAP

song: Living with Determination - Persona 3

“W-whoa there!” the one she hadn’t slapped cried, backing away a bit. She didn’t even realize it was happening till her hand shot out, but she did get an image of Morgana shooting her claw out to slash right beforehand, so it might have been her.

Starlight decided to just let Morgana have the stage here then, since they clearly felt the same way.

“You, don’t know anything about what she went through!” Starlight seethed, “You only know what Blueblood told you, but know what I remember? I remember coming into our room, and seeing Trixie in literal tears after spending the night with him! I remember hearing how Blueblood would scare off all of her friends, or make her tell them to back off! I remember, seeing him walk off after forcing himself onto her, as punishment for trying to regain some semblance of control in her life!”

“T-that’s…” the two of them looked at each other, clearly unsure what to make of this.

“He calls himself her “Dom”? A real Dom would think less about what gets him off, and more about making sure his Sub is cared for!” Starlight continued, closing her eyes and taking a few breaths to calm herself down, “I’m sorry he’s riding you guys hard. That isn’t fair at all. But think about this, who are you going to believe more? The asshole who’s hiding behind you,” she turned to look at Trixie, “Or the one who’s in tears trying to defend herself?”

Currently, Trixie was sitting on the steps of the school, hugging her knees and crying into them. Starlight didn’t wait for them to come to a decision, and instead just walked over to Trixie, wrapping her arms around the crying magician and giving them a sharp glare.

The two of them looked at each other awkwardly, and then walked off talking among themselves. Starlight rubbed Trixie’s back comfortingly, and told her that she took care of it. In her peripheral, she could see Jack Frost appear, also rubbing Trixie's side with a sad face.

“Starlight… I don’t know if I can keep this up…” Trixie sobbed weakly, “It’s starting to feel like, how it was in my Dungeon, only this time I’m awake, and I don’t have my Persona.”

Starlight sighed, not knowing what to say really. What could she say to this. What Blueblood was doing wasn’t fair at all.

“It’s like,” she sat up, looking up at the sky, the tears rolling down her face, “I take one step forward toward recovery, and then get shoved two massive steps back.”

“That’s not how I see it,” Starlight said rubbing Trixie’s back still.

“I couldn’t say anything to them really,” Trixie protested, “Ultimately, I just hid behind you.”

“Trixie, you don’t have to do this alone,” Starlight said, taking Trixie’s hands and looking her in the eyes, “Nor should you have to. Regardless what Blueblood is telling them, what you went through wasn’t a “dumb fight”. He abused your consent, and took advantage of you. Anytime you start to wonder otherwise, remember how his Shadow spoke about you in your Dungeon.”

Trixie looked down, “I think, that’s part of why I’m so frustrated. Really, I know how he feels. I know he just wants me back so he can abuse me all over again, but it’s not like I can tell them about my Dungeon, or that I heard it all from his Shadow.”

Starlight closed her eyes and hugged Trixie, “The ones who matter know, and I promise, I’ll help you be comfortable with yourself fully again. I want you to feel safe enjoying your kink again, and I don’t care what I have to do to make that happen.”

“Do you, mean that?” Trixie asked, her tone sounding a bit odd. Still, Starlight was outspoken enough to keep the momentum going.

“Yes. I do,” she looked Trixie in the eyes, “Whatever you need me to do to make this right, I’ll do it.”

Trixie took a deep, shuddering breath, and nodded, “Okay. So, I’ve been putting my magic show together, and practicing the tricks I’ll perform. Some of them are remakes of my Dad’s tricks, but a few of them are ones I came up with. One in particular I want to do as a grand finale, but it’s well…” she averted her gaze, “I’m nervous, about doing something like this on stage, in light of everything.”

Meaning it was probably something bondage, or at least calling attention to it in some major way.

“I’m, going to need to make sure I can do something without being triggered, and just want to be comfortable with that side of me again in general,” Trixie continued, “So, if I came to you in a couple of days, and asked you to, um, t-to…”

“You, want me, to tie, you up?” Starlight asked softly, her heart racing at the thought, along with her loins feeling a bit warm.

“Please Starlight,” Trixie looked into Starlight eyes tearfully, “You’re literally, the only person I’d trust with this right now. I’m scared. I’m scared that I may never, feel safe with my kink again. But you understand me. You understand how much this side means to me, and I know you won’t abuse me like Blueblood did. I need you.”

Starlight… you’re the one it has to be…!

No one else will keep me safe like you…!

Save me, Starlight…! Please…!

She could feel it. There was no doubt in her mind now Trixie felt, at the very least after what happened. Was this just because of how heightened their emotions were though? Was this because of how Starlight saved her life? Or was this, genuine? Either way, what Trixie was asking Starlight was very major, and very personal.

Also, she could feel it through her empathy, Trixie was in a very vulnerable state. She needed to choose her words carefully. No matter what she said, her relationship with Trixie would change forever…

“What I said before, about doing whatever I had to do in order to make this right,” Starlight looked her dead in the eyes, “I meant, every word.”

Trixie’s eyes widened. As their hands were still touching, Starlight could feel her elation. There was no going back now.

“So long as we take things slow, for both of our sakes,” Starlight took a breath, “Then I’d love to be, your um, y-your new, D-Dom.”

Instantly, Starlight was crushed by Trixie wrapping her arms around her, hugging her tightly and lovingly.

“Thank you…!” she said trembling, Starlight’s shoulder feeling wet from Trixie’s tears, “I… I wanted to ask you to do this for so long…! When you mentioned to me, that if we were in a BDSM relationship, you wouldn’t abuse me…!”

“Trixie…” Starlight said softly. Apparently Trixie really took what Starlight said to heart.

“Ever since that day, I’ve thought about what it’d be like to be your Sub, and… I realized something,” she looked into Starlight’s eyes adoringly, “Right now, the only person in the whole world I trust with this is you. You listen to me, you take me seriously, you saved my life, and most of all, you make me feel safe in my daily life. You’re, truly everything I was looking for in a Dom.”

Starlight looked at Trixie wide eyed, taking in how genuine she was being. She then closed her eyes and smiled, “Then, as your new Dom, the first rule I can think of for this, is that you always communicate with me about what you want. If something makes you uncomfortable, or if I ever take things too far, tell me. Also, we’ll need to work out a safe word or a signal, so if anything happens either of us don’t like, we can end what we’re doing.”

Trixie nodded, her cheeks rosy, “Alright. Um, think this weekend, we could maybe try something bondage related?”

Starlight nodded, “Sure. And later, we can work out terms for how we’ll handle things moving forward.”

“Thank you so much, Starlight,” Trixie smiled lovingly, “Truly, this means the world to me.”

“You’re more than welcome, Trixie,” Starlight smiled in return. They’d take things slow for now, but this was a major step in the two of them becoming closer than just friends. Starlight felt significantly closer to Trixie.

Starlight and Trixie spent the rest of the day discussing some of the things they’d want to do as Dom and Sub, though Starlight chose not to tell her about the dreams quite yet. Still, this was official now. Starlight and Trixie were now in an S&M relationship.

Late Night

The Phase

song: Organization 13 - Kingdom Hearts 2

It took a while, but they eventually tracked down the young singer’s dream. It was further away from where the Trickster’s team went to last, but was close to another dream. Looked like the member of some gang if the other books close by were any indication.

They’d check that one later though. Right now, this was someone Chrysalis knew she could mold into a new Sister.

The world she created was dark, dreary, and truly dismal. They saw what looked like the remains of an old city, one that had been torn asunder by either savages, monsters, or some great disaster. In the center most section of the Dream, they found ancient ruins. Most, if not all of the Shadows were gathered in the center most area of the ruins, where after questioning one Shadow, they learned was actually where a ritual was being held.

A ritual to sacrifice someone known as “The Maiden of Ruin”.

“Damn it! That must be her!” Sunset swore, the Shadow in her Persona’s fiery grip as it charged up its attack, “Chrysie, you heard that, right? We’re running out of time!”

“No, this is perfect,” Chrysalis said, leaning against a wall and reading a book, seemingly completely relaxed, “If she’s this far bathed in the darkness, then the light will seem that much brighter once she lays eyes upon it.”

“None of that’s gonna matter in a bit if she dies before she sees it,” Sunset protested.

“Then I suggest you let go of your toy over there and follow me deeper inside,” Chrysalis pushed off the wall and sauntered off. Sunset swore to herself.

“I swear, nothing ever gets a rise out of that cunt. Guren, end his miserable life!” Sunset ordered her Persona, whose arm exploded in flames, burning the Shadow to cinders. She then followed her partner deeper inside the ruins.

“And thus, it is on this momentous day, that our ritual may begin! To rid this world of the Harlot, who's song will bring destruction and chaos to the world!” the leader proclaimed to the crowd, wearing purple and white robes akin to what a high priest would wear. The crowd before him were all those strange black creatures, all of them with red eyes and masks, and wearing similar robes, but far less ornate.

As he continued his speech, she pulled furiously at the ropes binding her to the stone table in the middle of the altar. She was wearing similar robes as the others, but hers were torn beyond decency, leaving her breasts and crotch completely exposed. Black ropes wrapped tightly all around her body, going all the way down to her ankles, a black band wrapped tightly around her mouth gagging her, a metal collar around her neck, and matching shackles around her ankles, both of which connected to chains to keep her from sitting up or trying to move. The ropes were so tight, breathing hurt from how they wrapped around her chest and stomach, and no matter how much she struggled, they didn’t give in the slightest. She let out the loudest scream she could, praying someone could hear her.

I’ll either die here, or I’ll bring about the end of the world…!

I’ll admit, I truly hoped that if I had to choose… it’d be the latter…

“Now that the Maiden’s song has been silence,” he continued, “her song can no longer bring destruction to this world.” he turned to her and looked at her with a lecherous grin, “It’s truly a shame you chose death over a life as my bride.” he leaned in as she glared at him, “You brought this upon yourself.” he whispered, only for her to hear.

She hated this man so much. She recognized him from her waking life, though there his eyes were brown instead of yellow. There, he was her and her sister’s manager, Svengallop. When it came to their careers as singers, he didn’t love music like they did. All he cared about was the money that he could make off of their singing and image. At least, that’s how it was for “The Sirens” as a whole. When it came to her, he wanted a lot more. He wanted to own her; mind, body, and soul.

He pretty much brainwashed her mind, to the point where she still hadn’t told her sisters the truth about him…

He’d had so much fun with her body, that she’d started deluding herself into liking it somewhat…

But her soul… that was God’s first, and hers second. He would never give him that…! And if the only way to ensure she kept it was to die, then...

Aria… Sonata… I’m sorry I couldn’t be stronger…!

Please escape him…! Leave him, before he does to you…!

What he’s… done… to me…!

Svengallop licked her cheek, and then turned back to the crowd, “Prepare the spell! Let the sacrificing ritual begin!”

As the Shadows cheered and got into position, the former “Maiden of Ruin” as they enjoyed calling her continued to struggle in vain, getting more frantic as time went on. The area around her began to glow red, and she could feel a terrible power building around her. All the while, her Manager looked at her with insane glee, knowing that no one was coming to her rescue.

Dear God…! Please have mercy on me…!

I… I don’t want this…!

If my only other choice, is to bring about the end of days… then fine… I accept…!

Just please… don’t let me die here…!

DON’T LET ME DIE HERE!!!

song: You're not a heroine, it's me - Blue Reflection

No sooner than when she finished her prayer, gunshots were heard, followed by members of Svengallop's congregation falling to the ground dead, as someone them down. The captured Maiden looked up to see her savior, a young girl about her age, maybe give or take a year, with extremely long red and orange hair, wearing an ornate red and golden loin cloth dress that hugged her waist and accentuated her bosom, and showed off her hips and legs perfectly, black boots that were high heeled, and red gloves that went all up her arms. In her hands where two very large hand guns with barrels that looked about a foot long, and around her left ring finger was a silver ring with a red gem in the middle.

One of the monsters reached for her, but she screamed in rage, and whacked him in the face with her gun, knocking him down and shooting him in the head, “I didn’t give you permission to touch me!” she then proceeded to dance around, whacking the monsters with her guns and then shooting them back.

“What is the meaning of this?!” Svengallop cried, “Who dares interrupt this sacred ritu-”

“ELPHABA!!!”

A sickly green flame shot at the manager, knocking him off the altar. The young singer looked to see where it came from, and saw another woman walking up. She had extremely long and straight green hair, long green nails, and wore a tight, fancy green and black mini dress that hugged her curvy body perfectly, and opened at the top to reveal an almost indecent amount of cleavage, fishnet stockings, fishnet fingerless gloves, black high heels, a traditional witches hat that was lowered over her face, covering her eyes, and green lipstick. In her hands was a book that she seemed to be reading from, and on her left ring finger was a similar ring, but hers had a green gem embedded in it, one with a clearly defined pentagram inside.

They were, witches! That fortune teller, she said that her destiny would be revealed to her by a witch who wore a silver ring with a pentagram inside of a gemstone! Was she…

“A sacred ritual? How absurd,” the green haired witch said, her voice deep and sensual, “The only “deity” you serve, is the disgusting snake between your legs.”

“You…! You’re a witch!” Svengallop cried shakily, “One who has, r-renounced God… and sold their soul for power!”

The green haired woman laughed, “Well, you’re not wrong about my companion and I being witches, but renounced God? Sold my soul? No no no~ It’s the exact opposite, for I, am one who stands in the light, shined down by the Eyes of God!”

Her eyes widened. This couldn’t be a coincidence! She prayed to God for salvation, and these witches… they were sent… by…

The green haired witch turned to her, and spread her arms, “Rejoice! Today is not a day of Darkness! Today is a day of Light, for you my dear, have been chosen by the Eyes of Nyx!”

She looked almost fanatical… and yet there was something almost, alluring about her. Like she shined brightest in the room at all times.

“You witches will pay for this! Kill them! Kill them both!” the Manager ordered. All of the black skinned demons still alive melted away, revealing monsters of all sorts. Seeing this, she couldn’t help but scream through her gag.

“Shh… don’t fret, my dear,” the green haired witch said, gently caressing her cheek, “You have nothing to fear.”

She teared up, shaking her head. She didn’t know! Whenever they turned into these things, they were even stronger! They’d kill them!

“I know honey,” she said softly, “I know its scary, and you’ve been made to fear them. But you’re safe now. Sunset,” she looked up at her companion, “Be a dear and give her a demonstration?”

“Gladly!” she held up the hand wearing the ring, “Charge forth my Persona, Guren!” she was engulfed in flames, and from the fire formed a terrifying looking spirit shaped like red and gold knight’s armor, wearing a tattered red cape with a symbol in the vague shape of a bird* on it, red hair coming out of the back of the helmet, and a single red eye glaring from within the visor. The left arm was holding a large blade, and the right arm was seemingly made of red flames, and shaped more like a vicious claw.

The monsters rushed at the girl, revealed to be Sunset, but the spirit before her slammed its claw on the ground, and a wave of fire shot out of the ground and engulfed them.

Still bound, she watched in amazement as Sunset seemed to guide the flaming knight before her, easily ripping through the monsters even in their true forms. How was she… doing this…?

“What you’re seeing, is called a Persona,” the green haired witch said, “It is the source of a witch’s magic. How they cast their spells, and where the power to kill Shadows comes from.”

Shadows…? Was that, what they were called…?

“You have the same gift,” she continued, the maiden able to feel she was looking at her despite her eyes being covered by her hat still, “All you have to do, is claim it for your own.” she held a hand to her ear, “Can you hear it? The voice of your rage? The voice of your hatred? Listen to its words, take them to heart.”

The voice of her hatred? What did she mean by that?

So, are you done holding back now?

She gasped, feeling something in her heart. That was, her voice…?

Ever since you heard that fortune, you’ve feared your voice.

And it was that fear, that led you to that man, who took control of you.

He stole your body, he stole your mind, and now he tried to claim your spirit.

It’s time to get control again.

Embrace your true voice! Embrace your true power!

The power, to sing forth the End of the World!

Right… she said it in her prayer… that if the only other alternative was to embrace her terrifying song… she’d do so, if it meant living. She could feel her temperature rising. Like she’d explode at any moment.

“You feel it, don’t you?” the green haired woman asked, “Your temperature rising to a fever pitch, your anger becoming all consuming, so much that you can’t ignore it.”

She nodded, sweating a bit as her breathing became heavier. She could feel herself getting light headed. Something was clawing itself out of her. Trying to escape. Should she… let it free?

Yes…! Please let me out…!

Set me free, and we will together, sing the song of HIS demise!

Set your power free of its chains!

Let it go…!

Let it go!

LET IT GO!!!

She shut her eyes tightly, and then, relaxed, letting the flame within free. Instantly she exploded in an all consuming blaze. The chains melted away, the ropes burned away, and her “clothes” burned away, quickly replaced with a tight, purple cocktail dress that sparkled and showed off her left leg and hip perfectly, purple stiletto high heels, a golden belt around her waist and a fluffy golden scarf that hung over her shoulders, making her look like a high class super star. Her purple eye shadow and red lipstick was replaced, in her long and full orange and golden hair appeared a purple spiked headband, and as she held her hand out, the flames converged into a long silver staff with multiple gems adorning its base, the top of it shaped vaguely like a gold and purple microphone. On her left hand, the flames converged around her ring finger, forming a Channeling Ring with a dark purple gemstone adorned in a golden frame.

Just as the Manager gathered himself to run up to the alter, the flames dispersed, revealing her new form, knocking him down to his ass. As she gazed down at him hatefully, the flames turned blue and formed a spirit behind her. This spirit had pale white skin that was almost blue, and had pure white hair with vapor falling off of it constantly, a dark blue Queen’s gown with white accents, long nails like claws, and at the bottom of the dress where her feet would be, was a cloud of pure vapor. Her eyes were deep blue with a perpetual glare, her mouth was covered by a blue veil, and on her head was a silver crown made of ice.

“Thou art I, and I am thou! My name is Elsa, the Snow Queen! Embrace your new self, Adagio Dazzle! Let the storm of your song rage on!”

“So, Destruction of the World it is, then,” Adagio said softly, nursing her new ring and shedding a single tear. She then looked at her “Manager” with eyes wide with rage, “You… have used me for the last time!”

“A-Adagio…?” he stammered, scampering away from her as she walked down the altar.

“You took something from me, that I’ll never get back,” she seethed, “Something, I’ll never be able to give to anyone else of my choosing. Since you took something from me,” she readied her staff, “I’ll take something, from you.”

“Do it,” the green haired witch urged, smiling proudly, “Take back your life, with your own power!”

Adagio's Song: Bring Me to Life from Evanescence

She raised her staff to her lips, and music was heard around all of them. She then began to sing into her magical microphone, her voice lovely to listen to, but there was something behind her voice. A barely contained rage.

One that was quickly unleashed as her song became one of anger, regret, and pain.

Pain that the Manager’s Shadow felt, as he held his head, screaming in agony, almost as if the song he was hearing was ripping into his very being. As the song hit the chorus, his screams became louder, echoing all through the ruins.

She let herself lose herself to her music, her song almost a plea for help. Whether she was begging the witches to rescue her, her sisters, God, or demanding that her former Manager give back what he stole, she didn’t know. All she knew was she wanted, needed something.

“Make her stop…!” Svengallop’s Shadow cried, “PLEASE! MAKE HER STOP SINGING!”

The Shadows charged at Adagio. Sunset was going to rush to help her, but Chrysalis held her back and shook her head.

Adagio noticed the Shadows, and while still singing, willed Elsa to attack. Her Persona spun around, creating a powerful ice tornado around herself and Adagio, freezing all of the Shadows instantly. She then slashed all of them, breaking them apart. Meanwhile, Adagio's song continued as she poured even more hate and pain into her voice.

And Svengallop, felt, every, bit of it.

The Manager tried to crawl away from her as she sang, but she followed him, eventually stepping on his back and pressing him to the floor, forcing him to listen to her full song. It was kind of a gruesome scene, especially when his ears began to bleed. Then his eyes began to bleed, and he screamed loudly in pain and agony.

“Holy shit,” Sunset muttered, “I’ve heard of a killer singing voice, but…”

“Didn’t she say that she’d bring about the end of the world?” the green haired witch asked.

“Yeah. Something about her song having the power to-” she stopped and looked, “Oh.”

“I think she’s the one we’ve been looking for,” the green haired witch smiled, “With her, we’ll be able to revive Strega.”

When she stopped singing, the Manager’s Shadow fell limp, and faded away. Adagio’s Persona vanished into her Channeling Ring, and she fell to her knees, breaking into deep and heavy sobs.

The green haired witch walked over to her, knelt beside her, and hugged her closely, “It’s alright, honey. It’s over now. Just let it all out.”

And let it out she did. She held onto her savior, crying into her bosom and letting years of pain held in out finally. She’d ask who these two were later, but for now, she just needed comfort.

Thank you, God…!

Thank you for sending your Angels to come in my hour of need…!

Author's Note

* this is the symbol on the cape:

Fool – Seekers of Light: 5/10
Magician – Trixie Lulamoon: 7/10 LEVEL UP!!!! :heart:
Priestess – Diamond Tiara: 6/10 LEVEL UP!!!!
The Empress – Ms. Tia: 3/10
The Lovers - Pinkamena Diane Pie: 1/10
Chariot – Rainbow Dash: 2/10
The Devil – Silver Spoon: 3/10
Hermit – Sunburst: 2/10
Transformation - Ms. Luna: 1/10

Click here to donate to the GoFund I started for my parents if you wish to support my work.

10/11

October 11th, 2019
Thursday
Cloudy/PM Showers

Morning

song: I (sun) - Blue Reflection

Trixie and Starlight spent all of last night and a good bit into the morning discussing and planning things out. Since both of them were kind of new to this sort of thing, they wanted to take their time with setting up their dynamic, and how they’d go about it, which suited Starlight just fine. She was still working up the courage to tell Trixie about the super sexy dreams she’d been having of her. Diamond Tiara and Ms. Luna had assured Starlight that she wasn’t in danger of becoming a new Blueblood, but she was still concerned about telling Trixie, especially now that they were officially going to be Dom and Sub.

Starlight wasn’t sure if they were officially girlfriends yet, as this was an interesting way of going about things, but Trixie had assured Starlight she didn’t mind more intimate touching so long as it was her. This led to a lot of gazing at Trixie as she got dressed, occasionally brushing against her, and like she was doing right now, rubbing her hips as Trixie buttoned her top.

“Mmmm,” Trixie hummed in pleasure and leaned into Starlight once she finished.

“I get the feeling you’re not used to intimacy like this?” Starlight asked softly.

“Not really,” Trixie admitted as Starlight’s hands moved up her body to rub her stomach a bit, “Blueblood, well, he’d do this, but it always felt wrong, you know?”

Starlight nodded, “Yeah. I know,” she wrapped her arms around Trixie, holding her close, “Like I said before, you deserve way better than him.”

Trixie smiled softly, “I, think I’m ready to start believing that,” she held Starlight’s hand and closed her eyes, “So, about what we talked about last night before bed. What do you think? Should I, get a collar or something?”

“Well, I certainly wouldn’t mind you wearing something like that,” Starlight said, “But the better question here is, do you want to get a collar?”

Trixie blinked at that, her smile widening, “You know what? I think I, do. Nothing overt, but something of a, symbol of ownership I suppose.”

“Alright, then after pep squad, I’ll stop by Chains and Whips Central to get something like that. Want me to pick up anything else?” Starlight asked.

“Huh. Let me think about that actually,” Trixie looked up, “I think to start, maybe some beginner bondage stuff. Nothing too fancy to begin with, you know?”

Starlight nodded, “Agreed. Again, we shouldn’t rush into things.”

“No, we shouldn’t,” Trixie conceded, “For one, you’re still learning about being a Dom. Two, I’m still trying to find myself after Blueblood.”

“Whenever you’re ready, I'd to talk to you a bit more about that, actually,” Starlight said, “I want to know what you didn’t like about his style, so I can make sure I don’t do anything like that.”

“Alright, but I mean it when I say I don’t mind so long as it’s you,” Trixie turned to Starlight and held her hands, “This is something that we’re both supposed to enjoy, so don’t be afraid of triggering me. Really, as long as we talk about it first, I’m okay with it.”

Starlight smiled warmly, and nodded. Regardless of where this ended up going, she was really happy she and Trixie were best friends. It always felt natural with her. Like they were always meant to be friends, or perhaps were friends in another life.

end song

After Trixie put on her tie, hat, and blazer, the two witches went downstairs to eat breakfast. They were surprised to see everyone together in the living room, watching the news. Even Twilight was still up.

“Morning everyone,” Trixie said as they approached, “Isn’t this late for you, Twi-Twi?”

Instead of biting back, Twilight frowned at the TV, visibly tense, “It, is but… this is important.”

Starlight turned to the couches, where Rainbow Dash, Pinkie Pie, and Celestia were. Pinkie Pie was holding onto Dash for comfort, and Dash had her arms around Pinkie Pie, rubbing her arm. Both of them looked visibly disturbed.

And Celestia, looked horrified. Her eyes were wide, and she was trembling. Starlight turned to see what was on the news, frowning at what she saw. Currently showing on screen was a young girl with super long and full orange and gold hair, wearing a blanket to cover herself. It looked like she was crying about something, and two other girls were beside her: one with long dark blue hair tied in a ponytail, and another with long purple hair with a light green highlight, tied in two twin tails. Both seemed to be comforting the one in the middle as she cried, but it was the headline that caught Starlight’s attention.

Breaking News: Manager of hit Pop Group “The Sirens” Found Dead in his Sleep!

song: Riku - Kingdom Hearts 2

“Oh my God…” Trixie muttered, “D-did he die… from the Nightmare…? Was he having the Nightmare Epidemic…?”

“I, checked the name of the Manager, Svengallop, on my Terminal,” Twilight said, her voice very small, “There wasn’t a Dungeon, in his name. No remains of one, or anything.”

“O-okay. Well, this is unfortunate, but… that means he probably was just, sick. Had a heart attack in his sleep, or…” Trixie began, but Twilight shook her head.

“No. Not with how they described the body,” Twilight said, pointing to the TV as one of the paramedics called to the scene spoke. She was a woman with a sort of dead eyed look on her face, like she was just done with life, straight purple hair, and wore purple eye shadow and dark red lipstick.

“I’ve seen what happens from people dying from the Nightmare, and this isn’t it,” she said, her done lacking any enthusiasm at all, “It looked like he bled from his eyes and ears, but the blood was black, along with his eyes being rolled back into his head.”

Pinkie Pie bit her lip nervously, and leaned into Dash.

Celestia shut her eyes tightly, burying her face in her hands. Starlight walked over to sit beside her, rubbing her back and asking if she’d be alright, “Oh, yes Starlight. I’ll be fine, it’s just… I know what this is…”

“Okay, so if this isn’t the Nightmare Epidemic, and he didn’t die of “natural causes”, then what was it?” Dash asked.

“That’s, what we’d call a Mental Shutdown,” Celestia said softly.

“Remember when we said that if a person’s Shadow dies, the real self dies too?” Twilight asked, “Well, that’s what this is.”

“He died, from his Shadow dying…?” Trixie repeated, her eyes going wide, “Wait! If that’s true, then the only kind of person who’d be able to do this…”

“Exactly,” Twilight said seriously, “A Persona User.”

“So, there’s someone out there, with the same power as us?” Pinkie Pie asked, her voice small, “Someone who’s using their magic, to kill people?”

Celestia closed her eyes, “I, hate to say it, but this isn’t as uncommon as you would would think.”

Wait, it wasn’t? Starlight asked Celestia and Twilight how many times an “evil Persona User” appeared.

“Sadly, quite often,” Twilight gave a light yawn and rubbed her eyes, “This is considered classified Kirijo information, but during the first Phantom Thief incident, the detective working the case was actually a rogue Persona User who used his Persona to enter the Metaverse, and killed the Shadows of people his employer targeted. There was also the serial murder cases in Inaba, which were started by a man who had the same power as Narukami-san, the Trickster who stopped him.”

“Oh my God…” Trixie looked down at her Channeling Ring in horror.

“Also, when Mitsuru’s team was active, there was a group of Persona Users who used the Dark Hour to do their mercenary work. They called themselves Strega,” Twilight continued, “Their leader, Takaya, possibly even had the same power of the Wild Card as Mitsuru’s friend and former leader.”

Starlight was horrified at that. She thought the power of the Wild Card only went to people who’d use it for good!

“Who told you that?” Twilight shrugged, “Sure, the Velvet Room only chooses those with pure hearts it seems, but the Wild Card? It’s like, a joker card in a deck, okay? Depending on how its used, it can either bring the game to a satisfying conclusion, or bring utter chaos to the game.”

Suddenly, Starlight was really worried about wielding such power, and based on how haunted her friends looked, she wasn’t the only one.

“So you mean, if I’d have killed Fleur’s Shadow,” Dash said softly, “That’s what would have happened?”

Celestia nodded, “I’m, afraid so, actually. The power you carry is great, but it’s also dangerous if in the wrong hands. This is why the Kirijo Group works so hard to find Persona Users when they awaken. To ensure nothing like this happens.”

“We, don’t have to worry, do we?” Pinkie Pie asked, “This Persona User, will we have to fight them?”

“Being perfectly honest, I don’t know,” Celestia answered sadly, “You might, but we do have to keep in mind that the Shadow being killed means it was active, so he could have been invading a Dungeon. If so, this Persona User might not be evil. Dangerous, but not evil.”

“Either way, stay on guard,” Twilight yawned, “Sorry Ms. Tia, but I’m hitting my limit.”

“That’s fine, Twilight,” she assured the young girl, “I’ll handle talking to Mitsuru about this. Get some rest, honey.”

“Alright. Have a good day at school, everyone,” Twilight said softly, walking upstairs to get some sleep. It was so odd seeing her up at all during the day, but it was still odder knowing this was actually late for her. How’d someone end up with a reversed sleep cycle like this? Even coming from Japan?

“So, what do we do?” Trixie asked carefully.

“For now, I think all we can do is keep trying to be normal,” Starlight said, “We don’t know who this Persona User is, and even if we did, I wouldn’t feel safe with us confronting them.”

“We outnumber ‘em four to one,” Dash pointed out.

“Yeah, but we’re also inexperienced in using our Personas,” Starlight said, “For all we know, this person could be a veteran, and at most, Trixie and I have a month’s of experience.”

“Not a lot, all things considered,” Trixie muttered, “Yeah, we gotta be cool right now.”

“I think, I want to see Maud after school,” Pinkie Pie said, “She was the woman who spoke a bit ago, and she looked really shaken up.”

Really? Cause, that wasn’t how Starlight read her expression. Maybe she missed something?

“I was going to go to get something from South Street,” Starlight said, sharing a glance with Trixie, “But afterward, I can go with you.”

“Alright,” Pinkie Pie smiled, “That’ll be nice. Dashie, Trixie, you two wanna come to?”

“Can’t, sadly,” Dash sighed, “Harshwhinny’s hosting a study group for Midterms, and wants all of her homeroom staying after on Thursdays to prepare.”

“As for me, if you wouldn’t mind me tagging along, sure,” she smiled, going over to Starlight and squeezing her shoulder gently, “I’d like to stay close to friends today anyway.”

Starlight turned to Celestia, and asked her if she needed anything, “No honey. I’ll be alright. I appreciate your concern, though.”

“Just know we’re here for you,” Starlight hugged Ms. Tia, “We’re a family, after all.”

Celestia smiled, returning the hug, “Thank you. You’re all so wonderful to me.”

“Let’s eat some breakfast, and head off to school,” Rainbow Dash got up and stretched.

As everyone filed into the kitchen, Starlight turned to the screen one last time, which once again showed the girl who was crying. Based on the headline, she was probably the lead singer of the Sirens, “Adagio Dazzle”. The camera was on a close up on her as the reporter tried to talk to her, only for the purple haired girl to shoot up and shove him away. For a brief second though, Starlight caught a glimpse of her finger and saw something that made her heart leap out of her chest.

She looked down at her own finger, at her Channeling Ring. It, could have just been a normal ring but… if it was the same as hers…

song: School Days - Persona

“So, you saw on the news, right?” a female student in Starlight’s homeroom asked her boyfriend, “About what happened to the Siren’s Manager?”

“Yeah. Freaky shit right there,” he said rubbing the back of his head, “First the Nightmare thing, and now this? Makes me afraid to fall asleep.”

“Well, I heard that some people have been surviving the Nightmare now. The Sirens' lead singer posted on Twitter that she had it, but she survived.” the girl said, “She’s kinda dramatic, but considering her meltdown at her last concert, she might have had it.”

“You sure it wasn’t a publicity stunt? She’s still a celebrity,” her boyfriend pointed out, “I mean, so is Pinkie Pie, but I share English with her, and she’s a sweetheart.”

“True…” the girl sighed, “Also, it was kinda odd that she was in his house the night it happened. Looked like she spent the night with him, too.”

“So for all we know, she poisoned him in his sleep,” he said, “That’s fucked up, but at least it means I probably won’t randomly die in my sleep.”

“That’s good, cause I still need you,” the girl said, holding onto boyfriend’s arm and leaning into him.

Trixie, who’d been walking beside Starlight the whole time, did the same, though it was actually Starlight who leaned into her as she was a few inches shorter than Trixie. Starlight smiled at the sensation, but was concerned about what those students said.

“Hey Starlight,” Trixie said softly, “If the lead singer was really trapped in a Dungeon, and her manager’s Shadow was active, do you think…?”

“It’s possible,” Starlight said, telling Trixie of the ring she was wearing. Needless to say, Trixie’s eyes widened.

“I seriously hope that wasn’t a Channeling Ring,” Trixie muttered, but then looked down, “But then, if he was her Dungeon Master…”

Yeah, like Ms. Tia said, she could have just been desperate if she did kill his Shadow. They needed to more information on this before they jumped to conclusions. Besides, that wasn’t where their main concern was. Starlight reminded Trixie of both Diamond and Rarity’s Dungeons, to which Trixie sighed and nodded.

“You’re right. We have enough on our plate right now. Let’s worry about that if and when it becomes our problem,” she said, to which Starlight nodded in agreement. No point in adding to their and Twilight’s workload.

end song

After School

The rain came by the time they were in their final classes. Starlight told Diamond that something came up today, so she wouldn’t be able to make Pep Squad today. She was a bit disappointed, but she said it was okay.

If she didn’t know better though, she was wearing different lipstick…

Either way, once she and Trixie met up, they walked with Pinkie Pie to Chains and Whips Central, where Starlight bought a lovely dark blue choker for Trixie, who proudly put it on and wore it out of the shop. Starlight also bought some beginner rope, and a ball gag, all of which Trixie picked out. She had to admit, this was a lot of fun, and it did wonders for her courage.

Naturally though, this caught Pinkie Pie’s attention, who asked them about it on their way to the Hospital where Maud worked.

That was a fun conversation. No really, it was embarrassing, but it did help lighten the mood.

“So, have you guys done anything yet?” Pinkie asked as they approached the hospital.

“N-not yet,” Trixie blushed, playing with her hair and smiling, “We’re taking it slow for now, but well, we have at the very least moved to more intimate touching.”

To demonstrate, Starlight wrapped her arm around Trixie’s waist pulling her close. She didn’t want to embarrass her too much yet, so she didn’t outright grope her (despite seriously wanting to), but she came pretty close to doing so.

The way Trixie’s eyes fluttered shut as she breathed in and out was such an odd yet beautiful expression. She could feel her excitement pretty strongly, and it was infectious.

“Aw, you two look so sweet together,” Pinkie Pie smiled, “And you know Starlight, you’ve got a great advantage as a dom,” Starlight tilted her head, asking what Pinkie Pie meant by that, “Your empathic touch, of course! If Trixie’s ever in distress for real, you’ll probably be able to tell immediately!”

“It, might help,” Trixie pulled her hat over her eyes, “But the thing about me being the sub is, I kinda sorta, get into the headspace pretty deep, so Starlight’s empathy might be fooled.”

Oh God, really? Then that meant when they got to actual bondage play, Trixie would probably…

Trixie was laying on the bed pulling at the ropes binding her frantically, her eyes wide in panic as Starlight loomed over her. Starlight leaned in, and pulled her bra down to expose her breasts before taking one of the delicious nubs into her-

“Um, you okay, Starlight?” Pinkie Pie asked Starlight, snapping a finger in front of her face.

“Gah! Um, what did I miss?” Starlight smiled, playing it off best as she could. With the way both Trixie and Pinkie were smiling though, it didn’t work.

“Oh I see~” Pinkie Pie leaned in grinning, “When she mentioned how into it she’d get, you started picturing it, didn’t you~?”

“Does this mean you’re going to tie me up and ‘take advantage of my helpless, enticing body’?” Trixie turned away, closing her eyes and placing a hand on her chest smiling, “How bold of you, Mistress~”

“Mmmmm!” Starlight shut her eyes tightly, making the two girls laugh out loud, “You’re all terrible!”

“And yet, you adore us,” Pinkie Pie chirped. They stopped at the entrance of the hospital, which was a towering and grand building. When the three of them walked inside, Starlight was struck with an odd sensation. The lobby was nice and spacious, with bright lights and a warm and inviting feeling, and yet Starlight couldn’t help but feel a bit uncomfortable here.

song: A Small Distance - Blue Reflection

“You okay?” Trixie asked Starlight. The tension must have been evident on her.

“After my suicide attempt, I spent 6 months in the hospital’s mental ward,” Starlight said quietly, “They were nice but… I wasn’t comfortable there. I had to get therapy weekly, the area was cramped, and while I managed to dodge the need for anti-depressants, I was on constant suicide watch, so…”

“Oh no! Starlight, you should have told me,” Pinkie Pie said turning to her, visibly worried.

Starlight shook her head, assuring Pinkie Pie that it was fine. Really, she didn’t know it’d get to her like this until she got in. Since it had only been about a month and a few weeks since she left the hospital, and yet sevenmonths since her Mother’s death. If that still brought her to tears thinking about it…

“Well, tell you what. I’ll go up to the front desk and see if Maud can come down to meet you,” Pinkie Pie rubbed Starlight’s arm, “Would that be okay?”

Starlight nodded, thanking Pinkie Pie for being so understanding. She really was a great friend.

“I’ll stay here with Starlight,” Trixie said, “Don’t want her to be alone, you know?”

“Alright, good. I’ll be back,” Pinkie Pie ran over to the front desk to speak to the lady behind it. Meanwhile, Trixie wrapped her arms around Starlight lovingly.

“I’m right here, Starlight,” she said softly, “So you’re safe.”

Starlight nodded, holding onto Trixie, “Thank you. I’m sorry that I’m not stronger. After saying I’d be your Dom…”

“Hey hey, none of that,” Trixie said, taking Starlight’s hand, “You’re not just my dom, Starlight. Even now that we’re in a relationship, you’re still my best friend, and I want to help you just like you help me,” she looked into Starlight’s eyes warmly, “I know yesterday was emotional, but my feelings were genuine. Beyond just us being Dom and Sub, I want us to be together, as friends,” she blushed smiling, “And possibly, even more.”

Starlight smiled and the two hugged tightly and lovingly, just like in Trixie’s Dungeon after beating Blueblood, “I’m so happy you’re here with me, Trixie.”

“I’m happy to be here with you, Starlight,” she said softly.

“Okay, I’m back,” Pinkie Pie said walking up to them, “Maud’s going to be coming down soon to say hi and mee-” she stopped when she saw Starlight and Trixie, “Okay, just gonna take this picture, and…” she pulled out her phone and snapped a picture of them hugging, “That’s going on Facebook. Caption…” she was typing, “Starlight, finally, made her, move.”

“Pinkie Pie!” Starlight cried, making Trixie and Pinkie both burst out laughing. Oh well, at least they were enjoying themselves.

Starlight looked by the elevator and saw the woman with long purple hair walk out. She looked around, and then began walking over to Pinkie and the others. Starlight tapped her on the shoulder and pointed to the lady. Immediately Pinkie’s eyes lit up.

“Maud!” Pinkie ran up to the woman and hugged her tightly.

“Hi Pinkie Pie. I’m so happy you came to visit,” Maud said, her tone being just as drone and done with life as it was on TV. Was that just, how she was? Was she okay?

“I’ve been meaning to see you for a few days, but things have been really crazy lately,” Pinkie Pie said, “But, I brought the two new friends I mentioned last time on the phone,” she took Maud’s hand and led her to Trixie and Starlight, “Maud, this is Starlight Glimmer, and Beatrix Lulamoon. Girls, this is my older sister Maudeline Daisy Pie.”

“It’s nice to meet you,” Trixie said shaking her hand, “These days I go by Trixie.”

“My friends call me Maud, which means you since you’re Pinkie Pie’s friend,” she said in that same dead tone that was hard to read, “I’ve seen videos of your father’s magic. He was truly a modern day wizard.”

“T-thanks,” Trixie smiled, clearly unsure what to make of her either. Was she being serious, or was she just humoring her? It was so hard to tell.

Starlight knew it was cheating, but she was so curious about this woman’s emotions. She’d have to use her empathic touch on her.

Starlight walked over to Maud and held out her hand, opening herself up, “It’s nice to meet you, Maud.”

Maud nodded to her and took her hand, “It’s nice to meet you as well,” she said in the same tone.

Oh good. Pinkie Pie has really nice friends. I’m glad she’s taken care of.

Oh wow. Though her expression showed a lack of enthusiasm for everything, her heart was filled with nothing but love for Pinkie Pie. She adored Pinkie Pie by the feel of it.

“Has, Pinkie Pie shared anything about my, situation?” Starlight asked with a slight wince.

Maud shook her head, “She didn’t tell me anything, but I do know about what happened, only because your records came to our hospital when you transferred. Don’t worry, I’m not the sort to judge.” she smiled softly.

“That’s a relief,” Starlight relaxed, “That’s, a bit of a sore spot for me, as you can imagine.”

“I get it,” Maud nodded, “I pulled a few strings, so if anything happens, I’ll be the one to look after you.”

“Really?” Pinkie’s eyes widened, and she then hugged Maud, “Thank you so much, Maud!”

“Anything to help you and your friends, Pinkie,” Maud said returning the hug.

“Isn’t Maud the greatest sister ever!” Pinkie asked Starlight and Trixie.

“She’s wonderful,” Starlight agreed with a nod.

“Yeah, I’ll admit you’re a bit hard to read, but you’re clearly everything Pinkie Pie said,” Trixie smiled, “A lot better than Fleur, I’ll tell you that,” she muttered rolling her eyes.

Pinkie Pie looked down, “Yeah… that’s a thing…”

Maud pursed her lips and folded her arms, “I’m just happy to know my sister is alright. You, are alright, right?” she pressed.

“Yeah, I am,” Pinkie nodded, “For now, I’m putting my career on hold to focus on school and other things, but I’m alright. Ms. Tia’s taking care of me, and Dashie is beside me constantly.”

Maud looked at Pinkie Pie or a bit, but then took a breath, “Alright.”

“What about you though?” Pinkie asked, “I saw you on the news today, and you looked really stressed out.”

“I’m alright for the most part,” Maud assured Pinkie, “Mostly just my boss getting on my case about my personal research.”

Personal research? What was that?

“What sort of research?” Trixie asked, “If, that’s not asking too much.”

Maud shook her head, “It isn’t. My research is focused on the Nightmare Epidemic.”

What?! She was researching the Nightmare Epidemic?! Wait, Pinkie Pie did mention that Maud saw a lot of patients who suffered from it.

“The hospital is trying to make medicine for it,” Pinkie Pie winced, “They’re treating it like it’s a mental illness like depression.”

“What?!” Trixie cried, “If a pill could cure this then-” she caught herself and took a breath, “Sorry. Sorry I… lost myself there.”

Maud shook her head, “I feel the same way. This Nightmare Epidemic isn’t a mental illness, or anything that can be cured with a pill or vaccine. I have reason to believe that making something like that could just make it worse, but Tartarus Incorporated is trying to enforce it.”

“Oooooh, Dashie’s not going to like that…” Pinkie Pie muttered. Starlight made a mental note to ask about that later.

“So, you’re research is meant to prove that,” Starlight said.

“Even if doesn’t lead to a cure for it, I want to do my part to protect the people suffering it,” Maud said, averting her eyes, “I promised someone I would.”

Pinkie Pie looked down biting her lip. Did they, lose someone to the Nightmare Epidemic…?

Pinkie perked up, “I know you can do it, Maud. I’ll do my part to help too,” she smiled.

“Pinkie Pie, all you have to do is stay safe,” Maud said, placing her hands on Pinkie’s shoulders, “Don’t take on anything too big for you, alright? I can’t lose you.”

Pinkie Pie nodded smiling, “I know. I’ll be safe Maud.”

Trixie held Starlight’s hand tightly, and she squeezed back. She had no idea that her sister was already…

“Good,” Maud smiled in what Starlight could tell was relief, “I’ll be getting off work in a bit, so we can go out to dinner if you’d like.”

Pinkie Pie turned to Starlight, rubbing her Channeling Ring. Starlight gave a subtle nod, telling her it was okay. They weren’t going to Elysium tonight.

“I’d love to, Maud,” she smiled.

“Alright. Wait for me down here,” she hugged Pinkie again, “I love you, Little Sister.”

“I love you too, Big Sister,” Pinkie said, returning the hug. Maud released Pinkie and turned to Starlight and Trixie.

“It was nice meeting you both,” she said, “Thank you for being Pinkie Pie’s friends.”

“We should be thanking you,” Trixie said, “Pinkie Pie looks out for us just as much.”

“Oh you guys…” Pinkie blushed.

“She really is wonderful,” Maud said softly, “Oh, if ever you need someone to have a, medical accident, let me know,” she said somewhat ominously, “I know about 30 different ways to make someone sick, and at least 10 of them could lead to organ failure.”

Starlight was taken aback, but she then realized with a smile, “You’re messing with us.”

Maud just looked at her, “Am I?”

Aaaaand just like that, Starlight wasn’t so sure. She was also ever so slightly afraid of Maud now…

“See you in a bit, girls,” Maud turned on her heels and walked off. She, wasn’t going to explain that, was she? She was content to just, walk away. Leave that, hanging in the air.

…….

“Suddenly, I feel I should be extra nice and extra extra protective of Pinkie Pie,” Trixie muttered, Starlight nodding vigorously. The two of them turned to Pinkie Pie, who suddenly had a saddened look on her face.

“Sorry Maud…” Pinkie Pie said softly, “But I have to do my part too… even if it’s dangerous…”

Starlight didn’t like the way this looked. More and more, it really seemed like Pinkie Pie should not be involved in this. But, seeing how much she was devoted to helping despite clearly knowing that herself was in its own way, awe inspiring. She felt immensely closer to Pinkie Pie.

Trixie took a breath seeing this. She said nothing, but she and Starlight shared a glance. They were on the same page here.

They’d have to keep an eye on Pinkie Pie…

Author's Note

Fool – Seekers of Light: 5/10
Magician – Trixie Lulamoon: 7/10 :heart:
Priestess – Diamond Tiara: 6/10
The Empress – Ms. Tia: 3/10
The Lovers - Pinkamena Diane Pie: 2/10 LEVEL UP!!!!
Chariot – Rainbow Dash: 2/10
The Devil – Silver Spoon: 3/10
Hermit – Sunburst: 2/10
Transformation - Ms. Luna: 1/10

Click here to support the GoFund I started for my parents. Just spreading the word and/or making a donation as small as 5 dollars will do wonders.

10/12

October 12th, 2019
Friday
Cloudy

Morning

song: School Days - Persona

Starlight and Trixie left for school together, which was really nice. They still hadn’t tried out the bondage gear yet, as they were both still super nervous, but they did play with their dynamic a bit. As such, as they walked to school today, Trixie dropped a major bombshell on Starlight about what she’d be okay with.

“Public groping?” Starlight asked wide eyed as they stopped a bit away from the school.

Trixie nodded, “Mhm. It’s something I, actually do find kinda hot,” she blushed and looked away, “Always have, really.”

“I mean, I’m not opposed to it… like at all,” Starlight looked away rubbing her arm.

“Well, what’s your concern,” Trixie asked, “This is for both of us, so if either of us has concerns, we should speak openly about them.”

Starlight did appreciate that. She wanted to give Trixie exactly what her fantasy was, but she didn’t want to risk them getting caught doing something that could get either of them in trouble. Especially with both of them being relatively new to this. Hell, Starlight was still a virgin, with all of her knowledge on sex being from steamy romance novels.

She shared with Trixie her concern of getting caught, to which Trixie surprisingly, giggled.

“Oh, is that all?” she asked.

Is that all? Now Starlight was even more confused!

“Right… you’re not from Canterlot, are you?” Trixie asked. Starlight shook her head and told her the name of her town, “Oh, that makes sense. You wouldn’t know then. Ms. Tia would probably know more of the details of it, but the Mayor of Canterlot passed a law last year that made acts of public sex legal in certain areas.”

Starlight blushed deeply hearing that. Where… were these areas…?

“Let’s see, there are a few areas in South Street where it tends to happen. The park where you meet with Diamond tends to get action on the weekends. Canterlot National Park, where the Velvet Room Door is, that’s a common place for it. I know there’s a club around that’s themed around BDSM, but you have to be 18 to even enter it. If you want, we can explore around after school today and track some of these places down.”

Starlight nodded in agreement to this as they walked into school. With everything that was going on lately, this sounded like a fun way to end the day, especially if she went to Student Council. Also, curfew was later today, meaning they could stay out later. Somehow Starlight felt staying out later was the ticket to seeing some of this more prominently.

Daytime

Thanks to Pinkie Pie, everyone was talking about them at school. Some talking about it among their friends. Some congratulating them. Some even talking about how jealous they were of them. But for the most part, it was all positive. Starlight felt like she became more popular among her peers. She seemed to be trending on Social Media a bit.

“Ha! You guys are the hot topic of the school!” Rainbow Dash laughed as the four of them walked to their next classes together.

“How’s it feel becoming the most popular girl in Canterlot High, Starlight?” Pinkie Pie asked teasingly.

“Kinda overwhelming,” Starlight admitted. She’d initially planned to keep more of a low profile.

“What about you, Lulamoon?” Rainbow Dash asked Trixie, “You doing okay with this? I’m sure that what’s-his-face has seen it by now.”

“Honestly, I want him to see,” Trixie decided, pulling the collar out of her sleeve and putting it on her neck, “I’m not afraid of him. He tries anything, and that’s his ass on the line”

“Wait, have you been keeping that thing in your sleeve the whole time?” Rainbow Dash asked.

“That’s silly Dash,” Trixie said fastening it around her neck, “It’d have fallen out my sleeve earlier if that was the case.”

Starlight nodded, and then her eyes widened. Wait, didn’t she have the collar in her bag?! How did Trixie…

Dash narrowed her eyes, “One of these days, Lulamoon. I’m going to figure out how you do that.”

“I keep telling you, Dash,” she smirked, “It’s magic~”

Just as they turned the corner, they saw Blueblood talking to one of the other boys from the football team about something. Starlight couldn’t hear as they were far away, but he looked really upset about something.

“And there’s the asshole in the flesh,” Rainbow Dash groaned.

“Mmmm, maybe I shouldn’t have sent that pic like that…” Pinkie Pie winced, “I don’t want you two to get hurt…”

Blueblood looked up and spotted them in the distance. Starlight looked to Trixie and noticed that she did look tense, but she nodded to Starlight, giving her a look of assurance and pulling her shirt collar down to show the choker.

Starlight nodded and looked at Blueblood. He raised his head and narrowed his eyes as if to challenge her. In response, she wrapped her arms around Trixie, and groped her left breast right in the hall a bit, narrowing her eyes at him. When she heard a few students gasp she got a bit nervous, but two things made it worth while.

One, seeing how outraged Blueblood was, but most importantly…

Two, the way Trixie leaned into her, and hummed softly in pleasure. Knowing she enjoyed it made it all worthwhile.

He said something and stormed off to his next class, just as Fluttershy stepped downstairs, and actually pushing her aside and knocking her down to the ground. Everyone winced at that.

“Oooooof. That, was ugly,” Rainbow Dash muttered.

“And, now I feel like a bitch,” Trixie muttered pulling her hat over her eyes. Starlight felt super guilty, and ran over to her before she could stop herself.

“I’m so sorry!” she cried, “I did something that upset him, and that’s why he shoved you!”

Fluttershy sat up and shook her head, “D-daijoubu desu…” she said softly, smiling gently. Starlight knew from anime that “daijoubu” meant “Are you okay?” so she must have said she was?

As Starlight looked at Fluttershy, she really took in just how, revealing her uniform was. It looked just like a sailor styled uniform from an anime, but the skirt was practically Sailor Moon short, showing off her legs perfectly. Also, Starlight could see that she was really top heavy. Seriously, she looked more like she should have been in collage than in high school.

Starlight held out her hand to help her up, but froze when she noticed how Fluttershy sucked in a breath and looked up at her. Right! Starlight forgot! People from Japan were funny about that! Had she offended her?! Should she backtrack?!

No. She didn’t want to send the wrong message. Not with everyone looking at her now.

“Um, would you like, me to help you up?” Starlight asked softly. Fluttershy nodded slowly and gently took her hand. Immediately Starlight was hit with an emotion she hadn’t expected.

She's… helping me…?

Confusion, and, happiness? There was also a profound loneliness coming from her. It was as if just her reaching out to help her up was the equivalent of being offered a glass of water after days in the desert.

“Um, are you sure you’re okay, Tokugawa-san?” Starlight asked Fluttershy, a bit taken aback by how much taller she was. She was close to 6 feet tall.

Fluttershy nodded softly, “Blueblood push me, not, your fault,” she assured, looking up as Starlight’s friends approached them.

“Hey um, I’m sorry. That was kinda my fault,” Trixie rubbed the back of her head, “I wanted to piss my ex off. Not sure if you know about all of it, nor if you care, but um…”

Fluttershy gave her a gentle smile, “Know about abuse. Share homeroom, with Blueblood.”

“Oooooh, I do not envy you,” Trixie winced. Starlight didn’t let it show, but she couldn’t help but find it odd and really unfortunate how much of a hard time she was having speaking. There wasn’t really any other way to say it. She clearly didn’t speak the language well.

“Um, need to, get to class,” Fluttershy bowed, “Ki wo tsukete,” she met eyes with Starlight briefly, smiled, and then walked off. For someone who seemed so demure and awkward, her walk was one of pure power; head held high, hips swaying ever so slightly, almost like a warrior. Starlight could almost picture her walking with a suitcase hanging over her shoulder.

Starlight's gaze went down to her hand. Why did she feel such an odd emotion from her...?

“My my, aren’t you making waves all over?”

song: Maya's theme - Persona 3

Starlight and co looked behind them and saw Rarity walking up to them, her arms folded underneath her bosom as usual. Yet another student who radiated power and poise, but where as something within Fluttershy seemed to be longing for something, Rarity seemed downright feral and violent.

It just made her grace and poise right now that much more terrifying.

“Um, w-what do you mean?” Starlight asked Rarity, who chuckled lightly.

“First you challenge Blueblood “steal his girlfriend” as he put it so wonderfully, and then you approach the Canterlot Academy Samurai without hesitation. If I didn’t know better, I’d say you were the main character of a novel or something,” Rarity joked.

“I keep saying she’s an anime protagonist!” Pinkie chirped, wrapping her arms around Starlight, “She’s following all the tropes!”

Rarity rolled her eyes with a soft smile. Cute as that was, Starlight was curious about what Rarity said about Fluttershy. She asked her what she meant by “Canterlot Academy Samurai”.

“Tokugawa isn’t just a powerful sounding name,” Rarity said, “From what little I know of Japanese history, that’s the name of one of the three families who unified Japan; the others being Oda, and I think Hideyoshi.”

Pinkie Pie nodded, “Yep yep! Watched an anime a long time ago that referenced those names!”

“So, does that mean that she’s…” Trixie asked softly.

“A descendant of the actual Tokugawa? That’s what they say at least,” Rarity shrugged, “I do know that she’s often seen practicing with her wooden sword in the park on Saturdays, and that she’s often seen surrounded by scary looking men who act as guards any other time she’s out and not in school.”

“She has guards?” Trixie’s eyes widened, “Holy shit, she’s a huge deal…”

“Hey uh… you better be careful,” Rainbow Dash said nervously to Starlight, “You’ve been lucky so far but, keep this up and you could end up in serious trouble.”

Starlight nodded, but thought back to the loneliness she felt from Fluttershy. It really felt like just having someone approach her like that, though small, was a huge relief.

Rarity said Saturdays? Alright. She’d have to make that a thing tomorrow.

“Nice as you are, darling, I do have to agree with Rainbow Dash,” Rarity said, catching Starlight’s attention, “I’d hate for you to get hurt hanging with the, wrong crowd,” her eyes narrowed ever so slightly as she spoke.

Why, did Starlight get the feeling Rarity was talking about herself just now…?

“Well, you best be on your way,” Rarity said turning to head off to her next class, “Don’t want to be late for your next class, Rainbow.”

“Sheesh, single me out, why don’t ya…?” Rainbow Dash muttered.

“Um, before you go,” Starlight called out to Rarity, apologizing for not making it to student council much today. Truth was, so much had happened this week, and alongside studying for midterms, there was also Diamond and her Dungeons, though she didn’t say anything about that.

“Oh darling, it’s fine,” Rarity assured, turning to Starlight and placing a hand on her shoulder, “Again, I know I asked you to help out suddenly. Just try to make it when you can. As for today though,” she looked at Trixie, “Why don’t you take today off? Work on things with your new mate, hm?”

Trixie blushed looking away, “T-thank you, Miss President.”

Rarity smiled to her, “After all you’ve been through, you deserve some happiness.”

“Would Rarity Stark please report to my office?”

Starlight both saw and felt Rarity bristle for a split second at the sound of Cinch’s voice over the intercom.

“The fuck does that woman want now…?” she growled so softly that Starlight barely heard her, but she did hear her, and she did not sound like Rarity. Rarity then put on a super forced smile, “I better take care of that. Salute~” she then strode off, leaving Starlight a bit stunned. It was brief, but for a split second, Rarity looked like a completely different person.

“Well, looks like you’re free to do whatever now,” Pinkie Pie grinned, “Got any plans~?”

“Oh, I can think of a few things,” Trixie gave Starlight a slight leer. Oh boy, she had a plan for something, didn’t she? Why did thinking about this make Starlight excited…?

After School

song: Xion's theme - Kingdom Hearts 358/2 Days

Starlight waited until the bell rang and the students had filed out a bit, and then got up to see Celestia. She needed to get a bit more information on what Trixie told her.

“Um, Ms. Tia?” Starlight asked approaching Celestia’s desk.

“Yes honey? How can I help you?” Celestia asked with her usual smile. The same one that Starlight loved, but always made her heart feel funny.

“So, Trixie shared something about Canterlot with me, and I was wondering if you could explain it to me,” Starlight requested, going into what they spoke about this morning. Starlight had to admit, the way she blushed and coughed into her kimono sleeve was kind of cute.

“Well, I can see why you waited till we were alone,” she muttered. She then got up and walked over to one of the desks, sitting down at one, with Starlight sitting beside her at another desk, “Alright. So what would you like to know?”

“First off, um, how far do people usually go with this?” Starlight asked, a tad embarrassed when she said it out loud.

“Pretty far, from what I have seen,” Celestia admitted, “I’ve walked down South Street late at night at times, and saw couples making love pretty blatantly against a tree, or doing something overtly sexual at a corner.”

“I’ve, never seen anything like that before,” Starlight admitted, making Celestia chuckle.

“Well, you are in school most of the week,” she explained, “Really, it’s mostly the young people who take advantage of this. Some adults do, but it’s not very common. Also, most of those who’d want to take advantage of this in the area go to this school, and with Cinch being, well, Cinch…”

Starlight sighed in frustration. Of course she'd have something against this, “She wasn’t for this, was she?”

“She’s one of the main people against this law change, to my knowledge,” Celestia rubbed her eyes, “See, the way it works is that so long as no one complains about it or calls it in, it’s fine. Cinch has a habit of, calling in any time she sees one of the students of Canterlot High engaging in anything public.”

“So, should Trixie and I, not, then?” Starlight asked, getting really worried about this. Cinch already didn’t care for Starlight as is.

“I say, proceed with caution, but don’t let Cinch ruin your fun,” Celestia said taking Starlight’s hand, “Cinch tries to run this school almost like a prison, but as per rules, the weekends are your time. So long as you and Trixie are safe and responsible, I say have your fun, sweetie.”

Starlight smiled in relief, “Thank you, Ms. Tia.”

“You’re more than welcome,” she said with a loving smile,squeezing Starlight's hand gently. She was a mysterious woman, but Starlight had no doubt in her mind that she meant well. She felt significantly closer to her homeroom teacher.

Starlight and Celestia got up, and the two of them hugged. As always, Starlight was hit with a wave of nostalgia. This woman, she made Starlight feel so welcomed and adored, and the way she rubbed her back made Starlight wonder, did she know how much she affected her? Was it okay for her to cling to her so strongly?

Starlight released her homeroom teacher and began making her way to the door, but then got curious about something, “Have, you, ever taken advantage of the Exhibitionism Law?”

“Now Starlight,” Celestia gave her a slightly scolding look, but was smiling, “Do you truly think that’s an appropriate conversation to have with your homeroom teacher?”

Starlight laughed awkwardly, blushing a bit, “Y-you’re right. I’m sorry Ms. Tia.”

Celestia laughed jovially, “It’s alright, Starlight. No harm done. Truth is, though I have had many flings in the past, these days I’m a bit too focused on taking care of my children to worry about romance or sex.”

“I see,” Starlight said, wondering if Celestia was at all lonely, “Well, hopefully once things settle down, you’ll be able to make time. You’re too wonderful to not have fun yourself.”

Celestia smiled warmly, “Thank you Starlight. Perhaps one day, when all is said and done. Now, don’t keep Trixie waiting.”

“Right! See you, Ms. Tia!” Starlight said, running off to her locker to get her things and find Trixie. She had a feeling her homeroom teacher was keeping a lot hidden, but that was for another time. Right now, it was fun time.

Evening

song: When the Moon's Reaching Out Stars - Persona 3

Once together, Trixie and Starlight explored the town together. She was surprised by just how many places there were where people could engage in public sex in town. Like Starlight figured, they’d have to wait till the sun started going down to really see the juicy stuff, but it didn’t take long for them to see more explicit activity.

Since there was a BDSM shop out in the open, a lot of what they saw seemed to call attention to that. From being tied to surfaces and forced to suck their partners off, to just outright having sex in the park with people watching, it was clear that this town turned into a completely different place late at night. Though they were both incredibly embarrassed, they even stayed and watched as one woman gave her boyfriend a blowjob, and this was in South Street.

Starlight was really beginning to like it here.

They eventually made their way to the park, where they sat down on the bench near the Velvet Room door and relaxed. The sun had set enough where the sky had turned a romantic evening red.

“So, what do you think?” Trixie asked Starlight.

“I’m, still kind of reeling from it all,” Starlight admitted, her heart racing, “I can tell you right now, my Mother would hate this side of the town.”

“She was, a bit on the conservative side then?” Trixie asked with a soft smile.

Starlight nodded, smiling fondly as she remembered her, “It was one of the things she and I disagreed on a lot. She was a pretty staunch Christian, and I’m pretty sure somewhere in their book, they talk about things like public sex as a ticket straight to Hell.”

“About the same with my Mom, honestly,” Trixie looked up, “She and I haven’t actually spoken in ages. Not seriously, at least.”

“I, remember you mentioning that you came to Canterlot to get away from her,” Starlight said carefully, “Did you two, have a falling out or something?”

“More like all we ever did was fall out,” Trixie sighed, “Whether it was because of my interest in bondage and the world of kink and relationships as a whole, my love for magic, her wanting me to go to nursing school, really, she and I just, fought and fought. Eventually I ended up getting a recommendation from Ms. Tia to come to Canterlot High, and well, when Mom asked if I wanted to go, I jumped on the chance.”

“Was it, just to get away from each other?” Starlight asked Trixie.

“Not, really. I think it was more so, to stay close,” she held her Channeling Ring up, “I get it, you know? She and I were both grieving.”

song: Living with Determination - Persona 3

“You mean, over your Father…” Right. They didn’t really talk about it much, but Trixie’s father was still out there somewhere. Hopefully.

“Mhm,” she nodded, “Thing is, we were both grieving in ways that clashed with the other. I wanted to believe that he was out there somewhere. That if I found the secret to his magic, I’d get closer to finding him.” she closed her eyes, letting her hand fall, “Mom was in so much pain over his disappearance that she refused to even acknowledge that he was still alive. She wanted to just forget him, and wanted me to move on.”

“She, doesn’t know that you found it, does she?” Starlight realized, saddened when Trixie shook her head.

“Nope. I’ll admit, I’m afraid to tell her. I don’t want to open up old wounds. Also,” she bit her lip, “She doesn’t know about Blueblood.”

“Trixie…”

“I know, I know,” she said, “I need to tell her. At least, I need to tell her about him but… I’m worried about what she’d say. Remember, he used BDSM to abuse me.”

And, her Mother was against BDSM. Trixie was worried that if her Mother found out, she’d just say “I told you so” as opposed to showing sympathy. That, was not what she needed right now…

“Ms. Tia wants me to talk to her too,” Trixie said, unbuttoning her blazer and letting it hang open, “She said that she’d be with me whenever I decide to. But it’s been so long, you know?”

“True, but… I think, you should speak to her, even if it’s just to say hi,” she nursed the Velvet Room key, remembering the day she tried to take her own life, and the reason for it, “You don’t, want the last thing you ever say to her to be, fuck off or, I hate you…”

Trixie’s eyes widened as she turned to Starlight, “Was that, what you said… before your Mother died…?”

Starlight bit her lip, and then nodded trembling. Right when she felt like she was breaking down again, Trixie wrapped her arms around her.

“It’s alright…” she said softly.

“Is it…?” Starlight asked, “Even though I… killed her…?”

“I, okay, I don’t know whether or not you are responsible, and I’m not going to weigh in on that,” Trixie lifted Starlight’s chin to look into her eyes, “But what I do know is that, if you got your magic because of that ritual, then your Mother has to be proud of you for what you’re doing. After all,” she caressed her cheek and smiled, “You saved Pinkie Pie, Rainbow Dash, and me. My father believed that magic should be used to bring light and joy to other people, and that's exactly what you do with your magic.”

Starlight smiled and nodded, “Yeah. You're right. Thank you Trixie.”

“You're more then welcome, Starlight,” Trixie smiled, and pulled out her phone to check the time, “Huh. Alright. We’ve got plenty of time then.”

song: Sunset Bridge - Persona 5

“Plenty of time?” Starlight blinked.

“Remember a few days ago? When I asked if you’d… um… tie me up…?”

Starlight’s eyes widened. Wait… did she want… no no no… there was no way that she… She didn’t…

“I w-wouldn’t want to do anything too, you know, right off the bat. Maybe just some active groping,” Trixie said, “We were going to take things slow, after all.”

“Right…” Starlight nodded, her eyes still wide.

“But I was thinking, um, m-maybe we could, do something of a, trial scene…?” Trixie pulled her hat over her eyes, “O-only if you were comfortable with it. I don’t want to force you to… um…”

Oh Starlight did want to. She really wanted to. That was part of the problem actually. She wanted to so badly that it scared her. But when she saw how much Trixie wanted it, and remembered that the only way to get the feeling she wanted was to rely on Starlight.

She trusted her. She trusted her so much.

So she’d just have to trust herself in this as well.

Right beside Trixie on the bench, she saw Jack Frost look at her and give her a thumbs up. Right. She could do this.

Starlight took Trixie’s hand, “Tell me what you want, and I’ll make it happen.”

The way Trixie looked into Starlight’s eyes was too much. She looked relieved, overjoyed, but ever so slightly afraid. Still, she nodded and got up, “Alright. Um, follow me.”

Starlight got up and followed Trixie, but then realized, “Um, we don’t have any of the…”

“Don’t worry about that,” Trixie assured, “I’ve got it covered.”

Starlight shrugged, letting Trixie take the lead here. Eventually Trixie led Starlight to a deeper section of the park, closer to the lake but still out in the open. They even saw some people there walking around, which was good. Meant this area was more or less safe.

“Alright,” Trixie took a breath and looked around, “Let’s see here… there.” she ran over to a tree, setting her school bag down, “This is the one.”

Starlight looked up at the tree. It wasn’t super big, but it did look really sturdy. Starlight was getting a bit excited, as she had a feeling she knew where this was headed, except they still didn’t have-

Trixie began patting her pants a bit, eventually reaching into her pocket. She then somehow, pulled out the beginner rope they bought yesterday.

“Do I want to be gagged for this…?” Trixie looked up thoughtfully, “Nah.”

“Um… mind if I… uh…” Starlight pointed to Trixie’s pocket. Trixie looked at her and then giggled, nodding. Starlight immediately reached into Trixie’s pants pocket to see how deep it was, or if there was a hole.

No such thing was there. Also, the pocket wasn’t all that deep. There was no way all of that rope could have fit in there.

“Told you I had it covered,” Trixie purred.

“You’re so casual with your magic, I sometimes forget how much you’re capable of,” Starlight admitted.

“Dad was the same way,” Trixie said, taking off her blue and black blazer first, and then setting it and her hat aside, “He didn’t just use his magic in shows. He’d use it for mundane things too.”

“Like what?” Starlight asked, admiring just how much her blouse accentuated how big her breasts were.

“Well, I remember one Thanksgiving. Mom asked Dad to set the table,” she began unbuttoning her blouse, “So he walked over to the dining room table, and I saw him take a single fork and knife, and multiply them six times by seeming to break them in half, and just setting one half down in front of each seat. He then did the same with a single plate, and when he realized he forgot to put down the tablecloth, he pulled that out of his pocket, set it over the plates and silverware, and then gave the table a good shake,” she took her blouse off and folded it, “Everything was on top of the tablecloth.”

“Wow…” Starlight muttered. Whether she meant the magic trick or the sight of her in her bra, pants, shoes, and the choker still around her neck, Starlight had no idea.

“Sadly, he and Mom did get into fights a bit about his magic,” Trixie said, stepping out of her high heels briefly, “She once asked him, if he could give the magic a rest. His response was to ask if she’d ask someone to give breathing a rest, because to him, magic was as vital to life as breathing,” she closed her eyes, and took a deep breath, “I can do this… I can do this…”

“How far, do you want to go with this…?” Starlight asked Trixie, immediately tuning into her anxiety.

“So, my goal is to sort of, replace a memory,” Trixie rubbed her arm, her back turned to Starlight, “He, didn’t do it too often, preferring to keep what we did private and in his room, but one time early in our relationship, we came to this park, and made out around here. He managed to strip me down to just my underwear, where he tied me to a tree without warning, and began roughly groping and fingering me.” she looked to the side, “It was, the first time we ever did anything like that. I was scared, and asked him to untie me, but he…”

Starlight pursed her lips, and then hugged Trixie from behind, “Only go as far as you want, alright?”

Trixie relaxed in her arms, “Alright,” she said, “So… my safe word? It’s anchovy. I hate those little fish.”

“Never really cared for them myself,” Starlight muttered, making Trixie laugh a bit.

“So… when I say anchovy, untie me,” Trixie requested, trembling a bit, “Alright…?”

Starlight nodded, “Alright. Whenever you say “anchovy”, I’ll untie you,” she promised.

Trixie began breathing a bit heavier, and then lowered her black pants, stepping out of them and back into her high heels. She closed her eyes tightly, but leaned back into Starlight’s embrace relaxing.

Starlight looked around. There were people in the park still, and a couple were looking their way. This was terrifying, but also exciting.

“Preferences on how you want to be bound?” Starlight asked her sub. She felt like she should keep her voice gentle, caring. Something about how she said that must have worked, because Trixie took a deep breath, letting it out slowly.

“Mostly around my arms, and waist, and also with my wrists, b-behind my back,” Trixie said softly, almost demurely, “Then, whatever rope’s left hanging, wrap that around the tree.”

Starlight nodded. She took a deep breath, and picked up the rope. She carefully wrapped it around Trixie’s waist and arms, feeling herself getting more and more excited the further she went. She then gently took Trixie’s wrists and bound them behind her back, tying it in a loose knot that wouldn’t come undone on its own, but could easily be untied.

She then turned Trixie around and looked into her eyes. She looked so helpless. So demure. So elegant, and so… lovely. Starlight wrapped the rest of the rope around the tree, bringing the rope around to the front of Trixie and tying it in front of her.

As Trixie whimpered weakly, Starlight stepped back to admire her. Tied up like this, she couldn’t move at all. She didn’t know if Trixie’s magic could get her free, as she was still wearing her Channeling Ring, but either way it was going to be tricky.

But it was her eyes that drew Starlight in. Her eyes, and the look on her face. She looked both aroused, and terrified at the same time. It wasn’t like in the dream. No, it was better. As she looked her up and down, she came to understand a major truth about her roommate now turned girlfriend.

When she was tied up, Trixie was gorgeous. She was always beautiful, but something about seeing her like this; helpless, occasionally pulling at the ropes binding her, brought out a beauty that Starlight couldn’t describe with words.

This was what drove Blueblood to take her Dungeon. So he could see her like this at all times.

And this, was the Trixie that Starlight needed to protect, no matter what.

“Guess dreams, aren’t always better than reality,” Starlight said softly.

“W-what, do you mean…?” her voice was so soft, lacking any strength. She’d heard her take that tone before, whenever Blueblood would command her. It was doing odd things to Starlight’s head. Ooooh, she was afraid of this. She didn’t want to hurt Trixie, but this feeling, she couldn’t ignore it.

“Hee ho, hee ho! Just think of me while you do it, Starlight! I can remind you it's just a game, and you can be as playful as you want!”

In her peripheral, she saw Jack Frost waving to her, smiling in assurance. Right, she could use her Personas in the real world too, and both Jack Frost and Trixie’s Elenora were of the Magician Arcana. Maybe she could use that? She took a deep breath, letting Jack Frost's innocent playfulness enter her heart. This was going to be fun.

“I’ve, had dreams about this,” Starlight admitted, walking up to Trixie and rubbing her waist and hips, “Dreams where I’m, tying you up, touching you, among, other things.”

Trixie closed her eyes, breathing a bit heavier. Starlight couldn’t help herself. She raised her hands up to cup her breasts, giving them both a squeeze. Trixie made a sound like a whimper and a groan a the same time. It was such a unique sound, unlike anything she’d heard in her dreams.

In the dreams, Trixie would cry, scream, and beg to be let go.

Right now, she saw none of that. What she did see was infinitely hotter. She was afraid, but almost graceful in her fear.

“This is the how you always were when he hurt you…” Starlight realized, kneading her breasts and enjoying the sounds Trixie was making, “You were afraid to return to this place, weren’t you…?”

“Yes…!” Trixie moaned, “I, I was afraid that it’d, feel the same…!”

“Does it?”

“No…! Not at all…!” Trixie continued, still moaning softly. Starlight kneaded her a bit rougher, making Trixie gasp in ecstasy.

Starlight sucked in a breath hearing that sound. The sound of Trixie’s pleasure. It was such a lovely sound.

“He never touched you like this, did he?” Starlight pressed herself into Trixie more, still groping her.

“No…! He just… liked seeing me… at his mercy…! And under, his, control…!” she moaned each section. She hadn’t even done anything to Trixie directly, or had Trixie do anything to or for her, and yet Starlight was already close to orgasm herself.

“Then it’s a good thing, you’re not his anymore…” Starlight said softly, and with a slightly dangerous edge thinking about him.

“I’m… yours now…!” Trixie said suddenly, surprising Starlight, “I… b-belong, to you…!”

Starlight blinked, and then sucked in a breath, giving her breasts a good squeeze, “That’s right. You’re mine now, and unlike him, I love your pleasure. I’ll make you feel like this, anytime, you, want.”

Trixie began panting a bit at Starlight’s words, pulling at the bindings more, getting more desperate. Starlight kept kneading her breasts, loving the sound of her arousal, the intensity of her struggle, and the exposure of her body. Pressed against Trixie’s body so, Starlight couldn’t hold back her own pleasurable groan as a feeling unlike any other took hold of her. She couldn’t remember the last time she felt this much joy in her life.

Trixie’s whimpering and moaning became louder, until she let out a cry of pure ecstasy. Starlight herself felt pleasure shoot through her body, forcing her to cry out at the same time. The two girls looked into each other’s eyes as they came down from their collective highs, both panting heavily. Overcome with emotion, Starlight took a chance, and brought their lips close together in a deep and loving kiss.

Trixie not only returned the kiss, but deepened it. Starlight didn’t tongue kiss her yet, solely because she didn’t want to embarrass herself after such a wonderful moment. Instead she slowly pulled away, caressing Trixie’s cheek.

“Anchovy…” she said, with noticeable reluctance. Seemed she wanted to stay like that a bit more, but realized they still had to get back to the dorm at some point. Honestly, Starlight felt the same way.

Stilll, a promise was a promise, so Starlight got to work immediately in untying Trixie. Once she was freed, she fell into Starlight’s arms, the two of them falling to lay in the grass as they held each other.

“Are you alright, Trixie?” Starlight asked softly, relieved when Trixie nodded.

“I am. Just trying to process these emotions,” Trixie said, looking into Starlight’s eyes adoringly, “That, was actually fun. Think we could, do something like this again, in the future?”

Starlight nodded and smiled, “Anytime you want, we can.”

Trixie beamed and hugged Starlight again. She could feel just how happy and relieved she was to have a truly positive experience with her kink. She felt like she and Trixie became significantly closer.

They stayed like that a bit longer before Trixie got dressed, and they made their way back to the dorm.

“Huh. So the little goth has some fire after all,” Rover said, watching Starlight and Trixie leave the park after they had their fun, “Got that cute innocence about her but, she could be fun.”

Author's Note

Fool – Seekers of Light: 5/10
Magician – Trixie Lulamoon: 8/10 LEVEL UP!!!! :heart:
Priestess – Diamond Tiara: 6/10
The Empress – Ms. Tia: 4/10 LEVEL UP!!!!
The Lovers - Pinkamena Diane Pie: 2/10
Chariot – Rainbow Dash: 2/10
The Devil – Silver Spoon: 3/10
Hermit – Sunburst: 2/10
Transformation - Ms. Luna: 1/10

If you'd like to support my writing, simply making a donation to this Go Fund I started for my parents will do wonders. Even if all you do it share on social media, that would do wonders.

10/13

October 13th, 2019
Saturday
Sunny

Morning

song: I (sun) - Blue Reflection

“So, you guys have fun?” Pinkie Pie asked Starlight and Trixie at the breakfast table. It took a bit for Starlight to realize what she meant.

“O-oh! Um, well yeah,” Starlight smiled sheepishly, Trixie blushing with her own awkward smile, “I mean, um, w-we didn’t really do much.”

“Just, some intense groping, and maybe a bit of bondage play,” Trixie said, “Starlight and I are still trying to take things slow.”

“For the best, really,” Celestia said, pouring herself a cup of coffee and sitting down at the breakfast table, as usual not partaking in the delicious food she apparently spent all night preparing, “I don’t want you triggering yourself, Trixie.”

Trixie smiled warmly, “Right. Thanks Ms. Tia.”

Ms. Tia smiled lovingly, taking Trixie’s hand and gently squeezing it. Starlight found herself curious if the powerful sensation she got from their Dorm Mistress was something others felt, or if it was localized to her. Since she had her empathic touch, it could have been that. It never really occurred to Starlight to use that on Celestia. She sort of felt like she knew how she felt, and what to expect.

Just, love. Immense, powerful love.

“So, what ‘cha doing today?” Rainbow Dash asked the new couple, “Gonna try and get to third base next?”

“Actually, I was going to work on my new show and study for Midterms coming up,” Trixie took a forkful of her eggs and then swallowed, “Just because we’re Persona Users now doesn’t mean we should slack off.”

“I mean, yeah but we have until the 31st of October till we need to worry about that, right?” Rainbow Dash asked.

“Think like that, and you’ll find yourself staring at the test, and realizing that you didn’t study~” Celestia said airily, a knowing smile on her lips.

Rainbow Dash closed her eyes and sighed, “Shit. I hate that you’re right.”

“We can study together for midterms if you’d like,” Pinkie Pie offered, turning to Starlight, “What do you say? Wanna study together?”

Truth was, she was hoping to head out to the park to see Fluttershy, and try to strike up a friendship with her. But Trixie and Ms. Tia did bring up a good point. Midterms were still on the horizon, and part of the condition for Starlight to come to this school was that she maintain good grades.

“Remember, curfew is later on weekends, honey,” Celestia said to Starlight, “I trust you girls to be responsible, so if you want to go out later, that’s fine.”

Well, Fluttershy might still be out then, so maybe she could still make it work. Either way, it’d be fun to see what goes on at night.

“In that case, sure,” Starlight smiled, “Let’s study together.”

“Alright,” Trixie shrugged, “Kinda sounds like fun. Maybe we can also brainstorm for what we’re going to call our coven.”

“Right, we do still need to figure that out,” Rainbow Dash frowned.

“You should also choose twin deities to watch over your coven,” Celestia offered, “A father and a mother deity.”

“Really?” Pinkie Pie asked.

Starlight nodded, “Yeah. A lot of Coven’s will choose a Father and a Mother Goddess in order to represent them, both of which they worship.”

“Any real requirements on that?” Rainbow Dash asked, “Like, I know witches and wiccans are related, but do they have set gods or something.”

“Mmm, not to my knowledge,” Starlight shook her head, “Only rule I can think of, and it’s more of a recommendation than anything, is to try and pick two deities that are from the same pantheon. Failing that, just make sure the two you pick like each other.”

“So, no bad blood between them. Got it,” Rainbow Dash nodded.

“Think to be safe, we could pick ones from the same pantheon?” Pinkie Pie requested, “We don’t really know much about this stuff yet, and I don’t want to risk choosing two Gods that hate each other.”

Starlight nodded, letting them know she wanted to pick two from the same pantheon anyway. She knew a bit about other pantheons, but she and Sunburst never got to the point where they were going to choose a Father and a Mother.

She hoped her Mom didn’t mind her going all in on this, rather than going Christian. Sadly, the other Pantheons to her knowledge did NOT like Christianity, due to how those associated with it tried to remove all of their pantheons.

Really, that was why Starlight wasn’t a Christian. She felt that wasn’t fair.

“Alright. After studying for a bit, let’s at least decide on a pantheon,” Trixie suggested, “I think now that we have six members of our coven, we should try to have that sorted out before we dive into Rarity’s Dungeon.”

“Six?” Celestia asked tilting her head.

“The four of us,” Trixie counted, “Twi-Twi, whether she likes it or not, and you.”

Celestia blinked, looking at Trixie and everyone somewhat surprised, “I, didn’t know I was included in this.”

“Really? I kinda assumed you were in our Coven,” Rainbow Dash shrugged, “Since you kinda hold all of us together.”

“Yeah! You’re like the super cool mentor witch! Only, you’re not a witch,” Pinkie Pie said, but then perked up, “But neither is Twilight, and she’s in our Coven, so you’re good!”

“Is that okay?” Starlight asked their Dorm Mistress, “That we include you in our Coven?”

“I, would be honored,” Celestia said warmly, actually tearing up a bit herself, “Thank you, girls.”

“Sweet! So let’s get to studying so we can get to planning the greatest Coven ever!” Rainbow Dash said enthusiastically.

“Oh now you’re excited to study?” Trixie said dryly.

“Studying’s important, Lulamoon,” Rainbow Dash nodded, “Gotta get on it now, so we don’t get blindsided by Midterms when they start.”

They all got a good laugh from that. Starlight noticed that Celestia was laughing a bit more than she’d normally laugh, almost like she was happier now. She must have really appreciated being included in their Coven.

Evening

They got quite a bit of studying done together. Afterward, they played games together in Rainbow and Pinkie Pie’s room while discussing their Coven. It ultimately was decided that they’d go with the Greek Pantheon. Was it a standard choice? Yeah, it was. But they all agreed that it was better to just go with something they were all familiar with rather than try and do something crazy just to say they were “one of the cool Covens”. Since they couldn’t decide on which deities to choose yet, they decided to do a bit of research on those before they made any final decisions.

As the sun was beginning to set, at around 6 o’clock Starlight decided to head out in order to see if she could catch up with Fluttershy. She didn’t know how long she trained, but she remembered seeing her out pretty late. On the way, she actually bumped into Twilight as she stepped out of her room.

She said good evening to her, but then remembered this, might have been morning for her? Which was it?

Twilight just rolled her eyes, “A simple hello is fine, Starlight,” she said. Starlight remembered that Twilight was associated with the Kirijo Corporation, and now that she got a good look at her, she was Japanese too.

Starlight asked if Twilight wanted to go out into town together, thinking it’d be a good way for them to bond. Much to her sadness, but unsurprisingly, Twilight just pursed her lips.

song: Riku - Kingdom Hearts 2

“Sorry, but unlike some people here, I have work to do,” she said folding her arms, “I don’t get to sleep through my work like you do.”

Starlight took a breath and frowned a bit at that, “You know, all we want is to be your friend, Twilight. Being honest though, you make that really hard.”

“Maybe I don’t want to be your friend,” Twilight said sharply narrowing her eyes subtly, “Maybe I’d rather we remain professional.”

“What did I do?” Starlight asked, “Why do you hate me so much?”

“I don’t hate you, it’s just-” Twilight closed her eyes and turned away, “Don’t worry about it. It's my problem.”

“We’re a team, so I’m going to worry abou-”

“Do you have any new information on Rarity?” Twilight cut her off, clearly wanting to change the subject. Starlight sighed in defeat, telling her about their last interaction with Rarity, how she seemed almost angry that Cinch called her to her office, “Huh. Rainbow Dash might be onto something then with this Cinch being the Dungeon Master. Alright, I’ll see what I can do with this,” she pushed past Starlight and began heading to Celestia’s room, but stopped, “Oh, before I forget, we should try and make some headway in Elysium soon. Your friend's Dungeon recently shifted.”

Starlight’s heart leaped out of her chest, “How much? Is it still in Elysium?”

“It is, don’t worry,” Twilight assured, her tone softer and, comforting almost, “I thought you’d be concerned, so I made sure it was still there. I don’t think she’s attracted a Dungeon Master yet, but still.”

Starlight asked Twilight if she’d be okay going in tonight. Twilight took a breath and thought about it.

“Honestly, I’d rather we see Diamond in person first. You hang with her sometimes on Sunday’s right? Could you get in touch with her and see how she is in the Waking World? It’d help us piece together just how far gone she is.”

Starlight nodded, “Sure. I’ll check on her tomorrow.”

“Thank you,” Twilight nodded, and turned to get to work. She wasn’t a bad person. She seemed genuinely invested in solving the Nightmare Epidemic issue. It was just anything concerning Starlight that she seemed to have issue with. It’d probably take a major shift before she and Twilight could truly become friends.

Realizing that she didn’t want to miss Fluttershy, Starlight went down to sign herself out, and then made her way out into town.

song: Sumaru City - Persona 2: Innocent Sin

As Starlight walked through town, she was still amazed by how different it looked and felt when the sun was going down. Like this, she really got to take in just how gothic the architecture looked in Canterlot. She could really feel the magic in the air, and wondered just how it’d look on Halloween.

Come to think of it, she needed to figure out a costume for that, didn’t she?

That’d come later, as she found the park where Fluttershy trained. Checking the time, she was probably still there. At least this time, she could head in and not run into any-

“Well well, didn’t expect to see you out here late like this,” a familiar voice said, making Starlight freeze. She slowly turned and saw the young man Rarity was with in the alleyway. His messy black hair and cap, combined with how toned his abs were really sold the dangerous gang leader look. For the first time, she also noticed an interesting tattoo on his chest, over his heart. It was partially obstructed by his jacket, but she could see two purple diamonds, and possibly a bit of a third one.

Was that the gang symbol…?

She was about to run, but then she noticed a terrifying black and white husky by his side looking right at her. He was huge, and she could tell he was highly intelligent. Though she could see his leash in the young man’s hand, the dog wasn’t on it at the moment, meaning he was smart enough to stay close to him. If she ran, he’d chase her, and Starlight wasn’t confident she could outrun him, nor if the boy beside him would call him back.

“You’re… the leader of the Diamond Dogs…” Starlight said shakily.

“Ah, you remember. Good. Saves us the trouble,” he narrowed his eyes and walked over to her, the husky walking beside him. As the husky walked around Starlight, sniffing her all over, his owner got in front of Starlight and loomed over her, giving off a powerful aura that felt almost inhuman, “Name’s Rover Lovato.”

“S-Starlight, Glimmer,” she said shakily. She didn’t have nearly enough courage to stand her ground, so she was sure he could see the fear radiating off of her. Proven when he chuckled.

“Don’t worry, I only bite for two reasons,” he raised his fingers to count them off, “If you’re into that, or if you give me a reason to.”

Starlight relaxed a bit, but she did not want to risk pissing this guy off. His energy felt intense, like she was looking less at a man, and more at a beast in a man’s body. Why did this feel familiar...?

The husky got super close to her, actually getting a bit invasive with his sniffing. Just as it looked like Starlight was getting a bit uncomfortable, Rover snapped his fingers and whistled.

“Cool it, Link. Doubt this girl rolls as hard as Dirty Diamond,” Rover said, calling the husky back. That thing was more like a wolf. Also, who was Dirty Diamond? And what did he mean by “rolling hard”?

“Though I have to admit, you got potential,” he smirked at her, “Saw you last night with the magician chick. Kept hopin’ you’d take it a bit further.”

Starlight wasn’t sure how she felt knowing this guy saw them.

“We’re taking things slow,” Starlight said frowning a bit, “She had a bad experience before, so we’re working up to more serious stuff.”

“Oooooh, I felt that,” he narrowed his eyes at her, now giving her a toothy grin that showed sharp canines, “The Little Star’s got fire after all. I think I can see why she’d be drawn to you.”

“She”? Wait, did he mean, Rarity? That confirmed that she did have some sort of connection to the Diamond Dogs.

“How do you know Rarity?” Starlight asked, making Rover chuckle again.

“You’re smart, Sugar Tits. I’m sure you can figure out what me and “Miss President” did when you saw us,” he looked at her and licked his lips, “Shame she said you’re off limits.”

Starlight felt super uncomfortable knowing where his eyes were. It was different when Victor did it. Why, she didn’t know, but this guy wasn’t Victor.

“I, better go,” Starlight said softly, “I’m hoping to meet with someone.”

“That right?” Rover asked, Link now standing behind Starlight, “Too bad, cause I was hoping to ask you a question.”

“If you make it quick, then go ahead,” Starlight said, sucking in a breath when Rover leaned in, looking her right in the eyes.

“What’s your relationship with Rarity?” he asked, suddenly looking very serious. She felt like she was being starred down by a ferocious… beast… now…

This, was the same energy that Rarity had.

“She and I, don’t talk much, but I like her, a lot,” she answered best as she could, “I want to help her, much as I can.”

He narrowed his eyes at her, reading her, “You help her? Well, the mouse did save the lion once, so why not?” he stepped past her, “Just don’t think you know anything about her, Little Star. You’re as good as prey in this town, same as all the rest.”

“I don’t know much about her, I’ll admit, but I care about her,” Starlight said.

“Oh? I wonder,” he walked off, “Can you really care about a false identity.”

Starlight frowned watching him leave. She was really getting worried about what this looked like. More and more, she was beginning to suspect that Rarity’s connection to this gang was really deep.

And depending on how deep, Starlight might run into trouble getting her out, assuming this was connected to her Dungeon and not just Rarity's personal life.

She needed more concrete info before she could give Twilight anything substantial. She’d have to pay a visit to the Student Council on Monday to see how Rarity was doing. Maybe she could get some alone time with her and ask her a few questions.

For now though, she continued her search for Fluttershy. Hopefully that hadn’t interrupted her much. When she made her way to where she saw her last, she was worried at first, as she didn’t see her. Her worries were put to rest though, as she heard her voice deeper in the wooded area. Starlight followed the sound of her voice, leading her to the area right in front of the lake. There she saw Fluttershy, like before wearing the white gi top, yellow baggy pants, and wooden sandals like before. She was in the middle of her training, so Starlight chose to just sit by a tree and watch for a bit.

song: Kairi - Kingdom Hearts 2

Unlike her more nervous and demure air in school, like this Fluttershy was terrifying. Each swing lead into another, with Fluttershy’s eyes sharp and determined. To Starlight, it seemed like each swing was intentionally swung. Like in her mind, she was slashing something, trying to actively hurt them.

She did a heavy sideways slash, but then closed one eye wincing in pain, falling to one knee and using her wooden blade as support.

“Tokugawa-san!” Starlight cried, running to her side, “Are you okay?!”

“S-Starlight, san…” she grunted with a pained smile, “H-hai. I, alright.”

Starlight guided her over to a nearby tree and helped her sit down, sitting beside her, “What happened? Did you pull something?”

Fluttershy shook her head, “Last night, hurt leg,” she answered, “Pain, not bad. Just, er… unsure how to describe…”

“Like, it flares up if you work it too hard?” Starlight asked.

“Flare, up?” she tilted her head in confusion.

“Um, like, it’s there normally,” she held her hands together in a closed fist, “But, not very bad. But every so often,” she opened her hands suddenly, and then slowly closed them, “Like this. Flare up.”

“Ah! Hai hai!” Fluttershy nodded, “That, hai. Flare up. That, pain do.”

“If you hurt yourself that badly, maybe you shouldn’t have been out here training,” Starlight said, “You don’t want to damage it too much.”

Fluttershy shook her head, “Pain not bad. Training important,” she looked at her wooden blade, “Training, very important.”

Starlight had the feeling that she was going through quite a bit on her end, more than she could truly fathom. Sadly, she could tell she wasn’t sensitive enough to truly resonate with her without her empathy, and she didn’t want to rely on that. Especially concerning Fluttershy.

“Just, be careful then, alright?” Starlight said, “That fall scared me a lot.”

Fluttershy looked at Starlight curiously, “You, worried, about me?”

“Well yeah,” Starlight looked down blushing, “We haven’t really talked a lot, but well, I’ve wanted to be friends with you ever since we waved to each other on the first day.”

Fluttershy’s eyes widened a bit, “You, remember.” she then looked away nervously.

“So… could we maybe… I don’t know, be friends…?” Starlight asked.

She could tell Fluttershy was really torn about something. Like, she wanted to be friends with Starlight, but was also worried about something. Fluttershy then looked at her hand, opening and closing it. It was the same hand Starlight had held yesterday to help her up.

Did she, do something wrong by offering her hand? Was she actually upset?

After a bit, Fluttershy smiled softly, “Hai. Friends.” she looked back at Starlight with the same smile, “Starlight-san, friend.”

Starlight smiled in return. She could feel a faint bond forming between her and Fluttershy.

Thou art I, and I am thou…

Thou hast established a new bond…

This bond shalt become the stairway to thy ascension…

Thou shalt be blessed when developing Persona of the Strength Arcana…

Huh. Odd. This bond felt, guarded? It didn’t feel weaker than her other ones, but there was something about her that she was keeping close to her chest. Either way, this was a step in the right direction.

Fluttershy looked up at the sky, seeing the sun had fully set. She then closed her eyes seriously, “Gomenasai.”

“You, have to get home?” Starlight asked.

“Hai…” she said softly. For some reason, Starlight got the sense that was the last place she wanted to be. She then gave Starlight a clearly forced smile, “Arigato, Starlight-san,” she got up, and bowed to Starlight, “Ogeki-de, Starlight-san.”

That was, a different way of saying goodbye than before. Was that a sign she was more relaxed around her? Starlight got up, and bowed to her as well, “Um, Ogeki… de… Tokugawa-san…?”

Fluttershy snorted, and then laughed. She then nodded, “Hai hai! You learn Japanese good!”

“Ah, you don’t have to humor me. I know my pronunciation is terrible…” Starlight said rubbing the back of her neck.

Fluttershy nodded with an awkward smile, and patted Starlight on the shoulder, “But you try, you learn, you get better,” she said sweetly. She then bowed again and walked off. She had a slight limp, but it wasn’t too noticeable. Hopefully her house wasn’t too far from here.

Well, she reached out her hand in friendship. She got the feeling that if she wanted to get closer to Fluttershy, she’d have to work extra hard. She looked down at her hand, remembering how Fluttershy felt when they touched the one time.

It was almost similar to Trixie when they met.

Starlight nodded to herself, and made her way back home to the dorm. Between Fluttershy, and Rarity’s connection with the Diamond Dogs, she had a lot to think about…

Author's Note

Fool – Seekers of Light: 5/10
Magician – Trixie Lulamoon: 8/10 :heart:
Priestess – Diamond Tiara: 6/10
The Empress – Ms. Tia: 4/10
The Lovers - Pinkamena Diane Pie: 2/10
Chariot – Rainbow Dash: 2/10
Strength - Tokugawa Fluttershy: 1/5 ESTABLISHED!!!!
The Devil – Silver Spoon: 3/10
Hermit – Sunburst: 2/10
Transformation - Ms. Luna: 1/10

Click here if you wish to support the Go Fund I've started for my parents. We've currently raised 1,505 dollars, so we're making progress, but I know I can take this further for them.

10/14

October 14th, 2019
Sunday
Cloudy

Morning

song: I (sun) - Blue Reflection

Starlight had just finished breakfast and gotten dressed when she heard the doorbell ring downstairs. She figured it was for one of her friends, so she chose to ignore it, instead going for her phone. She was planning to give Diamond Tiara a call to hang out, mostly to catch up with her, but also because she was really worried about what Twilight meant by her Dungeon “shifting”.

She had Diamond’s number highlight and was about to push call when someone knocked on her door. She went to open it, seeing Celestia standing there.

“It’s, Silver Spoon,” Celestia said carefully, “She said she needs to speak with you about something important.”

Wait, Silver Spoon? She came here for Starlight? This was really unusual. Unless…

“Is this about Diamond Tiara?” Starlight asked Ms. Tia, who looked down folding her arms thoughtfully.

“She didn’t say, but I have the feeling it might be,” Celestia said softly, “Regardless how she seems around most people, she and Diamond have been friends for a while now. I wouldn’t be surprised if she was noticing that something's wrong with her.”

Starlight pursed her lips and nodded. She thanked Ms. Tia and went downstairs into the main lobby/living room. There she saw Silver Spoon sitting on one of the couches, arms folded and legs crossed. Sitting at the couch to her left were Rainbow Dash and Pinkie Pie, and on her right was Trixie. Pinkie Pie was the only one there who looked remotely relaxed.

“Honestly, you girls act like you’re expecting me to do something,” Silver Spoon said snootily.

“We know about you and our Leader,” Rainbow Dash said cautiously, “She’s sensitive, so we don’t want you upsetting her.”

“Like, seriously? I know about her little episode before coming to our school, and I’m not the sort to throw that in someone’s face,” Silver Spoon defended.

“See, I actually believe you,” Trixie admitted, leaning forward and resting her arms over her knees, “I don’t think you’d say anything to upset her intentionally. It’s the unintentional part I’m worried about.”

“Hence why you’re acting as her guard dogs?” Silver asked.

“Yes!” both Rainbow Dash and Trixie said at the same time. Pinkie Pie giggled a bit at that, and Starlight couldn’t help but smile. For one, it was sweet how despite often clashing, Trixie and Rainbow could agree on some things. Also, just, these girls were great friends. She didn’t think she had anything to worry about with Silver Spoon, but she did appreciate them.

Pinkie Pie turned to Starlight and smiled, “She’s here, girls!”

“Ugh, finally,” Silver Spoon rose up and walked over to her, as usual carrying herself with an air of self importance, “Your royal guards were beginning to make me feel unwelcome.”

Behind her, Rainbow Dash flipped Silver Spoon the middle finger.

“They’re just trying to look out for me,” Starlight said, choosing to keep her tone neutral. She asked Silver Spoon what this was about, and much as she suspected, Silver Spoon turned away somewhat tense.

“Could we, talk privately,” she requested stiffly. Starlight mouthed out if this was about Diamond, and she nodded. Realizing she didn’t want to put Diamond’s business out there, Starlight took a breath and told everyone she needed some private time with Silver Spoon.

“You sure you don’t want someone watching you two?” Trixie asked.

“It’ll be fine,” Starlight said, nursing her Channeling Ring, “I think this is important, and personal.”

Trixie caught on, as she nodded, “Gotcha. Alright Dash, Pinkie Pie, let’s leave her to it,” she held the brim of her hat, showing the two of them her Channeling Ring. Both of them nodded, Pinkie rubbing her ring, and Rainbow flexing the hand she wore hers on.

“Understood,” Rainbow Dash said, giving Silver another sharp look.

“See you tonight, Starlight,” Pinkie smiled. As the two of them left, Trixie hugged Starlight from behind comfortingly, before following suit. Silver looked at the ring on Starlight’s finger and frowned.

“That some sort of gang symbol?” she asked, “I noticed all four of you have them.”

“Something like that,” Starlight said, feeling like she could be somewhat honest at least, “The four of us are forming a Witch’s Coven together.”

Silver’s eyes widened, “Seriously? So like, the whole goth thing you got is because you’re a witch?”

“Kinda,” Starlight folded her arms, “Really these days, I just like the style. Me being a goth is separate from me being a witch.”

Silver nodded with a somewhat intrigued look, “Well, I guess that makes sense. Just so long as none of you put a freaky hex on me.”

“So long as you don’t give us a reason to,” Starlight said playfully. She loved how Silver Spoon shuddered slightly at that.

“God you’re freaky…” she muttered, “Anyway, like you guessed, it’s Diamond. I’m, getting worried about her…”

song: Living with Determination

Starlight’s smile faded at that, “What happened?”

“Apparently, Diamond and her father had a really bad fight,” Silver explained, “I, guess she hasn’t told you. Diamond’s father is super strict but kinda distant. Really, he only ever talks to her to give her instructions or criticize her behavior.”

Starlight nodded, letting Silver continue. She had a feeling it was something like that.

“See, when you live the upper crust lifestyle like us, you’re expected to carry yourself in a certain way,” Silver said, standing up straight to present herself to Starlight, “Poised, proper, and with dignity. One could say much like royalty.”

Well, that explained why Silver just radiated this “I’m more important” air at all times. She was raised to believe that was required, it seemed. She really did feel like a Princess or a Queen, kind of like Pinkie Pie, but not as sweet.

She could, kind of see that on Diamond. She did have the air of royalty, even down to wearing a tiara everywhere. Yet there was definitely something more free and approachable about her. Starlight commented on this, and Silver nodded.

“She’s always been different. She enjoys spending time with common folk because as she puts it, they’re more genuine,” Silver folded her arms and turned away, “Fun fact, I’m her only friend who’s Upper Class like her. We’ve been friends since elementary school. Anyone else from our circle, she's cut ties with for one reason or another.”

That, was a bit surprising. But then again, when Starlight thought about it, all of the people Diamond hung out with were, normal. The other cheerleaders, Trixie, herself, she was pretty sure she saw Diamond sitting with Rainbow Dash once while eating lunch, and they seemed to get along pretty well.

Silver, was really her only friend who was rich like her…

“Mr. Rich has been trying to groom Diamond to one day inherit his business and his funds,” Silver continued, rubbing her arm, “She has great business sense, and she’s super responsible, but she’s completely resistant to the full Upper Crust lifestyle, since that’d mean she’d be expected to present herself more, well…”

“I take it, she’d be expected to give up being a cheerleader?” Starlight asked.

“Maybe. I know that Rich doesn’t like that she does it. Says it sends the wrong image.” Silver closed her eyes, “If it was just the fighting, then I’d be okay. Sure I’d be worried, but, kids fight with their parents. But after that last big fight, Diamond’s changed. Last time at Pep Squad, she got super into it. She looked almost like a stripper with how she was dancing, and afterward, one of the boys watching her started flirting with her, and the way she pressed herself onto him,” she took a breath, “She keeps saying things like “I’m a slut, right? I’m just playing the part”.”

If all he sees is a cheap slut, then fine! That’s what I am!

Starlight’s eyes widened. That was when the Dungeon shifted! At the very least, that was when the shift started!

“That’s, not all,” Silver said in a quiet voice, “I think, Diamond has… that Nightmare thing…”

“What, makes you think she has the Nightmare Epidemic?” Starlight asked, trying to keep her tone measured.

“She told me about this dream she has every night,” Silver said, trembling a bit, “One where she’s in a strip club, and is the top dancer working there. She keeps saying it’s nothing to worry about, but, every night for the last week or so? That’s not normal! And they say that it starts with good dreams, until…” she then, started crying, “If she has it, she’s going to die, and I…!”

Starlight reached out to touch her arm to comfort her, and was immediately hit with a wave of terror.

No no no no no…! I can’t lose her…! She’s my only friend left…! Without her, I'll be alone again...!

Starlight sucked in a breath, and then bit her lip. She’d thought some pretty shitty things about Silver Spoon, and she wasn’t a nice person at all, but from what she was feeling, one thing was for certain.

Silver Spoon’s friendship with Diamond Tiara, was genuine.

“Hey hey, don’t give up yet,” Starlight said softly, “Diamond Tiara isn’t going to die.”

“But she has it…!” Silver sobbed, “And they don’t have a cure for it, yet!”

Starlight took a deep breath, “What if I told you, that some people have, survived it recently.”

Silver slowly looked up at Starlight, “What do you… mean…?”

She knew she couldn’t tell Silver Spoon everything, but she had to tell her something. With how upset she was, she needed something to get peace of mind.

“What I’m about to tell you, doesn’t leave this dorm, alright?” Starlight said softly. Silver, looked at Starlight intently and then nodded, “Good. I know a few people who had the Nightmare Epidemic, and they were able to survive.”

“They have? Like, who?” Silver asked carefully.

“Well for one, Pinkie Pie,” Starlight said, “That whole thing with that magazine and the sexual harassment? How Pinkie Pie for a bit became super shallow?”

Silver nodded slowly, “It, was similar to Diamond, yes.”

“Now, Pinkie Pie had it much worse than Diamond does now. Since the dreams are still good, she can be saved easily,” Starlight said.

“You’re talking as if, you know something,” Silver said carefully, “Like, you know what to do, for her.”

Starlight bit her lip, and nodded, “I, have an idea at least. All I can say is, let me work my magic on this, alright?” she smiled warmly, “Diamond Tiara, will be just fine.”

Silver looked at Starlight uncertain, “You, sound like you actually believe this. You promise she’ll be alright? That you’re not just selling lines to make your Coven look cool?”

“If I’m lying, and if Diamond Tiara does die from this, you have my permission to slander my good name as much as you want,” Starlight said, looking Silver dead in the eyes. She seemed to get the message, cause Silver slowly nodded.

“Alright. I’ll, believe in you, and whatever your magic can do,” Silver said stiffly, “But understand that this sounds insane.”

“Oh I'm aware...” Starlight sighed, “Just trust, that Diamond is my friend too, alright? I just want to do what I can to help her.”

“We can agree on that much as least,” Silver Spoon sighed, “Alright then. So, what do we do, Witch?”

So now she was “Witch?” Well, it was better than being called “Suicidal Goth Bitch”, so she’d take it.

“For now, we need to gauge how Diamond is in the waking world,” Starlight said, “If I can get a feel for her emotions, I can see how bad off she is, and how much danger she’s in.”

Silver Spoon took a breath and nodded, “Alright. I’m supposed to be meeting up with her on South Street, but I left my dorm early to speak with you. You’re coming too, Witch.”

Starlight rolled her eyes and went to sign herself out. She then frowned to herself, as something Silver Spoon said caught her attention.

Did Silver Spoon, live on campus…?

For another time. For now, they needed to get to Diamond Tiara.

Daytime

song: Troubled - Persona 3

The air between them was a bit tense as they made their way to South Street. Starlight didn’t know what to expect when she saw Diamond Tiara, but she knew that when they arrived at the usual meeting spot, both she and Silver Spoon were shocked.

For one, Diamond was wearing different clothes. Instead of her usual brightly colored clothes that were just provocative enough while still being tasteful, this time she was wearing a super skimpy red bustier top that showed way too much cleavage, black jacket, black mini skirt that stopped right under her butt, fishnet stockings, and black high heels. She noticeably wasn’t wearing her tiara right now, and her makeup was much darker and more pronounced. She seriously looked like a stripper like this.

But the two boys with her made Starlight’s heart leap out of her chest. Rover, and another of the Diamond Dogs!

“Um, Starlight?” Silver said shakily, “Those two with Diamond, they’re…”

“I know,” Starlight said frowning, “We have to get her away from them.” she took off toward them, Silver Spoon following suit. When she saw them, Diamond’s eyes lit up.

“Starlight, Silver!” she waved to them. Her tone and entire air felt off.

“Diamond, please come over here,” Starlight said, keeping her voice measured.

“It’s alright. These guys and I were just getting to know each other,” Diamond said turning to Rover, “Right?”

“That’s right, no harm done Little Star,” Rover said with a smirk, “We were just telling your friend here that she’s kinda the perfect fit for our group. She’s even got the right name for it.”

“Don’t even think about recruiting her!” Starlight said immediately, Morgana’s presence now looming over her. In her peripheral, she saw Silver’s eyes widen looking at her.

Rover raised his head and then got up, walking up to Starlight and looming over her.

“S-Starlight…!” Silver whispered harshly.

“Don’t overstep your boundaries,” Rover said dangerously, “Dirty Diamond ain’t here for you to hide behind this time.”

That confirmed it. Rarity was this "Dirty Diamond".

“I don’t need to hide behind anyone,” Starlight narrowed her eyes, letting Morgana speak through her, “Diamond Tiara is my friend, and I know enough about your group to know it’s the last place she should be. I’ll do whatever it takes to keep her safe, with or without “Dirty Diamond’s” help.”

Rover looked at her intently, and then chuckled. He then burst out laughing, holding his head he was laughing so hard, “This is rich! I haven’t had this much fun in ages!” he looked at her with a wide grin, “Know what? I’mma let you have this one, Little Star! Just cause I like your spunk!” he leaned in close to her ear, “But I always get what I want, and you’re lookin’ like a lot of fun.”

Starlight tensed a bit at that, but took a deep breath to remain calm. She really didn’t want to get wrapped up with this group, but they were connected to Rarity, so...

“Hey, you got my number now,” Rover said to Diamond, “You ever feel like experiencin’ something more ‘wild and untamed’, hit me up.”

Diamond chuckled and smirked, “I’ll think about it. Take care, Rover~”

Rover gave her an upward nod and walked off. His friend, who hadn’t left Diamond’s side, gave her a slight smirk and then left after his leader.

Once alone, Starlight took a deep breath to calm herself down, and then walked over to Diamond, “Are you okay?”

Diamond huffed, “Yes, I’m alright. We were just talking.”

“But Diamond, you know who those two are, right?” Silver Spoon asked stepping forward, glancing at Starlight briefly, “They were members of that gang, the Diamond Dogs.”

“Yeah, I know,” Diamond said, “Rover told me he’s the leader.”

“W-what?! He’s the leader?!” Silver cried, “Diamond, that’s not okay!”

“What do you mean?” Diamond crossed her legs and folded her arms, “It’s not like I was in any trouble or anything. They were actually really cool.”

“Not in any trouble? Um, did you not see what happened just now?!” Silver Spoon cried, “That guy looked like he was going to hurt Starlight!”

“I doubt he was going to actually hurt Starlight, Spoony,” Diamond dismissed, “He said he likes to play up the whole rough and tough angle to fuck around with people, but really, he’s a sweetheart.”

“How do you know that?” Starlight asked, “You just met him.”

“Yeah, but I know a bit about their group from what I heard on the news,” Diamond adjusted her legs, “They’re rough, and they did break the law a few times in the past, but they just abide by their own justice. Their own rules. Most of the time, they were just trying to live freely. Honestly, sounds like my kinda gig.”

Starlight’s eyes widened. She, wasn’t considering joining them, was she…?

“Diamond, you’re scaring me,” Silver Spoon said, sitting beside Diamond, “Please tell me, you’re joking.”

“Do I look like I’m joking?” Diamond said sharply, “It’s my life, to do what I please with it,” she leaned in and narrowed her eyes, “So which side are you on, Spoony? My side, or his?”

Silver tensed a this, as did Starlight. She assumed she was talking about her father. Honestly, Diamond was sounding like a completely different person now.

“Diamond, you know I’m your best friend,” Silver said, “I’m just, worried is all.”

“Yeah, well don’t worry about me,” Diamond said closing her eyes, “Nothing bad’s happening to me.”

Ooooh, if only she knew the truth…

“So, to change the subject,” Diamond got up and smiled at Starlight, “Now that we’re all together, let’s get some lunch. My treat.”

Starlight was going to try and say something, but felt Apsaras appear beside her holding her shoulder. She then shook her head.

“Now isn’t the time to act. We know more about the situation, so let’s leave it here for now.”

Starlight sighed internally, and then smiled, “Alright. Let’s go.”

“What?! But what abou-” Starlight shot Silver a look and shook her head. She then took a breath, “Fine. Let’s go.”

Diamond beamed, smiling like the real Diamond just now, “Perfect! Let’s go girls! Time to paint the town red~!”

As Diamond sashayed off, flipping her hair as per usual, Silver got up and walked over to Starlight, “What are you doing?! You see what’s happening to her, right?!”

“I do, which is why I’m going along with this for now,” Starlight said, “If we fight her too much on this, she’ll run the other way, and her Nightmare will just get worse. I promised, didn’t I?”

Silver closed her eyes and nodded, “Alright. I’ll trust you,” Silver Spoon conceded. Starlight sighed in relief and followed after Diamond, Silver beside her. Despite the tension, Starlight did come away with a bit more of an understanding of what Diamond was going through. She felt she became significantly closer to Diamond Tiara.

Despite the tension in the air, the three of them did have fun together. Starlight and Silver even traded numbers before parting. One thing this ordeal seemed to be doing right, it was helping them bond a bit.

Late Night

The Phase

song: Qualia - Blue Reflection

Starlight shared what happened with everyone once they had all gathered in the Akashic Records in front of the door to Elysium.

“Shit,” Rainbow Dash muttered, “You really think she’d join the Diamond Dogs?”

“Based on what Silver told me about her home life, I could easily see her doing that,” Starlight said, “She’d view it as a perfect way to get control of her life.”

“I can almost guarantee that the complete opposite would happen if she joined up with those guys,” Trixie said, “I don’t even want to know what they’d do to her if she joined them.”

“Um, this is bad yes, but can we go back to the part where YOU TOLD SILVER SPOON ABOUT US SAVING VICTIMS OF THE NIGHTMARE?!”

“I had to tell her something,” Starlight said.

“No, you didn’t!” Twilight protested, “You could have just given her some comforting words, or just said ‘I’m sorry’ or something like that!”

“Far as she’s concerned, the Nightmare Epidemic is a death sentence!” Starlight argued, “There was nothing I could say to make her feel better! I had to give her hope!”

“And so you told her that we’ve rescued people from the Nightmare Epidemic?! That magic is real, and you’re a real live witch?!”

“I felt how afraid she was that she was going to lose Diamond!”

“You could have jeopardized our entire mission! If the Kirijo Group were to find out about this-”

“My mission is to bring hope and light to the people around me! I’m not with the Kirijo Group!”

“STOP IT! BOTH OF YOU!” Pinkie Pie shouted, catching everyone’s attention, “I know it was risky, but I for one am happy that she told Silver about me.”

“What?! She gave away classified-”

“What if Silver Spoon ended up with a Dungeon?” Pinkie Pie asked, “They’re made from feelings of despair, right? If she thought that Diamond was going to die, she could have easily formed a Dungeon herself.”

“Okay, maybe that’s true,” Twilight said looking away, “But still. We have a mission here. We’re representatives of the Kirijo Group, and what Starlight told Silver counts as classified information.”

“While yes, she did take a risk,” Celestia said, sipping tea on her couch, “The truth of the matter is, Pinkie Pie is right that by telling Silver that we can save Diamond, she could have just staved off another Dungeon forming, and we’re still trying to find where Rarity’s Dungeon is.”

“Sorry Mission Control, but I’m siding with Pinkie Pie and our Leader on this one,” Rainbow Dash said from her terminal, “We got our hands full enough as is. We don’t need ANOTHER Dungeon forming while we’re still trying to find one and get to another.”

Twilight closed her eyes and huffed, “Alright. Fair point. Sorry I blew up like that. I’m just trying to follow protocol here.”

“There’s a time to follow rules, and a time to break them,” Celestia got up and handed Twilight a cookie, “If its to save a life, I’d say it’s always time for the latter.”

Twilight took a deep breath and took the cookie, “Guess that’s true. Again, sorry Starlight.”

“It’s alright Twilight,” Starlight said, “I promise, I won’t make a habit of it.”

“At the very least, that’s a relief,” Twilight said, biting into the cookie. Oatmeal Raisin, her favorite, “Guess this means we can’t fail, right?”

“With our track record? Come now Twi-Twi, have a bit of faith in us~” Twilight flinched at the sound of her apparent nickname.

“My name, is Twilight,” she grumbled before putting her headset on, activating the Remote Viewing System, “Ignoring Lulamoon, shall we be on our way?”

Starlight nodded, turning to door, “Yeah. Let’s get moving!” all of them summoned their weapons and walked through the large golden doors to Elysium. Unbeknownst to them however, their actions were observed by one who had begun exploring the library regularly, searching for answers.

Instead, she found other witches.

“What’s behind that door, I wonder,” Adagio asked herself, closing the book she’d been reading. Chrysalis and Sunset had urged her not to go into any of the black doors scattered around without them, but that one was golden. Surely if she stayed close behind those other girls she’d be alright.

And her curiosity had to be slated.

Yesod: Lvl 13

The Checkpoint let them off right underneath the final floor of Yesod. There, they saw the Shadow guarding the way to the next floor. This one being a very large and very powerful looking Jack Frost. For the most part he looked the same, but his eyes seemed to have a red hue to them, and his usual smile was a toothy grin.

Starlight found the sight to be somewhat unnerving to look at.

song: DNF FW15C -ii- - Blue Reflection

“We don’t know what this one is capable of, so brace yourselves!” Twilight urged.

“This guys Ice, so leave it to me!” Trixie summoned her Persona, “Light ‘em up, Elenora!”

Her Persona spun around behind her, seemingly more enthusiastic than normal. Elenora held her hands out and tossed two powerful Fire Balls at Jack Frost, knocking him to the ground.

“Whoa! Trixie, you’re on fire!” Pinkie Pie chirped, “Was that your normal Agi?”

“That, was Agilao,” Trixie said, “Felt it come to me when we came here, so I went with it,” she turned to Starlight, “So Mistress, shall we wail on him?”

Mistress? She liked that. She liked that a lot.

“Yeah! All Out Attack! GO!” Starlight commanded, holding out her scythe. Beside her, Trixie, Dash, and Pinkie all got their weapons out and wailed on Jack Frost. He fought them back pretty easily, eventually pushing Starlight and Rainbow Dash back, both of them sliding away from him.

“Okay, that didn’t work!” Rainbow Dash said through gritted teeth.

“Careful! He’s erecting a shield!” Twilight cried, just as Jack Frost cast Fire Wall on himself.

“Ugh! I hate it when they do that…” Trixie pouted.

Two can play that game then, Starlight thought as she readied her ring, “BICORN!!!” she called out, summoning him and casting Ice Wall on Trixie. That way she’d be resistant to his spells.

“Persona!” Pinkie Pie cried, summoning Serenity and casting Tarukaja on Rainbow Dash, who was already reading her Channeling Ring.

“Come forth, my inner self!” Rainbow Dash proclaimed, summoning Eclair Farron and holding her blade into the air. Immediately a bolt of lightning shot down on top of Jack Frost, damaging him while Trixie cast Sukukaja on Starlight, increasing her speed. Just in time as Jack Frost charged up a magic attack.

He held his arms into the air and cast a powerful Ice spell that hit everyone, doing massive damage on them. Thankfully no one was hurt, but still.

Just as he threw a punch at Starlight, she dodged and then readied her own Channeling Ring, “JACK FROST!!!” she called out, switching to her own version of their opponent. She then cast Rakunda on him to weaken his body, praying that he didn’t have the same spell.

“Help’s on the way!” Pinkie Pie assured, summoning Serenity and casting Media on everyone. This time, Rainbow Dash and Trixie began assaulting Jack Frost with their default weapons; Dash front and center with her broad sword charged with electricity, and Trixie providing cover fire by tossing explosive cards at him.

Eventually, Jack Frost charged past Rainbow Dash to Pinkie Pie, tackling her into a nearby wall. She cried out in pain, but was then grabbed by the neck and held up by Jack Frost against the wall as he prepared another Ice spell.

“Damn it!” Rainbow Dash cried, “Leader, we gotta save her!”

Starlight nodded, “MORGANA!!!” she shouted, shifting to her main Persona. She then felt something stir within her, and her attention went to Trixie, who was looking at her holding her hand to her heart. She felt it too, didn’t she?

The two Witches stood back to back, and then held their hands outward, “GO FORTH, OUR PERSONAS!”

Both Morgana and Elenora manifested at the same time and charged at Jack Frost. They then took turns assaulting Jack Frost; Morgana slashing three times pushing him back away from Pinkie Pie, and then Elenora delivering a series of flame engulfed kicks at the snowman. Morgana then followed suit by drilling into Jack Frost, pushing him further back, and Elenora threw a series of fire balls at the offending Shadow. The assault ended with the two Personas standing beside each other, holding their hands out, ready to strike.

Morgana nodded to Elenora, who nodded to her in return. The two Personas charged at Jack Frost, slashing in an X through Jack Frost, doing enough damage to knock him down.

“Pinkie Pie!” Rainbow cried running to her aid, “Are you okay?”

“Mhm. I’m alright Dashie,” Pinkie Pie assured as Dash helped her up, “Thanks everyone. That was super close.”

“No problem,” Starlight said, still reeling from the rush of that attack. They’d have to remember that technique.

“The enemy’s down!” Rainbow called out, “Your call, Leader!”

“All Out Attack!” Starlight commanded. Once again the group unleashed everything they had onto their fallen opponent, who took a bit longer to get up this time.

“Dashie, let’s try something like that double attack too!” Pinkie Pie requested.

Rainbow Dash nodded, "Got it! I know just how to trigger it, too," she said scooping Pinkie Pie into her arms. She caressed her cheek, and the two of them kissed deeply and lovingly. Behind them, Eclair Farron and Serenity emerged, already in each others’ arms. They then turned to Jack Frost and charged at the same time.

Eclair Farron stopped first, sliding and firing her gun sword at Jack Frost, knocking him down. She then held up her blade, casting Zio not on him, but on Serenity.

Serenity took in the lightning, and let out what could only be a Super Saiyan cry as her entire body was engulfed in electricity. She then smirk and charged at Jack Frost, where she then delivered a barrage of rapid punches and kicks at the poor Shadow, each attack getting increasingly faster and faster until she kicked him into the air with a back flip kick. The attack ended with Eclair Farron shooting into the air and slashing him with her blade, landing behind him as he fell to the ground.

That seemed to do him in, as he faded into black mist.

song: Qualia - Blue Reflection

“That, was amazing!” Twilight cried, her wisp flying around, “W-what were those attacks?!”

“Unsure,” Trixie said looking down, “It kind of just, came to me, you know? When I saw Starlight switch to Morgana, I felt Elenora stir within me. Like she wanted to be beside Morgana.”

Starlight nodded in agreement. She was suddenly flooded with thoughts of Trixie, like she needed to be beside her. When she thought about it, it kinda did feel like Morgana wanted to be close to Elenora.

“Yeah yeah! That’s how it was for me too!” Pinkie Pie said, “When I saw what you two did, I felt Serenity get super excited at the thought of doing the same with Eclair Farron!”

“Guess it makes sense when you think about it,” Rainbow Dash said looking at her ring, “I mean, these things are us, right?”

“Essentially yes,” Twilight said, “They’re your Shadows, controlled and channeled into a form that you can somewhat control. That said, they’re separate enough where they’d react to certain stimuli outside of your input.”

“This is a good edge we can use against the Shadows,” Dash said, turning to Starlight, “Hey Leader, let’s call these Double Techniques, since they need two Personas to use them.”

Starlight nodded in agreement to this. This was a good idea on how they could make upcoming fights a lot easier going forward.

For now though, they looked at where Jack Frost was, where they saw a staircase surrounded by chains. As soon as Starlight approached it, the chains broke away, allowing them to pass through.

“We can move onward,” Starlight said to her team, “Let’s go!” she ran up the stairs, her fellow Witches and Twilight’s wisp following suit.

“So that’s what these Personas are capable of…” Adagio said, now looking at her Channeling Ring. She managed to stay hidden and just watched, observing them fight. She was ready to start singing if they needed help, but it seemed like they had it covered for the most part.

Still, she wondered what they were even doing here. She'd have to keep following them, if nothing else to learn more about how to use this power she was given.

song: Breakthrough.exe - Blue Reflection

Hod: Lvl 1

“There! I got a hit!” Twilight cried suddenly.

“Diamond’s Dungeon?” Starlight asked.

“It’s definitely in this section! I think I can even pinpoint where it is if you get a bit higher,” Twilight said.

Starlight thanked Twilight and proceeded ahead. This floor looked similar to the last one, but Starlight could tell that the walls were a bit more vibrantly colored than the last one. More and more the inside was beginning to look like a church.

As they explored, they saw a cluster of enemies ahead. She went to slash it, but the cluster turned just in time, splitting into three Shadows. One was a Makami, but the other two were new faces. One looked like an Oni with gray skin and horns, with black hair and wearing white robes. Oddly it had no arms.

The other new face was female, and looked like a maiden with long black hair, wearing very skimpy white robes that cut off just under her rear, and Starlight had a feeling she was going commando, but was unsure why she got that impression. She had two fans, one in each hand, and a third fan shaped hat that covered her face.

“Okay, so we’re seeing some new faces here,” Twilight said, “The male one is identified as Take-Minakata, and the female one is Ame no Uzume.”

Before any of them could move, Take-Minakata charged up a spell, hitting all four of them with a lightning spell. The girls fell back from the attack, but Dash seemed to power through it, and then glared at Makami.

“Oh no you don’t!” she said holding up her sword and Channeling Ring, “You ain’t getting a hit on me! ZIO!!!”

Eclair Farron raised her blade, and a lightning bolt shot down on top of Makami, knocking him to the ground, “Hey Mission Control, what’s their weaknesses? You know?”

“I think the other two are weak to psychic!” Twilight said, “Starlight, you have a Persona who can us that, right?”

“I do!” Starlight confirmed, “Mind if I take over, Dash?”

“Go for it, Leader!” Dash said, giving Starlight a High Five.

BATON PASS!!!

“MATADOR!!!” she shouted, shifting to said Persona and firing a psychic wave at the demonic Take-Minakata, knocking him down. She then quickly fired the same psychic spell at Ame no Uzume. Rather than finishing them off, Starlight focused to see if she resonated with any of the Shadows present. She already had Makami in her compendium, but she didn’t feel a resonance with Take-Minakata yet. Close, but not quite there.

But she could definitely feel Ame no Uzume.

Starlight reached out to her with her Empathy. This Persona, they were a good person, just trying to make someone happy. Seemed like someone close to them needed some cheering up, and she wanted to make them feel better.

That, was kind of like what she did with Silver Spoon. Yeah, she understood that feeling pretty well actually.

Realizing they were alike, Ame no Uzume sighed in relief and smiled, flying into Starlight’s Channeling Ring. She felt somewhat overloaded, so she chose to let go of Pixie for now, since both of them were of the Lovers Arcana.

In the confusion Makami and Take-Minakata ran off.

“What Arcana is that one?” Pinkie Pie asked Starlight.

“Lovers, like yours,” Starlight answered.

“How do you keep up with so many Personas?” Rainbow Dash asked as they continued walking forward toward the stairs.

“I’m actually curious myself,” Twilight asked, “I don’t know much about how the Trickster works. Do you just, carry all of them with you?”

Starlight shook her head, explaining to them a bit about how the Velvet Room worked, and how Victor managed the Compendium for her.

“Is Victor that one guy I sometimes see reading in the Akashic Records?” Pinkie Pie asked. Starlight nodded, a bit surprised that others noticed him.

“I’ve seen him a few times in the park too, I think,” Trixie said, “Usually reading a newspaper. He’s always sitting on the same bench.”

“He manages your Compendium of Personas, you said?” Twilight asked, “Wow. I, don’t know what the Kirijo Group would have done about that, then…”

“Twilight?” Pinkie asked, “Are you okay? You sound kind of sad.”

“Yeah. I’m okay,” Twilight said softly, “The stairs are to your left. Hurry through, so you don’t attract the Reaper.”

Starlight and co. made it to the stairs without much issue, going straight up to the next area.

Hod: Lvl 4

Sadly they needed to go a bit higher to get an accurate read on where Diamond’s Dungeon was. That said, once they made it to the fourth floor of this section, Twilight stopped them.

“Found her!” Twilight exclaimed, “Her Dungeon’s on the tenth floor!”

“Almost there,” Trixie said rubbing Starlight’s back, “We just need to keep pushing a bit longer.”

“True, but I’m starting to hit my limit a bit,” Pinkie Pie said falling to her knees, “I’m sorry Starlight.”

Starlight shook her head, “No, that’s alright. Really I’m starting to get a bit tired myself. We made a lot of progress today.”

“This area’s a Safe Zone, so there’s a Checkpoint here,” Twilight said, “I think, we can make it in one more run. Failing that, two.”

“I have a bit more information on Rarity that we can use, but, would you mind if we came back here tomorrow to try and rescue Diamond?” Starlight asked Twilight.

“Actually, I was going to recommend that myself,” she answered, “Once we rescue your friend, we’ll be able to put our full focus on finding Rarity’s Dungeon.”

Starlight nodded and asked the rest of the group if that was okay.

“Damn right it’s okay,” Rainbow Dash nodded, “If we’re this close, might as well just go for broke, right?”

“Besides, the sooner we save Diamond, the sooner Silver can relax too,” Pinkie Pie added.

“You know my stance,” Trixie smiled, “Wherever you go, Starlight, I go.”

Starlight sighed in relief, “Thanks girls. You’re all the best,” she turned to Twilight’s wisp, “All of you.”

“W-whatever,” Twilight stammered, probably rolling her eyes, “The Checkpoint is set up, so let’s get out of here.”

The group collectively left the Tower through the Checkpoint, where they rested a bit before returning to their bodies. This and tomorrow would be tiring, but they could do it. Starlight knew that they could do it.

Just a bit more, and Diamond Tiara at least would be safe.

song: Qualia - Blue Reflection

Adagio waited till they all left, and then used the same door to leave out as well. She was a bit surprised when she saw that it took her right to the entrance again. Once she returned, she saw them all sitting at a table just talking. Part of her wanted to join them, as they seemed nice. But she did know that Chrysalis warned her that another group of Witches were trying to stop Nyx’s blessing onto the world.

Was she talking about these girls? They, didn’t seem that bad. But still…

“I’ll watch them a bit longer,” she decided after a bit, her eyes lingering on the one who seemed to be the leader. Like Chrysalis, her Dream Form seemed more overtly witch like. Also, she used multiple Personas.

It was exactly the same power as…

Author's Note

Fool – Seekers of Light: 5/10
Magician – Trixie Lulamoon: 8/10 :heart:
Priestess – Diamond Tiara: 7/10 LEVEL UP!!!!
The Empress – Ms. Tia: 4/10
The Lovers - Pinkamena Diane Pie: 2/10
Chariot – Rainbow Dash: 2/10
Strength - Tokugawa Fluttershy: 1/5
The Devil – Silver Spoon: 3/10
Hermit – Sunburst: 2/10
Transformation - Ms. Luna: 1/10

Click here to support the GoFund I've started for my parents.

10/15

October 15th, 2019
Monday
Cloudy

Lunch Time

song: School Days - Persona

As soon as Starlight made it to the courtyard to eat lunch, she found Rainbow Dash wrapping an arm around her.

“Hey Starlight! Got the next lesson plan all figured out for ya!” she grinned, “Figure with us going into Elysium tonight, and Rarity’s Dungeon right around the corner, we should probably get back to training.”

Right. Dash still was using video games to train her. Well, she was ahead in her studies, and with everything going on today, she needed a break.

“Alright,” Starlight replied, “Let’s do it.”

“Sweet! See ya after school then!” Dash said, walking off to catch up with Pinkie Pie no doubt. Starlight hadn’t been able to catch Diamond today, but that was alright. Hopefully they’d be done with this by tonight, and she could just enjoy Pep Squad without Diamond being in danger.

After School

song: Like a Dream Come True

Rainbow Dash and Starlight met up at the front gate of the school, where they spent the time walking back to the dorm talking about various things. Starlight was amazed by how easy it was for her and Rainbow to get along, as they didn’t really talk much one on one like this.

She’d definitely have to change that.

One of the things that Starlight found really interesting about Rainbow Dash was her love for video games. It didn’t seem like just an obsessive hobby to her. Rather this was something she loved as much as Starlight loved magic. Made sense then, that her Persona would be a JRPG protagonist.

The two of them worked on their homework together, with Starlight helping Dash with math. Once that was finished, the two got started with Starlight’s latest lesson in being a Shonen Protagonist.

“Alright, so I wasn’t sure what the next lesson would be,” Rainbow Dash said kneeling before her and Pinkie’s shelf of games, “But I talked it over with Pinkie Pie, and she brought up a pretty good point,” Starlight tilted her head, “Teamwork. You gotta get used to working in a unit with people. Not that you don’t do a good job with it now.”

Starlight nodded, understanding what she meant. She was doing fine now, but for the battles ahead, she couldn’t afford to rest on her laurels too long.

“So, figured this would be the best game for your next lesson,” she picked out a game and showed it to Starlight. On the cover were a number of characters, but the one that stood out to her was a boy with short brown hair and red clothes, wielding twin swords.

“Tales, of Symphonia?” Starlight asked.

“Remember when I told you Pinkie Pie and I played a game together, and got so into it that we started seeing the world like that game?” Starlight nodded, “This was the game. The Tales of games are action RPGs. Combat wise, you control one character, and the computer handles your party members. AI’s pretty smart too, so you really feel like you’re working with other people.”

Starlight looked at the game box intrigued. That, did sound like something she could learn from.

“Really though, the story is the main draw of the game,” Rainbow Dash continued, “Guess it doesn’t really matter as we’re gonna be focusing on the combat, though.”

“What’s the game about?” Starlight asked, surprising Dash a bit.

“Oh? Well I don’t wanna spoil everything, but it starts out as a pretty standard JRPG story. The world you live in has begun to lose its life force energy, called Mana. The main character Lloyd, he’s the guy in red, is best friends with the Chosen One, who’s supposed to go around their world and break the seals holding Mana back, which will then save the world. Along the way, they fight this organization of Half Elves called the Desians, who are essentially fantasy Nazis even down to their ideology. Seriously, they capture humans and put them in what they call “Human Ranches”, which are literally just Concentration Camps by another name.”

Starlight was a bit surprised that such powerful themes were in this game. Looking at the box, it looked so colorful and upbeat, and there were representations of Nazis in this?

“And in terms of the story, that’s about all I can say without spoiling something MAJOR,” Rainbow Dash said, surprising Starlight, “JRPGs are all about the plot twists, the Tales of games especially. That one has a plot twist in it that quite literally, changes the entire tone of the story by the 1/8th mark, if not sooner.”

“Huh,” Starlight looked back at the game. She knew that they were doing this mostly for training, but she was really curious about the story if this one, “Could I maybe, start my own file on this game? I think I want to experience this story for myself.”

“What am I gonna do, say no?” Rainbow Dash beamed, “You pretty consistently have multiple members of your party in the game, so we can train while enjoying the story. Gives me a chance to enjoy it all over again.”

Starlight couldn’t help but smile herself. Rainbow Dash’s innocent love for video games was truly infectious.

The game drew Starlight in the moment it started. It had a full on anime opening with a song that she thought was absolutely beautiful. She then went through the beginning of the game with Rainbow Dash, who ultimately decided to take one of the other characters as well.

Fighting games were fun, but playing this game with Rainbow Dash was even more fun.

There were three characters to start with. The main character, Lloyd, Genis a spellcaster, and shockingly, the girl who was supposed to be the Chosen One, Collete. Starlight thought she’d just be a helpless damsel, but she was fighting just as hard as everyone else.

Starlight tried all three of them at Dash’s request, to see which one she liked most. Ultimately she stuck with Genis, who only knew a few spells, but still just felt right to her. Dash as such, took Lloyd in combat.

Combat was a lot of fun, and Rainbow Dash just made it more so. The characters would call out their attacks in true anime fashion, and Rainbow Dash was right there with Lloyd. It got to the point where Starlight started doing the same! They both got so into it that if they took damage, they’d even flinch, and after a tough boss fight, they were both exhausted.

They managed to get pretty far in the game, up to the part where the starting village was destroyed by the Desians. Only reason they stopped was because they knew Ms. Tia was almost done with dinner.

“I, enjoyed that way more than I thought I would,” Starlight beamed, making Dash laugh.

“Awesome! Looks like I managed to get another into the series!” Rainbow Dash said jovially, “You really got into it, too. I didn’t expect you to tune into Genis’ thoughts so quickly when Iselia got destroyed. You were ready to follow alongside Lloyd before he even said it.”

“I just, thought about what I’d do if we were in that situation,” Starlight looked down, “If you were Lloyd, and I were Genis. I would have stood by you just like he did.”

Rainbow Dash’s eyes widened a bit, “Really? You’d have, stuck beside me, even if I got exiled or something.”

“Absolutely,” Starlight answered, “We may not have known each other too long, but I never turn my back on friends.”

Rainbow Dash smiled, “Huh. Good to know. Thanks, Starlight.”

Starlight didn’t know why, but she got the feeling something she said really affected Rainbow Dash in a good light. She felt significantly closer to Rainbow Dash.

“Hey, let’s see if we can convince Pinkie Pie, Lulamoon, and Twilight to join us after dinner,” Dash said getting up “We’ll be getting more party members soon, and if we can get a controller in your girlfriend’s hands, we can actually try something Pinkie Pie and I have wanted to do for a while.”

Starlight nodded getting up too. Right as they were about to leave, Dash turned to the game screen.

“Oh yeah, should probably save and turn that off. Leave it to me,” Dash held her hands out, and started moving them in various ways, making the game screen move on its own.

Starlight was wide eyed, seeing Dash save the game without even touching the controller. She even turned the system off.

“That, was your technomancy, wasn’t it?” Starlight asked, “One of the two things you got in the Akashic Records?”

“Yep,” Rainbow Dash smiled, “I don’t actually need a controller to play anymore, but I like the feeling of one in my hand. Still, I like fucking around with it, and never know when it’ll come in handy. Anyway, let’s go eat.”

Starlight nodded following Rainbow Dash. Ultimately, they did manage to get Trixie to play with them, and all of them enjoyed their time together before going into the Dream World.

Late Night

The Phase

song: Qualia - Blue Reflection

Adagio sighed closing the book she read, and stepped out of the isle of books she’d been exploring. This place was damn near endless. No, according to Sunset, it was endless. Trying to find what she was looking for here would be like finding a needle in a haystack.

She fell to her knees and hung her head, holding a hand to her forehead and moaning in frustration. Ever since gaining this power, she’d been wondering what she could use it for. She knew that one of those black doors was close to where her Akashic Records were, meaning somewhere out there, there was someone suffering like she was. She wanted to help them, but Chrysalis warned her not to, as the Shadows in there were much stronger, and it was dangerous to go alone.

So what? Was she just supposed to stew in misery and existential dread until she received orders? What was her song meant to do now? Would she truly destroy the world?

Footsteps underneath her caught her attention. She looked and saw those girls from before again, along with that cute purple wisp that followed them. They were heading back to that golden door, the one leading to the golden tower.

Adagio bit her lip, and followed after them. She knew it was wrong to spy, but she was so curious about them, especially their leader. That power to command multiple Personas… why did she have that power?

I need to understand what makes us so different. Why both of you have that power, and I do not.

Hod: Lvl 5

song: BREAKTHROUGH.EXE - Blue Reflection

“Okay, I can confirm,” Twilight said from her end, “Her Dungeon hasn’t changed floors. It’s still on the tenth floor.”

Pinkie Pie sighed in relief, “Good. This means that the floors they’re on are fixed.”

“Told you it’d be alright,” Trixie said, rubbing Starlight’s back.

Starlight smiled in relief herself, “Now we just need to get to the tenth floor. Know where the stairs are here?”

“They’re pretty damn close to you,” Twilight said, “There’s a cluster guarding them, but if you go forward and then turn left, you’ll see them.”

“Thanks Twilight,” Starlight ran forward, her party following her. Sure enough, she saw the cluster of Shadows ahead of them, but when she tried to attack it, the cluster lashed out at her, knocking her back.

“Starlight!” Trixie cried, rushing to help her up as they were suddenly surrounded. Three of the Shadows they knew; Yaksini, Orobas, and Jack Frost. However, there was a fourth one there that was brand new. This one being a fairy similar to Pixie, but larger, wearing a bit of tight body armor, and with short green hair.

“Shoot! They got you surrounded!” Twilight cried, “The new one is High Pixie! Be careful in there!”

High Pixie moved first, casting Magaru on everyone. Unfortunately, Starlight still had Morgana equipped, so she was promptly knocked to the ground.

“Gah! That’s not good! Starlight’s down!”

High Pixie went to fire another wind spell focused solely on Starlight, but this time Trixie jumped in the way of the attack, pushing her aside and taking the hit herself.

“Ah!” Trixie cried in pain.

“Trixie! Are you alright?!” Starlight cried.

“T’is but a scratch!” she said dramatically, helping her up, “Better I get hit with that than you.”

Pinkie Pie wasted no time having Serenity use Dia on Starlight, “There. That should help ease the pain a bit.”

Meanwhile, Yaksini charged at the group, but Rainbow Dash charged forward meeting her blades with her own, electricity crackling around her as she summoned Eclair Farron. Instead of using Zio, Rainbow Dash had her slash Yaksini back with a powerful swing from her blade, “Damn! I don’t think any of these guys have electricity as their weakness!”

“They don’t!” Twilight cried as the fight continued, “Also, they’re all super high leveled!”

“I’ll take out Jack Frost at least!” Trixie said, summoning Elenora, “He’s easy to take down! No offense to yours, Starlight!”

“I get the impression he said none taken!” Starlight assured, slashing Orobas with her scythe, “Go for it!”

Elenora threw two large fireballs at Jack Frost, taking him out instantly. She then turned to High Pixie, and fired cards out of her sleeves at the Fairy Shadow, knocking it down instantly.

“Okay good! If we can keep this momentum going, we can turn this around!” Twilight said.

“Starlight, go!” Trixie said, giving Starlight a High Five.

BATON PASS!!!

Starlight jumped away from Orobas and summoned Morgana, “OUT OF MY SIGHT!!!” she shouted, targeting Yaksini and casting Frei on her, knocking her down.

“I thought Morgana used Ice magic,” Pinkie Pie said.

“Mainly, yeah,” Starlight said, “But I have a means of giving her new spells she wouldn’t normally have, so I gave her a Nuclear spell just in case,” she then turned to Orobas and shifted to another Persona she didn’t normally use, “ANGEL!!!”

The persona that appeared behind Starlight was, interesting. It was a blond haired woman with angel wings, but she was oddly, dressed in what looked like BDSM attire, she even had a blindfold around her eyes, and a chained collar around her neck.

She focused on the light spell she had, which she felt like calling Kouha, and fired it at Orobas, causing golden needles to pierce his body from all side, knocking him to the ground.

“That’s, an interesting look for an angel…” Trixie noted with a raised eyebrow.

“I, don’t know why she looked like that,” Starlight groaned, “But when I fused into her, that’s what came out.”

“Your questionable imagination aside,” Rainbow Dash said, “I got an idea how to deal with High Pixie. Mind letting me take the reigns?”

Starlight shook her head, giving Dash a High Five, which seemed to be a universal symbol among them to let them take the lead in attacking.

BATON PASS!!!

Rainbow Dash raised her sword and glared at High Pixie, “Unleash your power, Eclair Farron!”

Eclair pointed her gun sword at High Pixie, knocking her down to the ground with ease. Starlight wasted no time giving the command to use the All Out Attack, killing them all in one fell swoop. After a brief moment to catch themselves, they rushed to the next floor, not wanting to risk the Reaper chasing them.

Hod: Lvl 6

The next area had a few tough Shadows here and there, but they managed to get by with relative ease. Still, this areas was significantly tougher than the last one, and they were quickly tiring out. Starlight was really beginning to wonder if they would be able to make it to Diamond’s Dungeon tonight.

Starlight attacked the cluster before them right as they turned around, revealing another High Pixie, a Hua Po, and a Koppa Tengu. None of them were all that powerful, so they were able to knock them down with ease. Even though they were weak Shadows, she did manage to get Koppa Tengu to join them. She let go of Bicorn for now, since both of them had Wind Skills, but next time she went to Student Council, she’d have to get him back, in case she spent time with Sunburst afterward.

Hod: Lvl 8

Once they arrived at the eighth floor, they all had to take a second to catch their breath.

“Um, need I remind you that we’re on a timer in these floors?” Twilight pointed out.

“Hey, cut us some slack here,” Rainbow Dash panted, “These fights are tough, and we don’t have the luxury of resting for long.”

“Ooooh! We’re so close to where Diamond is…” Pinkie Pie fussed, “Think we can make it if we rush forward? Avoid any fights on the way?”

“See, I wanna say that we can make it, and we probably can make it,” Trixie folded her arms as the began walking forward, “But we need to consider what we’re up against here. We don’t know what to expect on the tenth floor.”

“Lulamoon’s got a point,” Rainbow Dash rubbed the back of her neck, “I’m all for charging ahead, but if we have to fight something big in this condition, we’d be in trouble.”

“There’s a Checkpoint at the Ninth Floor,” Twilight said, “I vote for getting there at least, and resting up till tomorrow.”

Starlight huffed at this, biting her lip nervously. She then felt Pinkie Pie’s arms hold her from behind.

“I know Starlight. I hate it too, but they’re right. We need to make sure we’re fully prepared for what’s ahead,” she said softly. Starlight sighed and nodded. She just hoped nothing happened to make it shift again at Pep Squad tomorrow.

Twilight’s gasp caught their attention, “Girls! A high leveled Shadow has you in its sight! It’s making a beeline for you!”

“Run!” Starlight ordered. The four of them ran forward as quickly as they could, “Twilight, stairs! Where are they!”

“I’m searching…! Damn it to hell! This floor’s so complicated!” she gasped again, “STARLIGHT, WATCH OUT!!!”

Starlight turned to look too late, as the Shadow lashed out at her, knocking her and the group down before taking form. Good news, it was only one. It looked like it was a red oni with long horns, black hair, and wearing a loincloth. In its hands was a scary looking sword.

The bad news, it had a red aura coming off of it, meaning it was very strong.

“Um…! Give me a second! I’m trying to analyze i-”

Too late. The Oni swung its sword right at Starlight. The attack got her in her side, and she screamed in pain, falling to one knee.

“STARLIGHT! Ooooh, this is terrible!” Twilight fussed as the Oni Shadow prepared another spell, this one casting a green shield around itself.

“Well that tells us one this,” Dash said gripping her sword and standing in front of Pinkie Pie, “It probably has a Wind weakness. Well, had I suppose.”

“I’ll help Starlight!” Pinkie Pie said, “Trixie, Dashie, cover me!”

Trixie and Dash nodded and both rushed at the new Shadow. Trixie cast Agilao on him, but he blocked it with ease, slashing Elenora back and causing damage to Trixie as well. Dash meanwhile summoned Eclair Farron and used Zio on the Oni, but he dodged just in time before kicking her back into a wall.

“I’ve got its ID at least!” Twilight said, “It’s name is Rakshasha!”

“That’s a start at least,” Starlight panted, rising to her feet shakily after Serenity healed her, “But with how little energy we have left, I don’t see how we’d get out of this without running!”

Trixie jumped away from Rakshasha’s blade, “Yeah, and he’s blocking the way forward, so if the steps are close by, we’ll have to leave Elysium before reaching the Checkpoint!”

Just as Rakshasha was about to attack again, he stopped and looked around at the sound of someone singing. The voice was high, and haunting, almost like the opera singing Starlight heard in the Velvet Room. A purple wave came over the Shadow, who suddenly looked shaken.

“Wait, what? What’s happening to it?” Twilight asked.

Another melody was heard, this one sounding more triumphant and rallying. Starlight immediately felt invigorated, her attack going up. Based on how everyone’s stances changed, they all felt the same way.

Someone cast Tarukaja on them!

Starlight wasted no time attacking the now terrified Shadow, actually knocking it back. Rainbow Dash followed by summoning her Persona, who slashed wildly with her blade, clashing with the Shadows, who held his ground despite clearly being terrified of something.

Another melody was heard, this one sounding more harsh and biting. This time, it looked like Rakunda was cast on it.

“What in the world…?” Twilight asked, “I hear, singing but, why is it harming the Shadow…?”

“I say, instead of questioning it, we use it!” Trixie said, summoning her Persona, “Light ‘em up, Elenora!”

Elenora appeared behind Trixie and tossed two Agilao fireballs at it, knocking it down as it was a critical hit, “Mistress, what’s the next move!”

“All Out Attack!” Starlight commanded. All four of them brandished their weapons and assaulted the Shadow. They also heard that singing from before, this time the melody sounding downright antagonistic. At the same time, black blades shot out of the ground assaulting the Rakshasha, ripping him apart along with all of their attacks.

Right as the Shadow faded, they heard a familiar rattling of chains. One that made Starlight lock up in fear.

“Oh that’s just what we needed!” Rainbow Dash fussed.

“Shit shit shit shit shit! I don’t know where the stairs are!” Twilight cried frantically.

“This way!” a new voice called out. Starlight turned to get the shock of a lifetime. It was her, the lead singer of the Sirens, Adagio! She was a Witch like them!

“I know where the exit it! Follow me!” Adagio called out, taking off down the hall.

“H-hang on?! Is that a human?!” Twilight asked.

“Question it later!” Trixie said, “Let’s move!” she took Starlight’s hand, and the four of them ran after the new girl. She led them down a few odd paths, but eventually made it to the stairs. Best part, they didn’t run into any Shadows on the way.

Hod: Lvl 9

song: To No One But You - Blue Reflection

Once they reached the rest area, all five of them stood catching their breaths, the newcomer right next to Starlight also panting heavily in exhaustion.

“Are you, alright?” she asked Starlight, who nodded smiling.

“Yeah. Thanks, for the help,” she said. Adagio smiled, but then tensed as Rainbow Dash’s sword appeared right at her neck.

“I think you’ve got some explaining to do,” Rainbow Dash said, her eyes sharp as she glared at the young singer.

“Dashie! She helped us!” Pinkie Pie protested, grabbing Rainbow Dash’s arm, “Please, put your sword away!”

“Nuh uh. Not until we know what her deal is,” Rainbow Dash narrowed her eyes, “Remember what Ms. Tia and Twilight said? That guy on the news was killed by a Persona User. This girl’s not only a Persona User, but she’s the lead singer of the group he managed. You guys do the math.”

Adagio looked away, biting her lip trembling.

“Still, that doesn’t mean she’s against us!” Pinkie Pie urged, “She saved our lives!”

“That singing, it was you, wasn’t it?” Starlight asked Adagio, “You used your powers to help us fight the Shadow?” when Adagio nodded, still biting her lip but clearly tearing up, Starlight’s heart melted a bit, “Dash, lower your weapon.”

Dash looked at her wide eyed, “Leader, you can’t be-”

“If she meant us harm, I think we’d already be in danger,” Starlight said. Rainbow sighed and sheathed her sword, and Starlight took Adagio’s hand, “I’m curious though, why did you follow us?”

“I was, curious,” Adagio said softly, “I wanted to know, why you were in this tower.”

“For a number of reasons, really,” Twilight said, “Right now, we’re trying to save someone’s life.”

“S-someone’s trapped here?” Adagio asked wide eyed. Starlight explained a bit about Diamond Tiara’s situation, much as she could without telling her personal business at least. Hearing this, Adagio hugged herself and bit her lip, “The poor thing… now trapped in her own abyss of despair…”

“Y-yeah, something like that,” Trixie said, turning to Rainbow Dash wide eyed. This girl was, certainly dramatic.

“She’s a good friend of mine,” Starlight looked at the way to the tenth floor, “We were going to try and rescue her tonight, but we all used our Personas too much. If you hadn’t come to our aid just now, we’d have died.”

Adagio looked at Starlight intently, “You’re trying to save, your friend…” she looked down and nodded to herself, “Alright, then. I want, to save her too.”

“Wait, just like that?” Twilight asked, “You don’t even know our names.”

“No, but… I want to use my Song, to do the most good,” Adagio held a hand to her heart, “She’s your friend, so I want, to go with you.”

“This sounds really sketchy to me,” Dash folded her arms, “’Sides, you did kill a man, right?”

“He deserved it!” Adagio snapped, suddenly in tears, “For what he did to me…! For what he was going to probably do, to Aria and Sonata…! I…! I had to…! Otherwise… I…!”

“He, was your Dungeon Master, wasn’t he?” Twilight asked, “His Shadow, it was controlling your Dungeon.”

Adagio didn’t answer. She just hugged herself and cried. Starlight couldn’t take this, so she wrapped her arms around Adagio.

“It’s alright,” she said softly, “He was hurting you, and you defended yourself. You’re a good person.”

Adagio’s eyes widened, “I’m, a good person…?”

“My name is Starlight Glimmer,” she said, taking her hands and looking into her eyes, “Yours is, Adagio right?”

She slowly nodded, “Adagio, Dazzle…”

“The name’s Beatrix Lulamoon,” Trixie smiled, “Just call me Trixie.”

“I’m Pinkie Pie,” Pinkie Pie smiled, rubbing her back.

Dash sighed looking away, “Rainbow Dash. And, sorry for scaring you.”

“Just call me Twilight,” Twilight said, “And no, I’m not a wisp. I’m someone from the real world helping from there.”

“It’s, nice to meet all of you,” Adagio gave a small smile.

Starlight nodded in agreement, “If you want to help us, we’ll be coming back here tomorrow night.”

“Then, wait for me,” Adagio said, looking into Starlight’s eyes with so much emotion that it was kind of overwhelming, “I’ll meet you right outside of the door to the tower. Then, we can save your friend.”

“Thank you, Adagio,” Starlight smiled.

Adagio shook her head, “No. Thank you, for saying I’m a good person,” she smiled and hugged Starlight, surprising everyone. Starlight though, felt an intense wave of emotion.

Thank you, Starlight! I love you so much!

Whoa… she only felt love like this from Trixie and Ms. Tia, one being her girlfriend, and the other being made of love almost. This girl though, she seemed to adore Starlight from the get go.

Was this girl okay…? Would Starlight be okay…?

“I’ll see you tomorrow.” she released Starlight and ran through the Checkpoint, leaving the group. For a while, no one, really said anything.

“I am getting, all the red flags from that girl,” Rainbow Dash muttered.

“Yeah, I’m with Rainbow Dash on that one,” Twilight said awkwardly, “Something about how she clung to Starlight just feels, wrong to me. That and her sudden want to help us.”

“I say, we keep an eye on her,” Trixie said, Pinkie Pie nodding in agreement, “She’ll be here tomorrow right? Her powers will be helpful, and even if she was a bit on the intense side, she doesn’t seem like a bad person.”

Starlight nodded in agreement to this. She wasn’t bad, and she didn’t have any malice in her heart. That much she knew for sure. She wasn’t afraid of that.

What worried her, was the intense love she felt from Adagio, all directed at her. Starlight seriously hoped she wasn’t making a bad call here.

Author's Note

Fool – Seekers of Light: 5/10
Magician – Trixie Lulamoon: 8/10 :heart:
Priestess – Diamond Tiara: 7/10
The Empress – Ms. Tia: 4/10
The Lovers - Pinkamena Diane Pie: 2/10
Chariot – Rainbow Dash: 3/10 LEVEL UP!!!!
Strength - Tokugawa Fluttershy: 1/5
The Devil – Silver Spoon: 3/10
Hermit – Sunburst: 2/10
Transformation - Ms. Luna: 1/10

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10/16

October 16th, 2019
Tuesday
Overcast

Morning

After breakfast, Starlight asked Ms. Tia if she could ride with her to school so they could talk about last night. Ms. Tia was more than okay with it, and they spoke the whole drive there.

“Hm, I can see why you’d be concerned,” Celestia said, eyes on the road, “This girl does seem a tad unbalanced.”

“I couldn’t say no to her,” Starlight looked down, sitting in the passenger seat beside Ms. Tia, “I was worried that, if I didn’t accept her help, she might have done something drastic.”

“I don’t think you made the wrong move,” Celestia assured Starlight, “From what I could gleam, she isn’t a bad person. She seemed to me more like she was searching for something.”

“Like, what?” Starlight asked her Homeroom Teacher.

“Validation, perhaps,” Celestia answered, “Proof that she shouldn't feel guilt for taking a man’s life.”

“That’s just it, Ms. Tia,” Starlight bit her lip, “I, don’t think she was guilty.”

Ms. Tia parked at the corner and slowly turned to Starlight, “What do you mean…?”

song: Xion theme - Kingdom Hearts 358/2 Days

“When I feel someone’s emotions, I can usually feel multiple ones, with one being the most prominent,” Starlight looked at her hand, “When she hugged me, I just felt elation. If there was guilt, it wasn’t at taking her manager’s life.”

Celestia bit her thumb nail nervously, “Let’s, not judge just yet. He was her Dungeon Master, after all, and there’s no telling what the poor girl went through. What did her Witch Form look like?”

“She was wearing this super tight and sexy cocktail dress,” Starlight said, “It was purple, and came up super high on one side, showing her whole leg. She had a golden fur scarf hanging off her shoulders, purple high heels, and this spiked circlet in her hair.”

Celestia pursed her lips, and then turned the car off, “Your Witch Forms seem to reflect of what awakened your Personas, or in the case of those with Dungeons, the source of trauma, just in a more purified manner.

Like Trixie becoming a sexy magician, Rainbow Dash becoming a knight, and Pinkie Pie becoming a princess capable of fighting. Thinking about how sexy Adagio’s outfit was, and with her being clearly around Starlight’s age if not a bit younger…

If Starlight was right about what he probably did to Adagio, then she couldn’t in good conscious say that Adagio didn’t do the right thing.

“Ms. Tia, I’m scared,” Starlight said stepping out of her car.

“Of what, dear?” Celestia asked, also stepping out of the car and walking beside Starlight.

“The power of Persona, I was thinking at first that it was something that only affected the dream world,” Starlight said as they walked to school, “Sure I have my Empathic Touch, and Trixie has the same magical talent as her father, but it never really hit me just how powerful we are. Seeing Rainbow Dash use her technomancy to turn off a video game yesterday, and now realizing that Adagio killed someone with her Persona… Ms. Tia, what if this power, changes me…?”

“You’re worried you’ll do something you can’t take back?” Celestia asked softly.

Starlight nodded, now looking at her Channeling Ring, “When Rainbow Dash wanted to kill Fleur, I didn’t stop her, and these days, some sick part of me does wonder, maybe I should have just, killed Blueblood’s Shadow when I had the chance…!” she closed her eyes tightly, “The fact that I could have done so easily…! The fact I still want to…! What if having all of this power turns me into a monster…! What if one day, I actually do use my magic to hurt someone, or even…!”

Celestia hugged Starlight tightly, “That won’t happen. Know why?” Starlight shook her head, “For one, because of the fear. Because you’re self aware enough to know that it could happen. Also, don’t forget,” she looked at Starlight adoringly, “You’re not alone, my child. Keep your friends close, and you’ll be able to keep each other from falling. You’re a wonderful young woman, Starlight, and I know that your mother is proud of you, especially for how you’re handling your magic.”

“Miss Tia…” Starlight said, tearing up a bit. The way she said that, she almost sounded, certain.

“Speaking of Mothers,” Celestia said as they continued their walk to school, her arm wrapped around Starlight, “Have you decided on the Deities who’ll represent your Coven?”

“Well, I haven’t spoken to the others yet, but I did find a deity that, might be good for a Mother Goddess,” Starlight said, “I was thinking maybe, Eos.”

Celestia blinked, “Eos…? The, Goddess of Dawn? That’s, an obscure choice.”

“True, and that’s part of why I think she’d be perfect,” Starlight smiled softly, “Besides, we’re Witches who fight Shadows while our bodies sleep. By choosing Eos, every morning we know that her light will guide us back to the waking world safely.”

“I see,” Celestia said with a wistful smile, “I for one, think she’s a wonderful choice.”

“Miss Tia, are you alright?” Starlight said. She seemed like she was going to cry.

“I am,” Celestia assured, kissing Starlight on the forehead, “Don’t worry. I’m just, happy to see you embracing your magic. Even if you’re afraid, never stop embracing who you truly are.”

Starlight nodded with a smile, “I’ll remember that. Thank you.”

Celestia’s smile widened. When they turned to the school and looked up though, her smile faded, “Oh dear…”

song: Troubled - Persona 3

Starlight looked to see what had her so tense. There was a crowd of students and teachers forming in front of a wall at school, where Starlight and Celestia saw graffiti made in spray paint. It looked like a symbol of three indigo diamonds, with two wolf heads framing it on either side. One white on the left, and one black on the right. It looked like there was a message underneath it.

Starlight and Celestia pushed through the crowd best as they could, and saw Rarity looking at it intently, arms folded and breathing in and out heavily. Beside her, Applejack rubbed her back gently. Starlight couldn’t hear them, but it looked like Rarity was trying not to cry, and Applejack was comforting her.

“Alright, that’s enough!” the grating voice of Principal Cinch called out, rushing outside, “All of you, get to class, now!” the students muttered to themselves, but began to file into the building, “Not you, Rarity. I want to have a word with you.”

Rarity sucked in a breath, and turned to her, “Yes, Principal Cinch?”

“Do you know anything about this?” she asked sharply.

“Why would I know anything about this?” Rarity asked, narrowing her eyes, “Applejack and I just got here ourselves.”

“You tryin’ to insinuate somethin’ Cinch?” Applejack asked sharply.

“I’d watch that tone if I were you, Applejack,” Cinch turned her nose to the air, “I’m still the Principal.”

Applejack took a deep breath, “Right. I apologize.” it looked like the words were venom in her mouth.

Cinch turned to the graffiti with a scrutinizing gaze, “So those filthy dogs want to claim my school as their territory? They’re taking a one way trip to the pound if that’s the case.”

Starlight noticed Rarity scowl at Cinch.

“I’ll want to discuss this more after school, Rarity,” Cinch said, “Alone, please.”

Rarity tensed, and her breathing became heavier, but she bowed, “Understood, Principal Cinch.” she said in a quiet voice.

Cinch turned to leave, but noticed Celestia and Starlight standing there, “Did you not hear me? I said to get to class!”

“I was going to, but…” Starlight bit her lip and looked down. What did she say here?

“Starlight's a member of the Student Council now, remember?” Celestia spoke up, “As Rarity’s secretary, she’s just worried about the President.”

Cinch narrowed her eyes, “Indeed? Well just make sure she isn’t late for class, Celestia.” she stormed off back into the building. Starlight finally got a good look at the graffiti, and the message at the bottom.

Either give us our bitch back, or we take the whole school!

Starlight’s eyes widened as she turned to Rarity and Applejack, the latter rubbing the former’s arm as she looked ready to explode.

“Um, is everything okay?” Starlight asked carefully, approaching the two of them.

“Not really,” Applejack sighed, “You know the Diamond Dogs, right? This is their symbol. Seems for some reason, they got the school in their sights.”

Starlight bit her lip, and then looked at Rarity, who was eyeing her right back. It looked like she was glaring at her a bit. Was she, angry at her for something?

“Any, idea why that is?” Starlight asked, trying not to lose her cool under Rarity’s sharp gaze.

“I have, one idea,” Rarity said softly, “Um, you have Pep Squad today but, could you come to Student Council tomorrow darling? I’d, like to talk to you about something.” Starlight nodded vigorously. She had the feeling if she didn’t comply, she’d be in even more trouble. Her smile, while gentle, did not put Starlight at ease, “Splendid. Try to enjoy the rest of your day,” she looked to Celestia, “You as well, Ms. Tia.”

“Yes, same to you. Both of you,” Celestia said softly, “Try not to let Cinch get to you too much, okay?”

Rarity chuckled, “Certainly. I’ll try. Applejack, let’s get to our homeroom.”

“Right. See ya Starlight, Miss Tia,” Applejack waved to them, and walked with Rarity into the school. Starlight looked back at the graffiti and groaned softly.

“I’m thinking you might be onto something,” Celestia said, “About Cinch being the Dungeon Master.”

Starlight nodded, worried about what this implied. The Diamond Dog leader mentioned someone named “Dirty Diamond”, and they’re saying “they want their bitch back”. Based on how Rarity was acting just now…

Starlight had a feeling she knew where Dirty Diamond was…

Lunch Time

song: School Days - Persona

Starlight exited the classroom at Lunch, but noticed Silver Spoon walking up to her.

“Hey Witch,” Silver Spoon said tersely, “Can we talk a bit about, well…” she pointed to Starlight’s ring. She nodded and led Silver into a walkway few entered into, “So? How close are you to saving her?”

“We’re practically there,” Starlight said softly, “I wanted to finish it last night but, the process led to us using a lot of Mana.”

Silver closed her eyes and sighed, “Right. Sorry, I’m just… anxious. She saw that thing the Diamond Dogs did at school and was nodding in approval. Starlight, I’m really afraid that she’ll try and join them.”

“My magic can at least stop her from dying from the Nightmare,” Starlight said, “Anything here, we’re going to have to talk to her ourselves, as her friends.”

“Then you better save her soon,” Silver Spoon said, “Once she stops having those strip club dreams, maybe she’ll see some sense.”

Starlight could only hope. She asked Silver Spoon if she was going to stick around for Pep Squad. For the first time, Starlight was happy that she nodded.

“Yes. I want to be close to Diamond as much as possible. You’re coming too, right?” Starlight nodded, “Okay. Thank you, Starlight.”

Starlight nodded smiling. The two of them walked to Lunch together, almost like friends.

end song

After School

For the most part, Starlight tried not to worry too much about Diamond during actual practice. The more sexual dancing made her feel a bit awkward, but she did feel very sexy while doing it. She became a bit more graceful by the end of things.

At the end of Pep Squad, Starlight and Silver Spoon watched as Diamond flirted with the boys from the football team. It looked so, wrong. Not only because far as she knew, Diamond wasn’t much for flirting, but the way she was going about it made her come off, well, easy.

Starlight and Silver were about to approach her, but stopped when they saw Suri storming over to Diamond, Coco right beside her. Suri didn’t look happy.

song: Troubled - Persona 3

“Hey Diamond,” Suri said folding her arms, “I heard from one of the girls you were getting touchy feely with my boyfriend.”

“Hm? Oh, Thunderlane? Nothing happened between us,” Diamond waved it off, “He and I were just talking. If anything, he was the one who couldn’t keep his hands off of me,” she ran her hands along her body, swaying her hips, “Not that I blame him~”

Suri saw red apparently, as she slapped Diamond on the cheek, “Watch it, bitch! You may be one of our top cheerleaders, but I’m the head of Pep Squad, so you best know your pla-”

SLAP!

There was a unified gasp, as Diamond slapped Suri!

“I should know my place?” Diamond seethed, “Like you said, I’m one of the best ones here. This entire routine, you said it yourself that I was the centerpiece of it. So if anything, you’re the one, who needs to know her place.”

“Starlight…!” Silver whispered. Starlight nodded and ran over.

“No one, is going to tell me what to do,” Diamond continued, getting in Suri’s face, “Not my Father, not Cinch, and certainly, not you! So don’t you ever lay a finger on me again, or next time, I’ll do more than just slap-”

“Diamond!” Starlight called out, pulling her away from Suri, “What are you doing?!”

“Making sure Suri knows who's on top, that’s what!” Diamond answered harshly, “I’m not letting anyone push me around anymore! Let alone this bi-”

“She’s still head of the Pep Squad!” Starlight reminded her, “Are you trying to gt kicked out?! You love it here, remember!” that seemed to get through to Diamond, who just looked away dejected. Starlight turned to Suri and apologized on Diamond’s behalf, spinning a story that she was just under a lot of stress at the moment.

“Like, whatever. Just know, if she does anything like this again, she is off the team. I don’t care how good she is,” and with that, Suri stormed off. Coco bowed to both of them and then ran off after Suri.

Starlight sighed in relief and turned to Diamond, “Are you okay?” she went to rub Diamond’s arm, only for Diamond to pull away.

“I didn’t ask you to butt in!” Diamond fussed at Starlight, who was wide eyed.

“Diamond!” Silver ran over to them, “Starlight was just trying to stop you from getting kicked off the squad!”

“She wasn’t going to kick me off!” Diamond sneered at them, "If she did, she’d be the one to pay the price! Cause I’m the hottest piece of ass here! The boys at the football team? They’re here to see me!"

“Diamond, what’s gotten into you?!” Silver cried, “You sound like a completely different person!”

“I’m just embracing myself to the fullest~” she gave Silver and Starlight a sexy pose, “Sexy, fun, and ready for action~ This is what the boys want, after all~”

“Stop it, please!” Silver Spoon cried, “Stop acting like this!”

“Acting like what?” Diamond asked, narrowing her eyes at Silver.

“Being completely honest,” Silver looked pained, “Like a slut.”

“That's what I am, remember?!” Diamond shouted, making both Starlight and Silver step back, “A cheap, easy, filthy slut!”

“That’s not true,” Starlight protested softly.

“Yes it is!” Diamond broke down, burying her face in her hands, “He said it himself! The only kinds of girls who enjoy wearing skimpy clothes all the time, dancing like a stripper, all of the things I enjoy are cheap, easy sluts! So if that’s what I am to him, fine! He’s never going to love me anyway, so fuck it! I don’t care anymore!”

“If that were true, then you wouldn’t be crying right now,” Starlight said, “Diamond, please talk to us. Tell us what’s going on.”

“Why?! So you can tell me my Dad’s right?!” Diamond asked harshly, tears streaming down her cheeks, “So you can tell me to stop! To go back to following his rules!”

“So we can help you!” Silver cried, “Diamond, Starlight and I are your friends! We just want what’s best for you!”

“No you don’t!” Diamond cried, holding her head and crying intensely, “You two are just like everyone else! Trying to make me follow your orders, do what you say, so you can take control of my life! I HATE YOU!!! I HATE ALL OF YOU!!!”

Silver’s eyes widened and she stepped back, “D-Diamond…! You don’t… really mean that…?”

“JUST LEAVE ME ALONE!!!” she pushed past them, shoving both Silver and Starlight aside.

I'm sorry...! I just... I don't want to lose myself...!

Starlight closed her eyes tightly, trying to contain the wave of sheer anguish and terror washing over her. She was terrified of something. Did she suspect she had it now? If so, then they might be running out of time.

song: Living with Determination - Persona 3

Starlight was brought out of her head by the sound of Silver collapsing to her knees, breaking down completely. Starlight knelt beside her and hugged her.

“She hates me…!” Silver sobbed, “She… she really said that she…”

“She didn’t mean it,” Starlight said softly.

“How do you know that…?” Silver asked.

“Because I know the real Diamond Tiara,” Starlight said, “She’s afraid, and she’s trying to push us away because of the Nightmare. I’ve seen this.”

“You, have?” Silver looked at Starlight, who nodded.

“The bad news is, she’s running out of time, fast,” she said honestly, “But the good news is, we can rescue her. And tonight, we will. I promise you, Silver Spoon.”

Silver Spoon broke down, falling into Starlight’s arms, “Save her! Please! I don’t care what you have to do! She’s the only friend I have left! Without her, I have no one!”

“I’ll save her, I promise,” Starlight said, “But you’re wrong about one thing,” she smiled, “You have two friends.”

“Two, friends…?” Silver asked, her eyes going wide at what Starlight meant.

Even after everything… she says that we’re… friends…?

Starlight just hugged Silver Spoon, who slowly returned the hug in kind. Though she wished it had happened under better circumstances, Starlight felt significantly closer to Silver Spoon.

Unfortunately though, until she saved Diamond Tiara, their bond was at a dead end…

Late Night

The Phase

song: Qualia - Blue Reflection

Starlight arrived at around the same time as Trixie, with Rainbow Dash and Pinkie Pie soon following suit. After careful discussion in the waking world, they decided to work with Adagio on this. Which was good, since they arrived at the door only to find Adagio sitting at a nearby table reading.

When she saw them, she closed her book and got up, walking over to them, “I’m glad you all made it.”

“We didn’t keep you waiting long, did we?” Starlight asked Adagio, who shook her head.

“No. I arrived only about ten minutes ago,” she replied, “Are you all alright?”

“We’re fine,” Twilight chimed in, “According to Starlight though, Diamond might be running out of time.”

Adagio grimaced, but then took Starlight’s hand earnestly, “She’ll be alright. We’re going to rescue her, okay? So please don’t worry, Starlight.”

“T-thank you,” Starlight smiled. She appreciated how kind she was, even if she was a tad intense.

“Twilight, how’s Diamond’s Dungeon?” Pinkie Pie asked, “Is she still the same as last time?”

“It seems so, but it’s definitely rippling with energy,” Twilight said, “It might shift again soon.”

“We’re not letting that happen,” Trixie decided.

“Fuck no,” Dash agreed, “So let’s get moving.”

“Before we go,” Starlight turned to Adagio, “What’s your Persona’s abilities? That way we can coordinate our attacks properly.”

“My Persona? She specializes in Ice, status augmentation, and I think status effects,” Adagio answered, “I used something similar on the Shadow yesterday to make it terrified of you.”

“Alright, for now, you’re on support with Pinkie Pie, okay?” Starlight asked.

Adagio nodded, “Of course, Starlight. If it helps you, I’d do anything.”

Starlight was seriously concerned by how much this girl seemed strung out on her. She really hoped it wasn’t romantic love she felt. She and Trixie had spoken, and they were okay with their relationship being open so long as all parties were okay with it. Starlight had a sneaking suspicion that Adagio, might not be interested in sharing though…

That wasn’t scary in the slightest. Nope. Not at all. Shut up.

All of them summoned their weapons, Adagio’s being an odd staff that looks kind of like a microphone, and they all ran through the doors to Elysium.

Hod: Lvl 10

song: BREAKTHROUGH.EXE - Blue Reflection

They wasted no time running to the tenth floor. Rather than being greeted with a maze, this one was more of a hallway. Ahead of them, Starlight and co. saw what looked like a black doorway with a dark aura radiating off of it. With how church like and elegant Elysium looked as a whole, the door almost felt out of place here.

Made Starlight wonder just what this tower was actually made for.

“Hang on a second…” Twilight stopped them when they reached the door, “Confirmed. Diamond Tiara is right behind this door."

“So question,” Pinkie Pie asked, “Um, how are we going to get Diamond out?”

That, was a good question actually. Normally they dealt with Dungeons that were further along than this one. This one was less of a Dungeon and more of a Cell really.

“I just love how no one thought of this until we were RIGHT AT THE FRONT GATE,” Twilight groaned, “Well, we don’t know what the layout will be like, so let’s see that before we try and make any plans.”

Starlight nodded in approval of that plan. She then took a deep breath, and pushed the door open to see Diamond’s Dungeon.

song: Whims of Fate - Persona 5

The other side, was NOT what they expected.

They were suddenly in what could only be described as a bustling strip club. All around them, they saw patrons sitting at tables enjoying the various dancers on stage. Unlike the rest of Hod, the walls were dark, the entire club having a color scheme of red and purple, giving it a more sensual air to it. The stage in the front end was the biggest draw of the place, taking up a majority of the club. It wasn’t a realistic interpretation, but it definitely got the point across.

That was where the action happened.

There was a girl currently dancing on stage, but it wasn’t Diamond. Starlight did recognize her as one of the girls from Pep Squad though.

“Whoa whoa whoa!” Rainbow Dash cried, “I thought this was Diamond’s Dungeon!”

“Yeah, this is confusing. Wait a second,” Twilight trailed off, “Let me see what… okay. Now I get it. Don’t worry, that’s not really a student. That’s more a mirage of one.”

“A mirage?” Starlight asked as the girl finished her dance and returned back stage.

“Know how you’ll for example, have a dream where you’re being breast fed by Miss Tia or something?” Twilight asked, “It’s not REALLY her doing it. It’s just a projection of her. It’s the same idea here.”

“That’s, a very specific example you gave Twi-Twi~” Trixie smirked, “Anything you want to share~?”

“N-no! Not at all!” Twilight stammered, "I was just giving that example because I know you’re all bisexual pervs! In case you forgot, I’m straight!” she was silent for a beat, “Why are you looking at me like that, Ms. Tia?!”

“Oh, no reason~” they all just heard her say, making all of them laugh, even Adagio.

“Is it always like this with you?” Adagio asked Pinkie Pie.

“Oh yeah! It’s not all doom and gloom with our group. We try to have as much fun as possible while killing Shadows.” she answered with a smile.

Adagio smiled softly, looking down a bit. Her expression was a bit odd honestly.

Starlight looked up at the stage, and then her eyes went wide. She saw a representation of herself, She was in extreme gothic makeup, and her outfit was a super skimpy and sexy black lingerie piece, but it was clearly her.

“You know, we could always just, stick around a bit,” Trixie said with a smile, “Enjoy the show, get a lap dance or two. Just saying.”

Starlight’s eyes widened as she looked at Trixie, who just laughed out loud, “You’re getting a spanking for that later, just so you know.”

“Ooooh, really? Huh, was curious what that’d be like…” Trixie mused. Starlight just rubbed her eyes in aggravation.

“Much as I’d love to enjoy the show, we need to think of a plan,” Rainbow Dash said looking around, “I don’t see Diamond anywhere, and this is really the only place we can explore.”

“I, do see a golden door over there, though,” Adagio said, pointing to the back exit, “Think it’s the emergency exit?”

“Makes sense.” Twilight said, “It’d also make sense for that to be the way out of this Dungeon. You’d only use that exit if you had to get out now, so Diamond’s subconscious probably internalized that as the way out of the dream. A safety net of sorts.”

“So wait, she can just leave out of here anytime she wants?” Rainbow Dash asked, “That’s kinda anticlimactic, don’t ya think? The fuck are we doing here, then?”

“Just because she can doesn’t mean she wants to,” Twilight pointed out, “Remember what Starlight said. She’s having trouble feeling stifled at home, and right now this dream is more of an escape for her.”

Starlight looked at herself on stage, and her eyes slowly widened, “This, is how she’s interpreting the Pep Squad…!”

“That makes, too much sense,” Trixie agreed, “Especially with the new routine Suri’s got everyone doing.”

“Wait. Starlight, you said that Diamond called herself the hottest one in the Pep Squad, right?” Twilight asked. Starlight nodded, “I know when we’re going to see her, then.”

“When’s that?” Pinkie Pie asked Twilight.

“When the star of the club hits the stage.” Twilight said.

song: Rivers in the Desert - Persona 5

Sure enough, a bit after “Starlight” finished her dance (that was SO embarrassing…!) the lights dimmed, and the spotlight shined on the stage. The music became more intense, making Starlight’s heart race a bit.

When the lyrics hit, they saw Diamond strut out onto the stage. She was wearing a super skimpy purple tube top, a black micro skirt, fishnet stockings, and red high heels. For makeup, she wore red dark red lipstick, purple eye shadow, and dark mascara.

“That’s, not a mirage, is it…?” Adagio asked carefully.

“No, no it’s not…” Twilight said in a small voice, “I can tell from how fluid her moves are. That’s, really Diamond Tiara…”

They’d only seen a few dances, but Diamond’s was easily the raunchiest one. The way she gyrated her hips, spun around on the pole, felt herself up as she danced, it was almost like she was pleasuring herself on stage. Starlight didn’t have any issue with sexuality, but something about this felt wrong to her.

Made worse when she noticed the Shadows were giving her their undivided attention. This was the dance they were waiting for.

“She, has no idea…” Trixie said wide eyed, “She’s doing this, not realizing that this is real…”

“Look at her expression,” Twilight said, “She’s, enjoying herself.”

Starlight looked at her expression intently. She, did look like she was genuinely having fun. In fact, thinking back to when she first met Diamond Tiara, she was always the sort who enjoyed being openly sexual. Even before her Dungeon formed. Looking at her now, she looked almost euphoric. Free.

So, if that wasn’t related to the Dungeon, where did this come from…? Why was she doing this now…?

Diamond turned her back to the audience and looked back at them enticingly as she fiddled with the back of her tube top. She swayed her hips hypnotically to the music as she untied it, removing it entirely and swinging it above her as she slowly turned around, still swaying her hips to the music, revealing her surprisingly large and perky bare breasts to the audience, who gave a standing ovation.

Adagio blushed and covered her face with her hands, giving the most adorable whimper, “Someone, needs to get up there and stop her, before she goes all the way!”

“Looks like she’s already heading there,” Rainbow Dash said as Diamond began removing her skirt, revealing a black thong, “Yeah, this is going too far. Leader!”

Starlight nodded and ran up to the stage, the rest of her coven following her.

“Diamond!” Starlight called out. Diamond blinked and looked at Starlight with a confused frown.

“What are you doing?” she whispered, “You’re ruining my flow! Get backstage, please!”

“Diamond, I’m not a dancer here!” Starlight said, “I’m here to talk!”

“Well, it can wait,” she whispered again through a forced smile, continuing her dance, “I’m about to do my grand finish.”

“Alright that does it,” Rainbow Dash shook her head, “Pinkie Pie, we’re blowing the speakers!”

Pinkie Pie nodded, and both of them summoned their Personas, who rushed to the speakers projecting the music. Eclair sliced one in half, and Serenity ax kicked the other. Naturally there were boos and angry comments all around them, but Starlight ignored them as she jumped on stage.

end song

“Diamond, come on,” Starlight took her hand, “We’re going-”

Diamond yanked her hand away, “No! I’m not going anywhere with you!” she fussed, narrowing her eyes, “Wait, I get it. This is from that argument I had with Starlight when I was awake.”

“Wait, is she…?” Rainbow Dash asked Twilight softly.

“Lucid? I think so, albeit partially,” Twilight said, “She doesn’t know we’re real though. She just thinks this is a reflection of her argument with Starlight earlier.”

“I’m, not leaving,” Diamond decided, “This place? This is heaven to me!” she spread her arms out, “I get to live out my fantasy, without worrying about “Daddy” breathing down my throat and trying to change who I am!”

“Is that what this is about?” Rainbow Dash asked folding her arms, “Daddy issues?”

song: Living with Determination - Persona 3

Diamond laughed ruefully, “Of course, you wouldn’t get it. No one gets it. All anyone says is, ‘you should be happy he’s there’, or ‘he’s only hard on you because he loves you’, or some other bullshit excuse for why he treats me like an unwanted stepchild!” she closed her eyes tightly, “Well if he loves me so much, why doesn’t he ever pay attention to me?! Why doesn’t he ever ask me what I think?! What I want to do?! Why doesn’t he ever ask me for my opinion on things! WHY DOESN’T HE EVER HUG ME, OR SAY THAT HE LOVES ME!!!”

Starlight’s eyes widened as Diamond fell to her knees and broke down in tears. That’s what this was about.

“All, he ever does is give me orders…!” Diamond sobbed, “It’s been like this, ever since he divorced my Mom…! He used to love me, but now…! Now he just… treats me like a coworker or something…! He only talks to me about business, my studies, or getting me to be set up for the future…!”

“Oh Diamond…” Starlight sighed, kneeling before her and putting a hand on her shoulder.

“If being, who I truly am is just a disappointment… then fine! I don’t care what he thinks…! I just… want to be myself! Why is that so hard?!” she looked at Starlight intensely, gripping her gown, “Why can’t I be myself like you?! Tell me! Tell me why I’m not allowed!”

Starlight closed her eyes, “I, can’t. Because honestly, you’re right. You should have the luxury to be yourself, even if it clashes with those around you. If you like wearing short skirts, high heels, being a cheerleader, and just, being a girl, you should be able to do that,” she hugged Diamond tightly, “But this, this isn’t the way to get there.”

“Then what is…” Diamond said weakly, “Because, he doesn’t get it… He doesn’t listen to me…”

“Then make him listen to you,” Starlight said firmly, “Say it as loudly as you can, where even if he tried to shut you out, he still hears everything you have to say.”

“What’s even the point now…?” Diamond asked, “I’ve tried hundreds of times before, and he still doesn’t listen. So… why should I keep trying…?”

“Because he does care about you,” Rainbow Dash said, looking away darkly, “He may be shitty at showing it, but he still cares whether or not you succeed. That’s more than some of us can say…”

Starlight looked briefly at Dash, noticing how Pinkie Pie hugged her from behind. She was really curious about that, but now wasn’t the time to go into it.

“Please, give it another try,” Starlight urged Diamond, “One more time, so you can get what you need the right way. So you can enjoy being who you are, without needing to go to extremes.”

“Not that there’s anything wrong with this kind of thing,” Trixie said, “So long as you’re doing it for the right reason. Do it because you genuinely want to do it, not because you’re trying to piss off Daddy.”

Diamond looked down thoughtfully, and then slowly nodded, “A-alright. I guess I can, give it another shot.”

“Atta girl,” Trixie smiled, “Now, what do you say we head out of this club.”

“Y-yeah. I think, I’m done being a dancer for now,” Diamond gave a small smile, “I’m ready to, face the real world again.”

Border of Insanity - Persona 4

“Um… about that…” Adagio said shakily, backing away from the audience, “I think, the Shadows are upset about something…”

Starlight looked, and saw all of the Shadows slowly rising from their seats, approaching the stage where all of them were gathered.

“Starlight, we need to get her out of here,” Twilight said. Starlight nodded and turned to the emergency exit, only for the door to lock itself with red chains.

Diamond shut her eyes tightly, and then opened them, “Huh…? Um, what’s going on…?” she tried again, “How come I’m… not waking up…?”

“Yeah… um, Diamond?” Pinkie Pie asked, getting in a fighting stance, “This isn’t a dream.”

Diamond’s eyes slowly widened in horror, “You mean… this is…” she then gasped covering her chest, “Oh my God! Where are my clothes?!”

“Hate to say it, but worry about that later!” Twilight said, “The Shadows are beginning to attack!”

All of the Shadows shed their assumed forms, turning into various Shadows that they’d previously faced. Poor Diamond screamed in terror.

“No no no no! This isn’t happening! I don’t want to die…! I DON’T WANT TO DIE!!!”

“You’re not dying!” Starlight said, getting Diamond’s attention, “I promise, you’re going to get out of here alive!”

“Starlight… You're really...” Diamond said softly, but then nodded, “Thank you!”

Starlight nodded, and summoned her scythe, along with all of her fellow witches summoning their weapons, “GO!!!”

song: DNF FW15C -ii- - Blue Reflection

The first wave of Shadows that faced them were a High Pixie along with two Makami. The Makami on the right launched a Frei on Rainbow Dash, who blocked before it had a chance to do any real damage to her. Before she could begin her assault, Adagio began singing a haunting but still empowering melody, her Persona Elsa appearing behind her and casting Rakukaja on Dash. Beside her, Pinkie Pie got in a prayer stance, summoning Serenity and having her cast Tarukaja on Rainbow Dash shortly after.

“Thanks!” Dash said, holding up her sword, “Come forth, my inner self!” she proclaimed, summoning Eclair Farron who raised her sword and fired Mazio on all three Shadows. Makami A and Makami B both fell to the ground, but High Pixie resisted and made a beeline for Diamond Tiara.

“NO!!!” she screamed, realizing she couldn’t escape. Before it could reach her though, Trixie threw a playing card right at High Pixie, stopping her in her tracks. She and Starlight stood in front of her with their weapons out, “W-what’s going on? Those weird ghosts you keep summoning, and those weapons!”

“We’ll explain later,” Trixie assured, giving Diamond a confident smile, “Just know that we’re not going to let anything happen to you.”

Starlight turned to Diamond and nodded as well. The way she smiled somewhat said she understood she was safe with them at least.

“Elenora, Sukukaja on Starlight!” Trixie commanded, summoning her Persona and casting the spell in question. This time when Starlight rushed at High Pixie, she managed to dodge her wind spell JUST in time thanks to her speed being increased. She then summoned Morgana, and the two of them worked together to tear apart High Pixie, ending with Morgana firing a Frei from her chest gun, knocking her back.

“I’m not going for any of these, so All Out Attack!” Starlight commanded.

Sensing her confusion, Pinkie Pie turned to Adagio, “Know when we all just wailed on the enemies when they were down? That.”

Adagio nodded, “I understand.”

Starlight, Rainbow Dash, and Trixie all got their weapons ready as usual. As Pinkie Pie pulled Diamond aside, Adagio took her place in the All Out Attack, holding her microphone staff almost lovingly as she glared at the Shadows. Her contribution to the All Out Attack was to sing a melody that seemed to go along with everyone else’s attacks, causing blades to shoot out of the ground and tear into the group of Shadows. They fell immediately.

Only to then be replaced immediately with two Onmoraki.

The Onmoraki on the right cast Ice Wall on his friend, who then followed up by doing the same for the one on the left.

“Adagio, don’t use your Ice Magic on them now,” Twilight explained, “They cast Ice Wall, so they’re immune to Ice Magic for a bit.”

Adagio nodded slowly, “Alright. I will remember that. Actually…” she looked within, and then gasped, “Starlight! I can undo that I think!”

Starlight turned to Adagio, “Wait, you can?” Starlight asked, Adagio nodding, “Alright. Go for it!”

Adagio stepped forward, holding out her Channeling Ring elegantly. She then summoned Elsa, who cast an odd spell on the Right Onmoraki, making its shield shatter.

The name that came to mind was “Ice Break”.

“JACK FROST!!!” Starlight shouted, shifting to her standard Ice Persona. She then cast Bufu on that Shadow, knocking it to the ground. Unfortunately, the other one shot an Agi right at Starlight, this time knocking her down due to Jack Frost’s weakness to fire.

“Starlight!” Pinkie cried. She then quickly got in front of Diamond and summoned Serenity before her, who held out her arms in defense as Eiha was fired in their direction. Pinkie Pie screamed in pain and fell to one knee.

“Pinkie Pie!” Diamond cried, kneeling beside her, “What happened?! Are you okay?!”

“Pinkie Pie’s Persona is weak to Cursed attacks, like what she just protected you from!” Twilight explained, “As for Starlight, when she shifts Personas, she gets their strengths and weaknesses!”

Diamond began looking around frantically, “I need to get out of here!”

“What are you-”

“They’re after me, right?!” Diamond fussed, “So if I’m out of the way, they’ll be able to fight easier!”

“Well, at least you trying to be a smart damsel in distress. Tell you what, I’ll see if I can find you a safe place to hide. Failing that, just stay close to whoever is not fighting actively.”

“Stay close to me!” Rainbow Dash said jumping on stage and holding her sword out.

Diamond nodded, getting behind Rainbow Dash, “Thanks Dash. The whole knight thing looks really cool on you.”

Rainbow Dash smirked, “Thanks, Princess.”

“Starlight, try Blessed skills!” Trixie said, firing cards from her sleeves to hold Onmoraki at bay, “Since it likes Cursed so much, it might be weak to that too!”

Starlight nodded, shifting Personas again, “ANGEL!!!” she then cast Kouha on Onmoraki, knocking him to the ground, “Dash, stay close to Diamond and Pinkie Pie! The rest of us, All Out Attack!”

Trixie and Adagio both nodded, once again brandishing their weapons and wailing on the fallen enemies. Again, they fell instantly, and were then quickly replaced. This time with a Mokoi and two Jack Frosts.

The two Jack Frosts shot icicles at Trixie, who jumped high into the air to dodge the attacks, landing a ways from them, “My turn to shine! Light ‘em up, Elenora!” her Persona appeared behind her, and threw two smaller fire balls at both of them. Not an Agilao, but apparently Maragi to save time, knocking both of them down.

Mokoi ran to another section of the club to get a vantage point and threw his boomerang at Rainbow Dash and Diamond Tiara. Dash managed to pulled Diamond away just in time, making her fall into her chest a bit. Considering her current lack of clothes, both were visibly embarrassed.

“Um, y-your girlfriend isn’t going to get weird about, um…” Diamond asked awkwardly.

“You kidding? Pretty sure she’s been checking you out any chance she can,” Rainbow Dash said somewhat awkwardly.

“I can confirm, yes. I have been staring at your tits and your butt anytime I get a free moment,” Pinkie Pie said without missing a beat, “Despite the nature of this, you’d make a great stripper.”

“Thank you…?” Diamond said/asked. Pinkie Pie just smiled sweetly. She then held her hands together in prayer, her Channeling Ring activating.

“Help is on the way!” she proclaimed, summoning Serenity and having her cast Media on everyone, healing them much as she could.

“Good call!” Starlight said to Pinkie Pie, “Adagio, I don’t want to take chances. Cast Tarukaja on me before my next strike!”

Adagio nodded, summoning her Persona while singing another empowering melody, increasing Starlight’s attack. Starlight ran over to Mokoi holding out her Channeling Ring.

“KOPPA TENGU!!!” she shouted, her newest Persona flying beside her. She mentally commanded it to cast Garu on Mokoi, and it shot a sharp gust of wind at the tiny doll Persona, knocking it to the ground.

Pinkie Pie had Serenity pick it up and punch it over to the Jack Frosts, making a pile, “Starlight, is it time?”

Starlight nodded, giving the command for an All Out Attack. Dash still sat this one out, so Starlight, Trixie, and Adagio were joined by Pinkie Pie. With her help, they were quickly able to take out all of the Shadows.

“Is that all of them?” Adagio asked the group, looking around.

“Don’t relax yet!” Twilight said suddenly, “I’m detecting a large Shadow signature manifesting in the room!”

The Shadow in question was huge. It was a red demon with white hair that shot straight up like a needle, sharp teeth, two small horns, and fancy earrings. It wore a purple and white tunic and matching pants, surprisingly nice looking purple and white shoes that matched the tunic, and in its hand was a large, scary looking sword.

“I was gonna get a lap dance from that whore!” he roared angrily, “I ain’t leavin’, until I get my goddamn lap dance!”

“I know which one that is,” Diamond said, shrinking a bit behind Rainbow Dash, “First time I ever went, well, all the way with my dancing, he was the one who got most excited. He began rallying all of the other monsters to convince me to go naked more often.”

“So that’s how you started losing control of the dream,” Rainbow said to Diamond, who bit her lip and began trembling.

“This place is real, right? That means, all of these monsters, I was dancing and showing my goodies to complete strangers, without even knowing it? Oh the thought makes me sick…”

The Shadow laughed, “Didn’t seem to mind before, little whore! In fact, if I remember correctly, you said you found the whole thing exciting!”

“That’s before I realized you were all sick pervs taking advantage of my ignorance!” Diamond shot back, “Besides, you were the one who made me go all the way in my dances in the first place!”

He wagged his finger, “Nope. All I did was say that I enjoyed it, and everyone else agreed and wanted to see it more often. This is still YOUR paradise little whore, so you could have said no. Yet ya didn’t.”

“That’s,” Diamond looked away in shame, “Shit… he’s right. One of the rules here, was that going all the way was, the choice of the dancer first, so…” she closed her eyes and whimpered.

“Nuh uh! You don’t get to guilt trip her!” Trixie shot suddenly, “Whether or not she had final say, you still took advantage of her consent!” the flames of her Persona rose around her, “You and Blueblood are exactly the same! Taking advantage of someone’s lack of knowledge, and using it to get yourself off!”

“I hate people like you…!” Adagio seethed, her own flame appearing around her, “My Manager… he pulled the same trick on me…! Time and time again, using the same words to make me feel like I had to keep coming back to him…!” she gripped her staff, “I'm going to enjoy singing your swan song!”

The red demon gave a hearty laugh, “In that case, come at me, but when I win, I’m taking the little whore someplace and having some REAL fun with her!”

“Girls, this ID on this one is Oni!” Twilight said, “He’s strong, and I’m not seeing a weak point on him! This will be a tough one!”

Oni rushed at the group of witches, slashing wildly at Starlight, Trixie, Pinkie Pie, and Adagio, somehow hitting all of them at once with his sword for massive damage if their screams were any indication.

“SHIT! That’s not good!” Twilight cried, “Someone, heal now!”

“Even if, Pinkie Pie uses Media,” Trixie panted, “I don’t know, if that’ll actually help here!”

Starlight had to think fast. She needed something! A way to speed up the healing. She then had an image come to her. One of her newer Personas, Ame no Uzume, she placed a hand over her heart and nodded.

She felt like she was saying, “Let me help”.

“I have an idea! It’s a risky one, but it should work!” Starlight hoped, dodging Oni’s blade as it came down, “Trixie, fall back to protect Diamond and offer support in the reserve line! Dash, take the front lines beside Adagio! Adagio, use your magic to augment Oni’s abilities. I don’t care what you do, but two spells HAVE to be Tarukaja on Dash, and Rakunda on Oni! I’ll work with Pinkie Pie as a second healer!”

“Mind if I use Sukukaja on you first, just in case?” Trixie asked Starlight, who shook her head, “Alright! Elenora, give Starlight another boost!”

Elenora cast Sukukaja on Starlight, increasing her speed and agility again before she flipped back to the stage. Immediately Dash charged forward, summoning Eclair Farron who pushed Oni’s blade back with her own.

“Get to healing!” Dash said strained, holding her sword in the same position as her Personas and pushing it back, “I got this guy!”

Starlight nodded, jumping back beside Pinkie Pie and holding out her Channeling Ring, “AME NO UZUME!!!” she shouted. The Dawn Goddess Persona appeared before Starlight, who then had her cast Media on everyone actively in the line of fire. It wasn’t as strong as Pinkie Pies, but with Serenity following up right afterward, she felt like she managed to heal everyone to close to full health.

Adagio summoned Elsa, casting Rakunda on Oni. Dash and Eclair pushed Oni back, and the followed with a series of strikes, making him fall into a table.

Oni and Eclair Farron/Rainbow Dash clashed blades actively, with Adagio, Pinkie Pie, and Starlight offering support. As the fight went on, Diamond buried her face in her hands and feel to her knees.

“I can’t believe it! I let that, that thing get into my head! Daddy was right, I really am like a cheap slut…!” she fussed.

“Stop that,” Trixie chided, getting on one knee before Diamond, “You made a mistake. Happens all the time. Besides, there’s nothing wrong with enjoying sex and sexuality,” Trixie took off her blazer, leaving her in just her leotard, stockings, and high heels as she wrapped it around Diamond Tiara, “Honestly, I admire you.”

“Admire me?” Diamond asked, the fight going on beside them, “Why?”

“Because, you’re not afraid to embrace that side of you,” Trixie looked away and rubbed her arm, “One of the reasons I like my more magician like style back in school, is it’s not revealing. After Blueblood, I kind of still have a hard time showing my body in public.”

“Really? But, your current outfit is, I mean, super sexy,” Diamond said, looking Trixie up and down.

“Mhm. And the only ones who usually get to see me like this are my closest friends, one of which being my girlfriend,” Trixie said, “Me being in the this other world, it helps me be my true self more, but back in the Real World, I’m still afraid. So when I look at you, strutting down the hall like a runway model, or see you shaking you body to the music while at Pep Squad, I find myself often wishing that, I had the courage to do the same,” she closed her eyes smiling, “Maybe, one day I will.”

Diamond smiled softly, and hugged Trixie best as she could while holding the blazer as closed as possible, “Well, if you ever want help getting there, I’m more than willing to do my part. Any friend of Starlight’s is a friend of mine.”

Trixie smiled and returned the hug, “Thanks Diamond.”

Meanwhile, the fight was more or less even, but Oni managed to get another wild swing out at everyone, this time knocking everyone away, including Dash. He then walked over to the fallen Starlight, sneering at her.

“Tryin’ to take away my favorite slut, huh?” he seethed, raising his blade, “For that, you’re gonna be the first one to die!”

"Damn it! Everyone's too injured to move!" Twilight fussed, "What are we going to do...?"

Diamond’s eyes widened, and she then looked at the stripper pole with narrowed eyes.

“What are you thinking?” Trixie asked with a frown.

“I may not have one of those Persona things, but this is still my dream,” she got up, “Meaning there’s one thing I can do to help with this!” she ran over to the pole, tossing Trixie’s jacket off, “Hey big boy~ Got a surprise for you~” she purred.

Oni looked up on stage, where he saw Diamond spinning and dancing on the pole, giving her best performance. With her state of undress, it came off both raunchy and somehow elegant, yet she didn’t look embarrassed in the slightest.

Adagio rose to her knees and covered her eyes with her hands blushing, “Mmmmm!”

“What is that girl-” Dash stopped and looked at the Shadow. He had hearts in his eyes, his tongue was hanging out, and he dropped his sword. She then looked at Diamond, who spun around on the poll and gave Dash a wink. Dash smirked, and rose to her feet, “I seriously wanna kiss that girl right now.”

“Please yes…!” Pinkie Pie moaned with a smile.

“Please no…!” Adagio whimpered.

“Yeah! That’s what I’m talkin’ about baby~!” Oni cheered, getting into the dancing and giving Diamond his undivided attention. Starlight rose to her feet and took a deep breath.

“Diamond, thank you,” she said softly, “APSARAS!!!” she shouted, shifting to her Priestess Persona. She then cast an odd spell on Dash, Rebellion. The impression she got for it was that it’d make it easier for her to get a critical hit.

With the way her eyes sharpened as she glared at Oni, seemed Dash got the idea.

“CHARGE ECLAIR!!!” Dash roared, summoning her Persona and having her raise her blade, casting a stronger looking Zio on the distracted Oni.

“WHAT THE?!!” he roared, falling to one knee.

“Everyone, All Out Attack!” Starlight commanded. Starlight, Adagio, Pinkie Pie, and Rainbow Dash all brought out their weapons and delivered their best smack down on the Shadow. Without his sword, he wasn’t able to defend himself at all, leading him to taking mortal damage.

“D-doesn’t matter…!” he groaned, “You’re still, a dirty little slut…!”

“Know what? Maybe I am,” Diamond said, spinning around triumphantly on the pole, “But that’s for me to decide, not some perverted demon!”

And with that, he fell to the ground and faded away into a black mist.

song: Daydream - Blue Reflection: Second Light

Diamond let go of the pole and hunched forward, panting heavily, “Shit. That, was terrifying,” Starlight walked over to Diamond and placed a hand on her shoulder, “Starlight? I think, I’ll stick to cheerleading for now.”

Starlight smiled in approval of that. Beside her, she noticed the emergency exit unlock itself, now glowing brightly with an inviting light.

“Guess that’s the way out,” Trixie said, “Ready to leave, Diamond?”

Diamond nodded, “Yeah. I’m ready.”

They all left through the door together. Once the last of them left, the entire club cracked, and shattered into a golden light, unable to maintain itself without Diamond or anyone to view it.

song: Qualia - Blue Reflection

Much to everyone’s surprise, they were now in the Akashic Records, but a section they didn’t recognize. There was a large comfy red chair in a corner, along with few nice looking tables and chairs scattered around. The books were really beautiful and expensive looking, like they cost a fortune.

“This is, the Library?” Adagio asked looking around, “Why are we here…?”

“Looking at some of the names of these books…” Twilight sucked in a breath, “These are Diamond’s Records! We’re in the section dedicated to her Akashic Records!”

“Whoa…!” Diamond said, catching everyone’s attention. She stepped forward looking around, one arm over her still exposed chest, “What, is this place…?”

“Um, should we be concerned that she’s still here?” Dash asked, “She didn’t get a Channeling Ring from any of that.”

“No, but I think it’s alright,” Twilight sighed, “Well, no it’s not, as I’m pretty sure I know what happened, but she’s no longer trapped.”

“So, what did happen?” Trixie asked Twilight.

“Simply put, that whole thing left such an impression on her, that she’s fully lucid now,” Twilight explained, “She’ll probably wake up with full memory of this.”

“Well, why don’t we just tell her what’s going on, then?” Pinkie Pie suggested.

Twilight sighed, “Seriously…?”

“Silver Spoon already knows about this somewhat, right?” Pinkie Pie asked, “Only fair that Diamond knows too. Besides, she’s Starlight’s friend. I don’t think she’ll spread any weird rumors or tell anyone.”

“Hate to say it, but we kinda have to tell her now,” Dash pointed out, “If she’s going to remember anyway, might as well give her the whole story.”

Twilight groaned, “Fair enough, I suppose. Not like we anticipated this happening.”

“Let me,” Starlight offered, “I kinda, wanted to talk to her solo anyway.”

“Alright,” Trixie said rubbing Starlight’s back, “We’ll be over there resting.”

Starlight thanked her friends and then walked over to Diamond, “Hey, how are ya holding up?”

“Well, I’m still naked, you’re still dressed as a witch, I’m still reeling from being held against my will by a bunch of horny demons, and now I’m in a super scary infinite library. All in all,” she turned to Starlight, “I’ve been better, yeah…”

Starlight sighed and rubbed Diamond’s arm, offering to talk to her about things.

“I’d, appreciate that, actually,” she said, “Not for nothing but, I feel like after what I saw, I need to know what’s going on.”

song: Smile - Persona 4

“Alright, let’s sit over there and I’ll explain everything,” Starlight offered. Starlight guided her to sit at a nearby table, where she explained to her the situation as best as she could. What the Nightmare Epidemic actually was, how she was here, what Personas were, and how Dungeons worked.

Surprisingly, though a bit confused in places, Diamond took all of it in pretty well.

“Oh my God…” Diamond said softly, no longer bothering to cover herself with her arm and instead using her hair to at least somewhat cover her nipples, “So… the people who die from the Nightmare Epidemic, they’re people who were killed by the Shadows in these, Dungeons you called them?”

Starlight nodded, “Yeah. In Dungeons, any pain inflicted on you follows you when you wake up. So if you were to get killed in the dream…”

“I'd die, in real life…” Diamond said, eyes closed and holding a hand to her chest, “So that’s what was happening to me.”

“What caused all this, if you know?” Starlight asked, “From what it sounded like, and from what I can gleam from you, you did seem to enjoy being a stripper, no offense.”

“None taken,” Diamond rubbed her arm and looked away, “I do really like that sort of thing. Truth is, I didn’t join the Pep Squad, to try and take down Suri. That’s one of my goals, but in truth,” she closed her eyes, “It’s an excuse for me to, indulge you could say.” Indulge? What did she mean by that? “See, I’ve always had a bit of a high libido. Not high enough where I want sex 24/7 or anything, but I enjoy being aroused. When I wear short skirts, tops that show off my cleavage, it excites me. In contrast, the life of the Upper Class is so, dull. Everyone puts on airs, acting phony all the damn time, holding themselves to this super high standard where they have to be perfect. Not a hair out of place. No slouching, no showing excessive skin, and you better not do anything to make people think you’re loose or anything. Do that, and you’re entire family is the target for rumors.”

“That, sounds terrible,” Starlight winced, “You essentially have to watch your every move, then?”

“Yeah,” she nodded, “Often, people will get close to you and try to be your friend, only to figure out your dirty little secrets and spread them. Why do you think I don’t make friends with fellow rich kids? I've dealt with that, too many times to count.”

“Well, what about Silver Spoon?” Starlight asked, “She’s rich, right?”

“Yeah, but she’s special,” Diamond looked up, “Yeah she’s a bitch, but at least she’s upfront about it. I didn’t want to worry you, but the day you met her, Silver told me up front that she hated your guts, and that I was too good to hang out with, how did she put it? “A stuck up, unbalanced goth bitch who acts all high and mighty”.”

Starlight sighed, “That, sounds just like her, actually,” she couldn’t help but laugh though.

“Like I said, she’s a bitch,” Diamond laughed a bit, “But she’s honest. She does take things too far at times, but that's when I just pull her aside and set her straight. She and I have been best friends since third grade, and I do enjoy spending time with her. She's a stuck up brat, but she's my stuck up brat.”

That was a long time. No wonder Silver Spoon was so loyal to Diamond. She was more or less, her Sunburst.

“So, what’s going on with your Dad then?” Starlight asked.

Diamond took a deep breath, “Okay, so remember how I said you have to be careful of rumors in the upper class?” Starlight nodded, “See, my Mom also had a huge libido, but she couldn’t control herself. She ended up cheating on my Dad, sleeping with his at the time best friend, who was also cheating on his wife. She caught them in the act, and not only told my Dad…”

“But, all of her friends, too…” Starlight realized. Diamond rubbed her eyes.

“It became, a huge scandal,” Diamond said, “When you wake up, look up the Barnyard Bargains Scandal of 2015, and you can learn about that train wreck,” she rolled her eyes, “Turned out she only married him for his money, which she revealed in a pretty bad fight. He divorced her, and took her to court to ensure that he got full custody of me, and that he could get by with giving her as little of his fortune as possible.”

“Your father sounds scary,” Starlight muttered.

“When it comes to all things business and money, he is,” Diamond nodded wide eyed, but then wilted, “But, after that, he changed. He got super strict with me, demanding that I be the perfect representative of the family. He constantly criticizes my choices in clothes, who my friends are, and yes, how I spend my time.”

“Meaning he, does want you to give up being a cheerleader,” Starlight said.

Diamond sighed and nodded, “He was fine at first. Said so long as I kept my grades up, it was okay. Then he saw me practicing a routine, and once he learned that it was how I danced in Pep Squad, he threw a fit, telling me that this was a bad look.”

“Sounds to me, like he’s worried you’ll end up just like your Mother,” Starlight said.

“Yeah… I think you’re right,” Diamond folded her arms, “I hate being rich, you know? Sure its nice to get what I want more times than not. I enjoy having my future secure, I like being able to just, buy what I want and know it’ll be fine,” she closed her eyes, “But if it means I have to give up being friends with you, stop being a cheerleader, or just, stop being true to myself… honestly THAT’S why I am considering joining the Diamond Dogs. Yeah they’re rough, they’re rebellious, kinda troublemakers…”

“Kinda?!” Starlight asked, “You saw what they did to the school the other day!”

Diamond sighed, “Yeah, okay fair! But, they’re free!” she said desperately, “If I were to join them, Starlight, I’d have a place where I can always be true to myself!”

“But is it worth giving up that security for the future?” Starlight asked, “Is it worth, giving up everything you enjoy about your life?”

“If it means I don’t lose ‘Diamond Tiara’ then yes!” she sobbed, “Starlight, I’m terrified of being who he wants me to be…! I’m terrified that, one day I’ll look in the mirror, and not recognize who’s looking back at me…!” she held Starlight’s hand earnestly, “I want to keep being your friend! I want to keep being a cheerleader! I want to keep wearing the clothes I like, and carrying myself in a way that feels natural to me! I know I’m different from other rich people, but I don’t care! It’s me! It’s who I am, and I don’t want to give that up!”

Starlight lightly shushed Diamond and brought her into a loving embrace, letting her cry in her arms. This really wasn’t fair. It seemed like due to her life being the way it way, she really couldn’t be true to herself. Not if she wanted to remain scandal free.

But the idea of Diamond needing to willingly cage herself, that just didn’t feel right to her.

“Diamond, I don’t know what the answer to this is,” Starlight admitted, “And sadly, my magic can’t fix this issue, much as I wish it could. But what I do know, is that the first step is to lean on your friends, meaning me, and Silver Spoon.”

“She probably hates me now…” Diamond whimpered.

“Actually, she’s worried you hate her,” Starlight said, explaining how worried Silver Spoon was for her, once she realized she had the Nightmare Epidemic.

“Spoony…!” Diamond’s eyes widened and filled with tears.

“She knows too, about me being a real witch,” Starlight said, “She doesn’t know all of this, but she does know that my coven and I can use our magic to help people with the Nightmare Epidemic. I was going to come anyway, but she sent me to rescue you.”

“She, really is a wonderful friend,” Diamond said softly, “When I wake up, I have to apologize to her.”

“I have to meet with the Student Council President after school,” Starlight said, “But maybe on Thursday, after Pep Squad, we could perhaps, talk about this with Silver Spoon?”

Diamond nodded, “Sure. I’m okay with that. I think I, need some time to think anyway,” Diamond looked around, “So, after this, what are you going to do?”

Starlight closed her eyes, “Me and my friends are, actually looking for another Dungeon, this one being fully fleshed out.”

“Who’s is it?” Diamond asked. Starlight hesitated, but decided to tell her the truth, making Diamond’s eyes widen, “Miss President?! She’s trapped here too?!”

Starlight nodded, “She is. But, hers isn’t connected to the Tower anymore. It’s in her section of the Akashic Records, and unless we can find that… we can’t save her.”

“And when you do, you’re going to have to fight those monsters again, right?” Diamond asked fearfully, Starlight nodding, “Oh my God, Starlight…!”

“It’s okay,” she assured, “My friends are with me. I’ll be fine, Diamond.”

“Still, you can’t expect to just let it go after learning my friend is fighting demons! I, I have to do something to help you!”

“Diamond-”

“You saved my life!” Diamond pressed, “Sure, I don’t have a Persona, but I can-” she then blinked and then looked around, “Right… this is still a dream like world. And you're a witch, so that means…” she nodded, “I know what I can do,” Starlight tilted her head curiously, “I can dance.”

“Wait, what?” Starlight asked.

“Yeah! Like what I did for that demon to distract it! I can just, do that to provide a temporary distraction to whatever you’re fighting!” Diamond beamed.

“That’s, cool but, how are you going to get to where we are?” Starlight asked, “I’m sorry but, without a Persona, I can’t let you come with us into the Dungeons. I don’t even know if you can go lucid on your own without a Channeling Ring.”

“Then…” she looked at Starlight’s ring, “I’ll use yours.”

Starlight blinked, confused by what she meant. Diamond then knelt before Starlight, and kissed her Channeling Ring. Suddenly, it began shine in a faint glow. At the same time, Diamond sucked in a breath, a faint glow over her heart.

“There,” she said panting a bit, “Now, we’re connected through your ring. So, if you wear that here, you can pull me out of whatever dream I’m having, and I’ll dance for the enemies as a distraction.”

“Diamond… it sounds like you, bound your soul to my ring…” Starlight asked wide eyed.

“Kinda, yeah,” Diamond shrugged, “I figured, with you being a witch, you could, I dunno, put me under a spell, make me a thrall or something. Yeah, that’s it! I’m a thrall now! So anytime you need me, just think of me, and I’ll come to your aid!”

“You’d, do that for me…?” Starlight asked.

“Yes I would,” Diamond held Starlight’s hand and looked into her eyes lovingly, “Because you’re my friend. You saved my life. With this, maybe one day, I can save yours.”

My heart and my soul are yours, Starlight.

Thank you, for being my friend.

Starlight closed her eyes tightly, hugging Diamond as she cried in gratitude. Somehow, she’d save Diamond Tiara. She’d make it so she could be true to herself, with or without magic. She felt significantly closer to Diamond Tiara.

Diamond Tiara’s soul was now bound to Starlight’s Channeling Ring. She was now her Thrall in the Phase.

song: Qualia - Blue Reflection

After making sure Diamond Tiara was okay, Starlight went back over to her friends. Diamond figured that she’d wake up once Starlight took off her ring, so she just sat down reading some of her akashic records till then. Starlight promised to not take her ring off without Diamond knowing.

She explained to everyone what happened, leaving all of them stunned.

“So, what? Diamond’s going to be fighting alongside us now?” Rainbow Dash asked.

“Something like that,” Starlight looked at her ring, “I don’t know how this will work, but I think she’ll become something of a spirit I can call on for aid in the Phase.”

Twilight gave her signature groan, “So now we’re getting civilians involved? Lovely…"

“All you ever do is complain, Twi-Twi,” Trixie sighed shrugging. Twilight’s wisp bounced.

“Well excuuuuuuse me for caring about protocol, and again, MY NAME IS TWILIGHT!” Twilight fussed.

Dash sighed shaking her head, “I think at this point, protocol’s gotta be yeeted out the window.”

Twilight gasped, “Blasphemy!”

“I dunno, Twilight,” Pinkie Pie rubbed the back of her head, “Kinda hard to keep protocol concerning the Phase since we don’t know the rules of the place.”

"And even if we kept this from Diamond, or anyone else we save from this place, not knowing's just going to give then more nightmares," Trixie added.

“I, don’t know if it’s my place to speak but,” Adagio said awkwardly, “I agree. None of us knew that Starlight’s friend would go lucid after rescuing her. If your rules are to not tell the public, then the only way to keep that…” she winced, “Might be to just, stop saving people…”

Twilight grimaced, “I hate that you have a point… fine. Just so long as we at least TRY to keep it in house much as possible.”

“I’ll make sure that Diamond knows not to tell anyone about this,” Starlight assured, “But, if she’s going to help us, I do think at some point, she should meet you Twilight, and know about Ms. Tia’s involvement.”

Starlight heard Celestia’s voice a bit beside Twilight, who then sighed, “Fine. Ms. Tia said it’s okay.”

“So, how much time till we gotta get ready for class?” Rainbow Dash asked with a stretch and yawn.

“Shockingly, it’s only 2:15 AM,” Twilight said, “We did this in record time, so you can relax for now.”

“In that case, I’m gonna do some exploring,” Trixie stretched, “See what books I can find here in this section, you know.”

“Mind if I join ya?” Rainbow Dash asked, “Maybe we can find a clue to Rarity’s Dungeon too.”

“Sure. What about everyone else?” Trixie said, turning to the rest of their group.

“I think, I’m just gonna go to sleep,” Pinkie Pie said after yawning, “That last fight took a lot out of me.”

“About the same, really,” Adagio looked away, “I have some thinking to do.”

“Thank you again for helping us, Adagio,” Starlight smiled, “You really made a difference.”

“I’ll say,” Rainbow Dash said, “Hey, if you wanna join us, I’d be alright with it if our Leader wanted it.”

“Much, as I’d love to, I already joined a coven,” Adagio closed her eyes somberly, “But, if we run into each other again, in this place, I’d like to be friends.”

“Well, I don’t agree with your more extreme methods,” Twilight admitted, “But that said, you don’t seem like a bad person, so if we run into each other again on the same battlefield, I’ll support you just like I support them.”

“Consider all of us besties from now on, okay Adagio?” Pinkie Pie took Adagio’s hands and smiled. Adagio looked at Pinkie Pie and smiled, nodding.

“Yes! I will! Thank you!” she turned to Starlight, “I, want to see you again. Alright?”

Starlight nodded, “I come here by myself often, so I’ll be on the lookout for you.”

Adagio beamed and once again hugged Starlight tightly, “Thank you, Starlight! I can’t wait to see you again!”

I love you so much…! Oh Starlight…!

“Me, neither,” Starlight said returning the hug. Oh God, she did have romantic feelings…

Adagio released Starlight, after hugging her for a second longer than she was comfortable with, and then removed her ring, vanishing from the Records.

“You gonna be okay, Starlight?” Trixie asked.

“Yeah, I’ll be alright,” Starlight assured Trixie, kissing her gently on the lips, “I’m going to stay with Diamond Tiara. Make sure I wake up when she’s ready too.”

“Alright,” Trixie said, “See you when we wake up, Mistress~”

Starlight seriously enjoyed being called that...

“As for me, I’m actually going to follow Trixie and Rainbow Dash,” Twilight said, “Like Dash said, we might get a clue about Rarity’s Dungeon.”

“Sweet.” Dash kissed Pinkie Pie deeply and passionately, “See you in the morning, Your Majesty.”

“See you in the morning, my beloved knight,” Pinkie Pie replied softly. Once she took off her Channeling Ring, Twilight, Trixie, and Dash said their good nights to Starlight and Diamond before heading off.

Starlight went back to join Diamond, who despite still being mostly naked, seemed more comfortable around Starlight. The two of them explored the records together, Starlight even helping Diamond find a book on Lucid Dreaming, so she could get back here herself when she wanted, even without Starlight needing to summon her.

There was still a ton of work to do. Sadly they didn’t find anything leading to Rarity’s Dungeon, and Diamond’s situation with her father was still what it was. That said, between making a new, albeit questionable friend in Adagio, and getting Diamond Tiara as a thrall…

Today, was a resounding success for Starlight’s coven!

Author's Note

This was my favorite chapter to write thus far, with Diamond Tiara now being my favorite non party member social link.

Priestess Thrall Ability: Striptease - Once summoned, Diamond Tiara will do a sexy pole dance to get the enemy's attention. Effected enemies will be charmed and unable to attack.

Fool – Seekers of Light: 5/10
Magician – Trixie Lulamoon: 8/10 :heart:
Priestess – Diamond Tiara: 8/10 LEVEL UP!!!! Thrall
The Empress – Ms. Tia: 4/10
The Lovers - Pinkamena Diane Pie: 2/10
Chariot – Rainbow Dash: 3/10
Strength - Tokugawa Fluttershy: 1/5
The Devil – Silver Spoon: 4/10 LEVEL UP!!!!
Hermit – Sunburst: 2/10
Transformation - Ms. Luna: 1/10

Click here to check out the Go Fund I'm starting for my parents, and consider either donating or sharing this on your social media accounts.

10/17

October 17th, 2019
Wednesday
Light Rain/PM Cloudy

Morning

song: I (sun) - Blue Reflection

“So, we did it?” Starlight asked Twilight, meeting up with her a bit before she turned in for the morning.

“Yes, I can confirm,” Twilight nodded, “Diamond Tiara’s Dungeon is gone. Well, guess it wasn’t much of a Dungeon. More like a Cell I suppose.”

“Why don’t we just call it that?” Starlight suggested.

“So, a Cell if it’s still in Elysium, and a Dungeon if its taken over the person’s Akashic Records?” Twilight asked, “Know what, that works. Helps keeps things organized for when I report to Mitsuru.”

“Think, I’ll ever get a chance to speak with her myself?” Starlight asked, “This Mitsuru sounds really impressive.”

“She actually has mentioned she wants to meet you,” Twilight stretched and yawned, “She’s hoping to come visit on the 21st of November, and join us for Thanksgiving.”

Starlight was surprised by that. Such an important person from Japan coming all the way here to visit? That was a huge deal. Starlight asked Twilight if she should know anything before she arrived.

“Not really. Mitsuru appears more intimidating than she actually is. Just mind your manners and you should be fine,” Twilight took off her glasses and rubbed her eyes, “Honestly, I think I’d need to be more concerned about Trixie than you.”

Starlight chuckled at that, and noticed even Twilight smiled somewhat. They could be friends, easily. It honestly felt like they were supposed to be friends, or that possibly their roles should be the opposite of what they were currently.

“I won’t keep you long,” Starlight said, choosing to just take her victory of progress as opposed to calling attention to it, “I know you’re tired, so I’ll let you get some sleep.”

“Which I do appreciate,” Twilight said, “It’ll probably be another hour or so before I actually shut down, but I would like some time to myself to just, relax I suppose.”

“Alright. And um, thanks for helping us save Diamond. I don’t know what we’d do without you,” Starlight said softly. Twilight turned to her door but stopped, taking a deep breath.

“My mission assignment is to protect people from the Nightmare Epidemic,” she said softly, “I’m just doing my job, Starlight.”

“Maybe, but it does mean a lot to me,” Starlight went over and touched Twilight’s shoulder, “So thanks for-

Unit is currently only working at 47% efficiency, and steadily dropping. Proposal: seek guidance on additional means of increasing efficiency, or risk termination.

“your help,” she kept her tone neutral, but something about Twilight’s emotions felt odd. Subdued, almost mechanical. And, what did she mean by “termination”? She wasn't...

Twilight sighed, “Sure. Have a good day at school, Starlight,” she lightly pushed Starlight’s hand off and walked into her room. Starlight frowned and looked at her hands. Why did Twilight’s emotions feel like that…? She was human, right? I mean, she'd seen her eat, she knew she slept, albeit at weird hours, which was more than she could say for her homeroom teacher. But more importantly than Twilight's status as a human...

Did she... have a Dungeon currently...?

She went downstairs, deciding to just keep an eye on Twilight for now. Once downstairs, she saw Trixie leaning against the front desk waiting for her, “Ready to go, Mistress?”

Starlight took a breath and smiled. She seriously liked hearing that.

“Yep. Let’s g-” her phone ringing caught her attention. She looked at it, surprised to see Diamond’s number, “It’s, Diamond Tiara.”

Trixie pushed off the desk, “Let’s see what’s up,” she requested. Starlight nodded and answered the phone.

“Hey um, Starlight?” Diamond asked, “Sorry to call so out of the blue, but I, wanted to confirm something. Last night, did it… actually happen…?”

“Well that depends,” Starlight smiled, “Did you become the thrall of a teenage witch last night?”

song: Smile - Persona 4

Diamond gasped, “I knew it…! So, you really are a witch!” she laughed, “Thank you, Starlight! Thank you so much for rescuing me! Um, is everyone else there?”

“Trixie’s with me. Hold on,” Starlight put hr phone on speaker.

“Hey Diamond. Take it you had a good dream last night~” Trixie asked, making Diamond chuckle.

“Well, it got a bit scary in places, but yeah. Overall, it was a great dream. Seriously though, thank you for saving me. And, I meant what I said there, Trixie. If you need help building up your confidence again, I’ll be there for you.”

“Thanks Diamond,” Trixie said with a soft smile, “You’re a great friend.”

“I try, at least,” Diamond said softly, “I, did apologize to Silver Spoon. I didn’t tell her the true nature of that place, or about me being your thrall now, but I did let her know that you guys saved me.”

“Bet she was happy to hear that,” Starlight smiled.

“She burst into tears, and started thanking you over and over,” Diamond said, “She wants to thank you in person, so be on the lookout for her, okay?”

“I will. What about you? Are you going to be okay?” Starlight asked.

“I, am but, I’m taking today off from school. My whole view of the world is changed now. Not for nothing, but I’m a bit, worried about stepping outside. That and, I’m still unsure what to say to my Dad.”

“Well, far as I know, the Shadows can’t come into the real world,” Trixie assured Diamond, “And concerning things with your Dad, don't rush into things. You'll figure out what to say to him.”

“Thanks Trixie. Um, tonight I think I, do want to try meeting up in that library again to just, walk around a bit. Is that okay, Starlight?” Diamond asked.

“Sure,” Starlight said, “Feel free to go there even if I’m not there. Just, stay away from any doors.”

“Oh! Um, but if you happen to run into any black doors, please let us know!” Trixie said suddenly, “Like, if here’s a section where all of the books have been cleared out, and there’s a door that just feels wrong!”

“That’s a, Dungeon right?” Diamond asked, Starlight confirming, “Alright. And um, I’ll make note of any books I see around it.”

“Thanks Diamond,” Starlight said, “This helps more than you know.”

“After you saved me, this is the least I can do,” Diamond said warmly, “I’ll see you tomorrow, you two.”

“See ya, Diamond,” Trixie said smiling. Starlight said her goodbyes and hung up, hugging Trixie tightly, “Told you we could do it.”

“Thank you, Trixie,” Starlight said softly, “You’re still getting that spanking, by the way.”

“Looking forward to it~”

Daytime

song: School Days - Persona

In English, Bulk Biceps called on Trixie to answer a question about grammar. Trixie looked panicked, as she’d spaced out thinking about her stage show.

“Starlight… help…!” she whispered. Starlight thankfully knew the answer and wrote it on a piece of paper, strategically letting Trixie see it. She quickly gave the answer, leading to Bulk Biceps nodding in approval.

“Not bad! And also good show of teamwork between the two of you!” he grinned, letting Starlight know he saw what she did, making her blush and apologize, “Don’t apologize. Life isn’t a solo sport,” he slammed his fists into his hands, “It's a team sport! If you can’t make it on your own, you gotta turn to your teammates for help! THAT’S HOW WINNING IS DONE!!!”

Trixie sighed in relief, “Glad he wasn’t mad. Seriously Starlight, thanks. You’re fantastic.”

Starlight smiled happily. Trixie seemed to really appreciate her help.

Starlight felt like she and Trixie would become closer really soon.

Lunch Time

Right as Starlight grabbed her lunch and closed her locker, she felt someone wrap their arms around her from behind, hugging her tightly.

“Thank you…!” Silver Spoon sobbed, “Thank you so much…!”

Starlight smiled, holding onto her arms, “You’re welcome, Silver Spoon.”

“I’ll admit, I was, skeptical at first,” Silver admitted, “But you… you really did use your magic to save her. So… um…” Silver released Starlight and looked away nervously, “Think we could, uh… talk sometime later? Just you and me? Now that I know you're the real deal, I'd, like to ask you a bit about it.”

Starlight accepted, telling Silver she’d love to get to know her better. Now that she had a better idea of what her deal was, and that she was trying to be nice, Starlight was willing to try and become friends for real.

“Thank you,” Silver said, “There’s a coffee shop in South Street with outdoor seating. You can find me there more times than not after school.”

“I’ll definitely seek you out then,” Starlight smiled. Silver nodded and walked off, taking one last look at Starlight before walking off. It seemed she really wanted to talk to her about something. Well, she did prove that she was actually a witch now. Maybe she wanted to know more about that. She’d probably ask about how she got her powers at some point.

Which was also, how her Mother died…

Starlight shook her head and decided to continue to lunch. For now, she just wanted to focus on meeting with Rarity after school. She seriously hoped she wasn’t in any trouble with her. That said, her heart wouldn’t stop racing from the thought of it.

end song

After School

Once homeroom ended, Starlight said she’d meet up with everyone in South Street after Student Council to discuss what happened if anything. She hoped nothing bad happened, but something in the way Rarity looked at her yesterday scared her.

She turned down the hall leading to the Student Council office, and saw Rarity walking toward the office, arms folded and looking down. As such, she didn’t notice when another girl quickly turned corner, bumping into her.

“Ahh!” the student cried, Rarity grunting in surprise. Said student had long purple and pink hair that was super full, wore a purple sweater, pink skirt, colorful leggings, purple and pink sneakers, and had really big green eyes behind big circular glasses. The girl looked up to see Rarity staring down at her somewhat imposingly, making her blush in embarrassment.

song: A Small Distance - Blue Reflection

“Can I help you?” Rarity asked with a raised eyebrow, “Or are you okay pressed against me like this?”

The somewhat mousey girl jumped back and bowed to Rarity, “I’m sorry, Miss President! I wasn’t watching where I was going!"

Rarity rolled her eyes and sighed smiling, “It’s fine. Sweetie Belle, right?”

The girl looked up at her with wide, hope filled eyed, “Y-you know my name…?”

“Considering you’re our top ranking chess player, it’d be kind of hard not to know your name,” Rarity said.

“Oh. R-right. I guess, that does make sense,” Sweetie Belle looked down, looking oddly sad.

“Is everything alright? You’re not still being bullied, are you?” Rarity asked Sweetie Belle, who twirled some of her hair around her finger absently.

“It’s, getting better now, since you got the Defense Committee on them, b-but they still, sometimes…”

Rarity pursed her lips, “If it becomes too much trouble, talk to me, alright?” she requested, caressing Sweetie Belle’s cheek, “The Student Council is always willing to help students in need.”

“T-thank you, Miss President,” Sweetie Belle said softly, closing her eyes gently. All too soon it seemed, Rarity removed her hand and walked past the young girl. She bit her lip and turned around to Rarity, reaching for her, “Rari- er, Miss President! Are um, uh…”

“Is there something else?” Rarity said, the slightest bit of impatience in her voice, "I'm in a hurry to meet with someone." Sweetie pulled her hand back looking extremely nervous.

“I was just wondering if, you were okay,” Sweetie said, “That message from the Diamond Dogs, you looked really upset about it…”

“You, saw?” Rarity asked softly, not turning around. Something about the air between them felt odd.

“I, did. I… I know I can’t do much to help, b-but… if I could… at all… do something to… t-to help you…” Sweetie stammered.

“I’ll be fine,” Rarity dismissed, “This isn’t your problem, so there’s no need for you to worry, alright? Just leave the Diamond Dogs to me, and the Defense Committee,” she turned back a bit and smiled, “But thank you for caring.”

“Y-you’re welcome…” Sweetie said softly. Starlight noticed her wiping her eyes with her sleeve before walking off in a hurry. Starlight frowned and walked over to Rarity after Sweetie Belle left.

“Hey, um, who was that girl?” Starlight asked Rarity.

“Hm? Oh, there you are,” Rarity said with a soft smile. She then looked back at the girl walking off down the hall, “That was Sweetie Belle. She’s on the Chess Team. She’s brilliant, but kind of odd, which makes her a target for frequent bullying.”

“That’s, unfortunate,” Starlight said softly, looking at her turn the corner, “Are you two close or something?”

“Not beyond what you just witnessed.” Rarity frowned folding her arms, “She’s always been a tad, obsessive when it comes to me. I’ve tried asking her about it, but she usually just clams up afterward.”

Starlight hummed in thought to herself. Maybe she could get close to her if she joined the chess club? Something to think about for later.

“But, enough about that,” Rarity turned to Starlight, “I was actually hoping to run into you now. Could we, have that talk now?”

Starlight nodded, “Sure. Um, how can I help you?”

“Mmmm, not here,” Rarity looked around, “Come with me. I’d like to speak with you, privately.”

end song

Starlight’s heart leaped out of her chest when she said that, but she nodded all the same. Rarity gave an odd smile and walked ahead down the hallway. As they walked in silence, Starlight took in Rarity’s walk. It was more of a stride, honestly, filled with power and grace. Starlight knew from experience she was not one to be trifled with.

And if Starlight was right about who this actually was, she could possibly even be dangerous.

Rarity led Starlight out of the school and in the back alleyway. Once there, Rarity looked around, “Alright, this is perfect. This way, no one will interfere.” she said, undoing her necktie.

“No one, will interfere…?” Starlight asked. She then screamed in shock as Rarity turned to her, backed her against a wall, and slammed her hands onto the wall beside Starlight’s head, pinning her there.

song: Maya's theme - Persona 3

“You know, you have a really bad habit of getting involved in shit you have no business being a part of,” Rarity said harshly, her tone completely different. The elegant flair in her voice, gone. Her stance, more imposing than elegant. Her head hung low, and not only was her tie undone, but her top somewhat unbuttoned, again showing a bit of her bra.

“W-what are you, talking about…?” Starlight asked.

“Oh, you know exactly what I’m talkin’ about,” Rarity said, finally looking up at Starlight with a sharp glare, lips curled in a sexy but still terrifying scowl, “Little Star.”

Starlight sucked in a breath, her eyes widening. This, wasn’t the president she was talking to anymore…

“You're... Dirty Diamond…” she breathed out. Rarity narrowed her eyes.

“You know about me then? Guess that answers that question,” Rarity said, her tone low and dangerous.

“So, you are involved with the Diamond Dogs…” Starlight said.

“I’m a lot more than “involved”. You could say I’m more, intertwined.” Rarity clarified, confirming to Starlight that yes, she was the “bitch” they wanted back.

“W-why did you, ask me to meet with me…?” Starlight asked, visibly trembling.

“I’m trying to understand your deal,” Rarity said, “Why you keep endin’ up around my old crew.”

“I…”

“See, I got a real good gig goin’ in this school,” Rarity continued, showing Starlight her Student Council badge, “This right here? This means I’m one of the most important kids in this building. Won the election by such a landslide, that cunt Suri was in tears.” she gave a very imposing sneer, “All goes well, I could end up with a full scholarship for college. Get in one of those good school, you feel me? The kind brats like me, never get into.”

Starlight shied back against the wall, biting her lip. She sounded so different. None of the warmth and care in her voice was present. Was all of that just… fake? Was she pretending to care about the students this whole time?

“Right now though, I got Cinch on my fuckin’ ass about everything, this goddamn Nightmare bullshit making everyone piss their pants in fear, exams looming around the corner, I'm horny as FUCK, and to top it all off, my new secretary is gettin’ a bit too close to the wolf’s den!” Rarity gritted her teeth, gripped Starlight’s collar with one hand, the other hand in a reared back fist, “So I need to know if you’re gonna be a problem I need to make disappear!”

“I’m… I’m sorry!” Starlight blurted out, tears building up, “I just, I’m just trying to…”

“Trying, to, what?!” Rarity demanded, “Did Cinch put you up to this?! She got you snitchin on me?!”

“No! I promise I’m not!” Starlight cried, “I swear, the only teacher who knows that you saved me is Miss Tia, and she’s told me she wouldn’t tell!”

Rarity loosened her grip a bit, but still held her to the wall, “Then why’s Rover all strung out on you, and how do you know my old call sign?”

“He, approached me!” Starlight said, “Friday night, I took Trixie to the park for some fun, and he saw! He ran into me on Saturday when I went back to the park and asked what our relationship was!”

“And you said…”

“That you were someone I like a lot, and that I wanted to help as much as possible!” Starlight answered honestly, “I promise you, I’m on your side! Besides, Cinch doesn’t like me either, due to my record!”

“Right… the whole suicide thing…” Rarity muttered to herself. She didn’t release Starlight, but she did lower her fist, “Look, just watch yourself, alright? I got enough shit on plate as is. I don’t need you gettin’ hurt along with that.”

“I… I will,” Starlight assured Rarity, who then released her finally, backing away.

“Good. Sorry if I upset you,” Rarity said, the more elegant tone slowly returning as she buttoned up her blazer and top.

“Apology, accepted, just…” Starlight looked away, “I’m really confused. One minute, you’re saying you want to get to know me better, and the next minute you act like you almost want me to get as far away from you as possible.”

Rarity froze and looked to Starlight silently.

“I, just need to know. Why did you ask me to be your secretary? Was it because you genuinely wanted to be my friend, or was that just to make the "Student Council President" look good?”

Rarity took a breath and then folded her arms, “Which answer keeps you quiet?”

“The truth,” Starlight said honestly.

Rarity slowly nodded, “Well, if you want the truth, I personally do find you intriguing, and I do enjoy your company.”

Starlight nodded, “Thank you. I’ll trust that.”

“My turn to ask a question, and I want an honest one, too. The rest of your dorm know about me?”

Oh boy. Well, her lying now would look bad, especially when they started actively dealing with her Dungeon.

“They, were worried about me,” Starlight said, “I was, visibly shaken after everything, so my friends, well…” she closed her eyes, “Just them, I promise. No one outside of the dorm knows anything about you being with the Diamond Dogs. I'm sorry if you're mad at me, but I was so scared that I just...” she closed her eyes tightly, trying hard not to cry, but this was really a lot for her still admittedly fragile state of mind.

Rarity sighed to herself, “Fuck me sideways...” she muttered softly. She then walked over to Starlight and hugged her, “How about this. So long as they don’t spread the info around, we’re good. That okay? You can talk to them about this, but only them.”

Starlight nodded, hugging Rarity back. She then opened herself up to her, curious what her emotions were.

Shit! I almost fucked up big time. If Applejack knew I upset one of Pinkie’s friends, she’d be so upset…

Well, at least now she knew that Rarity was genuinely trying to look out for her. This still raised a few questions, but at least now she knew for certain. Rarity was in fact, a Diamond Dog.

Question was, was this at all connected to her Dungeon? And, how did she end up here? There was no way Cinch would have let someone with probably a record of violence and criminal activity enroll.

So, how did Rarity get in?

song: Alleycat - Persona 5

Starlight met with everyone at the Ramen Shop after Student Council, where she told her friends what happened between her and Rarity in the back alley of the school, along with what she learned.

“Rarity is… a Diamond Dog…?” Pinkie Pie asked wide eyed.

“Dirty Diamond, huh?” Trixie stroked her chin thoughtfully, “Wonder what someone has to do to get a nickname like that...”

“I don’t know, and the implications of it worry me,” Starlight admitted looking down, “When she talked to me in the alleyway, she was like a completely different person.”

“How so?” Rainbow Dash asked, sipping the broth from her bowl.

“She was gruff, abrasive, honestly it looked like she was going to beat me up,” Starlight sat back in her chair and looked up, “She said that who everyone sees in school is a mask. I think just now, I saw a glimpse of the real Rarity.”

“Sounds like the real Rarity’s dangerous,” Trixie bit her lip looking away, “Are we, going to be okay rescuing her?”

“What do you mean?” Rainbow Dash asked.

“I know how this is going to go, alright? We’ve cleared two Dungeons already, and both times, it resulted in a new Witch appearing,” Trixie pulled her hat over her eyes, “Rarity’s is a fully fleshed out Dungeon like mine and Pinkie’s was, meaning when we clear hers, there’s a high chance that Rarity will get a Persona.”

“What, are you saying Trixie?” Starlight asked carefully.

“I’m saying, that we already have one super dangerous Persona User out there with that Adagio chick,” Trixie looked at the group seriously, “Do we really want to give a Persona to someone with a criminal record next?”

“Trixie!” Pinkie Pie cried aghast, “You’re not suggesting we, leave her, are you?!”

“Maybe…?” Trixie sighed, “Look, until a month ago, I was just a regular teenage girl living in my Dad’s shadow, and now?” she held up her Channeling Ring, “Apparently, these rings can cause real harm to people. Now that we know that, we need to be careful who ends up with them.”

“Rarity is like family to me!” Pinkie Pie argued in a hushed tone, “She and Applejack are practically sisters! Besides, if we don’t use our magic to save lives, what are we using it for?!” she closed her eyes, “I won’t abandon Rarity! Even if I’m the only one who goes into that Dungeon!”

"Pinkie Pie, that's insane!" Starlight cried, "Your Persona is a healing type! It's not meant for solo combat!"

"I don't care!" Pinkie Pie shook her head, "As a healer, I can't just leave Rarity to die! I'm going into that Dungeon with or without everyone, and I dare you to try and stop me!"

“Pinkie Pie…” Trixie groaned, rubbing her eyes, “What about you, Dash? What's your take on this?”

“Being completely honest, I dunno,” Rainbow Dash folded her arms, “I know it looks bad, and yeah, this power’s pretty dangerous in the wrong hands, but… that doesn’t mean Rarity’s are the wrong hands.”

“Not for nothing, but she damn near assaulted my girlfriend,” Trixie pointed out sternly, “How would you feel if it were Pinkie Pie in that alleyway?”

Rainbow Dash tilted her head in recognition, “Alright, fair. I’ll give you that one, but something to consider here. Canterlot High’s one the most prestigious schools in the country, right next to Crystal Prep. Kids from the street rarely get into this school without the recommendation of a teacher.” she opened her eyes and looked at the group, “Rarity’s a Diamond Dog, yeah, but she’s also the Student Council President of Canterlot High, who's principal has turned away students for less than anything "Dirty Diamond's" done. So my question is, how’d someone with a rep like hers, get to be a success story in a school run by Principal Cinch?”

Starlight looked down thoughtfully. She’d been wondering that herself, but Rainbow Dash really put it into perspective how odd that was. For all intents and purposes, Rarity should NOT have been a student at Canterlot High.

“As for why she attacked our Leader,” Rainbow Dash looked outside the window, at a dog barking at someone who tried to pet it. She narrowed her eyes, “What if…?”

Trixie looked out the window at the dog and frowned, “I’m confused.”

“The Diamond Dogs sorta embrace the whole canine motif,” Rainbow Dash pointed out, “Almost like they are dogs, just in human bodies. What if Rarity's the same way? Like, maybe from her perspective, our Leader got too close too fast, she got scared…”

“And started barking, at a supposed threat?” Starlight finished for Dash, who nodded.

“Bingo. Maybe she was less trying to attack you, and more trying to intimidate you. Maybe she's the one who's afraid.” Rainbow Dash said.

“Okay, so what’s she so afraid of?” Trixie asked, “Again, she’s at the top of the school. Only ones higher up than her would be the faculty, really, and even then, as Student Council President, she might as well be faculty. And not for nothing, but it sounds like she's got a lot of bite to go with her bark.”

“Dunno. But I bet that it’s related to her Dungeon,” Rainbow Dash said, “Concerning our next move though, I get your concern, Trixie. Like you said, we know a Persona User who killed someone with hers. Rescuing Rarity means she’s likely to get one herself, and that could be dangerous.”

Pinkie Pie looked down biting her lip.

“However, I also understand Pinkie Pie’s point of view,” Dash said, “We know that Rarity’s got a Dungeon, and we also know how bad these things get. Can you look me in the eyes and say that you can just turn your back on someone suffering just like you did, knowing damn well you now have the power to save ‘em?”

Trixie closed her eyes, “Playing that card on me, huh?”

“What do you think, Leader?” Rainbow Dash asked, “You’re the head of this Coven, so you get final say.”

“I say,” she nodded, “We help her. I don’t know the whole story yet, but I do know that she’s terrified of something,” she turned to Trixie and placed a hand on her leg, “Wouldn’t be the first time someone with a Dungeon tried to scare me away. Didn’t work then, and it won’t work now.”

Trixie took a breath and smiled, “Okay, I see your point. Fine. But if she gets a Persona, we have to make sure she joins us.”

“That much, we agree on,” Rainbow Dash nodded, “One dangerous Witch is bad enough. We can’t afford to let another one loose.”

“Either way, we’re definitely saving her,” Starlight said, taking Pinkie Pie’s hands, “Alright?”

Pinkie Pie nodded, “Thanks. I, I want to believe in Rarity. That even with all this, she’s a good person.”

“Then, until we find otherwise, I’ll believe too,” Starlight smiled.

“Same,” Trixie shook her head, “Sorry about earlier, Pinkie Pie.”

“It’s okay,” Pinkie Pie told Trixie with a soft smile, “I know it’s risky. But, Applejack trusts Rarity, so I trust her too.”

“So that’s the plan then?” Rainbow Dash asked, “We keep going assuming the best, and just prepare for the worst?”

Everyone nodded in agreement. Starlight wanted to believe that Rarity was a good person anyway. Far as she was concerned, they were friends. Even if Rarity didn't trust her completely yet.

The conversation continued through various topics, eventually going into talk about their coven. It was agreed on that Eos would be their Mother Goddess. Now they just needed a Father, and a name for their Coven.

Then they’d be fully fleshed out, and ready to accept new members. Hopefully Rarity, once she awakened to her Persona.

Late Night

The Phase

song: Qualia - Blue Reflection

Starlight texted Diamond to let her know she was heading into the Phase, and then went to bed. Even with the chamomile tea, it did take a bit for her to get to sleep, but when she arrived, she was pleased to see Diamond Tiara was already there looking around.

Much to Starlight’s shameful sadness though, fully clothed this time.

Diamond looked around in awe, and then beamed when she saw Starlight, “You made it!” she ran over to hug her.

“My Channeling Ring makes Lucid Dreaming really easy for me,” Starlight said returning the hug, “I’m just happy you were able to come in, and even without my help.”

“Seems I’m like you more or less,” Diamond said, “So if I want to learn something, I can just read one of the books and take it with me.”

“Just be careful with it, alright?” Starlight told Diamond, “It should be fine, but this is a lot of power, and I don’t know what your limits are without a Persona.”

“Don’t worry. I’ll be careful,” Diamond assured, once again looking around, “So, are we alone? Or is anyone else here?”

“Well, chance are Twilight’s looking over the akashic records for Rarity’s Dungeon, but probably looking in another section of the library,” Starlight said, walking ahead with Diamond beside her.

“Twilight. She was, the purple flame hovering around, right?” Diamond asked.

“Yes. That was her using something called the Remote Viewing System. In truth, she’s a normal human who monitors this place on a computer,” Starlight explained.

“So, this place is an actual physical place,” Diamond realized.

“Kinda sorta,” Starlight said, “I know that it’s a real place. Physical, it’s hard to say. After all, dream logic still applies here.” to demonstrate what she could do, Starlight jumped onto a banister beside them and walked perfectly on it without even holding her arms out.

Diamond tilted her head at that, and then jumped on it as well, walking just as perfectly, “That’s so cool! So, what exactly is this place? And, where is it?”

“Not entirely sure of the where,” Starlight admitted, “I know its related to the Collective Unconscious.”

“The Collective Unconscious?” Diamond asked, “What’s that?”

“It’s a space created by the collective minds of all humans in the world,” a familiar deep baritone spoke beside them, making Starlight’s heart race, “Have you ever wondered how babies know how to breath the moment their born, or where the ideas of “mother” and “father” come from? It’s all here, appearing as books of information in these halls.” Leaning against a bookshelf, they saw Victor, reading from a book in the Akashic Records.

He pushed off the shelf and turned to them, and bowed in reference, much like a butler would, “Always a pleasure to see you, Miss Glimmer. As always, that gown looks lovely on you.”

Starlight smirked, folding her arms under her breasts, pushing them up, “You say the lovliest things, Victor~”

Diamond Tiara’s eyes widened as she looked at Starlight, “Okay, like, who are you, and what have you done with Starlight? Cause, hot damn girl!”

Victor laughed jovially, “What you see now is her true face. People, find it hard to be their true selves in the real world, so put on masks to fit into society. Here, Miss Glimmer feels comfortable being truer to herself,” he walked over to her, eyeing her hungrily, “The fire she normally keeps contained is burning freely. I find it to be, quite an alluring look on her, wouldn’t you agree, High Priestess?”

Starlight's smile widened a bit, and she met his hungry gaze with one of her own. She was committed to Trixie, but she couldn't deny that she wanted this man, badly.

“Wait? Do you mean me?” Diamond blinked, “Um, I’m not a High Priestess. I’m just a rich teenage girl who enjoys dressing like a slut and dancing like one even more.”

“Ah, but you see, I refer to your archetype,” he reached into his coat pocket and handed Diamond Tiara a tarot card, showing an important looking woman in religious robes sitting between two pillars, “The High Priestess, representing inner wisdom, spirituality, and meditation. You are one who wishes to listen to her inner voice first and foremost for guidance, and despite your age, possess a certain wisdom when it comes to knowing yourself.”

Diamond took the card and looked at it intently, “Well, I guess when I think about my life, I can see what you mean. Though, kind of hard to imagine a High Priestess being as all over the place as me. That demon Starlight and her friends saved me from? He was a sick perv, but he wasn't wrong…”

“In what way?” Victor asked curiously, “If, you don’t mind indulging my curiosity.”

“Before I realized it was real, I was perfectly okay dancing in front of the Shadows. It felt, liberating, wearing my sluttiest outfits, gyrating on stage, taking my clothes off, and knowing that the audience was loving every second of it. Heck, after Starlight rescued me and I was left topless, I was embarrassed at first, but as time went on, I kinda… enjoyed being so exposed in front of her.”

Starlight looked at Diamond sadly. She still sounded so hard on herself.

“That demon kept calling me “Little Whore”, and my Dad told me that I act like a cheap slut. What if, they’re right about me? What kind of High Priestess is as sexually charged as me…?”

“Hey, even a Priestess needs to let her hair down once in a while,” Starlight smiled, rubbing Diamond’s back, “Besides, you being a sexually charged priestess, saved my life,” she took Diamond’s hand into her own, “If you ask me, the only way having a high libido is a problem, is if you lose control over it, and use it to harm others. That’s the mistake your Mother made.”

Diamond smiled, “So, you don’t mind having a stripper as your High Priestess?”

“Are you kidding?” Starlight smiled, pulling a book on pole dancing off one of the shelves and handing it to Diamond, “I couldn’t think of a better High Priestess.”

Diamond looked at the book, and then giggled, “Sorry Dad, but I’m going to keep taking my clothes off and dancing like a slut, because I want to.”

Victor smiled peacefully, turning to Starlight, “It truly is rare, running into each other like this.”

Starlight nodded in agreement, “Normally I see you sitting by the Velvet Room entrance.”

“I rarely stray too far from the room for long,” Victor said, “Mostly just to get the morning paper, or find something stimulating to read. The Master encourages me to explore more often, saying that there’s much one can learn from humanity. I do see value in his words, and it might help in understanding my siblings better.”

“You have siblings?” Diamond asked Victor.

“Indeed. From youngest to oldest, there’s Lavenza, Elizabeth and her twin Theodore, Margaret, and finally myself,” Victor smiled warmly, “Right now it is merely the five of us, but I have no doubt more will manifest soon. You see, our lives are intrinsically intertwined with the fates of our Tricksters. Due to the nature of existence, I might even have siblings out there I am completely unaware of from other dimensions. Theo is one such case.”

“Doesn’t that, sadden you?” Diamond asked Victor, “To have family that you’re unaware exists?”

“Hm,” he looked down thoughtfully, “Well, I suppose I, would, like to meet them one day. Honestly, I rarely even see the siblings I’m aware of anymore.”

“Where are they?” Starlight asked.

“Currently watching over their respective tricksters,” Victor explained, “Our services do not merely end once the Trickster completes his or her Fool’s Journey. Ours is a life long bond. That said, my siblings have become somewhat, attached to their respective Tricksters,” he leaned against a bookcase and frowned in annoyance, “Lavenza takes any opportunity she can to just be near hers, Margaret dotes on hers like a son or little brother,” he held the bridge of his nose, “As for Theo and Lizzy, they both more or less vanished off the face of the map. I hear about their movements, but rarely do I see them.”

“So when you say you want to understand them, you want to know why they’re so obsessed over their tricksters,” Starlight realized, now wondering if he’d become the same way with her whenever her journey ended. Either way, it sounded like Victor was a tad, lonely. Flirting aside, she felt kind of bad for him.

“Well, maybe you and Starlight can work together on that,” Diamond offered, “You two can move around here freely, right? I bet somewhere in these halls, there’s tons of information that can help you make sense of them, or just humanity in general.”

“Hrm… I do find myself curious why such a place needs to exist,” he looked around, “Miss Glimmer, I would like to begin a, spirit quest of sorts, to learn what it is my siblings learned. As my trickster, could I ask you to assist me in that quest?”

Starlight nodded smiling. She’d love to help him, and totally not just as an excuse to be near him more. She could feel a faint bond forming between herself and Victor.

Thou are I, and I am thou…

Thou hast established a new bond…

This bond shalt become the stairway to thy ascension…

Thou shalt be blessed when creating Persona of the Hierophant Arcana…

Victor looked around the area they were in, “To start, I think I would like to understand more about the power of Persona. I will search for a section that will explain the origin of this power. When I call for you, may we meet here and search together?” Starlight nodded smiling, “Thank you, Miss Glimmer. Enjoy the rest of your night, ladies.”

With that, Victor bowed to them and walked off back to the Velvet Room door. Starlight watched him leave, and then sighed longingly once he’d gone.

“Oh my God, you’ve got it bad for him,” Diamond giggled, “Does, Trixie know about…”

“She does,” Starlight nodded, “She’s fine with it. She and I are choosing to have more an open relationship for various reasons. For one, this is actually my first true relationship. Also, well, the whole thing with Blueblood has scarred Trixie.”

Diamond winced, “Yeah… I get ya. Probably for the best then that you guys keep things open,” she sighed, “I wonder if I’ll ever find someone like that for myself.”

“Why wouldn’t you?” Starlight asked Diamond, “I mean, your beautiful, you have a great personality, any guy or girl would be crazy not to love you.”

“Thanks Starlight,” Diamond smiled sadly, “You’re sweet but… two things. One, anyone in my immediate circle is either a two faced asshole, or…” she spun around and dropped low to the floor, twerking briefly before slowly coming up in a way to show attention to her body, “the sort who’d find a girl like this uncouth.”

Starlight frowned. That was so stupid she couldn’t even find the words for it. No wonder Diamond didn’t hang with the rich and elite much.

“As for anyone in your circle, kind of the opposite problem,” Diamond sat down on a table crossing her legs, “They probably would be interested in me. As in, interested in my money and trying to get in my pants. I have a high libido, but I still want someone who’ll like me for me.”

Starlight found herself wondering about her relationship with Silver Spoon then. They kinda radiated this air that was romantic without actually being an item. Especially with Silver more or less gate keeping Diamond’s friendships. Trying to at least.

Starlight brought that to Diamond’s attention, and her eyes widened, “S-Spoony?! I… I mean, I guess I wouldn’t be, entirely opposed to it…” Diamond twirled her finger through her hair, “But… pretty sure Silver’s straight. She actually has mentioned to me she’s wants a husband in the near future.”

Starlight conceded to that. If Silver wasn’t interested in a relationship like that, she couldn’t force it. Still, she did wonder if her feelings for Diamond were completely platonic.

“Well, I’m not giving up on you,” Starlight sat beside Diamond, “I bet you’ll find someone in the future who’ll think you’re awesome.”

“Thanks Starlight,” Diamond smiled, leaning into her and hugging her arm, “I’m so happy you’re my friend.”

“I’m happy you’re mine too, Diamond Tiara,” Starlight leaned into her. It was nice having one of her normal friends in the know now.

Author's Note

Fool – Seekers of Light: 5/10
Magician – Trixie Lulamoon: 8/10 :heart:
Priestess – Diamond Tiara: 8/10 Thrall
The Empress – Ms. Tia: 4/10
Hierophant - Victor: 1/10 ESTABLISHED!!!!
The Lovers - Pinkamena Diane Pie: 2/10
Chariot – Rainbow Dash: 3/10
Strength - Tokugawa Fluttershy: 1/5
The Devil – Silver Spoon: 4/10
Hermit – Sunburst: 2/10
Transformation - Ms. Luna: 1/10

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10/18, 10/19

October 18th, 2019
Thursday,
Sunny

Morning

School Days: Persona

Starlight walked to school with Trixie today. Wanting to take a break from Dungeon stuff and just be normal teenagers a bit, they spent much of the walk just planning out future ideas as Dom and Sub. Trixie still wanted to take things slowly, which Starlight was okay with, but she did want to try adding to their dynamic a bit.

“So I was thinking,” Trixie said, “The collar, what if we use that as a symbol of when I’m in Sub mode? Like, if I’m not wearing it, we’re just our normal selves. If I put it on, though, that’s when our dynamic shifts to you being the Dom, and me being the Sub.”

Starlight liked that. Part of the issue with Blueblood she found was that there was never a time where Trixie could just be Trixie. She was always his slave. Starlight asked Trixie if that was actually a thing in BDSM.

“What? Where the dynamic never shifts back to equal?” Trixie asked, “I, think so, yeah. That’s called a Lifestyle BDSM relationship, where you and your partner are just, Dom and Sub. I think there are even special collars for it that are designed to go on, and stay on.”

“That sounds… super advanced,” Starlight noted awkwardly.

“The book I read did say that yeah, that’s not something a first timer should do,” Trixie confirmed rubbing her arm, “You saw, right? I really get into the headspace when tied up. When its with you, I know its just pretend, so I can relax and enjoy it. Blueblood, he…”

Starlight pursed her lips, realizing what Trixie was saying. Blueblood, kept Trixie in that headspace, and wouldn’t let her out of it. He made it real.

“Well then, I’ll add something to this idea,” Starlight reached into her school bag, pulled out the collar, and handed it to Trixie, “You’re the one who decides when this is worn.”

Trixie’s eyes widened, “Starlight…”

“Blueblood stole your power away. Sadly I can’t reach his Shadow fight him directly, but I can undo the damage he did by ensuring you never lose your power again,” Starlight smiled. Trixie wiped her eyes gently and smiled lovingly.

“Thank you, Starlight. I’m really happy you’re my Dom,” Trixie blushed, “And, my girlfriend.”

Starlight wrapped an arm around Trixie and leaned into her, “I’m happy to be your Dom, and most of all, your girlfriend.”

The two walked into the school building arm in arm. Maybe once things slowed down a bit, they could actually focus on getting Trixie more comfortable with her kink again. Till then, this was a good first step.

Lunch Time

On her way to lunch, Starlight saw Diamond talking to Suri in the distance. She’d gone back to her usual attire, which while still very sexy and revealing, came off a tad less try hard, Starlight had to admit.

Diamond held out her hand to Suri, who pursed her lips and lightly shook it before walking off. Diamond sighed and walked over to Starlight, “Well, glad I got that over with.”

“You and Suri are okay?” Starlight asked.

“More or less,” Diamond rubbed her arm looking aside, “I, apologized for slapping her, and for flirting with Thunderlane. So, good news. I’m still on the team. Also, she’s not changing the routine for the game later this month. Not going to lie, I was worried about that.”

“Sounds like everything is working itself out,” Starlight smiled.

“On that front, yes. But,” Diamond averted her eyes, “I, haven’t been able to talk to my father. Could we maybe, meet after Pep Squad? I asked Spoony to come, too.”

Starlight nodded, “Sure. I’ll be there,” she said.

“Thanks,” Diamond hugged Starlight, and then whispered into her ear, “My beloved Mistress.”

Starlight returned the hug, but shuddered a bit, feeling her inner witch stir. Knowing Diamond was her thrall was really empowering. Kinda hot, she wasn’t going to lie.

Diamond released her and then strutted off, flipping her hair like always. It was a relief having Diamond Tiara back to normal. She just hoped they could rescue Rarity with the same amount of success too.

After School

Like a Dream Come True - Persona 4

Despite the tension on Tuesday, everyone fell right in line once things got started. It seemed that Diamond Tiara’s old spirit was finally beginning to shine again. Her smile was more genuine, and she seemed to more easily lose herself into her moves. She was somehow sexier, while at the same time coming off far more graceful.

Due to this, Starlight was able to relax and have more fun herself. She really felt her inner witch shine throughout, probably due to knowing that Diamond was okay, and now her thrall. She felt significantly more graceful.

As practice went on, they began adding bits to their performance, which they’d be performing during the halftime. One of the other girls proposed a routine between herself, Coco, and Diamond Tiara in the center, and even worked out some of the moves for it.

“Um… I don’t know if I should… um…” Coco stammered nervously, “M-maybe Suri should… h-have my place…”

Suri smirked, “Well, if that’s how you feel Coco. No need to push yourself too hard~”

Diamond looked at Suri, and then walked over to Coco, “Honestly, I think you should do this, Coco,” she placed a hand on her shoulder, “You’re a lot better than you think, but you’re always fading in the background.”

“Hey, what are you-”

“As the Leader of Pep Squad, I’d think you’d want to help the whole team shine,” Diamond looked at Suri and raised an eyebrow, “To push them to be the best they can be, not fade into the shadows.”

Suri narrowed her eyes at that. Starlight was impressed by how Diamond was handling Suri right now. Right now, she really did feel like a High Priestess.

“Listen,” Diamond looked into Coco’s eyes, “I believe you can do it. Most of the girls here believe you can do it. Only thing that’s missing, is you believing in yourself.”

“What have you got to lose?” Starlight added, “Can’t be much worse than Amethyst Star.”

“I only fell like that the one time…” Amethyst Star muttered. All of the girls got a good laugh at that.

“Well, alright then!” Coco smiled and nodded, “I’ll do it!”

“Atta girl!” Diamond clapped her hands and turned to the team, “Alright! Let’s go over this again, this time with the new additions!”

All of the girls cheered, but Suri cleared her throat loudly, “I’m the leader, remember?”

“Oh, sorry Suri,” Diamond smiled, her eyes lidded, “But we, should continue practice, right?”

“Yeah… let’s,” Suri narrowed her eyes subtly. Starlight really liked having the old Diamond Tiara back.

Sunset Bridge - Persona 5

After practice, Diamond and Starlight showered and got changed. They then met up with Silver at the coffee shop she frequented. Turned out she meant Sugar Cube Corner. Pinkie Pie mentioned once she was friends with the married couple who worked there.

They seemed really nice, and Starlight liked the energy of the place. Very calming and not at all chaotic or noisy. She could probably get a lot of studying done here.

“So that’s why you were going on and on about being a slut,” Silver realized. Diamond had just explained her whole home situation to Silver, and how it connected to her dreams.

“I get he’s worried about me,” Diamond said, her finger running along the table absently as she looked forlorn, “And I think I even get why. He’s just worried I’ll end up like my Mom.”

“He might also be worried you’ll get in over your head,” Starlight added, “That, you might get hurt or something.”

“Or do something reckless like join a gang,” Silver pointed out, her eyes going wide when Diamond bit her lip, “Oh God. Please don’t tell me…”

“Sorry Spoony,” Diamond sighed, “But I am still considering joining the Diamond Dogs.”

“But you’re no longer having those freaky killer nightmares!” Silver protested.

“Silver,” Starlight held her hand, “That, wasn’t caused by the dreams.”

Silver Spoon looked at Starlight shocked, and then slowly looked at Diamond Tiara, “You mean, that was… actually…”

Diamond closed her eyes and took a breath, “Spoony, I’m tired.”

“Tired? Of what?”

“Of just, not being able to live!” Diamond cried, “Of needing to hold myself up to some standard I can’t live up to!” she looked at Silver Spoon intensely, “You’re different! You like that lifestyle! You’re comfortable there! That’s okay, it’s just, not for me! I don’t want to have to give up being who I am, just to make sure no one spreads any rumors that could permanently damage my reputation!”

“Oh Diamond… I don’t want you to have to give that up either,” Silver took her hands into her own, “Yes, your flirty tendencies and more sexual side is a bit embarrassing, but I adore your free spirit. But think: if you joined that gang, and someone found out, Mr. Rich would take a major hit, too.”

Diamond bit her lip looking down, “T-that’s…”

“I, don’t know the whole story about the Diamond Dogs,” Starlight said, “So I can’t say for certain if they’re as bad as everyone says. But what I can say, is that if you join them just so you can be free, that’s not a solution. That’s running from the true problem. You and your Dad have to talk.”

“He won’t listen…” Diamond said sadly, “He never listens to me.”

“Like I said before,” Starlight lifted Diamond’s chin to look her in the eyes, “Make him listen.”

“I, never thought I’d side with her of all people,” Silver shot.

“Love you too, Spoony~”

Silver gave Starlight a dirty look before continuing, “But the Witch, is right. The only way to truly fix this is for you two to talk, so if you have to corner him and get in his face, do that.”

“And then what?” Diamond asked, “What do I tell him?”

“What you told us,” Silver said, “That you genuinely enjoy being a cheerleader, being sexy, and that you're not giving any of that up.”

“Also, tell him that the way he’s been treating you, hurts,” Starlight added, “That he’s treating you coldly, and that you feel like he doesn’t love you. And if he tries to say that he does and makes an excuse, just ask him what you asked in your dre-” she caught herself, “When we talked. Ask him, why he doesn’t hug you anymore, or take any interest in you beyond grades and your future.”

“And finally, take a stand,” Silver said, “Like, you’re a junior now. Next year, it’s graduation. That’s when you should be worrying about your future. Till then, let him know you’re going to enjoy your life, whether he likes it or not.”

Diamond nodded slowly, taking all of this in, “Alright then. I’ll do it. I’ll… talk to him tonight, and I won’t stop until I get through to him,” she brought both of them into a hug, “Thanks. You’re the best.”

Silver Spoon sighed and smiled, returning the hug, “Yes, I know.”

“A bitch to the end, huh Spoony?” Starlight teased, returning the hug as well.

“You haven’t earned the right to call me that, Witch!” Silver shot, making both Diamond and Starlight laugh. She felt like she and Diamond became significantly closer.

Evening

Once Diamond Tiara finished spending time with her friends, she walked back home. On the way, she gathered her thoughts so she’d know exactly what to say to him. But somehow, she didn’t feel as worried now. When Starlight reminded her of what happened in the dream, she felt a bit more confident.

“Actually, that’s something right there,” Diamond stopped mid way to his study and looked up, “The other night, I faced a real live demon, and unlike Starlight and her friends, I don’t have super powers.” she closed her eyes, “What did Victor call me again? The High Priestess? Well, I listened to my inner voice all day today, and it turned out alright.” she smiled, “Daddy’s not a scary demon trying to perv out on me. He’s just a man who’s making a mistake. Well, time for me to let him know, so we can fix it.”

She walked into his office, where naturally he was working. Seemed he was always working these days. He had people who could help him, but he didn’t seem inclined to turn to them. When was the last time they even ate dinner together without him bringing work to the table.

This ended now.

“Daddy,” Diamond said softly, “I’m home.”

“You came home late again,” he said curtly, not looking up from his paperwork. Diamond pursed her lips.

“Yes, I did. Had to apologize to my friends about Tuesday. And after Pep Squad, I hung out with Starlight and Spoo-”

Her father huffed, still not looking up at her, “So you’re still prancing around and dancing like a stripper,” he said. Diamond finally had enough, and walked over to his desk, “I keep telling you, carrying on like that isn’t a good look for-”

Diamond slammed her hands on his desk, “Look at me!” she demanded, making the man jump a bit, now looking up at Diamond, “I’m not one of your co-workers. I’m your daughter, so when we’re talking, I’d appreciate it, if you looked me in the eyes.” He said nothing, just looking at her wide eyed, “Now, you’re going to put the paperwork away, come with me downstairs, and we’re going to talk. Not about my future, but about my present.”

“Diamond, I can’t just stop right now. I’m busy wi-”

“The paperwork will be here later,” Diamond narrowed her eyes, thinking about her other option, “I can’t promise you I’ll be.”

“What… are you talking about…?” he asked. That got his attention, it seemed.

“I’m tired of wondering if you love me or not,” she stood up, folding her arms and glaring at him, “If you don’t, then please just say it. So I can walk out of your life, and find someone who does.”

His eyes widened, “I, I love you, Diamond! I do! It’s just-”

“I don’t want words,” she said sharply, “I want you to prove it, by making me a priority. Ever since you divorced Mom, I’ve felt neglected. You’re so worried about my future that you’re leaving me alone in my present. I have another option. Spoony and Starlight don’t like it, but I’m going to tell you right now, if you don’t put the goddamn pencil down and be my fucking father I will walk out the front door, and you will never see me again.”

Her father took a deep breath, let it out, and just took a few seconds to process what she was saying, “You look so much like your Mother now its terrifying. Alright then,” he got up and stepped out from behind his desk, “You need me to make time for you? I’ll give you all the time in the world, if it means helping you.”

Diamond took a deep breath herself, and relaxed, “Thank you.”

end song

October 19th, 2019
Friday
Cloudy/PM Overcast

Lunch Time

After getting her Lunch and meeting up with Trixie, the two of them went to their usual bench together to enjoy their lunch. On the way there, Starlight turned to look at the far end of the courtyard and noticed someone she didn’t before.

She saw Sweetie Belle, sitting at a table by herself with her lunch, looking at a chessboard. Every so often she’d look at her phone, make a move on the board, and then spend time looking at it herself to decide what move to make.

“Hm?” Trixie looked to see where Starlight’s attention was drawn to, “At it again, huh?”

“You know Sweetie Belle?” Starlight asked Trixie.

A Small Distance - Blue Reflection

“More like I know of her,” Trixie said awkwardly, “She’s on the chess team, and I think she’s the head of it, but usually she just keeps to herself. My guess, she’s practicing chess by herself with her phone.”

“She practices on her phone, and on the board at the same time?” Starlight asked. That admittedly, was kind of odd.

Trixie nodded, “Also, she apparently doesn’t play with other people anymore outside of tournaments,” Trixie continued, “I saw her play a match against someone once, and it was like seeing someone play against a robot.”

Starlight looked down thoughtfully. She seemed so lifelike around Rarity before. She kind of radiated an air of longing.

“Why? Curious about her?” Trixie asked Starlight, who then explained what happened between her and Rarity. This time Trixie frowned folding her arms, “Huh. Well, I have heard that she’s often seen watching Rarity from a distance. Most just assume she has a crush on her.”

That could have been it, honestly. Rarity was extremely beautiful, after all. Starlight herself found her often fantasizing about her from time to time, even with her now seeing how rough she actually was. Oddly, that made her even MORE attractive to Starlight.

Thinking about how dangerous Rarity could have been though, Starlight got worried about Sweetie Belle.

Starlight asked Trixie to wait for her by their bench, shocking the magician.

“You’re not, going to try approaching her, are you?” Trixie asked.

“Maybe she just needs a friend,” Starlight said, “Besides, I was curious about her thing with Rarity was anyway.”

Trixie sighed, “Alright. You sure you don’t want me to go with you?” Starlight shook her head, explaining to Trixie that she didn’t want to crowd her, “Fair. She is really sensitive. Tell me if your Empathy picks up anything?”

“I will,” Starlight assured. She kissed Trixie on the cheek and began making her way over to where Sweetie Belle was sitting.

“So if I move the Knight to E5 if the Bishop is in C2 and the opponent’s King is checked by the Right Side Rook…” Sweetie muttered, not acknowledging that Starlight was there.

“Um, hello there,” Starlight said kindly.

Sweetie ignored Starlight, moving the opponent’s King forward one square, and then making a move on her phone. She then frowned, “Wait… the King moved to the right Square…? But that’s…” she looked at the board and then nodded, “Huh. Didn’t notice the Queen was in position for Checkmate in,” she began tapping the table almost like a keyboard as she looked at the board, “5 turns? 5 or 6. Not ideal, but…”

Starlight blinked, and cleared her throat, “Hello? Sweetie Belle?”

Sweetie Belle closed her eyes, “Mentally saving position…” she muttered, once again typing on the table before looking up at her, “I’m busy,” was all she said.

“Oh! Um, I’m sorry!” Starlight said, “I was just, curious what you were doing.”

“Practicing,” Sweetie stated. That, was all she was going to say about it?

“Practicing chess?” Starlight asked, “By yourself?”

Sweetie nodded, “You’re interrupting me.”

Okay, Starlight was beginning to see why Sweetie was hard to approach. She wanted to try and shake her hand and get a read on her emotions, but something told her this girl might not want to be touched. Still, she had to try to reach out.

“Again, I’m sorry. I’m, new here, so…” Starlight trailed off. Surprisingly, Sweetie blinked, and turned to her completely now.

“Who are you?” she asked bluntly, Starlight introducing herself. Sweetie’s eyes widened, “Oh! Apologies. I know about you. You’re the girl that tried to-” she stopped herself, looking away uncertain it seemed.

“I take it, you heard about my suicide attempt?” Starlight asked wincing, Sweetie Belle nodding, "Why'd you stop talking?"

“Because I was going to be mean,” she answered. Her way of talking was a bit blunt. It almost sounded like she knew what she wanted to say, just not how to properly say it.

“Well, it’s in the past, so I don’t mind people mentioning it,” Starlight smiled. She once again asked about what she was doing, as in, how she was practicing.

“You’re curious about my process,” Sweetie stated, Starlight nodding, “Well, what I was doing was-”

“Hey, look at that!” a boy called out tauntingly, walking up to them, “Baby Belle’s with the new girl!”

His friend chuckled, “Guess she finally realized her dumb crush on Miss President wasn’t going anywhere!”

Starlight noticed that Sweetie’s eyes widened, and she froze, “S-stop it…” she muttered, trembling a bit. Starlight frowned looking at this.

“What was that Baby Belle?” the second boy asked, “Couldn’t hear you. Or are ya just gonna cry again.”

“I said, stop it!” Sweetie fussed, eyes shut tight and sure enough, was tearing up, “It’s not, a dumb, crush!”

“Go away, please,” Starlight said sharply to the boys, glaring at them.

“What are you gonna do?” the first boy asked. Both of them were bigger than Starlight a bit, but she knew one thing that could get their attention.

“Considering I’m the President’s secretary, and thus on good terms with the Defense Committee,” Starlight let that hang in the air. Both boys deflated visibly.

“Hey Snails, let’s leave Baby Belle alone for now,” the first boy said walking off. His friend stuck his tongue out at Starlight and then walked after them. Starlight took a deep breath, feeling Morgana stir a bit within her. Seemed that got to both of them.

But what really broke Starlight was when she heard sniffing and light sobbing next to her.

“Don’t, cry…!” Sweetie muttered, hugging herself and breathing heavily, “Don’t, cry…! Don’t, cry…!”

“Hey, they’re gone now,” Starlight said softly, rubbing Sweetie’s back instinctively, and was hit with a wave of super intense emotional stress, followed by an image that struck Starlight as odd.

An image of Rarity.

Big Sister…! Help me…!

Big… sister? Was she crying out to… Rarity?

“It’s okay,” Starlight said, now sitting beside Sweetie Belle, “If you want to cry, go on.”

Oddly, Sweetie shook her head vehemently, “You’re going… to make fun of me… too!”

“I promise, I’ll do no such thing,” Starlight assured, “Just let it out, Sweetie Belle.”

The obviously distressed girl bit her lip uncertain, but then broke into heavy sobs leaning into Starlight. She was beginning to piece together what her deal was, at least why she was so sensitive and odd.

Concerning her feelings for Rarity though, that made even less sense now…

“And yet again, you appear near someone connected to me,” Rarity growled, watching this display from the roof of the school. Rover and the rest of her old pack, she could explain away. Rover even confirmed her story that they met “by chance”. She didn’t like it, but fine.

But now Starlight was getting to know the head of the Chess Team? Just a few days after seeing the two of them together? Now she knew she was investigating her for some reason. She claimed she wasn't a snitch, but this was getting strange.

Still, this didn’t have to be a bad thing. Assuming Starlight was just a bleeding heart who wanted to help everyone and not one of Cinch’s spies, she could perhaps get some info on that strange girl.

“Alright then, I won’t bite prematurely this time,” Rarity narrowed her eyes and folded her arms, “But I am putting you to work.”

After School

Like a Dream Come True - Persona 4

“Rarity, I finished ordering the requests for the Student Council,” Starlight said, walking over to Rarity and handing her a pile of papers that were sent to her specifically.

“Oh wonderful,” Rarity said, sitting up from her desk and looking them over, “And as usual, my pile is the largest one. Lovely. Did any requests stand out?”

“Bulk Biceps wanted your help in demonstrating self defense tactics,” Starlight tilted her head reading that one, “Which is, odd…”

“Rarity’s actually a great fighter,” Pip said looking over his pile, “High heels and all.”

“You all flatter me. Do keep going though, my ego loves the stroking~” Rarity smiled.

“Not in the office please,” Applejack said airily from the window, reading a request she received.

Rarity gave honestly, the cutest whine, “But I need stroking! Please Applejack!” she pouted.

“I’ll stroke yer ego all ya want when we get home. That alright?” Applejack asked. Rarity beamed and ran over to Applejack and hugged her, nuzzling her affectionately.

“Yay~! Thank you, Applejack~!” she cried happily. Applejack rolled her eyes and wrapped an arm around Rarity, rubbing her almost like one would pet a large dog.

“This sounds so wrong, you know…” Sunburst muttered, taking his glasses off and rubbing his eyes.

“I’d love to stroke her ego…” Spike said wistfully, looking at Rarity with a lovesick smile, “Or perhaps, even have her stroke mi-” Rarity shot him a sharp look, and Starlight could have sworn she heard a dog growl. Spike looked down at his lap immediately, “I’ll just settle for stroking mine myself.”

Rarity smiled and returned to getting “petted” by Applejack. Starlight thought their dynamic was sweet, albeit kind of odd. The oddest thing though, was how much affectionate Rarity was when it came to her. Something told Starlight that if nothing else, that was a genuine bond. Especially with her heart clearly being afraid of ever upsetting her.

She seemed almost like a different person entirely around Applejack. Starlight wondered what happened between them.

“So, anything else?” Rarity asked Starlight, walking back over to her desk. Starlight blushed and handed Rarity a letter in a pink envelop. Rarity looked at it with the most dry expression Starlight had ever seen, “How many?”

“About twenty, out of twenty-five,” Starlight said quietly. Rarity sighed rubbing her eyes.

“Love letters?” Applejack asked.

“Eeyup,” Rarity answered dryly.

“Boys and girls?” Pip asked.

“Eeyup,” Rarity repeated in the same tone.

“All in super frilly pink envelops with fancy writing?” Sunburst asked.

“Eeyup,” she sounded almost like this was routine.

“This, happens often?” Starlight asked.

“At least three times a month,” Applejack said with a light chuckle, “I mean, I get it. Legs fer days, long hair, full lips, tits an’ ass jus’ beggin’ fer attention.”

“Says the one who claimed “no stroking her ego in the office”…” Spike muttered, only for Applejack to ball up a piece of paper and hit him with it, “Hey!”

“But every last one of ‘em’s a super try hard,” Applejack continued, “Always tryin’ to woo her with fancy words. I live with her, so I know she ain’t into that sorta thing.”

Rarity had opened one up on a whim and read it. She then gave Spike a dry look, “Seriously?”

“What?” Spike asked, Rarity raising the letter and looking at him with pursed lips, “You don’t think I wrote that one, do you?!”

Her attention went back to the letter, “Oh fair lady! Were you to ask it of me, I would be your sword, and personally carve through any beasts that dare to lay claw or tentacle on you!” she looked back at him with the same dry expression.

“Magical Knight Roland?” Applejack asked dryly, “Seriously?”

“Wow…” Sunburst looked away wide eyed, “That is, sad…”

“I’m not that much of a dork, guys!” Spike defended, “I mean, who puts quotes from Magical Knight Roland in a love letter?”

“Maybe someone who’d wear a Magical Knight Roland t-shirt,” Pip pointed out. Sure enough, Spike was wearing a black t-shirt with a knight looking super hero on it, underneath the purple flannel shirt.

“Guh!” Spike flinched, getting a good laugh out of everyone there, Starlight included. Really, she enjoyed spending time with everyone here, especially Rarity.

But she seriously wondered how much of this was real, and how much was an act she was putting on to look good.

As the day wore on, they all began to file out of the office, going back to their dorms or houses. Right as Starlight was about to leave though, she felt a hand on her shoulder.

“Um, could you stay after for a bit, darling?” Rarity asked Starlight, “I’d like to ask you to do something for me.”

Starlight opened herself briefly to see where she was emotionally. She didn’t feel anything overtly violent, but she did feel the presence of a ferocious beast staring her down. Starlight nodded to Rarity, who gave her usual "pleasant" smile. The one Starlight knew wasn’t real.

“Applejack, wait for me downstairs?” Rarity asked Applejack.

“Alright,” she walked over to hug Rarity, “See ya in a bit, Rares.”

“See you, AJ,” Rarity smiled, this one being clearly more genuine. Applejack patted Starlight on the shoulder as she left, leaving Starlight and Rarity alone in the room.

All too soon, tension rode the air.

Maya's Theme - Persona 3 FES

“How can I help you?” Starlight asked, choosing to keep things as cordial as possible. Rarity walked over to lean back against a desk away from Starlight, arms folded under her bosom.

"Saw you today at lunch,” Rarity said, “You were with Sweetie Belle.”

“I was,” Starlight asked curtly, trying to read her body language, “That’s, okay right?”

Rarity chuckled, “Well, I do find it funny how, just a few days after you witnessed she and I together, you’re talking to her. I’m sure you can see what this looks like, darling.”

“I, do,” Starlight nodded, “It’s not what it looks like, but I acknowledge your concerns.”

Rarity took a breath and nodded, “What were your thoughts on her?”

“She seems nice,” Starlight said, “A bit odd, but nice.”

“And her emotional outburst. Thoughts on that?” Rarity asked. Was she, concerned about Sweetie Belle?

“I, have a theory what happened there,” Starlight said, “If I’m right, then Snips and Snails are jackasses, to say the least. Not as bad as Blueblood, but still…”

Rarity averted her eyes and snarled slightly, “On that, we can agree on. So, think she’s someone you could be friends with?”

Starlight nodded honestly, “Absolutely. At the end of the day, she’s a regular girl with regular hobbies. She’s a bit awkward and emotional, but I’m both of those too. So what if she’s on the spectrum?”

Rarity smiled in, relief? “Good. Then I can trust you with this,” she looked at Starlight and leaned forward, “I want you to be her friend.”

That, was not where Starlight expected this to go. She didn’t mind, and had planned to befriend her anyway, but she was still curious why Rarity wanted her specifically.

“Because I think you’re the sort of person who could help her come out of her shell,” Rarity answered, “You helped Trixie immensely, Pinkie Pie told us how much she adores you at the party, and I’m just going to go out on a limb and say, you’re the reason Diamond Tiara is her old self again?”

“Not alone, but yes,” Starlight confirmed.

“You have this, special something about you,” Rarity said, “You’re someone people seem to trust.”

And yet, she didn’t trust Starlight. Not completely, anyway.

“So, I’d like you to be a presence in Sweetie Belle's life,” Rarity requested, “Perhaps if they saw she was friends with someone from the student council, her bullies would leave her be.”

This, felt odd to Starlight. She could tell she was serious, but there was something else here. After all, she knew Sweetie Belle best. Starlight was the new girl. Why didn’t she ask someone else to do this?

Or just, do it herself?

“So, will you do this for me?” Rarity asked.

“I’m not opposed to it,” Starlight said, “But I would like to know the real reason for this.”

Rarity raised her head, “The, real reason?”

“You told me why the Student Council President wants me to do this,” Starlight stepped forward, “Why do you want this, Dirty Diamond?”

Rarity’s expression slowly shifted to a more stern, beast like scowl. She pushed off the desk, undoing her tie and unbuttoning her top a bit as she walked over to loom over Starlight a bit, “You really enjoy poking at the beast, don’t you?” she asked dangerously, her voice low, harsh, and lacking its usual class. Almost like she was growling every word

There she was. Now she was being honest.

“Unlike everyone else in this office, I know the truth about you,” Starlight said, meeting her gaze evenly and not backing down, “I’m not content taking requests from a mask. So tell me, why do you want me to do this?”

Rarity’s snarl became more pronounced, but despite looking threatening, Starlight got the sense that there was something else behind that expression. Was Rainbow Dash right? Was she just, scared? If so, of what?

“Fine,” Rarity said, “You’re right. There is another reason for this,” she leaned in close to Starlight, “I wanna know why she’s obsessed over me.”

“Why she’s, obsessed?” Starlight asked. Rarity walked back to the pile of love letters and rummaged through them.

“I read through all of ‘em, you know?” Rarity asked, even her stature now was different, “It’s tedious, it’s annoying, and I hate it, but they took the time to write it out. So as a good "President", I’m gonna take the time to at least read this bullshit before I toss it in the shredder," she snorted, "You should see how pathetic some of these are. Nothing else, I get a good laugh outta it.”

Starlight was a bit taken aback. On the one hand, calling them pathetic was a bit mean, but on the other hand, she seriously read every one?

“But wanna know who I never get one from? Here's a hint,” Rarity turned slightly back to Starlight, “She won a national chess tournament last spring.”

“You’ve, never gotten one from Sweetie Belle…” Starlight realized.

“So I ain't convinced it's a crush,” Rarity said, setting the letters down and pacing through the room, her hand running through her thick purple hair, “To top it all off, I can’t get her out of my mind. Whenever I see her cry, something in me just…”

Hold on a second…? Were these two, actually sisters? And if so, why did it seem like Rarity, didn’t know…?

“I don’t know how you fucking do it, alright?” Rarity said turning to Starlight, “But you got this weird, thing that seems to make people wanna open up to you. She ain’t talkin’ to me, so maybe you can get it outta her.”

Starlight took a relived breath. She felt better knowing that she was genuinely concerned. She walked over to her, and gently took her hand, making Rarity’s eyes widen a bit.

“It’ll take some time, okay? I need to form a genuine friendship with her, and I get the feeling she’ll be more withdrawn,” she gave Rarity a smile, “But I’ll help you, Rarity.”

Rarity looked at Starlight a bit surprised, cheeks flushed. She then averted her eyes, clearly trying to keep her cool exterior, “Thanks, I guess.”

Starlight chuckled, “You know, you should really let people see this you more often. You’re abrasive, but kind of cool.”

“That, ain’t happening,” Rarity pulled her hand free and pushed past Starlight, buttoning her top and redoing her tie, “Be happy you get to see this much. I wear this mask for a reason.”

Starlight was going to ask about that, but then remembered what she said at the party.

This is my ideal person, and I wear her so others can’t see who’s really underneath, and most of all, so I don’t have to see her either.

Starlight frowned looking at Rarity as she fixed her "mask".

“It’s getting a bit late,” Rarity pointed out, “You good getting back to the dorm? AJ and I can walk ya to the dorm.”

“That’s, alright,” Starlight answered, a bit surprised by the sudden generosity, “I was going to go into town for a bit, and then head home on the train. Thanks though.”

Rarity took a breath and nodded, “Just don’t want my pack getting ideas. See any of 'em, just go the other way, got it?” she moaned softly, “Fuck, what a time for that to kick in…”

Starlight tilted her head. Was she okay?

“I’ll see ya later, Starlight,” Rarity said, walking out of the student council office with a wave. Starlight said her goodbyes, and then pondered a bit of what just happened. She offered to walk Starlight back to the dorm, she was genuinely worried about Sweetie Belle’s well being, and even though she found it tedious, she read every love letter she received.

“So, you don’t have to see her…” Starlight repeated, remembering her words exactly, “Why don’t you want to see your true self, Rarity…?

Evening

Sumaru City - Persona 2 Innocent Sin

Starlight stayed out for a bit, as usual for herself on Fridays now, taking in the darker and more gothic energy of Canterlot. As she explored town, she even found a couple engaging in BDSM activity in South Street. They were a lesbian couple, with the dom sitting on a bench with her legs wide open, her partner on her knees at the end of a leash. Her chest was exposed, and she was eating her dom out while other people watched. Some just walked by, some like Starlight, stuck around for a bit, some took pictures, some even went down to grope the subs breasts.

Starlight wanted to be able to do stuff like that with Trixie one day, but she wanted to make sure Trixie was okay with it first. Also, she had nowhere near enough courage for that.

After at least enjoying being a voyeur for a bit, Starlight found a bookstore. She explored it a bit, till she found the “Sex and Relationships” section. On the shelf she saw Domming for Dummies: Don’t 50 Shades of Grey Your Sub.

Well, she did want to become a better dom. Sure she could have just used her magic to gain the knowledge, but doing things the old fashioned way kept her human. Though it was embarrassing, she decided to go ahead and buy the book. At the very least, she had a feeling this could help make her more sensitive.

The couch in the living room of the dorm was a good place to read. She’d have to sit and read there when she had time.

With her new book in tow, Starlight went back home. Rather than going into the Phase tonight, Starlight ended up falling to sleep in Trixie’s arms on her bed. It was a surprisingly comfortable position.

Author's Note

Fool – Seekers of Light: 5/10
Magician – Trixie Lulamoon: 8/10 :heart:
Priestess – Diamond Tiara: 9/10 LEVEL UP!!!! Thrall
The Empress – Ms. Tia: 4/10
Hierophant - Victor: 1/10
The Lovers - Pinkamena Diane Pie: 2/10
Chariot – Rainbow Dash: 3/10
Strength - Tokugawa Fluttershy: 1/5
The Devil – Silver Spoon: 4/10
Hermit – Sunburst: 2/10
Transformation - Ms. Luna: 1/10

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10/23, 10/24

October 23rd, 2019
Tuesday
Raining

Evening

Riku's Theme - Kingdom Hearts 2

It had been decided they’d go back into the Phase tonight, either to move forward in Elysium, or preferably to scope out Rarity’s Dungeon. As they all gathered in the computer room, they waited patiently for Twilight to give them the good news.

In the end, all they got was a sigh of defeat.

“Don’t tell me…” Celestia said cautiously. Twilight turned her chair to the group, looking visibly disappointed.

“I’m sorry everyone. I still don’t have enough information to find Rarity’s Dungeon,” she said softly, “The section I just checked, I know it’s somewhere there, but the area is so large and vast you’d have to luck out in finding it.”

Rainbow Dash groaned, “Geez, it’s like this girl doesn’t exist or something.”

“That or she doesn’t want to be found,” Trixie said, leaning against a wall to the side with her arms crossed, “Pinkie Pie, do you know anything else about her that could help?”

Pinkie Pie shook her head gravely, “I’m sorry, everyone. Like I said before, no one knows where she really came from. I think Applejack’s side of the family has a bit of an idea, but only so much.”

“We could probably get some more information from her,” Celestia bit her thumb nail, “But I worry it could look suspicious.”

“What do you mean?” Starlight asked.

“Looking at this situation, we can surmise that Rarity has a big secret, something she not only wants to keep hidden, but feels she has to keep hidden,” Celestia turned to the girls, “Rarity is already suspicious of you investigating her. If any of us, including myself were to ask sensitive questions, it could result in a shift in her Dungeon.”

“And considering how hard it is to actually find the damn place, we need that Dungeon to be as stable as possible,” Trixie took a deep breath, and then slammed her fist on the wall in frustration, “Damn it!”

Twilight looked down biting her lip, “I guess, this is really where I hit my limit…”

“No Twilight,” Celestia knelt beside her and took her hands, “Look at me, honey, please?”

Twilight looked at Celestia, and Starlight’s heart was breaking. She looked like she wanted to cry almost.

“No one here is mad at you,” Celestia assured, “You’re doing the best you can. This situation is just, unique, is all.”

“I can head back to Student Council this week, to see what I can find,” Starlight said, “If I have to, I’ll pull Applejack aside and just ask her a bit about Rarity.”

“Careful with that, Leader,” Rainbow Dash pointed out, “No Fun Jackie and Rarity are thick as thieves. She might tell Rarity you asked about her.”

Starlight closed her eyes in frustration. She was right. Applejack most definitely would mention it to her, especially if she asked her not to bring it up to Rarity. Also, Rarity was so guarded that asking her would just send her running in the opposite direction.

“If we have to, I’ll do it,” Pinkie Pie said, “I’m family, so I could spin it in a way that makes it seem like I’m just curious to know more about her.”

“Hopefully she’ll open up to you,” Trixie said, “It sounds to me like Rarity’s past is a well kept secret in the family, and just from what I can tell about Applejack, she seems like the type who takes secrets like that seriously.”

Twilight took a breath, “I, don’t care how we do it, but I need something,” she said desperately, “If I have to search each section one by one, that could take weeks to compile the information. Weeks we do not have.”

“Then no matter what, by the end of this week, we need to find something,” Starlight said to her team, “Rarity’s paranoid, so she’s going to be watching our every move. She won’t like it, but at this point, it’s do or die.”

Everyone nodded in agreement to this. If it was this hard to find the Dungeon itself, Starlight was worried about what they’d find inside of it.

Late Night

The Phase

BREAKTHROUGH.EXE - Blue Reflection

Hod: Lvl 10

Once they cleared things with Diamond Tiara to warn her, they all put their Channeling Rings on and transferred into the Phase. Seemed the Shadows were a bit more aggressive higher up now. Starlight found herself wondering if this was due to them clearing Diamond’s Dungeon.

Thankfully, they managed to get the drop on one group before they reached the stairs, and this was a semi new cluster of Shadows. Two they recognized: Koropokkuru and Ame No Uzume. However, there were two that were new. One was a blond woman sitting in mid air wearing a nice black dress and holding two small metal rods. They looked like dowsing rods.

The other new comer was a brunet woman wearing a black skin tight body suit and a white fur coat. She had golden cat eyes, a cat’s tail, and was wearing a mask on her face that looked a bit like a BDSM muzzle or gag that gave her sharp ears, also like a cat. The mask had a cat smile and whiskers on it.

“Got some new ones here!” Twilight said, “The one on the right is Leanan Sidhe, and the cat looking one on the right is Nekomata!”

“For now, deal with the ones we know!” Starlight commanded her team, “Try to avoid the new ones until Twilight can analyze them for weaknesses!”

Trixie was already in the process of dodging slashes from Nekomata, “Easy for you to say! They’re kinda on my ass here!” she managed to throw a card in Nekomata’s face, knocking her back onto the ground, “Bad kitty!”

She summoned Elenora and cast Agilao, taking Koropokkuru down instantly and then giving Starlight a High Five.

BATON PASS!!!!

“MATADOR!!!” Starlight called out, switching her default out to her Psychic wielder. The enemy Ame No Uzume was in the process of charging up a spell, but Starlight was thankfully much faster, as Madator waved his red cape, firing a Psi wave at the fan wielding Goddess, knocking her to the ground. Starlight quickly rushed at her with her scythe and sliced her in half, killing her on the spot.

Nekomata kicked to her feet and lunged at Pinkie Pie, getting her with her claws and knocking the Magical Girl to the ground. Oddly, she suddenly had a panicked look on her face.

“Pinkie Pie!” Rainbow Dash cried running to her air, “What’s wrong?!”

“Why…? Why am I here again?!” she cried, hyperventilating a bit, “FLEUR DON’T!!!!”

“Fleur’s not here! We took care of her!” Rainbow Dash urged, trying to snap Pinkie Pie out of it.

“Everyone, Leanan Sidhe’s about to strike!” Twilight cried.

Leanan Sidhe held out her hand, and fired a psychic wave at everyone. Though most were able to block, Rainbow Dash took the full effect of the attack. Pinkie Pie on the other hand, screamed as she fell to the ground. Thankfully she was still breathing, but she looked critically injured.

“Twilight, what happened to Pinkie Pie?!” Starlight asked, blocking as Nekomata now switched targets to her, forcing her to use her scythe to defend.

“It looks like Pinkie Pie was struck with terror!” Twilight said, “Some Shadows can inflict a state of perpetual fear with their attacks, and Nekomata is one of them!”

“We need to get them to stop moving for a bit! At least Nekomata!” Trixie fussed, looking at Leanan Sidhe charging up another spell, this one with a black aura. Her eyes went wide, “I know that one! Not today!”

She immediately fired an Agilao at Leanan Sidhe, but she spun out the way JUST in time, and then cast a stronger looking version of the instant death spell that almost hit her a while back.

Thankfully Rainbow Dash picked up Pinkie Pie and jumped away right on time. Starlight and Trixie also managed to roll away before it hit them, but Nekomata continued her relentless assault on Starlight, now also going after Trixie since she was close by.

Rainbow Dash summoned Eclair and fired at Leanan Sidhe as she flew around the field, seemingly laughing at them, “Stand still!”

Wait! Stand still? It was risky, especially with both of them being female Shadows, but right now they needed SOMETHING to get them to stop moving, at last for a bit. Starlight let her thoughts go to Diamond Tiara, feeling something in her heart stir.

She heard her. She could help them with this.

“Come to me, my loyal servant!” Starlight proclaimed, jumping away and holding up her Channeling Ring, “Manifest! High Priestess!”

A pink light shot out of her Channeling Ring and onto the ceiling. There was a sudden surge of magical energy as the arena was engulfed in a bright light, and part of it turned into a stage with a stripper pole on it.

Almost immediately, the curtain opened, revealing a scantily clad Diamond Tiara. She wore pink, sheer lingerie, high heeled boots, and more fierce makeup. She strutted onto the stage and grabbed the pole, “Oooooh~! First audience of the night is two lovely ladies? Well, I have been known to turn straight women bi~”

“You’ve, got to be kidding me,” Twilight said dryly as Diamond began a super sexy and acrobatic pole dance routine, “THIS is how she’s going to help?”

“Um, before you knock it, Twi-Twi,” Trixie muttered, pointing to the Shadows, “Take a look.”

Despite both of them being female, both Shadows were entranced by the sight. Leanan Sidhe looked enamored, beaming as if she was seeing the most beautiful image in the world, and Nekomata had hearts in her eyes, mewing in excitement.

Twilight sighed, “I give up. This group is fucking insane. Either way, I’m seeing a Fire Weakness on Leanan Sidhe, and an Electricity Weakness on Nekomata."

“Good! I wanted payback anyway!” Rainbow Dash seethed, holding up her Channeling Ring, “Lulamoon, you got the other one, right?”

“Leave it to me!” Trixie nodded, “Diamond, keep dancing!”

Diamond spun around on the pole and gave Trixie a wink.

“ZIONGA!!!” Rainbow Dash shouted, Eclair holding up her blade and sending a massive bolt of Electricity down on the catgirl, knocking her onto her face. At the same time, Trixie threw another Agilao at Leanan Sidhe, knocking her to the ground too.

Starlight summoned Morgana and reached out to the two of them, feeling an immediate connection to Nekomata. She kinda had the exact same air about her that Trixie had. Realizing they were actually a lot alike, Nekomata turned to Starlight and meowed happily and apologetically, and flew into her Channeling Ring.

Realizing that she was now over taxed, Starlight let go of Inugami for now. She’d already added him to her compendium so it was fine. In the confusion, Leanan Sidhe escaped.

Rainbow Dash sheathed her sword and knelt before Pinkie Pie, who was beginning to calm down, “Pinkie, are you alright?”

Pinkie nodded, wiping away her tears, “Y-yeah. I’m alright. My head’s clearing up now that they’re gone.”

Starlight sighed in relief and turned to her thrall, thanking her for coming to her aid. Diamond blew Starlight a kiss and waved sexily, vanishing in a pink light.

“I still can’t believe that worked,” Twilight muttered.

“Hey, even girls like a sexy body,” Trixie shrugged, “Didn’t surprise me at all.”

“That’s not what I-” she cut herself off with a groan, “Never mind. By the way, was that an apparition of Diamond, or the real deal?”

“I’m, not sure honestly,” Starlight looked down in thought. She’d ask Diamond when they ran into each other in school. For now though, they needed to keep going. Starlight turned to Pinkie Pie and asked if she was okay.

“Yep. I can keep going,” she assured Starlight, “Let’s keep moving.”

Starlight smiled in relief. A few fights later, they got to the stairs going up.

Hod: Lvl 12

On the twelfth floor of this section, the girls didn’t run into anything too intense, so they were able to move forward without much issue. The worst fight here was an Apsaras teamed up with a Shiisaa and a Rakshasa.

Apsaras cast Rebellion on Rakshasa, who charged at Rainbow Dash, meeting her blade with his own. Before Starlight could move to aid her, Apsaras cast another spell on her ally, erecting a green shield around him.

“Looks like that’s a Wind Wall,” Twilight noted, seeing Shiisaa looking at Dash and charging up a spell, “Hey! Take that one out fast! Dash is weak to its magic!”

Starlight turned to Trixie, who nodded to her, both of them summoning their Personas at the same time. Rather than using their Double Tech, Starlight summoned Matador again to knock Shiisaa down with a psychic wave, and Trixie had Elenora cast an Agilao on Apsaras. Both ended up dying right on the spot.

“Help is on the way!” Pinkie Pie said, holding her hands in prayer as Serenity appeared behind her, spinning around like a ballerina. She cast Tarukaja on Dash, resulting in her blade sharpening. She pushed the sword wielding Shadow back and slashed him away, the two now engaging in a ferocious sword fight.

“Thanks! Anyone know that skill she cast on him first?” Dash asked, “I think Mission Control called it Rebellion?”

Starlight nodded, “APSARAS!!!” she shouted, shifting to her Priestess Arcana Persona and casting Rebellion on Rainbow Dash, who wasted no time calling her Persona.

“Come forth, my other self!” Eclair Farron slammed her blade down on top of Rakshasa, knocking him to the ground, “Leader, how are we ending this?”

Starlight tried reaching out, only to get resistance from the Demon, “All Out Attack! Let’s end this!”

All four of them drew their weapons, and at once wailed on the enemy with everything they had. It didn’t take long for the enemy to fall to that assault.

“We’re almost at the stairs!” Twilight said, “Hurry, before the Reaper shows up!”

Starlight and her coven continued their trek through the maze. They made it just as the chains began to rattle.

Hod: Lvl 18

Untamed Heart - Klonoa: Door to Phantomile

When they arrived on the eighteenth floor, they found themselves before an odd sight. The room they were in looked somewhat like an altar or stage, suspended in what appeared to be an open space of sorts. Instead of walls, they saw a starry atmosphere, like the night sky or outer space.

“This is incredible…” Trixie said looking around.

“It feels almost divine where we are,” Pinkie Pie said softly, “Like, this place? It’s someplace completely untouched by human hands before us. It makes my heart feel funny.”

“In a way, we are,” Twilight said softly, “This is a section of the Collective Unconscious no one’s ever explored on their own. The Dark Hour, Midnight Channel, even the Metaverse, we all know about those places. This though? We knew of the Phase, but not really what was in it.”

“Know how we were saying the source of the Nightmare could be at the top of this place?” Rainbow Dash asked, stepping to the edge of the platform and looking out at the expansive nebula, “Like this, I could believe it.”

“I’m, starting to think so too, actually,” Twilight admitted, “I wish I could be there seeing this in person.”

Starlight looked around a bit, and then noticed something. Up ahead, she saw a golden staircase going up into the sky, probably to the next section. Unfortunately there was a golden barrier in front of the stairs. She walked over to the barrier and placed her hand on it, frowning.

“What’s up?” Pinkie Pie asked, running up to Starlight. She turned to Pinkie Pie and asked if Serenity could break through this wall, “I, dunno. She does have a strong punch, so I’ll give it a shot.”

Pinkie Pie summoned Serenity, who began rapidly punching the wall.* Despite the force of the punches, the barrier didn’t budge in the slightest. Serenity fell to her knees and sighed in disappointment and exhaustion as she vanished, Pinkie Pie falling into the same position.

“Sorry, guys,” Pinkie panted, “I could feel the resistance. This barrier isn’t like Fleur’s barrier.”

“Pinkie Pie’s Persona specializes in physical attacks along with healing,” Trixie said, everyone gathering at the barrier, “If she can’t get through…”

“Think we should all try?” Rainbow Dash asked.

“Don’t waste the energy,” Twilight sighed, “My terminal can’t even SEE the floor above you. This is just like how it was before you and Pinkie Pie joined us.”

“So what? Until we get another witch, we can’t move forward or something?” Trixie asked, “What sort of weird arbitrary rule is that?”

“Beats me, but it DOES remind me of what Mitsuru said Tartarus was like for her team,” Twilight said, “She said that they’d run into dead ends that couldn’t be passed without defeating a powerful Shadow.”

“Meaning that either way, until we find Rarity’s Dungeon…” Starlight began.

“We’re probably not getting any higher than this. That’s my guess at least,” Twilight sighed, “Cause I’m doing such a wonderful job with that…”

“Twilight…” Pinkie Pie said softly. Starlight held her hand over her heart hearing how sad Twilight was. She was taking this failure pretty seriously it seemed.

“Hey, let’s head back for now,” Rainbow Dash suggested, “There was a checkpoint in the floor underneath us, right? Let’s use that and head back to the Akashic Records to chill for a bit.”

Starlight agreed to this. As they all left the current area, she noticed that Twilight’s wisp wasn’t moving, “Twilight? Are you going to be okay?”

Instead of answering, Twilight just sighed and flew her wisp after everyone downstairs. That answered Starlight’s question. She wasn’t going to be fine. At all. She was seriously beginning to worry about her.

Especially thinking about her fear of being deemed “obsolete”, whatever she meant by that.

end song

October 24th, 2019
Wednesday
Cloudy

Lunch Time

As the day wore on, Starlight found it really hard to focus on her classes. Rarity’s Dungeon was still untraceable, and now it looked like Twilight was in a bad place. If she had a Dungeon now too, what would Starlight even say to her? She could bring it to her attention, but in the emotional state she was in, approaching her could just make the situation worse.

“Ugh!” Starlight slammed her locker closed and leaned against it. All of this was frustrating. Starlight was starting to feel a bit overwhelmed. She wanted to be a witch, not a messiah. This was just too much for her to handle.

A Small Distance - Blue Reflection

“Um…” she heard a small voice called out to her. Starlight looked and saw Sweetie Belle standing there, twirling her hair around her finger as she looked at Starlight somewhat nervously.

“Sorry if I scared you,” Starlight said, “I’m just, going through a lot, that’s all.”

“You didn’t scare me,” Sweetie Belle said softly, “I was just, going to ask you something. If you want me to leave you alone though, I can.”

“No no, it’s okay,” Starlight assured her, “I want to hear you out. What’s up, Sweetie Belle?”

“I was wondering, could we, be friends?” Sweetie Belle asked Starlight suddenly, still twirling her finger through her hair, “You were nice to me, and let me cry when I was upset.”

“Does that happen often? You crying when you’re upset?” Starlight asked Sweetie Belle. The young girl nodded, her expression turning somber.

“My Mom says it's okay, but I don’t like doing it. It makes me feel immature,” Sweetie said, her voice low, “And people call me Baby Belle when it happens.”

“Well, you won’t have to worry about me doing that,” Starlight assured Sweetie Belle, rubbing her arm, “I’d love to be your friend. Actually, I was going to ask you if we could be friends.”

“Really?” Sweetie Belle asked, “Even if I’m a crybaby?”

“First off, don’t say that about yourself,” Starlight said, walking to the courtyard with Sweetie Belle beside her, “Actually, concerning that. I wanted to confirm something. It’s a bit of a personal question, alright?” Sweetie nodded, “Are you, autistic?”

Sweetie bit her lip nervous, and nodded. Starlight reached over to rub her back, opening up to feel her emotions.

Will she, still be my friend if I’m honest…?

“I see. That explains a lot,” Starlight nodded, “Don’t worry. I don’t see you as any different, okay?”

Sweetie looked at Starlight and nodded, smiling a bit, “You’re really nice.”

“People don’t give you a hard time for it, do they?” Starlight asked Sweetie, who thankfully shook her head.

“No. Most of the time no one notices. It’s only recently that it’s become an issue,” Sweetie looked away.

“Do you want to talk about it?” Starlight asked Sweetie Belle.

She was silent for a bit before speaking, “It’s not a crush.”

It took a second before Starlight realized what she meant, “You and the President?”

Sweetie Belle nodded, actually tearing up, “It’s not a crush…”

Starlight was a bit surprised by how emotional she got from just the thought, but she was just sensitive enough to tell that whatever was going on, it was important to her.

“Alright, I believe you,” Starlight said, surprising Sweetie Belle, “It’s not a crush. I’m assuming it isn’t anything romantic?”

Sweetie Belle shook her head, “It isn’t. There’s a girl in my class I have feelings for, so I know the difference. She’s nice to me too.”

“Oh? What’s her name?” Starlight asked.

“Apple Bloom,” Sweetie answered, “She’s No Fun Jackie’s little sister.”

How ironic, “She’s nice to you, you say. Does she know the truth about this thing with Rarity?”

“She, doesn’t,” she shook her head, “She believes me though, that it’s not a crush.”

“If you’re not comfortable telling me, it’s okay,” Starlight prefaced, “But I would like to know what it is. What’s going on between you and Rarity.”

Sweetie looked down, typing at the air with her right hand. She wondered why she did that. Maybe it helped her concentrate? After a few seconds, she shook her head, “I’m sorry. I can’t say yet. I’m not ready.”

Starlight sighed internally, and then smiled, “Alright. Tell me whenever you’re ready to, okay?”

Sweetie smiled and nodded, “Thank you, Starlight.” Starlight could feel a faint bond forming between her and Sweetie Belle.

Thou art I, and I am thou…

Thou hast established a new bond…

This bond shalt become the stairway to thy ascension…

Thou shalt be blessed when creating Persona of the Sun Arcana…

It actually occurred to Starlight that this could be serious boon for her and her group. Maybe Sweetie Belle could tell them something they didn’t already know about Rarity.

“Hey, could I ask you something about Rarity?” Starlight asked, looking around to make sure Rarity wasn’t nearby. She wasn’t. Good.

“You can,” Sweetie said. Starlight asked Sweetie if she knew anything about Rarity, such as where she came from, or who her family is, “She lives with the Scarlet family.”

“Scarlet?” Starlight asked, “Wait, is that Applejack’s last name?”

Sweetie nodded, “It is.”

Starlight had a feeling she lived with Applejack. This confirmed it. “How did you find that out?”

“Apple Bloom told me,” Sweetie answered, “I asked why they always came to school together, and she said Rarity lived with her.”

“What about Rarity’s family?” Starlight asked. Sweetie tensed up visibly, and averted her eyes.

“I, heard that she’s an orphan,” Sweetie said stiffly, “She, doesn’t know who her biological family is.”

But you know, Starlight thought. She didn’t know why, but she had a suspicion this girl had a serious reason to believe they were related.

Still, an orphan, huh? Would that have made finding her Akashic Records harder?

“Alright, thank you,” Starlight said, not wanting to push Sweetie too much, “Do you want to eat with me and my girlfriend?”

Sweetie shook her head, “Thank you, but I’m going to practice chess.”

“Alright then,” Starlight smiled, “Anytime you want to hang out, let me know, okay? I’ll do the same.”

Sweetie nodded smiling, “Alright. See you, Starlight.”

As Sweetie went back to her table, Starlight remembered something, “Shoot, um, Sweetie Belle!” she called out, stopping her. She then ran over and told her not to tell Apple Bloom or anyone she asked about Rarity’s past.

Sweetie blinked and tilted her head, “Okay. That’s odd, but I won’t tell.”

“Sorry, it’s just, I’m trying to help Rarity with something, but she’s really touchy about her past, and I don’t want to risk her finding out and upsetting her,” Starlight told Sweetie Belle.

“Oh. Alright then,” Sweetie smiled, “I’ll keep it a secret.”

Starlight sighed in relief, and left it at that. She said her goodbyes to Sweetie and made it to the bench she and Trixie usually sat at.

“So, you and Sweetie Belle are friends now?” Trixie asked Starlight as she sat down.

“Yep. Even got a new Social Link out of it,” Starlight said, “But that’s not all. I asked her about Rarity a bit.”

“Did she say anything useful? Something that could help track it down?” Trixie asked Starlight.

“Not, track it down sadly. I don’t think,” Starlight looked crestfallen, “But I might have found something just as valuable. I, think I know why Twilight can’t find her Dungeon…”

Maya's Theme - Persona 3

As usual, Rarity sat on the roof to enjoy her lunch period. She hated that she and Applejack had separate Lunch periods, as it meant that she didn’t have anyone to enjoy her lunch with.

Well, at least here she could gather her thoughts. That and she had a place where she could read.

Just as her book was starting to get good, she heard the door open. She didn’t bother looking up, but she did groan internally. So much for her alone time.

“Had a feeling I’d see you here, Rarity,” the snide voice of Blueblood echoed, making Rarity close her eyes in frustration.

“Go away, Blueblood,” Rarity sighed, “I’m busy.”

“You don’t look busy,” Blueblood said, now moving to stand beside where Rarity was sitting, leaning against the fence, “Kissing Sin?** Don’t know that book.”

“It’s an old favorite of mine,” she said airily. Go away, go away, go away, go away…

“The title seems appropriate,” Blueblood said, leaning back and looking up, “Especially for someone like yourself.”

Rarity pursed her lips and looked up at him, “You want to run that by me again?”

“I’m just saying, for someone who carries herself like a prim, proper, elegant lady,” he pulled out his phone, “You seem to do that quite well. Kiss sin, I mean.”

Rarity stood up, “You know what? You’re not making any sense, and I want to enjoy my book in peace, so I’m leaving. I’ll eat in the Student Council Office or something.”

“You can run from me, but you can’t run from your past,” he said as she walked off, “Dirty Diamond.”

Rarity stopped, her back still turned to him but her eyes wide. How did he know that name…?

Just as she was about to ask him, she heard something on his phone. Moaning. That was her moaning!

“Wow. Didn’t know you were such a filthy little whore,” Blueblood chuckled, looking at the video on his phone, “Right there in the alleyway? Even let the dog have some action.”

Rarity rushed over to him and reached for the phone, only for Blueblood to snatch it away and step back, “Give me that phone!”

“Oooooh. Such a harsh tone. You're a lot hotter when you drop the prissy tone, you know.” Blueblood asked with a smirk.

“I’m not fucking around with you, pretty boy!” Rarity charged at him again, but he ducked underneath her.

“No, no you’re not, much to my dismay,” Blueblood sighed, “That’d be what you’re doing in this video,” he looked at the phone with wide eyes, “And what’s that on your hip? Why, that looks like the Diamond Dog insignia tattooed on it! This isn’t a good look for the “Student Council President”, now is it?”

Rarity looked at Blueblood wide eyed, panting as she backed against the fence. This was not happening to her!

“The students are so terrified of the Diamond Dogs,” Blueblood pocketed his phone and walked over to Rarity, “Worried that they’ll get assaulted going back to their dorms or something. They’re counting on the President to protect them. I wonder,” Blueblood narrowed his eyes and sneered, “How would they react if they knew, that the one supposed to protect them, was one of them?”

“You wouldn’t dare…” Rarity challenged.

“Mmmm! And what would Principal Cinch think if she saw this?!” he asked suddenly, “The Student Council President, not only fucking the Leader of the Diamond Dogs, not only asking to be gangbanged by the rest of the Diamond Dogs, but having the time of her life doing it! I’d hate to think what she’d do to you!”

Rarity’s heart was racing. No no no! This couldn’t happen! Of all the people to see that, it had to be Blueblood?!

“Now, I’m willing to keep this little moment between us,” Blueblood gave a smirk, pinning Rarity against the fence, “But I’m going to want, payment for it.”

“How about this instead,” Rarity seethed, “Go down to the pharmacy, ask for something called Viagra, and use it to go fuck yourself!”

Suddenly, Blueblood gripped her by the wrists and turned her around to face the fence and the courtyard, holding her in place as he leaned into her ear, “Watch it you little bitch. I know your little secret now, and my Dad practically owns this school. If you get too fresh with me, I can and will have you ruined.”

Rarity growled at him, but couldn’t hold back her tears. She hated this so much. She hated him so much.

“I’m pretty sure a whore like you knows what I want,” Blueblood said, his hand trailing down her leg and rubbing her hip, where her Diamond Dog insignia was, lifting her skirt and everything, “Beatrix was one thing, but to have someone like you. Honestly, it was you I wanted from the get go.”

“You want me to be your replacement bitch ‘cause Trixie left?” Rarity taunted, “Gotta say, the fact you turned her lesbian is a talent all on it’s- AH~!” she cried out as Blueblood spanked her. She hated that it felt good, too.

“Don’t kid yourself. Now that I know where you come from, I’m not interested in a mangy mutt like you,” he said, now groping her ass cheek roughly, sadly getting a moan from her, “But I am going to want you to do me and some of my friends some, favors, if you get my meaning.”

“I…!” Blueblood brought his hand up to grope her left breast, making her arch her back and groan.

“If you don’t, I’ll post that video all over social media, and let not just Cinch know, but Applejack, and the rest of the student body know what a cum addicted little whore you are.”

When he said her name, that got her attention. She didn’t care that Cinch knew about her past. She didn’t want the students to know, but that she could bounce back from. But if Applejack saw that video…

Rarity closed her eyes and choked out a sob, “Fine. You win. I’ll, I’ll do whatever, you want me to do.”

Blueblood chuckled, “Good girl,” he released her, and patted her on the butt, “Meet me after school. Me and my friends are going to want to have some fun.”

With that, he turned and left. Once she heard the door close, Rarity burst into tears, falling to her knees in anguish. Bad enough Cinch and Rover both had her on their own leashes. Now she had that bastard Blueblood too? She hated this. She hated him. She hated herself. But she knew, she’d go. She’d do whatever it took to make sure she kept this a secret.

And just like that, her cell became even smaller.

“I’m sorry…!” Rarity sobbed, “Applejack…! Apple Bloom…! Macintosh…! Granny Smith…! I’m so sorry…!”

She didn’t get back to her book that day. She spent the rest of lunch, and any chance she could get alone, in tears.

After School

School Days - Persona

Once school let out, Starlight went to help out with Student Council. Worryingly, Rarity wasn’t present, and when Starlight asked where she was, not even Applejack knew. Only that she said she “needed to take care of something personal”.

For some reason, Starlight didn’t like this.

Sadly, she wasn’t able to get much information on her that she didn’t already know, and she was very iffy about asking Applejack anything. As today was a bit of a slow day, and Rarity wasn’t even there, Starlight just hung out with Sunburst afterward before heading back to the dorm.

Author's Note

*Yes, this is a Jojo reference.

**This is an actual book, from Keri Arthur. The second book in the Riley Jenson series.

Fool – Seekers of Light: 5/10
Magician – Trixie Lulamoon: 8/10 :heart:
Priestess – Diamond Tiara: 9/10 Thrall
The Empress – Ms. Tia: 4/10
Hierophant - Victor: 1/10
The Lovers - Pinkamena Diane Pie: 2/10
Chariot – Rainbow Dash: 3/10
Strength - Tokugawa Fluttershy: 1/5
Hermit – Sunburst: 2/10
The Devil – Silver Spoon: 4/10
The Sun - Sweetie Belle: 1/10 ESTABLISHED!!!!
Transformation - Ms. Luna: 1/10

Click here to check out the Go Fund I'm starting for my parents, and consider either donating or sharing this on your social media accounts.

10/25

October 25th, 2019
Thursday
Sunny

Morning

School Days - Persona

This time, Starlight managed to walk to school with Trixie, Pinkie Pie, and Rainbow Dash with her. She and Trixie spent all of last night talking about this revelation about Rarity, and was now able to share this information with the rest of the group. As such, most of the walk to school had been centered on this topic.

“But man, Rarity’s an orphan?” Rainbow Dash asked as they approached the school, “Guess that’d explain why she’s so distrustful.”

“Think so?” Trixie asked.

Dash nodded, “I spent some time in the foster care system after my Mom passed, so I get it. You sorta get in this mindset where the whole world’s just against you, ya know? Nothing’s stable anymore, people say they care, but you can tell they’re just doing the bare minimum, and since you don’t know how long you’re gonna be around your so called friends, you don’t wanna get attached.”

Pinkie Pie nodded, “Yep. Most of Freshman year was me trying to get Dashie to open up to me. We were friends, but it didn’t really stick until Sophomore Year, when it was confirmed that she’d be staying in Canterlot High till graduation,” she hugged Dash’s arm and leaned in, “After that, she and I became roommates, and well, you know how that story ended.”

Dash took a second to caress Pinkie Pie’s cheek and the two kissed, deeply and lovingly.

Starlight nodded smiling, “A true fairy tale ending if there ever was one.”

“But, would this really make finding Rarity’s Akashic Records harder?” Trixie asked curiously.

“I asked Twilight before I went to bed,” Pinkie said, “She said that if Rarity doesn't know her past, then absolutely. It’d mean that she doesn’t have a section of the library actually dedicated to her. More like a collection of volumes that relate to her, with maybe a single shelf that’s focused on her identity.”

“And that’s what her Dungeon is replacing,” Trixie realized, “Shit. This really is like finding a needle in a haystack…”

“Especially if she doesn’t know where she comes from,” Dash added, “I know who my parents are. My Dad’s a shithead, but I know who and were he is, so there’s a record that I exist, both here and probably in the Akashic Records.”

“But if Rarity doesn’t know who her parents are, and there aren’t any records of her in the real world…” Starlight began.

“Then, scary as it is, the only proof that she even exists, is that we know her,” Rainbow Dash winced, “She could die tomorrow, and only those here would notice. The system itself wouldn’t care.”

“On top of that, the Rarity everyone knows here is just a facade she’s putting up to hide her true self,” Trixie added, “The only ones who know the true Rarity at all are all of us, and the Diamond Dogs.”

“I’m scared,” Pinkie Pie bit her lip, “It’s starting to really look like this is impossible.”

“I don’t wanna say it’s impossible, but I do get where you’re coming from,” Rainbow Dash folded her arms, “We’re still trying to get in the front door. Are we going to have enough time to rescue her when we get inside?”

“Scarily enough, I don’t know if we will,” Trixie admitted reluctantly, “At least with Pinkie Pie and I, there was prior history between all of us.”

Starlight nodded, “Trixie was my roommate, so I had ample time to get to know her, and you all were classmates since Freshman Year, which made Pinkie Pie’s easier all things considered,” she stopped and looked up at the sky, “No one here really knows Rarity, and it seems like she doesn’t even know herself. We’re going into this Dungeon completely blind.”

“Dude, the President was in a terrible mood yesterday.”

Starlight stopped and looked at the school gate, spotting two boys talking by the Diamond Dog insignia, which was still only partially washed away.

“I know, right? I just wanted to say hi, and she walked right past me. Normally she at least waves,” his friend said rubbing the back of his neck.

“I bet it was Cinch,” the first boy said, “She’s always giving Rarity more work to do. Shit ain’t fair, you know?”

“The bitch is just mad Rarity does a better job of running the school than she does. Helps that we at least like Rarity.”

“If she’s in a bad mood,” Trixie asked quietly, “Think her Dungeon…”

Starlight nodded, “Something might have made it shift. We’re running out of time, and fast.”

“We have to be in there by this weekend,” Rainbow Dash said, “Otherwise, we won’t have enough time to save her.”

“Starlight!” Diamond called out, running up to the group, “Pep Squad emergency, Shimmy sprained her-” she stopped and looked around, “Um, am I interrupting something concerning…” she pointed to her ring finger.

“We’re kinda hitting a dead end there,” Trixie admitted with a sigh, “But, this sounds important.”

Starlight nodded and asked what happened, to which Diamond sighed rubbing her eyes.

“Know the big game today?” Diamond asked the group.

“Between Canterlot and Crystal Prep’s football teams,” Dash nodded, “Our Leader mentioned that you had a special routine planned for that.”

“Well, the centerpiece of it has me, Coco Pommel, and Shimmy Shake doing a routine,” Diamond explained, “Unfortunately, Shimmy sprained her ankle over break, and it isn’t healed enough where she can dance.”

“Oh no!” Pinkie cried, “What are you going to do?!”

“Well, we have two solutions,” Diamond continued, “See, Suri’s trying to make this about her and strong arm her way into the routine, but Shimmy and, pretty much everyone on the team thinks that Starlight should take her place.”

Starlight’s eyes widened. They wanted her in the routine?

“You’re one of the best dancers on the team,” Diamond urged, “Hell, Suri herself even admitted it. She said it in a bitchy, backhanded kind of way, but it’s Suri so that’s as good a compliment as she can give.”

Starlight laughed a bit at that. It was nice knowing that she was appreciated on the team, and that everyone wanted her for this, but in order to do this, she’d have to spend most of the day learning the routine, which would eat up any time that could be spent getting something to help Twilight find Rarity’s Dungeon.

“Don’t worry,” Rainbow Dash wrapped an arm around Starlight’s shoulder, “We got ya covered.”

“Yeah. We’ll look into the you-know-what, so you can focus on Pep Squad,” Pinkie added with a smile.

“You sure it’s okay, girls?” Starlight asked.

“Damn right it’s okay,” Trixie assured Starlight, “We’re a team, remember? It’s not on you to do everything. Go help Diamond Tiara. We’ve got this.”

“Thanks girls,” Starlight smiled, turning to Diamond Tiara, “Alright, I’m all yours.”

Diamond beamed and hugged Starlight, “Thank you so much! Meet me in the gym a bit before the game, and I’ll walk you through the routine!”

“Speaking of, don’t you guys have the Pep Rally to do?” Trixie pointed out. Starlight thought that didn’t begin until the beginning of the game, “No… that’s during homeroom, honey.”

Starlight nodded, and then her eyes went wide. She was expected to dance NOW?!

“Yeah… that’s another reason I was looking for you,” Diamond winced, “The Pep Rally starts in like, 15 minutes.”

“Shoot! Um, I gotta go, girls!” Starlight cried, “You’ll all be there, right?”

“Wouldn’t miss it,” Pinkie Pie smiled.

“Break a leg, girl,” Rainbow Dash grinned.

“And do shake it real good for me~” Trixie purred, grabbing Starlight’s butt and squeezing it. Starlight blushed and told Trixie she’d be getting punished for that later, as she was wearing the collar, “Oh Mistress, don’t threaten me with a good time~”

Starlight rolled her eyes and followed after Diamond Tiara. At least she could have some fun today along with the stress.

Daytime

Pep Rally was a lot of fun, for Starlight especially. She remembered back at her old school, she always thought these kinds of girls were just vapid and toxic, probably due to being teased by them so much. Who’d have thought she’d ever be one of them. Even down to walking through school in her cheerleading attire.

She felt so sexy like this, almost like she owned the school. Maybe she could get away with wearing this to school sometime.

During Gym Class, Bulk Biceps asked Starlight a question about martial arts and breathing. She surprised herself by getting it right, despite just using common sense. She felt significantly more intelligent after that.

After School

Smile - Persona 4

Diamond pulled Starlight aside to work on the routine with Coco, which wasn’t too hard. Thankfully she’d seen them do this enough times where she could pick it up quickly and not embarrass herself. It helped that Diamond was a great teacher and leader. She was patient with Starlight, supportive, encouraging, the complete opposite of Suri’s almost drill sergeant style of leading.

Coco tried to keep up much as she could, and she had the motions right, but even Starlight could tell something was missing. After going over it a few times, Coco sighed and slumped forward.

“Maybe I’m just, not cut out for this…” she sighed.

“You’re doing a great job,” Starlight assured her.

“Only problem is you’re so stiff,” Diamond said, walking up to Coco, “What are you thinking of when you dance?”

“What do you mean?” Coco asked.

“Like, when I’m dancing,” Diamond did a few sexy dance moves, “My thoughts are on how sexy I am, and knowing that everyone is looking at me.”

“But, Suri’s the leader, so…” Coco hid behind her pom poms a bit.

“Do you see Suri here right now?” Starlight asked, “Because I sure don’t.”

“What about you?” Coco asked Starlight, “You’re really good at this. When you dance, where do you go mentally?”

“I guess for me,” Starlight folded her arms and looked up, “It kinda stems from my dream of being a witch. My inner voice if you would, she once told me that a witch’s power stems from how she can command a room with her body alone. So when I’m dancing for Pep Squad, I guess I just, call on that. Much of this is an extension of my inner witch.”

Starlight felt Morgana place a hand on her shoulder, and saw her nod in approval.

“We’re not in competition with each other,” Diamond said, “We’re three girls putting on a show for the audience to enjoy. Starlight’s the sexy gothic witch, I’m the beautiful stripper,” she took off her tiara and placed it on Coco’s head, “And you’re, the alluring Princess.”

Coco’s eyes widened, “B-but, this is your precious tiara! Oh Diamond, I couldn’t!”

“It’s fine, Coco!” Diamond laughed waving it off, “I won’t need it for this! You’re the one who needs a confidence boost, so I want you to borrow it, and wear it for the halftime show.”

“But, without this, you won’t look right in the center,” Coco pointed out.

“Then I guess that means you’re just going to have to be the centerpiece of this,” Diamond smiled, cupping Coco’s cheeks, “I believe in you, Coco. Please, believe in yourself just as much.”

“Diamond…” Coco said softly. She then nodded in assurance, “Okay! I’ll do it!”

“That’s the spirit!” Diamond said hugging Coco. Starlight couldn’t help but smile seeing this. She really helped bring out the best in Diamond.

Once they felt like they had the routine down perfectly, Starlight walked over to Diamond, rubbing her back and smiling.

“You know, back in my dream, I was the top dancer. I was the one everyone wanted to see, but, it didn’t feel right to me,” Diamond admitted, “I think I, get it now. I don’t want to dance to just be admired. I want my dancing, to bring joy to others. For that, I don’t need to be the one on top. I just need to be, me.” she turned to Starlight, “Starlight, thank you. Both for saving me, and for being my friend. I love you so much.”

“Diamond…” Starlight blushed. She didn’t need to use her empathy to know that she meant what she said.

Diamond wrapped her arms around Starlight lovingly, “I know you and Trixie are a couple, and I fully support it. But I know now, why I wanted to be your thrall. When you summoned me in battle that time, and I was able to use my dancing to help you, I felt so alive. That’s what I want to do right now. I want to be beside you, to help you in whatever it is you do.” she looked into her eyes adoringly, “I love you, Starlight. You were the light in my darkest hour, and I’ll cherish our friendship forever.”

Starlight felt overwhelmed, but she could tell she meant it. In this moment, she became aware that Diamond Tiara, was someone she’d always be able to rely on. This bond was now completely unbreakable.

The Path is Open - Persona 4

Thou art I, and I am thou…

Thou hast nurtured an unbreakable bond…

We bestow upon thee the power of Cybele, the ultimate form of the Priestess Arcana…

The path to thy ascension has become just a bit clearer…

Diamond took Starlight’s hands into hers, and looked into her eyes lovingly, “No matter what happens, we’re in this together, Starlight.”

Starlight nodded, grinning from ear to ear. Despite everything that’d been going on, she was happier than she’d been in a long time.

end song

The game was going to be starting soon. Pinkie Pie didn’t really care for this kind of thing, really, but Starlight was going to be there for it, so she wanted to support her at least. Since she wanted to just relax though, she stayed after a bit in the library to do her homework, so she wouldn’t have to worry about that after the game. Now she just needed to get to the football field to meet up with Dashie and Trixie.

Sadly, they weren’t able to find out anything concerning Rarity. At this rate, she’d have no choice but to ask Applejack herself. But, how could she ask her in a way that wasn’t suspicious? She couldn’t tell Applejack that Rarity had the Nightmare, or that she was a witch who was trying to rescue her.

And she had to be careful, since Applejack and Rarity were pretty much inseparable.

“Well, no point in fretting right now,” Pinkie Pie said stepping out of the back doorway, “Okay, that’s a lie. I definitely have a reason to fret. Being a Magical Girl is hard,” she held a hand to her heart, “Serenity… I’m scared for Rarity. What should I do…?”

She could feel Serenity wrap her arms around her, nuzzling her comfortingly.

“I know, Pinkie Pie… I’m scared too. Try to relax for now, honey. We’ll think of something when we’re together with the others.”

Pinkie Pie took a breath and relaxed a bit. She wasn’t sure if when she spoke to Serenity, that was actually real, or if she was just imagining talking to herself. Oddly, she didn’t care. It made her feel comforted.

She walked past the back alleyway, to get to the football field, but stopped at the sound of panting. Was there someone having sex in the alleyway right now? She knew some students did it, but it was technically against the rules. She knew it wasn’t right to look, but she was morbidly curious. She’d just take a peak is all.

But when she looked inside, she was horrified by what she was seeing.

Troubled - Persona 3

Backed against a wall, wrists pinned to the wall behind her, was Rarity. It looked like her panties were hanging off of one ankle, said leg lifted up by her partner, who was kissing her neck as he thrust in and out of her. Her top and blazer were completely unbuttoned, revealing a purple lacy bra that was almost completely sheer, showing her nipples damn near perfectly. She panted like a bitch in heat, occasionally moaning in what seemed like pleasure.

But when Pinkie Pie saw who her partner was, she almost threw up. It was Blueblood!

Pinkie Pie covered her mouth, eyes wide in horror. What was going on here?! Rarity knew what kind of asshole he was! She defended Trixie and everything! Why was she having sex with…

Rarity opened one eye and turned to see Pinkie Pie, her eyes widening in horror herself. Pinkie Pie reached for her phone and looked at Rarity, motioning that she was calling for help, but then got another surprise.

Rarity shook her head, a look of desperation on her face.

Pinkie Pie frowned incredulously at Rarity. She wasn’t serious, was she? She was doing this, of her own free will?

Rarity…? Why…? Why are you doing this with HIM?!

Pinkie Pie hid behind a nearby dumpster as it looked like Blueblood finished. She needed to get answers.

“That’s a good bitch,” Blueblood sneered, “Before I get to my team, clean me off.”

Pinkie Pie didn’t look, but she heard Rarity give a beast like growl before she heard shuffling, followed by a soft licking sound and the occasional hum. She shut her eyes tightly, trying her best to keep from screaming.

“That’s a much better look for you, you know,” Blueblood taunted, “On your knees, licking cock like the filthy animal you are.”

“If we’re done here, I’d like to pull myself together please,” Rarity said curtly.

“Still just as uppity as ever. One day, I’ll have to do something about that attitude of yours, Dirty Diamond.”

“You’ll try and fail,” Rarity replied, “I can’t be tamed by the likes of you.”

“We’ll see,” Blueblood zipped his pants and walked out of the alleyway. Once she was sure he was gone, Pinkie Pie ran into the alleyway, seeing Rarity picking up her panties, scowling at them.

“The bastard ripped them…” Rarity growled, tossing them in a trashcan beside her, “Guess I’m buying another pair later…”

“Rarity…” Pinkie Pie began. She froze when she saw Rarity’s sharp gaze hit her, “Uh…”

“Got something to say?” Rarity asked, her voice sharp and biting. She sounded like she did when they met two years ago. Back when she still had the white highlight in her hair.

“Just now…” Pinkie Pie asked, “You and Blueblood, what was…?”

“It’s exactly what it looked like,” Rarity said curtly, “Blueblood and I were fucking.”

“Was he, forcing himself onto you?” Pinkie Pie asked.

“Does it matter?” Rarity asked fixing her hair. Something inside Pinkie Pie snapped when she heard that.

“YES! It absolutely does!” she cried, “You know what he did to Trixie! Why would you have sex with someone like-” she screamed as Rarity backed her against a wall and glared at her angrily.

“What I do and who I fuck is none of your business!” Rarity snarled, “Now, I can’t stop you from telling Starlight or your girlfriend, but you will not tell Applejack about this, do I make myself clear!”

“Rarity, I-”

“DO I MAKE MYSELF CLEAR!!!”

“CRYSTAL CLEAR!!!” Pinkie Pie cried, eyes shut tight. She heard Rarity grimace before she stormed out of the alleyway. Once alone, Pinkie Pie slid to the ground and hugged her knees to her chest, “Oh Rarity…! What’s gotten into you…?!” she sobbed.

end song

The game itself was exciting to watch. Crystal Prep’s team was strong yeah, but somehow, the boys on the Canterlot High team seemed to be on fire. Even though Starlight knew he was on the team, she did find it fun to be a part of the experience.

At the halftime show, Starlight, Diamond, and Coco were able to do their routine, which was absolutely the highlight of the game. Coco was absolutely on fire, seeming to embody the energy of someone who’d wear Diamond’s tiara. Honestly, Starlight felt it was better with Coco in the middle anyway, and it got Suri fuming, so that was nice.

Seriously though, what was her beef with Coco?

Every so often, Starlight would look to where her friends were sitting. It looked like they were enjoying it, naturally paying more attention to the cheerleaders than to the game itself. But Pinkie Pie had Starlight concerned. She kept getting up from her seat, and then coming back with more food, and she looked really agitated about something. She had arrived late to the game, and when she did, it looked like she was on the verge of tears.

Sadly, she couldn’t leave to check on her, so she’d have to wait till the end of the game.

Ultimately, Canterlot High won the game, which according to Diamond Tiara, was actually a first for them. Honestly, with playing like that, Starlight was surprised they didn’t win more. She hated the guy’s guts, but Blueblood was good at what he did.

She still hated his guts though.

As things began to wind down, Starlight bade her team goodnight and ran over to her friends. Suri might have wanted the team to gather, but Pinkie Pie looked seriously upset about something. That was more important than Suri. She found all of them standing by the bleachers, Rainbow Dash rubbing Pinkie Pie’s back as it looked like she was seriously about to cry.

“I’m here,” Starlight said running up to them, “What happened?”

“She said she wanted all of us together before she said anything,” Trixie said, “We called Ms. Tia over as well, so we’re just waiting for her to get here.”

“Sorry girls,” Pinkie Pie said softly, “I just, want to tell as many people as possible at once. It’s, that upsetting.”

Rainbow Dash looked out toward the field, “Looks like Ms. Tia’s coming.”

Sure enough, their homeroom teacher arrived a few seconds later, “Sorry girls. Cheerilee and I were discussing something,” she noticed Pinkie Pie’s state and immediately hugged her, “Sweetheart, what’s the matter? You look awful.”

“I… saw something before coming to the game,” Pinkie Pie said, returning the hug, “I saw, Rarity in the back alleyway with, Blueblood.”

Living with Determination - Persona 3

“What?” Trixie asked suddenly, “What were they doing together?”

“He was… doing exactly what you think… with her,” Pinkie Pie admitted.

Trixie’s eyes widened, and she fell to her knees, “Rarity and Blueblood… together…? What the, what in fuck…?”

Starlight wasted no time kneeling beside Trixie and wrapping her arms around her, despite her own heart racing. Rarity, had sex with Blueblood?! Something about this didn't feel right to her. At all. Why would she do something like that, knowing full well how it'd look?

“The asshole’s life is forfeit,” Rainbow Dash decided, “I’m killing him, no questions asked.”

“Girls please,” Celestia urged, “We’re all upset, and for good reason, but none of this is helping Rarity at the moment.”

“The guy just switched targets!” Rainbow Dash protested, “First Trixie, and now Rarity?! Next time I see his Shadow in the Phase, I’m ending him!”

“Dashie, there’s more,” Pinkie Pie continued, “I was going to call for help on my phone, but Rarity, stopped me.”

Rainbow Dash slowly turned to Pinkie Pie, “She, what?”

“No no no,” Trixie shook her head, rising up and running to Pinkie Pie, “She wasn’t, she wouldn’t fuck him, willingly, right?”

“That’s, what it looked like,” Pinkie Pie shut her eyes and sobbed softly, “She demanded, that I not tell Applejack about it. The way she looked at the time, she seemed like a completely different person.”

Starlight looked back at the school and tightened her fist in anger. Maybe she was still in school. She had to get to the bottom of this, now. Starlight gritted her teeth and took off into the school.

“Starlight!” Trixie called out, but Starlight didn’t stop. She needed to hear it from Rarity directly. As Student Council President, she had to still be here, right? As she ran, she saw Sunburst at his locker, maybe he saw her?

“Sunburst!” Starlight called out, running up to him.

“Starlight? This is a surprise.” he blinked, “Is everything okay?”

“No, it isn’t,” Starlight shook her head, “Is Rarity still in the school?”

“In the Student Council Office,” Sunburst answered, “She said she needed some time alo-” Starlight didn’t let him finish before she took off, “Starlight! She doesn’t want to be disturbed!”

“Too bad!” Starlight stopped, “I, I need to ask her something, and it can’t wait!” she then continued to the Student Council Office, wasting no time storming inside. Right at her usual desk, she saw Rarity sitting in her chair, legs crossed and holding her hand over her eyes, seemingly trying to calm herself down.

This wasn’t going to help matters, but she had to ask about this.

“Is it true?” Starlight asked in a low, shaking voice.

“Is what true?” Rarity asked, her voice low and distant.

“You and Blueblood," Starlight narrowed her eyes trembling, "In the alleyway before the game.”

“Oh that,” Rarity said, not taking her hand over her eyes as she chuckled, “He wanted a good luck quickie, so I offered.”

“You what?!” Starlight asked incredulously.

“Seemed like it worked, too,” Rarity smiled softly, “That was the first time we actually beat Crystal Prep,” she laughed lightly, “I saw you dancing, by the way. You were really good.”

“How can you be so nonchalant about this?!” Starlight asked, slamming her hands on the desk in front of her, “He abused Trixie! He’s been gas lighting her since they broke up, and even turned the football team against her! You know what he is! You defended Trixie! You protected me from him!” Rarity didn’t move, nor did she remove her hand from her eyes, “What’s going on! Rarity, talk to me! I’m your friend! I can help y-”

“Friend? Since when were we “friends”?” Rarity got up from her chair and looked at Starlight with the same snarl she looked at her with before, “Because I don’t remember ever using that word to describe whatever this is between us,” she walked over to Starlight, “You keep acting all familiar with me, trying to get close to me, using my old call sign and everything. You wanna know why I have that name? Why I’m called “Dirty” Diamond? I’ll tell you why,” she leaned into Starlight with narrowed eyes, “It’s because I’m a filthy, cum addicted whore.”

“R-Rarity…!” Starlight was wide eyed.

“Me fucking Blueblood, I did for my own reasons. I don’t care about you, I don’t care about Trixie, I don’t care about anyone in this fucking school right now,” Rarity continued, “All I care about, is making sure that I get to keep this,” she thrust her Student Council President Badge at Starlight, “I’ll do whatever it takes to keep my position, and if you don’t like that, if that’s too much for you,” she pointed behind Starlight, “You know where the door is.”

Seeing Rarity act like this, hearing her talk like this, it hurt. It really hurt, and it really was seeming like Rarity was just, selfish and uncaring. That couldn’t be though. Starlight knew that wasn’t the case. She saw how much she loves Applejack. She heard how upset she was when her announcement hurt Pinkie Pie. She felt how kind and comforting she was.

So where was this coming from? What did he do to her? What was happening in her Dungeon?

“I, I don’t know what’s happening to you,” Starlight closed her eyes, “I know you want me to think you're a terrible person so I’ll go away, but I won’t do that,” she began to tear up, “I’ll leave you alone for now, but I’m not leaving you. Trixie tried to push me away just like this, and that’s why I know that this is fake.”

Rarity turned away in frustration, “You’re really getting on my nerves, you know that?”

“Why? Because I care?” Starlight asked.

“Because you’re nosy,” Rarity retaliated, “Because you’re a goodie two shoes who thinks you can save everyone. I’m not some helpless damsel, and I don’t need anyone to come to my rescue. All I need, is me.”

“How long did it take?” Starlight asked, “For you to actually believe that lie? Are you really that lonely of a person?”

“Shut up.”

“If you can’t tell Applejack or anyone, than just tell me, please,” Starlight urged, “Let me in. Tell me what he’s got on you, and I’ll find a way to-”

“I SAID SHUT UP!!!” Rarity screamed, making Starlight jump back in shock, “Don't bother coming into Student Council tomorrow, or ever again for that matter.” she pushed past Starlight to the door.

I knew it! I knew we couldn't be friends...!

Starlight tried to process those emotions, closing her eyes and taking a deep breath. She could sense it. She wanted to reach out, but at the same time she was actively pushing her away. Did she really distrust people that much?

They seriously needed to find that Dungeon in the next day or so. Starlight could feel it. Rarity was on death’s door.

Author's Note

Fool – Seekers of Light: 5/10
Magician – Trixie Lulamoon: 8/10 :heart:
Priestess – Diamond Tiara: 10/10 MAX LEVEL!!! Thrall
The Empress – Ms. Tia: 4/10
Hierophant - Victor: 1/10
The Lovers - Pinkamena Diane Pie: 2/10
Chariot – Rainbow Dash: 3/10
Strength - Tokugawa Fluttershy: 1/5
Hermit – Sunburst: 2/10
The Devil – Silver Spoon: 4/10
The Sun - Sweetie Belle: 1/10
Transformation - Ms. Luna: 1/10

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10/26

October 26th, 2019
Friday
Overcast

Morning

Living with Determination - Persona 3

Starlight really wanted to miss school today, but she needed all the time she had to find the way into Rarity’s Dungeon. She could sense it in her heart, Rarity was suffering. She was suffering just as much as Trixie was the day they met. And like Trixie, she didn’t think anyone could come to her rescue.

But the difference here was, Trixie deep down wanted to be rescued. It almost seemed like, Rarity didn’t.

After taking her shower, Starlight returned to her room, only to see Trixie laying in her bed still.

“I take it, you’re not coming?” Starlight asked softly.

“I’m sorry Starlight. I, can’t,” Trixie muttered, “I tried to, but the idea of going to that school, and possibly seeing Rarity with, him just…”

Starlight sighed, took off her towel, and laid down beside Trixie to hold her as much as she could, “Talk to me, Trixie.”

“It’s just, I thought she was on my side,” Trixie said, her voice shaking a bit, “Even with Blueblood’s gaslighting, and Cinch’s refusal to take me seriously, I figured that, at least the Student Council President was on my side. Now though…”

Starlight grimaced at that. Regardless of what her reasoning was, it did not look good for Rarity here. She was doing everything in her power it seemed to look like a terrible person. And the sad part was, it was working.

“I thought I knew her, you know?” Trixie continued, “I thought that even at her worst, she wouldn’t do something so… heinous. Was all of that a lie…? Has she just been, playing the Student Body this whole time, using the Student Council as a means to an end…?”

“I don’t know,” Starlight sighed, “Listen, after school, I’m going to the Velvet Room. See if I can get some guidance from Igor.”

“Please,” Trixie urged, “Because right now, I don’t know what to think. I want to believe she’s a good person but, this is really personal for me, Starlight.”

“I know, which is why I’m not trying to convince you to keep believing in Rarity,” Starlight caressed Trixie’s cheek, “I’ll keep looking into this, but if you find yourself unable to go forward with this mission, you don’t have to. I won’t think any less of you if you decide not to go inside Rarity’s Dungeon.”

Trixie took a deep breath and nodded, “Could you, apologize to Ms. Tia for me?” Starlight nodded, “Thank you…”

Living with Determination: Iwatodai Dorm Arrangement - Persona 3

Starlight kissed Trixie gently and got started getting dressed. She decided to go for darker makeup today along with her usual dress, feeling more overtly gothic. Black eye shadow and dark red lipstick. Once downstairs, she saw Pinkie Pie and Rainbow Dash sitting on the couch together. Neither of them looked much better than Trixie.

“Hey Leader,” Rainbow Dash sighed. Starlight asked how she and Pinkie Pie were doing, “Oh I’m fine. Pissed as hell, but I’m used to that. Pinkie Pie, on the other hand…”

Starlight leaned over the couch and asked Pinkie Pie if she was going to be okay.

“I… don’t know,” Pinkie Pie admitted, “Rarity was always kind of scary to me, but that was the first time I ever felt like she’d hurt me. And, her not wanting Applejack to know about her and Blueblood…”

“That, raises red flags yeah,” Starlight agreed, “From what I’ve seen, those two tell each other everything.”

“I thought so, at least,” Pinkie Pie said, “Rarity’s rough around the edges, but she gets super affectionate around my cousin. Now though, I’m wondering if even that’s fake.”

“Hey, how are we handling this?” Rainbow Dash asked Starlight, “Like, are we still going in to rescue her?”

“I know I want to,” Starlight said, “But even I’m unsure what to make of this. If I were to say we were still going in, would you guys go in with me?”

Rainbow Dash took a breath, “Honestly, I dunno. I wanna say hell yeah, especially with both of us being possibly throw away kids, but… her fucking Blueblood? I’m sorry Leader, I don’t know if I can just brush that under the rug.”

Starlight took a breath, “Yeah… that’s fair. I’m really angry at her for doing that. I just wish she’d say why she did it.”

“What did her emotions say?” Pinkie Pie asked looking up at Starlight, “Were you able to use your Empathic Touch?”

“When she brushed past me,” Starlight confirmed, “But all that did was confirm that she does in fact, want to be left alone. She’s in pain but, even her Heart is resisting.”

“I hate to say it, but… she might be a lost cause,” Rainbow Dash admitted, “Even if we get into her Dungeon tonight, I don’t know if we can save her. Sounds almost like, she doesn’t want anyone to help her.”

“I, need to think on it, Starlight,” Pinkie Pie admitted, “I’m sorry but, this is a lot for me.”

Starlight sighed, but accepted all of this. She didn’t want to go in alone, but it was starting to seem like, she’d be doing this Dungeon solo if it came to it. She wasn’t sure how to feel about that.

She went into the kitchen to get some breakfast, seeing Ms. Tia sitting at the table. Despite looking utterly crestfallen herself, when she saw Starlight enter the room, she got up and opened her arms for Starlight.

She wasted no time hugging Celestia, unable to hold in her tears.

“It’s alright, Starlight,” she said softly, “Just let it out.”

She didn’t say anything. She just, let Celestia hold her as she cried into her bosom. In one action, Blueblood split the team so much that now Starlight wasn’t sure if they’d be able to rescue Rarity. If this really was him forcing himself onto her somehow…

She hated Blueblood so much in this moment.

end song

Lunch Time

Starlight was barely there in class today. Mostly she was just drifting, waiting for the day to end so she could go see Igor and Victor. She hated needing to rely on them so much, but right now she needed a direction. Something to cling to.

As she sat down at her usual bench, she just looked up at the sky and thought to herself. She’d seen Rarity in the halls a few times throughout the day, but each time Rarity avoided her. It was subtle, but it was clear that Rarity didn’t want to be in the same area as Starlight. One time though, she actually did see Rarity and Blueblood walking off together, which naturally he threw in Starlight’s face with a look.

She was really happy that Trixie wasn’t here to see this.

A Small Distance - Blue Reflection

Right as she closed her eyes, she felt someone sit down beside her. She opened her eyes and saw Sweetie Belle sitting there looking at her.

“You look upset,” Sweetie Belle said bluntly, “I wanted to see if you were okay.”

“Just, worried about someone,” Starlight said sitting up, “A friend of mine, needs help. But, they seem like they don’t want help. I know that they do, but…”

Sweetie Belle nodded, “It’s hard, when you know something that other people don’t, and you can’t tell anyone. They need help, but you can’t get them to admit it.”

“You too?” Starlight asked.

Sweetie nodded, “I heard Cinch yelling at Miss President before the game yesterday. Something about the Diamond Dogs. I only caught the end of it, but Cinch told Miss President to “make them go away or she’ll do it herself”.”

Starlight frowned, “Wait. Cinch is making Rarity deal with the Diamond Dogs by herself?”

Sweetie Belle nodded, “It’s her, right? She’s the friend you want to help?” Starlight was a bit wide eyed by how perceptive Sweetie Belle was, “Normally you and Rarity seem closer, but today she’s avoiding you. Did you two have a fight?”

“Something like that,” Starlight sighed, “She, did something that, hurt. I want to believe she had her reasons for it, but she won’t tell me what it is.”

Sweetie looked down at her lap, “She’s like that. She doesn’t like asking for help.”

“You’ve tried,” Starlight realized.

“I know there isn’t much I can do, but I want to help her,” she pulled out what seemed to be a small picture and held it close to her chest, “It’s, important that I’m there for her…”

“Even if this isn’t a crush, you seem to really love Rarity,” Starlight smiled, more so when Sweetie nodded.

“I do. I love her so much, and I want to be someone she can count on,” Sweetie teared up, “But… all I can do is, cry and play chess…”

“That’s not true at all,” Starlight said, “Because right now, you’re helping her and you don’t even realize it.”

“I, am?” Sweetie asked slowly.

“What do you think of her? Of Rarity? As a person?” Starlight asked Sweetie Belle, who once again looked at the small picture in her hands.

“Rarity is… lonely,” Sweetie said softly, “She doesn’t have friends besides you and Applejack, and she doesn’t rely on others. She's a good person, but she pushes other people away, whenever they get close. But, not because she wants to be alone. I think she, feels like she has to be alone.”

“Why do you say that?” Starlight asked.

“One time, I saw Rarity sitting by herself on a bleacher after school,” Sweetie said, “It was early this year, right after she finished getting yelled at by Cinch. She was crying really hard, and she was holding herself while she cried,” she pocketed the picture and hugged herself looking at Starlight, “Like this.”

“Really…?” Starlight asked softly. That was telling.

“It’s the same way I cry when I’m alone, or if Mom isn’t there to comfort me,” Sweetie explained, “It doesn’t really help much though. Really, it just makes me want someone else to hug me more.”

First off, oh God this girl was impressive. She had an emotional depth that put even Starlight to shame, despite being awkward. Second off though, that did match up with how her emotions felt. She was lonely. Incredibly lonely.

“Sweetie Belle, thank you,” Starlight smiled softly, “At the very least, you helped clear up two things for me. That Rarity does need help, and that I want to help her.” she took her hands, “So never think you can only cry and play chess. You help plenty, just by being a kind and caring person.”

Sweetie looked at Starlight surprised, but then smiled, “Alright. I’ll remember that. Thank you, Starlight.”

Starlight smiled in return, feeling the warmth and care from this young girl. If she was somehow Rarity’s little sister, she was a really sweet little sister. Starlight felt significantly closer to Sweetie Belle.

Since Trixie wasn’t with her today, Starlight actually ate lunch with Sweetie Belle, talking about various things. She was actually really easy to get along with.

After School

Starlight bade all of her friends farewell after school, choosing not to go to Student Council today. She just, couldn’t face Rarity just yet, and she really needed to meet with Igor. As such, after school she made her way to the park. Once she reached the Velvet Room door, she saw Victor reading a newspaper as per usual on the bench beside it.

“Ah, Miss Glimmer,” he got up and bowed to her, “The Master has been expecting you.”

“Igor knew I was coming?” Starlight asked.

“Indeed. Please, step this way,” he presented the Velvet Room door to Starlight. She pulled out her key to unlock the door, going inside.

Aria of the Soul - Persona 3, 4, and 5

When she arrived inside the Velvet Room, she was pleased to see that the elevator was still rising, and at the same speed. For some reason, she was worried it’d stopped.

“Welcome, to the Velvet Room,” Igor greeted Starlight, “I was wondering when I’d see you.”

“Victor said you were expecting me,” Starlight said, taking her seat before his desk.

“I had a premonition that your journey was at a crossroads,” Igor said, “In it, I saw the Magician, the Chariot, and the Lovers all stalled, uncertain of what direction to walk in. You were there, and you knew where you wanted to go, but not how to get there. This is related to the individual you are currently trying to save, is it not?”

That was, pretty accurate actually. She wanted to help Rarity, but trying to reach her Dungeon was proving to be harder by the second. Both because they couldn’t find the damn place, but also because Rarity was pushing everyone away.

“Let’s see if we can gleam a bit about this individual,” Igor suggested, his tarot deck appearing before Starlight, “Think of this person, and place your hand on the deck. When you’re ready, draw the top card.”

Starlight closed her eyes, placing a hand on the deck. She thought of Rarity, how poised and powerful she seemed at first, but also how terrifying she was the more she looked into her. She thought about how callous and selfish she sounded last night, and how it didn’t match with what she’d see before at all. She thought of how warm and affectionate she was when it came to Applejack, and how natural that felt. As if in that moment, she was showing her true self, or at least genuine joy.

And, she thought about the image Sweetie Belle gave her, of a Rarity who was broken, crying, and alone, wishing someone could embrace her. Seeing that, she almost envisioned herself embracing Rarity.

And on that image, she drew the top card. On the table, she saw an image of a man hanging upside down on a cross of sorts. The man seemed oddly at peace, with a golden halo around his head, and with his hands behind his back, looking calm. Almost like this compromising position, he chose for himself.

But from the direction of the card, and the symbols on it, Starlight realized it was actually upside down.

“Well, this explains quite a bit,” Igor said, smile ever present as he examined the card, “The one you seek to rescue is The Hanged Man.”

“Is that, a bad card?” Starlight asked carefully.

“Truly, no card is good or bad in the Tarot, but each card does have two different meanings,” Igor explained, “Normally, the Hanged Man represents surrender, patience, and sacrifice. One who represent this card, is an individual who is in a period of uncertainty, and is contemplative, willing to ride the waves of fate to their conclusion. Tricksters of the past have come across this card when they met an individual trapped between two or more roads. This feels similar to your own plight, does it not?”

Wow. That was, exactly what was going on, for both herself and Rarity. Starlight wasn’t sure which Rarity was the “real” Rarity at the moment. The kind loving girl who protected her students, or the vicious and downright selfish girl who had sex with Blueblood knowing full well it’d hurt Starlight and Trixie.

Now Starlight wondered. Did Rarity even know which was real anymore…?

“However, this card, is in the Reversed Position,” Igor explained, “Which does change the meaning to one, less productive.”

“What is it Reversed?” Starlight asked.

“The Reversed Hanged Man represents procrastination, hypocrisy, and a victim mentality. The individual represented in this card, I see them being pulled in two separate directions, feeling as though this is the best they can hope for. They’re trying to accomplish something important to themselves, but continuously fail at doing so. Perhaps, because they are not being truthful to who they are, or because they themselves have lost sight of who they are.”

“Rarity…” Starlight looked down, realizing that her suspicions were right. Rarity did need help, and probably wanted that help. But she couldn’t bring herself to ask for it, and Starlight didn’t even know how to give it to her, “How do I help her? She has a Dungeon, but we can’t find it. Hers is just, somewhere in the Akashic Records, and no keyword we’ve found has narrowed it down at all.”

Igor nodded, drawing another card and looking at it carefully, “Hrm… this, may be difficult, but I’ve trusted fate before, and it has yet, to lead me astray. Are you willing to take a chance, and let the waves of fate guide you?”

Well, trying to control the situation thus far didn’t do anything. So sure. She’d trust fate. What did he suggest they do?

“For now, absolutely nothing,” Igor said, shocking Starlight, “The answer will come to you, but not through your normal means. Simply follow your impulses, and trust your inner voice,” he placed the card he drew on the table, “It will guide you in the right direction.”

Starlight looked down at the card. It was the High Priestess.

Igor reached over and took Starlight’s hand, “Trust me. You will be able to save this individual. In the process, you will gain a valuable ally. One I foresee being pivotal in the challenges ahead.”

“A valuable, ally?” Starlight asked. She had a feeling Rarity could get a Persona, but Igor made it sound like this was a Persona they needed.

“Indeed. In many of my visions concerning you, I see you standing beside a white wolf. This wolf radiates ferocity, but has a noble heart, and is a loyal companion. They will become an important ally to you in the battles ahead.”

Starlight didn’t know what this “white wolf” was, or what it represented, but she knew one thing. In order to get it, she needed to save Rarity.

Starlight smiled and squeezed Igor’s hand, “Thank you, Igor.”

“You’re most welcome, Miss Glimmer,” Igor said softly. She bade both him and Victor farewell, and left the Velvet Room.

Memories of the City - Persona 3

Once outside, she thought about what Igor said. Her inner voice? Well, she did talk to Morgana a lot, and she was in a sense her inner voice. Maybe she could give her some insight? She closed her eyes and sat down at the bench, calling out to Morgana.

“This is a tricky situation, my pupil,” Morgana’s voice echoed in her mind, “Being completely honest, I do not have much insight in this.”

Starlight sighed sitting back. She was really hoping that Morgana had an idea of what to do.

“However, the Nose drawing the High Priestess seemed significant. Perhaps, we should consult with OUR High Priestess?”

Consult with Diamond Tiara? Well, she did say that she’d help them if they needed it. She wasn’t sure how she could help them though.

“Neither am I, but what have we to lose? We are already at a loss, my pupil. We might as well at least try.”

Well, fair enough. Starlight thanked Morgana for her input, and called Diamond Tiara’s cellphone.

“Hey Starlight. Um, you okay? You seemed kinda out of it at school,” Diamond asked.

“It’s, Rarity. We’re no closer to finding her Dungeon, and, I’m worried that something happened yesterday that shifted it. If it gets too bad before we get in, she could die,” Starlight explained.

“Oh no… I’ll be honest, I had a feeling something bad happened concerning that. Rarity was super standoffish today to everyone, and when Blueblood spoke to her, she gave him a super dirty look like she was going to kill him.”

"That's telling,” Starlight muttered, “Listen, when you go to sleep tonight, could you walk around the Akashic Recorods? See if anything stands out, or just, look around for books that call to you?”

“Sure. I’ll see what I can find. I was going to head to bed a bit early to do some reading there anyway,” Diamond said, “Will you be there tonight? If so, we can meet up.”

“I, don’t know when I’ll arrive but, I’ll probably be there,” Starlight said.

“Alright. I’ll keep an eye on anything if I find it,” Diamond said, “It’ll be okay, Starlight. You’re not alone.”

Starlight thanked Diamond, saying goodbye before hanging up. She could actually picture Morgana sitting on the bench beside her, “So, now what, teacher?” she asked her Persona.

“Now comes the hard part,” Morgana said looking at Starlight, “We wait, and trust in our High Priestess.”

Evening

The Phase

Qualia - Blue Reflection

Diamond Tiara drank her special herbal tea she always drank before lucid dreaming, and then drifted off to sleep, focusing on the image of the door to the Akashic Records. It didn’t take long for her to get it right, and now she could Lucid Dream so well that she didn’t even feel her real body.

She’d already been here a bunch of times, reading different books and learning new skills. Nothing too big, but she did use this to learn how to cook. She’d always wanted to learn, but at first could only make a Grilled Cheese Sandwich on her own. Now she was able to help the chefs at home make dinner.

This place really did have power to it. Like, real power. She wondered what the limit of that power was. Was there a way for her to get one of those Persona things? Was there a book to teach her how to do that? All questions she’d worry about later.

Diamond decided to check out that section she’d been dying to look at. She saw a few school desks scattered around, and had a theory about what that area was supposed to be. She wasn’t disappointed either.

“So these are the school’s Akashic Records,” Diamond said walking around, “Kinda feels naughty being here. Wonder if I’ll find the answers to the Mid Terms here,” she giggled, “It’d be funny if I could just leave with the answers, and then take the test knowing all of the answers ahead of time. But, I better not. Starlight would be so mad at me if I abused the power like that.”

“Man, that girl’s mind is a mess.”

Huh? Was that from the floor above her?

“Indeed. I feel bad leaving her like that,” another voice said. Their voice deep, sensual, and kind of aloof sounding.

“Why did we leave her?” a familiar voice asked, “Couldn’t we have done the same for her that you did for me?”

“Her situation was too delicate,” the sensual voice said, the three of them walking off, “We act in haste, we’ll just make the situation worse.”

“That sounded, like one of Starlight’s friends,” Diamond realized, “The super affectionate and clingy one.” she saw a lift close by and took that up to get to the floor they were on. Diamond found them pretty quickly walking away. Sure enough, one was the girl in the purple dress and orange hair. She kinda looked like…

Wait…! Wasn’t that the lead singer of the Sirens?! Adagio Dazzle?! Starlight was friends with- focus Diamond. Focus. Have your fangasm later. This could be important.

“I hate to say it, but she might be damaged goods,” the first girl shrugged. She was wearing a sexy red dress and had red and orange hair, a lot like fire.

“Now, I wouldn’t go that far, Sunset,” the other unknown witch said, wearing a green and black mini dress, green hair, and a more traditional witch’s hat like Starlight, “The Left Eye has shined its Light onto her, so she is one of those chosen by fate.”

“So then, what do we do, Chrysalis?” Adagio asked.

“We wait to see if the Right Eye shines its light onto her as well,” the green witch, Chrysalis apparently, said, “Your friend is bathed in the Right Eye’s Light, so maybe she can offer her some aid.”

“Left Eye…? Right Eye…?” Diamond asked thoughtfully, “What does she mean by that?” her eyes widened, “Hang on! It sounded like they were leaving someone’s…” she checked to see if the three Witches were still around. Good, they weren’t. She felt she could trust Adagio at least, but she didn’t know the other two, and she didn’t think Starlight knew them either.

She then began running through the isle of bookshelves. Somewhere there had to be something. Maybe this was the Dungeon they were looking for.

Her search led her deep into this section, to the point where she had to go out of her way to find it. It almost seemed like it didn’t want to be found. But off in a corner of the Library, in what looked almost like an abandoned section, was a section devoid of books save for a couple scattered around.

And right in front of a completely bare bookshelf, was a black door with sinister black and red mist radiating off of it. It looked a bit like the school gate.

“This… is a Dungeon, isn’t it?” Diamond asked approaching the door. The closer she got to it, the more her heart raced, till it became too much and she backed away from it in horror, pressing herself against another shelf, “Okay… that was intense. This place, it’s not supposed to be here, is it?” she looked around at the various books still present.

Most of them looked like they belonged on other shelves. They were on all different subjects, from information on various music groups and anime, to subjects on fashion and even politics. Fantasy books, biographies, none that seemed to pertain to a single person, but rather things that a person might have liked. It looked almost like whoever was here last, just borrowed books from different sections and then, forgot where they went so just kept them here.

But one thing shot out to Diamond as important. There were a lot of books on farming, apples, and family dynamics. These seemed to be really precious to whoever gathered these books here.

“This, this is it,” Diamond realized, “This is Miss President’s Nightmare!” she looked around frantically, “Oooooh, they’re not going to find this on their own…! I could wake up and call them, but what if I forget how to get here…? What if I can’t get back to sleep…?” she tapped her foot, “Think Diamond…! Think…! There has to be a way to reach them from here…!”

“Is something the matter?”

“Oh good! Someone works here! I need help wi-” she froze, seeing the oddest looking man before her. He had a very nice pinstriped suit on, but the longest limbs, the creepiest smile on his face, bloodshot eyes, and the longest nose Diamond had ever seen.

The scary looking man chuckled, “I’m sorry, I did not mean to alarm you. I was merely exploring the library, and I heard you from a distance. You sounded troubled.”

He, didn’t seem bad. Kind of scary, but his voice was oddly, soothing. Like a wise old man.

“Um, it’s fine sir. I’m just, trying to find a way to reach my friend,” Diamond said looking at the door again, “I think this is something she was looking for. Thing is, if I leave to contact her, I might not be able to get back to lead her to it, and I don’t think she’s here yet.”

“Ah. You need to reach someone from the waking world, then,” the man said, “I happen to find, calling someone on the phone works best.”

He held his hand out to a desk close by, where Diamond saw an old looking phone. It was purple and blue, and had one of those dial circles on it that old phones used instead of numbered buttons. It felt, evocative to look at, and made Diamond feel funny. Almost like it didn't entirely belong.

“A, phone? Could I use that, to call the real world?” Diamond asked the man, who chuckled.

“Why don’t you try and find out?” he offered, his smile ever present. He almost seemed, excited by the prospect himself.

Diamond shrugged and walked over to the phone. She imagined having her cellphone with her and searched through her contact list. She wanted to test this out on someone she knew was still up now. Maybe Spoony? She did stay up late a lot. She carefully dialed Silver Spoon’s number and waited to see if she’d pick up. This was crazy. There was no way this cou-

“Hello? Who’s this?”

Diamond’s eyes slowly widened. That, that wasn’t possible. She was calling Spoony’s number, from the Dream World?

“Is this a scam?” Silver Spoon asked, sounding a bit annoyed at the silence, “I bet that’s why I saw a bunch of random characters, isn’t it?”

Diamond quickly hung up the phone and just stared at it, “Holy shit…! Holy shit holy shit holy shit!” she shut her eyes tightly, “I called Spoony’s phone. I called her phone, from the Akashic Records.” she then realized, “I can call Starlight’s phone from the Akashic Records. I can call Starlight’s phone from the Akashic Records! Thank you Mr-” she turned to thank the man, who was now gone, “Long, nosed, man? Who was that anyway? Ugh! Doesn’t matter!” she pulled out her phone again and dialed Starlight, “I gotta reach her before she goes to sleep!”

end song

Starlight and Trixie weren’t asleep yet. The two of them spent the night together just cuddling, Starlight trying to keep Trixie’s spirits high. She told her team about what Igor had told her to do, so now all they could do was wait.

Which in Starlight’s case, was really hard to do.

“Feeling better?” Starlight asked Trixie. The two had already changed into their sleep attire; Starlight’s sheer night gown that she’d one day remember to get a bathrobe to go with it, and for Trixie just some lacy lingerie.

“A, bit,” Trixie admitted, “Still just a bit, iffy I suppose.”

“That’s fair,” Starlight sighed, nuzzling her girlfriend.

“Shame Rarity was avoiding you all day,” Trixie sighed, “Or maybe, that’s for the best at the moment?”

“Really, I wish she hadn’t,” Starlight admitted.

“You still want to help her, don’t you?” Trixie asked Starlight, who nodded.

“I refuse to believe that she did that of her own free will,” Starlight said, “And if what Igor said is true, then we need to save her, if nothing else so we’ll get this white wolf for our team.”

Trixie took a deep breath, “I see.”

“What about you?” Starlight asked, “Are you, coming with me?”

“Starlight, I-” she was cut off by the sound of Starlight’s phone ringing, “What perfect timing.”

“Want me to ignore it?” Starlight asked, “This is our time, after all.”

“No, you better get it,” Trixie said, “They might keep calling if we ignore it, and it could be important Student Council stuff.”

True. She did only go the one day this week. She sighed and picked up the phone, surprised by the number on it. They were just, random characters. Still, she answered it all the same, “Hello?”

“Starlight? It’s me, Diamond.”

Riku theme - Kingdom Hearts 2

“Diamond?” Starlight asked, looking at the number again. Were the characters, different now? “I thought you went to bed early?”

“I did.” Diamond explained, “Still asleep technically.”

“Hang on, what do you mean you’re still asleep?” Starlight asked.

“So, don’t be alarmed, okay? But I’m calling you, from the Akashic Records.”

Starlight’s eyes widened. She was, where exactly? She turned to Trixie and told her where she was getting this call from, causing Trixie to shoot out of her bed.

“What?! Diamond’s calling us from the library?!” she cried, “Put her on speaker!”

Starlight nodded, and put Diamond on speaker phone, “Diamond, can you hear me?”

“Yep. I hear you. I also hear Trixie. Hi Trixie.”

“Hey Diamond,” Trixie said slowly, “So um, how are you doing this exactly…?”

“This odd looking man showed me this phone on a desk,” Diamond explained, “He had a balding head, bloodshot eyes, he was smiling, like constantly grinning, and he had the longest nose I’d ever seen. Seriously, I couldn’t keep my eyes off of it, but I didn’t want to be rude.”

“Oh my God,” Trixie backed away a bit, “Starlight, isn’t that what you said, Igor looks like?”

Starlight nodded slowly. She’d never told Diamond Tiara about Igor. Not what he looked like at least. This was real.

“Alright, so um, this is neat,” Starlight said, “But, why are you…”

“Right! So um, I think I found it.” Diamond said, “The door you were looking for? The one leading to Rarity’s Dungeon?”

“You, found Rarity’s Dungeon?” Starlight asked, covering her mouth in shock. She couldn’t believe the coincidences at work here.

“Let’s see, scary black door, black and red aura, radiating this energy of danger? That’s a Dungeon, right?”

“Yeah. That’d be a Dungeon,” Trixie confirmed with a slow nod.

“It’s in the section for our school,” Diamond said, “Let me tell you, I lucked out big time finding this.”

“Where is it?” Starlight asked, “Like, what’s the space around it like?”

“That’s just it. It wasn’t in a place that stood out,” Diamond explained, “It was all the way in the back, like, in one of those sections of a library where no one goes. Also, all of the books here? They look borrowed from other shelves. Nothing here is original.”

“No wonder we couldn’t find it,” Trixie reasoned, “Any book there probably has a copy somewhere else.”

Starlight nodded, “Okay, Diamond? Stay on the line, okay? I’m going to gather my friends, and we’ll lock onto your location. We’re going to use you as a beacon.”

“Alright. I can see the door from here, so that’s good,” Diamond said.

Starlight took a deep breath and went to gather everyone into the computer room. Right now, she didn’t care if they weren’t decent or drifting to sleep. This was important. They needed to jump on this NOW.

Twilight had Starlight’s phone and was talking to Diamond on it herself while at her terminal. Everyone else stood behind her with baited breath as she worked, until her computer made an odd sounding alarm.

“Dungeon located!” Twilight said, “It’s in section Z-17? Oh my God.”

“What is it?” Celestia asked.

“There, was virtually no way to find this with this system,” Twilight said, a look of pure shock on her face, “Like Diamond said, none of the books still there are native TO that section save for a couple, and all of those have super vague titles.”

“Holy shit, this is a lucky find,” Rainbow Dash muttered, a similar look on her face as Twilight’s, and pretty much everyone there. To find this Dungeon, through sheer luck, it was terrifying to say the least.

“Can you get inside?” Starlight asked, “To give us a layout of the place?”

“Theoretically, I could,” Twilight turned to them, putting the phone back on speaker and handing it back to Starlight, “But Rarity’s time is running out. We need to start rescuing her in the Dream in the next few days, otherwise she will die.”

“Then, I know where I’m going,” Starlight nodded.

“Whoa whoa, hold on,” Rainbow Dash said, “You’re serious about going in there blind? Remember what happened the last time you did that?”

“I do,” Starlight turned to everyone, “But that’s why I need you to come with me for this. All of you.”

“Starlight…” Pinkie Pie looked away biting her lip.

Friends in my Heart - Kingdom Hearts 2

“I get it, okay? What Rarity did, that’s not cool. I am mad at her for doing that, but more than anything, I’m mad that she won’t tell me why she did it in the first place,” she placed a hand over her heart, “Also, I know what it’s like to feel alone. When my Mother died, none of my relatives stepped forward to help me. Some of them even blamed me for killing her,” she closed her eyes and teared up, “It hurts knowing that, they were technically right…”

Trixie grimaced, rubbing her arm.

“Rarity is alone too, just like me. Just like us,” Starlight pressed, looking at all of them desperately, “Every one of us here in this room knows what it’s like to be alone! To feel like no one is hearing them cry for help! To feel like they’re beyond help! We all know what her pain is like! Like you said, Rainbow Dash! Can we really turn our back on someone who needs help, when we know their pain, and we have the power to save them?!”

Rainbow Dash groaned rubbing her eyes, “Tossing that one back at me, eh?”

Shockingly, even Celestia looked away somberly at Starlight’s words, rubbing her arm.

“I don’t know if I have enough time to save her now,” Starlight admitted, “But I know that if I don’t have my team with me, I will fail.” she closed her eyes crying, “Please…! Please help me rescue her…!”

Twilight looked at Starlight a bit wide eyed, and then at everyone else.

“You know, when you put it that way,” Trixie admitted, “I’d feel like a terrible person not going in there. Also, I promised you I’d be by your side no matter what.”

“You, are going to need a healer in there, after all,” Pinkie Pie added with a soft smile.

“Well, that clinches it for me,” Rainbow Dash sighed, “Wherever she goes, I go too.”

“I know I’m not right there in the room with you girls,” Diamond said on the phone, “But you know my stance. I’m following you Starlight, wherever you go.”

“Thank you,” Starlight said, the four girls hugging now, “Thank you so much.”

Twilight let out a breath, “So that’s it, huh? The power of the Trickster…”

Celestia smiled warmly in approval.

“So Leader, we heading in?” Rainbow Dash asked.

“We are,” Starlight nodded, “Right now. We’re not letting Rarity wait a moment longer for the sun to rise.”

“Sunrise…” Twilight muttered, “Hey, we, still haven’t named the coven, right? Cause, I just had an idea for a name.”

“Oh?” Trixie asked, all of them turning to Twilight.

“How about, Daughters of the Rising Sun?” Twilight suggested, “For one, it calls to what we do, that being rescuing people from their Nightmares. We have Eos as a Divine Mother, and she’s the Goddess of the Dawn. Finally, it kind of references Ms. Tia as well, since she’s kind of our Mother here, her name is solar themed, and she and I come from Japan, aka, the Land of the Rising Sun.”

“Oooooh! That’s so cool sounding!” Diamond said from the phone, “ Go with that! I like that name!”

“That, does have a nice ring to it,” Rainbow Dash agreed.

“And we did say we wanted to have a name for our coven before going into rescue Rarity,” Trixie smiled.

Pinkie Pie nodded, “That’s a great name! Good pick Twilight!”

“An excellent pick,” Starlight smiled at Twilight, “That’s our name then. The Daughters of the Rising Sun. Thank you, Twilight.”

Twilight blushed looking back at the terminal, “Well, since you seem intent on making my non magical ass a member of your coven, I figured I should contribute something.”

“Why don’t you become Starlight’s thrall like me?” Diamond suggested.

“The term thrall essentially means “slave”, and I refuse to enslave myself to anyone, least of all Sabrina the Teenage Witch over there,” Twilight shot, folding her arms.

Starlight sighed smiling. One day, she’d admit that they were friends.

“We’ll do the ritual later to make it official,” Celestia said, “For now, let’s focus on getting into Rarity’s Dungeon.”

“Agreed,” Starlight said, “Girls, we’ve got a Nightmare to end.”

Everyone nodded in agreement and went down to their rooms, doing their nightly rituals needed to get comfortable, and then to sleep. All four of them made sure to put their Channeling Rings on beforehand.

Late Night

The Phase

Qualia - Blue Reflection

The walk to where Diamond Tiara was led them SUPER out of the way of where they usually explored. Not only was it further down than any of them had been, but it went higher up than they normally went, and was out of sight of any other shelves.

“Okay, I gotta know Diamond,” Trixie began, “How the actual fuck did you find this?”

“I saw some other witches leaving this area,” Diamond explained, “They talked like they’d just left a Dungeon.”

“Wait. Other witches?” Twilight asked.

“One of them was that girl in the purple dress that helped you rescue me,” Diamond said, “There were two other girls with her. One with long green hair and a voice perfect for phone sex.”

“Of course…” Twilight muttered.

“The other one had fiery red hair,” Diamond said, “But she was kind of a bitch. She said Rarity was damaged goods, and made it seem like she was beyond help.”

“Oh Rarity…” Pinkie Pie closed her eyes sadly.

“Shows what she knows,” Rainbow Dash said, holding the hilt of her sword, “Know what? I’m pumped now. I’m gonna rescue her just to spite that bitch.”

Starlight nodded and looked at the door. She didn’t like the idea that someone else had just written Rarity off as a lost cause. She was going to save her. No matter what.

“Let’s go,” Starlight said, “To save our friend.” with that, the five of them made their way through the door, thought Diamond eventually vanished into Starlight’s Channeling Ring where it was safest.

Scraper Sky High - Under Night In-Birth

When they arrived at the other side, they were greeted by the sight of an unrealistically large, high security prison. It was shaped like a tower, not as large as Elysium, which seemed to almost go on forever, but it was very big. There was a courtyard surrounding the prison, barred by an electric fence to prevent escape, spotlights looking all around, and surrounding the building was a dense forest that seemed to lead into a city of sorts.

Something told Starlight that the city was just as important as the prison.

“Whoa…” Rainbow Dash looked up, “Okay, um… I don’t know what I expected. But uh… that ain’t it.”

“And Rarity’s somewhere in that, right?” Trixie asked.

“That, or she’s in the city,” Twilight answered, “I can confirm that this is in fact, Rarity’s Dungeon, so she’s somewhere here.”

“But why a Prison?” Dash asked folding her arms, “I mean, Trixie’s was a circus right?” Starlight nodded, “That makes sense when you consider how she was with Blueblood. Hell, the whole fairy tale village thing makes sense for Pinkie Pie when you know her.”

“But a Prison?” Trixie asked, “Yeah… I’m having a hard time making the connection to that.”

“Girls! I get it!” Pinkie Pie cried, standing by a sign, “I know what the Prison is!”

“What is it?” Starlight asked, all of them running up to her.

“It’s the school,” Pinkie Pie said, pointing to the sign, “This is how Rarity views Canterlot High!”

Starlight looked at the sign and frowned. Sure enough, it read “Canterlot Boarding Academy”, with an arrow pointing right at the prison.

“And that city? A lot of those buildings look like buildings in Canterlot,” Rainbow Dash added.

“But from here, it looks almost ruined,” Twilight pointed out, “Okay, now we’re starting to make sense of things.”

“This is literally how Rarity sees her world,” Starlight realized looking around.

“Sad as it is, yeah. And a lot of this looks like it was recently inflicted onto the Dungeon.”

“Meaning that her Dungeon has shifted,” Trixie said, summoning her cards and holding one up, “It was Blueblood. I know it was him! Twilight, is his Shadow in here?”

“Uh, h-hang on. Let me check,” Twilight said, “Sorry, but I can’t tell from here. I can’t even tell where Rarity is.”

Trixie closed her eyes and took a deep breath. Starlight rubbed Trixie’s back and asked if she was okay, “No, I’m not. I feel like a total bitch right now, thinking that Rarity fucked Blublood because she wanted it,” she held a hand to her head, “But that’s his game…! That’s what he did to me…! Damn it…! I fell for it…!”

Pinkie Pie went over to hug Trixie from behind.

“Hey, Trixie? I understand your anger. You have every right to be upset, but berating yourself isn’t going to solve this,” Twilight said, “Let’s just head in and see what we can find”

“Yeah. Right,” Trixie said softly, “Thanks Twilight.”

“Please just go back to calling me Twi-Twi,” Twilight sighed, “Hearing my actual name come from your mouth is weird.”

Trixie laughed lightly, “Sure thing, Twi-Twi. Now, let’s go stage a prison break.”

Starlight nodded, leading her team closer to the Prison. She figured that was a good starting place, since it was right in front of them. Though they ran into an immediate issue. How were they going to get inside?

“I see two guards out front,” Twilight said, “If we can get past them, then we can rush through and hide somewhere in the courtyard.”

“They’re more human like, right?” Pinkie Pie asked, “How do we get the drop on them?”

“Why don’t you show us how it’s done, Mistress?” Trixie purred to Starlight, who shuddered in delight. Seriously, hearing that on the field was so hot.

Starlight snuck her way over to the Shadows and jumped on one’s back, “Show your face!” she demanded, ripping the mask off and surprising both Shadows. One turned into a Leanan Sidhe, but the one she surprised turned into a new one. It looked like a large lion with two heads, brown fur and a green mane, and a scaled tail almost like a snake or dragon.

E.SYNAPSE - Blue Reflection: Second Light

“The new one is Orthrus!” Twilight said, “Take them out quickly before we get ambushed!”

Rainbow Dash held up her Channeling Ring and sword, “Come forth! My other self!” Eclair Farron appeared from behind Rainbow Dash and charged at Orthrus with her blade.

“MORGANA!!!” Starlight shouted, summoning her default Persona and casting Sukunda on Orthrus to slow him down, making it easier for Eclair/Dash’s blades to hit the two headed Lion, who was meeting her blade with his tail ferociously.

Leanan Sidhe held out her hand, firing a wave of darkness at Pinkie Pie, who rolled to the side just in time out of the way, “Trixie, could you give me a hand here?!”

“You got it! Persona!” Trixie called out, Elenora manifesting before her, “Agilao!”

Elenora created two fireballs in her hands and threw them both at Leanan Sidhe, knocking her down before she could get another attack in, knocking her down.

“Hit ‘em hard!” Trixie called out to Pinkie Pie.

BATON PASS!!!!

“Leave this to me!” she held her hands together in prayer, “Please Serenity! Protect my friends!”

Pinkie Pie’s Persona appeared and immediately jumped into the air, and gave Leanan Sidhe a powerful flying drop kick, knocking her further back.

At the same time, Eclair and Morgana traded blows with Orthrus, who jumped back away from them and then quickly charged into Eclair Farron, biting into her and hitting a critical point, as Dash cried out in pain and fell to the ground. Orthrus then turned to Morgana and Starlight and shot two fireballs at them. Both of them blocked thankfully, and Starlight then ran to get out of the way of its next strike, switching Personas.

“ANGEL!!!” she called out, summoning her and casting Dia on Rainbow Dash, healing her just in case.

“These Shadows are stronger than what we’re used to!” Twilight said, “I think they’ve gained strength from the state of Rarity’s mind!”

“Don’t give up!” Starlight called out to her team, “We can win this! Twilight, what’s Orthrus’ weakness? Do we know yet?”

“In the process of scanning… Ice!” she called out, “Use Bufu spells!”

“Got it! JACK FROST!!!” Starlight called out, summoning the tiny snowman and casting Bufula on Orthrus, knocking him down in one blow, “Trixie, hit Leanan Sidhe with a fire attack to knock her back down! We’re going for an All Out Attack!”

Trixie nodded to Starlight, holding up her Ring, “Light ‘em up, Elenora!” once again, her Persona threw twin Agilao fireballs at the blond haired Shadow, knocking her back onto the ground.

“Hang on!” Pinkie Pie cast Dia on Rainbow Dash, helping her up, “Are you okay Dashie?”

“Hell yeah!” Dash confirmed with a nod, “Let’s end this before they wake up!”

The four of them summoned their weapons, and launched an All Out Attack onto the enemies, killing both Shadows instantly.

Scraper Sky High - Under Night In-Birth

Once the Shadows were dealt with, they ran into the courtyard, hiding behind a crate just in time as they saw three Shadows run up to the entrance, looking around frantically.

“Intruders!” one of the Shadows said, “They might be more witches!”

“Scan the parameter!” another one said, “The Warden ordered us to make sure no one gets to her special prisoner!”

“They mean Rarity!” Pinkie Pie whispered, "She's the special prisoner, I know it!"

“And if this place is the school to Rarity’s subconscious,” Rainbow Dash narrowed her eyes, “I wonder who the Warden is…?”

“Warden aside, I found Rarity!” Twilight called out, “She’s in the courtyard, and I’m detecting a powerful Shadow close to her!”

“Might be the Warden! Lead the way, Twilight!” Starlight said to her wisp, who took off deeper into the courtyard. For the most part, they tried to stealth their way through, only running into a few Shadows here and there. Like Twilight said, the Shadows were a lot stronger than what they’d run into up to this point. Most of them were Shadows they’d seen already, but that didn’t matter.

Maybe this was what those other witches meant by “Rarity’s mind being a mess”. Did they understand something about how Dungeons worked that they didn’t?

After a bit of exploring, they heard a shrill, rage filled scream.

Border of Insanity - Persona 4

“That’s right, bitch! Scream for me!”

“I hate you, so much…! I HATE YOU!!!”

“And yet you scream every time you cum for me, like the filthy slut you are!”

“That’s Rarity!” Twilight called out, “And she’s not alone!”

“No, I know that voice…!” Trixie pulled her hat over her eyes and trembling, “Blueblood…!”

“So the asshole was raping her,” Rainbow Dash seethed, “Pinkie Pie, I can’t promise I won’t kill this one.”

“Don’t worry,” Pinkie Pie narrowed her eyes, “I’ll look away if he has an "accident".”

“For now, let’s just try to drive him away,” Twilight urged, “We’re here to save Rarity, not kill Blueblood.”

Starlight gripped her scythe tightly. If she had to do both tonight, she would.

They ran out into the main courtyard, where they saw a grizzly sight. Pinned to the ground was Rarity. She was wearing what looked like purple and black leather lingerie, but the bra was more of a harness, letting her breasts spill out, and she wore a garter belt with no panties. Black leather gloves and matching boots, both of which were in shackles. Around her neck was a black collar with a leash at the end, currently in the hands of Blueblood’s Shadow, who was simply wearing what he’d normally wear to school this time. His pants were down, and he was balls deep inside of Rarity, who was screaming and struggling to crawl away.

“Don’t pretend you don’t enjoy this!” Blueblood’s Shadow seethed, pounding into her, “I saw you with the Diamond Dog leader! You like it rough just like this, don’t you?!”

Rarity screamed, not in fear, but in hatred, “You motherfucker! I’LL MURDER YOU FOR THIS!!!”

“Do that, and you’re the one who’ll pay the price, Dirty Diamond!” he sneered, “Remember, I practically own this place thanks to my father’s contribution to the school! All you are is a lowly whore! You don’t have any real power here! Your position here is nothing!”

“Keep talking, that good shit, and I’ll show you JUST HOW FUCKING POWERLESS I AM!!!” Rarity screamed.

“Mistress, can I?!” Trixie asked, holding up her Ring.

“Please do it...!” Starlight commanded her Sub with a growl.

“ELENORA!!!” Trixie screamed, summoning her Persona who threw a fireball point blank at Blueblood’s Shadow, knocking him off of Rarity.

“Gah! What the?!” he sat up, seeing everyone gather around Rarity, Trixie standing front and center, “Oh, you witches again! And there’s more of you this time!”

“Rarity, are you okay?!” Pinkie Pie asked, trying to help her up, “He didn’t hurt you too badly, did he?!”

“W-what the fuck…?” Rarity asked looking at Pinkie Pie, “Why are you here…? And, why are you dressed like Sailor Moon…?”

“Don’t worry Rarity! You’re going to be okay now!” Pinkie Pie urged, “We’re here to protect you!”

“Protect me…? But, why are you-” she then looked ahead, seeing Rainbow Dash, Trixie, and Starlight there, her eyes locked onto the scythe wielding Trickster, “You…? You’re… here too…?”

Starlight turned to Rarity, “I don’t abandon my friends.”

Rarity blinked, biting her lip with an uncertain expression on her face.

“You… goddamn, motherfucking, son of a bitch!” Trixie screamed, stomping forward, “Abusing me wasn’t enough?! Now you’ve switched to Rarity?! Who’s next?! Gonna go for Applejack?! Or maybe try your luck on a Sophomore next?!”

Blueblood’s Shadow chuckled, “Oh no. Rarity was the one I wanted from the start. Being completely honest, if I’d have gotten a chance with her, I’d have dumped you in a heartbeat!”

Trixie’s eyes widened, “W-what…?”

“You got any idea how long I tried to get with that whore?” Blueblood’s Shadow got up, pulling his pants up and zipping them closed, “Back in Freshman Year though, she was perfect. Black leather jacket, skimpy top and mini skirt, white highlight in her hair, and this constant chip on her shoulder? Bitch like that just screams wild. But she acted all high and mighty, like she was better than me,” he chuckled, “To think, she was nothing more than a filthy, cum addicted slut the whole time!”

“You…!” Rainbow Dash seethed, electricity cackling around her, “Call her a slut again, and see what happens!”

“But it’s true!” he laughed, “Why do you think she’s called “Dirty” Diamond?! ‘Cause she likes rolling around in mud or something?! She acts all prim and proper, but she’s just a raging beast looking for her next orgasm! The bitch even fucks animals!”

“Shut up…!” Rarity demanded, holding her head, “Stop talking…!”

“Rarity…” Pinkie Pie’s eyes widened looking at her, “Don’t tell me, he’s telling the truth…”

“THAT’S NOT ME ANYMORE!!!” Rarity screamed, “I’M NOT A WHORE!!! I’M NOT DIRTY DIAMOND!!!”

Blueblood’s Shadow laughed, “That’s not what I saw in the alleyway! I still have the video as proof! You were begging the Diamond Dog leader for it! I just figure, if you want it so badly, why don’t I just give it to you myself?! Doesn’t really matter where it comes from right?!”

“SHUT UP!!!! SHUT, UP!!!!” Rarity screamed desperately before breaking down.

“So, why don’t you witches just move aside, and let us get back to what we were doing?” Blueblood’s Shadow sneered, “She’s not worth giving a damn about! She’s nothing more than a glorified set of holes for someone to stick their dick into!”

Trixie looked down, tightening her fists, “Know what? Maybe she is a slut. But that doesn’t give you the right, to take advantage of her, so you can feel powerful!” her Channeling Ring activated, and Elenora appeared behind her in the same position as Trixie, “It’s just like what you did to me! Taking advantage of my sexuality so you can get what you want!” both she and Elenora looked at him with wide, tear filled eyes and a hateful scowl, “I can’t do jack shit to you in the real world! But you’re on my turf now! Starlight! Everyone! Let’s how him why you don’t fuck with a witch!”

“Gladly!” Rainbow Dash drew her sword, “I’m gonna enjoy this!”

“Rarity?” Pinkie Pie said softly, “It’s okay. We’ll make it so he can’t hurt you anymore.”

“I, I don’t get this…!” Rarity said looking at Pinkie Pie, and then at Starlight, “Why are you here now…? What’s going on…?”

“Don’t worry about it for now,” Starlight urged, “Just, let us protect you. Please.”

Rarity looked at Starlight intently, and uncertain.

Starlight and Pinkie Pie stepped forward with Trixie and Rainbow Dash, and all four of them drew their weapons to engage Blueblood.

Blueblood spread his arms out looking at the witches, “Fine! If you want to protect that worthless whore, I’ll just do what I do to anything that gets in my way! I’ll just go through you!”

He was engulfed in a black aura and mist, and transformed into a large minotaur like Shadow, similar to what he turned into in Trixie’s Dungeon, only this time he was wearing his football jersey and helmet, his horns poking out of the sides. In his arms was a spiked football.

DNF FW15C -ii- - Blue Reflection

“I’m not detecting any real connection to this Shadow and the Dungeon,” Twilight said, “Seems he’s just capitalizing on the situation. Any power he has over her is superficial at best. If we take him out here, we might be able to drive his Shadow out of the Nightmare.”

“Drive me out?! I’d love to see you try!” Shadow Blueblood roared, charging forward to tackle the Witches. Starlight grabbed Rarity, and all of them scattered out of the way.

“I’ll lower his defense!” Starlight began, standing in front of Rarity, “Pinkie Pie, raise Trixie and Rainbow Dash’s attacks! Trixie and Dash, both of you are front line attackers! Go all out!”

“Gladly!” Trixie shouted.

“Will do, Leader!” Rainbow Dash replied.

“Understood!” Pinkie Pie nodded.

“JACK FROST!!!” Starlight called out, summoning her Persona and casting Rakunda on Blueblood, who flinched back from the purple wave hitting him.

“What the?!” he cried.

“Persona!” Pinkie Pie cried, summoning Serenity who danced around the field, casting Tarukaja on Rainbow Dash first, who wasted no time charging at Shadow Blueblood with her blade engulfed in electricity. Meanwhile, Trixie ran past him firing flaming cards out of her sleeve at his face, waiting for him to charge again before she summoned Elenora, who struck with a fiery spin kick.

“Starlight, let’s work together!” Trixie urged. Starlight nodded, switching to Morgana, and instantly feeling something within her stir. She ran over to Trixie and stood back to back with her, both of them holding their hands out.

“GO FORTH, OUR PERSONAS!” Both Morgana and Elenora manifested at the same time and flew into Shadow Blueblood. Morgana attacked first, slashing him a few times with her claws, followed by Elenora delivering a series of flaming kicks. This was followed by Morgana drilling into Shadow Blueblood’s chest, pushing him further back as Elenora launched a barrage of fireballs at Shadow Blueblood, knocking him onto one knee.

The two Personas held their hands out, Morgana’s claws extended, and Elenora’s hand holding a fireball. The two nodded to one another, and charged through Blueblood with a flaming X strike.

“Guh! Not bad!” Shadow Blueblood rose to his feet, “But don’t get cocky because there’s more of you!”

Shadow Blueblood jumped into the air and slammed his football onto the ground, causing a powerful shock wave to shoot out and hit all four of them, actually knocking all of them down from the impact! He then took the opportunity to tackle Starlight, making her fly back onto the ground right before Rarity, who looked down at her wide eyed, but then looked up at Blueblood as he continued his assault on all of them.

“Don’t worry!” Pinkie Pie said rising to her feet and summoning her Persona, “I’ve got this!”

Serenity appeared and danced around the field, spinning and twirling around as she cast Media on everyone, healing them all best as she could.

“Oh, I see!” Shadow Blueblood looked at the rabbit ballerina as she vanished, and then down at Pinkie Pie, “So you’re the medic! That means you’re going first!” he charged at Pinkie Pie next, who screamed as she rolled to the side out of the way.

“Leave her alone, asshole!” Rainbow Dash charged forward, summoning her Persona at the same time, who flew ahead of her with her blade out, slashing him wildly with her gun sword. Pinkie Pie meanwhile, managed to finally cast Tarukaja on Trixie, who was in the process of helping Starlight up.

“I’m going to try and get those shackles off of Rarity,” Starlight said, “Can you guys hold him off?”

Trixie nodded, “Yeah. We can do that.”

Starlight kissed Trixie deeply, and then ran over to help Rarity while her friends dealt with Shadow Blueblood. Damn it. Looking at these, it seemed like they were reinforced.

“Don’t bother,” Rarity said turning away, “Even if I get them off, I always end up back in them eventually.”

“That was before we were here,” Starlight said, summoning Morgana to try and use her claws to fiddle with the lock, “You’re not alone anymore in this.”

Rarity’s eyes narrowed at Starlight, “I didn’t ask you to come to my rescue.”

“Didn’t have to,” Starlight smiled at Rarity, “I wanted to come to your rescue on my own.”

Rarity held her arms up shying away a bit, but still gritting her teeth at Starlight a bit. It was so odd. Even in such a vulnerable state, she seemed to be trying to look ferocious.

“It’s okay Rarity,” Starlight said softly, “You can trust me.”

“Can I?” Rarity asked lowly, “My whole life is a prison. You’re just gonna throw me in another cell too, right?”

“What?” Starlight asked wide eyed, “No! That’s not the intention at all! I’m here to-”

“I’ve been here before, and I ain’t fallin’ for it again!” she shouted, tearing up, “So you can take your “help”, and shove it up your ass, because I don’t want it!”

Starlight blinked, but carefully made a show of going back to the shackles to hold her leg, opening herself up. Immediately, she felt nothing but the most visceral, intense fear she’d ever felt.

She’s not here to help me! She’s just like everything else here! She’s just going to imprison me again! This place…! I’ll never escape it…!

Starlight’s eyes widened. She did think like a dog. She wasn’t mean, violent, or any of that. Not naturally at least. She was just, terrified, and this was the only way she knew how to present it. She literally didn't know how to just ask for help.

The sound of Pinkie Pie crying out in pain caught her attention. Starlight looked to see Shadow Blueblood had knocked her down, but thankfully Trixie and Rainbow Dash had held their own.

Still, she needed to return to their side to help them.

Starlight looked back at Rarity, who still looked like a scared puppy almost. Not wanting to alarm her, Starlight reached out to caress her cheek. Naturally she did recoil back briefly, whimpering softly, but soon relaxed a bit as Starlight just rubbed her cheek.

“I’m going to make Blueblood go away from here,” Starlight said softly, “So at the very least, you won’t have to deal with him anymore. Alright?”

Rarity looked at Starlight tearfully, but nodded without a word. Somehow, she was able to get through to her.

Starlight got up and turned to the fight, “Twilight, do we know his weakness?”

“Afraid not!” Twilight replied, “I can’t analyze him! We’ve tried fire and electricity so far, and he’s tanked all of those!”

“Then we’ll just hit him with everything else,” Starlight said in a low, dangerous tone, “Trixie, increase my speed! Pinkie Pie, increase my attack! Dash, keep him pinned down!”

All three of them nodded, summoning their Personas. Trixie cast Sukukaja on her, with Pinkie Pie casting Tarukaja at the same time. Meanwhile, Dash used her Persona to directly engage Shadow Blueblood, locking her blade with his horns.

“KOPPA TENGU!!!” she shouted, walking forward and casting a wind spell, pushing the raging bull of a Shadow back a bit but otherwise not doing much.

“You!” he seethed, punching Eclair and Rainbow Dash back, “Think you’re hot stuff, huh?!” he threw his football at Starlight, who quickly summoned Morgana and slashed it away, charging up a spell. Morgana shot a block of ice at him next, but he once again just fell back a bit, not taking much damage it seemed.

Trixie looked up at him, and then back at Rarity,” Not again…! You’re not getting away with hurting her, like you did with me!” she shot to her feet and summoned her Persona, “EIHA!!!” Elenora held her arms out, and then brought them above her head, creating a black javalin made of dark energy. She then threw it at Shadow Blueblood, making him cry out in pain and fall to one knee, “There! Starlight, let’s end this with an All Out Attack!”

Starlight nodded, giving everyone the command. They unleashed their multi sided assault onto the Shadow, knocking him to the ground.

“Damn, it…!” he seethed, “Just as, powerless here, as I am, in the real world…” and with that, he faded in a black mist.

Daydream - Blue Reflection: Second Light

Trixie fell to her knees as Pinkie Pie ran over to her, “That’s, one nightmare over.”

Pinkie Pie smiled and hugged Trixie, “Yep. You did great.”

At the same time, the shackles around Rarity’s wrists and ankles vanished. She looked down at her hands in shock, her eyes slowly filling with a glimmer of hope.

Starlight walked over to Rarity and held her hand out to her, “It’s okay now, Rarity. You’re safe with us.”

Rarity looked up at Starlight cautiously, and then at everyone else gathered around her, “What is this…?”

“The moment where this Nightmare begins to turn around,” Rainbow Dash grinned.

“We’re witches,” Pinkie Pie smiled, “We’re here to bring light to your darkness.”

“Sorry we took so long to get here,” Trixie said gently, “It was a bitch finding this prison, but we’re going to put an end to this now.”

“Will you trust us?” Starlight asked Rarity, keeping her smile gentle and her stance neutral. Anything to make sure she didn’t seem like a threat. Now she understood. They were so afraid of her, when in reality, she was afraid of them the whole time.

Rarity hesitated, but her hand slowly reached for Starlight’s. It worked. Maybe if they could get Rarity to a safe place before she woke up, they could keep her safe while they searched the Nightmare for-

end song

“EVERYONE! TAKE COVER!”

As soon as Twilight screamed, they were all assaulted by gunfire from up above, forcing all of them to scatter. Starlight grabbed Rarity’s hand and ran off to get cover, pushing her behind her as she looked up to see what was firing at them.

Border of Insanity - Persona 4

It was a black helicopter with the school insignia on it, piloted by two Shadows in security uniforms. The helicopter had twin machine guns mounted on it, both of which were now pointed at Starlight.

“Stand aside, witch! The prisoner is coming with us!” one of the Shadows commanded. Starlight’s response was to hold her hands out in front of Rarity protectively, “If that’s how you want to play this, then fine!”

Right before the helicopter could fire, a bolt of electricity knocked it away a bit, “We’re covering you, Leader!” Rainbow Dash said. Starlight nodded, and went to lead Rarity someplace save, but was knocked to the ground suddenly by a fist colliding with her face.

“STARLIGHT!!!” everyone cried at once. Starlight looked up, and saw the oddest sight.

It was Applejack! She was wearing a blue and black suit and tie ensemble with a tight blue skirt, black leggings, blue high heels, a blue stetson to match her uniform, and a very important looking badge on her left breast.

“Hang on, what?!” Trixie cried.

“Why’s my cousin here?!” Pinkie Pie asked, “That’s not her Shadow, is it?!”

“No! I can confirm, that’s not a Shadow!” Twilight said, “It’s like the dancers in Diamond Tiara’s nightmare! It’s a mental apparition of Applejack, created from Rarity's unconscious mind!”

“You’ve been a naughty girl,” Applejack seethed, gripping a rope tightly as she walked over to Rarity.

“No…! Applejack, I’m sorry, I-” she screamed as Applejack struck her, knocking her to the ground.

“Whoa whoa whoa!” Rainbow Dash rushed forward drawing her blade again, “Eclair, teach that No Fun Lookalike a thing or-” she was cut off by the helicopter’s guns firing at her feet, keeping her and all of them from interfering. They could only watch as Applejack grabbed Rarity and roughly began tying her up, the purple haired teen struggling and screaming the entire time.

“NO!!! APPLEJACK STOP THIS, PLEASE!!!” she screamed.

“You know the rules, Rarity,” Applejack said darkly, “Only the Warden gets to decide when an’ how ya get playtime. Playin’ with Blueblood like that was against the rules, so ya need to be punished.” she looked up at the helicopter and waved to it. In response, one of the Shadows inside dropped a rope ladder for her, to which Applejack grabbed hold of it, carrying Rarity with her.

“NO!” Starlight ran after the helicopter, but was knocked back by its gunfire, falling into Trixie’s arms as she caught her, “Damn it! RARITY!!!”

Rarity squirmed and pulled at the rope binding her, looking back at Starlight desperately as she was flown to the tower, now out of reach.

“Girls, a Checkpoint just opened nearby!” Twilight said, “I say we take it and escape!”

“We can’t just leave!” Rainbow Dash protested, “Rarity’s up there probably having the hope beaten outta her! We gotta get in there and-”

“There wouldn’t be enough time to track her down!” Twilight argued, “We know where she is for now, and I can try and monitor her movements, but we need to be smart about this!”

“Twi Twi’s right,” Trixie agreed, “Let’s head back to the Akashic Records through the Checkpoint.”

Starlight didn’t move right away, instead glaring at the tower, “I’ll save you Rarity. I promise!”

She then ran after her friends into the Checkpoint, returning to the Akashic Records to rest and regroup. This Dungeon, was going to be the toughest one to take down yet.

Author's Note

The deadline to rescue Rarity is November 9th. Manage your time carefully and ensure that the Prisoner is saved from her Dungeon before she gives up hope completely.

Fool – Seekers of Light: 5/10
Magician – Trixie Lulamoon: 8/10 :heart:
Priestess – Diamond Tiara: 10/10 Thrall
The Empress – Ms. Tia: 4/10
Hierophant - Victor: 1/10
The Lovers - Pinkamena Diane Pie: 2/10
Chariot – Rainbow Dash: 3/10
Strength - Tokugawa Fluttershy: 1/5
Hermit – Sunburst: 2/10
The Devil – Silver Spoon: 4/10
The Sun - Sweetie Belle: 2/10 LEVEL UP!!!!!
Transformation - Ms. Luna: 1/10

Click here to check out the Go Fund I'm starting for my parents, and consider either donating or sharing this on your social media accounts.

10/27, 10/28

October 27th, 2019
Saturday
Sunny

Morning

Living with Determination: Iwatodai Dorm Arrangement - Persona 3

That morning, Starlight woke up with a sore jaw. It took a second to remember that she got punched in the face by “Guard Applejack” in Rarity’s Dungeon, and that any damage they sustained there passed into the real world. It really showed them just how real all of this was.

Since all of them went to bed significantly early, they ended up waking up early enough where Twilight was eating dinner, which to them was just breakfast. Due to this, they were able to discuss a bit about what they saw in Rarity’s Dungeon while eating together. Something about this moment felt right to Starlight.

“I did some searching while everyone rested,” Twilight said, “Turns out, Rarity’s Dungeon is huge.”

“How big are we talking?” Rainbow Dash asked. Twilight took a bite of her sausage before continuing.

“The best comparison I can give, about the size of Canterlot City,” Twilight explained, “At the very least, about a third of it.”

“Meaning it’d at least encompass South Street and the school,” Starlight said, “That’s, going to take a long time to explore.”

“But why is it so large?” Trixie asked, sipping her orange juice, “Mine and Pinkie Pie’s weren’t so big, were they?”

“Pinkie Pie’s came close, but there was still a simplistic design to the layout,” Twilight said, “Really, the worst part was the castle, and even then what made that a challenge was the spell that made exploration impossible. Rarity’s though? It’s a detailed layout of Canterlot, with the school being replaced by the prison.” she frowned, looking down at her plate, “That’s not even the scariest part.”

“Well, don’t keep us in suspense over here,” Rainbow Dash said as Pinkie Pie returned to sit next to her with more eggs. Yes, this was her third helping, they were that good.

“There were Shadows, in the city,” Twilight explained.

“Is that weird?” Pinkie Pie asked, “I mean, Dungeons are made with the Shadows in mind, so…”

“Mmmm, while that’s true, Shadows crowd around the areas where the prisoner is being held,” Twilight explained, “That or the Dungeon Master. For Trixie, the whole Dungeon was infested since it was a carnival with her as the main attraction. But for yours, the Shadows would only really flock to places where you and Fleur’s Shadow were, and mainly they seemed to stay close to her, unless she sent them out to do something.”

“Think that’s what the Warden is doing?” Starlight asked, “Sending the Shadows out into the city?”

“To do what?” Twilight asked, “Rarity’s inside the Prison now, and she’s the one all of the Shadows want. There’s no reason to send anyone out there.”

“I don’t like this,” Celestia said, leaning back against the counter and sipping a cup of coffee, “Especially with one of the other witches saying Rarity was a lost cause.”

“She was just being a bitch,” Rainbow Dash decided, taking a huge bite of her bacon before continuing, “What does she know, anyway?”

“Unfortunately, a lot more than we do,” Celestia pointed out, “The sad truth is, we arrived late. For all we know, Adagio and her Coven have been going into Rarity’s Dungeon for days, possibly weeks before us. Also, much of what we know about Dungeons is guess work, or things we’ve inferred since you girls began exploring.”

“The Kirijo Group didn’t find anything before us?” Pinkie Pie asked.

Celestia shook her head gravely, “Sadly, we weren’t. There were experiments done to remedy this, chief among them being Project Dream Catcher.”

“What was that?” Trixie asked, finishing up her second plate of Celestia’s breakfast.

“An experiment done to make a Persona User capable of going into the Phase,” Celestia explained, “Mitsuru had figured out that the Shadows were the cause of the Nightmare Epidemic, and wanted to begin stopping them immediately,” she closed her eyes sadly, “Unfortunately though, the project ended up being discontinued, once it became apparent that we couldn’t make a Persona User artificially that could enter the Dream World. Not without serious consequences.”

Twilight averted her eyes with a somewhat darkened expression. Starlight took note, but kept it to herself. Was she connected to that project somehow?

“Because of this, we have no way of knowing just how much damage has been done to Rarity’s mind,” Celestia walked over to Twilight and rubbed her shoulders as she spoke, “The Shadows being in an area she’s not in at the moment doesn’t bode well for her mental state, nor does seeing an apparition of Applejack working with the Shadows.”

“That’s what has me worried,” Trixie said looking up, “If Applejack was going to appear in her Nightmare, why isn’t she there trying to help Rarity, or at least as a prisoner right beside Rarity?”

Pinkie Pie looked down frowning, “I think we need to know a bit more about their relationship.”

“You mean Applejack and Rarity’s?” Twilight asked Pinkie Pie, who nodded, “Yes. That’d be helpful. We don’t know much about Rarity, but we can easily conclude that she holds Applejack in super high regard.”

“Seemed to me like she thought of Applejack as just another jailer to me,” Rainbow Dash shrugged.

“Not necessarily,” Twilight said, sitting back as she finished her food, “Seeing Applejack have an actual representative figure in her dream suggests that she holds a significant spot in Rarity’s heart, and her being a guard there means Rarity sees her as a figure of authority. None of this is necessarily bad, just currently warped, as seen in the Dungeon itself.”

“I, did notice something kind of odd,” Starlight said, catching everyone’s attention, “Blueblood, and even us, she seemed antagonistic to. When Applejack showed up, though, she became extremely subservient.”

“That’s, true actually,” Twilight frowned, “I noticed that. For us, she seem more cautious at best, but the way she screamed when Applejack was tying her up…”

Starlight nodded, “Rarity’s mind really does work like an animal’s, so if we look at her behavior that way, doesn’t it kind of seem like she was begging her owner to not hurt her?”

“Whoa, hang on a second,” Trixie said, “We were saying before that her behavior was canine like, yeah, but are you saying that, Rarity legit thinks she’s a dog?”

“More so that her behavior is like one, but I guess,” Starlight said, “It seems everyone in her old gang was like that to some degree, but she and Rover seem to take it to an extreme. If that’s true, then from a canine perspective, what we saw between Rarity and Applejack could be a warped and twisted version of how they actually are,” she remembered one time they were together in the Student Council office. Rarity was nuzzling Applejack, who was rubbing her side a lot like one would pet an extremely large dog.

She wasn’t reading too much into that, was she? But did that mean that, Rarity was Applejack’s pet? This was getting weirder and weirder.

“Now that it’s the weekend, if you give me some time, I can try and learn the layout of the Dungeon,” Twilight offered, “I’ll need to be in the Remote Viewing System to really make a detailed map, so don’t expect much, but I can at least give us an idea of what we’re working with here.”

“Alright,” Starlight nodded, “Also, see what you can find out about those other Shadows. I’m not giving up on Rarity, no matter what that other witch says.”

Twilight nodded, “Will do. By Monday, I should have at least something.”

“I don’t know how late I can stay up, but I can keep you company a bit while you work,” Pinkie Pie offered, “I kind of want to learn as much as I can about what you do out here to help us.”

“I mean, it’s not very interesting, but if you want…” Pinkie Pie ran up to Twilight and hugged her, “Gah!”

“Yay! Thank you, Twilight!” Pinkie Pie cheered, making Twilight sigh.

“I thought you were doing this for my benefit. Why are you thanking me…?” she asked, her question going unanswered. Starlight was just happy that there was so much cohesion among them now. It seemed even Twilight wasn’t being as bitchy as before.

She wondered what changed between them.

Daytime

Memories of the City - Persona 3

After talking with her friends for a bit and seeing Twilight off to bed, Starlight went into the city to run a few errands. Among just some minor shopping, she paid a visit to the Velvet Room, this time to fuse some new Personas. Through trial and error, she managed to get a number of new ones, but she only held onto one of the new ones. That being Setana, her first ever Emperor Arcana Persona. Fusing into it put her in the mind of Spike for some reason.

Along with him, she also fused into High Pixie, Chotho, and Principality, Personas of the Fool, Fortune, and Justice Arcana respectively. All of these she ended up Harvesting to Morgana though, who by the end of it had learned two strong healing spells. Diarama and Mediarama. She’d leave the healing to Pinkie Pie for the most part, as these seemed to use a lot of spirit power, but she could at least help support Pinkie Pie’s healing efforts.

After she left the Velvet Room though, she saw Fluttershy walking up the path. She had been hoping to catch up with her again soon, so maybe this was a good time. Starlight smiled and waved to Fluttershy, who returned the gesture with a bow, now walking up to her.

“Konnichiwa, Starlight-san,” Fluttershy said sweetly.

“Konnichiwa, Tokugawa-san,” Starlight said, her heart lifting at knowing someone with such a cool last name and was dressed like a Japanese Samurai almost, “You’re here to train?”

“Hai,” Fluttershy nodded, “Saturday, personal training day. You, come to park, often?”

Starlight nodded, “It’s, actually one of my favorite places, for a number of reasons, actually. What about you? I know you come here a lot to train, but besides that, do you come here?”

Fluttershy waved her hand with an awkward expression, “Err… hard to explain. Training time, enjoy park. Other time… eh…”

Seemed she had a very complicated relationship with this place. This time, she was sensitive enough to pick up on the subtle cues.

“You, don’t have to go into it if you don’t want to,” Starlight began, “But, if you ever want to talk, I hear I’m a good listener.”

Fluttershy smiled softly in appreciation, “Arigato, Starlight-san. You, leave now, or, watch train?”

“Could I, sit in on your training?” Starlight asked, “I’m doing something pretty active, and I might learn a thing or two watching you. Also,” Starlight blushed in embarrassment, “You’re really cool, and I just want to be close to you.”

Fluttershy giggled and nodded, “Hai hai. I not mind. Starlight-san is friend, and I enjoy company.”

Starlight smiled, her heart fluttering for some reason. Was this how anime characters felt when their Senpai noticed them? All of a sudden, she wanted to call her “Senpai”, but that might have been a bit much.

Kairi theme - Kingdom Hearts 2

Starlight followed Fluttershy deeper into the park. After warming up a bit (yes Starlight stretched alongside her), Fluttershy began going through her drills and various moves. She clearly was not an amateur at this at all.

A few times, Starlight noticed her vision get a bit funny watching her though. It would suddenly look like she was wearing a deep red kimono with chain like designs on it, doing the same motions, and with the same ferocious expression on her face.

Why did Starlight’s heart race seeing that? And was there something golden around her wrists…?

Eventually, Fluttershy dropped to one knee panting heavily. Starlight ran over with her water bottle, handing it to her.

“Are you okay, Tokugawa-san?” Starlight asked.

Fluttershy nodded as she grabbed the water bottle, “Hai. Training, always like this.”

Starlight’s eyes widened, “You always train, so hard?” she asked, “You must be really passionate about it.”

For the briefest of moments, Fluttershy looked truly sad, but she quickly perked up and smiled, “Hai. Passionate.”

For some reason, Starlight didn’t fully believe her. There was more to it than that.

“Um, what is, Starlight-san, passionate, about?” she asked slowly, probably due to trying to piece together words she knew would get her point across. The fact she had so much trouble with English despite going to an American High School was so odd to Starlight.

“Me? Well I guess if anything, my passion would be witchcraft,” Starlight looked down at her channeling ring, “I never stopped believing in magic, and I always wanted to be a witch.” she blushed and laughed awkwardly, “I, must sound like a total dork…”

Fluttershy giggled, but shook her head, “Magic real, I believe.”

“You, believe in magic?” Starlight blinked. She honestly didn’t take Fluttershy as the type.

Fluttershy nodded, “Hai. I see magic with own eyes,” she reached into her gi top, and pulled out a red card with an odd symbol in it. It looked like a hat along with a mask, but the side of the mask was flaming, “This proof of magic.”

“This, red card?” Starlight looked at it curiously.

“That calling card,” Fluttershy explained, “Of Phantom Thieves of Hearts.”

Starlight’s eyes widened a bit. She remembered Twilight and Celestia mentioning the Phantom Thieves of Hearts.

“They were, magical thieves?” Starlight asked, turning to Fluttershy and handing the card back.

“Hai hai!” she nodded, eyes lighting up with an innocence Starlight hadn’t expected from her, “Phantom Thieves, steal hearts of bad people! Give calling card, bad people become good, and then confess!”

Right, just like what they did with Fleur… “That, sounds so cool!” Starlight beamed, “If you have this, then you must have seen them do it!”

Fluttershy nodded excitedly, “I go to museum once, see famous artist get calling card, accuse of, um…” she frowned, “What is word for, copying, other’s art…?”

“A famous artist… so…” Starlight’s eyes widened, “Plagiarism…? He was, plagiarizing his work?!”

Fluttershy nodded pointing to Starlight, “Hai! That word! Plagiarizing, he do that to students work! He confess to all of it, even murder!”

Starlight couldn’t believe what she was hearing. She’d heard of these Phantom Thieves, and knew that they were Persona Users. Heck, she and her friends accidentally pulled this off with Fleur, so she knew that it was true. She just didn’t think that they were so public about it.

Fluttershy gave an impish giggle, “Artist even cry! Seeing evil man expose himself, satisfying to watch it was!” she looked back at the card, “This, calling card I pick up in Osaka, during last year in Japan. Got to hear Phantom Thieves’ voice, got to see expose evil man who make phone app that hurt everyone. Phantom Thieves, heroes,” she hugged the card to her chest, “Meet Phantom Thieves, I wish.”

Ooooooh, she knew that she had connections to them technically. Maybe not direct connections, but Starlight did know someone who could probably get her in touch with the Phantom Thieves of Hearts. Sadly, that had to remain confidential.

But, what happened to Pinkie Pie…

“I, don’t know if it was the Phantom Thieves,” Starlight said, “But you know my friend Pinkie Pie?” Fluttershy nodded, “Well, her manager went through something similar at the beginning of the month.”

“Pinkie Pie Manager, have change of heart?” Fluttershy asked. Starlight was careful not to put all of Pinkie Pie’s business out there, nor tell Fluttershy anything about the Dungeons, but she did make sure she told her about the change of heart, and how Fleur was completely different afterward. The way Fluttershy’s eyes lit up told her that she understood before she said anything, “Magic…”

Starlight nodded, “There, wasn’t a calling card like this, hence why I don’t think it was the Phantom Thieves, but something magical did happen that day.”

Fluttershy nodded smiling, “Hai. Magic exist, even here,” she looked up at the sky, “Arigato, Starlight-san,” Starlight turned to Fluttershy and tilted her head, “Hard to, keep faith in magic. You, renew faith.”

Starlight smiled, and scooted a bit closer to Fluttershy, also looking up at the sky, “You’re welcome, Tokugawa-san.”

Seemed that despite being somewhat intimidating, Fluttershy was in fact, just another teenager like herself. Sitting beside her like this, Starlight felt significantly closer to Fluttershy.

As the two girls sat together, Starlight noticed Fluttershy’s hand inch closer to hers every few seconds, until she was gently holding it. It was a simple gesture, yet somehow to Starlight, felt incredibly intimate.

October 28th, 2019
Sunday
Sunny

Morning

Aria of the Soul - Persona series

After getting dressed and eating breakfast, Starlight phone rang once she returned to the main lobby of the dorm to sign herself out for the day. She looked at the number, and saw a bunch of odd characters like when Diamond called from the Akashic Records. She shrugged and answered it.

“Hello?” she asked.

“Hello, Miss Glimmer. This is Victor. I'm calling you from the Velvet Room.”

Starlight’s heart leaped out of her chest. He was calling her? Ignoring the question of how he knew her number, he knew her number~!

“How can I help you?” Starlight asked, letting a bit of her witch sensuality enter her voice.

“Do you remember when I asked for your assistance earlier?” Victor asked, “I may have found a section worth exploring. Would it be alright if we met up by the Velvet Room door tonight?”

“Sure,” Starlight smiled, “I’ll be there.”

“Excellent,” Victor was clearly smiling, as she heard a familiar growl of hunger, “See you soon, Miss Glimmer.”

With that, the two hung up. Seemed she had something to look forward to tonight at least.

Daytime

Memories of the City - Persona 3

After buying back Icubus from Victor, and sharing a brief look with him, Starlight went into town to Sugar Cube Corner, where she had hoped to run into Silver Spoon. She had wanted to catch up with her for a while, but life sort of got in the way.

She and Silver Spoon weren’t exactly the best of friends, so this interaction would be interesting. She didn’t think she’d hold onto Incubus, since she knew this Persona made Trixie uncomfortable, but maybe it could help mitigate things with Silver Spoon somewhat, as they were both Devil Arcana.

Sure enough, she saw Silver Spoon sitting by herself at one of the outdoor seats, frowning at her phone. Feeling a bit impish all of a sudden, Starlight sat down in front of her and just waited a bit.

Didn’t take long for Silver Spoon to look up, where she jumped in surprise holding her chest, “Geez, coming out of nowhere like that…”

Starlight smirked darkly, “It was worth it, seeing you jump like that.”

Silver Spoon gave her a slight scowl, “Glad you had fun, Witch,” she then looked down at her phone again, “The characters are different again…” Starlight frowned tilting her head, “Oh, something odd on Friday is all. Got a weird call on my phone, but the characters keep changing.”

Starlight blinked and looked at Silver’s phone. Those looked like the same characters she got when Diamond and Victor called her from the Dream World. Sure enough, when she blinked, it looked slightly different.

“Do you know anything about this, Witch?” Silver Spoon asked Starlight.

“Well, it very well could be magic related,” Starlight nodded, “Actually no, I’m certain it is. Since every time you look away from it even briefly it changes. My guess, possibly contact from the realm of magic.”

Silver sucked in a breath, “The fact I can tell you’re serious…” she muttered, “Okay, so… now that you’re here, I wanted to ask a few questions.”

“Ask away,” Starlight smiled, sitting back and crossing her legs, a bit like how she sat in the Velvet Room when entering from the dream world.

“So, this,” she waved her hand at Starlight, “This change in attitude, is this how you really are or something?”

“You could say that,” Starlight said. This was too much fun, Silver knowing that she was a witch.

“Why hide behind such a mild mannered persona?” Silver asked, “Why pretend to be, well, a normie?”

“Well for one, who’d believe me if I started spouting that I was a real live witch?” Starlight asked, “If I had told you that I had real magic powers before the whole thing with Diamond, would you have believed me?”

“Being perfectly honest, not at all,” Silver sipped her coffee before continuing (Oh God she even did the pinky thing, how pretentious was this bitch?!), “Before, I just thought you were some crazy goth.”

“Worried I’d corrupt your bestie?” Starlight asked, her eyes becoming lidded as she spoke.

“Yes, actually,” Silver answered pursing her lips, “Nothing personal, but I took one look at you and got scared you were going to drag her into a freaky cult or something.”

Starlight laughed shaking her head, “Oh Silver, you and I both know it's personal, but I don’t hold grudges.”

“Like you don’t hold a grudge against what’s his face? Blueblood?” Silver asked, her eyes becoming lidded as well.

“He’s different,” Starlight’s smile dropped as her tone hardened slightly.

“Is he now?”

“You’re just a bitch. He’s a monster.”

Silver’s eyebrows rose, but she then nodded, “You don’t back down. I’ll admit that I, might, have been wrong about you.”

“So I’m not just some crazy, suicidal goth bitch?” Starlight asked Silver, who blinked and leaned back.

“How did you know I-” Starlight’s smile widened, and her heart leaped at the sight of Silver’s slight fear, “Oh shit. You’re able to read minds, aren’t you…?”

“More like I can read emotions,” Starlight said, reaching over to caress Silver’s hand, “The stronger emotions sometimes do come with intentions.”

“And knowing how I felt about you, you still were nice to me…?” Silver asked with a confused frown.

“Like I said, at your worse, you’re just a bitch,” Starlight looked into Silver’s eyes honestly, “Besides, I promised someone close to me that I’d use my magic to help people. You needed help, so that’s what I did.”

Silver relaxed a bit looking at Starlight, “Well, you may be a bit off putting, but I don’t think you’re a bad person, either. You did save Diamond after all,” her gaze went down to Starlight’s ring, “That’s it, right? The source of your power?”

“My Ring? It is,” Starlight confirmed, “It’s called a Channeling Ring. I got it the day I became a witch.”

“How did you become a witch?” Silver asked, “Was there like, a ritual or something you had to do?”

Starlight nodded, “If you’re planning to do it yourself, I wouldn’t recommend it,” she pulled her hand away and looked at her Ring sadly, “The price for power is, steep.”

Silver sat up frowning a bit, “So what, you had to give up something to get power?”

“The ritual I cast, said that I’d have to give up that which I loved the most for power,” Starlight explained, tearing up a bit, “I guess, even with all the fighting, I loved my Mother more than I thought…”

Silver’s eyes widened in horror, “Oh God. So, when you did the ritual, your Mom…”

“She was in a car accident the second the ritual ended,” Starlight said in a quiet voice, “I lost, everything that day. Yeah I, became the witch I always wanted, but considering what I lost in the process…”

“That, was why you tried to kill yourself, wasn’t it?” Silver asked softly, “The pain of, losing her.”

“I killed her…” Starlight closed her eyes and shed a few tears, “She’s dead, because of me…”

Silver took a breath and looked away, “I, don’t know what to say to this. I guess I’ll just settle for, I’m sorry for your loss. Tell me though, the magic you gained from that ritual, that was the magic you used to save Diamond, right?”

“It, was yeah,” Starlight confirmed.

“Okay. So then, focus on that I suppose,” Silver rubbed her arm, “Yeah, it sucks that your Mom, y-you know, but, you’re doing the right thing with your power. You’re saving people’s lives.”

“I, want to believe that, but right now, there’s someone else I’m trying to help and, I’m not sure if my magic will be enough,” Starlight admitted, thinking about Rarity now.

“You’re more than enough,” Silver said suddenly, surprising Starlight, “Come on, don’t you see it? You comforted a bitch like me, despite knowing how much I hated you. You were able to reach out to help Beatrix get away from Blueblood, something not even Saintly Miss Tia could do. And most of all, whereas most would see powers like this as a curse, you Starlight, turned it into a blessing. You didn’t become some selfish person over your loss, you didn’t close your heart off, you… you chose to care. So, whoever this person is you’re trying to save, if your magic isn’t enough just, let your heart take care of the rest.”

Starlight smiled, wiping her tears gently, “Thank you, Silver Spoon.”

Silver Spoon nodded, giving a small smile herself. Somehow, Starlight felt significantly closer to Silver Spoon.

Maybe, being friends with her wouldn’t be so bad, after all.

Late Night

The Phase

Qualia - Blue Reflection

Starlight wasted no time getting ready for bed. She had to fight the urge to put on make up and perfume, as that’d be weird to do before going to sleep. All of that she could just imagine on her when she arrived in the Akashic Records.

Which she did. This was the first time she and Victor were going to be alone together in the Akashic Records, so she had to look nice for him.

When she arrived, she sauntered over to him, one hand on her hip and a sultry smile. She loved the way this place made her feel. So powerful and sexy, like she wanted to be in real life.

“Hello Miss Glimmer,” Victor said, setting his book down and rising to greet her, “Lovely to see you again.”

“Likewise,” Starlight held her hand out to him, which he gently took and kissed, “Hope I didn’t keep you waiting too long~”

“Not at all,” Victor said, “I just arrived here myself to await you. The section I wanted to examine is down this path. Shall we?” he held an arm out to escort Starlight, who nodded and walked onward. Victor was right beside her, his hand gently on her back. She noticed as they got further away from the room though, the further down his hand went.

Her heart was racing, and though part of her wasn’t sure she should let him continue, part of her wanted him to continue.

“Ah, here we are,” he said, pulling his hand away. Damn it, just a bit lower…

Starlight sighed internally and looked up at the books in question. She’d never really paid much attention to the books in this section of the library. Each one seemed to pertain to something concerning the path of humanity itself.

“This section…” Starlight said softly, her heart feeling heavy for some reason.

“Here, we can find the stories of humanity’s destiny,” Victor said, running his hands on one of the books, “The Master is intrigued by humans. He watches over them, and aids them, in the hopes of learning more about himself. We attendants of the Velvet Room, are much the same.”

“You’re, not human either, are you?” Starlight asked, following Victor down the isle of books.

“That, is complicated,” Victor explained, “By the physical definition, no I am not. But were one to consider the human condition, I find that my siblings and I, are human to a tragic degree.”

To be "tragically human". That was so poetic sounding, and yet made Victor sound incredibly sad. She asked him what he meant by that.

“If one were to ask you, why you were born, why you exist, would you be able to answer?” Victor asked Starlight. She tried to give him an answer that would satisfy him only to realize, she couldn’t. Sure she knew what she was meant to do with her magic; stop the Nightmare Epidemic and save people from their despair. But even that was something she was choosing to do, and it sounded like other witches were using their powers for other means.

In terms of her birth, she knew that her parents wanted a child, and after many desperate attempts and even a miscarriage or two, Starlight was born. But, why her? Why not her older siblings? Or, would those have still been her? If so, why was she born now? Did it tie into her saving people from the Nightmare Epidemic? Had she been born a few years sooner, or perhaps not at all, would Trixie have gotten free of Blueblood’s abuse…?

“The frown on your face tells me you understand,” Victor said, turning to Starlight, “I and my siblings, are much the same way. We come into the world, as if we were always a part of it. We have full knowledge of our powers, we know our names, we know our duties are to assist the Master, and that whoever our Trickster is, we are intrinsically connected to them, bound by a thread of fate. But through all of this, there’s one question that we, can never truly find an answer to.”

“Why…”

“Precisely,” Victor nodded, “Why do we exist? Why do we find ourselves bound to our Tricksters,” he walked over to Starlight, backing her into a bookcase and looming over her, leaning in close, “From the moment I laid eyes on you, I felt something. Something pulling me toward you. It wasn’t until I saw this, you at your most honest, that a new feeling sprang up from within me.”

“That, feeling is…?” Starlight asked, breathing heavily at how intense he was.

“That, I cannot say,” Victor admitted, “Or I guess it’d be better to say, I do not have the words for it. I know that I desire you, and that I find you to be the most beautiful woman in the world. I know that seeing you happy, lifts my spirits in a way nothing else has in all my life, and that when I see you sad, or upset in anyway, my heart aches.”

“Victor…” she said breathlessly. Could she, take his hand and find out his true feelings? Should she? Would she be able to handle them? They weren’t even touching and she felt crushed by the intensity of his emotions. It hurt, but at the same time, she loved the pain of it.

“I want to understand this, aspect of myself,” Victor said, “I wish to know if this is the same reason Elizabeth and Theodore abandoned their duties, once their Tricksters completed their journeys. It is for this reason, I’ve come here,” he gently caressed Starlight’s cheek, “In the process, I seek to understand what this is between us.”

On instinct, Starlight grabbed a book, holding onto it at she nuzzled his hand, “Well, maybe this could be a start?” she asked, holding the book up to Victor, who looked it over.

“Dream Catcher…?” Victor asked curiously, gently taking the book and looking it over, “Intriguing. It appears that this speaks of a project designed to artificially create the Wild Card.”

Dream Catcher…? Wasn’t that the name of the project the Kirijo Group scrapped? They wanted to recreate the Wild Card?

“This book makes mention of one known as Subject 416,” he continued, “Why are there books pertaining to this in the section for humanity’s destiny…?”

“Maybe this project, is important to humanity’s ultimate destiny, whatever that is,” Starlight suggested.

“Perhaps,” Victor muttered, looking to Starlight, “It appears asking you to assist me was the right choice indeed. I admit there was a selfish part of me that simply wished to have you all to myself, and this was the perfect excuse.”

Starlight giggled, “That’s alright. Me being able to assist you for real just means we have an excuse to do this again.”

“Indeed,” Victor smirked, gazing hungrily at Starlight, who met his gaze in kind. Before this journey was over, she was going to kiss this man. She knew it. She felt significantly closer to Victor.

The two of them stayed together for a good while, reading over various subjects together and occasionally flirting with one another before Starlight left the Library.

Author's Note

Fool – Seekers of Light: 5/10
Magician – Trixie Lulamoon: 8/10 :heart:
Priestess – Diamond Tiara: 10/10 Thrall
The Empress – Ms. Tia: 4/10
Hierophant - Victor: 2/10 LEVEL UP!!!!
The Lovers - Pinkamena Diane Pie: 2/10
Chariot – Rainbow Dash: 3/10
Strength - Tokugawa Fluttershy: 2/5 LEVEL UP!!!!
Hermit – Sunburst: 2/10
The Devil – Silver Spoon: 5/10 LEVEL UP!!!!
The Sun - Sweetie Belle: 2/10
Transformation - Ms. Luna: 1/10

Click here to check out the Go Fund I'm starting for my parents, and consider either donating or sharing this on your social media accounts.

10/29

October 29th, 2019
Monday
Rainy

Morning

Living with Determination: Iwatodai Dorm Arrangement - Persona 3

After spending such a wonderful time with Victor in the Akashic Records, Starlight woke up the next morning to see Trixie was already dressed and heading down to breakfast. They planned to walk to school together, so since Starlight woke up a bit later, she went to get a shower in. As she walked through the hallway, she saw Twilight step downstairs with her arms folded, looking down.

Despite the awkwardness of being in a towel still, (seriously, when would she remember to buy a bathrobe?!) Starlight walked over to Twilight to ask her what was wrong.

“Good news, I have an overall layout of the Dungeon now,” Twilight said, “Bad news, it’s bigger than I thought. It’s almost like two whole Dungeons rolled into one. Also, the Shadows in the city are beginning to look like they’ll get violent.”

“Think we need to worry?” Starlight asked Twilight, who took a breath and nodded.

“I know I’m worried. I’d like to head back in tonight, see if we can get close to Rarity. Could you head to Student Council today? See how she’s doing since we booted Blueblood’s Shadow out?” Twilight requested.

“I was planning that anyway,” Starlight assured Twilight, who sighed in relief.

“Thank you. I’m going to eat with everyone, and then head off to bed,” Twilight stretched, “I’ll see you downstairs, I guess.”

“See you, Twilight,” Starlight smiled, watching Twilight walk downstairs. She was still worried about her possibly having a Dungeon, but it was nice to see Twilight being a bit more friendly with everyone. She’d ask her what changed, but she didn’t want Twilight to run the other way.

But it did feel better, having all of them sitting together and eating. They were starting to feel like a real family.

Afternoon

Memories of the City - Persona 3

Sadly, Rarity was still avoiding Starlight a bit in the halls. Starlight did notice that she was looking at her a bit oddly though. Seemed seeing her in her dungeon left quite an impact on her.

Starlight was definitely planning to visit the Student Council today. Hopefully if she kept this a secret from the other members, she’d have less of a chance of Rarity skipping out. Till then, she just needed to survive the school day.

Ms. Harshwhinny called on Pinkie Pie to answer a question in class, which naturally made her freak as she wasn’t prepared for it. Realizing Pinkie Pie’s phone was on vibrate, Starlight texted her the answer, which was thankfully the right one.

The smile she gave Starlight made her feel really warm. Pinkie Pie seemed to really appreciate her helping her like that.

Starlight had a feeling she and Pinkie Pie would get closer soon.

After School

Once class ended, Starlight went straight to the Student Council office. Everyone was naturally in their usual desks, including Rarity thankfully. No more avoiding me, Starlight thought.

Work was just as lively as usual, though it seemed everyone could pick up on how tense Rarity was. She tried putting on her usual perky, upbeat persona, but Starlight saw right through it. Based on how Applejack kept looking at her, so did she.

“Rarity, can we, talk over there?” Applejack asked pointing to the far end of the Student Council room.

“Hm? Oh, certainly,” Rarity said, rising up and following Applejack. Starlight looked carefully to try and see what they were talking about. Based on how gentle Applejack spoke to Rarity, it was clear she was concerned about something. It was also clear that Rarity was deflecting, as Starlight could see the sadness in her eyes despite her smiling, and also the lack of eye contact.

Sunburst hummed in thought, sitting back, “Something’s wrong,” Sunburst said softly to Starlight, “Does this have anything to do with last Thursday?”

Starlight bit her lip, but nodded subtly. She couldn’t put Rarity’s business out there, but Sunburst was her childhood friend and in the know somewhat when it came to her being a witch. She couldn’t lie to him.

“Mmm, I had a feeling,” Sunburst muttered, “A few students saw Rarity with Blueblood last week.”

“They’re not spreading rumors, are they?” Starlight asked Sunburst, who shook his head thankfully.

“Not to my knowledge, but they are confused. It’s common knowledge that she despises Blueblood, and ever since he’s been outed for abusing Trixie, she hasn’t been hiding it all that much,” Sunburst said, “So for her to suddenly be seen around him…”

Starlight bit her lip and looked away, “I, know a bit about what that is. I can’t say, as it’d be putting Rarity’s business out there, but there’s a lot going on behind the scenes here.”

Sunburst looked tense, “I don’t like it, but I’ll accept that Starlight,” he said, “By the way, are you two okay? Everyone can tell there’s some odd energy between you and Rarity now.”

“It’s, kind of related to the thing I can’t say,” Starlight sighed. Damn it, she wanted to just open up about this. She was beginning to wonder, should she? Or, should she keep silent about it as it was related to her Dungeon?

And should she still be worried that Rarity was still seen with Blueblood, despite them getting him out of her Dungeon?

She looked to the other side of the room, where she saw Spike sitting by the window looking at Rarity and Applejack intently. He looked at his phone briefly, and then back at them with a frown. For some reason, Starlight didn’t like that.

After a bit, Rarity’s phone made a noise. She looked down at the screen and closed her eyes, “Sorry everyone. I need to head out now. Applejack, don’t wait up for me.”

Applejack narrowed her eyes at this, “Ya sure you’re alright?” she asked, “’Cause if anyone’s givin’ ya trouble-”

“I said I’m fine!” Rarity snapped, making everyone jump. She looked at everyone surprised, and then sighed, “I’ll see you all later.” she then stormed out of the Student Council office, leaving everyone stunned.

“She’s anything but fine,” Pip said.

“Damn it, Rares,” Applejack growled, “Why ain’t ya talkin’ to no one…? Least of all me…?”

Spike hummed to himself, once again looking down at his phone with a frown. Seriously, what was he looking at?

“I’ll go after her,” Starlight shot up, “Like Pip said, she’s not fine at all.”

As Starlight ran past Applejack on her way out, she could feel her gaze locked on her. She had a feeling she’d have a bit of a confrontation with her later, but that was fine. She’d deal with it when she had to, but for now she had to find Rarity. It didn’t take her long, as she soon found her on her way to what seemed to be the back alleyway.

Maya Theme - Persona 3

“Rarity!” Starlight called out to her, making her stop, “Where are you going?”

“None of your business,” Rarity said, not turning to Starlight, “What, did Applejack and the others send you?”

“I sent myself.” Starlight said, “You’re my frie-”

“Stop saying that!” Rarity snapped, tightening her fists, “You’re not my friend!”

“Then again, why did you hire me as your secretary?” Starlight asked, “You said it yourself, that you wanted to get close to me!”

“And now I’m starting to see that was a mistake,” Rarity turned to Starlight, undoing her tie and some of the buttons of her shirt as she walked over to her, “Ever since I took you on as my secretary, you’ve been nothing but a nosy little pest, getting involved in shit that's none of your business. For god’s sake, it’s so bad you’re appearing in my dreams now.”

She was lucid. She had the potential to be a Persona User.

“I’m going to make it clear for you, “Little Star”. Leave, me, alone,” she growled, “Right now, I’m being nice. Next time I have to tell you, I won’t be.” she then turned to leave. Starlight couldn’t just let it end like this. She had to open her heart somehow.

“He’s blackmailing you, right?” Starlight asked, making Rarity freeze, “Blueblood. That’s why you’re going to him. He’s got something on you, and is forcing you to have sex with him in order to stay silent.” Rarity said nothing, nor did she turn around to face Starlight, “He knows, doesn’t he? That you’re a member of the Diamond Dogs?”

“How do you figure that?” Rarity asked, slightly turning to Starlight. Shoot, she couldn’t tell her that they were in her Dungeon yet. She had to think of something.

“Because I know him, I know what he did to Trixie, and the lengths he’d go to get what he wants. I also know that you hate him, but don’t want anyone in school knowing about you being with the Diamond Dogs. The only reason you’d screw him, is if he had real dirt on you.”

Rarity looked down at her phone as it vibrated, “I need to go.”

“Rarity-”

“Do you have any idea what that could do to me if he outs what he knows?” Rarity asked, “I’m not letting that happen.”

“Keeping this secret. Is it really worth selling your body to a scumbag like that?”

“Wouldn’t be the first scumbag I fucked for my own benefit,” she sighed, walking off down the hall. That, was such an odd thing to say, Starlight thought. Wouldn’t be the first? Just, what did Rarity do back when she was Dirty Diamond…?

Late Night

The Phase

Scraper Sky High - Under Night In-Birth

When they all met up in the Phase, Starlight shared with everyone the bad news that Rarity was still selling herself to Blueblood, even after booting his Shadow out of her Dungeon. Naturally Trixie was not happy about this, but with the knowledge that he was blackmailing her, that did shed some light on the issue.

“So, what do you think?” Rainbow Dash asked as they carefully made their way through the courtyard, “Think Blueblood’s Shadow is still lurking around?”

“I pray not,” Twilight answered, “But the reality is, until we figure out what exactly he has on her in the real world, and do something about that, there’s a chance he’ll find his way back in her Dungeon.”

“So what you’re saying is,” Trixie stopped, pulling her hat over her eyes, “Everything we did on Friday was for nothing?”

“No. We gave her a moment’s reprieve by pushing his Shadow out of the Dungeon,” Twilight said, “I doubt she had to see him over the weekend, and during that time her mind might have reinforced itself against him. He’ll have a harder time getting inside.”

“Speaking of getting inside,” Pinkie Pie turned to Twilight, “We need to get inside the Prison, right? How are we going to do that?”

“That’s, a good question,” Twilight sighed, “I’ve been searching for a way inside, but apart from getting captured yourselves, no we’re NOT following that cliché, only way in seems to be the front gate, which is most definitely heavily guarded.”

“There’s gotta be a way inside this place,” Rainbow Dash said.

“Not necessarily,” Twilight pointed out, "Remember, this is Rarity’s dream, which is interpreted as a high security prison. Usually those are designed to not let anyone in or out.”

Starlight looked around and groaned. This was frustrating. They’d gone around the entire courtyard, and couldn’t find a good way to get inside the prison itself. No wonder Rarity was so guarded in the real world. No one who’d want to help her could even get into the front door of her prison.

Rainbow Dash looked up at the building and frowned, “Hey Mission Control, search for an entrance into the sewers?”

“The sewers? Why there?” Twilight asked.

“Cause if someone were to try and do something like break out of this prison of a school, that’s how I’d do it,” Rainbow turned to Twilight’s wisp, “Also, Cinch doesn’t know what goes on inside the bathrooms of school. If she did, she’d have a fit, so those are relatively safe.”

Twilight sighed, “So we’re back to thinking Principal Cinch is the Dungeon Master?”

“I never stopped thinking she was the Dungeon Master,” Rainbow Dash said, looking back up at the Prison, “Besides, who else could it be at this point? This Prison is how Rarity’s seeing the school, and Cinch already does run the place like one. At worse, Rarity’s got a cordial relationship with the rest of the staff, but she hates Cinch like the rest of us.”

Starlight nodded and turned to Twilight, “Let’s try and find an entrance into the sewers.”

“Alright, but I’ll believe that Cinch is the Dungeon Master when I see her,” Twilight conceded, “Let’s see here… well, I have good news, and bad news.”

“What’s the good news?” Pinkie Pie asked.

“The good news, is that I found the entrance, and sure enough, it’s not guarded,” Twilight said, “The bad news, it’s outside of the gate.”

“Meaning, we have to go outside of security gate, in order to get out of here…” Trixie groaned rubbing her eyes.

"This Dungeon is the most complicated one we've run into yet," Starlight sighed, "Alright, let's head back toward the entrance. Worst case scenario, we'll leave out the Checkpoint and go through the main entrance again."

They started backtracking to the Checkpoint, but something caught her attention. It looked like, a pillory? She told her teammates to stop for a second as she walked around it.

“What’s so strange about this?” Rainbow Dash asked, “This is a prison, so there are bound to be a few stockades and shit around, right?”

“But why here?” Starlight asked, “They wouldn’t need something like this to keep the prisoners from leaving. That’s what the guards are for.”

“Starlight raises a valid point,” Twilight frowned, “Seems kind of recessive, even for dream logic.”

Pinkie Pie looked around a bit, and then ran over to a pole, “Hey! Check this out! This pole has ware marks it!”

“Yeah, it does,” Trixie walked over to look up at it, “I think I’ve seen a couple of these scattered around.”

“Hm,” Pinkie Pie hummed to herself in thought, and then got in front of the pole, raising her arms to where the markings were. The way she sort of bent over doing it left her legs spread out a bit, giving everyone a very enticing view of her rear.

“Um, Pinkie Pie?” Rainbow Dash asked blushing, “W-what are you doing?”

“Give me a second,” Pinkie Pie closed her eyes, and then bit her lip a bit blushing, “I know what these marks are.”

“Want to fill in the peanut gallery?” Twilight asked as Pinkie Pie lowered her arms and stood up straight.

“Rope marks,” she turned to the team, “Someone is tied up here, a lot.”

Starlight looked around the pole, noticing the amount of ware on the pole, “I think Pinkie Pie’s right. There are more marks, suggesting multiple positions.”

“What, kind of weird prison is this…?” Twilight frowned, “Hang on. I’m seeing some sort of commotion at the entrance.”

Starlight ran over to the entrance, seeing an apparition of one of the cheerleaders, on her hands and knees being spit roasted by the guards. She was wearing leather lingerie similar to Rarity, but hers somehow looked more dignified, along with her expression denoting pleasure.

“I, think I know what sort of prison this is…” Trixie said mutely, pulling her hat over her eyes, “Rarity, is one kinky bitch…”

“Based on what we know about Dungeons… that’s a fair assessment,” Twilight agreed awkwardly, “Trixie’s Dungeon had heavy BDSM themes too, but she was in an abusive BDSM relationship with Blueblood, so that makes sense.”

“And Pinkie Pie’s Dungeon had a heavy fairy tale theme to it, similar to the Forgotten Princess movie she starred in,” Rainbow Dash added, “Hers didn’t have many BDSM themes to it actually.”

Pinkie Pie shook her head, “Nope. For me, it was all mostly around me feeling like a standard fairy tale damsel in distress. I, was used by the Shadows a lot, and I spent a lot of time tied up, but I…” she looked away, her eyes darkened a bit, “I know what that represented, and it wasn’t anything kink related.”

Starlight frowned looking at Pinkie Pie. She really needed to talk to Pinkie Pie about how she was dealing with things after her Dungeon. More and more, it was beginning to seem like she wasn’t handling the aftermath of it as well as she thought.

She then looked at the scene again. The guards looked distracted. They could sneak past them, or even take them out quickly. Maybe they could even get something form that student apparition.

“You want to fight them too, right?” Trixie asked Starlight, who nodded. Trixie summoned her cards, holding one ready, “Lead the way.”

Starlight ran over to the Shadows, jumping on the back of one of them and gripping his mask, “I’ll reveal your true form!” she proclaimed, ripping the mask off. The one she ripped the mask off of turned into a Leanan Sidhe, while the other one turned into a Take-Minakata.

E.SYNAPSE - Blue Reflection: Second Light

“They’re stunned!” Twilight pointed out, “Take them out quickly, before reinforcements arrive!”

“Leave this to us!” Trixie raised her Channeling Ring, “Persona!” Elenora manifested before Trixie and tossed two Agilao fireballs at Leanan Sidhe, knocking her to the ground. She then turned to Starlight and gave her a High Five.

BATON PASS!!!

“MATADOR!!!” Starlight called out, summoning the Persona and sending the command for Psychic spells. Matador flared his cape out and held his hand at Take-Minakata, knocking him to the ground as well.

Starlight immediately felt something in her heart reach out to Leanan Sidhe. Through her empathy, she got the sense that she was kinda sorta desperate for love. Was she lonely? That, was something Starlight could relate to on some level. Maybe if Starlight loved her, that’d be enough?

Leanan Sidhe looked at Starlight with a tearful smile, and burst into flames, flying into Starlight’s Channeling Ring. In the confusion, Take-Minakata ran off, thankfully not toward the prison to get reinforcements.

“Good job!” Trixie beamed, she and Starlight hugging.

“Thanks Trixie,” Starlight smiled.

Scraper Sky High - Under Night In-Birth

Rainbow Dash knelt before the student, who was now laying on the ground with a lust drunk expression on her face, “Hey, you good?”

“More…!” she moaned, “Please…! I need, more…!”

Rainbow Dash grimaced at this, "Wait, more?"

"I... I haven't had enough...!" the student writhed on the ground hugging themselves, "Please... fuck me...!"

Rainbow Dash winced, “Hey guys? I don’t think we’re getting much outta this one.”

“It’s almost like she’s under a spell of some kind,” Twilight frowned looking her over on her terminal, “Thing is, I don’t detect any magic in use here. Nothing as overt as a mind controlling spell.”

“That’s significant?” Pinkie Pie asked.

“Very significant,” Twilight said, “Figuring out how she ended up like this could give us more insight into Rarity’s Dungeon, and what’s forming it.”

“For now, I say we head into the sewer entrance,” Starlight said, “I doubt she’s going to be much for talking, and we need to move before the guards change.”

“Agreed,” Twilight said, “Alright, let’s head out. The entrance you’re looking for is on the right side of the Prison.”

It took a bit of searching, but they were able to find the entrance after a while. Surprisingly, it blended in very well. No wonder it wasn’t guarded. Crawling inside, they were all greeted with a very foul stench common to this environment.

“Why why why is this the realistic part?” Trixie groaned, “Ugh! I shouldn’t be able to smell it like this!”

“Technically, we should be able to feel pain here either,” Rainbow Dash pointed out, holding a fancy handkerchief over her nose.

“Okay fair. Still though…” Trixie sighed, “This is going to suck…”

Starlight looked ahead, seeing they’d have to walk through the filthy water in order to proceed. She carefully stuck her foot inside, and instantly wished she hadn’t. She could feel how wet her leg was. Made worse with her wearing high heels and a dress!

“For the first time ever, I’m happy I’m out here,” Twilight said softly.

Pinkie Pie sighed, “You didn’t have to do that, Twilight.” Even with her being the only one wearing boots, she did not look pleased by this at all.

“Let’s, just go everyone,” Starlight said pained. Everyone shuddered and made their way through the sewer system. Thankfully, with this area being unguarded, there weren’t any Shadows down here, so that was nice. Still, Starlight was going to be taking two showers when she woke up. Dream or not, this was horrendous.

Not helped by the fact that the way forward turned out to be a maze, thus extending their time here even more. Twilight kept them updated on the time in the real world, so thankfully they weren’t in any real danger of losing progress yet.

“You know, the irony isn’t lost on me,” Trixie said after about thirty to forty minutes of searching, “Most people do everything in their power to break out of prison, and here we are, using a known escape route, to break into prison.”

Pinkie Pie giggled, “You know, despite how shitty this is, that’s actually kind of funny.”

Rainbow Dash snickered, “Considering what this place represents, yeah this is a real shitty situation.”

All of them started laughing at their circumstances, even Twilight from what Starlight heard. That made all of this a bit better, all things considered.

Eventually they found pathways that seemed to lead up to higher floors. It didn’t take long afterward for them to find a service ladder going up. Starlight let everyone go up ahead of her, despite wanting to rush up herself.

As they climbed up, Starlight tried using dream logic to dry her clothes and clean herself. It took a few tried, she had to block out the smell, but ultimately she made it work. She just imagined having a spell that could do it herself, which seemed to work. If the others didn’t think to do the same, she could always cast it on them.

“So Starlight, how’s the view down there?” Pinkie Pie asked. Starlight looked around, blinking in confusion as they were in a tunnel, so she couldn’t see much of anything.

“Um, I don’t know what you’re-” she stopped when she looked up, realizing Pinkie Pie was right above her. Due to how short her skirt was, Starlight could see pretty clearly her panties, which were surprisingly sexy underneath.

The fact Pinkie Pie was smirking down at her just made her feel even more awkward.

“Damn it, Pinkie Pie…” Starlight grumbled, making the Magical Girl above her laugh.

A few minutes of climbing later, they made it to the top. Trixie managed to get it open, and one by one they all filed out, arriving in what appeared to the showers.

“Oh, well this is a nice surprise,” Rainbow Dash said looking around, “Hey, wanna take a shower before we get moving.”

“First off, we’re still on a timer here,” Twilight pointed out, “Second off, this is a prison shower, so I wouldn’t trust anything there. Finally, you’re witches. Just magic up a spell to get clean or something."

“That’s what I did,” Starlight raised her hand, Pinkie Pie nodding beside her.

“Same. Remember when I climbed through that pink pentagram? That’s why,” Pinkie Pie explained.

Trixie frowned in thought. She then took off her hat, pulled a large blue curtain out of it, and wrapped it around her completely. She then took it off and tossed it aside. Not only was she clean, but the curtain broke up into a bunch of butterflies before vanishing completely, “You know, I get so caught up in the whole Persona thing that I forget that I’m an actual witch now.”

Rainbow Dash shrugged and let herself be engulfed in electricity, seemingly burning off the grime from the sewers, “Neat. Thanks for the tip,” she smiled.

“Sure, don’t mention it,” Twilight sighed, her wisp now looking around, “Now, where to next?”

Trixie walked around a bit, her gaze dropping to the floor, her eyes wide, “Okay, ew!”

“What’s up?” Rainbow Dash asked walking to see, her eyes widening, “Oh shit! Look around!”

Who's There? - Persona 4

Starlight and Pinkie Pie looked around. Pinkie Pie covered her mouth in horror and disgust, and Starlight was frozen in shock. She didn’t notice it before, but upon further inspection, the walls and floor were covered in thick white residue. Some of it looked fresh too.

“You, do know what this is, right…?” Twilight asked, horror evident in her voice and on her wisp.

“Yeah… yeah I do,” Starlight said mutely.

“This, this is disgusting,” Trixie said, “Like, it’s legit dirtier here than it was in the sewers.”

Pinkie Pie looked up and sucked in a breath, “G-girls…? Look up…”

They all looked up, seeing multiple hooks with shackles hanging from the ceiling. The shackles were all around where someone would be standing to actually get clean, and ironically that’s where it seemed the room was the filthiest.

“What, the actual fuck?” Trixie asked softly.

“This place,” Twilight said, her wisp floating around the shackles, “It seems almost like it’s made specifically for this.”

“I was under the impression showers were a place to get clean, not down and dirty!” Rainbow Dash exclaimed.

“Normally, I’d be inclined to agree,” Twilight said, “But judging from all of this, and what we saw in the courtyard, some aspect of Rarity’s mind seems to think otherwise.”

“Well well, what do we have here?” a masculine voice sneered from the entrance. They saw three prison guards walk in, dragging two apparitions of students with them on leashes. The one in the middle had a very impressive looking uniform with a similar badge to what Applejack’s apparition was wearing, “You were the witches who took out Blueblood, and then tried to abscond with Special Prisoner number 1.”

“Special Prisoner number 1?” Starlight asked, summoning her scythe and glaring at the Shadows, “Rarity!”

The Shadow in the middle laughed, “Oh right! That is her name! Honestly, we’re so used to calling her whore or cum dumpster that it tends to slip my mind!”

“Where is she?!” Pinkie Pie seethed, “I swear, if you hurt her, I’ll-”

“She’s currently with the Warden in one of the classrooms in this floor,” the middle guard said, “Not that it’ll matter in a bit. In fact, why don’t the boys and I help escort you?” the Shadows shed their assumed forms, revealing two Oni like the Shadow vexing Diamond Tiara’s Dungeon, and a new Demon in the middle. This one had purple skin, and was wearing purple and white robes similar to the Oni. It had long black hair, piercing blue eyes, and in its hand was a long scary looking blade.

DNF FW15C -ii- - Blue Reflection

“We’re not getting out of here until we take these guys out!” Twilight exclaimed, “Brace yourselves!”

The Oni on the left swung his blade in a wide arc, slashing all four of the witches back. The one on the right charged forward toward Rainbow Dash and raised its blade, preparing to slash downward.

“PERSONA!” Rainbow Dash shouted, summoning Eclair and having her block with her sword, “Damn it! These guys are stronger than the one we faced in Diamond’s Cell!”

“Everyone, go all out!” Starlight commanded, “Hold nothing back on them!”

“The new one’s ID is coming up as Sui-Ki!” Twilight shouted, “My terminal can’t get an accurate read on him though, so I don’t know a weakness!”

“Then we just hit it until it dies!” Trixie shouted, jumping back at the second Oni charged at her with his blade. She threw a card right in his face, making it explode with the snap of her finger and knocking him back. Before he could catch himself, Pinkie Pie rushed in and reared her fist back, summoning Serenity in the same position. The two then punched Oni back into his partner, just as Trixie summoned Elenora and tossed an Eiha spear at them, impaling both of them but doing minor damage since they both got right up.

Starlight and Morgana worked together, slashing and kicking Sui-ki and clashing blades with him. Somehow, he was able to take both of them on with relative ease. Both of them jumped back away from him, and Starlight slammed her scythe’s blade into the ground before her, pointing the Gun at Sui-Ki (YES she kept that on it, she liked it.). At the same time Morgana’s chest opened up, revealing her large cannon.

As Morgana and Starlight fired at Sui-Ki, he held his blade in front of himself to block their attacks. Meanwhile, Rainbow Dash held her blade in front of her, raising it up as she willed Eclair to hit all three of them with Mazio, only doing minor damage sadly.

Sui-Ki managed to hold out long enough till Starlight and Morgana’s attack finished, and then spun his blade above him. He then shot out a massive ice blast that knocked all of them back into the walls, actually freezing Trixie briefly and doing worse damage to her.

“Shoot! That looked bad!” Twilight cried, “We need a healing, and fast!”

Unfortunately, Sui-Ki saw an opening and took it, slamming his blade down on the frozen Trixie before anyone could react. She fell to the ground with a pain filled scream.

“Trixie!” Starlight cried. She summoned Morgana and cast Diarama on Trixie while Pinkie Pie cast Media on everyone as a whole, including Trixie.

The two Oni charged up their blades for another Rampage, but this time Rainbow Dash and Pinkie Pie both managed to block. Starlight got in front of Trixie to defend her as she was rising to her feet.

“This, this is too much!” Trixie panted, “Starlight, can you call in our High Priestess?”

Starlight closed her eyes and reached out to Diamond Tiara, feeling her heart stir, “Hope this works! Come forth, my loyal servant! Rise, High Priestess!”

The room was engulfed in a bright light, half of it turning into a stage with a stripper pole on it. Diamond Tiara stepped out onto the stage, catching the attention of all three Shadows.

“Hey boys~ Like what you see~?” Diamond purred, wrapping her leg on the pole as she began her elegant pole dance. Based on how all three Shadows had hearts in their eyes now, it looked like it worked.

“LEANAN SIDHE!!!” Starlight shouted, switching to her new Persona and casting Rakunda on the leader while he was distracted by Diamond. Pinkie Pie summoned Serenity and had her cast Tarukaja on Starlight, while both Rainbow Dash and Trixie charged up their next attacks with their Personas, Trixie using a spell she called “Mind Charge” while Rainbow Dash used “Power Charge”.

“Take the Oni out first!” Starlight commanded, “As soon at we attack, they’ll notice us, and they’re the biggest issue with their wide slash!”

Trixie nodded and held her hand out, “Elenora, Eiha!” Elenora appeared before Trixie and threw her spear at the Oni on the left like a javelin, impaling him in the head and surprising the two remaining Shadows.

“CHARGE ECLAIR FARRON!!!” Rainbow Dash roared, her Persona rushing out of Rainbow Dash and slashing through the other Oni, slicing it in half. As both of his allies fell to the floor dead, he looked around at both of them in horror and then up at Diamond, who just blew him a kiss and waved.

“Tootle-loo~” she said, vanishing in a purple light along with the stage, just as Morgana and Serenity charged at him. Morgana grabbed him by the head and held him up as Serenity lifted her leg to the side, hitting him with a rapid side kick Starlight was sure she saw in a fighting game somewhere*. Either way, the attack ended with Morgana slashing him in the stomach, knocking him to the ground with a critical hit.

“All Out Attack!” Starlight commanded her team, all four of them getting their weapons out and wailing on him. Much to their dismay though, none of this actually finished him off. When he rose to his feet, he raised his blade and spun it, preparing for another Mabufu it seemed.

“Everyone, guard up!” Starlight commanded. Right as everyone put up their defense, his launched the attack, like Starlight predicted, hitting everyone present.

“I can’t believe I’m saying this, but think Diamond could come in for an encore?!” Twilight asked Starlight, who shook her head.

“Not so soon!” Starlight explained, “That uses a lot of magic, summoning her, and I don’t want to risk disrupting her rest but so much!”

“Right, she’s not a Persona User!” Twilight groaned.

“It’s four against one now!” Rainbow Dash drew her sword and pointed it forward, “It’ll be tough, but we can at the very least wear him down!”

“How are we looking on time?” Pinkie Pie asked, stepping in beside Rainbow Dash.

“It’s about 3:17 now!” Twilight said, “Any idea when Rarity normally wakes up?”

“If she’s going to be helping with the farm work,” Pinkie Pie’s eyes widened, “She’ll be waking up at around 4:30 to 5:00!”

“Then we can’t waste time here!” Starlight said, “My previous command stands! Give him everything you’ve got!”

“You got it, Leader!” Rainbow Dash rushed at Sui-Ki, summoning her Persona once more and clashing blades with him.

“Help is on the way!” Pinkie Pie shouted, summoning Serenity and casting Media once more on everyone.

“SETANA!!!” Starlight shouted, switching to a new Persona she’d acquired a bit ago, this one taking the form of a young boy with short black hair, wearing silver and white armor, a fancy blue scarf that covered his mouth, brown cape, and wielding a spear in his hand.

Starlight commanded her new Persona to charge, which he did by jumping into the air and slamming is spear into Sui-Ki, creating an opening that Eclair took advantage of, slashing him upward with her blade. Setana stabbed upward with his spear, impaling Sui-Ki in the heart and making him flinch. He then fell limp on the spear before fading away.

Daydream - Blue Reflection: Second Light

Starlight was about to fall to her knees, but Trixie caught her, “Whoa there! Not sure you wanna fall out like that here.”

“Fair, enough,” Starlight panted.

“Geez, this place is insane,” Rainbow Dash groaned, “Hey, they said Rarity’s in a classrooms here, right?”

Starlight nodded, “Yeah! Let’s move!”

“What about them?” Pinkie Pie asked looking down at the students who were sitting on the ground, panting and moaning, touching themselves lewdly with their tongues hanging out.

“There’s no point in doing anything for them,” Twilight said, “It might sound heartless, but they’re not real people. They’re just apparitions.”

Pinkie Pie looked down, “Still…”

Trixie walked over to her and put a hand on her shoulder, “Let’s focus on saving the one prisoner here who’s real, okay?” Trixie asked with a smile. Pinkie Pie took a deep breath and nodded in agreement.

Scraper Sky High - Under Night In-Birth

Starlight and her coven pushed out of the Showers (using their respective cleaning methods once out just in case) and into the main hallway. Here they saw a number of Shadows walking around on walkways above them, but they managed to avoid detection for the most part, only having a few close calls here and there.

This floor seemed pretty standard and straight forward, with most of what they saw being various classrooms, or what they thought were classrooms. Thing was, looking inside each one showed less traditional classes and more various sex acts based on the classes in question.

And scarily enough, no Rarity in sight.

“You don’t think we missed her, do you?” Pinkie Pie asked.

“Judging from what I’m seeing on my mini map, Rarity should be close by,” Twilight mused, “Hang on. Let me check something… got her!”

“Where is she?” Starlight asked immediately.

“There’s a classroom four doors down on the left side! I’m getting her signal from in there, along with a number of Shadows!”

“It’s going to be a rough one, but let’s push on through!” Starlight said to her coven. They nodded and followed her to the classroom in question. As they got closer, they were greeted with the sound of heavy moaning, and screams of pleasure.

Inside the classroom, they found Rarity, but she was not in the state they expected. She was bent over a desk, wrists shackled to the desk to prevent escape, a number of “students” sitting at desks, and Shadow behind her, thrusting in and out of her pussy and gripping her hair.

Unlike with Blueblood though, she looked completely lust drunk. Her tongue was hanging out, her eyes rolled back, and she was groaning loudly in ecstasy.

“Seems, the chemical, came together nicely!” the Shadow grunted in between thrusts, one hefty thrust making Rarity scream in ecstasy. Looking around, Starlight noticed a number of other Shadows lining up for a turn too. She counted at least 10 or so.

“That’s bad!” Trixie whispered, the four of them gathering at the sides of the door and just peaking in, “We’re outnumbered, and we used a ton of magic in that fight in the shower area!”

“Rarity can’t handle all of those Shadows!” Pinkie Pie cried, “We can’t just leave her!”

“We need a diversion. Preferably one that doesn’t involve anyone being the bait, Trixie,” Twilight said.

“Hey! I learned my lesson from the last time!” Trixie defended.

Starlight looked around, noticing a tank of what looked like oil in the distance, “I bet if we destroyed that, the guards would gather there.”

Rainbow Dash looked at the tank and nodded, “Oh yeah. That’d make a huge noise.”

“Find a place to hide,” Trixie said, holding out a card, “I’ll set the trap.”

Starlight, Rainbow, and Pinkie Pie hid behind a nearby crate while Trixie snuck her way over to the oil tank. She stuck a Queen of Hearts card on it and rushed back over to her friends, where she then snapped her finger.

The tank exploded with a loud noise, attracting the attention of a bunch of Shadows. Thankfully all of the Shadows in the classroom seemed to join in that. Starlight peaked inside, and then motioned for her friends to follow suit.

end song

“Rarity!” Starlight cried, “Are you okay?!”

“Mmmm…!” Rarity moaned arching her back, “Please…! Help me…!”

“Don’t worry,” Pinkie Pie said, “We’ll unchain you in a bi-”

“NO!” Rarity demanded, “Help me get off!”

“I’m sorry, what?!” Rainbow Dash asked.

“Please…! I feel like I’m going crazy…!” Rarity groaned, biting her lip in ecstasy, “So… close…!”

“What’s going on here?” Trixie looked at Rarity confused, “She’s just like everyone else who’s a prisoner.”

Desire - Persona 5

“She’s being used as a test subject for our latest batch of potions,” a familiar voice said from the back of the classroom. They looked and saw a woman walking up to them, holding in her hands a riding crop. She wore a blue and golden Warden’s uniform and hat, but it looked almost like it was mixed with the look of a dominatrix. Despite the change in outfit, her magenta colored hair and her yellow eyes gave away who this was.

“Principal Cinch?!” Trixie cried.

“Yep! Checks out!” Rainbow Dash said holding her blade out at Cinch, “Cinch runs the school like a prison in the real world, right? Only right that she’d treat it like one in someone’s dream too!”

“The Guards said that there were witches roaming around here,” Shadow Cinch said looking around, “But to think, that it was the girls from Celestia’s dorm the whole time. Somehow, this doesn’t surprise me,” she turned her nose to the air and sneered imposingly at them, “That cunt always did enjoy poking her nose into things that weren’t her business.”

Twilight noticed Celestia beside her, gripping the back of the chair tightly. She looked up at the normally sunny woman, and she had a truly hateful glare on her face.

“Miss, Tia…?” Twilight asked carefully.

“I’d hoped, Rainbow Dash was wrong,” Celestia said, breathing heavily as she tried to keep her anger in check, “That Cinch, wasn’t such a horrible person, to intentionally harm one of my children,” she trembled, “I, have never been so, furious, in my existence.”

“Ah! Is she there now?” Shadow Cinch asked with a sneer, “I’d say I was surprised, but not really. I never believed your story about being a simple teacher.”

“I never told any lies,” Celestia said, her voice coming through clearly as she must have either borrowed Twilight’s mic, or had one of her own, “You on the other hand, assured me that you had our students’ best interests at heart.”

“My main concern is ensuring that Canterlot High maintains its status as the best Boarding School in the state,” Shadow Cinch said, bending the riding crop, “I’ll do whatever it takes to rise it to the top.”

“You’re hurting one of our students right now!” Celestia shouted, “I’m looking right at you! You can’t possibly convince me that THIS, all of THIS is for the school’s benefit!”

“What, you mean the way that dog is being treated?” Shadow Cinch asked, giving a haughty laugh, “All I’m doing is giving her exactly what she deserves!”

“What she, deserves…?” Pinkie Pie asked, her eyes widening. They all turned to look at Rarity, who was still writhing and moaning in pleasure, even as Cinch talked down to her.

“That mangy mutt has no business attending this school,” Cinch said imposingly, “She’s nothing more than a filthy stray I was all but forced to adopt. If I had my way, she’d be tossed onto the streets, right where she belongs.”

“You…!” Rainbow Dash seethed, electricity crackling around her. Starlight gripped her scythe tightly, her heart racing. Only person who set her off like this was Blueblood.

“She’s one of them, you know?” Shadow Cinch continued, “A Diamond Dog. She’s one of their members.”

“A member that you let enroll into the school in the first place!” Starlight shot.

“Like I said, I was forced into it,” Shadow Cinch narrowed her eyes at Starlight, “Same as with you, you unbalanced little whore!”

Morgana manifested immediately and charged at Shadow Cinch, claw out ready to impale the Warden, who whacked Morgana with the riding crop hard, actually doing serious damage to both her and Starlight, the latter of the two falling to one knee and holding her chest in pain.

“STARLIGHT!!!” everyone screamed at once, Pinkie Pie getting to work healing her immediately.

“Don’t forget your place here, Witch!” Shadow Cinch seethed, “I still have absolute power in these halls, so your magic does nothing to me!”

“So, this was your true face,” Trixie said softly, “Tell me something, Cinch. What was the real reason Blueblood’s abuse was put under investigation, and isn’t being taken seriously?” she slowly rose to her feet and looked at Shadow Cinch dangerously, “Go on. Tell me.”

Cinch turned her nose up to Trixie, “Oh that’s simple. Blueblood’s father? He’s one of the school’s top funders. All your father has done, is a few cheap magic tricks that got him labeled as a demon. Besides, I know you asked for it,” she narrowed her eyes and smirked, “Bet seeing what I’ve turned Dirty Diamond’s dream into really got you going, didn’t it?”

To her credit, Trixie didn’t lose her temper. She just pulled her hat over her eyes, “Thank you, Cinch. Right now, I feel better than I’ve felt in ages. Now, I can hate you, with every fiber of my being, without regret.” the way she smiled was kind of unnerving, “Feels nice, to get confirmation that you’re absolute scum.”

“Rarity’s coming with us,” Starlight said, Pinkie Pie helping her to her feet, “You’re not going to torture her, any more!”

“If you want to take her, than you’re welcome to try. I doubt you'll make it too far with her in this state though. Also,” Shadow Cinch snapped her fingers, and the room filled with Shadow Guards, “They’ll present a bit of an issue.”

All four of them summoned their Personas and glared at the Shadows surrounding them. They were not going to get out of here alive if they fought.

But, Starlight was not leaving Rarity behind. Not with this woman.

The Shadows charged at them, none of them taking on their true forms. While Elenora, Serenity, and Eclair fought the Shadows off as best as they could, Starlight got to work fiddling with the chains binding Rarity.

“I may not be able to get them off completely, but I can at least get you off this table!” Starlight said, “It’s going to be okay, Rarity!”

Rarity panted heavily, looking at Starlight with that same lust drunk look on her face. Starlight didn’t pay it any mind though, as she managed to get the chain broken so Rarity could at least escape the room.

“There!” Starlight said happily, “Now, let’s get goi-” Rarity got pushed Starlight against the wall behind her, looking at her almost like she was in heat, “R-Rarity…?”

“Can’t… can’t, control…” Rarity panted, leaning into Starlight, “Fuck me...! Fuck me HARD!!!!”

Starlight cried out in shock as Rarity pinned her to the wall best as she could shackled, and proceeded to kiss and lick her hungrily, “R-Rarity! Stop! What’s gotten into you?!”

“That’s her true state!” Shadow Cinch taunted with a haughty laugh, “She’s little more than a bitch in heat! All I did was bring that out in a way where she can do some good for a change!”

“Leader!” Rainbow Dash cried, flinching as Eclair was bashed in the stomach by a Shadow, “Shit! We gotta get outta here!”

“What about Rarity?!” Pinkie Pie asked as Serenity punched a Shadow back and then spin kicked another, “We can’t just leave her like this?!”

“In the state she’s in, I don’t think we CAN move her!” Twilight pointed out, “There’s Checkpoint down the hall!”

Trixie looked down at something, picking it up and hiding it in her jacket. She then pushed Rarity off of Starlight, two shadows grabbing Rarity before they could get her again, “Twilight’s right! We need to move!”

Everyone rushed out of the classroom behind Twilight's wisp, the guards close behind them. Starlight tried firing a blast of Ice from Morgana to slow them down, but they simply swatted the blast away with their batons, "Twilight, how close are we?!"

"It's down this hall!" Twilight said. Sure enough, down an abandoned hallway, they saw the Checkpoint, "I'm already connected to it, so hurry through!"

They ran to the door, Trixie and Starlight making it there first, but both stopped to make sure Rainbow Dash and Pinkie Pie made it inside. Right when they were close though, one of the Shadows threw out a net to try and capture them. Pinkie Pie saw just in time, but in a split second motion, pushed Rainbow Dash out of the way toward the others.

"Gah!" Dash cried, turning back to where Pinkie Pie was, "Pinkie Pie, no!"

"Dash, go!" Pinkie Pie urged, the Shadows pulling her back, "Please! They'll get you too!"

"I'd like to see them try!" Rainbow Dash summoned her Persona and charged forward, slashing through the Shadows but quickly getting overwhelmed.

"Dash, we don't have enough magic to fight all of them!" Twilight cried, "We have to-"

"I'm not leaving, without Pinkie Pie!" Rainbow Dash demanded, "ZIONGA!!!" Eclair shot a large bolt of lighting at one of the Shadows with a larger electric strike, killing it, but only it, and sadly Pinkie Pie was now pulled back deeper into the crowd.

Worse still, Rainbow Dash fell to one knee in exhaustion, Eclair fading in front of her.

Starlight hated doing this, but she had no choice. She grabbed Rainbow Dash's arm and dragged her over to the Checkpoint. Naturally Rainbow Dash pulled against her with all of her remaining strength.

"Dash, we need to go!" Starlight fussed.

"I'm not abandoning Pinkie Pie!" Rainbow Dash screamed, tears in her eyes, "If we don't get her out, then when Rarity wakes up-"

"We're not abandoning her!" Starlight shouted, catching Dash's attention, "But if we get caught now, who's going to save Pinkie Pie and us?!"

Rainbow Dash groaned in frustration, but looked back at Pinkie Pie, who was now being tied up by the Shadows, "I'll save you, Pinkie Pie! I promise!"

"I know you will, Dashie!" Pinkie Pie cried, "I have faith in you!"

Rainbow Dash and Trixie ran through the Checkpoint. Starlight gave Pinkie Pie an apologetic look before pushing through the door, which vanished promptly after. Starlight was definitely going to be checking on Pinkie Pie as soon as she woke up.

Author's Note

*Chun-Li's Lightning Leg Kick. That's what Starlight is thinking of.

Fool – Seekers of Light: 5/10
Magician – Trixie Lulamoon: 8/10 :heart:
Priestess – Diamond Tiara: 10/10 Thrall
The Empress – Ms. Tia: 4/10
Hierophant - Victor: 2/10
The Lovers - Pinkamena Diane Pie: 2/10
Chariot – Rainbow Dash: 3/10
Strength - Tokugawa Fluttershy: 2/5
Hermit – Sunburst: 2/10
The Devil – Silver Spoon: 5/10
The Sun - Sweetie Belle: 2/10
Transformation - Ms. Luna: 1/10

Click here to check out the Go Fund I'm starting for my parents, and consider either donating or sharing this on your social media accounts.

10/30

October 30th, 2019
Tuesday
Cloudy

Morning

As soon as they woke up, Starlight and Trixie shot out of bed and ran over to Pinkie Pie and Rainbow Dash’s room, meeting Celestia and Twilight along the way. Celestia knocked on the door, “Dash, Pinkie Pie, we’re coming in,” she said before opening the door.

Inside they saw Pinkie Pie and Rainbow Dash, both awake. Rainbow Dash had her arms wrapped around Pinkie Pie, who was trembling in her embrace and crying softly. She looked up at them with the saddest, most terrified look Starlight had seen on her.

Living with Determination - Persona 3

“Miss Tia…!” she sobbed. Immediately Celestia ran over to Pinkie Pie and held her.

“I’m sorry, my child…” Celestia said softly, tearing up herself, “I’m so sorry…”

“She’ll, be alright, won’t she?” Trixie asked carefully, “She woke up safely, so… when she goes into the Phase again, then she’ll just be with us, right?”

Twilight sighed and shook her head, “No, I’m afraid. Pinkie Pie’s become a prisoner in Rarity’s Dungeon now. Every time she goes to sleep, whether she’s wearing her Channeling Ring or not, she’ll be there, being tortured by the Shadows.”

“So… it’s just like when I had my Dungeon before…” Pinkie Pie said softly.

Rainbow Dash got up and walked over to their window, rubbing her face. Starlight walked over to Rainbow Dash and hugged her from behind.

I, I failed her…

“Rainbow Dash…” Starlight said softly. The pain in her heart was immense, to the point where she started crying.

“I, promised I’d keep her safe,” Rainbow Dash said, trembling as she began crying herself, “I promised that, what happened to her in her Dungeon, wasn’t going to happen again…”

“None of us knew this was going to happen,” Starlight said, “This isn’t anyone’s fault.”

“No one here, that is,” Trixie growled, leaning against a wall with her arms folded, “Cinch on the other hand…”

“I, still can’t believe that, she’s such a cruel and hateful person deep down,” Celestia said, “I, tried time and time again, to believe that somewhere inside of Abacus, she was a good person. Just, under immense stress, but still cared about the students,” she held Pinkie Pie tighter, breathing in and out heavily, “The way her Shadow spoke, though…”

“When you guys told me how bad Cinch was, I’ll admit, part of me was still skeptical,” Twilight sighed, “I, am so sorry you all have someone like that as your Principal.”

“What she was doing to Rarity, In her Dungeon,” Pinkie Pie asked softly, “The real Cinch is, doing the same things, to her here right?”

Twilight nodded, “That’s, the basic gist of it, yeah. I doubt it’s exactly the same, but her Shadow is definitely showing how Cinch actually feels about Rarity, and I can guarantee you that some of what she’s doing to her in her Dungeon, Rarity gets to experience while she’s awake.”

Pinkie Pie took a deep breath, “Then, this can work.”

“What can work?” Rainbow Dash asked sternly, she and Starlight turning to her.

“This, isn’t exactly how we wanted to do this,” Pinkie Pie said, a sad smile on her as she held Celestia, “And it’s going right into the trope Twilight said we weren’t going with, but… you have someone on the inside now, right?”

“Wait, are you saying what I think you’re saying?” Trixie asked, “Cause to me, it’s sounding like you’re offering to be an inside spy for us.”

Pinkie Pie nodded, “Cinch and Rarity don’t know what’s actually going on. They don’t know that the Dungeon is a real place. So, they’re not going to change their behaviors but so much. And, if I can get Rarity to trust me in the Dungeon, maybe I’ll open her heart in the real world, too.”

“Pinkie Pie… I…” Rainbow Dash bit her lip and groaned softly.

“If I keep my Channeling Ring on, I’ll be safe from the full effects of the Dungeon, right?” Pinkie Pie asked.

“Theoretically,” Twilight said, “You’ll still be trapped though, and I don’t know if you’ll be able to wake up the usual way. You might be, bound to that place until Rarity wakes up.”

“Well, not like I’m not used to this kind of treatment,” Pinkie Pie said softly, looking at her Ring, “This time though, I’ll have Serenity with me. Just, promise me you, won’t take, too long,” she closed her eyes tightly, “B-because I’m, terrified of that place, and what, Cinch, and her Shadows, will do to me…!”

“I promise,” Starlight said immediately, “We won’t keep you waiting for too long. We’ll rescue you, and Rarity.”

Pinkie Pie nodded, breaking down again. Starlight hated seeing her like this. They just rescued her, only for her to end up being trapped now in someone else’s Dungeon. Needless to say, breakfast and the walk to school were both filled with a dark, heavy atmosphere.

end song

Daytime

All of the students could tell something was wrong today. Celestia wasn’t her usual sunny self, being somewhat somber and distant, like she was mentally and emotionally somewhere else. She didn’t let it bleed over to her students, though, as she tried her best to be just as attentive and understanding, even helping someone with a question they had concerning the homework.

She really was an amazing woman.

Unfortunately, their troubles had only just begun, as the loud speaker came on right at the end of Homeroom.

“Attention Students of Canterlot High,” Rarity’s voice spoke, sounding utterly exhausted and just, done, “I am afraid I have unfortunate news. Due to the concerns surrounding the Diamond Dogs, the Nightmare Epidemic, and wanting the students to focus solely on Midterms,” Rarity took a deep breath, “Principal Cinch has decided it be best, for this year’s Halloween Party to be, canceled.”

“What?!” one student shouted, “You’ve gotta be kidding me!”

“That was the one thing I had too look forward to this month outside of midterms!” another groaned.

“That’s such bullshit, wanting the students to “focus on their studies”,” Lyra grumbled, “Cinch is just using this as an excuse to get rid of something we like, that's all.”

Starlight blinked at the general reaction to this, and then leaned into Trixie, “Is this Halloween Party, a huge deal?”

Trixie sighed and nodded, “Every year, the students essentially take over the school on Halloween Night. They dress up in costumes, role play, have drinks and snacks. It’s the one time we feel like this place is ours, you know?”

Starlight nodded and sighed. She’d been so caught up with Rarity’s Dungeon that she hadn’t even thought about a Halloween party. She had a costume, but it wasn’t entirely creative. Just a more overt and sexy witch’s costume she’d put together. Still, it was annoying that Cinch was trying to interfere with that.

Might have been related to her finding them in her Dungeon. Her attempting to exert more control over the school.

Celestia sighed as the announcement came to an end, “Damn it, Cinch…”

I'll Face Myself: Another Version - Persona 4

Pinkie Pie looked down thoughtfully, and then perked up, “You know what? No. I say we don’t stand for this,” she got up, catching everyone’s attention, “She wants to take away something that’s vital to this school because she doesn’t like it, right? Well, as per her own rules, we can dress however we want here in school.”

“What are you saying?” a boy from the front asked, “That we just, come to school in our costumes anyway?”

“That’s exactly what I’m saying,” Pinkie Pie nodded, “And not just tomorrow. We do this, for all of midterms.”

Starlight nodded and got up, “I agree. And afterward, we have our own party on Friday, this time in the town.”

“Cinch wants to take the school, then fine. She can have it,” Trixie said, rising up as well, “But she can’t take our spirits, no matter how much she may want to.”

Slowly, all of the student nodded in agreement to this.

“Yeah! We don’t have to take this!” one student said.

“Let’s spread the word as much as we can!” Bon Bon said, “See if we can get the whole school on board with this!”

“This is alright, right Miss Tia?” Lyra asked.

Celestia smiled and nodded, “Absolutely. I’ll talk to the staff about this, see if I can get them to participate in this as well.”

And just like that, the whole homeroom was cheering. Starlight turned to Pinkie Pie and smiled. Pinkie Pie giggled and twirled her hair around her finger, showing off her Channeling Ring. Now Starlight wondered if that was less Pinkie Pie, and more Serenity in that moment.

Either way, it was good she hadn’t lost her spirit from this.

After School

Memories of the City - Persona 3

By lunch time, everyone was talking about this plan to stick it to Cinch. Apparently Rainbow Dash had a similar idea, and was already rallying the students in her Homeroom to take a stand against this. It felt almost like this was her coven fighting against Cinch in the real world, which in a way, that’s exactly what this was.

It was a good distraction from the reality of the situation.

Starlight ended up going to Pep Squad, despite initially thinking she’d skip it. In truth, she needed this today. Thankfully Diamond confirmed that the school held Pep Squad pretty much all year around, they’d just be for different teams once football season was over. She was worried about Pinkie Pie, but Starlight assured Diamond that she’d be fine.

Whether she meant that or was just convincing herself, she didn’t know.

It took a while, but eventually Starlight was able to get into the proper head space. She felt significantly more graceful afterward. She was now a lot more elegant than she was when she first started out.

Disquiet - Persona 5

After Pep Squad ended, Starlight planned to just head right back to the dorm. For one, so she could get to studying for Midterms, and two, so she could come up with a battle plan for when they’d be going back inside the Dungeon. She walked down the hallway past the principal’s office, which was partially open. On instinct, she peaked inside and saw Rarity standing in front of Cinch’s desk, the woman in question eyeing her intently.

“I already said I’m doin' the best I can,” Rarity growled, her voice more gruff and lacking her usual elegance. That was Dirty Diamond in there.

“Really? Because it seems as though the Diamond Dogs are still roaming about,” Cinch said imposingly.

“Well, what are you expecting me to do? In case you forgot, Canterlot is their home to-” there was the sound of something slapping the desk, which made Rarity flinch back and yelp in surprise.

“You and I know damn well those mutts belong in the slammer! The second they got out of jail, they went right back to causing trouble in town! Why, just the other day a man claimed he was assaulted by those beasts!” Cinch fussed, “You said you could remove them, and yet they’re still walking the streets like they own the place. Am I going to have to go ahead and-”

“No!” Rarity cried desperately, “Please no! The Scarlets would be in trouble too if that came out!”

“The Scarlets, would be in trouble too…?” Starlight repeated to herself. What did Applejack’s family have to do with this…?

“They should have thought about that before they let an untamed stray into their home and into my school,” Cinch said darkly, “I’m giving you until November 9th to convince those dogs to find new territory, otherwise I’ll intervene, and I assure you that with the evidence I have on you, Miss Stark, you’ll be joining them in the pound. Now, get out of my sight.”

Rarity groaned. Starlight stepped away from the door just in time as it swung open, Rarity storming out and walking off down the hall. She hadn’t seen Starlight yet, so she waited until the door to Cinch’s office closed before she ran after her.

She found Rarity leaning against her locker, burying her face in her hands as she sobbed intensely. None of the strength and poise she usually had was present, nor was the gruff and ferociousness she sometimes displayed when she “let her hair down”.

Maya's Theme - Persona 3

All Starlight saw, was a girl in despair.

Starlight carefully approached her, “Rarity?” she asked. Immediately, Rarity looked over at Starlight and glared at her.

“What do you want?” she asked harshly, not even bothering with the mask. Really, Starlight was happy about that.

“I, wanted to see what was wrong,” she said, “I’ve never seen you cry like this before.”

“It’s nothing,” Rarity dismissed, turning to open her locker and grab her books.

“Rarity, the last time someone said “it’s nothing” after crying like that, she was being abused by her boyfriend!” Starlight insisted.

“Oh, so now you’re going to come in and rescue me, is that it?!” Rarity slammed her locker shut and walked over to Starlight, “What, am I your latest pet project?! The latest “damsel in distress” you want to rescue?!”

“You’re someone I care about!”

“I didn’t ask you to care about me!” Rarity screamed, tearing up.

“You’re right, but I do! I want to help you, and maybe I can help you, but you have to give me a chance to try!”

“I don’t have to do anything!” Rarity slammed her fist on a nearby locker, glaring hotly at Starlight, “I’m not, some weak, defenseless pup! I can take care of myself! I don’t need you or anyone getting involved with me! So do both of us a favor and butt out! Before I start getting violent!”

“You keep saying that you don’t need help, and that you’re not weak,” Starlight said, “But even right now, you’re crying! Why, Rarity? Why do you do this?! Why do you push away the people who are trying to help you?! Why can’t you just open up and admit that you need help, or at least confide in someone?!”

“Because it’s my problem, and no one else’s!” Rarity cried, “You wanna know why I’m pushing you away?! Why I won’t talk to Applejack or anyone about what’s going on?! I’m trying to protect you and everyone!”

Living with Determination - Persona 3

Starlight’s eyes widened. She was, trying to protect them…?

“Anyone, who gets too close to me and my situation, they end up getting hurt,” Rarity continued, trembling as if fighting the urge to break down, “It doesn’t matter who it is, or what they’re trying to do. Unless they’re my old gang, if they get too close, they suffer, and I have to sit there and watch!” the dam was breaking, “Wanna know something? I have it. The Nightmare Epidemic.”

“R-Rarity…!” Starlight teared up. She didn’t expect Rarity to admit that she had the Nightmare so soon. It spoke to just how deep into despair Rarity was in.

“Recently, you appeared in my dreams,” Rarity closed her eyes, “Trixie, Rainbow Dash, and, Pinkie Pie was there too. Seeing you there, fighting for me just like you are now, I actually began to have faith. Like, maybe it was going to be okay. And then, right at the end, I saw, I, s-saw…!”

“What did you see?” and why did Starlight’s heart feel funny.

“I saw, Pinkie Pie…” she sobbed, “She got captured too…! She was thrown in the Cell across from mine…!” she glared at Starlight, tears streaming down her cheeks, “Because that’s how it is! I’m a lost cause! Anyone who tries to help me, they end up paying the price for it!

Starlight was frozen in shock. Not only was she surprised that Rarity remembered so much detail, but also, she was horrified. Instead of giving Rarity hope, they drove her deeper into the pits of despair.

Rarity pushed past Starlight, stopping beside her, “Look, I don’t hate you, Starlight. In another life, I bet we could have been great friends. But, I’m too dangerous to get close to. Just do yourself a favor, and forget about me. I’m gonna die soon anyway, right? So just, let me die in peace, and take all of this misery with me.”

Wait, what? She wasn’t planning on… Did she just want to succumb to the Nightmare, and remove herself from the equation entirely?!

Rarity began walking away, but Starlight quickly turned around and grabbed her arm.

Damn it, Starlight I’m not worth it…! Just, let it go, please…!

“You’re worth it, to me!” Starlight insisted, surprising Rarity a bit, “I don’t care what I have to fight through, or what happens to me along the way, I’m not abandoning someone in need! Not when they’re suffering right in front of me!” she began crying now, “So, bark all you want. Scream at me, threaten me, shove me into a wall, I don’t care! Because, when I look at you, suffering on your own like this, I see myself, moments before I tried to end my life! No one was there for me, not until the last minute, but you have someone right here who’s willing to be a shoulder to cry on! I don’t know how much I can help you in the long run, but I can at the very least be there for you right now in this moment! SO please, Rarity, don’t push me away! Even if all I can do is hold you, then let me do that!”

“Why… do you give a damn…?” Rarity asked weakly, “I can’t give you anything… Outside of, this, I’m no one…”

“You’re someone to me,” Starlight hugged Rarity from behind, feeling both of them enter their dream attire, or in Rarity’s case, lack there of, “I don’t want anything in return. I just want you to be alright, even if only for a bit. Please, Rarity.”

Rarity slowly reached up to hold onto Starlight’s arms, and leaned into the hug. After a second, Rarity finally broke down, releasing emotions that she probably had been holding back for ages.

I’m, so tired of fighting like this!

It’s too hard, doing this alone!

Starlight tightened the embrace, nuzzling Rarity affectionately as she cried, “No more, honey. No more going at it alone. I’m here, and so is everyone else.”

“Everyone, else…?”

“My friends at the dorm, Miss Tia, and Applejack. We’re right there with you, so you can lean on us.”

“I, I can’t,” Rarity said softly.

“Rarity…”

“I know, you want to help, Starlight, and I appreciate it so much,” Rarity pulled out of the embrace, “But this, is bigger than Blueblood abusing Trixie. I, I have until November 9th to fix this, otherwise…”

“Otherwise…?”

“Otherwise, Applejack and her family will be in a lot of trouble,” Rarity answered, “Legal trouble.”

Starlight sucked in a breath. That, was definitely a big issue.

“Get it now?” Rarity asked, “It’s bad enough that Applejack and her family are involved with me. Last thing I need is for you getting in trouble. Please, just leave me alone,” and with that, she walked off, leaving Starlight alone and stunned. Now she really wondered how Applejack’s family was involved in this.

It was seriously beginning to sound like Rarity was in a huge heap of trouble. And what was worse, Starlight trying to help, seemed to just be making the situation worse. Was there, really no way out of this? Was this one issue, she couldn’t solve with her magic…? And if she couldn’t use her magic to help, then…

What good was she…?

Evening

Riku's Theme - Kingdom Hearts 2

Starlight came back into the Dorm, seeing Twilight already up and sitting on the couch as if waiting for her. She wasn’t used to seeing her up like this. Starlight signed herself in and then walked over to Twilight to ask why she was up so soon.

“Couldn’t sleep, really,” Twilight sighed, “Both because I’m worried about Pinkie Pie, and I heard Rainbow Dash and Miss Tia arguing.”

Starlight didn’t like that, “What about?” she asked with a frown.

“What do you think?” Twilight rubbed her eyes and groaned, “Rainbow Dash wants to rush right in to rescue Pinkie Pie, but Miss Tia insists that you wait till after midterms to go back inside.”

Starlight was about to protest, but she then remembered how the Phase worked. They weren’t going to get any rest if they went inside the Dungeon now, and Cinch knew about their presence now. She was most definitely going to be upping security now.

“Pinkie Pie is with Rainbow Dash right now trying to talk her down,” Twilight continued, “Miss Tia is in the kitchen with Trixie.”

“I’d have thought you’d want to be beside Miss Tia,” Starlight pointed out. She knew they were close after all.

“Trust me, I do, but I need to give you this information first,” Twilight turned to Starlight, “Trixie managed to get me a vial of that potion they were giving to Rarity and the other prisoners.”

“Did any of the keywords get us closer to Rarity’s last entry?” Starlight asked. Her heart sank as Twilight shook her head.

“Afraid not, sorry. But the keywords I found were telling.”

“What were they?” Starlight asked. Rather than say what it was, Twilight handed her a list, prompting her to read it herself.

Blue Lotus, Damiana, Cannabis, Psilocybe azurescens, Epimedium, Clavo Huasca, Catuaba, Maca, and Ginseng? What, were these? These weren’t the only ones on this list, either. There were a bunch of names on this list, some she knew, and some she had no idea about. And the ones she knew were odd choices, such as various nuts and even cocoa.

“What, am I reading?” Starlight asked after a bit.

“Those, Starlight, are various aphrodisiacs,” Twilight said, “Aka, things you take to get get horny.”

Starlight’s eyes widened at that, “All of these…?”

“Yep. And the fact all of them were found as keywords in that chemical compound, I can only surmise that potion was supposed to contain all of them at once. By the way, some of those are things that are either imported from other countries, or are illegal in the United States.”

Starlight slowly sucked in a breath. It did seem like Rarity was into some really shady business, and this just added to that. Maybe she was in legal trouble.

“That looks says you know something about this,” Twilight noted. Starlight told her a bit about what she learned about Rarity’s situation, and how the Scarlets might be looking at legal issues if they didn’t solve this Dungeon by November 9th, “Wait, seriously?”

“That’s what she said,” Starlight confirmed, “She wouldn’t tell me what it was that happened, but I can guess that something’s going on behind the scenes here, and Applejack’s family is directly intertwined in this.”

“We need to track down that apparition of Applejack and interrogate her,” Twilight said, confusing Starlight a bit, “She may be an illusion, but she’s an illusion made by Rarity’s subconscious, meant to act like an actual person. She can give us information about Rarity’s psyche that we can use to get more keywords.”

“But none of that’s going to happen until after…” Starlight trailed off.

Twilight sighed, “I really hate the timing of this. Unfortunately, Miss Tia does need you all to at least not fail your classes in order to keep moving around as freely as she does.”

“Meaning that if we let this affect our grades…”

“Miss Tia will get in a lot of trouble,” Twilight confirmed, “She’s got a lot of things here in the dorm that aren’t up to school code. That computer upstairs was brought in secretly, and I’m not a student at Canterlot High, so me staying here is under special conditions. If you girls fail your classes and Miss Tia is investigated, our whole operation could be canned.”

Starlight closed her eyes pained, “Okay yeah. We, we should probably sit tight. If nothing else, for you and Miss Tia’s sake.”

Traumerei - Persona 4

“Thank you,” Twilight got up and walked to the kitchen, but stopped, “You’re, doing pretty good as leader, Starlight.”

“You, think so?” Starlight asked, a bit surprised by how, nice Twilight sounded.

“Yeah. I hate it, but the whole Trickster thing, you really are special.” Twilight said. Starlight didn’t need her empathic touch to tell just how sad Twilight was.

“I, really don’t think I’m all that special,” Starlight admitted, “Besides, my actions are only making Rarity’s Dungeon worse, and now that Pinkie Pie’s captured…”

“Making her Dungeon worse? What do you mean?” Twilight turned back to Starlight a bit.

“Rarity, mentioned that anyone who tries to help her, they get in trouble too,” Starlight said in a low voice, her heart feeling heavy, similar to how she felt moments before she decided to end her life, “Pinkie Pie being caught, it matched her feelings. She saw Pinkie Pie in her dream captured, and, now she’s thinking that…”

“That this is proof, that she’s better off just… dying,” Twilight finished for Starlight, who closed her eyes tightly and trembled, “You’re, really taking this hard, aren’t you…?”

“I told her, I’d help her no matter what…!” Starlight held her arms tightly, hyperventilating a bit, “But, I don’t know, what I can do…! The only thing I can do to help right now is use my Magic, but it’s not working…! If I can’t save Rarity, then I can’t get the White Wolf, and Igor said I’ll need that in order to put an end to the Nightmare Epidemic, and I still have no idea what that even means and I don’t even know if I can rescue Rarity now, and I just-”

“Starlight!”

Starlight stopped, opening her eyes. Twilight was right in front of her now.

“First, breathe,” Twilight insisted. Starlight took a few deep breaths to calm down, “Look, I’m not as warm as Miss Tia, I know that. But, I also know that this is, a lot to deal with. Especially with you being, well…”

Starlight closed her eyes sadly, “How much, do you know about my suicide attempt?”

“Only that you tried to kill yourself. Miss Tia didn’t tell me the details, and honestly, I think that’s something better heard from the one who attempted it, when she’s ready. One of things I had to study on back in the Kirijo Group was psychology, so I see where this is going. Tell me something, why did you decide to live? Just, be honest with me.”

“I, I wanted to live, so I could use my magic, to help people,” Starlight answered, “So I could, be the Light, to someone else’s darkness.”

Twilight nodded, “Okay. Good. You have the right attitude, but what does that mean for you? Are you actually okay, or are you just using this to not face how you really feel?”

“I… I don’t know how to answer that…”

Twilight sighed, “I see. Well, at least you’re honest.”

“I, want to say that I’m okay, but the thought of not being able to do anything with my power scares me. I sought out Rarity’s Dungeon myself, made it a personal goal to rescue her. Yet, all I seem to do is drive her away and make her situation feel even worse. What’s worse, now I put Pinkie Pie in danger, and she just got free from her Dungeon. You said I’m doing a good job as leader, but I’m not, Twilight. I’m a terrible leader, and I’m not the Trickster that you and Miss Tia think I am. I, landed in the Velvet Room by accident, and Igor just, gave me the contract to sign. I’m not who anyone thinks I am.”

“Tell that to Trixie,” Twilight said, “Tell that to Diamond Tiara, Silver Spoon, and Pinkie Pie.”

“Pinkie Pie is-”

“She’s a Persona User,” Twilight pressed, “She has power now. Is her situation ideal? No, not at all. But so long as she keeps her Channeling Ring on, Serenity will keep her safe. You saving Diamond Tiara not only gave her power, but you stopped Silver Spoon from getting a Dungeon herself.” Twilight turned away and rubbed her arm sadly, “And, it frustrates me to no end, but you, were able to do the one thing I couldn’t. You saved Trixie. Miss Tia and I watched her Dungeon for months, and tried multiple things to save her, but you succeeded in a little over a week. I, don’t know what you mean by landing in the Velvet Room by accident. I didn’t even know that was a thing, honestly, but…”

“I, can explain what I mean, if that’d help,” Starlight offered, Twilight nodded, “When I, you know, I think I did die partially. But, instead of ending up wherever souls go when they die, I ended up sitting across from Igor in the Velvet Room. Even he was surprised by it, and said that no one had ever entered the Velvet Room like that.”

Twilight frowned, “Huh. Okay, I can see why you’d think that, but let me offer a counterpoint. What if, the reason you ended up there was because, some part of you knew you had to live?”

“Like, my Shadow…?” Starlight asked.

“Yeah, actually. Normally the Shadow is the side of you that’s secretly longing for death, but if you consciously wanted to die, maybe your subconscious disagreed with that. So that part of you, trying desperately to live, sought asylum in the one place it knew you’d be able to stop and rethink your decision.”

“But, would that make me the Trickster?” Starlight asked, turning away from Twilight, “What if, someone else was supposed to land there, and I just ended up getting there first?”

Twilight folded her arms and thought before speaking, “The Velvet Room, doesn’t make mistakes. If you landed in there, for whatever reason, then you were supposed to be there at that moment. As for whether or not that makes you the Trickster, the better question I think is, do you want to be the Trickster?”

“I… I want-”

“Don’t. Not yet,” Twilight insisted, “For right now, take this time to just, be a student. Finish your midterms, try to have fun on Halloween, spend some time with your friends, and figure out what you actually want to do. Friday night, give me your answer.”

“I, will. And um, thank you, Twilight,” Starlight smiled a bit.

“I’m, just trying to-” she stopped and sighed, “You’re, welcome, Starlight.”

With that, Twilight went back into the kitchen. A bit later, Trixie stepped out, looking a bit tired.

“Hey Starlight,” Trixie said, “How are you holding up?”

“Being perfectly honest, not well,” Starlight admitted, “Think after studying a bit tonight, we could just…”

“Relax and cuddle?” Trixie asked, “I, was going to ask for that myself. If we’re going to be taking a break until after midterms, I’d like to actually use this time to, actually recover, you know?”

Starlight nodded, feeling like she was going to cry again. Without prompting, Trixie walked over to hug Starlight, rubbing her back as she cried softly in her arms. She’d tell Trixie about what was going on later, but for right now, she just needed this closeness.

She was tired of being everyone’s light right now. So for the time being, she’d let Trixie be hers.

Author's Note

Fool – Seekers of Light: 5/10
Magician – Trixie Lulamoon: 8/10 :heart:
Priestess – Diamond Tiara: 10/10 Thrall
The Empress – Ms. Tia: 4/10
Hierophant - Victor: 2/10
The Lovers - Pinkamena Diane Pie: 2/10
Chariot – Rainbow Dash: 3/10
Strength - Tokugawa Fluttershy: 2/5
Hermit – Sunburst: 2/10
The Devil – Silver Spoon: 5/10
The Sun - Sweetie Belle: 2/10
Transformation - Ms. Luna: 1/10

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11/1

November 1st, 2019
Thursday
Sunny

Morning

School Days - Persona

Starlight was worried that the students would chicken out, but as she and Trixie walked to school together, they were both happy to see that everyone was still in costume, and still happily role playing. Trixie especially was having the time of her life being Starlight’s pet cat, holding onto Starlight’s arm and happily purring.

“Someone’s enjoying themselves,” Starlight chuckled.

“I didn’t think I’d enjoy being a cat so much, but I could get used to this,” Trixie said nuzzling Starlight, who was once again struck by how accurate she sounded to a real cat purring.

“Honestly, so could I,” Starlight leered at Trixie, looking down the top of her dress, “The view’s very nice.”

Trixie giggled, a light blush on her cheeks, “Glad you’re appreciating it. As long as it’s for you, I can be sexy like this. It’s nice every so often, you know?”

Starlight nodded in agreement. She did enjoy the attention she got for dressing provocatively, and got a ton of compliments for her costume yesterday. From what she heard, everyone did, especially Pinkie Pie, who according to everyone who saw her, radiated the tragic air of her chosen character perfectly.

Speaking of Pinkie Pie…

“Have you gotten to really talk to Pinkie Pie about, you know?” Starlight asked Trixie, who shook her head.

“No, I haven’t. She keeps insisting that she’s okay but, I dunno…” Trixie frowned, “Seems kinda forced, you know? What about you? Has your Empathic Touch revealed anything?”

Starlight shook her head. Every time she tried to get close enough to use her Empathic Touch on Pinkie Pie, she always pulled away right before she could fully get an impression, and her emotions were super guarded.

In fact, she got the impression of Serenity every time she tried. Almost like Pinkie Pie was using her Persona to block out Starlight’s magic.

All of this she explained to her girlfriend, who pursed her lips, “She’s hiding something. Something big.”

“Let’s keep an eye on her today,” Starlight said, “Make sure she doesn’t have a meltdown or anything.”

“Agreed,” Trixie nodded, but then sighed, “I hate keeping her waiting in there…”

Starlight did too, but they couldn’t do anything until after Midterms. Hopefully things wouldn’t be too bad, and they could get her out as soon as possible. They still only had a week to rescue Rarity. Not a lot of time, all things considered.

This was going to be close, either way…

Daytime

Today’s Midterms were all Science based, so she had a full dose of Cheerilee today as well. She decided to go as the Bride of Frankenstein, which was honestly pretty appropriate for her. She wore the costume well, too.

Science, was Starlight’s worst subject. She knew she wasn’t going to do well on this one, despite studying extra hard on this. She was sure that her Physics score would save her from failing this, Chemistry and Biology damn near killed her. She was not pleased with her performance on these tests at all.

Afternoon

“Aw, cheer up, Leader,” Rainbow Dash said, Pinkie Pie beside her and rubbing her back, “I’m sure you’ll do good on the other tests.”

“So long as you don’t fail Math and History tomorrow, you should be fine,” Pinkie Pie said, “Hey, what if we all go to the library together and study for a bit?”

“Sounds good to me,” Rainbow Dash nodded, “Hey, let’s track down Lulamoon, see if she’s up for joining us too.”

Starlight nodded, feeling a bit better knowing her friends would help her out.

“I’ll meet up with everyone at the library,” Pinkie Pie said, “I’m gonna get some books from my locker.”

“I’ll come with,” Rainbow Dash offered, but Pinkie Pie giggled and shook her head.

“It’s fine, Dashie. It’ll only take a few minutes,” she leaned into Rainbow Dash, “Wait for me, my knight.”

Rainbow Dash sighed with a slight smile, “Okay. I’ll wait for you in the library.”

“Thanks,” Pinkie Pie kissed Rainbow Dash and then hugged her and Starlight, “See you in a bit, girls~”

As Pinkie Pie skipped off, Rainbow frowned. Starlight asked Rainbow how she seemed, “Honestly, about the same as this. I know when she’s hiding something, but she refuses to tell me anything.”

“I can’t get anything form her with my empathy either,” Starlight sighed, “She keeps using Serenity to block it when I try.”

“Damn it, Pinkie Pie,” Rainbow Dash growled, “What’s going on with you?”

She knew that she was coming off evasive, and it was making her friends worry, but she needed to take this time to herself. Especially after last night in the Dungeon. She still hadn’t told them about the latest development, mostly because she wasn’t sure how to approach the topic. That Blueblood’s Shadow was-

Disquiet - Persona 5

Two hands appeared at the sides of her head, trapping her behind her locker, “You’re looking lovely today, “Your Majesty”.”

Pinkie Pie closed her eyes tightly, “Blueblood.”

“Pinkie Pie, let me!”

Pinkie Pie took a deep breath, and mentally moved aside, feeling Serenity jump into control. She then turned to glare at Blueblood, who was one of the few students not in costume today. During Halloween though, he came as a Robin Hood styled thief. Him being a thief was a much better look than what he was now in the Dungeon.

How his Shadow managed a position like that, Pinkie Pie wasn’t sure she wanted to know.

“What do you want, Blueblood?” Pinkie Pie/Serenity asked, “My friends are waiting for me.”

“I’m sure they can wait a few minutes,” Blueblood said, caressing her cheek, only for Pinkie Pie to lightly slap his hand away, “Oho! The Princess has spirit!”

“You’re a real piece of work,” Pinkie Pie said, “Bad enough you gaslight Trixie. Now, you not only got Rarity to spread her legs for you, but you’re coming to me now? You really are pathetic.”

“Watch it, Pinkamena,” he narrowed his eyes, “Your “knight”, the witch, and her pet pussy aren’t here to protect you.”

“I don’t need them to protect me,” Pinkie Pie said, “Least of all from a scumbag like you. Now, why don’t you get the part where you tell me what you want, so I can tell you to fuck off, and go about my day?”

“You know exactly what I want,” Blueblood leaned in, sniffing her hair, “Little Miss Maverick, turning the school against Principal Cinch like this.”

“Okay, no. That’s not happening,” Pinkie Pie went to push him off of her, “Now, why don’t you go shove your dick into a meat grinder or somethi-” he grabbed her wrists and held them to her locker, making her gasp.

This was just like what happened in the Dungeon. Oh God, this was his Shadow pushing through in the real world…!

“And here I was, trying to be nice,” Blueblood growled, “How about this then. Either you come spend some quality time with me, or I just track down Miss President and give it to her even rougher? Your call?”

“What, is even the point of this?” Pinkie Pie’s heart was racing, “You and I barely talk to each other, we have virtually no connection outside of the fact you abused one of my friends and are now abusing another.”

“If anything, it’s your own fault, dressing all sexy like this,” he lifted her wrists above her head, holding them together with one hand and groping her with the other hand, “You, Beatrix, Rainbow Dash, and Starlight always walk around like you own the place. Makes me sick, you know? Like you think you’re better than the rest of us.”

“Pretty sure, that’s, just you,” Pinkie Pie tried not to moan, but her breasts were really sensitive. Not helped by that potion seeming to have a lingering effect on her. She looked around, praying someone was there to see this. That someone was going to walk by and see what he was doing.

“Hoping someone will see?” Blueblood sneered, “Don’t bother. I checked. No one is in this hall except for us,” he squeezed a bit more now, making Pinkie Pie close her eyes tightly, “Concerning you, I just figured I’d knock you down a peg. Make sure you remember who runs this school.”

“Not, you, I know, that!” Pinkie Pie gritted her teeth, and tried to twist her wrists free of his grip. Damn it! Why was he so strong right now?! Was this because she was imprisoned in Rarity’s Dungeon too?!

“Please. My father might as well be Cinch’s boss, and I’m her favorite student as a result of being his son,” Blueblood narrowed his eyes, “He could buy this school if he wanted, and with it, I’d practically own everyone in this dump, you especially. Now, I’m going to get some either way, but it’s up to you if I’ll be getting it from you, or if you’re going to throw “Dirty Diamond” under the bus to save your own ass.”

Pinkie Pie looked down and shut her eyes. This was all a game to him. He had no other reason to do any of this than to just torture her and Rarity. Her heart was racing so much that her chest hurt, and she wanted to cry so bad right now. She never hated anyone in her life, but Blueblood was close.

But what she hated most, was what she knew she was going to do…

Someone did see this though. They werea young girl with curly light blue hair and red eyes, watching this from behind a corner. She wore a somewhat revealing black and red ninja costume, choosing to take part in the festivities. She worked hard on this Ninja costume, and she was going to wear it, damn it.

“You’re playing a dangerous game. You have no idea that you've put yourself in check,” she said, pulling out a red rook chess piece, her prized possession, and admiring it, “Can't wait to see this blow up in your face, Big Brother…”

end song

Starlight, Trixie, and Rainbow Dash had since met up and reserved a table in the library toward the back. Here they could study in peace and talk about Persona relates stuff without anyone overhearing.

Right now though, all anyone could focus on was the one who was now close to twenty minutes late, and hadn’t answered her phone.

“I knew it,” Rainbow Dash paced back and forth, “I knew I should have just insisted on going with her.”

“I’ll try calling her again,” Trixie said, pulling out her phone, “Maybe she’ll pick up this time.”

Starlight looked by the library entrance and saw Pinkie Pie step inside slowly. Her eyes were closed, and she looked really upset about something, “She’s here, but something’s wrong.”

Rainbow Dash looked, and was about to run over to her, but Trixie held out a hand to stop her, “Lulamoon-”

“Let her come here to us,” Trixie urged, “We don’t want to make a scene, just in case something did happen.”

Rainbow Dash sighed and nodded, letting Pinkie Pie approach them. Immediately once she arrived, she fell into Rainbow Dash’s arms, crying in her chest.

Living with Determination - Persona 3

“Tell us what happened,” Rainbow Dash requested gently, Trixie and Starlight standing beside them.

“I’m sorry…” she sobbed, “I, had no choice…”

Starlight looked around a bit before speaking, “Pinkie Pie, I’m going to use my Empathic Touch, okay? Will you let me?” Pinkie hesitated, but she eventually nodded. Starlight placed her hand on Pinkie Pie’s back and opened herself up.

Blueblood…! He’s still in Rarity’s Dungeon, and he got to me…! I, I had no choice but to let him have his way, otherwise he’d…

Starlight pulled her hand back and sucked in a breath, “Blueblood…”

“What did he do to Pinkie Pie?” Trixie asked in a low voice, her ears folding back and her tail standing up, getting noticeably fatter.

“Not sure what he did to her here,” Starlight spoke in a low voice, “But he definitely is still inside Rarity’s Dungeon, and I think he got to Pinkie Pie, and forced himself onto her.”

Trixie’s eyes widened, and she turned to look at Pinkie Pie, “Oh God no… Pinkie Pie, I don’t…”

Rainbow Dash held Pinkie Pie tighter, “We have to get her out of that Dungeon…”

“I’ll, I’ll be fine, for one more night.”

“Um, I strongly disagree,” Trixie protested, “I know Blueblood, okay? Once he gets his grips on you, he doesn’t let go. At least if we free you, we can-”

“Girls, I did it to protect Rarity,” Pinkie Pie said weakly, “If I hadn’t, he’d have brutalized her. He gave me an ultimatum. Either, I do what he says… or he takes it out, on Rarity…”

Starlight shut her eyes. She hated it, but Pinkie Pie might have just saved Rarity’s life. Still though…

“Leader, I need you to make the call here,” Rainbow Dash said, “Because I know what I want to do, and I’m sure that’s the wrong move.”

Starlight sighed, “Sad as it is, it sounds like he made it so Pinkie Pie went to him “willingly”, so even if we try to tell anyone, he’d just spin this in his favor.”

“And with Cinch’s Shadow being the Dungeon Master, I can guarantee you she won’t do anything to help us,” Trixie sighed, “Damn it…! So what do we do? Nothing?”

“Right now, the most we can do is empower and uplift Pinkie Pie in the real world,” Starlight said, “What happens out here affects the dream world, so that means there’s a chance that Rarity’s safe in the Dungeon, at least from him. Pinkie Pie just needs to last one more night in there, and then we can rescue her. So let’s just focus on ensuring she can survive that night.”

“Girls, Blueblood took pictures of it,” Pinkie Pie said softly, “He, even recorded me, taking my costume off, for him.”

“Leave that to me,” Rainbow Dash assured Pinkie Pie, “They’re on his phone, right? I get that, I can delete 'em.”

“Without him knowing?” Pinkie Pie asked. Rainbow Dash made a finger gun motion to one of the lights in the library and shot at it, making the light go out suddenly.

“Without him knowing,” Rainbow Dash smiled, “So no fretting, alright Princess?”

Pinkie Pie nodded, now smiling a bit, “Thank you, my Knight.”

Trixie looked to the side thinking, “You know, there’s a chance the thing he’s using to blackmail Rarity is on that phone too.”

“You think he’d be that dumb to keep it on his phone?” Starlight asked Trixie.

“I think he’d be that cocky,” Trixie corrected, “Blueblood thinks he’s untouchable because of who his Dad is. He doesn’t have to worry, because chances are, his Dad’s going to bail him out of any real trouble. Now, it’d be smarter to save them on his computer or something, but if he thought THAT far ahead, I'd be genuinely surprised. ”

“If he loses those pictures, then he can’t keep blackmailing Rarity,” Rainbow Dash smirked, “Alright then. When the time is right, I’ll get a hold of his phone and get those pictures off it.”

“You’re going to be fine, Pinkie Pie,” Starlight assured her, “In this Coven, we look out for our Sisters.”

“Thank you, girls,” Pinkie Pie smiled tearfully, “Thank you all so much.”

Spike, still wearing his Riku Halloween Costume (KH2), listened closely from behind the bookcase nearest them. He had no idea what they meant by Dungeons, or how Rainbow Dash shorted out that light, but he knew two things for certain.

Blueblood was raping Rarity, and he just did the same thing to Pinkie Pie.

“I fucking knew it,” Spike said, looking at his phone, of the picture of Rarity laying on the floor, blazer and blouse open, panties removed with cum coating her vaginal area and leaking out, a look of utter exhaustion and shame on her face, “I knew you wouldn’t fuck that asshole without being forced…”

He pocketed his phone and then walked off. He didn’t know what Rainbow Dash was going to do, but she needed Blueblood’s phone, right? He could get a hold of that no problem. It was dishonest, sure, but anything to help Rarity.

Regardless of whether or not she ever returned his feelings, Blueblood crossed a line big time by hurting his friend.

Author's Note

Fool – Seekers of Light: 5/10
Magician – Trixie Lulamoon: 8/10 :heart:
Priestess – Diamond Tiara: 10/10 Thrall
The Empress – Ms. Tia: 4/10
Hierophant - Victor: 2/10
The Lovers - Pinkamena Diane Pie: 2/10
Chariot – Rainbow Dash: 3/10
Strength - Tokugawa Fluttershy: 2/5
Hermit – Sunburst: 2/10
The Devil – Silver Spoon: 5/10
The Sun - Sweetie Belle: 2/10
Transformation - Ms. Luna: 1/10

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11/2

November 2nd, 2019
Friday
Sunny/PM Partially Cloudy

Morning

School Days - Persona

This time around, Starlight ended up going to school on her own, hoping to just clear her head a bit. These were the last few tests, and today was History. She had to make sure that she was ready for it.

“So like, did you see Fluttershy’s costume?” one male student asked his friend in front of Starlight as they walked to school.

“Oh yeah! Like, hot damn, right?” his friend exclaimed, “She always looks hot, but in that costume? How’d she get that past Cinch?”

“I have no idea, man. But I’m glad she did. She’s been really getting into the role playing aspect, too. Let me take a picture and everything.”

Starlight usually ran into Fluttershy around the time she’d have these classes. Maybe she could see her and catch up with her later. She really needed something to lift her spirits.

Daytime

Ms. Harshwhinny dressed as a scientist for Halloween. Honestly, Starlight was surprised, as she was almost certain that she’d side with Cinch and her few supporters in being against this Three Day Halloween, but no. She came in full costume. Honestly, Starlight had a new respect for Harshwhinny.

These two were a bit rough, but she wasn’t too bad at them. She was really proud of herself for managing to get such a good grade in Math. Even with all that she had on her mind, she somehow pulled it off.

History was a bit harder, but she knew Celestia couldn’t play favorites. That just meant she had to do extra hard on the test. She didn’t do as well as she did in Math, but she felt good about her answers. Overall, she came away from these in a much better mood than she was yesterday.

After making sure she finished essay question the way she wanted it, Starlight went up to hand her test to Celestia, who was still in her super sexy Helen of Troy costume. Starlight couldn’t tear her eyes off of her homeroom teacher’s breasts, much to her shame.

“I see you chose to take a bit of extra time on the question,” Celestia noted with pride. It took a second for Starlight to snap herself out of her daze.

“Um, yes,” she nodded smiling, “I mean, with you being my dorm mistress, I want to make you exceptionally proud.”

“I appreciate your hard work,” Celestia took her test with a loving smile, “But don’t feel like you’re under any extra pressure to succeed, alright? Even if you didn’t do well, I’d simply walk you through what you got wrong, and help you do better next time.”

“Thank you, Miss Tia,” Starlight looked down a bit smiling. She couldn’t take how warm and loving Celestia was. Here she was worried about her reaction if she didn’t do a good job, and Celestia wasn’t even going to be upset. She really was a good teacher, and Starlight was happy to have her as the caretaker of her dor-

end song

“Would Miss Starlight Glimmer please report to the Principal’s Office?” Cinch’s voice was heard on the loudspeaker. This was followed by murmuring from the students.

“What does she want?” one student was heard asking.

“Think Starlight’s in trouble?” a girl asked from the back of the classroom.

“How?” her friend asked, “Starlight’s one of the most chill people I know!”

Starlight had a feeling she knew what this was. Cinch’s Shadow was the one who wanted to meet with Starlight. Throughout midterms, she had this feeling Cinch was keeping an eye on her, and a few times she caught Cinch glaring at her from a distance.

She didn’t like this, and based on how Celestia pursed her lips, she didn’t either.

Trixie frowned at this, folding her arms under her breasts. She met eyes with Pinkie Pie, who bit her lip nervously, gripping the skirt of her dress tightly under her desk.

“I’ll, meet up with everyone after this,” Starlight said as Trixie got up to hand Celestia her test. At the same time, she leaned into Starlight.

“I'll text you in a bit,” she whispered to Starlight, who nodded and left the classroom. On the way, she walked past Rainbow Dash’s classroom, and briefly met eyes with her. Based on the tense look on her face, she didn’t like this either.

When she arrived, Starlight knocked on the door to the office, “Come in, Starlight.”

Disquiet - Persona 5

Starlight took a deep breath and opened the door. She hated this room so much. It was cold, and felt so dark and uninviting. Not helped by Principal Cinch, sitting behind the desk with her hands resting under her nose. She had the audacity to be sitting a lot like Igor did in the Velvet Room, but when he did it, he looked contemplative, and still radiated warmth. Cinch just looked imposing, and cold.

“Have a seat,” Cinch requested. Starlight pursed her lips and sat down in the chair before her desk, “You seem to be having fun, dressing like that despite Halloween being over two days ago.”

“Nothing in the rules says we couldn’t,” Starlight answered.

“Indeed? I’ll have to take another look at that, then,” she pursed her lips imposingly, “Can’t have the students thinking they run the school.”

Did this woman hate fun? She hated fun, that’s all this was. That had to be it.

“Who’s idea was this little charade?” Cinch asked, “I’ve heard multiple sources. Some say that it was Pinkamena who came up with it, some are saying it was a joint effort between all of the girls in the Starswirl Dorm, which leads me to think that Celestia put you all up to this.”

And there it was. The Celestia hate. Why did this woman despise Celestia so much? Was it because she was a free spirit? Because she didn’t know where she came from? Either way, Starlight knew what she was doing. She was baiting her. If she said this was Pinkie Pie’s doing, her Shadow might do something to hurt her in the Dungeon, and if she let her believe it was a joint effort, Celestia could be in a lot of trouble. She still wasn’t sure what she’d do concerning Rarity, but, right now she needed to face Cinch not as a student, but as a Witch.

She internally called forth her Persona, and let Morgana’s energy consume her, guide her.

“It was my idea,” Starlight said, crossing her leg and sitting like she would in the Velvet Room in her witch attire.

The way Cinch narrowed her eyes at Starlight made her smiled internally. She could feel her anger focusing on her, “Truly?”

“Thought it’d be fun,” Starlight rested her middle finger on her temple as she leaned more to the side of the chair, “A good way to turn Midterms into something more, uplifting.”

Cinch took a deep breath, “You realize, these are serious tests, don’t you?”

“Oh I do. Doesn’t mean we can’t have some fun while we’re taking our tests, and gives us something to do to relax afterward,” Starlight said, which wasn’t a lie. She did feel this was a good reason to do this.

“So using that time to play rather than study,” Cinch scowled ever so slightly.

“We’re not robots. We’re people,” Starlight narrowed her eyes.

“I’d watch my tongue, if I were you, Starlight.”

“Or what? You’ll punish me? All I’m doing is telling you why I orchestrated this,” Starlight raised her head, “Don’t ask the question if you don’t want an honest answer.”

Cinch closed her eyes, took a few deep breaths to control her temper, and then laughed, “Impressive, Starlight. You really had me going for a second there.”

Wait, what?

“Why don’t you stop this charade and tell me the truth now,” Cinch looked at Starlight imposingly, “Who are you protecting?”

“No one,” Starlight insisted.

“So you mean to tell me, you convinced 90 percent of the school, including students and teachers, to rebel and wear their costumes all through midterms in protest?”

“That’s what I’m saying, yes,” Starlight said, her heart racing, “All it took was a little push, and word spread fast.”

“And this wasn’t Celestia’s doing?”

“Do you want it to be Miss Tia that badly? Do you really hate her that much?”

“I just find it odd that after I give her the Starswirl Dorm, one of her students starts a full on uprising against my authority.”

Her authority? This woman really believed that she owned this place, didn’t she?

“I don’t know what to tell you, Principal Cinch,” Starlight folded her arms, “I’m not going to lie and say what you want me to say. If you want to can Miss Tia so badly, you’ll have to do it without me.”

“She really has you whipped, doesn’t she,” Cinch said softly.

“Excuse me?”

“When you first came to this school, you were quiet, soft spoken, almost like a mouse. Now all of a sudden, you sound just like Celestia. She’s molded you into a little “Mini Tia”, hasn’t she?”

“Miss Tia didn’t do anything except be kind to me,” Starlight defended, “She cares for her students, like any well respecting teacher would.”

“No, she cares for her students like she’s their “Mommy”, which I bet, is why you cling to her so much,” Cinch turned her nose to the air, much like her Shadow did, “She offered you sweet honeyed words of “love” and “affection”, and in your fragile state of mind, you ate it all up, so she’d replace your real Mother.”

Starlight snapped, shooting to her feet and slamming her hands on the desk, “Shut up! You don’t know anything about my state of mind!”

Cinch, didn’t even flinch. Instead she just smirked, “Don’t I, though? You just proved my point, dear Starlight.”

Starlight hated this woman so much right now. But what she really hated was, she wasn’t wrong. She was still fragile, and part of her was clinging to Celestia as a surrogate Mother. Hell, Celestia offered to let Starlight view her as such.

But that was to help her. Cinch was trying to poison that, to make Starlight feel guilty for gaining comfort from Celestia’s presence.

“You know, we don’t have to be adversaries, Starlight,” Cinch got up from her desk, and walked around to get behind Starlight, “Because, I get it. It’s hard, being an orphan. Living in a world that’s cruel, that doesn’t give a damn about your pain. You were left behind, weren’t you?”

Starlight looked down biting her lip. It was true, unfortunately. Her Aunt and Uncle were supposed to take her in should anything happen. Funny how all of a sudden, they had too much on their plate to take Starlight in.

“Mhm. It’s a shame, being thrown away like that,” Cinch continued, rubbing Starlight’s arms comfortingly, “Celestia loves adopting children like you, making them feel welcomed. Like they have someplace to belong. But at the end of the day, she’s just a History Teacher. She doesn’t have any real power. I on the other hand, am the top most authority of this place.”

Starlight turned slightly to look at Cinch, reading her carefully.

“I know my reputation in this school. The students claim that I’m harsh, unfair, cruel, but that’s far from the truth. I’m more than fair, and I can be kind, and accommodating. I could be your greatest ally in this school, Starlight Glimmer. All I ask in return, is your loyalty,” before Starlight could answer her, she felt the room darken, and suddenly Cinch was replaced with her Shadow Self, dressed as the Warden/dominatrix of the Prison, “What will it be, Witch? Care to join the winning side?”

And just like that, Starlight knew what was going on here. It’s just as she thought. She was bribing her, trying to get her to turn on Celestia and her friends. Probably trying to get her to turn on Rarity too.

“Are we done here?” Starlight asked Cinch, “If so, I’d like to get back to my day.”

Cinch’s eyes narrowed again, “For now, but I will be watching you, Starlight.”

With that, Starlight pulled out of Cinch’s hold and walked out of the office. Once outside, she took a deep breath, trying to gain some semblance of control over her emotions. She was trembling she was so upset. She felt her phone vibrate, showing a message from Trixie.

I’m with Pinkie Pie and Rainbow Dash. Call me when you can.

Starlight wasted no time stepping away from the office, dialing up Trixie’s number. She answered immediately.

end song

“How’d it go?” Trixie asked.

“Cinch, wanted to know who started this Halloween thing,” Starlight said, still wired from her talk with Cinch, “I told her that it was my idea.”

She heard Pinkie Pie gasp, suggesting she was on speaker, “You did? But why?”

“Because you have enough your dealing with right now,” Starlight answered, “And the last thing I want is for Cinch’s Shadow to hurt you as “punishment”.”

“Oh Starlight…” Pinkie Pie whimpered.

“What else happened in there?” Rainbow Dash asked, “You sound shaky.”

“I hear it too,” Trixie said, “You okay?”

“No, I’m really not,” Starlight sighed, “Cinch pushed a few buttons that were, sensitive to say the least.”

“The bitch brought up your Mom, didn’t she?” Rainbow Dash asked, “I remember her Shadow was pretty vocal about her thoughts on that.”

“She did. She also tried to turn me against Miss Tia.”

“God, seriously?” Rainbow Dash asked, “What’s her damage, anyway? Why does she hate Miss Tia so much?”

“I think, it’s because she can’t control her,” Pinkie Pie answered, “I don't see any other faculty members in the Dungeon, and so far, the only students I see are less actual student, and more placeholders. But just looking at how Cinch's Shadow runs the place, she wants total control of the school.”

“What about No Fun Jackie?” Rainbow Dash asked, "She's a fully fleshed apparition, and she wasn't in a cell."

“She’s actually Rarity’s personal guard,” Pinkie Pie said, “She’s always around Rarity in the Prison, unless she’s being used for a demonstration or something.”

“Before we do anything though, we need to get rid of Blueblood’s Shadow,” Trixie pointed out, “And this time, make sure he can’t get his way back in.”

“I haven't been able to get his phone yet, but I'm not giving up,” Rainbow Dash said, "Hang tight, everyone."

“I’m, going to just take it easy for a bit,” Starlight said, “After Cinch…”

“Hey Starlight?” Trixie asked, “There’s going to be a party at South Street park around 7 tonight. I think Applejack’s family is hosting it. Why don’t we all go to it?”

“Could we?” Pinkie Pie asked, “I, really want to stall going to bed as much as possible, and having some fun before hand might help me relax a bit.”

“Sure then,” Starlight smiled, “Let’s all go to the Halloween party. That okay with you, Rainbow?”

“Damn right it is,” Rainbow confirmed, “Anything to put a smile on my Princess’ face.”

“Aw. Thanks Dashie.”

Starlight smiled hearing that. It’s a good thing Pinkie had Rainbow Dash. Otherwise she’d be much worse than she is.

“I’ll be hanging around these two, so when you wanna meet up, give me a call, okay?” Trixie offered.

“I will, thanks Trixie,” Starlight smiled, “You’re the best.”

“I could say the same for you, Mistress,” Trixie said lovingly.

“See you later, Starlight,” Pinkie Pie chirped, a bit more upbeat sounding now.

“See you, everyone, and good luck with Blueblood, Dashie.”

“Not that I’ll need it, but thanks,” Dash said, Starlight able to hear the smirk. As soon as she hung up her phone, she felt hands touch her shoulders, someone leaning in close to her ear.

“Starlight-san, look good enough to eat, she does~”

“Tokugawa-san…?” Starlight asked, sucking in a breath. She didn’t even hear her approach. After a second, she heard Fluttershy burst out laughing.

Like a Dream Come True - Persona 4

“Gomenasai, Starlight-san! Couldn’t resist opportunity!”

Starlight turned to see Fluttershy, and holy hell was her costume sexy! She wore a long and tight gothic black dress with red lining on the inside, black high heels, long red fingernails, and gotten her hair to look a bit wild. The dress itself looked tattered around the edges of the skirt and sleeves, but was cut super high on the left side, showing all of her left leg and even a bit of her right leg, it hugged her breasts in a way where Starlight could see the shape of them perfectly, and with how large they were, it looked almost like they’d fall out of the dress at any moment. Around her neck was a black and red choker, she wore red contact lenses, blood red lipstick and had given herself fangs.

She came as a vampire. A super sexy vampire.

“Holy… Tokugawa-san, you look incredible!” Starlight beamed.

“Arigato, Starlight-san,” Fluttershy said bashfully, hiding behind her hair a bit, “Costume, bit more revealing than I wanted, but still enjoying.”

It was more revealing than she wanted it to be? Maybe she misjudged the proportions? She was really tall and full figured, after all. Far as Starlight knew, that wasn’t common in Japan.

“Well, you wear it really well,” Starlight smiled, “I was legit afraid for a second, like I was about to really get bitten by a vampire,” she sighed, “I needed that distraction, actually.”

“Starlight-san was, upset,” Fluttershy said, leaning in close to Starlight, “Talk to friend, help?”

Starlight blushed a bit, as the way she was positioned was really sexy, but she wasn’t going to say no, “S-sure. I’d like that.”

Fluttershy smiled, “Then, we talk on roof. Starlight-san, tell everything.”

“Thanks, Tokugawa-san,” Starlight smiled in return. Ironic going up to the roof, this time to open up to someone else about things.

Living with Determination - Persona 3

On the roof, Starlight just, opened up to Fluttershy about how she was feeling concerning everything. She kept terms like “Dungeons” and anything concerning Shadows out of it, but she did mention that trying to help someone close to her with something, how they were constantly pushing people away to try and protect them,and that by trying to help this person, Starlight put another friend in danger. Even though some of what she was saying sounded crazy, Fluttershy listened intently.

“It’s just, what if she’s right, you know?” Starlight asked looking up at the sky, holding the hand she wore her Channeling Ring above her and looking at it, “What if in the end, I am powerless? That I’m just, not enough for this…?”

“What happen, if not help friend?” Fluttershy asked.

Starlight’s face fell, “Nothing good. They’re life, is actually in jeopardy…” she closed her eyes tightly, “I couldn’t handle it… if they were to… if that happened to them…!”

“Friend die, if not help?” Fluttershy asked, turning to Starlight, who couldn’t bring herself to answer. Yes, if she didn’t save Rarity, then she’d die, but would Fluttershy want to know more details? Instead, Fluttershy bit her lip and took Starlight’s hand, “Gomenasai…”

“She… she wants to die…!” Starlight continued, breaking down a bit, “Because she doesn’t think she’s worth saving…! Because she thinks she has nothing to offer anyone…! If I do nothing, and she dies, then I’ll be proving her right…! And I just… I can’t do that…! Not when I know, what that feels like…!”

Fluttershy’s eyes widened, “Know, what feels like…?”

“You, heard about me, right? How I tried to, kill myself before coming to this school?” Fluttershy nodded slowly, “That, was partially what lead me to it. I felt like, since I had nothing to offer anyone, and no one was going to help me, I should just, die.”

“Starlight-san…” Fluttershy rubbed Starlight’s arm, looking as though she were on the verge of tears hearing this.

“That’s why, I can’t let her just die like this!” Starlight cried, “But I don’t know what to do anymore! I keep making the situation worse, another friend is in danger now, and I’m scared! I’m scared to face any of them, because I don’t know what to do now!”

Fluttershy averted her eyes biting her lip, and then slowly brought Starlight into a warm hug. The gesture surprised Starlight, because she knew that Japanese were really particular about contact like this. Yet, Fluttershy broke that, just to comfort Starlight. Were they closer than she thought? Or was Fluttershy just that kind of a person?

Either way, she was very soft. Being held by, well, her Senpai like this, it felt nice. A tad embarrassing, as Starlight could feel just how thin Fluttershy’s costume was, but it was still nice. For a while, all Fluttershy did was rub Starlight’s back and hum softly. After a bit, Starlight broke down in tears, hugging Fluttershy back. She could feel how fast Fluttershy’s heart was racing, which made Starlight feel guilty, as she could tell she was really out of her comfort zone here. She wasn’t lying though, when she said this did help Starlight feel better.

By the time Starlight had calmed down, they had moved over to a bench near the back fence, and just sat there, leaning into each other and holding hands.

“S-sorry, Tokugawa-san. I didn’t mean to come off… you know…”

Fluttershy shook her head, “Starlight-san friend, and need hug. No apologize.”

Starlight smiled in relief at that. Fluttershy really was a good person.

“I, not know, how to save friend,” Fluttershy said after a bit, “Or if, Starlight-san can help friend, but… I think, Starlight-san, should talk to friend.”

“Talk to them…?” Starlight asked. Did she mean, talk to Rarity again?

“Friend suffer alone. Feel like, life not worth living. Until friend, know life worth living, friend can’t be saved,” Fluttershy looked at Starlight intently, “Not focus on saving friend’s life. Focus on, giving friend hope.”

Giving Rarity hope. That’s right. She was so focused on trying to get Rarity out of her Dungeon that she forgot the bigger picture. Rarity didn’t believe she could be saved. Even worse, that she wasn’t worth saving at all.

Trickster or not, Starlight wanted to give Rarity that hope.

“Thank you, Tokugawa-san,” Starlight smiled, “You’re right. What’s more important isn’t that I save her, but that my friend believe she can be saved. I, think I know where to start, at least. Thanks for, taking time out to talk to me like this.”

Fluttershy smiled warmly, “Starlight-san kouhai, and friend.”

“Um, I’m going to be at the Halloween Party. Did you, want to come too?” Starlight asked. Oddly, Fluttershy tensed and looked away, seeming really nervous for a split second.

“Er… I, have to see. Might be there, but,” she held Starlight’s hand a bit tighter, “If there, hard to, talk so…”

“As in, you might be busy…?” Starlight asked Fluttershy, who made a “kinda sorta” gesture with her hand, “Alright. Well, I do hope to see you there, and if I get the chance, I’ll at least say something. Would that be okay?”

Fluttershy bit her lip thinking, but then nodded, “H-hai. That, should be alright.”

“Okay,” Starlight smiled, “Um, trying to remember how to say it… RIGHT! O-genki de, Tokugawa-san,” she even bowed to her.

Fluttershy giggled, her bright and cheerful air returning. She then got up and bowed to Starlight in return, “Hai. O-genki de, Starlight-san.”

Starlight rose up, and blushed profusely at the sight of Fluttershy bowing like that, “Um, Tokugawa-san…? The top, of your costume…”

Fluttershy looked at her top, and then blushed rising up, “G-gomenasai!”

This time, Starlight couldn’t help but laugh a bit, “No need to apologize! My homeroom teacher wears a Kimono all the time, off the shoulder, so um…”

Fluttershy covered her mouth with her hands, and then laughed too. At least she was leaving school to catch up with her friends on a much higher note than before.

Sumaru City - Persona 2 Innocent Sin

At 7, Starlight made her way to the party, which was surprisingly full. She was happy they had it at the park, because not only were Students attending, but some of the staff was there too. With it being at night, the town had that gothic air to it as well, which combined with the Halloween decorations and atmosphere nicely. The Scarlet’s were apparently well known among the town, so much so that they could rent out the park without any issue. Starlight would have to thank Applejack for this when she got the chance.

Starlight chose to just stick with Trixie for most of the party, the two of them walking around and mingling with their friends, but also secretly looking for a place where they could get some alone time to make out.

“Looks like Diamond Tiara’s having a ball over there,” Trixie said, she and Starlight watching her pose for a bunch of students taking pictures. She was wearing a super sexy succubus costume. Beside her was Silver Spoon, who was also reluctantly posing in a sexy angel costume.

Starlight found their costumes to be incredibly ironic considering the Arcana associated with them.

“Leave it to Diamond Tiara to use Halloween as an excuse to be as sexual as possible,” Starlight rolled her eyes smiling. Diamond Tiara looked to them and waved, pulling in Silver Spoon to grope her breasts. The way Silver Spoon blushed and squirmed in protest was just too much, but Starlight noticed that Silver wasn’t pulling out.

Straight, huh? Okay sure.

Starlight waved as Trixie took a picture, “Let’s go. Quick. Before Silver Spoon runs after us.”

Starlight nodded and the two of them skipped off. She heard Silver call out to them, but they ignored her. Just cause they were friends didn’t mean they couldn’t have fun teasing her.

“Did you get to see Applejack’s costume yet?” Trixie asked Starlight, who shook her head, “She came as Wonder Woman. The original look.”

“Seriously?” Starlight asked wide eyed.

“As serious as a heart attack,” Applejack said walking up to them. Sure enough, she was wearing the original costume, consisting of the red and blue leotard with gold around the top of her breasts, golden headband, silver gauntlets, and red and white high heeled boots. Even though Wonder Woman actually had black hair, it looked really good with Applejack’s blond hair.

“You look fantastic, Applejack!” Starlight beamed.

“See, everyone calls you No Fun Jackie,” Trixie folded her arms, her tail swishing absently (HOW was she doing this?!), “But far as I’m concerned, you’re tons of fun to be around.”

Applejack laughed, “Well, I thank ya kindly. Mostly, that nickname comes from me bein’ a bit of a stickler for the rules I suppose. Y’all ain’t ever done anything to break the rules. Dash on the other hand…”

“We’re, keeping her in line as much as possible,” Starlight told Applejack, “We’re actually working on some personal projects with Miss Tia, which has been keeping her preoccupied.”

“Oh really?” Applejack asked with a raised eyebrow, but then shrugged, “Well, so long as it’s keepin’ her outta trouble.”

“Yeah. Outta trouble,” Trixie repeated, sharing a subtle look with Starlight. Honestly, they were in more trouble now than anything “No Fun Jackie” could do.

“Though speakin’ of Dash, she an’ Pinkie Pie doin’ alright?” Applejack asked, “Just went to see them, an’ Pinkie Pie looked like she was real upset ‘bout somethin’.”

“Just some personal stuff,” Trixie quickly chimed in, worrying Starlight a bit. Did this mean they weren’t able to get Blueblood’s phone? “I doubt it’ll be an issue for much longer.”

Applejack pursed her lips, but nodded, “Alright. I’ll believe that,” though her expression said she didn’t believe it one bit.

“How’s Rarity?” Starlight asked, “Is she here?”

“She is,” Applejack sighed, “But, she’s bein’ super evasive. Mostly seems to be tryin’ to stay out of Blueblood’s sights.”

“He’s here?” Trixie asked in a low voice, narrowing her eyes a bit.

“Sorry, Trixie. We didn’t want him to show up, an’ I tried my damnest to deny him entry, but this is a public party,” Applejack put a hand on Trixie’s shoulder, “But I got the defense committee an’ Student Council here as well, so we’ll make sure he don’t do nothin’. Jus’ stay with Starlight, an’ it’ll all be fine, alright?”

Trixie nodded with tight lips. Honestly this time, it wasn’t Trixie she was concerned about in this, not exclusively at least.

Starlight looked around a bit, and then spotted Rainbow Dash and Pinkie Pie sitting alone at a table. Both of them in costume still and with two slices of the pie Applejack’s grandmother baked for the party, but neither of them looking particularly thrilled with the party.

“I better head back an’ see if Granny Smith needs any help,” Applejack said, “Try to have fun, ya hear?”

“We will,” Trixie said with a smile, Starlight nodding in agreement. After Applejack ran off back to her grandmother’s side, Trixie folded her arms, “Well, maybe we’ll get a second chance then.”

“You guys, weren’t able to get the phone, were you?” Starlight asked, the two of them walking over to Pinkie Pie and Rainbow Dash’s table.

“Nope, and not from lack of trying, either,” Trixie rubbed her eyes, “We saw him pull out his phone, probably looking at his pictures, but we weren’t able to get him away from it, and Dash couldn’t get a clean shot to short circuit it.”

Starlight grimaced, her heart racing, “What are we going to do?”

“We, were hoping you’d have an idea, actually,” Trixie sighed, making Starlight’s heart sink. She was really worried that was the case.

As they reached the table, Rainbow Dash waved to them and called them over, “Hey Leader. Guess who showed up?”

“We heard from AJ,” Starlight sat down at the table, Trixie sitting beside her, “Know where he is?”

“Looking for Rarity,” Rainbow Dash answered, “I just chased him away from Pinkie Pie a few minutes ago, though. Said something about wanting an encore of yesterday.”

Trixie took a deep breath, “Fucking asshole.”

“With how he looked, it sounded like he was going to be going extra hard with Rarity as a result,” Pinkie Pie said softly, “Girls, maybe I should-”

“No,” Starlight cut her off, “Absolutely not.”

“But if he hurts Rarity in the real world, what’ll his Shadow do in the Dream World?” Pinkie Pie asked, “His phone still has pictures of her on them!”

“I know, but-” Starlight looked down at her lap, trying to keep her cool, “Listen, I don’t know how we’re going to fix this, but you’re not sacrificing yourself anymore than you already are.”

“Starligh-”

Living with Determination - Persona 3

“It’s bad enough I couldn’t stop you from getting hurt in the first place!” Starlight snapped, making everyone jump, but then caught herself and turned away, “S-sorry…”

Pinkie Pie shook her head, “No no. It’s fine, Starlight. I, I just didn’t expect to see you so upset.”

“Talk to us, Leader,” Rainbow Dash said, “You still upset over that talk with Cinch?”

“Not just that,” Starlight shook her head, “Girls, this operation so far, has been one failure after another. Pinkie Pie getting captured by the Shadows made Rarity fall into even deeper despair, and she’s already, giving up.”

“Giving up…?” Trixie asked with a frown, “What do you mean by that…?”

“She, wants to die,” Starlight said weakly, “She thinks that, she’s too much of a burden on everyone, and that she’s not worth saving, so she just wants to, remove herself from the equation…”

“Oh Rarity…” Pinkie Pie looked down in devastation.

“Alright, so how are we fixing this?” Rainbow Dash asked immediately.

“I don’t know…” Starlight bit her lip, “I, want to talk to Rarity at the party, try and say something to her, give her some hope, but if we can’t get rid of those pictures, or stop Blueblood from getting to Rarity, then…”

“Alright, we’ll start there,” Rainbow Dash said, “Rarity doesn’t dig crowds, so she’s probably sitting by herself someplace, so go to her, and leave this whole thing with the phone to us.”

“But-”

“I’m not giving up,” Rainbow Dash said, cutting her off, “By the end of this party, those pictures will be gone.”

“Leave this part to us, Starlight,” Trixie said, rubbing Starlight’s back, “We’ll protect Pinkie Pie, and get rid of the blackmail material he’s using.”

Starlight felt Pinkie Pie reach over and take her hand, giving her an assured smile. Right. She wasn’t alone. She had her team with her.

Heartbeat, Heartbreak - Persona 4

“Okay then,” Starlight got up, “I have my phone with me, so text me when you get that phone if I’m not there when you do.”

“Will do,” Rainbow Dash nodded, “Good luck, Leader.”

“You too,” Starlight said, walking off to track down Rarity. It took a bit of searching and asking around, not helped by the fact Blueblood was noted to also be looking for Rarity. Seemed that if Rarity didn’t want to be found, it’d be near impossible to find her.

Right when she stopped and groaned to herself, she felt someone tap her shoulder. She looked and saw Sweetie Belle there, dressed up as a feminine version of the character Mega Man X. It was a really good costume too, being armored looking and with a glowing buster gun nozzle.

“Hey Sweetie Belle,” Starlight tried to smile, “Your costume looks really cool.”

“Thank you,” Sweetie said sweetly, “You’re looking for something. Can I help?”

She really didn’t waste time, “I’m, looking for Rarity actually. I need to talk to her about something.”

“Well... you’re not Blueblood, so okay,” Sweetie said, leaning in to whisper in Starlight’s ear, “She’s on the other side of the park, away from the party.”

“Thanks Sweetie Belle,” Starlight smiled, “No one’s being mean to you today, are they?”

Sweetie shook her head, “No. I’ve been staying close to Apple Bloom and her friend Scootaloo all Halloween though, so no one’s had the chance to bully me.”

“That’s good,” Starlight rubbed Sweetie’s arm, “I’m glad you made some friends.”

“Well, I’ll admit I kinda have another motive to hang out with them,” Sweetie Belle looked down blushing a bit. She then pointed over to the table where she assumed they were sitting. She saw two girls sitting there talking. One with purple hair, dressed as Zero from the anime Code Geass, just with the helmet off, and another girl with long thick red hair tied in a pink bow, dressed as Sailor Venus. Her costume, like Pinkie Pie’s Sailor Moon outfit in the Dream World, had a super short skirt, showing off her very nice legs, and the elegant way she sat really called attention to them.

That must have been Apple Bloom, Sweetie Belle’s crush and Applejack’s younger sister. She really was impressive.

“I see,” Starlight said with a slight giggle, “Well, long as you’re having fun, Sweetie Belle.”

“I am,” Sweetie confirmed, “I should probably head back to their table. Hope you and Rarity are okay after this.”

“I hope so too, being quite honest,” Starlight muttered. She bade Sweetie farewell and continued to the other end of the park, where she hoped to find Rarity.

Maya Theme - Persona 3

Sure enough, she was laying semi curled up on a bench by herself, still wearing her sexy pirate’s costume. She seemed to be visibly depressed.

As Starlight approached her, Rarity opened one eye and looked at her with a slight glare. One that looked almost fearful.

“I, just want to talk, okay?” Starlight said, raising her hands in surrender.

“Blueblood didn't follow you, did he?” Rarity asked sternly.

“I was careful, so as far as I’m aware, no,” Starlight confirmed.

“Well, not that it’ll matter soon,” Rarity closed her eyes again, “He’s doing this to Pinkie Pie too, isn’t he?” Starlight just closed her eyes and took a frustrated breath, “I knew it. This is just a fucking game to him.”

“He won’t win,” Starlight said.

“And there it is. You pulling that heroic bullshit,” Rarity sighed, laying on her back now and stretching a bit, “Look, this is the most peace I’ve had in a while, alright? I just want to lay here, and enjoy not having my leash yanked by someone. So please, just go away.”

Starlight took a deep breath. That wall was up again, and stronger than ever. She didn’t know how to pass through it, or break it down. She didn’t even know if she could break it down.

Still, she had to try.

“How long have you felt this way?” Starlight asked, kneeling before Rarity as she turned to lay on her side, “That, you’re not worth rescuing?”

“Why? What good is telling you?” Rarity’s tone was harsh, antagonistic, but Starlight could feel the sadness peppering her words.

“So I can understand,” Starlight answered, rubbing her side a bit like one would pet a dog, internally noting how she seemed to relax a bit, “That way, I’m not just talking out of my ass.”

Rarity pursed her lips considering her words, “Sadly, this isn’t anything new. Kinda my norm, really.”

“Are you, depressed?” Starlight asked, “Like, not just the emotion, but…”

“As in, do I have depression?” Rarity asked, Starlight nodding, “Don’t know, really. Never cared to get a diagnosis, but I wouldn’t be surprised. Closest thing I’ve ever had to a family are the Scarlets and my fellow Dogs. Combine that with my lack of self control, and you can kinda see why I don’t have a high opinion of myself.”

“But, you have the Scarlets,” Starlight said, still petting Rarity, “Applejack and her family, they believe in you, don’t they?”

“And for adopting a filthy stray like me, their reward is being tossed in the fire with me,” Rarity muttered, tearing up a bit, “I bet that’s why my parents threw me away. They knew I’d grow up to be a disaster, and didn’t want to be bothered.”

“Stop that,” Starlight chided lightly, “You deserve to have a family, even if unconventional. You should be happy.”

“Clearly I don’t,” Rarity denied, lightly brushing Starlight’s hand away, “Because if I did, God would actually let me enjoy being happy, rather than putting a condition on it all the time, or making others pay for doing anything nice for me. The best thing I could do for them is to just die, and stop being a burden.”

“No,” Starlight denied firmly, “Dying wouldn’t solve anything.”

“Not like anyone can do anything about the Nightmare once it’s contracted,” Rarity sighed, “Besides, at this stage, no one would truly miss me.”

“I would.”

Rarity opened her eyes and looked at Starlight, her expression unreadable.

“And not just me. Applejack and her family would. Pinkie Pie, Trixie, Rainbow Dash, everyone at the Student Council. The list of people who love you goes on and on. You’re trying so hard to protect them, and that’s noble, but who’s going to protect you?”

“I don’t need anyone to-”

“Stop, saying that,” Starlight cut her off, “Asking for help isn’t weak. Relying on others doesn’t put them in danger. None of this is your fault.”

Rarity laughed shaking her head, “Oh, it is, darling. It most certainly is my fault.”

“How?” Starlight asked, “How is any of this your fault?”

“I lost control, that’s why,” Rarity sat up and looked to the side, “Look, I fucked up, alright? I had one job to do. One thing, and I’d have just graduated without any trouble. Couldn’t even do that right,” she shut her eyes and smiled grimly, “And even if I, by some miracle survive the Nightmare, this time next week I’ll have to make a decision on what I’m going to do to protect the one family that’s ever been kind to me. Either way, I’m looking at spending the rest of my life in a cage of some kind. Just a matter of if that cage is literal, or metaphorical.”

“But, that’s not fair,” Starlight said, sitting beside Rarity, “Why can’t you just be free?”

“Because God hates me, that’s why,” Rarity turned to glare at Starlight, “Because I’m nothing but a filthy whore who had the audacity to think she could be something in this world. I’m in this mess, because I saw a way out for me. Because I dared to be selfish and tried to improve my train wreck of a life.” she turned away and held a hand to her head, “Even then, I knew it was wrong what I did. I broke our pact, and now I’m paying for it.”

It sounded like Rarity did something in her past she was really kicking herself for. Something that for all intents and purposes, was done to improve herself, but was really selfish. Sadly, Rarity wasn’t opening up about it in the Real World.

Before she could say anything else, Starlight’s phone vibrated, which felt really odd with where she kept it. She pulled it out of her bra and looked at it, seeing a text from Trixie.

We got his phone! Rainbow Dash already wiped it clean with her technomancy, and bricked it for good measure!

Starlight’s eyes widened, and she quickly turned to reply without Rarity seeing the screen.

How did you get the phone?!

Trixie’s reply came a few seconds later, Starlight noticing that Rarity was frowning looking at her.

It was Spike! She just handed Rainbow the phone and told her to wipe it! He then took it back and went to find Rarity!

“I, don’t believe it…” Starlight said wide eyed. How did Spike know? What did Spike know?

“What?” Rarity asked, “Why do you look so excited all of a sudden?”

“It’s, well,” Starlight stammered a bit, “My friends just messaged me. Apparently, Spike-”

“There you are, Rarity!” Spike called out, running over to Rarity and Starlight, “Had a feeling I’d find you here,” he turned to Starlight, “Yo. Looking good, Starlight.”

“Thanks,” Starlight said coyly, trying to read his body language.

“You were looking for me?” Rarity asked, getting up and folding her arms. Just like that, the mask of “Student Council President” was back on.

“Yeah. Just wanted to give you a heads up,” Spike looked around briefly, “Blueblood’s cellphone is missing.”

Rarity’s eyes widened, “Missing…?”

Spike nodded, “Yep. So come Monday, we’ll probably have to deal with that.”

“And you’re bringing this to me now because…”

“Well, figured you’d want to know, so you can just relax over the weekend, and not have to worry about anything, till Monday,” Spike looked at Rarity intently, who narrowed her eyes subtly.

“So, just take it easy, this weekend,” Rarity asked, Spike nodding, “Well, thanks for the heads up, Spike.”

“No problem,” Spike said with a soft smile. He then gave Starlight a slight look before walking off, “Enjoy the party, you two.”

Rarity pursed her lips and then turned to Starlight, “You know anything about this?”

“Only that Spike was looking for you,” Starlight smiled, “But this is good, right? If Blueblood doesn’t have his phone, that means he can’t blackmail you.”

“I, suppose not,” Rarity looked back at Spike as he walked off, “And if I’m right about where it is…” she took a deep breath, “Well, might as well head back to the party then, shall we?”

“Yeah, let’s,” Starlight got up, “But, about what you told me, Rarity. I’m not going to force you to open up about it, but I personally believe that, if there is a God or something up there, they don’t just hate people, or punish them for trying to improve themselves. I don’t know what you did, or who you hurt in the process of improving yourself, but punishing yourself for wanting a better life isn’t the right way to go. So, don’t give up on yourself, okay?”

Rarity snorted softly, “You won’t let this go, will you?”

“Sorry,” Starlight smiled, wrapping an arm around Rarity, “I’m kind of persistent like that. Just ask my girlfriend.”

Rarity looked at Starlight intently, and then she was replaced by her dream self. She saw Sex Slave Rarity slowly smile looking at Starlight, and when her vision returned to normal, Rarity had the same smile on her face.

As the two of them walked back to the party together, Starlight felt like she managed to somehow break through Rarity’s shields. She’d have to do something nice for Spike next time she spoke to him.

Sumaru City - Persona 2 Innocent Sin

Somehow, the party seemed a bit more lively now, with the news that Blueblood didn’t have his blackmail material now. Starlight actually saw Blueblood running around the party looking for it. Ironic that he was dressed in a Thief’s costume, and he was the one stolen from.

Starlight fought the urge to taunt him, lest she show her hand.

Pinkie Pie was significantly livelier now, knowing that Dash deleted any evidence of what she did with Blueblood too. She was still a bit shaky, knowing that it happened and that she was still a prisoner in the Dungeon, but at the very least it looked like she and Rainbow were having fun now.

Without that weighing on their shoulders, Starlight and Trixie resumed their search for a private spot to relax, along with just mingling with their friends. At around 9, the two of them went over to the punch bowl, where Fluttershy was standing by herself. She looked a bit skittish and uncomfortable, just holding a glass of fruit punch and drinking it softly.

“Um, okay wow,” Trixie muttered looking at Fluttershy, “I had heard her costume was sexy, but…”

“She said something about it being more revealing than she initially wanted it to be,” Starlight explained, “She and I spoke for a bit before I caught up with you.”

Trixie nodded, “Well, she is pretty full figured. Still though, that’s what she wore to school, right? Cause um, that’s not appropriate for school,” Starlight tilted her head, “Look at how thin it is.”

Starlight took another look and, wow she was right. Not only was it super tight on her body, but it was so thin that in the cooler air, Starlight could see Fluttershy nipples poking through the fabric.

“I, had a feeling it was thin but, she might as well be naked wearing that…” Starlight muttered. She really looked uncomfortable, too, “Hey, let’s see if she’s alright.”

“Yeah, let’s,” Trixie said with a slight frown, following Starlight over to the statuesque foreign student.

“Tokugawa-san,” Starlight called out, catching Fluttershy’s attention.

“Ah! Starlight-san, Lulamoon-san!” she greeted them with a pleasant smile, “Lulamoon-san make cute cat girl.”

“Thanks,” Trixie poured her and Starlight some punch, “Your vampire costume is really hot.”

“H-hai,” Fluttershy averted her eyes away from them, looking really nervous all of a sudden. If Starlight didn’t know better, she was trembling.

“Hey um, are you okay?” Starlight asked, reaching over to rub Fluttershy’s arm and opening herself up emotionally.

Oooooh! Not now…! Not now! Don't do this in front of Starlight!

“H-h-hai! I, alright!” her voice was a bit higher, and she was panting a bit. Starlight heard her whimper subtly, and if she listened closely, she heard a soft buzzing noise.

Did Fluttershy, have a vibrator going inside of her?

“If, you’re sure…” Starlight wasn’t convinced. She was really nervous about something.

“Mmm!” Fluttershy moaned suddenly, “H-have to, go! M-m-mate ne!” and with that, she rushed off, leaving both Starlight and Trixie very confused.

“That, was weird,” Trixie said after a second.

Starlight nodded, “You, heard that buzzing, right? I think she, has a vibrator inside of her… um…”

“Y-yeah, I heard that too,” Trixie said, “And that choker around her neck, think she’s into kink too?”

“It’s, possible,” but not likely, Starlight thought. She didn’t seem excited at possibly being caught so much as terrified.

“Either way, we need to be careful concerning her,” Trixie said, confusing Starlight, “You said that she wore that at school, right?”

“She did, yeah,” Starlight nodded, “I even heard some student talking about it on the way to school. She wore that all through midterms.”

Trixie nodded, “And Cinch pretty much confirmed that she gave preferential treatment to the students she likes, right?”

“Hang on a second,” Starlight frowned, “Trixie, you’re not thinking that Tokugawa-san, is one of the students secretly in line with Cinch, do you?”

“How else would she get away with that?” Trixie asked, “Starlight, I could tell she wasn’t wearing a bra from a distance, and it’s cut so high on the side that just sitting down would probably show anyone a great view of her cooch. You know damn well Cinch wouldn’t let her through the door wearing that.”

“Not unless, she was getting special treatment,” Starlight muttered, looking down. She really didn’t want to suspect Fluttershy, but now that Trixie brought it up, she couldn’t unsee it. Did Starlight misjudge her? Was she wrong about Fluttershy, and she was actually just another Blueblood or Suri?

No. No that couldn’t be. She felt Fluttershy’s emotions. She was so happy to have Starlight as a friend. Genuinely so. She was nice, just horribly lonely.

Still, Trixie had a point. In order to get into school wearing that costume, Fluttershy had to be getting special treatment of some kind.

“Just, be careful, alright?” Trixie said, “I don’t want you getting hurt.”

“What did she do this time?” a familiar voice sighed behind Trixie. They turned to see the last person they expected to see at this party.

“Twilight?” Starlight asked. She was wearing an interesting costume, one that was clearly a cyborg or robot of some kind. The costume consisted of a black and dark brown body suit, purple and white armor around her shoulders, arms, and legs, white gloves, a red head piece that was kind of squared with red cones for ears, white armor over her breasts, and a microphone hanging over her mouth. The black parts of her armor looked reminiscent of stockings and panties, the armor around her wrists flared out elegantly, but the shocking part was that the breast plate showed a significant amount of underboob.

“Okay, I’ll bite,” Trixie asked dryly, “What the fuck are you supposed to be, Twi-Twi?”

Twilight rolled her eyes, “The character’s name is Layer. She’s one of the three navigators available in Mega Man X8, specializing in enemy weapons and weaknesses.”

Trixie nodded, “Huh. Well, you look good it in. A bit surprised by how revealing it is, though.”

“I always did think Layer’s design was oddly sexual,” Twilight mused, looking up thoughtfully, “Makes you wonder just what she was made for, or if she was made for navigation, who’s idea was it to design a navigator with a curvy figure and noticeable underboob?”

“Right. Cause that’s why it’s surprising,” Trixie muttered, Starlight chuckling a bit.

“But anyway, what were you talking about before I got here?” Twilight asked, pouring herself a glass of punch.

“One of my friends outside of Dungeon work,” Starlight answered, explaining the situation to Twilight, who frowned hearing this.

“Yeah, Trixie might be right about this. It’s clear she’s getting special treatment of some kind.”

“I really don’t want to suspect Tokugawa-san,” Starlight sighed, “She’s so nice. A bit guarded, but nice.”

“That name and honorific. She’s Japanese?” Twilight asked, sipping her punch.

“She is,” Trixie nodded, “She’s a senior, but I think she was held back a grade. Even now though, her English is kinda shit.”

“Trixie…” Starlight scolded.

“It’s true,” Trixie defended, “And she’s been here for two years at least.”

“English is a difficult language to get the hang of if you’re from the East,” Twilight said, “Part of my training with the Kirijo Group meant I had to be fluent in English, along with at least five other languages.”

“You’re fluent in six other languages?” Starlight asked wide eyed.

“Besides Japanese, there’s English, Spanish, German, Russian, Scandinavian, and Indian,” Twilight wrote off, “I know a bit of French, but I’m not fluent in or anything.”

Holy cow. Twilight was something else entirely. Whatever she was trained for in the Kirijo Group had to be extensive.

“Anyway, did you find an answer to my question?” Twilight asked Starlight, looking right at her, “About whether or not you want to be the Trickster?”

Starlight looked down thinking for a bit, “Really, I just want to help the people in front of me. If this power, if the Wild Card will help me do that,” she looked at Twilight and nodded, “Then yes. I accept my role as the Trickster.”

Twilight pursed her lips, and took a deep breath, “Somehow, I had a feeling you’d pick that,” she closed her eyes and pushed her glasses up, “Good. I can work with this.”

“Thanks, Twilight,” Starlight smiled, “You said before you didn’t want to be friends, but, I really do consider you one. I hope, you can see me as a friend too, one day.”

Twilight looked at Starlight for a bit, and then turned away, “Let’s just focus on this current mission, alright? We’ll see where we go from there.”

“Aw, come on Twi-Twi, quit being so stiff~” Trixie wrapped her arms around Twilight and nuzzled her, “It’s a party, so just admit that we’re friends and lighten up~”

Twilight huffed with the cutest pout Starlight had seen, “Starlight has a better chance than you, that’’s for sure.”

Trixie gasped, “Twi-Twi! You wound me!” she threw her hand to her forehead dramatically, “Taking my heart, and smashing it to the floor like that! Will your cruelty cease?”

“Why don’t you head over to the snack table and get some cheese to go with your ham,” Twilight muttered, “I’m going to mingle a bit longer. I’ll be leaving with everyone else, so I’ll see you around, I guess.”

“See you, Twilight,” Starlight smiled, watching her walk off. She then sighed, “Guess she still hates my guts.”

“Nah. Joking aside, I feel like she wants to be friends. She wouldn’t have come here if she didn’t, and she and Pinkie Pie are friends.”

“So then, why does she seem to despise me so much?” Starlight asked.

“I dunno,” Trixie said softly, folding her arms in thought, but then perked up, “But hey, we’ve got a bit of time before the party ends, and the side Rarity was sitting at before seems private. We could sit there and have some time to ourselves. Spend some time enjoying each other as girlfriends, you know~?”

As she said that, she leaned forward a bit and pulled the top of her dress down enough to let a bit of her nipple slip out. With an offer like that, how could she refuse?

“Alright then,” Starlight smirked a bit, “Let’s have some nice, naughty fun.”

Trixie beamed, following Starlight to the bench Rarity was sitting at before. Once there, they wasted no time making out. They didn’t go much further than just kissing, groping, and grinding against each other, but it was still relaxing.

A perfect way to end the night. In her lover’s arms, making out under the stars.

Late Night

The Phase

Scraper Sky High - Under Night In-Birth

After spending some more time at the party, the group went back to the dorm together to prepare. Pinkie Pie fell asleep in Rainbow Dash’s arms, who immediately transferred into the Phase along with Starlight and Trixie, with Twilight’s wisp already floating around (apparently Twilight chose to keep her costume on for this, as she felt it was appropriate).

Once they returned to the Prison, they were greeted with a major issue right away.

“Hey um, were there always this many guards?” Trixie asked, hiding behind a corner and looking up at the upper floors. It looks like there were twice as many Shadows walking around the halls, and even saw a few security drones.

“It’s actually been like this ever since Halloween,” Twilight said, “I imagine that, since she randomly cancelled the Halloween party, Cinch upped security once Pinkie Pie was captured.”

“There’s no way we’d have made it through this,” Rainbow Dash muttered, a humbled look on her face, “Damn it.”

“Not without leaving utterly exhausted,” Starlight added, her scythe resting on her shoulders, “If we’re going to rescue Pinkie Pie tonight, we better be ready for a tough fight.”

“Where is she?” Rainbow Dash turned to Twilight’s wisp, “Do we know?”

“I have a general idea of what floor she’s on,” Twilight answered, “She’s on the upper section, where the Prison Cells and the torture chamber are.”

“Torture?!” Trixie asked, Starlight and Rainbow Dash both tensing when they heard that, “Pinkie Pie neglected to tell us that part!”

Twilight sighed, “She didn’t want you knowing about that, and made me promise not to say anything. Trust me, I wanted to, but she knew that if you knew exactly what they were putting her through here, you’d flip out and not be able to focus on midterms.”

Starlight hated this, but she hated the fact Pinkie Pie was right even more. There was no way they’d be able to focus knowing that.

“All the more reason to get to Pinkie Pie now,” Rainbow Dash drew her sword, “Leader, lead the way.”

Starlight nodded, and crept out of the small hallway. It was much harder to stay hidden here. Thankfully, through sheer luck, they managed to find a really decent hiding place, and stayed out of sight.

Eventually they made it to the elevator, but saw that before it were three Shadows, two dressed as guards, but one oddly shaped as an unrealistically shapely woman being spitroasted by guards in question: one using her mouth, and the other one taking her from behind.

“Okay, this place is really fucked up!” Trixie cried in a hushed tone, “Even the Shadows are succumbing to the effects of this place?!”

“This is bad,” Twilight said, “I think this is a sign that Rarity’s running out of time. The Nightmare is beginning to go rampant.”

“What do we do?” Starlight asked, her heart racing.

“We need to either get Rarity out as soon as possible, or at the very least give her hope to keep going,” Twilight answered, but sighed, “The problem here is, we really need to get Pinkie Pie out of here, and I don’t know if we can do both.”

“So what? You saying we gotta choose between Rarity and Pinkie Pie?” Rainbow Dash asked, eyes wide in horror.

“I, don’t like it either,” Twilight bit her lip, “But it seems like Cinch is keeping Pinkie Pie and Rarity separate from each other. Saving one might mean throwing the other under the bus.”

“For now, let’s worry about getting those Shadows out of the way,” Trixie said, drawing a card, “Starlight, do your thing.”

Starlight nodded and rushed over to the Shadows, jumping on the back of one of the guards and grabbing his mask, “Show your face!” she shouted, ripping it off and forcing him and the other two into their true forms. The two guards turned into that armless oni, Take-Minakata, while the female one became Yaksini.

E.SYNAPSE - Blue Reflection: Second Light

“Alright, good! They’re stunned!” Twilight said, “We don’t have Pinkie Pie as support, so be careful!”

“I can act as healer for now, but I’m not as good as Pinkie Pie, warning you now!” Starlight said, shifting to and summoning her default, “Try to end this quickly!”

Morgana held out her hand, casting the Nuclear spell Frei on Yaksini, knocking her to the ground, “LEANAN SIDHE!!!” she shouted, shifting to her new Lovers Arcana Persona, and casting “Mapsi” on all three of them, doing extra damage to Yaksini and knocking the Take-Minakata’s on the ground before they could do anything.

The three of them initiated an All Out Attack on them, managing to greatly beat down Yaksini, but the two guards were much stronger, not taking nearly enough to take them out fully. The fact they were missing a member didn’t help in this at all.

The two Take-Minakatas charged their horns with electricity and shot into the air, causing a minor electrical storm to rain down on the three girls, who managed to dodge just in time.

Trixie fell to the ground and tossed a card at one Take-Minakata, knocking him back a bit, and Rainbow Dash charged at him with her blade and Persona, both slamming their weapons down. Sadly, he blocked perfectly with his horn and held the blade in place as the other one continued casting Mazionga, keeping the field constantly electrified.

Right as Starlight was about to cast a spell to return the offense, she saw Yaksini roar in a battle cry, one that for some reason, hit Starlight right in her core. She felt her anger pick up, but she managed to push it down, which was odd. She wondered what that was.

Sadly, she didn’t have to wonder for long, as she heard Trixie give a somewhat unnerving laugh. She looked over at her girlfriend and saw her holding her head and laughing evilly.

“Trixie?” Twilight asked cautiously, “Are you… okay over there?”

“Oh I’m fine,” Trixie growled, now glaring at the Shadows, her eyes glowing red, “Can’t say the same for THEM!” she opened her blazer and spread her arms out, cards shooting out at everything and everyone, with Trixie laughing maniacally.

“GAH!” Starlight screamed, falling to the ground as a stray card almost hit her, “Trixie, what’s gotten into you! That’s not your usual-” she heard Rainbow Dash scream in anger, “Oh no.”

She looked and saw Rainbow Dash kick Take-Minakata to the ground, and then slam her sword into his body repeatedly with the same enraged look in her eyes, which were also glowing red.

“I’ll kill you! I’LL KILL YOU!!!” she screamed, tears of rage falling, “I’LL RIP YOU APART FOR HURTING PINKIE PIE YOU GODDAMN MOTHER FUCKER!!!”

“Both of you, stop!” Starlight commanded, screaming as a lightning bolt shot into her, knocking her to the ground. Yaksini charged with her blades, forcing Starlight to block with Morgana’s claws while she dodged out of the way of the lightning strikes, “Twilight, what’s wrong with them?!”

“I’m running a scan on their mental states now! And… FUCK!”

“What happened?!”

“They’re under a spell of some kind! It’s inducing their anger, causing them to behave irrationally!” Twilight explained.

The other Take-Minakata turned to Rainbow Dash and tackled her with his horns, knocking her off of his partner. Based on how much she screamed, that hurt significantly more than usual.

“You bastard!” Now Rainbow Dash charged at him, her blade engulfed in Electricity as she assaulted the demon with wild strikes. Meanwhile, right as Yaksini kicked Starlight to the ground, Trixie turned to look at them.

“Oh no you don’t!” Trixie held up a full hand of cards, “Stay away from my girlfriend!”

She threw all five cards at once at Yaksini, knocking her off of Starlight and to the ground, killing her instantly. This seemed to snap Trixie out of that spell, as she ran over to help Starlight up.

“Trixie, are you okay?” Starlight asked.

“I, think so,” Trixie answered, “I’ll admit, I’m a bit confused by what happened, though.”

“Simply put, you were charmed by a Rage inducing spell,” Twilight answered, “My guess, seeing Starlight in danger snapped you out of it.”

“Oh God! Starlight, I’m so sorry!” Trixie cried.

“It’s alright, but we need to stop Rainbow Dash,” Starlight said, summoning Morgana, “I’ll cast Diarama on her, to keep her alive at least. Try and finish off one of the Take-Minakatas.”

Trixie nodded, holding up her Channeling Ring, “Light ‘em up, Elenora!”

Elenora rushed over to Take-Minakata A and slammed him with a flaming drop kick, knocking him to the ground with a critical hit. At the same time, Starlight cast Diarama to heal Rainbow Dash, but felt a bit taxed from that.

Yeah, they needed their dedicated medic back. This was NOT going to work full time.

“Starlight, summoning Diamond Tiara!” Twilight requested, “She might be able to give us an opening!”

Starlight nodded, “Come forth, my loyal servant! High Priestess!”

Right as the stage manifested, Diamond strutted out onto the field and wrapped herself around the pole, “Yohoo~! Don’t ignore me, you’ll hurt my feelings~!”

Once Take-Minakata B was looking at her, she began her extremely revealing pole dance routine. This seemed to leave him entranced, as his full attention went to her. Rainbow Dash used that to knock him to the ground with her blade, somehow snapping out of that spell herself.

“Hey Leader, let’s end this now!” Rainbow Dash requested. Starlight nodded, giving the command for an All Out Attack.

This time, by some miracle, they managed to kill both of them.

Daydream - Blue Reflection: Second Light

Once they were defeated, Starlight fell to her knees in exhaustion.

“Starlight!” Trixie cried, she and Rainbow Dash helping her up, “Are you okay?”

“Yeah. Just tired,” Starlight admitted, “Happy you two are back to normal, though.”

“Sorry about that,” Rainbow Dash said, “God, that was rough.”

“Tell me about it. I was worried we’d lose that one,” Twilight said, “But this does show us how bad this place is. You’re bodies went into this fully relaxed, and you’re already this tired.”

“Yeah, if we had to do this while having Midterms, we wouldn’t manage,” Rainbow Dash admitted with a sigh.

Starlight looked over to the stage and saw Diamond Tiara looking at them, visibly concerned, “We’ll be fine, Diamond. We might need to call you again though.”

Diamond nodded, placing a hand over her heart before vanishing in a pink light. Trixie picked up a small card off of the floor in front of the elevator.

“Looks like a security card,” Trixie noted, “Not sure, but I think one of the Shadows dropped it.”

“Keep that,” Twilight requested, “So long as we leave out of a Checkpoint, we should be able to keep it when we leave.”

“That’ll make exploration easier,” Rainbow Dash looked at the elevator panel, “And I think we can use this to go up the Elevator.”

“That’ll save time. Okay, use that to go to the upper section. I’ll let you know when I find the floor Pinkie Pie’s on.”

Scraper Sky High - Under Night In-Birth

With that, the three of them got inside the elevator and took it up a few floors, not stopping till Twilight found Pinkie Pie’s signal.

“Got her!” Twilight exclaimed, “She’s on this floor!”

The door opened, and they saw a large maze of a room with multiple floors of cells. It kind of put Starlight in the mind of the Akashic Records, only with prison cells instead of book shelves. There were even lifts that went up to the higher floors.

“I don’t know where on this floor she’s on,” Twilight continued, “But I do know she’s deeper in.”

“It’s going to be hell exploring this place,” Rainbow Dash said, noticing just how many high level Shadows there were guarding the place, “We can’t fight through all of them.”

“We can try to stay hidden,” Trixie said, “But doing that while exploring this place, combat’s inevitable.”

“Well, I do know where ONE person is,” Twilight said, “Seems Rarity’s on this floor too.”

“Then we’ll start there,” Starlight said, “She might have an idea of where Pinkie Pie is.”

With their plan decided, the three carefully made their way through the maze, using Twilight’s wisp as guidance. The path there wasn’t really that bad, with Twilight even managing to get them around the stronger Shadows.

Disquiet - Persona 5

Eventually, they found what appeared to be an office area. Poking her head inside, Starlight recognized the layout. The way the chairs and desks were set up, the windows, and even some of the posters hung on the walls.

This was the Student Council Office.

There weren’t any Shadows inside, which was a relief. Unfortunately though, Rarity wasn’t alone inside. She was bent over a desk, with of all people, Applejack behind her, pounding her pussy with what appeared to be a double strap on. She was still in full uniform, but her skirt was lifted in the front by the strap on.

“Well, since this one ain’t a Shadow,” Rainbow Dash drew her blade ready to strike, but Starlight held her hand out, “Why not?”

“Look,” Starlight said, “Something’s different.”

Sure enough, the energy was very different. While Applejack was still being very rough with Rarity, somehow, the vibe was far more, mutual?

“Mmmm! Applejack….!” Rarity moaned.

“That’s right, sweetheart,” Guard Applejack grunted, “Don’t hold back. You deserve this,” she spanked Rarity’s ass, making her scream in pleasure, but then caressed her, “Good girl. Such a good girl.

Rarity’s tongue hung out, and she began panting almost like a dog. Despite her still being in chains, it was clear that Rarity was enjoying herself immensely here.

Starlight and company stepped out into the hallway, “That’s, noticeably different than what she was getting before.”

“It’s not, tender,” Twilight said, her wisp still peaking inside, “But there’s definitely a different dynamic. Seems more willing on Rarity’s part.”

Starlight went back to their dynamic back in the real world, taking note of how close they were. The way Applejack would pet Rarity like a dog, how soft and tender she was, and how Rarity seemed to genuinely care about her, to the point where the idea of upsetting her frightened Rarity immensely.

“I wonder,” Starlight began, “Could Rarity and Applejack be a thing?”

“What? Like are they actually fucking?” Rainbow Dash asked, “I, huh. I don’t know, honestly.”

“It, would make sense,” Trixie said, “They’re inseparable, after all. But then, why is Applejack one of the prison guards? Wouldn’t Rarity envision Applejack trying to rescue her?”

“Maybe, but the reality here is, there’s still a lot we don’t know,” Twilight pointed out, “Until we figure out that information, we’re not going to get very far here.”

“I know, y’all are out there,” Guard Applejack grunted, surprising them, “Why don’t y’all, come in and chat?”

Starlight’s heart threatened to leap out of her chest. Not helped that all eyes were now on Starlight.

“Your call, Leader,” Rainbow Dash said, “We going in there?”

Starlight thought about it, and then nodded, “Oddly, I think we can trust her.”

“I’m sorry, WHAT?!” Twilight asked, “She’s still a part of this Nightmare!”

“Maybe not,” Starlight said, “Remember, the dreams don’t start out bad. What if this Applejack was here all the way from when it first formed?”

“I get ya. Sort of like the other cheerleaders in Diamond’s Cell way back,” Rainbow Dash added.

“But this isn’t a Cell,” Twilight pointed out, “This is a fully fleshed out Dungeon, and that Applejack is still warped now.”

“But to what extent?” Starlight asked, “I mean, you saw it yourself. She’s screwing Rarity, but she’s not raping Rarity. We don’t know much about this situation, but I want to at the very least trust Rarity’s subconscious. Applejack won’t hurt us.”

Twilight sighed, “Alright. If you’re certain. I’ll trust you.”

Three words she never thought she’d hear from Twilight. Suddenly Starlight wanted to check the temperature of Hell.

Either way, the group walked inside the room just as Applejack seemed to be finishing with Rarity, as she was thrusting fast and hard, with Rarity arching her back. Eventually, Rarity let out a loud scream of pure pleasure as Guard Applejack grunted through her own intense orgasm. One that came a second after Rarity’s.

Guard Applejack leaned into Rarity’s ear and spoke softly to her. Starlight didn’t hear what was said, but Rarity nodded. Applejack pulled out of Rarity, lifted her off the desk, and brought her over to a pole nearby, chaining her wrists to it behind her back. She then put in a ball gag before removing the strap on, fixing her skirt, and sitting down on the desk next to Rarity, crossing her legs.

“Y’all kept me waitin’,” Guard Applejack said, “I was wonderin’ when y’all ‘d come back here.”

“We had to take care of some things,” Starlight said, “We wanted to come back right away, but were held up.”

Guard Applejack nodded, “That’s fair, I suppose. I know what y’all ‘re after.”

“That a fact?” Rainbow Dash asked. Guard Applejack reached over and began fingering Rarity, making the captured teen squirm.

“Y’all want Rarity, right?” she asked, “Or as she’s known to most, Special Prisoner number 1.”

“That’s right,” Starlight answered honestly, “Our goal here is to save Rarity.”

“An’ she didn’t set y’all up to this?” Guard Applejack, looking back at Rarity dangerously, who actually tensed up visibly.

“No, she didn’t,” Starlight stepped forward, “We're here of our own accord.”

“That a fact?” Applejack stopped fingering Rarity and leaned forward, “Why? Y’all ain’t got no connection. Ya ain’t a part of her old pack or anything like that.”

“No, but she is someone I care about. Do I need more of a reason than that?”

Applejack raised her head and pursed her lips, “Yer an odd one, Starlight. Y’all know what she is, right? Or maybe, y’all ain’t got a clue, an’ that’s why yer tryin’ to rescue her.”

“You mean her being a nymphomaniac?” Trixie asked folding her arms, “Yeah, we’re aware of that.”

Applejack chuckled, “Oh, that ain’t all she is. But that tells me y’all really ain’t connected to the wolves in the city.”

Wolves, in the city…?

“Fine. I’ll enlighten ya,” Guard Applejack adjusted her legs, “Rarity here, she ain’t human.”

“She’s not?” Starlight asked. This was an interesting tidbit, “What is she?”

“Y’all witches ever heard of dire wolves?” Applejack asked, now sitting back, “Large, highly intelligent, more ferocious than normal wolves.”

“I have,” Twilight said, floating up front, “They’re pretty rare, aren’t they? I’d heard in various tomes that they were extinct.”

“What is she doing?” Trixie whispered to Starlight.

“Playing along,” Starlight whispered back, “Going with the dream will help us gain more info.”

“Oh no, they ain’t extinct at all. In fact,” she pointed a thumb to Rarity, “Yer lookin’ at one right here.”

Starlight looked at Rarity, who averted her eyes and looked almost shamed. A dire wolf? She knew that in the real world that was impossible. Still, this did speak volumes as to how Rarity viewed herself.

“See, the dire wolves ‘round here can turn into humans usin' magic,” Guard Applejack continued, “Thing is, they’re still wild animals. Jus’ able to take on human shape an’ communicate. Rarity here however, she wanted to be human.”

“A dire wolf wanting to be human?” Rainbow Dash folded her arms and frowned, “Alright, I’ll admit that’s a new one.”

Starlight nodded, “True, but it does explain her mannerisms. Even now she’s very canine.”

“She’s actually pretty good at hidin’ it usually,” Guard Applejack said, rubbing Rarity’s back and sounding proud, “Sadly though, somethin’ happened recently, leadin’ to the Warden takin’ a more direct role in the affairs here.”

Starlight noticed that Rarity looked down in shame. Whatever happened was important. Possibly the most important piece of information here.

“What happened there?” Twilight asked. Applejack chuckled.

“Nice try, but that’s classified info,” Applejack said, “I kinda value my position here too much to risk that. That said, I do need y’all to do somethin’ for me.”

“And what makes you think we’re going to help you?” Rainbow Dash asked.

“Oh, I think you will,” she got up and walked over to them, “Y’all want to rescue my cousin, right? I jus’ so happen to know where she is.”

“Whoa, hang on a second?” Trixie frowned, “You’re saying that you’re willing to help us?”

“What’s the catch?” Starlight asked. Applejack chuckled and walked back over to Rarity, removing her from the pole trapping her but keeping her wrists shackled.

“Oh that’s simple. You get my cousin outta here, an’ then leave the Prison,” she answered.

“You want us to abandonRarity?!” Rainbow Dash asked, “Yeah, not likely, No Fun Jackie!”

“Then I guess y’all don’t mind navigatin’ the maze on yer own then,” Applejack raised her head smirking, “I don’t need y’all to get her outta here, now. I jus’ know y’all got powers, an’ can get her much further away than I can.”

“Though true, you’re asking us to abandon our mission,” Trixie growled, narrowing her eyes at Applejack, “To let Cinch and Blueblood keep abusing Rarity.”

“That’s my offer,” Applejack shrugged, “What’s it gonna be?”

“How about this?” Rainbow Dash drew her sword, summoning her Persona, “We just go through you and save both of-”

Living with Determination - Persona 3

“Mmmmph!”

Rainbow Dash stopped and looked at Rarity, who was vehemently shaking her head, “What? What do you mean no?!”

Rarity looked back at Applejack and moaned something through her ball gag, nuzzling her, “Ya wanna speak? Fine. I’ll allow it,” Applejack said, removing her ball gag.

“Please, do as she says…!” Rarity begged looking at them tearfully, “Leave me here, and rescue Pinkie Pie…!”

“Rarity…?” Starlight asked.

“But what about you?!” Trixie asked, “Blueblood’s still in here, right?! And Cinch! She’s…”

“I know!” Rarity cried, breaking into light sobs, “I know… you’re trying to help me, but right now Pinkie Pie is more important…! I’m supposed to be here, she’s not! I’ll be alright, just please get Pinkie Pie out of here…!”

Starlight looked at Rarity intently, reading her. She didn’t even need her Empathy to tell how serious she was. This was Rarity at her most honest. She genuinely, wanted them to just rescue Pinkie Pie. But if they did that, would Rarity’s heart give out…?

“Answer me one thing,” Starlight said, “If we rescue Pinkie Pie right now, would that truly make you happy?”

“Absolutely,” Rarity said immediately, “Seeing her suffer, because she tried to save me, it’s killing me…!”

Starlight took a deep breath, “Alright. Tonight, we’ll rescue Pinkie Pie, and then leave the Prison.”

“Are you sure this is a good idea?” Twilight asked, “We don’t know if we’ll get another shot at rescuing her after this.”

“Rarity isn’t weak,” Starlight said to Twilight, “I know, she won’t let Cinch or Blueblood kill her.”

Twilight’s wisp looked at Starlight silently, followed by an eventual sigh, “Alright. You’re the leader here.”

“I really hate this,” Trixie sighed, “But we did come here to rescue Pinkie Pie, so…”

“Knowing Pinkie Pie, she’d rather we do the opposite,” Rainbow Dash sighed, “But as her knight, I can’t leave this place without her. So yeah, if everyone else is cool with it, I am too.”

Rarity sighed in relief, “Thank you.”

Applejack gagged Rarity again, “It’s on the way to Rarity’s cell. Follow me.”

Scraper Sky High - Under Night In-Birth

Now led by Applejack and a chained Rarity, the Daughter of Light went through the maze of cells, once again taking a few back ways. This time, they weren’t able to avoid combat the whole way though, and these fights were brutal.

But, after a good bit of walking, they stopped by a high security cell, where Starlight saw Apple Bloom standing guard, sort of. Her uniform was even more sexualized than Applejack’s, with a shorter skirt and no stockings, and her top was open to show more cleavage. She was also chewing gum it seemed, and was filing her nails, not paying them any mind.

Odd, Starlight thought. Applejack she could understand, but why was Apple Bloom one of her guards…?

“Hey, I got a thing to take care of,” Applejack said to Apple Bloom, “Bind her up, and stand watch till I get back.”

“Mhm,” Apple Bloom said airily, taking Rarity and escorting her into the small cell. Starlight saw Apple Bloom strap her to the wall with what appeared to be iron bands around her arms and body, legs, ankles, and even connected to her collar.

She wasn’t moving from there at all, and Starlight didn’t see the mechanism to control it.

“Follow me,” Applejack said to the witches. Starlight shared a look with Rarity, who nodded with a pleading expression. Starlight bit her lip, but nodded, following after Applejack.

This felt so wrong, and yet somehow, Starlight had a feeling that for a number of reasons, she made the right call here. Not JUST because they could rescue Pinkie Pie.

“So, what are you to Rarity?” Starlight asked Applejack. Might as well get some more information, right?

“I’ve been assigned to her ever since she came here,” the apparition answered, “Even before Cinch came an’ mucked it all up, my job’s been to be her guidance offer, personal guard, an’ her dom.”

“Her, dom?” Trixie asked skeptically.

“You an’ Starlight ‘re dom an’ sub, ain’t ya?” Applejack asked. Right, anything that Rarity did, this apparition probably knew too.

“I mean, yeah we are,” Trixie answered, “But what I see here isn’t BDSM. It’s sexual slavery.”

Oddly, Guard Applejack sighed, “Tell me ‘bout it…”

That, was not the response Starlight expected.

“You don’t seriously want us to believe that you’re sad about that,” Rainbow Dash said glaring at Applejack, “We saw you slap Rarity, and we know you work for Cinch.”

“You’re right, I do work for her now,” the apparition said, “She’s the Warden, an’ as a Security Officer, my job’s to obey her. That said, I am on her side.”

“Bullshit.” Trixie shot down. Applejack stopped and glared at the Magician, leaning toward her with a hand on her hip.

“Who do you think keeps the Guards from bein’ too rough with her,” Applejack said, “Who do you think tends to her when the Warden’s been extra vicious in her punishments? When she’s got downtime, who do you think keeps the Guards from gettin’ to her?” Applejack narrowed her eyes, “My job means I can’t free her, but I can make sure she’s safe, physically, mentally, an’ emotionally.”

“Okay, then here’s my counterpoint,” Trixie met her gaze evenly, “When we found you earlier, you were clearly helping yourself to Rarity’s body. Just like all the other guards here, you’re treating her like nothing more than a beast you can bend over and fuck.”

“I ain’t nothin’ like the other Guards here.”

“Oh is that right?”

“Unlike them, I care ‘bout her pleasure,” Applejack said sternly, “They jus’ treat her like nothin’ but a fucktoy, but me? I know she’s a livin’, breathin’ person. What I do, is tend to her condition in a way where she knows she’s getting’ what she needs.” surprisingly, Guard Applejack was tearing up, “If I had my way, she wouldn’t be goin’ through any of this, but Cinch’s power is absolute here! Jus’ me talkin’ to y’all like this is a risk!”

Trixie’s eyes widened, and all of them looked at this in shock. It seriously sounded like, for all intents and purposes, this Applejack was doing everything she could to keep Rarity safe.

“I, love her,” Applejack continued, “An’ I hate what’s goin’ on here, but in order to keep her safe, I gotta do everything that, that bitch says. Only reason she’s keepin’ Rarity alive is ‘cause she gotta, but I don’t know how long that’s gonna last. What I do know, is Cinch don’t care ‘bout my cousin, so she will kill her. That’s the only reason I’m workin’ with you, so maybe instead of antagonizin’ me, you save it for whatever’s ahead.”

Looking at this, Starlight realized something. For what it was worth, Rarity seemed to view Applejack as someone who was undeniably on her side. She was just powerless to stop anything that was happening to her.

Her being a security guard was still strange. Why was that? And further more, why was Apple Bloom one too?

Trixie frowned and looked away, “Alright. I’ll let up, since you raise a valid point. Let’s keep going.”

Applejack nodded, and continued onward, leading them to what appeared to be this Dungeon’s version of the Gymnasium. There were two guards standing in front of the door, but from where they stood, they clearly heard Pinkie Pie crying and whimpering, but her voice was muffled by something. Upon hearing this, Applejack paled.

Border of Insanity - Persona 4

“No…! I know what she’s doin’!” Applejack cried, “She’s executin’ her!”

“The fuck she is!” Rainbow Dash seethed, her Persona appearing behind her, “Eclair Farron, Mazionga!”

Her Persona raised her blade into the air, hitting the security guards and knocking them down. The two of them turned to see Starlight and co. run up to the door with their weapons out, Applejack behind them, “Miss Scarlet! What’s the meaning of this?!”

“Y’all know damn well why I’m here!” Guard Applejack seethed, “What ‘re y’all doin’ with my cousin?!”

“We have reports that the captured witch is plotting to usurp control from the Warden!” the guard on the left said, “She’s being executed for her crimes against Order!”

“You know the rules here! The Warden’s orders are absolute!” the Guard on the right said.

“Damn it!” Applejack seethed, “Who gave this report!”

“Why, it was me, of course,” the familiar swarm that was Blueblood’s voice was heard, the door opening behind the guards. Sure enough, they saw Blueblood’s Shadow, only now he was dressed as a security guard, “Tsk tsk tsk, Applejack. The Warden won’t be happy about this.”

“Blueblood…!” Guard Applejack seethed, “I knew it! I knew ya couldn’t be trusted! This was yer plan all along, wasn’t it?!”

“Wait, what?!” Twilight cried, “Why is HE a Security Officer here now?!”

“You witches didn’t think you got rid of me, did you?” Shadow Blueblood sneered, “You pushed me out before, but I found my way back in easily, thanks to the information I have on Dirty Diamond. All I had to do was threaten to tell Cinch about her time with the Diamond Dogs, and that cunt was willing to do anything I told her to.”

“Yeah, we’ll see how long that lasts!” Rainbow Dash proclaimed, drawing her sword, “You lost your blackmail material, so your game’s up! You’ll never touch Rarity, Pinkie Pie, or anyone again!”

“If you value your life, you’ll get out of our way!” Trixie seethed, drawing a full hand of cards and holding them ready, “Every time I see your ugly face here, I get one step closer to just ending you!”

“This time, we’re liable to do it!” Starlight shouted, twirling her scythe above her head before getting in a fighting stance, “Your move, Blueblood!”

Shadow Blueblood laughed, “Whatever you do to me doesn’t matter! That bitch in the room behind me is done for!” he was engulfed in a black aura, shifting into his Minotaur like form, this time dressed like a security officer and wielding twin tonfas that were engulfed in a blue flame.

At the same time, the twin guards shifted, turning into twin Oni with blue bodies, wearing white robes, blue armored gauntlets, and both wielding a saber staff. The two of them had for short horns on their heads, and instead of eyes and a nose, their faces seemed to have a hole in them that dipped inward, with the inside of the whole being light purple. On their bodies were designs that looked vaguely like the wind.

DNF FW15C -ii- - Blue Reflection

“Girls, we can’t waste time here!” Twilight cried, “I’m getting a bit of a feed on my radar, and Pinkie Pie is surrounded by Shadows in there!”

“We’ll make this quick, then!” Starlight shouted, “Applejack, get to safety! We’ll handle this and get Pinkie Pie to safety!”

“I’m countin’ on y’all!” Applejack said, running to take cover.

“The two new Shadows are called Fuu-ki!” Twilight said, “I don’t know a weakness, though! My terminal isn’t telling me anything!”

The Fuu-ki on the left spun his blade in the air, creating a tornado around him. Said tornado exploded outward, hitting everyone and unfortunately knocking Starlight to the ground, as she’d switched back to Morgana sometime earlier.

“Starlight!” Trixie cried, preparing a spell to retaliate, but was too late, as the same Fuu-ki threw his blade out like a boomerang, hitting Trixie and knocking her into a wall away from them.

The second Fuu-ki cast Tarukaja on Shadow Blueblood at the same time, and he immediately charged at Trixie, pinning her to the wall with his horns. Trixie summoned Elenora just in time, using her to try and push Blueblood off of her, sadly to no avail.

“Just the way I prefer you,” Shadow Blueblood said, “Pinned and helpless beneath me.”

“This, is the last place I want to be!” Trixie shouted. This time, his horns were engulfed in electricity, which he used to shock Trixie while she was pinned, “A, little hand here, please!” Trixie cried out in pain.

Rainbow Dash helped Starlight up, “Switch out from your default! At least till we get rid of those two!”

Starlight nodded, “I’ll worry about them, and try to get inside to where Pinkie Pie is! Save Trixie, please!”

Rainbow Dash nodded, “Leave it to me, Leader!”

“SETANA!!!” Starlight shouted, shifting into her Emperor Persona and casting Rebellion on Rainbow Dash, increasing her Crit Rate.

“Come forth, my other self!” Rainbow Dash said, summoning her Persona, who charged at Shadow Blueblood and slashed through him, knocking him off of Trixie, “Doesn’t matter how many times you change your tactics, asshat! You go down just the same as always!”

“SHUT UP!!!” Shadow Blueblood stomped his foot after getting up, “DON’T LOOK DOWN ON ME!!! I’M STRONGER THAN ALL OF YOU!!!” he shot his horn blast at the ceiling, causing lighting to rain down over top of them again.

Starlight was seriously tired of this happening tonight!

She jumped out of the way, but noticed the two Shadows were frantically moving aside too, “Hey! Watch where you fire that, jackass!”

Starlight smirked. She had an idea.

“AME NO UZUME!!!” Starlight shouted, shifting Personas. Ame No Uzume raised her fans and twirled them, causing a sudden jolt of Electricity to hit the two of them, knocking them both to the ground, “I’m going in to get Pinkie Pie!”

Trixie nodded, hitting Blueblood with an Agilao to the chest, “Go! We’ve got this!”

Starlight thanked her friends and rushed past them into the gymnasium. Inside, she saw Pinkie Pie being gang raped by the Shadows. Her witch attire was torn beyond covering her, she was shackled to the floor on all fours, gagged with a ring gag, she was covered in thick white substance, her eyes were beginning to glaze over, and yet the Shadows kept going. One was taking her from behind, one was forcibly taking her mouth, and two more were jacking off to her.

Scarily enough, it looked like there were over a hundred in the room, all waiting for their turn.

“Starlight, there’s no way we’re beating all of those Shadows!” Twilight cried, “We need a distraction!”

Starlight nodded and held her Ring to her heart, “Be careful, Diamond. Please. Come forth, my loyal servant! Rise, High Priestess!”

This time, the stage was much bigger, with Diamond Tiara stepping out dressed as a super sexy cowgirl, “Oh fuck! Giving me quite the audience this time, Mistress!”

“Sorry Diamond,” Starlight apologized, “But I need you to buy me some time to save Pinkie Pie.”

Diamond looked back at Starlight, and then at Pinkie Pie frowning. She then nodded, “In that case, I guess that means I’ll just have to go all the way with this performance~!” she shouted loudly, catching the attention of all of the Shadows present.

“Wait, is she serious? All the way?”

“Holy fuck, man. That stripper is hot!”

“Don’t know where she came from, but I am so jacking off to that bitch!”

Starlight watched in awe as Diamond commanded the entire room, doing a truly hot pole dance routine, easily the hottest one she’d ever done. As she spun around and removed her vest, she met eyes with Starlight and motioned with her head toward Pinkie Pie.

Starlight nodded and rushed over to Pinkie Pie, summoning Morgana and slicing the chains with her claws, freeing Pinkie Pie, “Pinkie Pie, talk to me!” Starlight cried removing the ring gag, “Please be okay!”

“I, knew, you’d make it,” Pinkie Pie said weakly, her eyes slowly beginning to focus as she smiled, “Dashie, and Trixie, where, are…”

“Outside dealing with the guards,” Starlight said, picking up Pinkie Pie bridal style, “Let’s get you out of here, Princess.”

She booked it out of the gym, not stopping as she followed Twilight down the hall, meeting eyes with Trixie and Rainbow Dash.

The two of them nodded and followed after her, the apparition of Applejack following behind them.

“What the?! HEY!” Shadow Blueblood yelled chasing after them.

“Shit! Any ideas?!” Trixie cried.

“Keep running!” Starlight shouted, “Diamond can’t stay in that room for too long without taxing my magic, so I’ll have to call her back then. We need as much distance as possible with that room before then!”

Rainbow Dash looked back and summoned her Persona, just in time as Blueblood fired another bolt of electricity at them. She managed to block it perfectly, but grunted in pain as it still hit her, “We got a Checkpoint coming up?!”

“I’m still searching!” Twilight cried, “Uh oh! We’ve got another issue!”

“What now?!” Trixie asked, ducking from another bolt of electricity from Shadow Blueblood.

“Another group of Shadows just broke into the Prison, and they’re on the same floor as you!” Twilight cried, “I think they’re the ones from the city!”

“From the city?” Guard Applejack asked, “That means-” her radio went off, “Yeah?!”

“Applejack, we got trouble!” the voice of an elderly woman said urgently, “Seems Apple Bloom got taken out! The wolves of the street have Rarity!”

“WHAT?!” Guard Applejack cried, “SHIT!”

Before Starlight could ask what she meant by that, she heard what sounded like barking. All of a sudden, a Shadow shaped like a large dog rushed at them. Starlight and co. moved out of the way just in time, causing the dog to attack Shadow Blueblood, knocking him to the ground.

As he wrestled with is new friend, Starlight called Diamond back, feeling a wave of exhaustion hit her. Seeing this, Pinkie Pie raised her hand to try and summon Serenity, but her hand dropped before she could muster up the strength.

“Don’t,” Rainbow Dash said, “We’ll be fine. You need to save your strength.”

“But, I’m, healer…” Pinkie Pie demanded, still trying to summon her Persona, “Have, to…”

“Right now, what you have to do is get to safety with the others,” Guard Applejack cut her off, turning to Starlight, “I'll cover your escape. Y’all take care of my cousin, alright?”

Starlight nodded, continuing down the hall with Twilight’s guidance, this time without Applejack following them. Seemed Rarity really could only see the best in Applejack. That was kinda sweet, really.

On the way, Starlight noticed Apple Bloom’s apparition leaning against a wall away from Rarity’s cell. It looked like she was counting cash or something. Wasn’t she taken out, though? And, where did she get that cash from...?

“I found a Checkpoint!” Twilight exclaimed, “It’s further down the hall and to the right!”

“Good! Because it’s getting live now!” Trixie cried. She wasn’t wrong either, as now there were Shadows all over the place, both guards and feral looking wolves.

Desire - Persona 5

They turned to the right like Twilight said, and saw the Checkpoint in an abandoned cell. Before they could enter it though, they saw Rarity standing by a broken window, now in the arms of a newcomer. This Shadow was male, had long black hair, and wore a black jacket, black jeans that were tattered, and black boots.

Currently he held Rarity firmly to him, his hands running through her hair as he dominated her with a passionate tongue kiss, one she returned with gusto, despite tears building in her eyes and showing signs of slight resistance.

“Rarity!” Starlight called out, catching Rarity’s attention along with the Shadow’s attention. When she saw who it was, Starlight’s heart leaped out of her chest.

“Oho! What have we here?” he said with a familiar smirk, “Lookin’ good, Little Star!”

“R-Rover…?” Starlight asked.

“Wait! That’s the name of the Diamond Dog Leader, right?!” Trixie asked, “Is that an apparition of him?!”

“N-no it’s not,” Twilight muttered, “These readings. That’s, a Dungeon Master.”

“Wait… But Cinch… she’s the Dungeon Master, isn’t she…?” Trixie asked wide eyed.

“Ha! That self righteous cunt?! Don’t make me laugh!” Shadow Rover said, gripping Rarity from behind and roughly groping her left breast, “The only one who’s fit to rule this place is me! I’m the true king of this city!”

Rarity moaned loudly, writhing in his touch. Despite being in pleasure, her eyes looked uncertain.

“As such, I’ll be taking this bitch with me, back to where she belongs,” Shadow Rover continued.

“Like hell you are!” Trixie drew a card and prepared to throw it, “Rarity’s not going anywhere wi-”

“No!” Rarity cried, asking Trixie to stop, “Just get Pinkie Pie out of here!”

Everyone looked down at Pinkie Pie, remembering their actual mission here. Pinkie Pie was in their care now, but until they exited the Dungeon with her, she wasn’t safe.

Starlight hated this so much, especially with this new development that sprang up on them last minute. But Rarity was right. At the moment, Pinkie Pie was more important.

“Let’s go!” Starlight said, “We’ll come back to deal with this when we know Pinkie Pie is okay!”

Rainbow Dash nodded, “Got it, Leader!”

Trixie gritted her teeth and looked down, “Goddamn it to hell!”

"Looking forward to seeing you, Little Star!" Rover smirked, "Next time, consider coming without the dress," he then grabbed Rarity, and jumped out of the window, taking her to parts unknown.

Now thoroughly disgusted, the group ran into the Checkpoint, reluctantly leaving the Dungeon. Good news, they got their teammate back safe and sound. The bad news, this Dungeon was even more complex than they realized.

Rarity, had two Dungeon Masters. Based on how Shadow Rover spoke, it didn't seem like they liked each other either. What, did this mean for Rarity's psyche...?

Author's Note

Fool – Seekers of Light: 5/10
Magician – Trixie Lulamoon: 8/10 :heart:
Priestess – Diamond Tiara: 10/10 Thrall
The Empress – Ms. Tia: 4/10
Hierophant - Victor: 2/10
The Lovers - Pinkamena Diane Pie: 2/10
Chariot – Rainbow Dash: 3/10
Strength - Tokugawa Fluttershy: 2/5
Hermit – Sunburst: 2/10
The Devil – Silver Spoon: 5/10
The Sun - Sweetie Belle: 2/10
Transformation - Ms. Luna: 1/10

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11/3

November 3rd, 2019
Saturday
Cloudy

Morning

I (sun) - Blue Reflection

Once they left the Dungeon, Raindow Dash removed Pinkie Pie’s channeling Ring, and was relieved to see that she did vanish, returning to her body. As they all returned to their bodies, Starlight found herself waking up shortly after. Apparently they’d only managed to get 2 hours of actual sleep from all of that.

Neither she nor Trixie bothered to change out of their sleepwear just yet, and instead went over to Pinkie Pie and Dash’s room to check on them. Naturally Miss Tia was already there, along with Twilight sitting beside Pinkie Pie on her bed.

“How do you feel now, Pinkie Pie?” Celestia asked.

“Better, knowing I’m safe,” Pinkie Pie said looking down, “But, I’m still shaken up. If you hadn’t gotten to me…”

“The Shadows said they were going to execute you,” Twilight said, taking Pinkie’s hand and rubbing it, “Do you know anything about that?”

Pinkie Pie nodded sadly, “His Shadow, told Cinch that I was plotting to take over the prison. That, I was feeding information to you guys, so we could undermine her authority.”

“The messed up part is, that’s not too far from the truth,” Trixie said gravely, “Still, if Blueblood’s Shadow spoke to Cinch’s Shadow in the dream world, that won’t effect the real world too much, right?”

“Not right away, no,” Celestia said seriously, “However, this could potentially lead to her doing something in the Real World. Her Shadow now knows to suspect Pinkie Pie.”

“Maybe that whole wearing costumes for midterms wasn’t a good idea…” Pinkie Pie sighed.

“You kidding? That was a great idea! We even got tight ass Harshwhinny to participate!” Rainbow Dash pointed out.

“What you did lifted everyone’s spirits,” Starlight added, “It’s true Cinch will probably retaliate, but this is the risk we took by taking on this job.”

“Did Fleur do things like that, when you were fighting her Shadow to save me?” Pinkie Pie asked.

“Quite a bit, actually,” Starlight nodded, “Pretty sure Fleur taking you out of the dorm toward the end there was her trying to get you away from us due to us fighting her constantly in the Dungeon.”

“None of this was your fault, dear,” Celestia said, kissing Pinkie Pie on the forehead, “Okay?”

Pinkie Pie sighed and nodded, “Okay. Thank you, Miss Tia. And, all of you. Thank you for rescuing me. I, really feel bad for making you all go through that.”

“You’re a member of our team now,” Trixie sat down next to Pinkie Pie and rubbed her back, “And you’re kind of the MVP. Saving you was our pleasure.”

“Yeah, no offense to Starlight, but she ain’t exactly a healer,” Rainbow Dash added.

“None taken, really,” Starlight sighed, “Healing Magic is hard for me. If you don’t mind, Pinkie, I’ll leave that to you?”

Pinkie Pie giggled, “Sure, Starlight. I don’t mind being the main medic. Healing Magic is my favorite anyway.”

Trixie closed her eyes, “Can you get any sweeter…?” Trixie asked softly, making everyone laugh. This was nice, honestly, having everyone together again safe and sound.

“But, concerning Rarity,” Pinkie Pie looked down seriously, “She’s, now with Rover, right?”

Riku theme - Kingdom Hearts 2

“She is,” Starlight closed her eyes gravely, “And apparently, he’s also a Dungeon Master.”

“How can we tell anyway?” Rainbow Dash asked turning to Twilight.

“Dungeon Master Shadows give off a different signal,” Twilight explained, “It’s like, they’re tied directly to the Dungeon itself, with the Dungeon’s energy flowing around them. Blueblood didn’t give that vibe, rather it seemed like the Nightmare was just making room for him. Cinch and Rover though, they’re Shadows seemed to be commanding the Nightmare in the same way.”

“Think Rover's why there were Shadows in the city side of the Dungeon?” Trixie asked Twilight.

“I’m positive that’s the reason,” Twilight said, “When you all went to sleep, I followed his Shadow a bit, and he took Rarity into the city with him.”

“Damn, it’s like she’s got two Dungeons rolled into one,” Rainbow Dash said in frustration, running a hand through her hair, “It’s gonna be hell getting Rarity out of there.”

“How much time do you think we have to solve this?” Trixie asked.

“November 9th is the Deadline. I’m sure of it,” Starlight answered, “That’s when Cinch is going to take measures to remove the Diamond Dogs herself.”

“From what Starlight’s seen, it seems that whatever is going on would effect Applejack and her family too,” Twilight added, “Pinkie Pie, what sort of connection does Rarity have with the Scarlet family?”

“I, don’t really know,” Pinkie Pie admitted, “I don’t even know how they met her, or why they adopted her into their family. Again, it’s like she just sort of, came out of nowhere one day.”

Starlight remembered something concerning the Diamond Dogs she’d heard from Pinkie Pie and the others. Something about them doing something, and then just vanishing after that. Starlight asked Pinkie Pie for clarification of that.

“Three years ago, they robbed Tartarus Bank,” Pinkie Pie explained, “I don’t know all the details, but I heard it got really ugly.”

“After that, they all vanished,” Trixie said, “Rumor has it they were arrested, probably only just getting their freedom. Why?”

“Because if they robbed the bank, chances are Rarity was still a member when that happened,” Starlight said, “So here’s my question. Why didn’t she get arrested?”

Twilight frowned, “You raise a valid point. And, the dates check out too. Pinkie Pie, you said that Rarity appeared with the Scarlets three years ago, right?”

Pinkie Pie nodded, “True. I think that was a bit after the bank robbery, now that I think about it.”

“The Diamond Dogs all get arrested, but Rarity gets away scott free?” Rainbow Dash asked, “That really doesn’t add up.”

“No, it doesn’t,” Celestia sighed, “Especially with Rarity being a member at the time. She would have been arrested with them.”

“Yet instead, she ended up with the Scarlets,” Trixie mused looking up, “This is getting way too complicated.”

“This does give us a possible lead though,” Twilight said looking down, thoughtfully, “After all, Rarity made it seem like if Cinch took action, the Scarlets would pay the price too. They might be doing something illegal as well. Such as harboring a felon.”

Pinkie Pie’s eyes widened, “But, that wouldn’t make sense! Applejack’s older brother, he’s a police officer! Their whole family is connected to law enforcement!”

“All the more reason why if they were hiding Rarity, they’d be in a lot of trouble,” Twilight said, “If she was supposed to go to prison, didn’t, and the Scarlets knew about it, they’d be charged with aiding a felon.”

“This does not look good for Rarity,” Trixie muttered, “We have to rescue her, but I’ll be completely honest, girls, this is making me really uncomfortable. Like, we really don’t know anything about Rarity.”

“I know one thing for certain,” Starlight said, “She’s a good person. Honestly, too good of a person. She’d rather take the fall herself than let someone else suffer. And we also know Applejack. She wouldn’t befriend Rarity if she couldn’t be trusted.”

“Yet those two are always together,” Rainbow Dash added, “Hell, remember in the Dungeon? She trusts Applejack enough to create a version of her in her dreams to keep her safe.”

“Exactly,” Starlight nodded, “And Applejack is visibly worried about Rarity right now. Rarity is undeniably a good person. Which means that something about this whole thing doesn’t add up. Until we get to the last entry in Rarity’s Akashic Records, we can’t make any assumptions.”

Trixie nodded, “Fair enough, I suppose.”

“Then tonight, let’s head back in,” Pinkie Pie said, reaching for her Channeling Ring and putting it on, “I think I’ll be ready for-”

“No Pinkie Pie,” Celestia said, “Tonight, I want you and everyone to rest. You especially.”

“But we only have till the 9th!” Pinkie Pie protested, “Miss Tia, please let me fight! We need all the time we can get to save Rarity!”

Celestia sighed and shook her head, “I’m sorry, honey, but I must put my foot down on this. I want to save Rarity as quickly as possible, but I must consider your health as well. After what you went through, I want you to at least take tonight to just relax and be. Both for your sake, and for everyone else.”

“Besides, that Dungeon’s gone through some sort of change now,” Trixie said, “Now that Rarity’s with Rover, we don’t know HOW this will effect things going forward. We need to be smart about this.”

Pinkie Pie looked down in frustration, and she was trembling, as if she was going to cry. Rainbow Dash knelt before her and took her hand, “Pinkie Pie, please. For my sake at least. Rest, and when you’re refreshed, we can go back in.”

Pinkie Pie took a deep breath, and eventually nodded, “I hate this. I really really hate this. But, okay. I’ll take it easy for now,” for good measure, she took off her Channeling Ring and placed it on her bed stand, “That way I won’t be tempted.”

“Thank you, Pinkie Pie,” Celestia said with a gentle smile, “For right now, let’s all have breakfast. Pinkie Pie, if you don’t feel up for it, I’ll let you eat up here, in case moving is hard.”

Pinkie Pie shook her head, “No. I want to eat with everyone. Besides, I always get seconds, and that’ll be easier if I’m just in the dining room with everyone.”

Celestia laughed, “Well, I can’t argue with that. Very well then.”

Twilight at the very least helped Pinkie Pie up, and she and Dash escorted her downstairs, with Celestia following shortly after. Starlight took a deep breath to control her emotions a bit. She didn’t know why, but she felt like she was close to tears again.

“Hey,” Trixie said, rising to hug Starlight from behind, “You okay?”

“I, I don’t know,” Starlight admitted, “For now, let’s just, get some breakfast, okay?”

Trixie pursed her lips and nodded, “Sure. Let’s go, Starlight.”

As they left the room, Starlight could feel Trixie’s eyes on her the entire time. Something told her they weren’t done talking about this.

end song

Afternoon

After eating breakfast, Starlight thought about heading out to see Fluttershy, but then remembered what Trixie brought to her attention about her costume. Cinch was on record saying she gave special treatment to students that she liked, and that costume, was not appropriate for school. How else could she have gotten away with that if she wasn’t getting special treatment?

She didn’t want to doubt Fluttershy’s integrity, but it seriously didn’t look good for her.

She heard a knock on her door, “Starlight honey, can I come in?”

It was Miss Tia, someone else that she felt sort of complicated feelings for now, also thanks to Cinch. Damn it, this woman was taking away everything that made her feel good.

“Yeah, come in,” Starlight said, laying down on her bed. The door opened, and Celestia walked in, sitting on the bed close to Starlight.

Xion's theme - Kingdom Hearts 358/2 Days

“Are you okay, honey?” she asked gently. Like always, Starlight got a warm feeling from Celestia, but now she felt almost guilty for having it. She knew what Cinch was trying to do, and she hated that on some level, it was working.

“I, yeah I’m fine,” Starlight dismissed, hoping it’d work. Sadly, it seemed Celestia was smarter than that.

“You don’t look fine at all,” Celestia pointed out, “Starlight, you know you can tell me anything.”

Could she? Could she tell her what happened in that office with Cinch? Could she tell her that Cinch got into her head, and actually did make Starlight feel guilty for relying on Celestia?

“It’s, a couple of things, I suppose,” Starlight began, now sitting up, “First, when Cinch called me into her office, she…”

Celestia pursed her lips, “Tell me what she told you,” she requested. Starlight took a deep breath and explained what happened in the office. Like she expected, Celestia wasn’t pleased hearing this, as she sighed and folded her arms, “I see.”

“She’s, right though,” Starlight said looking down at her lap and tearing up, “I am still fragile, and I am clinging to you as a mother figure. I just…” she closed her eyes tightly, “I’m so overwhelmed…! I’m scared for Rarity, I’m afraid of what’s causing the Nightmares, I don’t know if I can trust Tokugawa-san, I still want to kill Blueblood’s Shadow, the fate of the world rests on my shoulders, and all through this I still haven’t stopped grieving over my Mother’s death! I miss her so much!” Starlight buried her face in her hand and broke down, crying harder than she’d cried in a long while, “And thanks to Cinch, now the one person I feel safe opening up to, I’m afraid of even turning to them!”

“Oh Starlight, come here,” Celestia brought Starlight into her arms, actually crying a bit herself, “Just let it out. Let it all out.”

“But I-”

“Right now, you are still in a fragile place. Losing a parent is hard, especially due to an accident. You’re not going to heal quickly, but I am here for you. I am here to help you every step of the way. So don’t feel like you’ve done something wrong by clinging to me, Starlight. I will do whatever I have to, in order to help you.”

“Why, though…?” Starlight looked up at Celestia, “I’m, sorry if it sounds bad to ask but, why do you care so much…?”

“I suppose, it’s because I know what it’s like, to be alone,” Celestia admitted, suddenly looking somber, “Before this, I was very alone, and in a dark place as well. I had resigned myself to a fate I did not ask for, unable to reach out to anyone,” she closed her eyes, tears falling gently down her cheeks, “When I finally, made my way here, I knew what my purpose was. It was to cultivate hope within humanity, and to lift up as many people as I could.”

“Instead, of searching for the light yourself, you became the light for others,” Starlight said softly, remembering what Victor said to her on the day she first entered the Velvet Room.

“I understand that my methods are strange,” Celestia said, “And that I am mysterious. I will be completely upfront with you and answer any questions you have, but know that I am on your side. I adore all of my children, and this naturally includes you.”

Starlight smiled a bit, and returned the hug, “What you said to me, it’s enough. I’m sorry if I seemed unfair, Miss Tia.”

“No, you’re fine, dear,” Celestia rubbed Starlight’s back, “I don’t know what Cinch is doing anymore. All I know is, no one should make you feel bad for turning to someone for help. I said it before when we first met, I am more than just your teacher and dorm mistress. Whatever you need me to be, I will be.”

“Thank you, Miss Tia,” Starlight said softly, still crying but now feeling immense joy. She felt significantly closer to Miss Tia.

“Now, something you said did catch my attention,” Celestia said, “You mentioned not being able to trust a “Tokugawa-san”. Do you mean Fluttershy Tokugawa?”

Starlight sighed and nodded, “Her Halloween Costume, it was really hot, and she looked great in it. But, it wasn’t appropriate for school. She was, pretty much naked in it.”

Celestia nodded pursing her lips, “I think I saw this costume. Vampire in a black dress?” Starlight nodded, “I was curious about that. Sadly, I don’t have her in any of my classes, so approaching her is a bit hard.”

“Trixie brought up something though, that has me scared,” Starlight admitted, “She said that, the only way she’d be able to get into school with that, was if Cinch gave her special permission to wear it, and Cinch mentioned that she gives special treatment to students she likes, so…”

“You’re worried that Tokugawa is one of the students secretly benefiting from Cinch,” Celestia reasoned.

Starlight nodded, “I don’t want to believe the worse of her. She’s so nice to me. She’s guarded, yes, but on the rare times she lets her hair down, she’s super nice. She laughs out loud, she believes in magic, she apparently is a fan of those Persona Users that are thieves, and she took time out of her day to talk to me, just because she saw I needed a fried. She doesn’t speak very good English, but that’s fine. She’s my friend, at least, I hope she is…”

“What does your heart tell you?” Celestia asked Starlight, “When you think about Tokugawa?”

“My heart, tells me that she’s a genuinely good person,” Starlight said, “There are a lot of things that don’t make sense about her, but I feel like, she’s a good person ultimately. If anything, she’s just, lonely.”

“Then go with that,” Celestia suggested, “Even if you don’t know the whole story, if she’s your friend, then until you have reason to believe otherwise, then trust that she’s a good person.”

“Even if, she could be in line with Cinch?” Starlight asked.

“See, we don’t know for certain what happened,” Celestia said, “Now, I do think you should exercise caution when around her, but don’t assume anything until you know the whole story, alright Starlight?”

Starlight nodded, “Alright. Thank you, Miss Tia. You know, I think I’m going to head out to find her after all.”

“Good,” Celestia smiled, “I’m glad I was able to provide clarity.”

“You did,” Starlight hugged Celestia again, and then rushed out of the room to sign herself out. She hoped Fluttershy was still out there.

“Thank goodness she’s alright,” Celestia sighed in relief, but then folded her arms with a gravely serious expression, “As for you, Cinch. Your actions are unforgivable. I just pray you stop yourself before it’s too late…”

Kairi theme - Kingdom Hearts 2

It was still afternoon, but Starlight could see the sun was setting as she ran to the park. She prayed that she didn’t miss Fluttershy. She didn’t want to leave this hanging in the air, and something told her that Fluttershy needed her now.

She remembered how terrified she was at the Halloween party. It was almost like she didn’t want Starlight to see something. The way she ran away too, it seemed wrong to Starlight. Almost like she was, trying to escape?

The more Starlight thought about it, the more she was afraid for her friend.

When she made it to the park, she saw Fluttershy in her training attire, but she wasn’t in the usual spot. Instead, she was sitting on the bench, her training sword beside her. Her hands rested on her lap, and she looked downcast, with her bangs covering her eyes.

Starlight saw her sigh, and get up from the bench. She could NOT let her leave yet.

“Tokugawa-san!” Starlight called out, stopping her. Fluttershy turned to Starlight wide eyed.

“S-Starlight-san…”

“Sorry, I’m late,” Starlight panted heavily once she stopped running, “Had, to talk, with my Homeroom Teacher, about something.”

Fluttershy shook her head smiling, and then averted her gaze, “It, fine. Can’t, always meet.”

“But, you were hoping I’d come by today, right?” Starlight asked, finally catching her breath. Instead of answering, Fluttershy bit her lip nervously, “Are you okay?”

Fluttershy closed her eyes pained, and shook her head, “Starlight-san, see at party.”

“I, see at party?” Starlight asked, “I’m sorry, I don’t quite understand what you mean.”

Fluttershy whimpered biting her lip. It seemed like she was having a lot of trouble articulating what had her so upset. Sadly, she wasn’t quite sensitive enough to piece it together. But that wasn’t going to stop her from trying.

“Take your time,” Starlight said, approaching Fluttershy carefully, suddenly getting an idea, “Can I, hold your hand?”

Fluttershy looked at Starlight surprised, but then nodded slowly. She knew it was cheating, but she had to figure out what was bugging her friend. She opened herself up to Fluttershy, and took her hand.

It was fun while it lasted… having a real friend…

Now though... there's no way Starlight will want to be seen near me...

Starlight took a deep breath, feeling, relief. She could feel it, Fluttershy did genuinely want to be friends. Something at the party seemed to make Fluttershy think that they couldn’t be friends anymore. Like, she'd be ashamed to be anywhere near her.

“Were you okay?” Starlight asked Fluttershy, “At the party you, kind of ran off randomly.”

“U-uun” Fluttershy shook her head, “That, thing Starlight-san, not supposed to see…”

“Thing I’m not supposed to-” Starlight remembered the buzzing noise, and her eyes widened, “Oh shit. That buzzing, it was a…”

The way Fluttershy whimpered said it all, along with her suddenly looking like she wanted to cry.

“Okay, now I get it,” Starlight nodded, now rubbing Fluttershy’s hand with her thumb, “What if I told you that, I didn’t mind.”

“Starlight-san, not mind, I do, t-that at party…?” Fluttershy asked.

Starlight shook her head, “I, don’t know what this says about me, but public play like that, is something I find a bit of a turn on,” she blushed looking away, “I, kind of want to do stuff like that with my girlfriend, but I’m too worried what people will think.”

Fluttershy nodded, and oddly looked down hearing that. She was hoping that’d make her feel better, but did she misjudge? How much about her situation was she not understanding?

“Just know, that I'm not ashamed of you, or to be close to you,” Starlight continued, “You’re still my really cool upperclassman with a sword. Should I call you Senpai? Because if that’s what it takes to help you feel better, I will,” when Fluttershy still looked uncertain, Starlight leaned in close to her, “Please, Senpai~” That got her, as Fluttershy bit her lip now trying not to smile, “I’d say something super cutesy like “Please feel better, Senpai” in Japanese, but I haven’t seen enough anime for that, and I don’t want to flub the pronunciation.”

And that got her to laugh, “Starlight-san, embarrass me!”

“But do you feel better?” Starlight asked.

“Hai. Arigato, Starlight-san,” she smiled, “I, happy, that we, friends.”

Starlight smiled, squeezing Fluttershy’s hand gently, “I’m happy we’re friends too.”

Evening

I Shall Go On - Blue Reflection Second Light

Fluttershy had to head home soon after, as it was getting late. As such, Starlight made her way back to the dorm, where she saw Pinkie Pie sitting on the couch by herself. Fully dressed, but not in her usual skimpy attire, but instead in the longer, more conservative dress she wore when they first met. Ironic that this wasn’t standard attire for Pinkie Pie anymore.

As Starlight had Leanan Sidhe equipped still, she felt like she and Pinkie Pie would really resonate today.

“Hey Pinkie Pie,” Starlight said, signing herself in and going to sit beside Pinkie Pie, “How are you holding up?”

“I’m, doing better now,” Pinkie Pie said with a soft, but melancholy smile, “I, took a nap earlier, and I wasn’t in a Dungeon, so that’s a good sign. The real test will be when I go to bed tonight, though.”

“Are you still scared?” Starlight asked Pinkie Pie, taking her hand.

“A, bit,” Pinkie Pie looked down, “But more than that, I’m just worried about Rarity. If she’s with the Diamond Dogs in the Dungeon now…”

“It stands to reason she’ll be spending more time with them in the Real World too,” Starlight nodded, “I’m worried too. But I’m also worried about you, Pinkie Pie. Going into Dungeons, fighting Shadows, how are you really handling it all?”

Pinkie Pie looked away sadly, radiating that same melancholy air she did in her Halloween costume, “I, I don’t know. On one hand, I know that physically I’m fine. The Shadows didn’t touch me physically. But, I still feel it,” she hugged herself tightly, “I feel everything that happened to me. I remember it all so vividly. It’s like I was really there. I mean, I know that I am really there, but it hadn’t fully hit me. Not until I… got trapped in that place…”

“Pinkie Pie, I’m sorry,” Starlight looked down, “Because you’re helping us, you ended up in danger.”

Pinkie Pie took Starlight’s hands and looked into her eyes earnestly, “No Starlight. This isn’t your fault. I wanted to help you. Once I learned what was going on, and that it was all real, I knew I had to be by your side.”

“But, aren’t you still traumatized from your Dungeon?” Starlight asked Pinkie Pie.

“It’s true I, still have complicated feelings about everything,” she admitted looking down, “And knowing that it happened, does make me feel dirty still, but when I think about how much other people are suffering from it too, I can’t just do nothing,” she shook her head, “I won’t do nothing. No matter how much it hurts, I’ll fight for you, and for everyone.”

Starlight smiled sadly, “You really are a wonderful person, Pinkie Pie. I’m happy you’re by my side. Just, promise me that you’re going to be careful, okay?”

Pinkie Pie smiled, hugging Starlight, “I will. You do the same. No carrying the weight of the world on your shoulders alone.”

Starlight hugged Pinkie Pie back, promising to rely on her and everyone. She felt she and Pinkie Pie became significantly closer.

The rest of the day was spent hanging out with everyone at the dorm once they came home, and Twilight woke up. They’d decide what to do concerning the Dungeon tomorrow, but for now, she just wanted to be a normal teenage girl for a bit.

Author's Note

Fool – Seekers of Light: 5/10
Magician – Trixie Lulamoon: 8/10 :heart:
Priestess – Diamond Tiara: 10/10 Thrall
The Empress – Ms. Tia: 5/10 LEVEL UP!!!
Hierophant - Victor: 2/10
The Lovers - Pinkamena Diane Pie: 3/10 LEVEL UP!!!
Chariot – Rainbow Dash: 3/10
Strength - Tokugawa Fluttershy: 2/5
Hermit – Sunburst: 2/10
The Devil – Silver Spoon: 5/10
The Sun - Sweetie Belle: 2/10
Transformation - Ms. Luna: 1/10

Click here to check out the Go Fund I'm starting for my parents, and consider either donating or sharing this on your social media accounts.

11/4

November 4th, 2019
Sunday,
Cloudy

Morning

I (sun) - Blue Reflection

After eating breakfast, getting showered and dressed, Starlight’s phone rang as she went downstairs. She looked and saw Sweetie Belle’s number pop up.

She smiled and answered it, “Hey Sweetie Belle? This is a nice surprise.”

“Hi Starlight. I hope I didn’t call you when you were busy. Are you and Rarity okay now?”

“We’re, better I suppose,” Starlight said, “But I don’t know if I’d say that we’re 100 percent on track yet.”

“Oh. I’m sorry,” Sweetie said in a low voice, “Um, can I ask what the argument was about? You mentioned she did something that hurt you, I think.”

“It’s, kind of personal,” Starlight admitted, “And I don’t want to put her business out there. But I will say that Rarity explained her reasons for it, so I’m not mad at her anymore. I’m just worried, really.”

“I am too,” Sweetie said, “When Blueblood lost his phone at the party, it looked like he tried to harass her a bit about it.”

“Missed that at the party…” Starlight frowned.

“It happened when you and Trixie went off to make out. Apple Bloom and her sister protected her though, so it was alright.”

“Apple Bloom must be really tough.”

“You wouldn’t be able to tell from looking at her, but she’s a black belt in karate,” Sweetie Belle said, “I asked her and Scootaloo if they’d protect Rarity from Blueblood, and they said they’d do what they could.”

“But, they’re sophomores like you, right?” Starlight asked, “Blueblood’s a senior, and he’s pretty ruthless. I don’t want them getting hurt.”

“Don’t worry. Chances are, Blueblood’s more afraid of them than they could ever be of him. Most of the school is.”

Now Starlight was really curious about Apple Bloom, and Scootaloo too for that matter.

“Are you doing anything today?” Sweetie asked suddenly, “I’m going to be in the park practicing Chess on one of the tables, but I like being near you.”

“That’s fine,” Starlight smiled, “I’ll head right over.”

“Great. See you soon, Starlight,” Sweetie Belle said, clearly smiling based on her tone before hanging up.

“Heading out?” Trixie asked, coming downstairs. She was wearing her more skimpier attire today.

“Sweetie Belle wanted to hang out with me today,” Starlight said as Trixie wrapped her arms around her from behind, “Figured it’d be a good day to just relax a bit, you know?”

“Yeah, I do,” Trixie agreed, pressing her breasts into Starlight’s back, “Ms. Tia said we can go back into the Dungeon tonight if Pinkie Pie is up for it.”

“Do you, want to?” Starlight asked, her heart racing from the contact. Trixie’s breasts were so big and soft.

“I do, but I’d like to do something with you tonight first, if that’s okay,” Trixie said, nuzzling Starlight affectionately.

“S-sure…” Starlight said softly, holding Trixie’s hand, “What’s up?”

Trixie giggled, “That’s a secret, my dear~” she turned Starlight around and looked her in the eyes, “But I hope with it, you’ll be able to relax for a bit.”

Starlight had her hopes about what it was hearing that. She nodded and kissed Trixie deeply, “Alright. I’ll call you when I’m on my way.”

“See you soon~” Trixie purred before walking off, moving her hips in a hypnotic and enticing manner. Starlight was so excited for tonight, especially if it was what she imagined it was.

For now though, she needed to meet up with Sweetie Belle. Apparently her dorm was close to the park, so she’d probably be there before Starlight. She signed herself out and headed out to meet her friend.

end song

Daytime

Sweetie Belle apparently practiced in the park where Starlight met up with Fluttershy. She enjoyed coming out here for any reason really. On the way, she even saw Victor sitting on his bench beside the Velvet Room door reading his newspaper. He naturally stopped to admire her beauty, to which Starlight couldn’t help but pose a bit for him.

She hoped they could go into the library again soon together. For research. And maybe some light flirting.

Really, she just needed something to take her mind off of things in the Dungeon. It was November 4th now, meaning they only had five days left to rescue Rarity. This was cutting it way too close for Starlight’s comfort.

She shook it off and continued her walk through the park, where she saw a few benches. She had a feeling that she’d run into Sweetie Belle there. As she got closer, she did see her, but also saw something else that made her worried.

There were two boys standing over Sweetie Belle, and based on how she was holding herself and trembling, and how the boys were smiling and laughing, she was being harrassed. This time it wasn’t Snips and Snails, but that was worrying in and of itself. Starlight narrowed her eyes and made her way over to them.

“Go away…! Please go away…!” Sweetie Belle fussed, trying and failing miserably to not cry.

“What are you gonna do, cry about it?” one of the boys jeered, “Or maybe you’ll call Miss President to come to your rescue!”

“Not that she’d come,” the other boy teased, “She’s too busy with important stuff to give a damn about your stupid crush!”

“It’s not a crush!” Sweetie snapped, shooting up at them, “Stop saying that to me!”

“Then what is it?” the second boy asked leaning forward, “She your long lost sister or something?”

Sweetie averted her eyes and bit her lip, not saying anything. Sadly, this made the boys laugh even harder.

“See? I knew it! You can’t even say anything to defend yourself!” the first boy said through his laughter. At this point, Starlight could feel Morgana manifesting from her spirit, and her anger spiked. This wasn’t on school grounds, so she didn’t have to feel bad about breaking a limb or-

She stopped at the sound of whistling. She frowned at that, but also noticed how the two bullies froze at the whistling, along with Sweetie Belle calming down slowly. Just what was that…?

“Over here~”

In the Devastated Town - Devil Survivor 2

Everyone looked at a tree behind Starlight and saw two girls leaning on it on opposite ends. On the right side was a somewhat delicate looking girl with long, thick red hair tied up in a pink bow, wearing a short light blue and white dress, black shoes, and eating pretzel sticks from a black bag. Despite being busty with very long slender legs, and over all not looking like much of a threat, something about her made Starlight very nervous.

On the left side of the tree was another girl with short purple hair, wearing a white t-shirt, orange and white bomber jacket, blue jeans, and black and white sneakers. She had a more athletic build like Rainbow Dash, and resting at her side was a baseball bat. Seeing her made Starlight look extremely nervous.

“Um…” the first boy asked, slowly backing away, “H-hello Miss Scarlet.”

The other boy swallowed nervously, “Y-y-you have Miss O’Niell with you too,” he smiled awkwardly.

“Mhm,” the red haired girl said, pushing off the tree and sauntering over to them, “What’s goin’ on here, boys?”

“N-nothing!” the first one defended, his friend shaking his head vehemently.

“Nothing?” her friend said, also pushing off and resting the baseball bat on her shoulder, “Cause it looked like our friend here was beginning to cry. Apple Bloom and I don’t like it when she cries.”

The boys paled, “She’s… your friend…?” the second by asked, both of them slowly looking at Sweetie Belle.

“Yes, she is,” Apple Bloom smiled softly, holding a pretzel stick in her fingers almost like a cigarette as her friend walked over to the boys, getting behind them, “A very good friend, I might add.”

“Oh. Um, how about that, huh?” the first boy asked. Both he and his friend tensed when they noticed Scootaloo was right behind them.

“Like Scootaloo said,” Apple Bloom continued, taking a bite from her pretzel stick and swallowing it before continuing, “We don’t like it when she’s upset. So, how about you two apologize to Sweetie Belle, an’ then get on your way, hm?”

“If I were you, I’d listen,” Scootaloo whispered to them, “She’s in a relatively good mood today. Wouldn’t want that to change, now would you?”

The two of them quickly turned to Sweetie Belle, “We’re sorry!” they both cried in unison.

“W-won’t happen again!”

“We’ll leave you alone! Promise!”

Sweetie Belle nodded, eyes wide but still watery, “Apology, accepted,” she said slowly.

As the boys ran off, Starlight watched them somewhat baffled. Just what was their deal where they could sent some of Sweetie’s bullies packing with words alone. She’d seen that before, actually…

Didn’t Rarity once do that to save Starlight…?

Once she was sure it was okay, Sweetie Belle sighed and hugged herself, biting her lip and looking away.

“Hey,” Scootaloo said, placing a hand on her shoulder, “You alright?”

“I, think so,” Sweetie Belle answered softly, “Just, embarrassed, I suppose.”

“Ya ain’t got nothin’ to be embarrassed by,” Apple Bloom said, going over to Sweetie Belle and holding out her bag of pretzel sticks. It was almost like she was offering Sweetie Belle a cigarette. Made more interesting when she took one, “Sides, if we hadn’t shown up, yer friend over there would have done somethin’.”

Sweetie Belle turned to Starlight, her eyes widening, “Oh. You came.”

“I was actually on my way to chase them off myself,” Starlight said, “Sorry I didn’t get here sooner.”

“No, you’re fine,” Sweetie shook her head, “Just knowing you were willing to defend me like that makes me happy. You’re a good friend, Starlight.” she then turned to Apple Bloom and Scootaloo, “And um, thanks for coming, too. I know we’re not super close friends or anything, but I appreciate it.”

Apple Bloom laughed lightly, “What are ya talkin’ about? I meant what I said, you’re a good friend of mine now, Sweetie. Whether or not ya join the Company,” she caressed Sweetie Belle’s cheek, “Which personally, I really hope ya do. We could really use someone like you.”

The Company? What did Apple Bloom mean by that? And why was Starlight super worried all of a sudden?

“I, I still need to think about it,” Sweetie said, leaning into Apple Bloom’s hand, “I’m sorry.”

“No need to apologize,” Apple Bloom assured with a gentle smile, “Our doors are always open, so take as much time as you need.”

“Thank you,” Sweetie smiled. Apple Bloom kissed Sweetie Belle on the forehead, making her blush.

“Anytime,” Apple Bloom said softly, now turning to Starlight, “You work with AJ and Rares, right?”

Starlight nodded, “I’m Rarity’s secretary, Starlight Glimmer.”

“Right. Starlight…” Apple Bloom walked over to Starlight and looked at her intently. Despite being younger than her, they were the same height. Somehow though, Starlight felt really small before her.

“Um…”

“I’ll be on the lookout for ya at school,” Apple Bloom smiled softly, “Maybe we can chat, get to know each other.”

“W-well, I would like to get to know all of Applejack’s siblings,” and understand why this girl was a security officer in Rarity’s subconscious. One who apparently accepted bribes.

“Wonderful~” Apple Bloom smiled, “Scootaloo, let’s go.”

“Got it,” Scootaloo said, resting the bat on her shoulders again and giving Starlight a wide grin before walking over to Apple Bloom. Before leaving, Apple Bloom looked at the chess field, which looked like it was in mid game. She then moved the Black King to the left.

“Checkmate,” she said before walking off, Scootaloo beside her. Sweetie Belle watched them leave with an enamored expression, placing a hand over her heart. She then frowned and looked at the board.

“She said checkmate? But what did she-” her eyes widened, “She’s right. Moving the King to the left frees the Queen, but also makes it so the only way the King can move puts it in line with the Right Side Rook and the Left side Knight!”

“She’s impressive,” Starlight conceded.

“She really is,” Sweetie sat down with a wistful smile, “She said she and I were good friends.” she then giggled in excitement, holding her hands to her cheeks, “Yay!”

“I can see why you’ve got a crush on her,” Starlight said, “She and her friend are something else.”

“They have their own group in the school,” Sweetie said, “They actually approached me during the Halloween Party, complimenting me on my costume and letting me sit with them. They’re super nice.”

Starlight nodded listening to this, but her heart was still racing. For some reason, those girls raised a few flags that Starlight wasn’t sure the color of, but she worried that they were red.

“Again though, thank you for caring,” Sweetie said looking at Starlight, “I’m really happy we’re friends now.”

“I am too,” Starlight smiled. Starlight felt significantly closer to Sweetie Belle.

Concerning Apple Bloom and Scootaloo though, Starlight was going to be keeping a close eye on them. Sure Apple Bloom was Applejack’s sister, so she probably wasn’t too bad. But with how she sent those bullies packing, and how she appeared in Rarity’s Dungeon…

She really hoped Sweetie Belle wasn’t getting into a bad crowd…

end song

Evening

Starlight hung out with Sweetie Belle learning how to play chess and just talking till about 7. Like she promised, she gave Trixie a text letting her know she was on her way, to which Trixie gave a cute “see you soon, Mistress~” as her reply, followed by a heart emoji.

She seriously wondered what she was planning.

When she got back to the dorm, she saw Rainbow Dash and Pinkie Pie standing by the couch laughing about, something. Pinkie Pie had gone back to her more revealing ensemble, which was nice, as it told Starlight she was feeling better.

“Oh, hey Leader,” Dash waved to her as she went to sign herself in, “If you’re looking for Lulamoon, she’s upstairs in your bedroom.”

Starlight nodded slowly, “Good to know, thanks. You feeling better now, Pinkie Pie?”

Pinkie Pie nodded, “I am. I asked Miss Tia if we could go back into the Phase tonight, and she said it’s okay. She just doesn’t want me to push myself too hard.”

“Probably for the best,” Rainbow Dash said, “Twilight wants to do one final sweep of the Prison before we head into the City.”

“Good to know,” Starlight smiled. She was seriously happy Twilight was there to support them. She didn’t know what she’d do without her.

“But that’s neither here nor there,” Rainbow Dash walked over to Starlight and placed her hand on her shoulder, “You need to head up to your room.”

“Yep. Like, now,” Pinkie Pie nodded, “The Dungeon can wait till afterward.”

Now Starlight was really curious about what was going on. What did they know that she didn’t…?

“So shoo,” Rainbow Dash pushed Starlight over to the stairs, “Go be with your lady.”

“Have fun~” Pinkie Pie said with a light giggle. Starlight gave them a wry smile, but conceded, heading upstairs to where Trixie waited for her. Once there, she knocked on the door.

“Come in, Starlight,” she said, her voice low and sensual. Starlight’s heart raced at the sound of her voice.

Chatting into the Night - Blue Reflection: Second Light

She opened the door and saw Trixie splayed out on the bed, laying in a sensual manner as if either relaxing fully or presenting herself. Thing was, she was on Starlight’s bed, not her own!

“Welcome home, Mistress~” Trixie smiled sitting up. She was wearing the collar now.

“It’s, good to be home,” Starlight said, stepping in and closing the door behind her, “Hope I didn’t keep you waiting.”

Trixie shook her head, “Not at all. Gave me time to mentally prepare for what I wanted to do tonight.”

“What, you wanted to do tonight?” Starlight asked. Trixie stood up and walked over to Starlight, hips swaying with each step.

“I’ll level with you. I’m worried,” Trixie said, wrapping her arms around Starlight and holding her close, “I can see how tense you are. This whole thing with Rarity has you messed up, right?”

Starlight took a breath, and nodded, “When she asked me to just let her die in peace, I remembered how I felt before I tried to commit suicide. Trixie, I’m worried Rarity might try something similar. I know her pain, at least part of it. I want to save her so much, but, I’m worried. I’m worried that, since I don’t know anything truly about her, I won’t be able to reach her heart with the time comes.”

“Oh Starlight,” Trixie said softly, caressing her cheek lovingly, “Don’t you see? This is why you’ll be able to save her. You care so much for the people around you. It’s the reason you were able to save Pinkie Pie, and me,” she smiled adoringly, “I’m not worried in the slightest. Because you’ll find a way to save Rarity. Not because you’re the Trickster, but because, you’re you.”

“T-Trixie…” Starlight was wide eyed, and felt herself tear up a bit. She couldn’t remember the last time someone said something so loving to her.

“That said, you can’t do this on your own,” Trixie continued, her hands going down to Starlight’s hips now, “You’re so busy taking care of others, being their hero, but who’s going to be yours? I, I thought about it, and I decided that, I want to.”

“You, want to be, my hero?” Starlight asked softly. Trixie nodded smiling, lifting her skirt to rub Starlight’s hips directly. This was so intimate.

“One way, I want to do that Starlight,” Trixie said softly, “Is by helping you relax. I want to serve you. Can I? Please?”

“By, serve me, you mean…” to answer Starlight’s question, Trixie leaned in and kissed Starlight deeply and passionately on the lips. She then lifted her top off, followed by removing her skirt. Oh shit, she meant it.

“Tie me up, however you wish, Mistress,” Trixie said, unclipping her bra and tossing it onto her bed. This, was the first time Starlight had seen Trixie’s bare breasts in this setting, “Tonight, I belong to you.”

Starlight took a deep breath, feeling her loins warm significantly, “Before, anything,” Starlight said, forcing herself to calm down and not lose control, “How far, do you want this to go?”

“If you, want to be, a bit rough, you can,” Trixie said, breathing heavily, “And, if you want to take me, in a somewhat rapey fashion, you can.”

“But, isn’t that, what he…”

“Yes it is,” Trixie said, “And much to my shame, I loved it,” she teared up, “Starlight, in order to put him behind me, I need to experience that kind of intensity, with someone who cares about me. I thought he loved me, but he was just using me as a rebound because Rarity turned him down. You though, I know that you care about me. If I’m going to do what my Persona keeps telling me to do, and love myself, I need to feel worthy of love. I trust you, Starlight. For some reason, something in my heart tells me that if I can trust anyone in this world it’s you, so please love me, Starlight. Love me, as intensely, and as ferociously, as you desire.”

Starlight looked at Trixie intently, and caressed her cheek with the hand her Channeling Ring was one. She then placed another hand over her heart and nodded a bit, to which Trixie nodded, giving her permission. Starlight then opened herself to her girlfriend, feeling her emotions.

I know I can trust Starlight…

She won’t abuse me… or take advantage of me…

I, I want to be her sub…!

Starlight… I… I…!

I love you so much…!

Starlight sucked in a breath, and immediately drew Trixie into a deep and passionate tongue kiss. The two of them spent a good few seconds to a minute just making out, running their hands through each other’s hair. Eventually, Starlight broke the kiss and looked into Trixie’s eyes, both of them breathing heavily.

“Get the rope,” Starlight requested. Trixie immediately went to the drawer she kept their toys in, and grabbed their training rope, giving it to Starlight. Starlight then got to work wrapping it around her arms, waist, and a bit around her breasts to emphasize them. She then turned Trixie around to tie her wrists together behind her back with the remaining rope, “Is this too tight?” she asked hotly.

“Not at all!” Trixie answered immediately, her breathing picking up, “I… I’m beginning to get there…! That headspace…!”

“If I take it too far, or if you get genuinely afraid, just say anchovy, and I’ll stop,” Starlight said, groping Trixie’s breasts from behind, “I promise.”

“I… I know…!” Trixie panted, shutting her eyes tightly, “I’m, going to, embrace this…!”

With that, Starlight laid Trixie on her bed again, and leaned in to suck on her nipple. The hard, erect nub felt so lovely in her mouth, and the way Trixie struggled and whimpered only added to the sensation.

There was just enough rope hanging off from her wrists. Starlight took that and tied it to the head board of her bed, trapping Trixie. The way her eyes widened along with her helpless whimper sent Starlight into an odd place mentally.

She loved it.

Starlight lifted her own dress off, tossing it aside and leaving herself in just her boots, bra, and panties. She then took some time to admire Trixie before grabbing her panties and slowly pulling them down her legs.

When she saw Trixie tremble and whimper weakly, Starlight paid extra attention to her to see how she was doing. She didn’t say her safe word, so she assumed she could keep going. Once she was fully naked, Starlight leaned in to give Trixie’s lower lips a soft lick. She wasn’t even thinking about how it’d taste, she just thought it’d be hot. She was then met with a truly cool and sweet taste, followed by a sudden cry from her sub.

“You enjoyed that, didn’t you?” Starlight asked with a smirk.

“I… I did…” Trixie confirmed in a light voice, pulling at the ropes trapping her and breaking into intense sobs.

“There’s no point in trying to escape,” Starlight said, now sticking her finger inside of Trixie’s sopping wet pussy, fingering her and lightly touching the area around her clit, “You’re mine now~”

Trixie whimpered weakly, writhing in pleasure as she continued to struggle in her bindings. This was so much hotter than the dreams she had.

“Does this scare you?” Starlight asked hotly, leaning in to lick Trixie’s cheek and neck.

“Y-yes…!” Trixie cried. Yes, this was just like her dream.

“Good, good~” Starlight purred, fingering Trixie with more intent, making her sub moan louder, “Because that fear, is so sexy on you~”

“S-Starlight…!” Trixie cried, prompting Starlight to grip her hair a bit and look her in the eyes, “Ah~!”

“When like this, you’re to only call me Mistress, understand?” Starlight asked, calmly but intensely.

“Yes!” Trixie nodded vigorously, “Yes Mistress! I understand!”

With that out of the way, Starlight knelt down to Trixie’s pussy and removed her finger, replacing it with her tongue. She didn’t know quite what she was doing, but having one herself helped. She just explored Trixie’s inner walls vigorously with her tongue, using her nose to rub her clit and gripping her hips tightly.

“Oh! AH!” Trixie screamed, bucking and grinding against Starlight’s mouth and tongue. She was doing something right then.

Starlight broke away from Trixie’s pussy briefly to take off her bra and panties, and then resumed eating her sub out, fingering herself at the same time. She felt so naughty like this, made worse knowing that somewhere, the others were close by. Anytime Trixie cried out somewhat loudly, Starlight partially wondered if the others could hear her.

When Starlight hit the section right at the top of her vagina, underneath her clit, Trixie cried out sharply. Okay, good. That was the same for Starlight too. She sucked on her clit and that section at the same time, continuously, over and over, all the while fingering herself in a way she knew could get her off close to the same time.

Trixie let out a loud scream as she reached orgasm, Starlight a bit surprised by how much of her sweet nectar shot into her mouth. Starlight brought herself to orgasm at the same time, internal apologizing to Celestia for the mess they were making in her bed. Hopefully she wouldn’t make too much of a fuss.

Starlight rose up from Trixie’s pussy, and after licking her lips pressed her own pussy against Trixie’s, sending a jolt of pleasure through her. Based on how she cried out, Trixie felt something similar.

“I’ll, have to get a dildo, just for nights like this,” Starlight panted, “But for now, this, is fine.”

As Starlight gripped Trixie’s leg and held it up, her sub looked up at her weakly and fearfully. She got so deep into this head space, and she was so alluring and lovely like this. The fact Trixie let Starlight take her to this place, and was willing to trust her so much, it made all of this worthwhile.

Fighting Shadows, investigating the Nightmare Epidemic, saving people from their nightmares, all of it was made worth it in this moment, because she knew, Trixie was someone she saved. Her first successful Dungeon cleared.

She could do it again. She would do it again. She’d rescue Rarity, no matter what.

Starlight grinded herself against Trixie, their pussies rubbing against one another as the room filled with their collective moans of pleasure. The whole time, Starlight and Trixie’s eyes were locked onto each other, with Starlight’s empathy flaring up in a way she hadn’t felt before.

She could feel Trixie’s adoration for her. She wondered if Trixie could feel hers?

“You, feel it, right?” Starlight asked as she grinded against her sub, “My, emotions?”

“Yes! I feel it!” Trixie cried intensely, “Your, empathy! It’s like I’m, sharing it, with you!”

Starlight moved to lay overtop Trixie and tongue kissed her again, deeply and lovingly, continuing to grind against her body. Trixie returned the kiss, her legs rubbing Starlight’s side as she continued to rub her own pussy against Starlight’s, still pulling at her bindings. It didn’t take long for the two of them to both cry out in pleasure as their orgasms echoed in the room.

Starlight and Trixie looked into each others eyes as they came together, their hearts resonating with one another. As they came down, Starlight collapsed on top of Trixie, both of them panting heavily.

“Give me, a second, and I’ll, untie you,” Starlight panted, Trixie nodding approval. After gathering herself enough, Starlight got to work untying her beloved. It didn’t take long, and once she was freed Trixie wrapped her arms around Starlight, holding her close.

“Thank you, Starlight.”

“Thank you, Trixie.”

“What, for?”

“For, helping me, get out of my head a bit,” Starlight looked into Trixie’s eyes adoringly, “Tonight, when we’re in Rarity’s Dungeon, I know we’ll be able to make headway. We’ll find something that can save Rarity.”

Trixie nodded smiling, “I know we will. Especially if you and I are together. So long as you’re by my side, there’s nothing I can’t do.”

Starlight smiled, and hugged Trixie close. She felt more in sync with Trixie right now. Starlight had a feeling she and Trixie’s performance together would improve next time they were in the Phase.

Late Night

The Phase

Scraper Sky High - Under Night In-Birth

Everyone was relieved when they entered the Phase and saw Pinkie Pie in the Akashic Records waiting for them. That said, no one was more relieved than Pinkie Pie herself, as she revealed she was nervous about that.

After meeting up and discussing their next move, they decided to go into the Prison to do a final sweep of the place, just in case they missed it. The City was really big, so Starlight felt a bit better finishing things off here before moving forward.

The changes in the place were immediately apparent.

“So, that last fight,” Rainbow Dash said as they finished dealing with 3 Shadows, “Didn’t the enemies seem a bit weaker?”

“Yeah, they did,” Trixie said dusting herself off, “That’s not all either. Look at this place.”

Looking around, the cell area was badly damaged. Starlight figured it was the aftermath of the City Shadows fighting, but that didn’t really make sense for all of this damage.

“It could be due to Rarity’s position shifting,” Twilight suggested, “Like, if she’s on this side, the Prison is in full operation. If she’s not though, well… this.”

“Oh Rarity…” Pinkie Pie went over to the broken window she and Rover escaped from, “I hope she’s okay…”

“I wanna say she is, but knowing Rover, who knows?” Rainbow Dash said, going over to rub Pinkie’s back, “That said, she’s tough. I’m sure she can hold out against that brute for a bit, till we get over there.”

“Yeah. Hopefully.”

Starlight sighed pursing her lips, thinking about Rarity. She seemed to almost want to go with him, despite being resistant. Just what was going on inside her head.

“Hang on a second…” Twilight said, “That’s weird. I think I found the Applejack apparition, but she’s stationary.”

“Stationary?” Trixie asked, turning to Twilight’s wisp as it reappeared, “Why’s that?”

“Don’t know from here,” Twilight said, “I had to briefly disconnect from the Remote Viewing System to find her. That said, I can lead us to where she is.”

“Lead the way, Twilight,” Starligth requested. Twilight’s wisp nodded, and flew off deeper into the Prison. The path they took was a bit roundabout, and they had a few close calls, but they managed to not get seen on the way there.

Suspicion - Persona 5

When they found Applejack’s apparition though, they were somewhat horrified by the sight before them.

She’d been completely stripped of her uniform, her wrists and chained to the wall above her head, and her ankles chained to the ground with her legs spread out. She had iron nipple clamps on, connected by a chain, with a third chain going down to clamp her clit, a large vibrator going off in her pussy, and finally she had both a blindfold and a ball gag on. It looked like she’d been roughed up quite a bit, as there were various markings on her body, both lashes and bruises.

“Oh no! Applejack!” Pinkie Pie cried running over to her, “Applejack, are you okay?!”

The apparition said something that could have been Pinkie Pie’s name, but the gag hindered her. She then cried out in what sounded like pain as she came from all of the stimulation.

“Hang on! We’ll get you out of this!” Pinkie Pie looked around frantically for a release switch.

“Pinkie Pie, there’s no point,” Twilight said, “That’s not really Applejack. She’s a clone created inside Rarity’s subconscious.”

“But she’s real to Rarity!” Pinkie Pie protested, “She tried to protect me from the Shadows, fought off Blueblood, and even held me when I was crying! She might not be my Applejack, but she’s an Applejack!” she turned back to the imprisoned apparition, holding a hand to her cheek, “I… I can’t just leave her like this!”

Guard Applejack made a soft whimpering sound, and actually caressed Pinkie Pie’s hand. Seeing this, Starlight was beginning to wonder just how real these apparitions were. This one seemed to understand her situation, and genuinely cared for Pinkie Pie. Curious, Starlight walked over to her and touched her face, opening herself up to her emotions.

Oh Applejack, so faithful and kind. You’ve been by my side since day one. I know, even though you’re powerless to save me, that you’d still do everything you could to keep me safe.

My beloved friend… I hate that you have to suffer at the hands of Cinch too… in many ways, you’re just as much a prisoner as I am…

Starlight stepped back in surprise. That wasn’t what she expect. Those felt like, Rarity’s feelings.

“What did you feel?” Trixie asked Starlight, who explained the emotions she felt, “Wait, Rarity’s feelings?”

They were then alerted by the sound of whistling, a very familiar tune to Starlight, actually.

“What’s that?!” Rainbow Dash asked looking around as everyone drew their weapons, “Are we about to be attacked again?!”

“Don’t worry,” a familiar voice called out from a corner, “I ain’t gettin’ paid enough to take on four witches.”

In the Devastated Town - Devil Survivor 2

Starlight looked and saw Apple Bloom leaning against a wall, once again dressed as a security guard or police officer. Looking at her again, her uniform seemed to go further in the direction of “sexy cop”, like what one would see in a porno flick. Unlike in the real world, where she ate pretzel sticks like they were cigarettes, this Apple Bloom actually was smoking a cigarette.

“Apple Bloom,” Starlight said stepping forward, “At least, the version of Apple Bloom inside Rarity’s Dungeon.”

Guard Apple Bloom chuckled, “Good. Y’all know my name. Makes the next part easier,” she pushed off and walked over to stand before Starlight. Like in the real world, they came to the same height, with Apple Bloom once again feeling extremely imposing and dangerous. Here, despite looking the same, she somehow came off as more mature, almost like an adult, “So, yer the witches tryin’ to break Rarity outta this hell.”

“What are you gonna do about it?” Rainbow Dash asked, holding her sword at Apple Bloom, “You gonna call the guards on us, send us to your warden?”

Apple Bloom laughed lightly, “Like I said, she ain’t payin’ me enough for all that trouble. No, I’m actually here for your benefit.”

“Ours?” Trixie asked skeptically, “Not sure I buy that.”

“Oh, I’m sure I’ll have somethin’ you’re willin’ to buy~” Apple Bloom turned on her heel, “Follow me. Let’s talk privately.”

“What about your sister?” Pinkie Pie asked glaring at the apparition, “You’re not just going to leave her, are you?”

“Ain’t nothin’ can be done for her,” Guard Apple Bloom said, not turning to face them, “AJ knew the risks of helpin’ y’all. Only one who can set her free now is the one in charge of this Prison.”

“Meaning Cinch,” Starlight inquired. Oddly, Apple Bloom chuckled again at that.

“Sure, “Cinch”,” she said, now walking off.

“We’re following her?” Twilight asked Starlight, who nodded.

“We are. Seems the apparitions aren’t loyal to the Dungeon Master. We might be able to use that to our advantage.”

“Better than nothing, I suppose,” Trixie put up her cards, “Pinkie Pie, let’s go.”

Pinkie Pie sighed, and hugged Guard Applejack, “I’m sorry. Thank you for protecting me, Applejack. I love you so much.”

Guard Applejack nuzzled Pinkie Pie back, giving a muffled and weak “I love you too” to Pinkie Pie. She then released Applejack and followed after the group, Rainbow Dash wrapping an arm around her as they walked.

They didn’t go far, as Guard Apple Bloom led them to another abandoned office/classroom. Here, she sat down on the desk and held up a few pieces of paper, “These are probably what y’all ‘re after here.”

“What are those?” Trixie asked, making Apple Bloom smirk.

“Oh, jus’ the enrollment papers of one “Rarity Stark”,” Apple Bloom answered.

“Girls! Get that!” Twilight requested, “I need that to begin searching through Rarity’s Akashic Records!”

“Ain’t gotta tell me twice,” Rainbow Dash walked over to the guard, “Thanks for the hel-” Apple Bloom snatched them away, “H-hey!”

“I didn’t say I’d be givin’ these to y’all,” she raised her leg and used it to push Rainbow back to the group, “You want ‘em, y’all gotta pay for ‘em.”

“What?!” Trixie asked, “You’re making us pay for those papers?!”

“How about this, instead,” Rainbow Dash drew her sword, “You give us the papers, and I don’t charge you with 1000 volts of pain!”

Apple Bloom pulled out a lighter and held it under the papers, “Only hard copy here is in my hands right now. These go, y’all will have to go to the Warden herself to get a copy. Good luck with that.”

“Dash, pull back,” Starlight requested, “We need those papers, and I can tell she’s not bluffing.”

“Shit,” Rainbow sheathed her sword.

“Let’s see, there’s four of you,” Apple Bloom looked over the papers, “An’ these records are about three years old now… so, I’ll say eighty dollars. No, wait, one hundred sixty. I’m doublin’ it for threatenin’ my life.”

Everyone turned to glare at Rainbow, who just looked down in shame, “Thanks, Dash. Wanna raise it higher for us?”

“Sorry guys…” Rainbow Dash said awkwardly.

“How are we going to do this?” Trixie asked, “Do we even have money with us in the Phase?”

“This is a dream, right?” Twilight asked, “Theoretically, you SHOULD have more than enough.”

“But this isn’t a normal dream,” Trixie pointed out, “And we do get paid in the Phase for fighting Shadows.”

“Meaning that we might be pulling from out own funds for this,” Starlight said.

“I’ve been saving up my money,” Pinkie Pie said, summoning her phone to check her balance, “I should have… yep. 337 dollars in my checking account.”

“You’re sure this is okay?” Starlight asked Pinkie Pie, who waved it off.

“Please. This is to help us save Rarity. Besides, chances are I’ll get it back either in here or Elysium,” Pinkie Pie said. She then summoned the money into her hands and walked over to Guard Apple Bloom, “Here you go.”

Apple Bloom took the money and counted it. Once she was satisfied, she handed Pinkie Pie the enrollment papers, “Pleasure doin’ business with y’all.”

“Pinkie Pie, I’m sorry,” Rainbow Dash sighed, “I didn’t mean to make you have to pay that much. I’ll make it up to you, promise.”

Pinkie Pie giggled, “In that case, next time we have sex, you’re the one on bottom~”

Rainbow Dash’s face turned red, “Guh! Damn it, Pinkie Pie… in front of everyone though…?”

They all had a good laugh at that. Even Guard Apple Bloom chuckled at this.

“Why are you helping us even this much?” Starlight asked.

“Cause y’all are tryin’ to help Rarity,” Guard Apple Bloom answered, “Applejack, Macintosh, an’ Granny Smith are bound by the rules of this place. Whoever has the highest authority here, they gotta listen to. They hate it, but the Warden makes the rules, an’ now it’s our job to follow ‘em. Me on the other hand,” she pulled out another cigarette and lit it, “My role’s a bit different here.”

“Your “role”?” Rainbow Dash asked.

“My role’s to be that one officer who’ll turn a blind eye or get ya certain things for the right price,” Apple Bloom explained.

“So you’re a Dirty Cop,” Trixie said, “The sort who’s more concerned with lining her own pockets than doing her job.”

“Somethin’ like that,” Guard Apple Bloom blew out some smoke from her cigarette before continuing, “But like the others, I do care ‘bout Rarity above all else here.”

“That why you gave her over to the Diamond Dogs?” Starlight asked narrowing her eyes.

“Yes, actually,” Apple Bloom narrowed her eyes also, still smirking, “That’s exactly why.”

“Hold on, what do you mean?” Trixie asked Starlight, “Apple Bloom, gave Rarity over to the Diamond Dogs?”

“I saw it myself,” Starlight said, “Applejack got a call saying Apple Bloom was taken out, but I caught her when we were escaping. She was counting money, and she was perfectly fine.”

“Why would you do that if you care about Rarity?!” Pinkie Pie asked.

“Cause that’s what she wanted,” Apple Bloom answered, “Y’all think she wants to be anywhere near the Warden? She’s the one who hired Blueblood as a guard in the first place. ‘Sides, over here she’s tortured 24/7 unless AJ’s with her, an’ I can tell y’all, with AJ’s demotion to prisoner, that’s endin’ fast.”

“So, you gave Rarity over to the Diamond Dogs,” Starlight said, “As a way to try and protect Rarity?”

“Lesser of two evils,” Apple Bloom shrugged, “Warden Cinch hates Rarity. Rover? Not in the slightest.”

“He just sees her as something to get his dick wet,” Rainbow Dash challenged.

“You sure ‘bout that?” Apple Bloom challenged, “Or is that jus’ how y’all want to see it?”

“How we, want to see it?” Starlight asked. What didn’t they know about this situation? And how did Apple Bloom know so much about this…?

“If y’all want the full story,” Apple Bloom continued, “Y’all best head into Ponyville. That’s where Rarity used to spend most of her time in this world ‘fore the Warden came.”

“Ponyville?” Starlight asked, “What’s Ponyville?”

“It’s the City,” Apple Bloom pointed to it out the window with her cigarette, “Officially named South Street, but locals call it Ponyville. Rarity would be the one to ask about why, though.”

“I, think I do remember hearing about that name once,” Rainbow Dash said, “Not a lot of students really know the history of it, but I know a few call South Street that from time to time.”

“Either way, now we have a plan going forward,” Twilight said, “If what Apple Bloom here says is true, we’ll find a lot more information there than we will in the Prison.”

Starlight nodded, “True. Thanks for the help, Apple Bloom.”

“If y’all need anythin’ else, ya know how to find me,” Apple Bloom said. Starlight smiled to her as Pinkie Pie handed her the Enrollment Papers. Right as she touched them though, Starlight’s heart leaped out of her chest, and she felt an influx of emotions hit her.

“Starlight!” Trixie cried, “Starlight, are you okay?!”

“I… I don’t…” Starlight mind felt woozy, as she felt her surroundings shift. She was, still in the school, right…? Right. This was… This… was…

A Glum Face on the Water - Blue Reflection: Second Light

This was fucking bogus. They didn’t really think this place would accept her, did they?

“Well, here we are,” Macintosh said, stepping out of the car, “Canterlot High Boarding School.”

Rarity stepped out of the car and looked up at the building in disgust, “You gotta be shittin’ me.”

Macintosh sighed, “Language, Rarity.”

“Okay, you gotta be fucking shittin’ me,” Rarity said, looking up at the muscular blond haired cop, “You expect me, to attend this Preppy Hogwarts Knockoff?”

“It was part of the deal you signed,” Macintosh said, now helping Granny Smith out of the car as Applejack stepped out too, “You’re put in our care, but you gotta go to school.”

“Yeah, but not this school!” Rarity shot back.

“It’s one of the best schools in the city,” Macintosh said, “Highly recommended. Sides, you’ll be in the same grade as Applejack.”

Rarity rubbed her arm and looked away, “Okay, so that’s one thing this place has going for it, but still. One of the best in the city? There’s no way they’ll even let me into the front door. Knowin' this place, I’ll burst into flame the second I set foot on this sacred land.”

Macintosh sighed rubbing his eyes, “Why do you have to be so difficult…?”

“Now Mac, go easy on the poor child,” Granny Smith said with a kind smile, “She’s jus’ scared is all. This is a huge change for her.”

“It’ll be alright,” Applejack said taking Rarity’s hand, “I’ll be by your side every step of the way.”

Rarity looked at the blonde beside her, and her heart felt funny. Since the moment they met, Applejack was a constant companion of Rarity’s. She didn’t know why, but the moment she saw her, she felt almost like she’d found someone she’d been looking for her entire life. Something about that smile, and her presence in general, it made Rarity feel warm, and comforted.

Looking at them, one could tell they came from two different worlds. Rarity still wore her black spiked leather jacket, purple top that according to Macintosh showed WAY too much cleavage (it stopped above her nipples, so what was he getting his panties in a knot for?) black tight mini skirt that stopped right under her ass, fishnets, black leather boots, and her bangs were highlighted white. Combined with her dark blue eye shadow, black lipstick, and general air, she knew she looked odd beside the cute, bubbly blonde haired, hat wearing farm girl.

She didn’t want to get attached. She was terrified of getting attached. Still, she did find her favorite spot to be petted, so maybe she could keep this one.

The inside of the school made Rarity want to gag, if she was being honest. According to Applejack, she’d fit right in, since everyone in the school was a bit eccentric in terms of style, but Rarity wasn’t sure. The longer she walked, the more her heart raced. Made worse when they reached the Principal’s office. She didn’t see the woman for long, but she immediately tuned in on how she thought of her on sight.

“I can’t do this,” Rarity said, sitting on the floor next to the door.

“Yes ya can,” Applejack protested, rubbing her back and sitting beside her.

“I don’t belong here.”

“Who says? You?”

“That woman in there isn’t going to let me set foot in this school.”

“Cinch might try to make it hard on ya, but I know ya can get in.”

“How?”

“Jus’ be yerself.”

Rarity barked out a laugh, “Be myself? Really? Pretty sure bein' myself is why she’s talking to your Grandma and brother without me in the room.”

“Don’t let her bully you,” Applejack took Rarity’s hand again and looked her in the eyes, “Ya told me that you wanted to be somebody others could admire. This is the first step. If you get into this school, you’ll show that anyone can get a shot at bein’ great. Yer smart, yer tough, an’ ya got a good heart. All that together, ya can’t fail.”

Rarity took a deep breath, and nodded, “Macintosh probably won’t like it, you know.”

“Once you get in, he’ll change his tune,” Applejack smiled. At that, the door opened, revealing the sharply dressed Principal Cinch, still looking down her nose at Rarity. Pissed her off like nothing else.

“Alright, Miss, Stark was it?” Cinch asked.

“Yeah. That’s me,” Rarity got up and looked at Cinch with a scowl, “Somethin' wrong with your face? Scowl like that one too many times and it get stuck like that?”

Cinch’s scowl became more pronounced as Macintosh sighed rubbing his eyes, “This girl’s got quite the, charming personality,” Cinch said.

“I’m sorry,” Macintosh apologized, “We’re trying to get her to tone down the attitude.”

“Yeah, like I said at the station, you ain’t taming me,” Rarity said to Macintosh, “’Sides, this bitch is lookin’ down on me. I ain’t takin’ that shit.”

Cinch pursed her lips, “Indeed. Well, I’ve seen quite enough of this charade. Thank you for wasting my time, now please take this, thing, out of my sight.”

“Thing?!” Rarity rushed at Cinch, Macintosh quickly stepping in front of her to hold her back, “Nu uh! You did not just go there!”

“Rarity, cool it!”

“Oh fuck right off a goddamn bridge!” Rarity shot at Macintosh, “This bitch is lookin’ down on me!”

“Abacus Cinch, I must say I don’t take kindly to yer attitude toward Rarity here,” Granny Smith said, giving Cinch a sharp look, “She’s effectively my kin now.”

Cinch glared at Granny Smith, and then took a breath, “I, apologize for my statement. Concerning me, looking down on her as she puts it, all I see is a leather wearing problem child from the streets with a bad attitude. This is a fine establishment, and I will not let anyone taint this school’s record, especially not someone from that gang.”

Rarity barred her teeth at her and growled. She might not be with the Diamond Dogs anymore, but she was not going to let her or anyone insult them.

“Either find another High School, or toss her back in the cage where she belongs. Either way, I’m not wasting my time with this one. Good day, Ms. Scarlet,” and with that, she walked back into her office and closed the door.

Granny Smith sighed, “That woman…”

Macintosh rubbed his eyes, “Well, what now?”

Rarity looked at Applejack, who subtly pumped her fists and nodded. Rarity narrowed her eyes and nodded back, “Now you let me do this my way.”

“What does that mea-” Macintosh didn’t get to finish as Rarity pushed past him and stormed into the office, “Rarity!”

Rarity stormed over to the desk and slammed her hands on it, “I ain’t done with you, bitch.”

“Is that so?” Cinch asked, looking at Rarity imposingly.

“I know your type. You’re the sort who only cares about test scores, public image, and reputation,” Rarity seethed, “I’ve dealt with assholes just like you all my life, slammin’ doors in my face an’ tellin’ me I ain’t worth shit. Now, I bet every kid who’s set foot in this office got the chance to at least take the fuckin' entrance exam, so I ain’t leavin’ this office until I get the same right.”

Cinch raised an eyebrow, “You want to take the entrance exam?”

“Damn right. I’ll do it right now, and pass.”

“What…? What is she doing?” Macintosh asked in a hushed tone.

Cinch laughed, “Oh, brash, violent, and arrogant. You think you can take the entrance exam, right now, and pass?”

“I’ll even make you a deal,” Rarity stood up straight and raised her head, “If I get an 80% or higher, you gotta enroll me into your school.”

Cinch considered this, looking at Rarity intently. She then slowly got up and leaned into Rarity, meeting her gaze, “Alright. But if you don’t, you leave my school, and never set foot within 30 feet of this building again.”

“Deal,” Rarity smirked. She had this bitch dead to rights. She was pretty much in now.

The test was exactly what Rarity expected it was. She took it in one of the classrooms, and it covered everything she’d need to know in terms of her subjects. Based on the questions, this school was either one of the harder schools to get into, or Cinch tried to stump her by giving her the entrance exam for the Junior or Senior class instead of Freshman.

That wasn’t going to stop Rarity. She was already doing questions like this in her spare time.

It didn’t take long, and she didn’t think she’d get 100 percent, but she certainly knew she aced it. As she watched Cinch grade her finished test, she saw the color drain from her face with each question she went over.

“This, this isn’t possible…”

“Hm~? Speak up,” Rarity smirked, arms folded under her bosom.

“You, got a 97%…” Cinch looked at Rarity with a curious frown, “How… did someone like you…?”

“The money I got for spreading my legs, I used to buy more than just makeup and clothes,” Rarity answered, “Most of it I spent on textbooks, so I could at least get something of an education.”

Cinch took a deep breath, “Someone like this…” she looked back at the test, “Fine. A deal’s a deal. You start class tomorrow, but I expect you to be on your best behavior. If you do anything out of line, you will be in deep water, Miss Stark.”

“Don’t worry,” Rarity got up, “I won’t taint your precious school.”

“And for the love of God, please put some actual clothes on tomorrow,” Cinch sighed.

“I’ll think about it,” Rarity replied, walking over to the door, “See ya tomorrow, Principal Cinch.”

Once she left the classroom, Applejack ran over to her and hugged her tightly, “Ya did it! I knew ya could!”

Rarity blinked, and then slowly returned the hug, “Thank, you.”

“Okay, I’ll admit I was wrong,” Macintosh sighed with a smile, “You did good, Rarity. Guess I better, learn to trust ya a bit more.”

“Aw, that’s the nicest thing you’ve said to me,” Rarity said with a smirk, “Still ain’t suckin’ your cock, though.”

Macintosh grumbled, “I keep tellin' you, I don’t sleep with jailbait!”

Rarity stuck her tongue out at him, but this time she meant it more in good fun. Seemed that’s how it was taken too, as Applejack and Granny Smith both laughed.

“But in all seriousness, I’m proud of ya, Rarity,” Granny Smith smiled, also hugging Rarity, “Yer gonna go far. I know it.”

Rarity hugged the elderly woman back, tearing up a bit. This, was a family wasn’t it? This was, her family now… wasn’t it? They cared about her. They trusted her. They, believed in her.

“Thank you… Granny Smith…” Rarity said, calling her by that name for the first time.

Sorry Rover… but I’ve made my decision now.

I’m done with that life.

I’m staying here, with Granny Smith, with Macintosh, with Apple Bloom…

And with… Applejack.

Suspicion - Persona 5

“Hey, looks like she’s coming to!” Rainbow’s voice was heard.

“Starlight! Are you okay?” Trixie asked frantically. Starlight slowly opened her eyes, seeing all of her friends sitting over her, visibly worried.

“What, happened to me?” Starlight asked sitting up. She was laying on Trixie’s lap apparently.

“When I handed you those papers, you fell out,” Pinkie Pie explained, “It looked like your Channeling Ring was glowing.”

“What happened to you?” Twilight asked, “Do you remember anything?”

“I, I think I experienced some of Rarity’s memories,” Starlight said, “I felt like I was her, like I could see things through her eyes, and experience her thoughts. I saw the moment she enrolled into Canterlot High.”

“Wait, you saw her enroll into Canterlot High?” Trixie asked. Starlight explained to everyone to the best of her memory what she experienced, “Whoa… if that’s how it happened, Rarity’s hardcore.”

“She sounds so different in the memory,” Twilight mused, “You said she carried herself more like a delinquent?”

Starlight nodded, “Also, I think I remembered her mentioning something about spreading her legs for money.”

“She was a prostitute?” Rainbow Dash asked, eyes wide, “How old was she?”

“If I’m feeling the memory right, fifteen,” Starlight answered.

“That’s right,” Guard Apple Bloom answered, still puffing on her cigarette, “She lost her virginity when she was about 13, goin’ on 14.”

They all turned to look at her, “That’s, pretty young, don’t you think?” Trixie asked awkwardly.

“An’ how many kids y’all think wait till their 18 to have sex?” Guard Apple Bloom asked, “I’m sure some do, like good little boys an’ girls, but once those hormones kick in? I’m willin’ to be more than half the sophomores an’ juniors in yer class already cashed in their V Cards.”

“Still though,” Rainbow Dash looked down, “To sell her body at 14 to 15… she must have lived a rough life…”

“No wonder she clings to my cousin and her family so much,” Pinkie Pie said sadly, “With them, she has a stable life.”

“I bet, if we go into the city, we’ll find more items just like this,” Starlight said, “If I can get a hold of them, maybe I can use my empathy on them like I did these.”

“Perfect,” Trixie said, hugging Starlight, “Just don’t push yourself, okay?”

“I won’t,” Starlight assured, hugging her back, “Let’s just find one more item like this tonight and then call it.”

“Twilight, is that okay with you?” Pinkie Pie asked.

“Huh?” Twilight asked suddenly, “Sorry, my mind was somewhere else. Um, yeah. Let’s do that.”

Starlight frowned a bit at that. It wasn’t like Twilight to space out like that. Rather than press her though, Starlight turned to the Apple Bloom apparition and bade her farewell.

“See ya ‘round,” she said, tipping her hat to them. They followed Twilight back to the Checkpoint, as the fastest way into the city was from the main entrance.

This was her chance to finally figure out who Rarity was. It was a bit invasive, yeah, but somehow, Starlight had a feeling that Rarity wanted someone to see this. Maybe that’s why touching the papers triggered Starlight’s empathy.

Scraper Sky High

It took a bit of walking, but they soon found themselves in what appeared to be a twisted version of South Street, “Ponyville” as Rarity’s subconscious knew it. Unlike the school turned Prison, South Street looked, more or less the same. It had a darker atmosphere, and was teeming with Shadows on patrols, but for the most part this place seemed the most unchanged at the moment.

“This is weird,” Rainbow Dash said, looking around as they walked forward.

“Kind of eerie,” Pinkie Pie agreed, holding onto Dash’s arm, “It looks almost exactly the same.”

“Anyone else here feel exposed?” Trixie rubbed her arm, “Like, just walking around like this isn’t safe?”

“This section of the Dungeon is more open,” Twilight said, “There aren’t nearly as many places to hide here.”

“Well, the Shadows don’t seem to be paying us too much mind at the moment,” Rainbow Dash pointed out. Sure enough, while they were walking around, they didn’t seem to care much about their presence. A few of the Shadows took on humanized appearances, but some of them took the form of massive dogs as well.

“So long as we don’t cause trouble, they shouldn’t bother us,” Starlight said, “That may change when we start making headway into Rarity’s psyche or make contact with her, so be ready.”

“Agreed. Till then, no antagonizing the Shadows.” Twilight added.

“Hear that, Dash?” Trixie asked giving her a sideways look, “Try to keep that temper in check this time.”

“Oh haha, real funny,” Rainbow rolled her eyes, “Remember Pinkie Pie’s Dungeon? Or was that a cleverly calculated move to get captured and almost trapped inside?”

“H-hey! I was in a bad place that day!”

“Cool it, you two,” Twilight said, her wisp flying in between then, “Or I’ll have Starlight and Pinkie Pie put you in time out.”

As the two bickering witches grumbled, Starlight chuckled to herself. Ahead, she saw the Mushroom Kingdom Pizza Parlor she frequented a lot. She ran over to investigate it, but noticed something odd. The interior looked, pretty basic really.

“What’s up?” Trixie asked walking up to Starlight, “Hoping to get a slice before we leave?”

“I don’t think we could,” Starlight answered, “There’s no one working in there.”

Trixie looked and frowned, “Hey, you’re right. Twi-Twi, Dash, Pinkie Pie, come check this out!”

They all ran/flew over to the window and peaked inside, “This, is a shop?” Dash asked.

“Looks like it just has the basics to look like a shop,” Twilight said, “Some seats, a cashier and counter, I think I can see a kitchen.”

Pinkie Pie took a deep breath, “It smells like pizza’s being made inside.”

Trixie tried to open the door, only to find it stuck, “Yeah, but the door doesn’t look like it opens. More like its just, there.”

“What’s the point of having a shop like this in the Dungeon if there’s no way inside?” Rainbow Dash asked quizzically as Twilight’s wisp floated off, “Like, her mind went to a lot of trouble to make it look like the Mushroom Kingdom.”

“On the outside, yeah,” Starlight said, “The inside though, it’s like she’s never even set foot in the place, or at least rarely does.”

“Well this is telling.”

They all turned to see Twilight’s wisp in front of a shop Starlight never went into. It looked like a fast food place that specialized in sushi. Unlike the Pizza Shop though, this place was bustling, with many Shadows coming in and out. It was extremely detailed inside, but Starlight noticed that many of the seats had cuffs and belts on them to bind the person sitting. The sign at the entrance said "Sushi on a Roll".

“Hey! I’ve been here with Rarity and AJ before,” Pinkie Pie said, “Rarity invited us here to celebrate The Forgotten Princess becoming a blockbuster hit.”

“Is that so?” Twilight asked, her wisp now looking at Pinkie Pie.

“Yeah yeah! She said she worked out a deal with the owner, and managed to get the best, high quality sushi at a major discount!”

Rainbow Dash poked her head in and winced, “Yeeesh, with THOSE prices? She had to have been loaded.”

Starlight looked at the menu and her eyes widened. A lot of it was in their budget, but for the sushi that she imagined Pinkie Pie was talking about, they’d have to pay a hefty price for a whole box of that. She carefully went inside, avoiding any Shadows there, and looked to see if there was a flier for discounts.

When she found the flier, she quickly grabbed it off the wall and ran out to show to her teammates, before any Shadows could see. The discounts available were, odd.

“Oral, 15% off?” Trixie blinked, “Tit fucks, 10% off? Vaginal with condom, 20% off, 30% without condoms? What the hell?”

“Anal 40% off? Gangbangs 50% off?!” Rainbow Dash cried, “These discounts are for sex acts!”

“And look at this note,” Trixie said, “Discounts can stack with gangbangs, but all parties have to take part in the act for discounts to apply. With this, someone could just, screw all of the workers there and effectively pay next to nothing in money.”

“Pinkie Pie, did Rarity mention anything about how she got said discount?” Starlight asked Pinkie Pie, who looked up thoughtfully.

“No… she didn’t. I think I remember Macintosh asking, but she just quickly deflected, saying not to worry about it, and that she was covering everything.”

“You don’t think that Rarity…” Trixie asked looking at the discount flier again.

“Slept with the owner? At this stage, it’s highly possible. We already know that she probably did some sex work in the past, and she does have the handle “Dirty Diamond”.”

“Rarity… why would you do something like that…?” Pinkie Pie asked.

“Hey, it might not give us much in terms if information, but get me that flier when you leave,” Twilight requested, “It might lead to us learning a bit about how her mind works.”

Starlight pocketed the flier. It was kind of amazing, how much more information they were getting about Rarity out here than in the Prison. Starlight wondered if this was because she was more like her true self here.

They continued exploring the City, taking stock of the shops that they had access to, and the ones they didn’t have access to, and it seemed varied. Sugar Cube Corner was a place that Rarity seemed to frequent, but the details of the ramen shop were negligible. Starlight noticed there wasn’t a discount sign in either of these shops.

But most of the ones that had a lot of detail and were twisted in some sex based manner all had those discounts. Surprisingly, this didn’t include the Lady Love clothing store, which Starlight thought was odd. She’d have thought Dirty Diamond would have loved this place with how sexy the clothes were.

But she did see some clothes on the rack along with a cashier Shadow, which means she did go in every so often.

Ahead, they saw a large and expensive looking building with an interesting insignia on it. It showed a red devil spreading its wings, holding a large golden coin with a red and black eye in the center. For some reason, seeing this made Rainbow Dash visibly angry as she glared at the building.

“Dashie, are you gonna be okay?” Pinkie Pie asked, rubbing her Knight’s back.

“Yeah. Just wondering why THAT place of all places looks the same,” Rainbow hissed.

Starlight turned Rainbow Dash, “What’s that place?”

“Tartarus Bank,” Rainbow Dash answered, “Owned by a man named Damien Tirek.”

Starlight was a bit taken aback by how much hatred she heard in Dash’s voice. She clearly had history with this Tirek person.

“What’s up with you and that man, anyway?” Trixie asked, “This isn’t the first time anyone mentioning Tirek or his bank has set you off.”

Rainbow Dash averted her eyes, “I’d, rather not get into it right now. We got more important things to worry about, right?”

“That’s fair,” Starlight took Dash’s hand, “But we’re here if you want to talk, alright?”

Rainbow Dash looked at Starlight with an odd expression, but then smiled and nodded, “Right. Thanks Starlight.”

Pinkie Pie sighed. Something told Starlight that she knew something about this.

“This is weird, though,” Twilight said, “Considering what we know about the Diamond Dogs and their history with this place, Rarity can’t have spent a bunch of time there.”

“Maybe the reason is because of their history,” Trixie pointed out, “I think that place would be worth checking out.”

“Rainbow Dash, is that okay with you?” Starlight asked.

Rainbow took a deep breath, and then nodded, “Yeah. I’m good. Let’s go.”

Starlight led the way into the bank. The interior of the place was pretty standard for a large, major bank. Considering the size of the main lobby, it was clear that Tirek put a lot of money into the place.

However, this wasn’t all that was present. The Shadows here were of the same variety as in the Prison, and it looked like they were on patrol. They needed to be careful going forward.

They didn’t find much of anything in the main area, but they figured getting behind the counter, they’d come across something. On the way, they saw four guards close to one another on patrol. Fighting them was unavoidable, but thankfully they didn’t see them yet.

Starlight timed it just right, and then jumped onto the back of one, grabbing his mask, “I’ll reveal your true form!” she proclaimed, ripping the mask off and forcing them into their true forms, revealing a Yaksini and four Rakshasas!

E.SYNAPSE - Blue Reflection: Second Light

“AME NO UZUME!!!” Starlight shouted, shifting to her first Lover’s Arcana Persona, and cast Magaru on all of them. She managed to hit all of them save for one of the Rakshasas, who rolled out of the way JUST in time.

He jumped on the wall and then shot at Starlight, who managed to block right on time. Unfortunately, Yaksini gave that infuriating cry like before, but this time Starlight wasn’t able to block it out, as she suddenly became irrationally angered, to the point she couldn't thin straight. She let out a scream of rage and rushed at the Rakshasa that attacked her, slashing him wildly with her scythe.

“Starlight!” Trixie cried.

“Hey, what’s happening?!” Rainbow Dash asked frantically, trying to hold Pinkie Pie back as she seemed to be fighting to get past her, “Was this what happened to us before?!”

“It is!” Twilight cried, “This is the Rage Spell I mentioned before! Fuck, we lost Starlight and Pinkie Pie to this?!”

Pinkie Pie pushed Rainbow aside and took off the golden tiara on her forehead, turning it into a glowing disk, “I’LL DESTROY YOU!!!” she screamed, tears of rage in her eyes as she threw the disk like a boomerang at one of the downed Rakshasas and slicing its head clean off before it faded away.

The other Rakshasa got up and raised his blade, charging at Pinkie Pie and slashing down with his blade, but she managed to backflip out of the way, also kicking his blade with her boot. Meanwhile, Starlight was locked solely on the Rakshasa she was clashing blades with, as such she didn’t notice Yaksini now targeting her.

“Think Trixie…!” she fussed to herself, “Maybe I can get her attention! Starlight, duck!” Trixie called out, summoning Elenora behind her.

Starlight reacted on impulse, her heart responding to Trixie’s voice and cutting through the anger as she rolled out of the way, Trixie’s Persona throwing a Eiha javelin at Yaksini, impaling her in the heart and killing her instantly.

“Thanks Trixie!” Starlight said, once again blocking as Rakshasa’s blade came down on top of her, “How’s Pinkie Pie?”

“Doing surprisingly well, actually!” Rainbow Dash said, she and Pinkie Pie actually fighting the remaining Rakshasa side by side. Pinkie Pie was undeniably more aggressive, actually punching and kicking the Shadow back with a surprising amount of skill, even coordinating her attacks with Rainbow Dash.

A small part of Starlight was worried about how well Pinkie Pie was fighting while enraged.

“Come forth, my other self!” Rainbow Dash shouted, summoning her Persona and taking him out with a stronger single lightning strike. The name Zionga immediately came to mind.

Starlight took that as her chance to once again shift Personas, “KOPPA TENGU!!!” she shouted, this time casting Garu solely on him and knocking him to the ground. As he was the last remaining Shadow, Starlight tried to reach out with her Empathy, only to find a wall of resistance.

Oh well, guess he had to die now.

She gave the command to use their All Out Attack, which surprisingly Pinkie Pie joined in. Maybe she snapped out of it and Starlight didn’t notice?

Either way, the enemy fell to their collective assault, leaving them now alone in the hallway. Starlight turned to Pinkie Pie, seeing her take a deep breath and fan herself with her hands.

“Hey… are you okay Pinkie Pie?” Trixie asked carefully.

“Yeah, I’m fine,” Pinkie Pie said with a smile, calming down just a bit too quickly for Starlight’s comfort, “Come on. Let’s keep going.”

Everyone shared a look, but conceded. Still, Starlight was definitely concerned, and would be looking for a time to bring this up in the future.

Scraper Sky High - Under Night In-Birth

Either way, they were almost at the door leading behind the counter. They pushed the door open and carefully made their way over to where the records were kept. Not a lot really stood out, though. Nothing except for one thing.

“Is that, a wanted poster?” Rainbow Dash asked picking it up.

“Hey, it is,” Trixie said, “And um, I think this is Rarity.”

Starlight looked at it. That was indeed Rarity on it. She had the same long purple hair, and was dressed in the same purple top and black leather jacket she wore in Starlight’s vision. Now that she could see it better though, it was a sexy top, damn near showing her breasts completely. Her bangs were colored white, and her make up was really dark, complete with black lipstick.

The look was so shocking to Starlight. She could tell it was the same person as the Student Council President, but this person was completely different. Almost the opposite of how she usually was. Also, this picture didn't look aged down like she suspected it would. She looked about Rarity's current age.

“This, is Dirty Diamond,” Starlight realized.

“That’s, actually how she used to dress when I first met her,” Pinkie Pie said, “I think she kept that all through Freshman Year. I know that anytime I came to visit my cousin's family, she still looked like this.”

“She didn’t look like this when I met her…” Rainbow Dash muttered, “Kinda badass actually, not gonna lie.”

“Yeah, I don’t remember seeing this side of her either,” Trixie said, “Then again, I don’t really remember much of her before she became Student Council President.”

“Look at her expression,” Twilight said, “That’s not what I’d expect from a wanted poster.”

Twilight was right. Rarity looked, ashamed. She was looking to the side a bit and rubbing her arm, almost like she was going to cry.

“Want me to use my empathy on this?” Starlight asked her team.

“Hang on,” Rainbow Dash looked out a bit, “Okay, we should be safe for a bit. I’ll keep watch. Go for it.”

Starlight took a deep breath and held onto the wanted poster. Like before, she felt a rush of emotions hit her, along with her beginning to lose herself. She was… still in the bank… but… why did she suddenly feel so… afraid…?

A Glum Face on the Water - Blue Reflection: Second Light

“This ain’t workin’.”

“I can see that.”

“They got machine guns.”

“So do we.”

“Yeah! And there’s a shit ton more of them than there are of us!”

“Calm down, okay?! I’m thinkin’.”

“Calm down? Calm down?! Rover, there’s only two ways out of this shit hole now! In handcuffs, or in body bags!” Rarity grabbed his arm and glared at him, “We’re fucked either way here, and not the kind of fucked I’m cool with!”

“You knew the risks goin’ in!” Rover snapped, meeting her glare with his own, but then relaxed catching himself, “Look, I’m sorry okay? We’re all a bit on edge right now. I’ll think of something to get us out of this mess, alright?”

Rarity took a breath and nodded, her heart racing. Not just from fear, but from anger at this whole situation. Thanks to Tirek convincing the Mayor to pull money from the Golden Oaks Child Center, they wouldn’t be able to support the kids they took in like they used to. Before, they had a place where they could stay, get schooled, and have something akin to stability. Rarity, Rover, Fido, Spot, Rex, Tiny, everyone in their gang had benefited from their hospitality in some way.

Now though, that was ending. Any kid who ended up in the system was going to be at the mercy of the government.

Worst still, since the Mayor supported this action, which Rarity knew was just so Tirek could eventually tear the building down or buy it for his own sake, there wasn’t any help coming in. Without that money, they’d have to eventually shut down their operations.

It wasn’t fair. Rarity wanted to help in some way. She couldn’t think of a better plan than just, taking the money back by force either. Still though, she was still holding out that maybe one day, sometime in the future, she could put this life behind her. Go to college, get a job that didn’t involve spreading her legs. With this plan though… that wasn’t going to happen.

Not wanting Rover to see her get emotional, she turned and went off to just, try to calm down. Once alone, she stopped and held a hand to her forehead, “So much for my future…” she muttered. Even if she hadn’t gone along with this, Golden Oaks was giving them support too, so unless she took on more jobs, she’d have a harder time going forward.

She hated this so much. She wanted out of this life! Was she just doomed to live off table scraps till she died? No, now she had prison to look forward to. Not much better, being quite honest.

“Oh my God, would you please tell the brat to shut up?!”

Rarity looked over and saw one of their younger, newer members having an argument with one of the hostages. It looked like a girl about her age with long golden hair, wearing a cowgirl’s hat, checkered red shirt, blue shorts, and brown boots. Behind her was an older looking woman with silver hair tied in a loose bun, and in her arms was a younger girl with long red hair who seemed to be having trouble breathing and crying. The blonde was standing up, facing Rarity’s comrade with fiery intensity that Rarity couldn’t take her eyes off of.

She’s, magnificent…

“She’s panicking, no thanks to you and yer gang of thugs!” the blonde girl fussed.

“What did you call us?!”

“Exactly what y’all are! A bunch of lowlife thugs!”

“You better watch it, bitch!”

“I ain’t afraid of y’all! But if my little sister dies of a panic attack, y’all ‘re gonna be real scare of me!”

Die of a panic attack? That wasn’t good at all. He was about to fuck up big time, and they were already in enough trouble as is. Rarity walked over, deciding to step in.

“What’s going on here?” Rarity asked.

“This kid in the bow won’t stop freakin’ out!” he answered, “Givin’ me a headache! And now this blonde bitch is tryin’ to get smacked!”

“This ‘blonde bitch' has a Big Brother who’s a police officer!” the blonde girl shouted, “Strike me, an’ see what happens! Maybe I’ll save a piece for him later!”

“Oh, now you’re askin’ for-”

“Oscar!” Rarity shouted, getting his attention, “Go watch that section, before you fuck up for all of us!” Oscar muttered something under his throat and walked off, leaving Rarity alone with the blonde and her family. She sighed and knelt before the girl.

“What are ya doin’?” Applejack asked harshly.

“Checkin’ to see what’s wrong,” Rarity said, “Contrary to how Oscar made us look, we ain’t the bad guys here. Least I ain’t,” she muttered that last part before looking at the kid intently, “She’s havin’ a panic attack.”

“Can’t, breathe…!” she wheezed.

“Poor thing’s asthma’s actin’ up,” the elderly woman said, caressing the girl’s head gently.

“Asthma?” Rarity asked wide eyed, “She got an inhaler?”

“It’s in my purse,” the elderly woman said gravely, “One of your partners took it, though.”

Rarity looked at Apple Bloom intently. She knew how this was going to turn out. Eventually, the police were going to get in, arrest all of them, and her future was going to be up in smoke. But that didn’t mean she couldn’t do one good thing before then.

“Wait here,” Rarity said, getting up and walking over to Fido, who was watching over the bags, “Hey. You got the old bag’s purse, right?”

“The one with the funny accent? Yeah, why?” he asked.

“She needs it. Give it here,” Rarity requested.

“Whoa! You goin’ soft on us, Diamond?!”

“I’m just tryin’ to make sure we don’t end up with a murder charge on top of armed robbery!”

“What’s going one here?” Rover asked walking over.

“Rover, the old lady over there’s got a kid with asthma, and it’s actin’ up from all this bullshit!” Rarity told him, “She’s got the medicine in her purse!”

Rover looked at Rarity intently, and then nodded, “Fido, cough up the purse.”

“What if the old lady calls someone-”

“We already got an army of police out there tryin’ to bust in,” Rover said, “I’m tryin’ to end this without anyone gettin’ hurt, so just give Diamond the purse.”

Fido sighed and handed Rarity the purse, “This better not bite us in the ass.”

“Thanks,” she took it and walked off, but Rover grabbed her arm, “What’s up?”

“Watch them, a’ight? They’re your responsibility in this.”

Rarity nodded to him, “I will. Promise.” she kissed him before running back over to the family, “Here. This the right one?”

“Yes! God bless you, child!” the old lady said, taking the purse and getting the girl’s inhaler, “Here Apple Bloom.”

She took the inhaler, which seemed to calm her down a bit, “Thank, you…”

Rarity nodded, kneeling before the girl, “Are you still panickin’?” the girl nodded a bit, “Thought so. Alright, I learned this trick in a game of all things. Picture a feather in your mind, okay?”

The girl nodded, closing her eyes.

“Good. Now, imagine that your breathing is keepin’ the feather level. Breathe in, and out, deeply, but slowly,” Rarity said, watching her do the breathing exercise, “That’s right. There ya go.”

The blonde girl knelt beside Rarity, looking at her curiously, “You’re, different than the others, aren’t ya?”

“Trust me, I ain’t,” Rarity said immediately, “I’m just tryin’ to make sure this don’t get more fucked than it already is.”

“Either way, I thank you for helpin’ my granddaughter,” the elderly woman said with a kind smile, “I don’t know what a sweet girl like you’s doin’ with a crowd like this, but yer a lot nicer than you seem to think ya are.”

“Don’t get any ideas,” Rarity got up and turned her back to them, “I’m stayin’ close to keep an eye on you, alright? I’ll make sure no one rough’s ya up at least.”

“Um!” the blonde girl shot up, “My name’s Applejack Scarlet!”

Applejack… that name. Something about that name made Rarity’s heart soar. Like she was hearing it, both for the first time, and again after far too long.

“I’m, Apple Bloom…” the young girl said sweetly, “Thanks, for helpin’ me.”

“My kin call me Granny Smith,” the older woman said gently, “These days, that includes most of the town, so feel free to use it too.”

“Can, we get your name?” the blonde girl asked.

“Dirty Diamo- no… no, not…”

“Not…?”

“Rarity,” she answered, looking back at them, “My name is Rarity Stark.”

When Starlight opened her eyes, they were stained in tears, “Rarity…”

“What did you see?” Trixie asked, Pinkie Pie and Rainbow Dash turning to her.

“I, think I saw how she met the Scarlets,” Starlight said, “She was at the bank robbery, but she didn’t want to do it. I think Apple Bloom was having an asthma attack, and Rarity got her inhaler, and even helped her with a panic attack.”

“Oh wow,” Pinkie Pie said softly, “You know, I remember that Apple Bloom does have panic attacks every so often. They got worse after their parents died.”

“What about the bank robbery itself? Did anything stand out?” Twilight asked.

“I think, they were doing it for someone else’s sake,” Starlight said, “Something about, a Golden Oaks, something.”

“Golden Oaks Child Center,” Rainbow Dash said, “They were a place that helped orphaned kids either find homes, or would take care of them themselves. Went outta business a few years ago.”

Starlight bit her lip, her heart feeling heavy. Was she wrong about the Diamond Dogs? Were they, really not that bad of a group?

Either way, it was time to go. It was hitting three in the morning, so if they wanted to have adequate time to relax, they needed to leave now. The path out of the bank was pretty straight forward, with only a few close calls from the Shadows patrolling, so they made it out with little to no trouble.

“I can see a Checkpoint in an alleyway up ahead,” Twilight said once they were outside, “It’s a bit of a ways away, but you shouldn’t have any trouble on the way.”

Border of Insanity - Persona 4

“Is that so? Guess I’ll have to change that.”

Everyone looked to see Shadow Rover walking up to them from down the street. He had a few Shadows following him, along with something else that looked utterly terrifying. It was a large wolf like monster, standing about two, maybe three stories tall on all fours. It seemed to be biomechanical, that or was wearing full black and purple body armor. Its eyes glowed bright blue, its claws were razor sharp, along with its teeth, and around its neck seemed to be something of a collar with the Diamond Dog insignia on it.*

“W-what the hell is that…?” Trixie asked shakily, looking at the kaiju of a wolf walking behind them.

“It, looks like a Shadow of some kind but, not one I’ve ever seen before,” Twilight said, clearly unnerved by this herself. For some reason, Starlight couldn’t take her eyes off of it, and if she didn’t know better, it was looking right at her.

“Just when my boys and I were planning to deal with the guards in that bank, we run into my favorite witch again and her coven,” Shadow Rover grinned, looking right at Starlight, “Shame you kept the dress on, but I don’t mind ripping it off myself.”

“Touch her, and it’ll be the last thing you ever touch!” Trixie said instantly, stepping to defend Starlight.

Shadow Rover burst out laughing at this, “Oh, okay then! Didn’t know it was like that! You two fuckin’ or what?”

“Not that it’s any of your business!” Trixie summoned two hands of cards and got in her fighting stance, “Let’s just say, assholes who can’t take no for an answer are a sore spot for me!”

“That right?” Shadow Rover looked at Trixie intently, and then smirked, “Well either way, you’re on my turf, and I don’t take kindly to intruders.”

“We were just leaving,” Rainbow Dash said, gripping the handle of her blade just in case, “So why don’t you just get outta the way, and we won’t have to get ugly?”

Shadow Rover winced, “See, I’d like to, but I can’t just let this slide, you see? ‘Sides, I know why you’re ultimately here.”

“Is that right?” Starlight asked.

“Pretty obvious with how you were actin’ before,” he folded his arms, a dark grin on his face, “Same as the Warden in that prison, and myself, you bitches want Dirty Diamond, don’t ya?”

“Rarity’s our friend! We’re trying to save her!” Pinkie Pie said.

“From what?” Shadow Rover raised his head, “She’s perfectly happy here. Technically, so long as she remains with her Pack, she’ll be perfectly safe. Here, she has power. She’s free to be true to her urges. We ain’t gonna punish her for bein’ what she is like the bitch in that prison of a school will.

“What about you lot? You sayin’ you’ll be able to provide for all of her base needs? You’ll be able to protect her? That you’ll be able to accept Dirty Diamond for who and what she is?” he spread his arms, “Look around! This city is quite literally her playground, made just for her! Just to cater to her desires!”

“But is that what she wants?!” Starlight asked, “Is she perfectly fine being a prisoner in this city, having no agency save for what you grant her?!"

“We’re all prisoners here,” Rover said, his smile fading, “This world? It ain’t made for dogs like us. The people in control of the city get to eat at the table, while we just get the scraps they toss at us. Only way for us to make in this world is to stick together as a pack. That’s a lesson she learned the hard way.”

“The hard way?” Pinkie Pie asked carefully.

“You think that family of farmers knows about her?” Shadow Rover asked, “That she's in constant heat? That she’s slept with so many men and women in her life she’s lost count? That at age 14 she was already doin’ sex work both for our sake and her own?”

Starlight’s heart felt funny hearing that. Hell, she didn’t like it, but for a split second, she did judge Rarity a bit learning that she was selling her body when she was younger than Starlight now.

“What do you think they’ll do if they find out?” Shadow Rover challenged, “Think they’ll let her stay? Or think they’ll just toss her out onto the streets? She’s already lost control once, and it cost her everything.” he closed his eyes, “She doesn’t belong in your world, full of “normies” and stuck up, high class noble types. Dirty Diamond belongs here, with us. Her pack. If you girls care as much as you say, you’d let her stay with her true family.”

“Her name is Rarity,” Starlight’s scythe appeared in her hand. She knew what was coming. Especially if the Checkpoint was behind Shadow Rover.

“If you’re not gonna get out of the way, then we’ll make you move,” Rainbow Dash added, “Either way, you’re not keeping her!”

“Well, if you want her so badly…” he muttered to himself, and then snapped his fingers, “Time to get to work. Do a good job, and I’ll reward you later at HQ.”

The giant wolf creature growled and stepped forward, glaring at Starlight and her gang. If Starlight was reading its body language though, it seemed, hesitant?

“What’s the matter?” Shadow Rover asked, his eyes glowing, “Your Alpha gave you a command.”

The wolf’s ears folded back, and Starlight heard it whimper before it straightened up, now glaring at the gang.

DNF FW15C -ii- -Blue Reflection

“Girls! Be careful!” Twilight cried, “That monster, it’s not a normal Shadow!”

“It’s still a Shadow though, right?!” Rainbow Dash drew her sword, “In that case, it’ll go down like all the rest!”

“Brace yourselves!” Trixie cried as the wolf gave an odd sounding howl, one that vaguely sounded familiar to Starlight. Why, she didn’t know, but for some reason, all of this felt wrong to her.

The giant wolf monster charged at them, swiping its claws at the Witches, forcing them to scatter. Pinkie Pie rolled to her feet and held her hands in prayer.

“Persona!” she shouted, Serenity appearing behind her and dancing around Trixie, casting Tarukaja on her.

“Thanks Pinkie Pie!” Trixie said, holding her Channeling Ring out, “Starlight!”

Starlight nodded and ran over to Trixie, standing back to back with her as they held their arms out, “COME FORTH, OUR PERSONAS!!!”

Morgana and Elenora flew out of their respective Witches and flew over to the wolf attacking them. Morgana first with three slashes, followed by a series of flame engulfed kicks from Elenora. Morgana then drilled into the wolf pushing it back further as Elenora threw a series of fire balls at it from a distance.

Morgana and Elenora held their hands out to ready their final attack, and after a nod to one another, slashed through the wolf in a cross formation.

The wolf shook the attacks off, and then let out a mighty howl (again, why did that sound familiar to Starlight?), and cast an odd spell on itself.

“Don’t even try it!” Rainbow Dash charged forward, summoning her Persona and slashing wildly at the wolf, who seemed to not only dodge the attacks that it could, but used its claws to block them, “Shit! This thing’s smart!”

The wolf grabbed Eclair’s sword with its teeth and then slashed at the Persona, doing massive damage to both it and Rainbow Dash as she screamed in pain. Before anyone could retaliate, the wolf let out another mighty howl, sending a wave of black energy off from it and lashing out at all of them. This time, Pinkie Pie screamed in agony, falling to the ground.

“Pinkie Pie! That thing used Cursed Magic! It’s going to attack again!”

“Everyone, put up a defense!” Starlight commanded as the wolf charged up another attack, “Rainbow Dash, protect Pinkie Pie no matter wha-”

The wolf rolled into a ball and rolled in place for a bit, before charging into Rainbow Dash and Pinkie Pie. Dash managed to summon Eclair Farron just in time, but the wolf instead pushed her back, knocking her to the ground and seemingly knocking her out cold.

"Damn...! Not here...!" Dash groaned, falling out. Was, was she breathing...?

“Oh no! No no no no no!” Twilight cried, “Someone needs to heal Rainbow Dash fast! That thing almost killed her!”

“Dashie!” Pinkie Pie cried, getting up and immediately casting a powerful healing spell on Dash, sending a golden light from the sky down onto Rainbow Dash, who then awkwardly got up. Starlight felt the name “Recarm” come to her.

“Oh, so discount Sailor Moon over there’s the healer, huh?” Shadow Rover asked.

“Hey! I’ll have you know I’m the genuine article!” Pinkie Pie fussed pointing at Rover, “You will respect the Magical Girl!”

“Target her first!” Rover commanded, his eyes glowing again, “She’s weak to your magic, so it’ll be easy!”

The wolf growled angrily, closing its eyes before shaking its head and turning to Pinkie Pie, now looming over her with an enraged glare.

Pinkie Pie paled, looking up at the ferocious monster, “Girls…! Help me!”

“MORGANA!!!” Starlight commanded, summoning her main Persona, “Trixie, hit Pinkie Pie with Sukukaja! I have an idea!”

Trixie nodded, summoning Elenora. She cast the spell on Pinkie Pie just as Starlight cast the opposing spell, Sukunda, on the wolf. Pinkie Pie managed to dodge its Dark aura spell just in time, not taking any damage herself.

Unfortunately, Starlight, Trixie, and Dash weren’t so lucky.

“You’re all taking way too much damage from this!” Twilight cried.

“It’d, be nice, if we knew what it was weak against!” Rainbow Dash said staggering to her feet.

“I’m trying to scan it, but my terminal is coming up blank!” Twilight fussed, “Oooooh! If only I were there with you!”

“I’ll try to distract it!” Starlight cried, holding out her Channeling Ring, “Come forth, my loyal servant! Rise High Priestess!”

The stage appeared before them, and Diamond Tiara strutted onto the stage, wrapping herself around the pole, “Hey there~ I’ve got a show just for you~”

Shadow Rover looked at the stage, and his eyes widened, “Whoa! Okay, the rich girl’s got an edge to her! I like!”

Mid dance, Diamond Tiara noticed Rover watching her, and then looked at Starlight, “Mistress! Why is he here?” she whispered blushing, but still dancing, “That’s just an apparition, right?”

“Sorry Diamond, but it’s really his Shadow!” Starlight said awkwardly, “I needed a distraction fast to save Pinkie Pie!”

“Well said distraction isn’t working!” Twilight fussed, “That wolf isn’t even looking her way!”

Starlight looked at Rover watching Diamond, and had an idea, “I’ll make it up to you Diamond, but I need you to keep Rover’s attention.”

Diamond sighed, “Alright. But you owe me, Mistress.”

“Trixie, Rainbow Dash, full assault on the wolf,” Starlight commanded, “Pinkie Pie, keep defending and dodging!”

“I trust you, Starlight!” Pinkie Pie cried.

Rainbow Dash took a breath, and nodded, “Alright! Full assault!”

“I’ll go all out, just as you command!” Trixie said.

“Come forth, my other self!” Rainbow Dash shouted, summoning Eclair Farron again and raising her blade, using Zionga on the wolf, briefly stopping it. Oddly, it kept attacking Pinkie Pie.

Just as she thought. The wolf was bound to Rover’s commands!

Trixie summoned Elenora, who cast Agilao on the wolf, this time knocking it off balance and onto it’s side. Starlight then summoned Morgana and rushed at the wolf, the two of them coordinating their attacks and pushing it further away from Pinkie Pie, who then cast Media on everyone to heal them.

“Hm?” Shadow Rover looked at the fight, his eyes widening, “Wait a tick! You’re a decoy, aren’t ya?!”

Diamond swallowed nervously, “Um, I’ll take off my top if you keep looking!”

“Shadows, deal with the stripper!” Shadow Rover commanded, walking over to the main fight, summoning twin rods into his hands, “Some things you just gotta do yourself, seems!”

Diamond looked down at the fight, and then at the Shadows slowly approaching her, “Um! We’ve got a problem here!”

Starlight looked wide eyed, and then held her hand out, “High Priestess, return!” she commanded. Diamond held her arms up in defense as a dire wolf shaped shadow raised its claws to attack, only to vanish in a pink light right before it hit her.

Shadow Rover was about to strike Starlight with one of the sticks in his hands, but Rainbow Dash jumped in front and blocked with her sword.

“Nice try!” she shouted, “But you’re not touching our Leader!” she pushed him back and summoned Eclair Farron once more, who slashed down with her blade.

The wolf however, stopped attacking Pinkie Pie and instead jumped in the way of the attack, its left foreleg getting slashed instead and causing the wolf massive damage as it roared in pain.

“SHIT!” Shadow Rover shouted, kicking Rainbow Dash away and checking on the wolf, “I told you to focus on the Magical Girl, damn it.” The wolf rumbled softly, looking at Shadow Rover almost apologetically. This was followed by Rover closing his eyes and pressing his forehead against the wolf’s face, "God, what am I gonna do with you..."

“Let’s go!” Starlight ordered, “Take the chance to get out of here!”

“Follow me! The Checkpoint’s close!” Twilight cried, her wisp flying off at high speed. Starlight, Trixie, Rainbow Dash, and Pinkie Pie all rushed after it, all filing into the Checkpoint one by one, but Starlight stopped to take one last look at the wolf and Rover.

Was that, what she thought it was…?

For another time. They needed to get out of here. Starlight just prayed that they didn’t just mess up again somehow.

Qualia - Blue Reflection

“What, the actual fuck, was all of that?!” Rainbow Dash asked. The girls were all gathered at the tables around the entrance to Rarity’s Dungeon and the Checkpoint, each one of them dead tired.

“It had magic like a Shadow,” Trixie said, “But it seemed a bit more, what’s the word, sapient?”

“No Shadow would be that ferocious,” Pinkie Pie said, returning from the mailbox after giving Twilight the books the collected using some of the new keywords they had, “Not unless it was a Dungeon Master.”

Starlight folded her arms and groaned to herself. She seriously hoped she was wrong about her suspicion.

“Well, looking over this information here,” Twilight said, “I sadly don’t have the final entry. But I do have something.”

“What do you have?” Starlight asked.

“First off, Rarity’s mind is weird,” Twilight said, “Each entry seems to just, jump from one topic to the next. At least when she’s frantic. When not, even then her tone is just odd. Like listen to this: She so nice. She smells sweet. And she pets me in my favorite spot. I’m scared, but I want to keep her.”

“Who’s, Rarity talking about in that?” Rainbow Dash asked.

“She’s talking about Applejack,” Twilight answered, “It’s like, she adores her, but sees Applejack as someone she owns.”

“That, feels kinda sociopathic…” Trixie frowned.

“Maybe, but when I dove into her memories, Rarity didn’t feel like a sociopath,” Starlight said, “Far from, being quite honest.”

“We were saying that she kinda behaves like a dog before,” Rainbow pointed out, “Between how she acts around AJ, the way she reacts when she’s afraid, and now this, I’m starting to wonder if this is more than just her thinking she’s a dog.”

“Like, maybe she is one?” Pinkie Pie asked Rainbow Dash.

“On some level. Remember, Applejack said she was a dire wolf or something in the dream world. Maybe that’s just, how she identifies.”

“But why would that be?” Trixie asked, “I can understand someone identifying as the opposite gender or something like that, but an animal?”

“I wonder something…” Twilight said to herself.

“Twilight?” Pinkie Pie asked.

“Checking a specific keyword, to see if it lights up anything in Rarity’s Akashic Records… and, there! A book should be lighting up close to you!”

Starlight looked at the bookshelf and saw a book glowing on the shelf beside the Checkpoint door. Starlight walked over to pick up the book, reading a few pages, “It’s a book, on unusual psychotic conditions…?”

“Send that to me.” Twilight requested. Starlight shrugged and walked over to the mailbox, sending the book to Twilight’s terminal, “Got it. Now, if I’m right… then… I knew it. I know what Rarity has.”

“Well, don’t keep us in the dark, Twi-Twi. What is it?” Trixie asked. Twilight sighed before speaking.

“Based on what I’ve heard, and looking at one of the entries here, Rarity has something in this world called “Clinical Lycanthropy”.”

“Clinical whatanthopy?” Rainbow Dash asked.

“Lycanthropy. Named after the mythical condition that forces people to turn into wolves on the full moon?”

“I, just call that being a werewolf…” Rainbow Dash said.

Twilight sighed again, “Anyway, to get back to the point, clinical lycanthropy is a rare psychological condition, where the person affected thinks they’re turning into an animal, or are said animal.”

“A psychological condition?” Starlight frowned thinking back to the fight, “Where the person, thinks they’re an animal?”

“From what I’m reading here, it seems like Rarity does in fact, on some level identify less as a person, and more as an animal. A wolf, in this case.” Twilight continued.

“Hey um, girls?” Pinkie Pie looked away with a worried expression, “I think we messed up.”

“What do you mean?” Trixie asked.

“Rarity is a wolf here, right?” Pinkie Pie asked, now looking at everyone, “We, just got finished fighting a wolf, in Rarity’s Dungeon.”

“Hang on, you don’t think that,” Trixie’s eyes slowly widened, “Oh shit.”

“Yeah… I was thinking that myself,” Starlight said, “The wolf was looking at me for the majority of the conversation, and when Rainbow Dash hurt it, Rover’s entire air shifted to one of concern.”

Rainbow Dash paled, looking at her blade, “Fuck. I really screwed that up, then.”

“When I tried to scan the wolf, it came up as a Shadow, but another signal kept interfering with it,” Twilight said softly, “Thinking back on it, that could have been, a partially awakened Persona.”

“They can partially awaken?” Trixie asked.

“One of the Phantom Thieves, code named Noir, actually experienced this when she first entered the Metaverse.” Twilight explained, “She couldn’t really use it in combat, but she did have all of the passive effects of having one. The Phase is one of the deepest, most primordial aspects of the Collective Unconscious, though. You could say it’s almost its true form.”

“Meaning, if a Persona were to partially awaken here, it could still give the person actual power?” Rainbow Dash asked.

“Maybe? This is all speculation, but it’d make sense. Essentially, it’s like using the dream logic to give yourself an edge. Like, imagining you have a grappling hook when you need something to climb. Only in this case, it’s taking one’s Shadow, and using it in a way akin to a Persona, without fully awakening to it.”

“So she’s aware of the Shadow partially, but not in how it fully relates to her,” Starlight said.

“That’s my best guess. A Persona manifests when the person realizes that the emotions generating the Shadow are a part of them, but not solely who they are. This is why you’re all able to summon your Personas like familiars. If I had to hazard a guess though, Rarity believes that her Shadow is all that’s really there, with anything else being just a mask she puts on to fit in.”

“Hence why her using her partial Persona is more akin to a transformation,” Trixie realized, “She’s shedding the mask of a human to take on what she deems is her true form.”

“And for her “true form” to be so ferocious and monstrous,” Rainbow Dash took a breath, “She must really think low of herself.”

“What else did you find, Twilight?” Pinkie Pie asked their real world contact.

“Confirmation that yes, she was raised in the Golden Oaks Child Center,” Twilight said, “As were the rest of the Diamond Dogs.”

“They’re all orphans?” Rainbow Dash asked, “Shit. No wonder Rover had that “Us vs Them” mentality.”

“I’m starting to think this situation isn’t as black and white as we thought,” Starlight said, “Cinch definitely has it out for Rarity. That much I’m sure of. Rover, not so much anymore.”

“He seemed pretty hellbent on keeping Rarity against her will to me,” Trixie frowned, leaning against a bookshelf, “His Shadow didn’t even acknowledge how fucked up the situation is, and he was ordering her around like she was an animal on a leash.”

“But when Rainbow Dash hurt her, he stopped to check on her,” Starlight said, “And he seemed genuinely concerned. Also, in one of the visions I saw, he and Rarity seemed almost like lovers.”

“With him, we could be looking at a situation similar to Fleur,” Twilight chimed in, “Someone with good intentions, but twisted by distorted desires and a fanatical determination to do what they think is right.”

Trixie huffed, “I’m worried that we’re barking up the wrong tree here, pardon the pun.”

“Then we need more information before we jump to conclusions,” Starlight got up, “I know this is rough, but we’re low on time. So tomorrow, we need to go back into the Dungeon and get more info on Rarity.”

Rainbow Dash took a deep breath, “Working overtime then. Alright. I’m in.”

“Same,” Pinkie Pie nodded, “We have to help Rarity.”

Trixie nodded, “Agreed. Till this Dungeon is cleared, this has to be a priority.”

“Then I better get some rest for tonight. I still have some work to do, but I can tackle that later.” Twilight said with a yawn, “By the way, the sun’s starting to rise, so you should probably return to the Real World.”

“You’ll still join us for breakfast, right Twilight?” Pinkie Pie asked.

“Sure. I’ll be there,” Twilight said softly. It sounded like she was smiling.

“Okay. See you back in the real world, everyone,” Starlight said. Everyone nodded and took off their Channeling Rings, returning to their bodies and ending this run.

Author's Note

*Think a recolored version of this:

Fool – Seekers of Light: 5/10
Magician – Trixie Lulamoon: 8/10 :heart:
Priestess – Diamond Tiara: 10/10 Thrall
The Empress – Ms. Tia: 5/10
Hierophant - Victor: 2/10
The Lovers - Pinkamena Diane Pie: 3/10
Chariot – Rainbow Dash: 3/10
Strength - Tokugawa Fluttershy: 2/5
Hermit – Sunburst: 2/10
The Devil – Silver Spoon: 5/10
The Sun - Sweetie Belle: 3/10 LEVEL UP!!!!
Transformation - Ms. Luna: 1/10

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11/5

November 5th, 2019
Monday
Sunny

Daytime

School Days - Persona

Starlight tried. She really tried to stay up for school. Unfortunately though, after the night she had she just, couldn’t manage hardly. Her eyes felt heavy, her mind was foggy. In truth, she didn’t feel rested at all.

And she wasn’t the only one.

Next to her in English, Trixie was asleep on her desk, and it looked like Pinkie Pie was fighting sleep at her desk. In Gym afterward, Rainbow Dash seemed to power through, but it was clear that even she was lacking in spirit noticeably.

This was a rough one. Starlight considered asking Miss Tia if she could just take a quick nap in her class. She didn’t want to, but this was just unbearable.

end song

Lunch Time

It was nice that they all had the same Lunch period, as they could gather and discuss the day. Naturally, they all agreed on one thing.

“This day can go right the fuck to hell,” Rainbow Dash groaned, her head falling onto the bench table.

“I feel like I’ve been pulled through a keyhole, repeatedly,” Trixie muttered, laying her head on her arms and pulling her hat over her head.

“How are we this tired?” Rainbow Dash asked, “Our bodies were laying in bed the whole time!”

“Yes, but they weren’t resting,” Starlight answered, “We walked all through the city side of the Dungeon, from the Prison area, infiltrated a bank, and fought a giant wolf that may or may not have been Rarity partially summoning her Persona.”

Pinkie Pie winced, rubbing her temples. She was wearing sunglasses, a nice hat to shield herself from the sun, and keeping her movements very subtle, “Please girls. Stop screaming. I can’t take it.”

“I, wasn’t screaming,” Starlight said mutely.

“Is this our lives now?” Trixie asked, “Is this, what we have to look forward to in the future?”

“At least until we rescue Rarity,” Starlight said, “I promise, after this, we’ll take a some time to relax.”

“Good, cause I’m gonna need it,” Rainbow Dash groaned, “And we gotta go back in tonight, too? I’m taking tomorrow off.”

“Maybe we should all take tomorrow off?” Trixie suggested, “Rest up much as possible?”

“If we do though, how would that make Miss Tia look?” Pinkie Pie asked, “We’re all in her dorm, and Cinch gives her a rough time as is.”

“Oh fuck, you’re right,” Rainbow Dash sighed, “Shit!”

“Ow. Ow. Please, Dashie, I love you, but try to keep it down,” Pinkie Pie begged, giving a soft whimper.

“Holy shit,” Diamond Tiara said, she and Silver Spoon walking up to their table, “You girls, look terrible.”

“What happened to you all?” Silver Spoon raised an eyebrow, “Stay up late partying?”

“I wish,” Trixie groaned, “It’s witch related stuff, let’s just say that.”

Diamond Tiara walked over to Starlight and rubbed her back, “Will you be okay, Starlight?”

“I, will but, I don’t know if I’ll be at Pep Squad tomorrow,” Starlight said, looking apologetic, “I’m sorry, Diamond.”

“Hey, that’s fine,” Diamond assured, “You girls are doing important work.”

“I don’t know what said work is, but again, you saved Diamond, so I’m assuming that this is serious,” Silver slightly dismissed, but her expression suggested she might have been concerned.

“Thanks, Silver Spoon,” Rainbow Dash groaned, “Nice of you to give a damn.”

“You’re welcome, peasant,” Silver Spoon said haughtily.

“You do realize that all of us are witches, right?” Trixie asked, “Should you really be antagonizing us?”

“I did no such thing, Lulamoon,” Silver Spoon defended, “Besides, witch or not, you’re all still commoners. The fact I’m willing to be seen near you should be considered an honor.”

Pinkie Pie whimpered, eyes shut tight, “Why are you shouting…?”

Silver blinked, “Shouting? What are you talking about?”

“Ugh! You’re giving me a headache…” Pinkie Pie fussed, “Please stop talking so loud…”

“Yeah Silver,” Starlight smirked, “Either keep it down, or stop talking, please.”

Silver narrowed her eyes, “One of these days, you will rue the day you deigned to cross me, Witch.” Rainbow Dash and Trixie both snickered, “What?”

Like a Dream Come True - Persona 4

“Who the fuck says “rue the day” anymore?” Rainbow Dash asked through barely contained laughter.

Trixie wasn’t even trying to hide the fact she was laughing, but likewise tried to keep it down, “Okay, that was great. I needed that laugh.”

“Thanks for that, Silver Spoon,” Starlight laughed, Pinkie Pie across from her also laughing, “You really lifted our spirits with that one.”

“I wasn’t trying to-” Silver caught herself, taking a deep breath, “I wasn’t trying to be funny, Witch!” she whispered harshly. For some reason, this made all of them laugh louder, “Grrr…! Stop making fun of me!” she stomped her foot, only to notice Diamond was also laughing, “Et tu, Diamond?!”

“S-sorry!” Diamond was hunched over from laughing so hard, “But…! Rue the day? Oh my God, Spoony…!”

Even if it came a bit at Silver’s expense, this was just the thing Starlight needed to make it through the rest of the day. A nice distraction from the weight of the world.

She might not need that nap in History after all.

Maya's Theme - Persona 3

From her usual spot on the roof, Rarity looked down at Starlight and her friends. Holding the fence and biting her lip, her heart felt heavy for some reason. Despite most of them looking dead to the world for some reason, they were able to laugh. They seemed, happy together.

Was this the first time she saw Starlight with her usual friends? Was this how they always were together.

Part of Rarity wanted to go down there herself, just to see them. To talk to them, but about what? Maybe about her dreams. Dreams that were really beginning to scare her more than they were before.

She turned her back to them and slid down to the floor, careful to avoid her sore wrist. She remember dreaming that Rainbow Dash was about to attack Rover, and she jumped in the way. The attack got her left foreleg, but it was a dream, so it was nothing, right?

Well, she thought that, until she woke up that morning with a sore wrist, and a mark that looked like a blade cut it.

“It’s real…” Rarity realized, breathing in and out heavily, “The dreams, they’re real…” she swallowed nervously, and taking advantage of her alone time, hugged her knees to her chest and cried softly. This was her punishment, wasn’t it? She abandoned her pack. She failed the Scarlets. She was the worst. And now, she was being condemned, punished by imprisonment in her own mind.

Why didn’t God just kill her? Why prolong the punishment like this? She got it. She was a terrible person. She tried to be more than a filthy dog of the streets, and she failed because of course she would. She understood now, so why was this happening to her?

She heard footsteps in the distance. On instinct, she shot up and hid behind the side if the entrance to the school, and she was glad that she did. Blueblood stepped out a second later and looked around in anger.

“Damn that bitch!” he fussed, holding a hand to his forehead. He yelled in anger and frustration before storming back downstairs. Rarity closed her eyes, her heart racing as she broke down again.

“Whether here, or in my dreams, I’m not safe…” she opened her eyes, her heart feeling oddly, numb now, “Fine… I see how it is, then.”

After School

When the Moon's Reaching Out Stars - Persona 3

Starlight felt a bit better now, so she decided to stop by the Student Council today in order to see everyone. At the moment the only ones present were Applejack, Sunburst, and thankfully Rarity. Apparently Pip was coming in late today, but there hadn’t been any word on Spike.

Rarity seemed rather odd though. On the one hand she seemed more aloof than normal, like she was in her own little world. However on the other hand, whenever someone approached her, she was super attentive. Like she was trying to reach out. For some reason, Starlight didn’t like this. She didn’t know why, but she was really concerned about this.

She was about to go over to her, but she noticed Applejack already walking toward her.

“Hey Rares,” Applejack said, sitting on the desk beside her, “Wrist still buggin’ ya?”

“Hm? Oh no, I’m alright now, darling,” Rarity assured, flexing her left wrist a bit, “It’s still a bit sore, but it’s a lot better than it was.”

Starlight took a breath at that. That confirmed it. The wolf monster they fought was Rarity.

“That’s, good to hear,” Applejack said with a tense smile.

“Are you alright?” Rarity asked, getting up and holding Applejack’s hand, “You seem upset.”

“Oh, I’m fine. I jus’,” Applejack looked down, “Ya know ya can tell me anythin’, right? We’re best friends, after all.”

“I know,” Rarity said, “Friends forever and beyond.”

Applejack nodded, “Right. So, if you were in any trouble, you could talk to me. You know that, right?”

“Applejack, what’s this about?” Rarity asked. Starlight and Sunburst both looked at this and listened intently.

“It’s jus’, I notice you’ve been comin’ home a bit later than normal, you were clearly dodgin’ Blueblood at the Halloween Party on Friday, an’ that wrist injury. Rarity, I’m worried ‘bout ya.”

Rarity looked away with a soft smile, “Everything will be fine, AJ. I promise.”

“Rares-”

“Trust me,” she looked Applejack in the eyes, “Please trust me.”

“I, I trust ya, Rarity,” Applejack relented. Rarity smiled and nuzzled her, a bit like a dog would to show affection.

“Good,” Rarity said softly, “Thank you.”

“Of course,” Applejack said, reaching to pet Rarity low on her back. Based on the soft sound Rarity made, she must have really liked that spot.

“I wonder what’s going on there,” Sunburst asked softly, “Rarity’s, not in some sort of trouble, is she?”

Starlight closed her eyes and sighed. She most definitely was, but she couldn’t just tell Sunburst about that.

Troubled - Persona 3

“Applejack Scarlet, please report to the Principal’s Office.” Cinch’s words echoed on the intercom. She didn’t sound happy.

“Wonder what that bitch wants now…” Applejack muttered, getting up, “Better not keep her waitin’,” As she walked off, Rarity on instinct grabbed her hand tightly, “Rarity?”

“I… I just…” Rarity closed her eyes and took a deep breath, “It’s, nothing. Like you said, you shouldn’t, keep Cinch, waiting.”

Applejack pursed her lips looking at Rarity intently, but then nodded and pulled her hand free. Right as she was about to leave, Pip pushed through the door.

“Everyone, we have a problem!” Pip cried.

“What is it?” Rarity asked suddenly.

“It’s Spike!” Pip cried, “He and Blueblood are fighting on the football field!”

“What?!” Applejack cried. She looked at the loudspeaker with gritted teeth, “Damn it! I should be there, but...”

“Applejack, leave it to me,” Rarity said, placing a hand over her heart, “I’ll handle this. Go see Cinch.”

Applejack nodded, “Good luck, Rarity,” she said, running out of the Student Council Office.

“I’ll come with you!” Starlight shot up immediately, “I have a score to settle with Blueblood anyway!”

Rarity looked at Starlight intently, and to her surprise, nodded, “Alright. Let’s go.”

Starlight and Rarity walked out of the office together. As they walked, Starlight noticed Rarity undoing her tie and unbuttoning her top halfway.

“Letting her out?” Starlight inquired.

“I know what this is about, and I’m sick and tired of it,” Rarity seethed, her tone more ferocious, “If he wants Dirty Diamond, then that’s who he’s gettin’.”

“Rarity, I get it, trust me, but the last thing you want to do is something to risk your position as the President,” Starlight said.

“Think I give a shit?!” Rarity seethed, “I’m tired of bein’ pushed around by this fucker, and everyone else in my goddamn life!”

This was Rarity on the other side of the Dungeon. Where “Dirty Diamond” was more free. She might have even just "transformed", signaled by her taking off her tie and unbuttoning her blouse. She briefly even saw the image of that wolf monster barring its teeth and growling.

“Alright. Just, don’t lose control, okay?” Starlight asked, rubbing Rarity’s back, “I’m with you, but I don’t want you to compromise your position. A lot of students still rely on you.”

Rarity closed her eyes, “Fine. I won’t beat him within an inch of his life. But I will sucker punch him before this day is over.”

“Then go for the face,” Starlight requested with a smirk, “Might look good with a black eye.”

Rarity looked at Starlight surprised, and then smirked, “Works for me, Little Star.”

Starlight sighed but smiled. She had a feeling that name was her call sign now. Well, when she saved Rarity, she’d have to keep it.

There weren’t hardly any students left at the school, so there wasn’t a crowd or anything forming. All they was was Spike get punched to the ground by Blueblood, who’s glare looked downright murderous.

“I know it was you!” Blueblood seethed, “Taking my phone and then bricking it! Start talking!”

“Don’t know what to tell you,” Spike said, rising haphazardly to his feet, clearly the more beat up of the two, “All I did was put it out there that it was missing. You finding it bricked has nothing to do with me.”

Blueblood gripped Spike by the collar of his shirt, rearing his other fist back, “Oh? So you mean to tell me you weren’t trying to protect that whore you call President?”

“Her name, is Rarity!” Spike seethed, “And with what you were doing to her and Pinkie Pie, I consider this karma!”

“That does it!” Blueblood snapped, preparing his fist to punch Spike in the face again, only for Rarity to grab his fist.

Maya's Theme - Persona 3

“Drop him,” Rarity growled. Blueblood had the audacity to laugh.

“And here she is. The whore, Dirty Diamond herself,” he looked to see Starlight beside her, “And of course you bring the goth bitch with you.”

“Don’t worry about her. Worry about me.” Rarity said, “I won’t repeat myself.”

Blueblood released Spike and then turned to glare at Rarity, “You put him up to it, didn’t you?”

“You’ll have to be more specific,” Rarity said in a low tone.

“My phone,” he seethed, holding it up, “I found it today, and I couldn’t access it at all. Someone bricked it, and I know you had something to do with it.”

Rarity blinked, “Someone, bricked your…” she looked to Spike, who gave her a subtle smile despite clearly being in a ton of pain. Rarity closed her eyes, and then chuckled.

“What’s so funny?” Blueblood asked.

“You are,” Rarity raised her head imposingly, “Here I was all worried, and you have nothing on me.”

“I still know your secret,” Blueblood narrowed his eyes, “I know what you did in that alleyway with-”

Rarity sucker punched him in the face, knocking him to the ground.

“So you know what I am, big fuckin' deal,” Rarity flexed her arm a bit, “Guess what? I don’t care anymore. So go on. Spread my secret. Tell the whole fuckin' school what a filthy whore I am.”

Blueblood looked up at Rarity, and then at Spike and Starlight. He must have realized he was outnumbered, as he scampered to his feet pointing at them, “This isn’t over. You hear me? I will get my revenge for this, and your blonde hayseed won’t be able to protect you!”

As he ran off, Rarity frowned looking down, “What did he mean by that…?” she asked. She then shook her head and turned to Spike as he stood up again, “You okay?”

“Well, I’m sore all over, probably a bit black and blue, but I’ll live,” Spike smiled rubbing the back of his head.

Rarity looked down, “Spike… about what he-”

“Are you okay?” Spike asked rubbing Rarity’s arm.

“Tell me the truth,” Rarity looked at Spike seriously, “Did you do something to his phone?”

Spike closed his eyes, “I did take it, and I took it to someone to have the dirt he had on you removed.”

Rarity’s eyes widened, “You, knew about…?”

“He sent me a picture of you,” Spike pulled out his phone and showed it to her, “Basically bragging that he was screwing you.”

Starlight’s eyes widened, “That, was what you were looking at on your phone the one time.”

Spike nodded, “It was. I was trying to make sense of it. Why Rarity would sleep with a sleazeball like him. But, once I heard about what he did to Pinkie Pie, I got it,” he looked Rarity in the eyes, “He was blackmailing you. He found out that you were with that gang, right?”

Rarity stepped back, “H-how did you-” she looked at the picture again, and noticed that her tattoo was partially visible on the picture. She then closed her eyes tightly, “Alright then. What’s it going to cost?”

Spike blinked, “What’s, it going to cost?”

“To keep you quiet,” Rarity asked folding her arms, “I know how this goes. Now that you know, you want me to do you a favor of some kind?”

“Rarity…” Starlight sighed. She didn’t trust anyone, it seemed.

Spike looked at the phone, and then deleted the photo, “On the house.”

Rarity slowly dropped her arms, “On, the house?”

“Why would I blackmail you?” Spike asked.

“You do have that crush on me,” Rarity pursed her lips.

“Yeah, but you’re not interested in me like that, and I’m content just being your friend,” Spike said.

“F-friend?” Rarity asked softly, “Even though, you know the truth about me…?”

“What? That you were with that gang and might be a bit sexually loose? Yeah,” he smiled, “Besides, Starlight knows, and she’s still right here. Why would I be any different?”

Rarity looked at Starlight, and she just waved sweetly. She then turned to Spike, and hugged him. With how the green haired boy blushed, it must have been the first time she ever did that.

“Thank you, Spike,” she said softly, “Thank you, so much.”

Spike smiled and returned the hug, “You’re welcome, Rarity.”

“I, want to do something for you,” Rarity said, whispering something in Spike’s ear.

Spike sucked in a breath, “W-what…? You, serious…?”

Rarity nodded smiling, “I might not have romantic feelings for you, but I don’t see why we can’t have some fun. Unless, you don’t, want…”

“No no! I mean, any guy would be crazy to turn down a chance with you, it’s just, I don’t want you thinking you have to do this. I meant it. Being your friend is enough for me.”

Rarity teared up a bit, still smiling, “You’re kind, Spike. And that’s why I want to do this. Besides, it’d help me deal with some, issues that tend to come up.”

Spike looked at Rarity intently, and then nodded, “Alright. When do you want to do this?”

“Not tonight. Perhaps though, tomorrow after school?” Rarity requested.

Spike thought about it, and nodded, “Alright. I don’t have a roommate, so we can just go there. Gives me a reason to clean my room.”

Rarity laughed, “Wonderful.”

Starlight smiled seeing these two, but for some reason, looking at Rarity right now made her heart feel funny. Something about what she was doing felt wrong to her. Not her clearly going to have sex with Spike. That felt oddly in character for her. But, something in the way she carried herself.

She prayed she was wrong about where Rarity’s head was.

end song

After getting Spike to the Infirmary, Starlight and Rarity began making their way back to the Student Council Office. Rarity still had this odd air about her, and Starlight wanted check her emotions, but she couldn’t get an excuse to hold her hand again or touch her in any way.

Right as they turned the corner though, they heard a loud slam, which sounded like a locker door. The two ran over to investigate, where they saw Applejack lean against her locker, breathing heavily as she tried to control her temper.

Living with Determination - Persona 3

“Applejack!” Rarity called out, she and Starlight running over to her, “What’s wrong, darling?”

“Cinch put me on suspension, is what happened,” Applejack seethed, “Till further notice, I ain’t on the Defense Committee.”

“What?” Starlight asked wide eyed, “Why’s Cinch doing this?!”

“Apparently,” Applejack pushed off the locker and turned to them, “She got reports from someone that Nightmare Night might’ve been started by me. That or the Defense Committee was conspirin’ with the culprit.”

Rarity slowly backed away, “That’s what he meant…”

Applejack looked to her, “What, who meant?”

“Blueblood,” Starlight answered, “When we went to chase him off of Spike, he ran off saying something like “You’re blonde hayseed can’t protect you” to Rarity.”

“He did it.” Rarity began hyper ventilating, “He, reported to Cinch, made you seem suspicious, so I… I wouldn’t…”

“Rarity, calm down,” Applejack said, putting her hands on her shoulders, “Breathe.”

Rarity took a few deep breaths, but Starlight could tell she was NOT calming down at all. The worst part was, Applejack did know that it was Pinkie Pie’s idea, so technically speaking Cinch was right.

This was due to the Applejack apparition in Rarity’s Dungeon getting demoted. Cinch was taking cues from her Shadow, and effectively doing the same to the real Applejack.

“Can she, really keep you from staying after school, though?” Starlight asked.

“She’s tellin’ the other members of the committee to enforce it. Make sure I don’t go behind her back,” Applejack sighed, “So effectively, yeah. If I’m seen enterin’ the Student Council Office for the time bein’, I’ll be in even more trouble.”

“I’ll fight this,” Rarity said firmly, “I’ll convince that bitch to-”

“No Rarity.”

“No?! Applejack, this is bullshit!” Rarity snapped, “That cunt’s only doin’ this cause she’s loosin’ control, which honestly, good!”

“Rarity-”

“I’m sick and tired of listenin’ to that bitch! What she needs is a good-”

“RARITY!”

“WHAT?!”

“YER SOUNDIN’ LIKE-” Applejack calmed herself, and then leaned in, “Yer soundin’ like your old self, before leavin’ them.”

Rarity’s eyes widened. She then looked away pained. Something to Starlight Applejack said the wrong thing just now.

“I know yer upset. I am, too. But I don't want ya fallin' back into old habits for my sake,” Applejack rubbed her arm, “What’s gotten into you, Rares? Yer actin’, well…”

“Like a beast, right?”

“I, I didn’t mean it like-”

“Yes, you did,” Rarity said looking at Applejack seriously, “You're sayin’ that I sound like my old self. Guess you finally realize. Can take the wolf out of the street, but can’t take the street outta the wolf.”

“Rarity, I, I’m sorry. I didn't word that right,” Applejack said, “I jus’, ya sounded like you were gonna hurt Cinch, and I…”

“I asked you to trust me,” Rarity narrowed her eyes.

“I do-”

“No you don’t!” Rarity snapped, “Cause if you did, you wouldn’t assume the worst just cause I got upset!” she scowled, “Nice to know where you stand with me.” She then pushed Applejack aside and stormed down the hall.

“Rarity, where are ya goin?!” Applejack called out.

“None of your business!” Rarity yelled back, “Don’t bother waitin’ for me!”

As Rarity walked off, Applejack closed her eyes pained, “I messed up,” Starlight walked over to her and rubbed her back, “Take it ya know ‘bout her past?”

“A bit,” Starlight confirmed, “She used to be with the Diamond Dogs.”

“Yeah, she did,” Applejack sighed, “Know ‘bout the bank robbery at Tartarus Bank 3 years ago?” Starlight nodded, “That’s where I met her. Granny Smith, Apple Bloom an’ I went to take out a loan, when her gang burst inside and held the place up. Ended up bein’ a hostage situation.”

“Must have been scared,” Starlight said.

“I was, but really I was more worried ‘bout Apple Bloom and Granny Smith. My little sis got asthma, an’ ever since our Pa’s death, she’s been prone to real bad anxiety attacks that trigger it. Both hit her at once durin’ that day. That’s, when I met Rarity for the first time.”

This was confirming what she saw in the Dungeon, “What did she do?”

“She saw us bein’ harassed by one of her gang members an’ chased him off. She then helped us get Apple Bloom’s inhaler, an’ even helped her calm her anxiety,” Applejack smiled sadly, “Apple Bloom really looks up to Rarity. Says she wants to be jus’ like her. It’s sweet, but I do wonder what she means by that sometimes.”

Starlight remembered seeing Apple Bloom scare off some of Sweetie Belle’s bullies before, and she used a similar tactic that Rarity used before. Was that a Diamond Dog tactic?

“I could tell she was different than the others,” Applejack continued, “I’ll admit, somethin’ in me was drawn to her. Like, I was seein’ a dear friend I’d lost, an’ missed somethin’ fierce. So, when I saw her the next day, an’ Macintosh was sayin’ she’d be livin’ with us for a while, I was overjoyed,” she sighed, a hand over her eyes, “This is the first time in years she sounded like that.”

Wait, what? Starlight was under the impression that Rarity took the mask off around Applejack but, from what she said, it sounded like Rarity just, never took it off.

“I was always torn,” Applejack continued, “On the one hand, I was happy she seemed to mellow out, but at the same time, I wondered if she was doin’ it for the right reason. With how she sounded jus’ now, an her leavin' like that…”

“Do you think she’s rejoining her old gang?” Starlight asked.

“I don’t know what she’s doin’, but it don’t look good. Also, last time I checked on Rarity in her room while she was sleepin’, her body was ice cold…”

“You think, she has the Nightmare,” Starlight said.

“She does. I know she does. An’ I know that’s part of why she’s actin’ out. She always does this when she’s afraid,” Applejack closed her eyes, tearing up, “Starlight, I can’t lose her. She’s my best friend.”

“You won’t lose her,” Starlight assured Applejack, rubbing her back, “She’ll be alright.”

“Ya, sound awfully certain,” Applejack said wiping her tears, “Know somethin’ ‘bout this Nightmare Epidemic?”

“Only that it’s possible people can survive it, and that Rarity will be one of them,” she looked Applejack in the eyes and took her hands, “I promise. You won’t lose Rarity.”

Applejack looked at Starlight intently, and then slowly nodded, “Alright. I don’t get it, but I trust ya. For now, I better head home, before Cinch realizes I’m still here.”

Starlight nodded, and watched as Applejack left the school herself. Once alone, she sighed. They were running out of time. The deadline was 4 days away. If they didn’t find that last entry soon…

Rarity was not going to be her first failure.

Late Night

The Phase

Scraper Sky High - Uner Night In-Birth

Like they planned, the Daughters of the Rising Sun returned to Rarity’s Dungeon that night. It didn’t take long for them to get to sleep, so once the door opened the rushed right inside. Upon arriving in the City, they saw the Shadows on patrol, actively searching for something.

“So much for having an easy way through,” Rainbow Dash growled, poking her head out of the alleyway they hid in.

“What changed?” Pinkie Pie asked, “They look like they’re searching for us now.”

“Probably because now Rover knows you’re here, and are trying to rescue Rarity,” Twilight answered, “Assuming that wolf monster we fought was Rarity, it could also be because she’s on alert too.”

“It was Rarity, I’m sure of it,” Starlight sighed looking down, “I saw Rarity nursing her wrist a bit today, and it was the same arm that Rainbow Dash’s Persona struck.”

Rainbow Dash closed her eyes tightly, “Shit.”

“Hey, don’t beat yourself up over it,” Trixie said, “There was no way we could have known that was Rarity.”

“If anyone’s at fault here, it’s me,” Twilight said softly, “I should have been able to tell that was a partially awakened Persona, or something associated with Rarity. Seems all I’ve done this mission is fail left and right.”

“No Twilight,” Pinkie Pie turned to her wisp, “You’re doing the best you can from your side.”

“If anything, we’re the ones at fault for not catching on the cues,” Trixie added, “We’re actually here, and we didn’t notice that it was Rarity until it was too late. In hindsight, it was kinda obvious.”

“Either way, sitting here and blaming ourselves isn’t going to solve anything,” Starlight said, “The Dungeon looks a bit more active, but it’s still stable. We still have time. So, where are we heading to next?”

“That’s a good question,” Trixie huffed, “Hey Twi-Twi, did you find anything from the discount page in the Sushi place?”

“Well, I can confirm that those sex acts on the paper were in fact things she’s done in order to get discounts on stuff,” Twilight said, “Based on some of the things she’s said in the entries, she used her body as a way to both make money for herself and the gang, and also too get them discounts and other benefits.”

“Meaning she probably did have sex with the owner of that sushi place to get that for me,” Pinkie Pie rubbed her arm, “Kinda torn on that, really.”

“Yeah, I feel ya,” Rainbow Dash folded her arms looking down, “On the one hand, it’s kinda sweet. But on the other hand, she’s got some serious issues if she goes straight to that as an option to get a discount.”

“It’s actually worse, when you think about it,” Twilight said, “This means that for her, that’s a viable means of getting discounts.”

“Meaning she’s been doing this for a while…” Trixie said, “Considering we know she lost her virginity at about 13 to 14… and she’s like what, 18 going on 19 now?” Pinkie Pie nodded with a confirmation, “Christ, she’s been doing this for 4 years.”

“Bet someone like that’s seen the inside of a Police Station often,” Rainbow Dash suggested, “No way she’d be able to keep her nose out of trouble all the time.”

“This is true,” Twilight mused, “Also, we know that Applejack’s brother is a police officer.”

“Yep. He’s got his own squad and everything,” Pinkie Pie confirmed, “He’s the youngest officer to get his own squad yet, and I think he’s even being considered for a promotion to detective.”

“Sounds like he’s a big deal,” Trixie said.

“Macintosh takes the law really seriously. I think his father was a detective before he died, and Macintosh wants to follow in his footsteps,” Pinkie Pie explained.

“I vote for going to the Police Station then,” Twilight said, “I can track it down and guide you.”

Starlight nodded, “Do that. If nothing else, we know that Rarity has a connection to someone in the Police station, so let’s head there next.”

Everyone nodded and followed Twilight’s wisp out of the alleyway. The road was pretty straight forward, but on the way they did see a few other shops that were telling. The Kami no Tabemono ramen shop was basic, suggesting she’d only been in there a few times. Surprising to everyone, Chains and Whips was also basic.

Starlight was under the assumption she’d know that place like the back of her, hand? Paw? What was appropriate here?

But about halfway they did spot one shop that was clearly detailed that surprised them by how, tame it was. Sugarcube Corner, of all places, was perfect down to the minute detail.

“Think she’s gotten discounts here?” Trixie asked.

“Not here,” Pinkie Pie shook her head, “The two who own it are married, and have two kids already in elementary school.”

“I hate to say it, Pinkie Pie, but that doesn’t mean she hasn’t done anything,” Trixie pointed out, “We don’t know what their private life is like, and from what we’ve seen of who Rarity is behind the mask…”

Pinkie Pie looked down pained, “I just, don’t want to imagine Rarity as a homewrecker. I get that none of this looks good, but I know she’s a good person, and that she wouldn’t stoop that low.”

Trixie took a breath, looking at the building with a slight frown, “Well, if you’re that certain, I guess I’ll try to believe it too.”

Pinkie Pie smiled, “Thanks Trixie.”

Trixie gave Pinkie Pie a slight smile, and then looked ahead, “Girls, we’ve got a big group ahead.”

Starlight looked and saw four Shadows searching the area. They looked like security guards.

“Think we’re close to the Police Station?” Rainbow Dash asked.

“It’s actually right around the corner,” Twilight answered, “They’re higher leveled, so they’re tougher.”

Starlight nodded, and snuck up to one, jumping onto its back and grabbing its mask, “Show your face!” she snapped, yanking the mask off and forcing all of them to reveal their true forms. Most of them she recognized: Orobas, Rakshasa, and even a lower leveled Sui-Ki. The fourth one she was on turned into a Shadow that looked like a black pile of goo with yellow eyes and a creepy face.

E.SYNAPSE - Blue Reflection: Second Light

“The new one’s ID is Black Ooze!” Twilight stated, “Be careful!”

“MORGANA!!!!” Starlight shouted, shifting to her main Persona and firing a Bufula spell on the new Shadow. It seemed to affect it somewhat, but it mostly shook it off like it was nothing.

“Go!” Pinkie Pie screamed, summoning Serenity and having her rush to Sui-Ki and punch him rapidly, eventually knocking him down. The Shadows seemed to be pulling themselves together, shown by Orobas flying over to Pinkie Pie to kick her, but she flipped back out of the way to make room for Trixie, who threw a barrage of Cards at it.

“None of us have light skills I don’t think!” Trixie said, “Pinkie Pie, let’s double team Orobas!”

Pinkie Pie nodded, “Alright!”

“Twilight, begin analysis on the enemies!” Starlight said, brandishing her scythe, “We’ll hold them off!”

“Alright! I’ll begin scanning the enemy!” Twilight said, her wisp vanishing as she shut down the Remote Viewing system.

Rainbow Dash rushed at Sui-Ki, clashing blades with it violently as Trixie and Pinkie Pie fought Orobas off to the side away from her. She held it still as Starlight slammed her scythe to the ground, firing her sniper rifle at Sui-Ki, knocking it back. Rainbow Dash summoned Eclair Farron, who raised her blade and cast Zionga on Sui-Ki, but like with Black Ooze and Ice, he seemed to tank it, “Oh come on!”

Sui-Ki spun his blade above him as he charged a spell, and then fired Mabufula out in the form of a small ice wave, hitting all of the girls and knocking Trixie to the ground. He then charged at Rainbow Dash with his blade, actually knocking her back a bit.

Rakshasa flew over to Starlight and slashed down with his blade, but she jumped back away from the attack, “KOPPA TENGU!!!” she shouted, switching Personas and kicking up a powerful gust of wind at Rakshasa, knocking him to the ground.

“I got it!” Twilight cried, “Okay, so here’s the rundown! Black Ooze is weak to Electricity, Psychic, and Blessed magic!”

Rainbow Dash smirked, “Good to know! What else ya got for us!”

“Sui-Ki is weak to Nuclear Spells!” Twilight said, “Once we take out Orobas, we can end this fight quickly and move on!”

Pinkie Pie held her hands together in prayer, “Please Serenity, protect my friends!” Serenity appeared and dealt Orobas a barrage of punches, killing it in one go. Pinkie Pie then ran over to Trixie and helped her up, “There, all better!”

“Thanks Pinkie Pie,” Trixie smiled.

“Show your might, Eclair Farron!” Rainbow Dash shouted, Eclair appearing before her and raising her blade, casting Mazio on Black Ooze, knocking him down. She then walked over to Starlight and gave her a High Five, “You’re up, Leader!”

BATON PASS!!!!

Starlight thanked Rainbow Dash and held up her Channeling Ring, “MORGANA!!!!” she roared, shifting back to her default Persona and firing a powerful Nuclear blast at Sui-Ki, knocking him to the ground. Starlight reached out with her empathy, this time managing to successfully connect with Rakshasa. She felt a darkness that was intense, almost bloodthirsty. No wonder she had a hard time connecting to this one.

But when she thought about how much she hated Blueblood, and the intense desire to one day kill his Shadow, she felt a resonance with Rakshasa. Though she knew she could empathize with this Persona, for the first time ever, she questioned if that was a good thing.

Even still, Rakshasa bowed to Starlight, bursting into flames and flying into her Channeling Ring. Feeling overtaxed, Starlight finally released Incubus again to make room.

In the confusion, all of the Shadows remaining ran off.

“Alright, that takes care of that fight,” Starlight dusted herself off, “Let’s keep moving.”

Scraper Sky High - Under Night In-Birth

Starlight and co. continued their way to the police station, which just as suspected, was pretty fleshed out. It wasn’t a perfect recreation, but it was enough where they could enter at least.

With Twilight’s help, they managed to sneak they way inside through a vent. The path was long and winding, a bit like a maze.

“Mmmm, Dashie~” Pinkie Pie moaned, “I can feel your gaze on my butt~”

“Gah! Pinkie Pie, please! Now isn’t the time!” Rainbow Dash protested, making Pinkie Pie laugh. Starlight just rolled her eyes listening to this.

When they made it out of the vent, the interior was pretty detailed, but it was clear that it wasn’t a perfect interpretation. Just a few offices here and there, a main lobby, and what looked like a holding cell for detained subjects.

“She hasn’t been inside of a whole Police Station,” Twilight stated, “But it’s clear that she holds this place in enough high regard for something important to be here. Look around.”

“Stay close,” Starlight whispered to her coven, “We don’t want to risk alerting the enemy here.”

Trixie nodded, “Gotcha. We’ll follow your lead.”

Carefully exploring the Police Station was hard, due to how many Shadows were around patrolling. There were a few close calls, but they thankfully managed to stay hidden it seemed for the most part. Eventually, they came to a large office like area with a man that Starlight recognized. He was tall, heavy set, and wearing a police uniform complete with cap. He had short blonde hair, sharp dark green eyes, and was currently talking on a radio.

“Look, I don’t care what you have to do, jus’ find Rarity!” the man said, his voice a deep baritone that made Starlight’s heart flutter, “Cinch wants her returned the Prison ASAP!” he hung up and leaned against a wall, “Damn it! I hate takin’ orders from that bitch! Hope AJ’s doin’ alright…” he muttered before walking out of the office.

“Who, was that?” Trixie asked, fanning herself with a full hand of cards.

“That’s Applejack’s older brother, Macintosh,” Pinkie Pie giggled “He’s kind of no nonsense, but he is a looker.”

“See? Moments like this is why I’m bisexual,” Rainbow Dash said blushing, “I like girls, like a lot, but how can I not get wet seeing a man that sexy?”

“I mean, he was alright I suppose,” Twilight denied, “He wasn’t Joker or anything, but I guess he was, okay,” Miss Tia was heard in the distance, followed by Twilight groaning, “Miss Tia, stop…!”

Starlight rolled her eyes smiling, “Let’s explore this office before he gets back. If an apparition is here, there might be something important.”

Since no Shadows were present, everyone scattered around to explore. They were frantic though, as this wasn’t a safe zone at all. Really, no place here was safe.

“Hey! I think I found something!” Pinkie Pie called out from the main desk after a few minutes of searching.

“What did you find?” Starlight asked, she and everyone running over to Pinkie Pie.

“It looks like a case file with Rarity’s name on it,” Pinkie Pie said, “I recognize the date too. It’s the same day as the bank robbery.”

“Sweet!” Rainbow Dash said, “Alright leader, do your Empathy thing on it.”

Trixie looked out the main door, “I don’t think Officer Feel Good’s coming back anytime soon. Let’s go for it.”

Starlight nodded, “Cover me. If he comes back, pick me up and get to someplace safe,” she commanded, taking the case files into her hands. Immediately she felt woozy, and new emotions hitting her. Tension, fear, about this place. Her heart was racing, and she felt like her whole world was coming to an end.

Like, she was never leaving this place…

Living with Determination - Persona 3

Sitting in this room, she felt like her whole world was crashing down. Ultimately, the police made their way into the bank and apprehended all of them. She didn’t hesitate to throw down her gun to surrender, and thankfully the others followed. She didn’t want to go down like this, but it beat getting gunned down.

They failed in their mission. And now, because the system opposed all of them, they were going to juvie. Considering how far things got though, they might get actual prison.

With her wrists cuffed to the table before her, Rarity couldn’t hold back her tears. Her future, her dreams, all tossed out the window. She’d never go to a real school now. She’d never get a real job, a proper education. She’d never leave this life.

She was a dog of the streets, now and forever.

Was it Tirek’s fault? Sadly, not entirely. Sure, he created the scenario, but they still chose to go down this path. But then, what other choice did they have? Without Golden Oaks, they wouldn’t survive for long. Not unless Rarity took on more jobs, or worked overtime at Pleasure 4 All. Really, there just wasn’t enough jobs for kids like them. Hell, she was technically too young for her job.

The only option they had was to just, roll over and die it seemed. That was what Tirek wanted. To get rid of them, not have to worry about giving money to the kids that were forgotten and instead line his own pockets.

And because of that, now here she was. Waiting for someone to come into this dark room, question her about their motives, and then throw her into a cage. As the only female member of the Dogs, she’d be sent to another section solely for girls. She wouldn’t be able to see Rover, Fido, Rex, Spot, Tiny, Oscar, or any of them again. She’d be alone. Away from her gang. Away from her friends.

FUCK! IT’S NOT FAIR!

WHY AM I ALWAYS THE ONE WHO ENDS UP ALONE?!

Just as she began to break down in tears, she heard the door begin to open. She quickly pulled herself together as the officer walked in. He was tall, muscular, wearing a tight black shirt, black jacket, blue jeans, boots, and a golden badge. He had short, dirty blonde hair, green eyes, and a stern disposition. Yet, she sensed a gentleness to him.

He was the officer who arrested her. She remembered him vividly. He led the squad that broke in and caught them.

Remember, they’re the enemy.

The feds don’t give a shit about us.

Only ones we can count on are in the pack. We stand as a pack, and we fall as a pack.

Rarity took a deep breath, remembering Rover’s words. Too many times they were assaulted by the cops in Tirek’s corner. Rarity herself had quite a few stints with them, both on the job and off work. They pretended to be all righteous and uphold the law, but they were just as dirty as she was.

She wouldn’t bend. She wouldn’t break. She was a Diamond Dog now and forever.

“Hello, young lady,” he said, his voice super deep.

Rarity smirked at him, “Tell me, for the Police Calendar, do they just have twelve months of you? If so, I want a copy.”

The officer narrowed his eyes, “Cute.”

“I’m fucking adorable~” Rarity flipped her hair best as she could, “Now, let’s get this outta the way so I can be shown my cage and then get a nap. Had a busy day.”

The officer looked her up and down, and then took the seat before her, “In your gang, they call you Dirty Diamond. What’s a girl like you gotta do to earn that nickname?”

“Everything and more,” Rarity purred, leaning forward to show her tits to the officer, “Let me guess, you want a demonstration, right?”

He leaned back blinking, “Um, excuse me?”

“I know what happens next. You see a sexy teenager wearing next to nothing, your dick’s hard and dry, and you want to change that. Hoping to take advantage of the goth bitch in black leather?”

The officer frowned, “You, think I want to have sex with you?”

“Well why wouldn’t you?” Rarity asked licking her lips, “I know you boys talk about me in the office. The wild teen with purple and white hair, can take 15 to 20 dicks in a row, back to back before gettin’ tired,” her dark smirk hid how much her heart was racing, and how much she wanted to cry right now, “I am a screamer, you know~”

She knew his type. Cops like him always took advantage of their position and power to do what they pleased. She wasn’t a person to him. She was an animal. Nothing more, nothing less. He wasn’t wrong, but still.

Just get it over with.

I know what I am and what I’m good for, so just do it already.

Oddly, he just stared at her wide eyed, “Holy fuck, you’re serious.”

“Course I am. I’ve been here before. I know what my choices are. Either I sell out my pack, or I bend over, right? Well, I’ll make it easier for you,” she got up, and best as she could, leaned over the desk and closed her eyes smiling, “Go on. Have at it. Pussy, ass, whichever hole you want. Fuck, I might even suck you off.”

The man coughed loudly, “Miss, you can sit down. No offense, but I’m not interested in jail bait.”

Rarity opened one eye, raising an eyebrow, “Jail bait? Never been called that before. Not sure how I feel about it, being quite honest.”

“You’re like what, fifteen? I’m in my twenties. There’s nothing legal about that, and in case you didn’t notice, I’m a cop.”

“Didn’t stop any cops in the past,” Rarity said in a low voice, narrowing her eyes at the officer before her, “And like I said, I ain’t sellin’ out my gang. So you might as well just stick it in, because that’s all you’re gettin’.”

The officer took a deep breath, “I already know why you robbed that bank. You and your gang? You’re all orphans raised by the Golden Oaks Child Center, right?”

Rarity sat up a bit, blinking, “How do you know that?”

“I did my research, that’s how,” he continued, “And I know what’s going to happen to that center. What, were you planning to steal the money to keep it from getting shut down? You know that wouldn’t have worked, right? Even if you somehow succeeded, you’d only keep it afloat for maybe a month at best.”

Rarity’s heart plummeted at that. She did the math. She knew it was a lost cause. But still, they had to try and do something, right?

“I get it, you know? It ain’t right,” the officer continued, “Knowin' that center, you and your crew were benefitin' from them. Also, any kids that end up in need of care now, will be left alone in the system now. You felt backed into a corner, and took immediate action.”

“We were backed into a corner!” Rarity shouted, “Tirek stole from the Center first! All we wanted was to-” she caught herself and laughed, “Oooooh, that was clever~ You almost had me going there.”

“Miss, I don’t have any ulterior motives here,” the officer said, “I’m actually here for you.”

“For me?” Rarity sat back down, “Why? You don’t know anything about me, save for where I come from. You don’t get anything for helping me.”

“You’re right, I don’t know much about you. But I do know your real name is Rarity Stark,” he reached into his pocket, “See, I’m actually here on behalf of someone.”

“Who?”

“My grandmother.”

He pulled out his wallet, and showed three pictures. Rarity recognized these people. The little girl who was having the panic attack. The old lady who had her inhaler and called her a “sweet girl”. The blonde girl who’s name still echoed in Rarity’s mind and made her heart soar.

“Who, are…”

“The older lady in this picture is my grandmother, Honey Crisp. We call her Granny Smith. The two girls are my sisters. The red head is Apple Bloom, and the blonde is-”

“Applejack…” she said before he could, her eyes glued to her picture. This man. He was related to them? To, her?

“You remember. Good,” the officer closed his eyes, “My name is Macintosh Scarlet, and I’m here to make you an offer.”

“An, offer?” Rarity asked slowly.

“You got a good heart, you just got dealt a bad hand. Now, with what your gang did, Tirek’s gonna want you're gang to burn,” Macintosh leaned in, “He’ll push for tryin' you kids as adults, and you’re records will be tarnished for life. Even when you get out, you ain’t gonna have hope for a future.”

Rarity looked down and bit her lip. She knew it. This was the end for her.

“But, he doesn’t know your faces yet, an’ none of this has hit the higher ups,” Macintosh continued, “I can make sure that your gang only gets a few years in juvie. They’ll be out and free within a few years, and might even be able to make somethin’ of themselves if they’re willin’.”

“What’s the catch?” Rarity asked.

“The catch, is you’d have to come with me,” Macintosh said, pulling out some papers and setting them on the table, “Granny Smith’s willin’ to take you in as a foster kid. You’d have to go to high school, but, you’d have a roof over your head, either our place or the dorms. Either way, we’d pay for your tuition.”

Rarity frowned at him. This, seemed way too good to be true. This was, a way out of this life? Somehow, she fell into a chance to be, more than a dog of the streets? No no no, there had to be a downside to this. Things like this didn’t happen to kids like her.

“Only thing is, you’d have to go clean,” he continued, “Leave your gang, and learn how to live a normal, honest life.”

“You’re askin’ a lot of me,” Rarity said with narrowed eyes, barring her teeth, “That gang? They’re my family. We’ve been together since the beginning.”

“And if you want, you can stay with your gang,” he closed his eyes, “In that you’ll all go down together, locked up and at the mercy of a system that’s long since given up on you.”

Rarity growled/whimpered at that. She hated that he was right.

“Alternatively, you can sign these papers, and live with my family,” he pushed the papers closer to her, “I’ll make sure that your gang is taken care of, and you can get a second chance.”

“You’re pullin’ a lotta strings for a filthy stray, you know?” Rarity pointed out, “Won’t I still have a criminal record? Even if I sign this paper?”

“Like I said, none of this has gone public yet,” Macintosh answered. Rarity’s eyes widened as she realized what he was saying. Her involvement in this, it wouldn’t be on record. This, would be a fresh start. A chance, to make all of her dreams come true. A chance to be someone. All she’d have to do though…

Is sign her name on this paper, and turn her back on her gang…

If Rover were given the same offer, he’d turn it down. There was no way he’d turn his back on the Diamond Dogs. Not for a chance at a better life. Honestly, she was sure that all of them would tell him to shove it. This offer was too good to be true, and people didn’t care about them. They were just strays, abandoned by the system.

But, what if he was serious? What if, he meant what he said?

She’d be abandoning her gang…

But she’d have a better life…

Either way, she’d be torn away from them. At least this way… she wouldn’t be alone. She’d have… her.

Applejack…

“You serious about this?” Rarity asked softly, “This ain't a trick?”

“No trick,” Macintosh shook his head, “Sign that paper, and your new life begins.”

“Uncuff me,” Rarity requested, “I wanna read this paper thoroughly before I sign anything.”

Macintosh got up and did as requested, uncuffing Rarity from the table. After flexing her wrists, she picked up the paper and red it over. It was a pretty straight forward contract, stating that she was of her own free will, signing herself over to the custody of the Scarlet Family. Reading it over a few times, she deduced there wasn’t any fine print or hidden clauses.

He was telling the truth. Signing this paper, she’d be free. She’d have a chance to get everything she ever wanted from this. She’d never have to fuck the owner of a store just to eat again. She’d never have to spread her legs for men who wanted to have fun with an under aged girl ever again. She’d go to school. She’d have a real life. Sure, she’d be turning her back on the Dogs, but they’d be alright. At least if she signed this paper, they’d be out in just a few years.

“Alright, fine,” Rarity said after a bit, “Gimme a pen. I’ll sign it.” Macintosh released a breath and handed her a pen from his pocket. She took it, and placed her pen on the paper before looking at him, “Just know, I ain’t gonna be tamed. By you or anyone.”

“So long as you behave yourself, and make an attempt at self improvement, we won’t have any issues.”

“You realize this also means I ain’t suckin’ your cock now, right?”

Macintosh gave her a dry look, “I don’t want you to suck it. Again, I don’t fuck jail bait.”

“Whatever you say,” she rolled her eyes, and signed her name. Her new life with the Scarlet Family, had begun. She just prayed she didn’t come to regret this decision…

Scraper Sky High - Under Night In-Birth

Starlight slowly opened her eyes, thankfully still in the office, her head resting on Trixie’s lap. The emotions of sadness still lingered, even as she came to.

“Hey, she’s waking up,” Trixie said, everyone running over to Starlight as she sat up.

“Are you okay, Starlight?” Pinkie Pie asked, “You look like you’re about to cry.”

“I, know why she left the Diamond Dogs,” Starlight said softly, “And why she’s living with the Scarlets now.”

“Don’t keep us in the dark,” Rainbow Dash said, “What happened?”

“It was, because she protect Granny Smith, Applejack, and Apple Bloom in the bank,” Starlight said, “Granny Smith, I think asked Macintosh to help her as thanks, so she signed a deal with him. They become her foster family and goes clean, and the rest of her gang don’t get the full sentence that Tirek would have pushed for.”

“Knowing that ass wipe, he’d push for prison instead of juvie,” Rainbow Dash narrowed her eyes, “After all, they did go after his bank, and in his mind, they were probably just filthy dogs from the street anyway.”

“The messed up part is, he’d have grounds to do just that,” Twilight chimed in.

“But, they were only fifteen at the time,” Pinkie Pie said.

“Yeah, but they still broke into a bank with machine guns, and still held everyone inside hostage,” Twilight pointed out, “Looking at this new information, according to the law, Rarity and her gang are felons. Regardless of motivation, they committed a serious crime.”

“Hey Twi-Twi, if word got out about this plea deal that Rarity took, would that affect the Scarlets too?” Trixie asked.

“If they’re actively covering up the truth about the incident, absolutely,” Twilight answered, “Bottom line, regardless of how we or anyone feels about it, the law states that they were supposed to get a much harsher punishment than they did. At this point, even a small misstep could land her in serious trouble.”

“How so?” Pinkie Pie asked, all of them beginning to make their way toward the vent they used as entry.

“Well, let’s say Rarity did something disruptive in the school, and the higher ups besides Cinch don’t know about Rarity's past. If they investigate Rarity too much, they’ll find out about that plea deal. They could then investigate that, put two and two together, and realize that she’s been walking around free for three whole years when she should have gone to prison.”

“But Cinch is an accomplice in this,” Starlight pointed out, “Won’t she go down too?”

“Unless she can spin it in a way where she doesn’t get in too much trouble. Either way she would be under fire for that if it were the case but, who's word would they listen to more? The Principal of the school that she disrupted, or the family that knowingly harbored a felon in their home?”

“You think that’s what Cinch is using to control Rarity?” Rainbow Dash asked, “Think she did something that got her in a whole mess of trouble, and Cinch is essentially punishing her for it.”

“That, would make sense, actually,” Starlight said, “Applejack’s apparition did mention that Rarity did something to blow her cover as a human.”

“Right! In this world, Rarity’s a dire wolf who’s trying to be human!” Trixie remembered.

Starlight nodded, “And Applejack mentioned that something happened, and the Warden decided to take more control of the prison.”

“Girls! That’s the final entry!” Pinkie Pie realized, “If we can find out what Rarity did, we can figure out how Cinch took control of the Dungeon!”

“But would that be the final entry though?” Twilight asked, “Sure, we know that’s probably how Cinch took control, but what about Rover? Remember, we have two Dungeon Masters to worry about here.”

Pinkie Pie sighed, “True…”

“Finding out what Rover wants could be relatively easy,” Starlight said, “We just need to ask him.”

“Whoa whoa!” Rainbow Dash cried, “You sure that’s a good idea, Leader?”

“Yeah, I’m with Dash on this one,” Trixie asked, “That’s not an apparition! That’s his actual Shadow!”

“He wants to help Rarity,” Starlight said, “He thinks that whatever he’s doing is helping Rarity. Ultimately when it comes to that Shadow, we all want the same thing.”

Trixie pursed her lips, “What if you’re wrong, though? What if that was just an excuse to defend himself?”

“The Shadow voice what’s really in the heart of the person,” Starlight said, “Remember, Blueblood’s Shadow told us exactly how he really felt about you, and Fleur’s did the same for Pinkie Pie. If we can talk to him, we might be able to convince him to stand down. Then we only have one Shadow to worry about in terms of saving Rarity.”

Trixie took a breath, “It’s risky. Very risky, but… alright. I’ll follow your lead.”

“Same,” Rainbow Dash said, Pinkie Pie nodding beside her, “You’ve had the most run ins with him in the real world, so you’d be the best judge of who he really is.”

“Not like we have a better idea at the moment,” Twilight said, “Alright, let’s track down the Diamond Dog’s HQ.”

Taking the vent the opposite direction, they left the Police Station to continue their search through the Dungeon. Starlight tried to remember where the way to the Diamond Dog HQ was. Sadly, the only clue she had was that it was in an alleyway.

Searching for said alleyway though, they did spot a certain part of the city though that was blocked off. This place had a much different vibe to it than the rest of it, and most of the shops here looked fleshed out.

“What the hell is this place?” Rainbow Dash asked.

“The shops here are all fleshed out,” Twilight’s wisp looked around, “It’s like she practically lives here.”

Trixie looked at one shop, and her eyes widened. She then pulled her hat over her eyes, “I, know where we are.” she pointed to the shop’s sign.

Sinful Allure. If Starlight was looking at it properly, it was a kink based clothing store.

“This, is the Red Light District,” Starlight said softly.

“Ooooooh, we’re not supposed to be here…” Pinkie Pie muttered fearfully, “None of these shops are for kids…”

“Considering the nature of the Dungeon, I think it’s okay this time,” Twilight said, “But, this IS pretty telling in terms of what’s fleshed out here and what isn’t.”

It wasn’t the Diamond Dog HQ, but they might learn something about Rarity’s psyche here. Carefully exploring to avoid any Shadows walking around, they spotted a couple of shops of various purposes. An 18+ BDSM club, a strip club, and one shop in particular that really caught Starlight’s attention.

Suspicion - Persona 5

“Pleasures 4 All?” Trixie asked, “Wonder what this place is.”

“Whatever it is, it’s pretty fleshed out,” Twilight said, “I can see it pretty clearly from here.”

“Well, let’s go inside,” Rainbow Dash suggested, “I mean, it ain’t the Diamond Dog HQ, but we’ll probably find something in here, right?”

Starlight nodded in agreement to this. It was awkward, but they could find something here for sure.

The shop interior was odd. There was a counter near the door with a placeholder apparition behind it, and a long hallway like a theater with multiple posters on display, booths that showed female Shadows and some apparitions doing various sex acts behind glass windows, and it looked like there were a few theaters for larger performances as well.

“What, kind of shop is this…?” Trixie asked slowly.

“It, looks like a movie theater, kinda,” Twilight said, “But, I don’t think movies are featured here…”

“I, think I’ve heard of these shops. Pretty rare though,” Rainbow Dash looked around, “They’re like, voyeur shops. You can watch people have sex in various settings for a price, and I think even participate in them yourself.”

“How do you know this…?” Twilight asked, her wisp turning to Rainbow Dash.

“Saw it in a movie once,” Rainbow Dash shrugged, "No shame in admitting that I watch porn and shit."

Pinkie Pie walked around a bit, and stopped on a poster. She looked up and gasped, “R-Rarity?!”

Everyone flocked around Pinkie Pie and looked up at the poster. On the poster was indeed Rarity. She was wearing the gothic make up, her bangs were white, but beyond a spiked collar around her neck and black boots, she was completely naked. Her wrists were chained to the ceiling, her ankles were chained to the floor keeping her legs spread apart. Surrounded by burning candles, whips, riding crops, and various dildos of different size and shape, she looked to be writhing in pain or pleasure, a look of ecstasy on her face.

The caption at the top red “Torture Whore”. Beneath her were added pictures too, such as one of Rarity having red candle wax splattered on her, censoring parts of her, one with whip marks on her ass and back, and one with a close up of her collar being pulled by a leash as someone took her anally with a spiked dildo!

“Oh, my, God,” Twilight said shakily.

“The detail on this poster…” Trixie said softly, “Girls, is this real…?”

“It, might be somewhat altered by her subconscious, but it stands to reason that yes, this is definitely something that exists in the real world.”

“Twilight, I’d like you to do a search,” Celestia requested, standing beside Twilight at the terminal, “See if there’s a shop with the same name in South Street. If it exists, try to hack into their employee records.”

“Understood,” Twilight said, “Everyone, I’m disconnecting from the Remote Viewing system for a bit. Miss Tia needs me to do a search for something.”

“What about us?” Rainbow Dash asked, “Want us to get some more info?”

“Absolutely,” Celestia said, speaking into Twilight’s microphone, “Though it’s a bit disturbing to look at I imagine, this could give us better insight into what sort of things she’s had to do in order to survive.”

“Alright,” Starlight nodded, “We’ll keep looking.”

Scraper Sky High - Under Night In-Birth

With this, Starlight and co. spread out inside the shop to explore. Starlight noticed that something about how Rarity looked in the poster just didn’t look right. She couldn’t really put it to words though, so she figured she might as well look around some more.

Rainbow Dash was in front of two posters to the left of the one they just checked out. Though she felt it was kind of awkward looking at the graphic nature of the posters, Starlight walked over to Rainbow Dash to get her input on them.

“I think these were the first shows she did here,” Rainbow Dash said, “They look like they were pretty close to one another, and the posters look older than the others.”

Starlight looked up at them. The first poster featured the caption “Slave to your wish!” The main pic showed Rarity strapped to what appeared to be a bench or seat of some kind, held firmly by her wrists and ankles with her legs spread out. There was a rotary machine beneath her with dildos of various sizes. The pictures underneath showed her being used by dildos of various sizes, and one of her tits being “milked” brutally by a machine. Though it looked painful, Rarity’s head was thrown back in pure ecstasy.

The second poster had the caption “By the end, your mouth won’t be the only thing gaping!” On the poster was Rarity laying on her back, someone’s fists in her pussy along with what appeared to be a massive horse cock in her ass. The pictures underneath it were very telling too. Multiples of her being fisted in either her pussy or ass, her being taken by a truly massive cock, and even one of her deep throating someone with a huge dick. Though Rarity seemed to be having a rough time in the picture, her expression seemed to denote pleasure.

“For her first shows, they look brutal,” Starlight muttered.

“I know, right? Especially that second one with the fisting. Like, that does not look fun.”

Starlight walked over to the poster of her being fisted, and placed her hand on it.

AH! Oooooh! Oh it hurts…! It hurts so much…!

More…! Keep going…!

I…! I’m so…! So close…!

Starlight gasped and pulled her hand back.

“You okay, Leader?” Rainbow Dash asked Starlight, who explained the intense yet odd emotions she got from it, “Weird. It was painful but, she wanted it to keep going? Maybe she’s just a masochist.”

Starlight shook her head, “It was different than that. There wasn’t any enjoyment in it at all. Only desperation and, relief,” she took a deep breath and bit her lip. Her heart was racing somewhat. That, was the first time she felt anything like that afterward.

“I’ll check on the others,” Starlight said to Rainbow Dash, eager to be on the move. She didn’t think she needed to worry about that, but she felt like she needed to be extra careful.

She walked over to Trixie next, who was speaking to one of the apparitions there. Said apparition had a basic design, and her eyes were covered with her hair, suggesting she was just there to look like an actual person, and run the shop.

“Thanks for the information,” Trixie said, the apparition bowing before walking off, “Well that’s telling.”

“What’d you find out?” Starlight asked.

“Seems Rarity’s a pretty well known and beloved attraction here,” Trixie said turning to Starlight, “Though here, they don’t know her as Rarity.”

“Let me guess. Dirty Diamond?” Starlight asked.

“Got it in one,” Trixie turned to the posters closest to them, “And looking at some of these, I can see exactly what earned her that handle.”

Starlight looked up, and was floored by just how graphic these were. The first one to their left had the caption “How Many Can She Hold?!” She was on her hands and knees, wrists shackled together, and about 7 or 8 men behind her, cocks out and fully erect. The pictures beneath it showed Rarity getting taken in various positions, most if not all of them showing her being taken by multiples in the same hole.

The next one, captioned “Trussed and Stuffed”, seemed to be bondage themed. In this one, she was tied up and suspended from the ceiling, legs spread and her cunt dripping. Her whole body was bound in red ropes, and they looked really tight. The pictures beneath showed her being bound vertically while suspended, one with her wrists and one ankle tied to the ceiling while her the one handling her took her pussy, one her sucking someone off while bound to the floor, and one where she was hanging in a horizontal position being spit roasted.

The final one however, made Starlight really surprised. The title was “Bitch in Heat”. In it, Rarity was on all fours wearing a purple dog collar, surrounded by five large dogs, and if Starlight was seeing it correctly, a horse too! The pictures at the bottom showed her pleasing the dogs in various ways, from sucking them off, taking them inside of her, giving them hand jobs, etc. The one with the horse even showed her absolutely coated in semen from the horse’s cock.

In all of these, Rarity looked desperate, like she was enjoying herself, but again, something about these pictures just, didn’t feel right to Starlight. Like she wasn’t seeing the whole picture, or like something in these was off.

“Do these look, off to you?” Starlight asked Trixie.

“In what way?”

“I don’t know. It’s just, looking at these, beyond just how graphic they are, something about them just feels, strange. Like they’re distorted in some way.”

Trixie looked at the posters again and frowned, “Hey yeah, I think I see what you mean. I don’t know how to word it, but something about these DOES look odd.”

Once again, Starlight walked over to one of the posters and placed her hand on it.

Hah… Mmmmm…!

Help me…! Please help me…!

I… I can’t control myself…!

Starlight pulled back suddenly, her heart racing. She held a hand to her head, panting heavily with her tongue hanging out a bit.

“Hey, you okay Starlight?” Trixie asked slowly, placing a hand on her shoulder.

“I, I don’t know,” Starlight admitted to Trixie, “But, I felt the emotions from these posters, and she feels, afraid. She’s aroused, trying to get off, but there’s this fear and sadness mixed in. Like, she’s losing herself.”

Trixie frowned at the posters, “Think she was doing this against her will?”

“That’s the thing, I don’t,” Starlight shook her head, “But I got this sense she couldn’t stop. Like, she wanted to, but couldn’t.”

“Maybe then, it’s her nymphomania,” Trixie suggested, “Think that’s what this place represents?”

“On some level,” Starlight nodded, “But then again, this whole place seems focused on that in a way, so I don’t know.”

“I’ll ask around a bit more,” Trixie offered, “Just, try not to push yourself, Starlight. Your empathy is useful, but it could also be dangerous.”

This was true. She was sharing in people’s emotions after all. Rarity’s emotions were more intense, so maybe some of that was rubbing off on her?

Starlight promised Trixie she’d be careful before going to check on Pinkie Pie. She was looking at something on one of the last posters, leaning in a way that right now, was doing very odd things to Starlight’s mind. The poster itself had the caption “Lucky Viewers for your Pleasure”, and featured multiple images of Rarity in various positions with a look of pure longing. In the pictures beneath, Starlight saw Rarity in various humiliating positions, being used in various ways and clearly enjoying herself in the pictures.

Starlight wondered if her emotions would agree with her expression though.

“Pinkie Pie, what are you doing?” Starlight asked, a bit embarrassed by how she was positioned. Her skirt was so short as a Witch.

“Looking at the date on this poster,” Pinkie Pie answered rising up, “They’re saying that the date’s accurate, but that doesn’t make sense. This was taken four years ago.”

Starlight frowned and looked at the date, her eyes widening. The date was September 5th, 2015!

She then looked back up at the poster, realization hitting her. That’s why the posters looked off to her. This was clearly Rarity, around the age they knew her, either 18 or 19. But she was wearing the Dirty Diamond makeup and hair.

“The age…” Starlight said softly, “It’s, wrong.”

“That’s what I’m thinking too,” Pinkie Pie said, “If this was taken in 2015, she’d be around 14 or so.”

“But this Rarity looks more like an adult,” Starlight said, “Or at least 18,” she walked over to the poster and placed her hand on it like the others.

Don’t… stop…!

Please keep going! Please…!

Please…

Starlight pulled away again, holding her head as she held back the urge to sob, while at the same time touch herself lewdly.

“Starlight!” Pinkie Pie cried, “Dashie, Trixie, Starlight’s in trouble!”

“What’s wrong?” Trixie asked immediately, she and Dash running over to them.

“Rarity’s, nymphomania, it’s… AH!” Starlight cried, falling to one knee.

Trixie knelt beside her and turned to everyone, “Let’s get her out of here,” Trixie stated. With their help, she managed to get out of the shop and into another alleyway. There, they found some steps to sit on to rest. Starlight used this time to ground herself with some breathing techniques.

Suspicion - Persona 5

“Feeling better?” Pinkie Pie asked.

“A bit,” Starlight said, “But I’m probably going to wear something a bit skimpier to school. Warning everyone in advanced.”

“What happened in there, anyway?” Rainbow Dash asked, “You’ve examined other emotions before, and they never did anything like that.”

“True, but that’s in the Real World. There I have a buffer,” Starlight said, “Here, it’s hitting me directly.”

Trixie sighed rubbing Starlight’s back, “Geez. Why were you searching the poster’s like that in the first place?”

“I was trying to understand Rarity’s internal struggle,” Starlight said, “If we’re going to free her from this Dungeon, we need all the information we can get, and we’re running out of time.”

Trixie huffed, “Okay fair. So, did you learn anything?”

Starlight nodded, “Rarity’s nymphomania isn’t some minor issue. At her worst, she can’t control herself. It felt like, she was torn between feeling immense arousal and pleasure, and being in pain.”

“She was probably using that job as a place to process and deal with her issues,” Twilight said, her wisp appearing again.

“Hey Mission Control,” Rainbow Dash waved to the wisp, “Sure took your time.”

“After looking into the thing for Miss Tia, I checked for a few more keywords in the Akashic Records,” Twilight said, “Luckily Diamond Tiara was walking around in the library. She says hi by the way, Starlight.”

Starlight chuckled at that. It felt nice having Diamond in the know about things.

“So first off, the employee records. Nothing in their current year’s list, however, in 2015, one name did pop up that you’ll recognize.”

“Rarity Stark?” Trixie asked, the wisp nodding.

“Even better, her stage name was Dirty Diamond.”

“Bet that’s where that nickname came from,” Rainbow Dash said, “That or its related in some way.”

“I’m thinking it’s the latter,” Twilight said, “I looked through some of her akashic records, now that I’m beginning to make headway there, and I got the impression that the stage name was a carry over from the Diamond Dogs.”

“How do you figure that?” Rainbow Dash asked.

“One of the entries said something to the effect of ‘well, everyone in my life knows that name anyway’, and other lines referring to this ‘being nothing new for her’.”

Trixie narrowed her eyes looking away, “I bet Rover made her take that job.”

“Actually, that’s where things get interesting,” Twilight said, “Because apparently, Rover was worried about her taking that job.”

Hang on, what?! Rover, didn’t want her to do that?

“He was worried?” Rainbow Dash asked.

“One of the entries mentioned that he’d always wait up for her when she got off work, and would walk her back to their place. Afterward, he’d get her cleaned up if she needed, and just cuddle with her while she rested.”

“You gotta be kidding…” Trixie blinked in disbelief.

“So, Rover isn’t trying to hurt Rarity?” Pinkie Pie asked.

“Far as I can tell, no,” Twilight said, “There’s clearly some odd energy between them now. Like, the love is still there, but there’s also a lot of frustration and a sense that Rarity betrayed him. But beyond that, it wouldn’t make sense for Rover have any desire to hurt Rarity.”

“You did research?” Starlight asked, noticing how sure Twilight was all of a sudden.

The wisp nodded vigorously, “I got curious and looked up info on Rover in Rarity’s akashic records, and he takes up a large portion of them. About as much as Applejack if not more. Apparently, they became friends in the Center, and once Rarity’s nymphomania became an issue, she gave her virginity to him. Saying she wanted her first time to be with someone she loved and trusted.”

“So if that’s the case, then why is his Shadow hurting her now?” Trixie asked.

“Simple,” Rainbow Dash said, “He isn’t. Or at least, he’s not trying to be malicious.”

Trixie sighed, “You too, huh?”

“Look, I get it. The guy’s sketchy as fuck. But I remember the other night. He was genuinely concerned when I struck her, and he claimed that what he was doing was for her benefit. Maybe this is what he means. Didn’t his Shadow mention that she’s in heat constantly?”

Pinkie Pie nodded, “He did! I remember him referencing that, and even saying that if my cousin’s family found out, they’d throw her away!”

Rainbow Dash nodded, “He isn’t actually trying to hurt Rarity at all. I bet if he were to find out about all of this, he’d feel like shit.”

“I just, I dunno,” Trixie muttered, “Rover just sets me off.”

“Trixie, are you comparing Rover to Blueblood?” Twilight asked, “Because no offense, but you seem really against him.”

Trixie wanted to say something, but then turned away, “I, I don’t know, okay? Maybe? I’m just, worried he’s trying to take advantage of her nymphomania.”

“Then we need to keep searching for the Diamond Dog HQ to question him directly,” Twilight suggested, “Wish I knew where it was, but this Dungeon’s so confusing I can’t get a good map of the place…”

“That’s okay,” Pinkie Pie said shakily, pointing ahead, “I think I found it.”

They looked ahead and saw what looked like a fortress in the alleyway. There were two strong looking Shadows standing guard, and an iron gate barring entry. The giveaway of where this place was, was the Diamond Dog insignia of three blue diamonds on the front gate in blue neon lights. It didn’t look too big, but it did look impenetrable.

Approaching it a bit, they could see that it was most definitely impenetrable.

“Okay, that’s scary as fuck,” Rainbow Dash said tensely.

“How the hell are we getting inside there?” Trixie asked shakily.

“I, don’t think we are,” Twilight said, “I’m scanning for a way inside, and I don’t see any secret passages close by, no windows being unguarded.”

“It makes sense that Rarity would think that place is untouchable,” Starlight said.

“I hate to say it, but you’re right,” Twilight said softly, “Rarity believes that is the one place no one can get to her.”

“But look at it!” Pinkie Pie cried, “That place is too fleshed out! There has to be a way inside! What if the final entry is in there?!”

“I can almost guarantee that it is, looking at everything else thus far,” Twilight groaned, “I can search for an alternative way inside, but keep in mind we don’t have a lot of time, and I still need about a day to compile the final entry into something cohesive.”

“How long would it take to find another way inside?” Starlight asked Twilight.

“I don’t know, depending on how tight security is, a couple of days.”

“We don’t have a couple of days,” Rainbow Dash pointed out, “We need to get into that fortress at least by tomorrow.”

“What if, we changed Rarity’s perspective of the place?” Pinkie Pie asked, “She thinks no one can get inside, right?”

“That’s right,” Starlight confirmed.

“So we just need to prove her wrong, by getting inside in the Real World,” Pinkie Pie suggested.

“That’s, super risky,” Trixie said tensely, “They’re a gang, remember.”

“And they did already commit armed robbery at least once,” Twilight pointed out, “With machine guns, I might add.”

“But, I can’t think of any other way to do this in a day,” Pinkie Pie said, “If we’re going to rescue Rarity, we need to get inside that fortress.”

“Miss Tia, what do you think?” Twilight said. Shuffling was heard briefly as the microphone adjusted.

“Under normal circumstances, I’d be firmly against this,” Celestia said, “But Pinkie Pie is right that this is the fastest approach, and we ARE running out of time. One of you have to either get into the Diamond Dog HQ, or at least get an invitation.”

“And Rarity would have to know about it,” Starlight looked down, her heart racing. She knew exactly what she had to do then.

“So, who’s going in?” Trixie asked.

“I am,” Starlight said. Trixie turned to her wide eyed.

“Um, no the fuck you’re not!” Trixie cried, “Those guys almost assaulted you last time you went into that alleyway!”

“But Rover knows me best,” Starlight argued, “And if Rarity doesn’t see me enter it, he’d at least tell Rarity that I was there. Trixie, I’m terrified too, but if we’re going to rescue Rarity from her Dungeon, this is the easiest way to do it.”

Trixie closed her eyes tightly, “I hate this, you know. I really hate this.”

“I know,” Starlight sighed looking down, “I hate it too. But, I want to trust that Rover’s a good person, and that he wouldn’t actually let any harm come to me.”

“One of us has to go with you, then,” Rainbow Dash said firmly, “There’s no other way this is happening.”

“I’m sorry Starlight, but I have to agree with Rainbow Dash on this,” Celestia said, “If you’re intent on doing this, I insist you bring someone along with you.”

“Then, I’ll go,” Trixie said, “I’m her girlfriend, so I have more of an excuse.”

Starlight sighed and hugged Trixie tightly, “Thank you, Trixie.”

“You’re, welcome,” Trixie said, “I just pray that you’re right about Rover.”

Starlight prayed she was right too. If she was wrong, then she was walking into the lion’s den here. But, the only alternative at this point was to leave Rarity to die, and she wasn’t going to do that.

By tomorrow, she had to be inside the Diamond Dog HQ.

Author's Note

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11/6

November 6th, 2019
Tuesday
Cloudy

Daytime

School Days - Persona

Since they didn’t do as much fighting last night and were able to get some rest time in the Library, Starlight didn’t feel as worn out this time around. No, the worst thing she was dealing with was the lingering effects of her connecting with Rarity’s nymphomania.

Wearing her sexier ensemble from Lady Love did help a bit, as she enjoyed the attention, and even found herself flirting right back a bit. She had to catch herself a few times, though, as she could tell she was getting a bit too into it at places.

She really needed to talk to someone about a way of purging this. Maybe Igor or Victor could help? She could use this as an excuse to see Victor.

Oh Victor~

I bet he could be a great help in dealing wi-

She caught herself again, as she could NOT space out in the middle of class. Trixie reached over to take her hand, gently squeezing it. Starlight assured Trixie that she was okay.

“Well, if you’re sure,” Trixie said, visibly uncertain. For now they left it at that, and Starlight continued to listen to the lecture in class. She felt significantly more intelligent after listening in class.

end song

After school

After getting her things from her locker, Starlight met up with Trixie at the front entrance to the school.

“I seriously hope you know what you’re doing,” Trixie said as the left the school building, “For that matter, how are we going to pull this off?”

“I’ve been wracking my brain trying to figure that out,” Starlight admitted, folding her arms under her bosom and intentionally pushing them up, “We need to do it in a way where Rarity knows we can get into the Diamond Dog HQ.”

Trixie blushed a bit at that, “And she seems pretty against you getting anywhere near that place. I keep hoping there’s a way to do this without us directly-” she stopped and looked ahead at the school gate, “Shit.”

Starlight looked herself, and immediately her heart leaped out of her chest. It was Blueblood. He still had a pretty nice looking bruise on his face, was flanked by two boys from the football team, and he did not look happy.

Troubled - Persona 3

He was also glaring right at them.

Starlight reacted immediately, stepping in front of Trixie and subtly pushing her behind her, glaring at Blueblood as he pushed off the gate and walked over to them.

“Oh no, it’s not Beatrix I’m after this time,” Blueblood seethed.

“You know, hearing that doesn’t make me feel much better,” Trixie said, this time moving to stand beside Starlight and meeting Blueblood’s glare, “What do you want with Starlight?”

“I want an explanation,” Blueblood said, pulling out his phone again, “See, I asked around, and seems someone saw your prismatic haired friend turn in my phone with a smirk on her face.”

“Probably saw what happened to it and thought it was funny,” Starlight answered with a smirk, “Considering what was on it, it’s hilarious to me.”

“You would say that,” he turned his nose to the air, “See, Rainbow isn’t in school today, so I can’t confront her. But I can confront her leader.”

“What are you talking abou-” Blueblood grabbed Starlight’s hand and held it up, emphasizing her Channeling Ring.

“Hey! Let her go you-” the other boys from the football team held Trixie back, preventing her from jumping in, “What the fuck?! Out of my way assholes!”

“Stay out of this!” he snapped at Trixie before turning back to Starlight, “Don’t think I didn’t notice. You’ve been wearing this since the day you came to this school.”

“What does that have to do with anything?!” Starlight asked, trying to pull her wrist free from Blueblood’s grip.

“Kinda funny that Beatrix started wearing one around the time she began hanging out with you, along with Pinkie Pie and Rainbow Dash.” he narrowed his eyes, “You did something to my phone, didn’t you? That or you ordered Rainbow Dash to do something to it!”

“Let, me go!” Starlight demanded.

“Maybe what you need is to be taught a personal lesson,” Blueblood said dangerously, “Bet that’d get you talking.”

“H-hey Blueblood, I don’t think she knows anything,” one of the boys holding Trixie back said.

“Yeah man, maybe we should just back off. You can get a new phone pretty easily from your-”

“Shut up!” Blueblood snapped at his two “friends”, “It’s not about the phone, it’s about what’s in it! I need it, and I’m not going to rest until this bitch undoes what Rainbow Bright did to it!”

“If you do anything to her, I swear to God, I’ll make your life a living hell!” Trixie shouted, trying to push past the boys holding her back, “HEY!!! SOMEONE COME QUICK!!!”

“Shut her up!” Blueblood ordered his friends.

“Dude, it’s just a phone! You’re taking this way too-”

“I SAID SHUT HER UP!” Blueblood demanded, his eyes going manic. For the first time, Starlight was seriously afraid for her life in front of Blueblood. He looked like he might actually-

Sunset Bridge - Persona 5

A loud whistle caught everyone’s attention, “And just what the fuck is going on here?” Rover called out, two other Diamond Dogs beside him along with his husky Link by his side. In his hand was a long wooden pole, significantly thick too. Seeing him, Starlight’s heart raced a bit.

Rover walked into the school courtyard over to Blueblood, prompting him to do the smart thing and release Starlight, turning to face the gang leader, “What are you doing here? These are school grounds, you know?”

“Yeah, I know,” he looked around, “Pretty swanky school grounds, too,” he looked to Starlight, “You alright?”

“My wrist hurts a bit, but I’ll live,” Starlight said nursing said wrist. Whatever was about to happen next, she was going to enjoy every second of it.

Rover’s narrowed his eyes before giving Blueblood his full attention, “You know, I think I’ve seen you before,” he snapped his fingers, “Right. You’re the guy who won that game against Crystal Prep a few weeks back. Tirek’s kid, right?”

“That’s right, I’m his son,” Blueblood said carefully, “Why?”

Starlight blinked at that. Tirek was Blueblood’s father?

“Just makin’ sure I was right. I know your dad, pretty well actually,” Rover began twirling the stick around, surprisingly professional looking, “Bet playing sports, you gotta be careful of injury. Ever heard of a spiral fracture?”

“Can’t, say that I, have,” Blueblood realized that the two other Diamond Dogs were now standing behind him, and the husky was circling him and his friends. Starlight and Trixie backed away to give them more space.

“That’s a nasty one,” Rover said with a wince, “See, that’s when the bone,” he held the pole up, “It breaks, but not straight. Instead what happens is the bone-” he took the pole and twisted it, snapping it in two in the process, “Just like that.”

Blueblood paled, “R-really?”

Rover nodded, looking at Blueblood intently, “I know a guy that got one of those. Didn’t heal properly. Years later, still can’t run right. Guy with a promising career in sports, should really be careful of that,” he patted him on the arm, “Know what I mean?”

“Y-yes. I, um, I know what you mean…” Blueblood said softy, “Hey, um, I just realized I need to take care of something, so…”

“Yeah, why don’t you get to that?” Rover said, narrowing his eyes a bit.

Blueblood nodded and walked off quickly, his two friends nodding to Rover before leaving after him.

“Rover, um, thank you,” Starlight said softly.

“Thank your friend,” Rover said, motioning to Trixie, “She screamed just loud enough for us to hear when we walked by.”

Trixie just smiled a bit, looking down, “If his friends weren’t stopping me, I’d have decked him myself.”

Starlight smiled in return, and then turned to Rover, “Still, you didn’t have to step in like that.”

“No, I didn’t,” Rover smirked, “But, women in distress are a bit of a trigger of mine.”

“It’s true,” one of the other Diamond Dogs chuckled, “Guy’s actually a big softy when it comes to saving women in particular.”

Rover stomped on his partner’s foot and dug in, “Watch it, Fido!”

Fido apparently, winced in pain but was chuckling, “It’s true, though! Deny it! I dare ya!”

Starlight and Trixie couldn’t help but chuckle a bit at that. Like this, Rover didn’t seem all that scary, really. He seemed almost, relatable. Like he was one of them.

“What’s going on here?” Rarity called out, she and Spike walking up to them, “I heard a scream, and came to investigate.”

“Everyone alright?” Spike asked, tensing a bit when he saw Diamond Dogs there.

“No need to worry,” Rover said, giving Rarity a slight smirk, “I took care of the issue.”

Rarity pursed her lips, “Indeed?”

“Yep. So no need for the “Student Council President” to get her hands dirty,” Rover said somewhat condescendingly, “Who’s the kid? Your new boyfriend or something?”

“I’m her friend, and a member of the student council,” Spike said, stepping forward to face Rover, “I do know about her connection to you.”

Rover’s eyes widened, “Oh. Well that makes it easier, then,” he smirked, “Take it she told you about her call sign?”

“I know of it,” Spike answered, “And a bit of why she has it. Doesn’t change a thing.”

Rover looked Spike up and down, sizing him up, and then chuckled, “I like your style. And speaking of style,” he turned back to Starlight, “Not used to seeing you dressed like this, Little Star. I like what I see.”

Starlight’s heart leaped out of her chest hearing that. Both in excitement and fear. She knew how she needed to play this. If all went well, they might not need to step foot in the base proper. So long as Rarity knew they could…

“It’s, something I like to wear every so often,” she smirked, standing in a way to present herself a bit more, “Can’t be a good girl all the time.”

Rarity’s eyes shot to Starlight, “What is she doing…?” she hissed, just loud enough for Starlight to hear.

Rover’s smirk widened, “So you do have a bit of an edge to you.”

“I’m plenty edgy when I want to be,” Starlight answered.

“It’s true,” Trixie said, going over to Starlight and hugging her arm, now wearing the collar, “Mistress and I are more private with things, but behind closed doors, she’s absolutely vicious~”

Rover raised an eyebrow, “No shit? You’re just full of surprises, aren’t ya, Little Star?”

“More than you know,” Starlight smirked, “I’ll admit, I’m kinda curious about your gang. Especially since meeting Rarity.”

Rarity’s eyes widened. Good. This was working just like she hoped it would.

“Well, how about this? Call me in advance, and I’ll tell the Dogs to keep an eye out for ya. You can stop by and I’ll show ya around,” Rover said.

“So, I’d be welcome into Diamond Dog territory now?” Starlight asked, her heart leaping.

“Yep. In fact, I’ll even make it official,” he turned to his friends, “This bitch? She’s effectively one of us now, and is under my protection. Same goes for anyone with her.”

Fido and the other guy there nodded, “You got it, Boss.”

Rover nodded, “Good,” he then pulled out his phone, he and Starlight trading numbers, “Alright Little Star. Feel free to stop by at anytime.”

“Thank you, Rover,” Starlight pocketed her phone and held out her hand to him. He shook her hand, clearly looking her up and down. She’d admit, in another setting, Rover could have been fun. He had that bad boy air to him, but he didn’t seem like a bad guy at all.

Whoa, slow down, Starlight. Seriously, she needed to do something about this pent up energy.

“Let's go, boys,” Rover said, walking off after giving Rarity a final wave. Fido and the other guy both nodded to everyone and followed after Rover off school grounds. Rarity walked over to Starlight and glared at her.

“What, are you doing?” Rarity asked hotly, “Are you trying to get yourself hurt?!”

“Rover said he’d look out for me,” Starlight answered, “You trust him, right? Why shouldn’t I? Especially after he saved my life?”

Rarity raised her head and barred her teeth. At the same time, Starlight saw that large black and purple wolf monster looming over her, “You’re playin' a dangerous game, Little Star. I can’t protect you if anything bad happens.”

“Nothing bad will happen,” Starlight assured, not sure if she was saying that to the real Rarity, or her dream self. Either way, Rarity closed her eyes and turned to Spike.

“Let’s get going, darling,” she said to him.

“You sure you still want to do this tonight?” Spike asked, “I won’t stop you, but if you need some time to chill then-”

“This will help me chill,” Rarity said, sounding a bit desperate, “Please Spike.”

Spike nodded, “Alright. Hey, um, see ya around Starlight, and be careful.”

Starlight nodded to him, and watched as he and Rarity left.

“So, think that was enough?” Trixie asked Starlight.

“She knows we can access Diamond Dog territory now,” Starlight answered, “That should be enough to change her cognition,” she held a hand to her heart, which was racing.

“Okay, seriously, we need to get you some help,” Trixie said rubbing Starlight’s back, “We got time, so let’s head to the Velvet Room and see what Igor has to offer.”

Starlight nodded, letting Trixie take her to Everfree Park. It was also an excuse to fuse Personas, since she had a feeling she was hitting the final fight soon.

Aria of the Soul - Persona

Trixie wasted no time escorting Starlight to the Velvet Room, and as always sat on the bench beside her, just in case someone walked by. Immediately she felt a bit soothed by the sound of the song playing in the background.

“Welcome, to the Velvet Room,” Igor greeted as Starlight went to sit down before him, “Oh my. Are you well, Miss Glimmer?”

“I, don’t think so,” Starlight said, explaining to Igor a bit of what happened. He nodded gravely.

“Hrm. Indeed. Your magic is somewhat dangerous in that regard. By taking in other emotions, they can leave an imprint on you. Without purging them afterward, you could sustain permanent changes to your psyche,” Igor explained.

Wait? Permanent changes? Was she going to be okay? She didn’t mess up, did she?

“Don’t worry,” Igor assured, sensing her concern, “You’re still at a point where you can purge these emotions safely. Though, I would advise doing so post haste. This could be, distracting, and could augment your magic in ways that you do not want.”

Meaning that if she didn’t do something about this, her Persona abilities could be altered in some way. She didn’t want to risk that, especially at this stage.

“How do I purge these emotions?” Starlight asked.

“Really, there are a number of ways to go about this,” Igor said, “It all depends on the emotion. Either way, I would advise turning to someone that you have a close bond with, and letting them help you.”

Someone she had a close bond with? Well, she was dealing with horniness that wasn’t entirely hers, but Rarity’s. Perhaps he meant Social Links that were either very high, maxed, or at least intimate?

Before leaving the Velvet Room, she fused Ame No Uzume and Rakshasa, resulting in Nue as a Persona. He had a spell for insta-kill of a group, which she was definitely going to get use out of as much as possible.

She bade Igor farewell (yes she gave a flirty wave to Victor), and then left the Velvet Room to return to Trixie’s side.

When the Moon's Reaching Out Stars - Persona 3

Starlight blinked upon leaving the Velvet Room and then sat down on the bench beside Trixie, “So, what did Igor have to say?” Trixie asked. Starlight explained what was happening to her, making Trixie wince, “I knew you taking in those emotions was dangerous. Did he mention how to deal with this?”

“He said to turn to people I have a close bond to,” Starlight said, taking Trixie’s hand, “And well, we are girlfriends now, so…”

Trixie’s eyes widened as her face turned red, “O-oh! You know, in hindsight, that was probably an easy one to figure out,” she admitted, “But, alright then. I’ll help however I can.”

Much as Starlight wanted to do something right here in the park, she knew that it’d have to be something full on sex related, and she still lacked the courage to go that far outside.

“Let’s head back to the dorm, and do something in our room,” Starlight said, giving Trixie a smoldering glare, “You’re not resting until I work through this, okay honey?”

Trixie giggled blushing, “Yes Mistress~”

With that, she felt a bit better already. With Trixie’s help, she managed to get her emotions back in order.

Late Night

The Phase

Scraper Sky High - Under Night-In Birth

They all finished their homework and got to bed as soon as the Dungeon opened up. At this point, standing before the Diamond Dog HQ, all Starlight and her coven could do was pray that what she did was enough to shift Rarity’s cognition of her dream world.

“Alright, so how do we do this?” Rainbow Dash asked once they arrived.

“All Starlight has to do is approach the HQ,” Twilight said, “If she managed to shift Rarity’s cognition enough, then she’ll be allowed inside.”

“What about the rest of us?” Pinkie Pie asked, “Will be be allowed inside too?”

“Well, Rover did say that anyone associated with Starlight would be okay,” Trixie said, “And well, we are dealing with his actual Shadow.”

“True. Chances are that’ll have an impact on things too,” Twilight said, “Either way, we don’t have a lot of time to come up with a plan B, so let’s pray that this works.”

Starlight nodded and approached the building. At the entrance were two large dog Shadows standing guard. They walked over to Starlight and sniffed her in a somewhat invasive manner, making her really uncomfortable. Both because of how close they were to certain bits, and also because they were Shadows.

“Should we…?” Trixie asked.

“Sad as it is, no,” Twilight said, “If we interfere, we might kill our shot at getting inside.”

“I know, I hate it too,” Rainbow Dash said, “But we’re too close to getting to the end of this.”

Trixie huffed folding her arms, “God I’ll be glad when this is done. I’m so over this Dungeon.”

Eventually the dogs finished checking Starlight out, and turned to the HQ. One of them let out a loud howl, and the gate opened up. Seeing this, Starlight let out a relieved breath before turning to her team.

“Okay, let’s get inside and talk to Rover. Also, keep an eye on anything that stands out that might be a keyword,” Starlight said.

“What would that look like?” Pinkie Pie asked as they walked into the HQ, escorted by one of the guard dog Shadows.

“It seems to vary from Dungeon to Dungeon,” Twilight explained, “For Trixie’s, it was a poster for one of her Father’s shows.”

Trixie pulled her hat over her eyes, thinking about her Father most likely.

“For yours, Pinkie Pie, it was a promo for Bob’s Burger,” Twilight continued, “It was in relation to that commercial that used your image.”

Pinkie Pie rubbed her arm looking away, “So, it’s something that doesn’t match the rest of the Dungeon?”

“From what I can gather, yes,” Starlight confirmed, “In both cases, the items in question didn’t match the general theme for the Dungeon.”

“Makes sense,” Trixie nodded, “That circus was meant to feature me, so my Dad’s posters showing up there would be a bit odd.”

“Bottom line, it’d be easy to spot,” Rainbow Dash said, “We’ll keep our eyes peeled while our Leader grills the boss for info.”

The base itself was pretty large, a lot like a fortress. There were Shadows and basic apparitions all around, some engaging in sexual debauchery, but most glaring at Starlight and her coven as they walked to what she assumed was the main area where Rover was waiting for them.

But what really had Starlight concerned was that she hadn’t seen Rarity yet.

Disquiet - Persona 5

They stopped at a large door. The Shadow escorting them howled at the door and scratched it, prompting it to open. It then turned to Starlight and motioned with its head for her and her team to enter. Starlight nodded and the group entered what appeared to be something akin to a small throne room. It wasn’t super fancy, but it sent a message. Whoever this place belonged to was a king. There was a table off to the side with what appeared to be plans and such, possibly for an attack of some kind, and in the far end was a makeshift throne of some kind.

Sitting in the comfy chair in the far end of the room was Rover’s Shadow, reclining back in the chair with his feet resting on an interesting “foot rest”. Said foot rest was Rarity, chained to the floor on her hands and knees, and a ring gag in her mouth. Like always in the Dungeon, all she wore was a cupless bra, garter belt, fishnet stockings, and leather boots. Her nipples had clamps on them this time, though.

Starlight pursed her lips seeing this. She wouldn’t judge. She came here to get information from Rover’s Shadow, after all.

“Had a feeling I’d be seein’ you soon,” Shadow Rover said with a smirk, “Didn’t think it’d be this soon, Little Star.”

Starlight stepped forward, folding her arms under her breasts and smirking right back, “I wasn’t going to pass up the chance to meet the “King of this Town”,” she looked down at Rarity, meeting eyes with her, “You alright, Rarity?”

“She’s fine,” Rover answered immediately.

“Excuse me,” Starlight said, her eyes going back to Rover, “I was asking her.”

Shadow Rover raised an eyebrow with a slight smirk. Seemed she made the right call there. Starlight turned her attention back to Rarity, going up to her and kneeling before her.

“Are you okay?” Starlight asked Rarity, who whimpered but nodded, pulling at the chains a bit. Starlight reached to caress her, opening herself up to her emotions.

Starlight, please just get out of here!

It’s not safe! I don’t know what he’ll do, but I can’t protect you like this!

Starlight reached up to scratch behind Rarity’s ear. It was awkward, but with the soft whine like noise Rarity made, along with her tongue hanging out from the ring gag, it seemed to comfort her somewhat.

“Before, you said you were doing all of this for Rarity’s benefit,” Starlight said, rising up and standing before Rover, Trixie, Pinkie Pie, and Rainbow Dash joining her while Twilight floated off to the table, “What did you mean by that?”

“Exactly what I said,” Rover explained, “This place? It exists like it does to tend to Dirty Diamond’s hunger.”

“You mean, her nymphomania?” Trixie asked.

“That’s the “official” term, yeah,” Shadow Rover said, “Over in that Prison of a school, Cinch punishes her everyday because of it, forcin’ her to do her bidding and lookin’ the other way when the Guards have their fun with her. But they don’t care about her needs.”

“And you do?” Starlight asked.

“I’m her Alpha. Of course I do,” Shadow Rover said in a low voice, “My goal is to get her outta this place, so I can take care of her myself.”

“Get her, out of this place?” Pinkie Pie asked, “What do you mean by that…?”

“I thought Ponyville could be our home, but that Warden’s makin’ that impossible,” Shadow Rover explained, “She’s makin’ us out like we’re the bad guys, sayin’ we did stuff we didn’t, an’ makin’ Dirty Diamond take the fall for it,” he leaned forward, “All I want is my gang back together. Once Dirty Diamond rejoins us, we’re skippin’ town, and findin’ new territory.”

Desire - Persona 5

Wait, what? That was Rover's ultimate goal?!

“You wanna leave town with Rarity?!” Rainbow Dash cried, “But that’s-”

“The best solution for her,” Shadow Rover finished, “I know what that Warden wants. She wants Dirty Diamond to get rid of us. To chase us off so the higher ups don’t give her a hard time. I’m willin’ to leave,” he gripped Rarity’s hair and pulled her head back a bit, “But only if she’s comin’ with me.”

“You’re making Rarity choose between you or my cousin?!” Pinkie Pie asked incredulously.

“She ain’t safe over there in that place,” Rover defended, “No one in that school knows what she really is, and if they found out, she’d be out on the streets anyway.”

“My cousin’s family isn’t like that!” Pinkie Pie argued, “They adore Rarity! They’d never throw her away just because she messed up! If anything, they’d do everything in their power to help her, same as us!”

“Really? So you mean to tell me, that findin’ out the kind of shit Dirty Diamond got up to during the old days didn’t taint your view of her?” he narrowed his eyes, “That seein’ just how dirty she was, didn’t make you rethink things?”

Starlight was going to deny it, but then remembered when she first started screwing Blueblood, before they knew she was being blackmailed. Everyone of them had a moment of wondering if Rarity was in fact a good person, and they did judge her pretty unfairly during that time. Even Starlight, despite wanting to believe in her, wasn’t sure what to make of her doing that, and was furious at her. Said anger vanished right after learning the truth, but before then, for a split second…

She did reconsider Rarity’s integrity as a person. And with how silent everyone else was beside her, they realized the same thing.

“Yeah, that’s what I thought,” Rover nodded, his expression one of dark resignation, “As soon as you found out what kind of person Dirty Diamond really was, you gave up,” he turned Rarity’s head to look at them, “Take a good look. That’s the reality of that world. They accept you as long as you do as you’re told, and act like them, but the second you show what an animal you really are, they’ll toss you aside.”

Rarity looked down, her eyes darkening a bit. Rover was beginning to get to her.

“We’re the only ones who’ll ever accept you for who you really are,” Shadow Rover continued, “Even if you somehow don’t end up going to the slammer 'cause of that cunt Cinch, I can guarantee you that you’d end up right back here eventually. You’re a wolf, a stray from the streets like me. Like the rest of our pack.”

Rarity closed her eyes, trembling and tearing up.

“You abandoned us, takin’ that deal, and look where that landed you,” he closed his eyes and sighed, “Look, I hate it too, but this is our reality. The only way we’re gonna survive is if we stand together. That world, ain’t made for dogs like us.”

Living With Determination - Persona 3

“No,” Starlight spoke up, “You’re making it out like the mere act of trying is wrong.”

Shadow Rover looked at Starlight seriously, “We all tried to make somethin’ of ourselves. The system made that impossible for us.”

“And I’m truly sorry about that,” Starlight said, “It’s not fair that you guys have had to struggle so much to survive. But what you’re doing to Rarity right now? It’s just as bad as what Cinch is doing!”

Shadow Rover shot up and walked over to Starlight, looming over her, “Wanna run that by me again?” he asked dangerously.

“Starlight…!” Trixie pulled out a card to attack, but Starlight held a hand out to stop her. He needed to hear this.

“If Cinch is punishing her for being a “dog of the streets”, you’re punishing her for trying to be more than that!” Starlight continued, tightening her fists in anger, “I don’t know what happened that angered Cinch so much, okay? Maybe Rarity did something truly awful, but that doesn’t invalidate all the good she’s done for herself!” Starlight teared up, “She’s become someone that people look up to! Someone that people care about! Someone that people are willing to fight for, and are willing to die for! And she managed that by taking a chance! Did she do it the right way? Probably not! Did she abandon your gang? Yes she did! But she’s still done more than what you’ve done!” Starlight closed her eyes tightly, “I get it, this whole system is fucked! Some people don’t care about your circumstances! But not everyone is your enemy!”

Surprisingly, Rover didn’t attack, but he clearly looked like he wanted to, “You say that, and yet you judged us too.”

“You’re right, I did,” Starlight admitted, “I assumed the worst of your gang, believing you were just thugs. And when Rarity began screwing Blueblood, that did affect my image of her. I’m not saying I’m perfect. I’m not saying that I won’t mess up somewhere along the way, but I am saying, that I want to be someone Rarity can count on. I’m willing to be her friend, and to do the hard work necessary to support her.”

“And just who’s your friend?” Rover leaned in close to her, “Dirty Diamond? Or ‘Miss President’?”

Starlight looked down, considering her answer. She had a feeling that whatever she chose as her answer to this, it would be the deciding factor in terms of saving Rarity. Thinking about the situation, Rarity treated “Miss President” like a mask.

Wait, a mask?

She looked at her Channeling Ring, suddenly understanding the truth of the matter here. She knew, exactly who it was she was trying to rescue, and who she wanted to be friends with.

“The side of Rarity, that’s my friend is-” there was a sudden blast outside, followed by the whole base shaking.

There's Nothing We Can't Do, Right? - Blue Reflection: Second Light

“This is the Canterlot Police Force!” Macintosh’s voice echoed from outside, “We have your fortress surrounded! Surrender Rarity to our custody, or face the consequences!”

“Shit! That guy’s back!” Rover knelt back before Rarity and undid a few of her shackles, “We ain’t lettin’ them take you again, so go all out on them.”

Once the ring gag was removed, Rarity nodded, “Yes, my Alpha,” she said, her tone almost entranced. She then stood up and stepped forward, a black aura engulfing her as her human form vanished into the void, which then grew to massive size to reveal the monstrous wolf from last time walking out of it.

Starlight ran up to the wolf, standing in front of her, “Rarity please! Let us help you! You don’t have to do this alone!” Rarity used her paw to push Starlight aside, and continue to walk out of the room, “Rarity!”

“Like I said, all she needs is her pack beside her,” Rover stepped forward, spinning his twin rods a bit glaring at Starlight, “You got a good heart, this is reality, and that’s the world you’re askin’ Dirty Diamond to return to.”

Starlight glare back at Rover as he rushed out to join Rarity’s side in the fight.

“Hey,” Rainbow Dash asked, she and Trixie running up to Starlight, “We’re helpin’ too, right?”

Starlight nodded, summoning her scythe, “We are! Regardless of Rover's outlook, this place is the lesser of two evils! We cannot let Cinch have Rarity back!”

“Agreed!” Trixie summoned a hand of cards, “Let’s go!”

“Hang on!” Twilight called out, “I may have found something over here!”

Starlight, Dash, and Trixie looked to the table, where Pinkie Pie was already with Twilight’s wisp looking over the papers. When they ran over, she showed them an odd object.

“It’s a Student ID,” Pinkie Pie said, “It looks like Rarity’s ID, but it’s torn up, and has some odd stains on it.”

Starlight groaned, realizing what those stains probably were. They were dried up, but the fact they were white and kind of crusty meant they were probably semen. Much as she hated picking it up, dream or not, this was something that stood out.

“We’re taking it,” Starlight said, Trixie pulling a bag out of her hat and handing it to Starlight, “Once we get out of here, we get this to a mailbox so Twilight can search for any keywords.”

The base shook again, “In the meantime, we gotta move!” Rainbow Dash said, “They’re serious about fighting the police force here!”

“Your sure about this, Starlight?” Twilight asked, “We’re helping the Diamond Dogs in this fight?”

Starlight nodded, “For now, we are. After that, we’ll decide what to do about getting Rarity away from them.”

With that, everyone drew their weapons and ran outside to join in the fight.

E.SYNAPSE - Blue Reflection Second Light

Outside in the main courtyard, there were Shadows scattered all around, both the Police and the Diamond Dogs. Whatever action she ultimately took here, Starlight would effectively be shifting the Dungeon on her own.

She and her group ran to one of the fights, where she saw an Officer Shadow fighting against one of the Dire Wolf shaped Shadows, knocking it down. Starlight rushed up to him and jumped onto his shoulders, gripping his mask.

“SHOW YOUR FACE!!!” she commanded, ripping the mask off and revealing Take-Minakata.

Trixie wasted no time casting Sukukaja on Starlight, who rolled out of the way of a blast of electricity from his horns.

“Come forth, my other self!” Rainbow Dash shouted, Eclair manifesting before her and slamming her gunblade hard on the Shadow, knocking him back a bit.

“MATADOR!!!” Starlight shouted, switching Personas and casting Psi on Take-Minakata, knocking him down before he could do anything else, “All Out Attack! GO!”

All four of the Witches summoned their weapons and wailed on the Shadow, killing him instantly. Once he faded away, Pinkie Pie ran over to the Dire Wolf Shadow and knelt before him.

“Are you okay?” Pinkie Pie asked the Shadow, who nodded.

“Thanks, for help…” he said in a gruff voice, “Boss and Dirty Diamond, outside fortress…”

“That’s where we’re heading then,” Rainbow Dash said, turning to Starlight, “Right Leader?”

Starlight nodded, “Right. At the very least, we need to support Rarity.”

Pinkie Pie nodded and began petting the Shadow, “We’ll do what we can to help them, so rest here, okay?”

The Shadow nodded, “You, nice… I rest here now.”

“Kinda odd, helping out a Shadow,” Trixie folded her arms, “Even in these circumstances.”

“The Shadows here aren’t really evil,” Twilight said, “They’re just following Rover’s orders. Besides, either way we’d have to pick a side in this turf war, so it makes sense the Shadows would be more ambivalent to us afterward.”

“That’s fair,” Trixie sighed, “Hey, less fighting on our part, so I’m not complaining.”

“I’m detecting a few more Shadows on the way to the main entrance,” Twilight said, “Be ready, cause we might have to fight our way out.”

Starlight nodded, leading her team through the main courtyard back toward the main hallway. Right at the entrance, they saw another Diamond Dog Shadow, this one taking the form of a female gang member, who was on her knees surrounded by two Officer Shadows.

“Starlight! She needs help!” Pinkie Pie cried. Starlight wasted no time jumping on the shoulder of one and grabbing his mask.

“I’ll reveal your true form!” she shouted, ripping the mask off and forcing both of them to turn to their true forms, Sui-Ki and Rakshasa.

Pinkie Pie opened this time, summoning Serenity and casting Rakukaja on Starlight, who was already holding up her Channeling Ring.

“MORGANA!!!” Starlight shouted, shifting to her main Persona, casting Frei on Sui-Ki, knocking him to the ground. Since she couldn’t switch Personas fast enough, she instead chose a different strategy to keep the other Persona from moving for a bit, “Come forth, my loyal servant! Rise, High Priestess!”

As the stage appeared, Diamond Tiara stepped out, this time wearing a sexy red and black leotard, fishnets, and high heeled boots, “Hey, wanna play with me~?” she purred, wrapping her legs around the pole as she began dancing to draw Rakshasa’s attention. The hearts in his eyes suggested that it was working.

Rainbow Dash once again summoned Eclair, who this time raised her blade and cast Zionga on Rakshasa while he was distracted. At the same time, Trixie had Elenora rush over to Sui-Ki and keep him pinned to the ground with a powerful drop kick.

Sui-Ki, unfazed by Diamond’s dancing, knocked Trixie/Elenora away and got up and threw a blast of ice at her, hitting her point blank and knocking her to the ground with a loud scream.

“Help is on the way!” Pinkie Pie cried, wasting no time summoning Serenity and casting Diarama on Trixie, healing her.

Starlight first targeted Sui-Ki, once again knocking him down with Morgana’s Frei spell and killing him. Not wanting Diamond to have to keep exerting energy to stay out too long (and she was beginning to feel drained too), she switched to Koppa Tengu and knocked Rakshasa down with the wind spell Garu.

After helping Trixie up, she once again ordered for an All Out Attack, killing Rakshasa instantly. She then turned to Diamond and thanked her for her help.

Diamond nodded and blew Starlight and friends a kiss before fading in a pink light.

“Hey, you good?” Rainbow asked, helping the Shadow to her feet.

“Y-yeah. Not gonna lie, didn’t expect you witches to help us.” the Shadow said.

“We’re all trying to help Rarity ultimately,” Starlight said, “Speaking of, do you know where she and Rover are?”

The Shadow pointed to the door next to them, “Right down this hall. The boss is keeping as many of the fuzz outside as he can.”

“On the one hand, this means we might have a clean shot to where Rover and Rarity are,” Twilight said, “On the other hand, we’ll be surrounded the second we get outside.”

“Be ready for anything,” Starlight said to her team before turning back to the Shadow, “Thanks for the info.”

“No prob, Little Star,” the Shadow nodded, now leaning against the wall, “I’m just gonna rest here for a bit.”

Starlight and her coven pushed through the door, going outside into the main alleyway. There they saw Rover surrounded by at least 50 Shadows, Rarity in her beast form still right by his side. While both of them looked tired, there were a number of Shadows knocked to the ground as well, showing that they were fighting them off pretty well.

Desire - Persona 5

“Give up, Rover!” Officer Macintosh commanded, pointing his gun at Shadow Rover, “Either surrender Rarity to us, or both of you are coming into our custody!”

“Yeah, not gonna happen!” Shadow Rover barked, holding his shoulder but still forcing himself to his feet, “Dirty Diamond’s stayin’ right here where she belongs! Take him out, Dirty Diamond!”

Rarity looked at Rover, and then back at Macintosh, visibly trembling.

“Rarity, you don’t want to do this,” Officer Macintosh said sternly, “I’m not your enemy, remember?”

“So long as you’re trying to break up our pack, that’s exactly what you are!” Shadow Rover barked, “Rares, kill him!”

Rarity gritted her teeth, raising a paw to walk forward, but then seeming to force it back down.

“She looks torn,” Trixie noticed, “Not even Rover’s commands are working.”

“He’s asking her to kill an Apparition of someone she cares about,” Twilight said, “That may not be the real Macintosh, but he’s real enough to her.”

“What’d happen if she killed him?” Rainbow Dash asked, “It ain’t real, so it’s not like he’d be in danger, right?”

“No, but that could affect her psyche!” Pinkie Pie cried, “What if it changes how she feels about the Macintosh in the real world?!”

Starlight looked down, remembering how Apple Bloom actively helped them, and how when she tried to read Security Guard Applejack’s emotions, she felt Rarity’s instead.

The Apparitions… they weren’t just copies made from Rarity’s psyche…

They were representations of her bonds with those people…

So if she killed Macintosh here…

“I gave you a command!” Shadow Rover shouted, “Kill the officer!”

Rarity flinched at Rover’s voice, but then she looked at Macintosh with a look of pure anguish. She then raised her claw, which was now engulfed in black and red energy.

“NO!!!” Starlight cried, summoning Morgana and jumping in the way of the attack, getting slashed instead of Macintosh. At the same time, Starlight felt the pain of Rarity’s claws dig into her body, her dress ripping as if she got slashed instead, and she let out a loud wail of immense pain.

end song

“STARLIGHT!!!” everyone cried all at once, catching Rarity’s attention as Starlight fell to the ground. As the Shadows once again prepared to attack, Pinkie Pie knelt beside Starlight.

“She’s bleeding!” Pinkie Pie cried.

“You can heal her, right?!” Trixie asked frantically.

“I, I think so!” Pinkie Pie said, “I’ve never tried healing a wound like this before!”

“We’ll cover you!” Rainbow Dash said, summoning her Persona, “Trixie, just focus on the Shadows!”

Trixie looked up at Rarity, narrowing her eyes a bit, “She better not die,” she seethed, voice oozing in venom as she and Rainbow Dash rushed out with their Personas to help fend off the Shadow onslaught.

Starlight could barely breath, and she felt her vision getting blurry. Still, despite all the pain she was in, she felt the effects of Diarama at least keeping her stable. She noticed Rarity walking up to her in her beast form, eyes wide in horror.

“Please work…!” Pinkie Pie cried, having Serenity pour more healing energy into Starlight, so much that both of them looked strained, “Please…! You can’t die Starlight…!”

Rarity trembled, falling back a bit and holding her head with her front paw, breathing heavily.

“Rarity! Stop worryin’ about Little Star! The healer’s got her!” Rover commanded, “We need you over here! Help us!”

Rarity growled louder, laying on the ground and holding her head in agony, tears streaming from the biomechanical monster’s eyes. She was close enough where Starlight was able to reach out to her, touching her side and opening herself up.

No…! No…! No…!

No no no no no no no no no no no no no no no nononononononononononoNONONONONONONONONO-

Starlight had to pull away, both from an onset of pain and also from the anguish she felt from Rarity. Shoot, she couldn’t say anything! Rarity was falling into despair, and there wasn’t anything she could do right now to stop her!

“How is she?!” Twilight asked Pinkie Pie.

“I, think she’s stabilizing,” Pinkie Pie said, “It looks like she’s breathing at least.”

“AUGH!!!” Rainbow Dash cried in pain, falling back and catching their attention. From where she was, Starlight looked to see her friends and Shadow Rover getting overrun by Shadows. There was no way they could get out of this. Even if she could fight, this was too much.

Damn…! Not like this…!

I… I didn’t want my story… to end here…!

A loud roar caught everyone’s attention. They all turned to Rarity, who shifted back into her human form, slowly rising up to her feet.

Living with Determination - Persona 3

“I’ll, go with you…!” Rarity cried, “I’ll turn myself in…!”

“Rarity…?” Pinkie Pie asked slowly.

“What, are you doing?!” Shadow Rover barked, his eyes glowing, “Change back, and take him-”

“SHUT UP!!!” Rarity screamed, silencing Shadow Rover, “I’m not letting you or anyone die for me! If I had to choose, I… I’d rather…” she closed her eyes tightly, “I’d rather die on my own terms…!”

“Wait… die on her own terms…?” Rainbow Dash asked softly, “H-hang on a sec…”

"Damn it, Rarity..." Trixie muttered, looking down darkly.

Rarity walked over to Macintosh and held her hands out to him, “Let them go, okay? Do that, and I’ll go with you without question.”

Macintosh looked at her intently, and then nodded. As he cuffed her, he pulled out his radio, “All units, return. We’re taking Rarity back to the Prison.”

“R-Rarity…!” Starlight cried, rising to her knees, “Please, don’t go with them! Cinch, she’ll-”

“Better me than you,” Rarity turned slightly to Starlight, her eyes covered by her hair as she gave her a sad smile, “I keep telling you I ain’t worth it… Maybe now you’ll fucking listen…”

Right before she was led away, Starlight noticed a single tear rolling down her cheek. As the Shadows dispersed, she didn’t even put up a fight.

“Damn it!” Shadow Rover punched the ground, “What’s goin’ on in her head!” Starlight carefully rose to her feet and walked over to Shadow Rover, “You alright, Little Star?”

Starlight nodded, “Y-yeah. I’m alright, but Rarity…”

Shadow Rover shook his head in frustration, “I’m gettin’ her outta there, by any means necessary.”

“Rover, listen,” Starlight said, “We both ultimately want to save Rarity from that Prison. At the very least, help us get her out of there.”

Shadow Rover looked at Starlight and nodded, “Come back here when you’re ready to bust her out. We’ll call a truce till then.”

“Thank you,” Starlight said softly in relief. As Rover walked back into the HQ, everyone gathered around Starlight.

“How do you feel?” Trixie asked rubbing her arm.

“Sore, but I’ll be okay. Thanks to Pinkie Pie’s healing, and you and Dashie covering us,” Starlight smiled.

“What were you thinking, using your Persona like that?” Rainbow Dash scolded, “Ain’t these things connected to us?”

“They are, but I realized I couldn’t let Rarity kill that Macintosh,” Starlight explained, “The apparitions are made from the person’s bonds. If Rarity were to kill them in the dream, she’d be effectively killing that bond with her own hands.”

“Meaning that person would effectively be dead to Rarity,” Twilight said softly, “That, would have been bad.”

“What she said before leaving, has me really worried,” Pinkie Pie said, “That she’d rather die on her own terms.”

“That raised all the red flags, yeah,” Rainbow Dash nodded, “We’re out of time. We need that last entry if we’re gonna save her.”

“Can this ID lead us to it?” Starlight asked.

“Only one way to find out,” Twilight said, “There’s a Checkpoint close by that opened up, so use that to get back to the Library. I’ll begin my search.”

As everyone made their way to the Checkpoint, Starlight turned to Trixie, who wasn’t moving. Instead, she just looked down with a somber expression. Starlight walked over to her and asked what was wrong.

“Just, worried is all,” Trixie said, “Listen, I’m going to stand by you no matter what, but I need to know. Are you sure you want to keep going with this?”

Starlight nodded, “Now more than ever. I, think I get Rarity on a deep level. What she did just now, what she almost did to Macintosh, that wasn’t okay, but I got a chance to feel her emotions, and I recognized them.”

“What were they?” Trixie asked as they walked toward the Checkpoint. Starlight took a breath, folding her arms.

“The same emotions I felt, after my Mom died.”

Qualia - Blue Reflection

In the Library, Twilight used the ID to search Rarity’s Akashic Records. There weren’t a lot of original books there, but the ID did lead them to one of the few present.

“‘The Incident’,” Rainbow Dash recited, “Looks like this is related to whatever Rarity did that got her in so much trouble with Cinch.”

“We were saying before that if we figured that out, we might figure out how to destroy this Dungeon,” Twilight said, sounding like she was stretching, “Guess I’m staying up late tonight.”

“Try not to work yourself too hard, Twilight,” Starlight said.

“Much as I appreciate it, we don’t have much of a choice,” Twilight said, “We have less than two days to save her, and I can guarantee you that her mind is in a terrible place now. If I have to, I’ll just sleep the whole day after we rescue Rarity.”

“Sorry Twilight,” Pinkie Pie winced, “You’re working so hard for us.”

“Honestly, I’m kind of relieved to get to this part,” Twilight said, “This is the part where I shine. Leave it to me. By this time tomorrow, or, tonight I guess, I’ll have something we can use to save Rarity.”

“Thank you Twilight,” Starlight smiled, “Good job, everyone. Let’s all get some rest and let Twilight do her job.”

“Good luck, Mission Control,” Rainbow Dash said, taking her ring off and vanishing in a white light.

“See you back in the dorm, everyone,” Pinkie Pie smiled, taking off hers and vanishing.

Trixie hugged Starlight and kissed her deeply and lovingly, “I’ll see you back in our room, Starlight.”

“See you there,” Starlight smiled, both of them taking their rings off as the Akashic Records faded away around them.

“So, that’s the Right Eye’s Proxy,” Chrysalis mused, leaning against a nearby bookshelf, “Such a waif of a girl, so fragile looking. Well, I suppose I could throw her a bone, just this once.”

Author's Note

Click here to check out the Go Fund I'm starting for my parents, and consider either donating or sharing this on your social media accounts.

11/7

November 7th, 2019
Wednesday
Raining

Morning

School Days - Persona

As Starlight walked to school, she heard some girls gossiping in front of her. Her mind was elsewhere, so she was trying to tune them out, but once the subject of Rarity came up, she couldn’t not listen.

“I know, right? Miss President’s been so strange lately. Like she’s an emotional roller coaster,” the girl on the left said.

“A friend of mine said she spotted her talking to the leader of that gang, and get this, it looked like she was familiar with him.”

"You mean the Diamond Dogs? Ooooh, I haven't heard too many good things about them..."

Starlight’s eyes widened. Someone saw Rarity with Rover? How did that happen? Rarity was normally more careful.

“Um, excuse me,” Starlight called out, walking up to the girls, “Sorry, I couldn’t help but overhear that last bit.”

“That’s alright,” the girl on the right said, “What’s up?”

“When was this?” Starlight asked, “When Rarity was seen with the Diamond Dog leader?”

“My friend said it was around the 5th, but late,” she answered, “Like, after school.”

That was when Rarity had that fight with Applejack. She was being reckless. If she wasn’t careful, student would find out she used to be a Diamond Dog.

“Everything’s okay, right?” her friend asked, “Miss President’s not in any trouble, is she?”

Starlight didn’t want to lie to them, but she also didn’t want them to worry either. Ultimately, she just let them know that Rarity was going through some personal issues, but that she’d be alright in a bit. Thankfully, they seemed to both buy that excuse.

“Okay,” the girl on the right nodded, “Thanks, Starlight. Give her our best, alright?”

Starlight nodded, and thanked the girls before heading off to class. She definitely planned to confront Rarity later about this.

Daytime

Specialist - Persona 4

Apparently here, Midterm results were handed out in each class’s Homeroom. Starlight was admittedly a bit nervous about her results, as Midterms fell on a hectic time for all of them. Thankfully when Celestia called her up to her desk, she was smiling.

“Good job,” Celestia smiled, handing Starlight her test, “With everything going on, I’m proud you kept your studies up.”

Starlight looked at her test and smiled. It wasn’t a perfect score, but looking at it, she was at least in B range. Going back to her seat, she saw Trixie and Pinkie Pie looking over theirs. Trixie looked relatively pleased with her results, but it looked like Pinkie Pie was a bit bummed out.

Well, considering everything she went through during Midterms, it wasn’t surprising that her scores suffered. Still, Starlight decided to spend some time with her soon to lift her spirits a bit.

end song

Lunch Time

As it was still raining, and Starlight wanted to use this time to talk more freely about things, Celestia gave them permission to eat in her classroom so long as they didn’t make too much of a mess. Starlight really appreciated this, as she didn’t like being in the cafeteria. Too noisy for her taste.

“Try not to be too down,” Rainbow Dash said to Pinkie Pie, rubbing her back, “Not your fault that you didn’t’ do good on the tests.”

“I know,” Pinkie Pie sighed, “That kinda makes it worse though. I know I could have done better, but I was so stressed from being trapped in the Dungeon, I couldn’t focus,” she closed her eyes, “Cinch isn’t going to like this…”

“Oh, fuck that bitch,” Rainbow Dash spat, “It’s her fault you didn’t do good.”

“Good luck telling her that,” Trixie pointed out, “Cinch doesn’t know what her Shadow’s doing, and it’s not like we can tell her about the existential horror we deal with pretty much nightly.”

“True, but what if we can do what we did to Fleur again?” Starlight suggested.

“You mean, change her heart?” Trixie asked.

“It’s a long shot, I know,” Starlight said, “But, even if we save Rarity in her Dungeon, once the 9th hits, she’s still screwed.”

“But if we can change Cinch’s heart in the process, we can get her to let go of the charges and we get a nicer Principal in the process,” Rainbow Dash grinned, “Alright, how do we do it?”

“That’s, a good question actually,” Starlight muttered, “Fleur’s heart changed when we saved Pinkie Pie, and you threatened her Shadow afterward. Maybe we just, need to do something similar?”

“Well, it’s worth a shot,” Trixie agreed, “Speaking of Rarity though, has anyone seen her today?”

“I saw her briefly on the way here,” Rainbow Dash said, “She kinda had an odd look in her eyes though.”

“How so?” Starlight asked.

“Kinda hard to say,” Rainbow Dash said, “Like, on the one hand she was really upset, but on the other, she was oddly relaxed.”

Starlight frowned, folding her arms, “That’s concerning…”

“You ain’t thinking that she’s seriously considering…” Rainbow Dash asked slowly.

Starlight sighed and nodded gravely, “It was the same when I was considering suicide. I felt both immense pain and despair, but at the same time, I felt almost liberated by the realization it was about to end.”

“But, we still don’t have concrete proof beyond what she said in her Dungeon,” Trixie said, “Which yeah, is raising all kinds of red flags, but…”

“I know,” Starlight got up, “Which is why I need to find her and ask her something.”

“What do you need to ask her?” Pinkie Pie asked.

“Apparently, someone saw her with Rover a few days ago,” Starlight answered, “She’s normally more careful about her past being exposed, but if she’s suddenly decided she has nothing to lose…”

“Yeah, that’d be bad,” Trixie nodded, “Know where she’d be?”

“Sadly, I don’t,” Starlight shook her head, “But I imagine someone in the Student Council might.”

With that, Starlight took her lunch and ran out of the classroom, searching for either Rarity or someone who’d know. Her heart was racing, and she prayed she wasn’t too late, and that Rarity hadn’t already done something drastic.

She didn’t want to be right, but she knew the signs. She’d been where Rarity was before.

Right as she turned a corner, she heard a familiar whistle, almost as if it were trying to catch her attention.

In the Devastated Town - Devil Survivor 2

“Lookin’ for someone?” Apple Bloom asked. Starlight turned to see the young girl leaning against a locker, looking right at her. Like last time, she was holding a pretzel stick like a cigarette, and something about the air she gave off was both kind, but off putting as well.

“Apple Bloom, right?” Starlight asked. The youngest Scarlet pushed off the locker and walked over to Starlight smiling.

“Maybe I can help ya,” she offered, “Yer lookin’ for Rarity, right?”

“How, do you know that?” Starlight asked, her heart leaping out of her chest. Apple Bloom laughed.

“Well for one, ya jus’ confirmed it for me. But also, Rarity talks a lot about ya. Says yer nice, almost to a fault, an’ that ya seem almost obsessed with helpin’ people,” Apple Bloom leaned into Starlight’s ear and whispered, “She also mentioned ya know ‘bout her past with that gang.”

Starlight tensed a bit. Something told her that Apple Bloom was the only one in the family to know this about Rarity's current situation. How much about Rarity did this girl know?

“You, sound like someone Rarity talks to a lot,” Starlight said, “She must trust you.”

“She an’ I have somethin’ worked out, guess you could say,” Apple Bloom confirmed, “I cover for her whenever she needs to, handle herself, if ya get my meanin’.”

“You know about her nymphomania…” Starlight said softly.

“I’m the only one in the family who does,” Apple Bloom shrugged, “An’ as such, when it gets too bad, I’m the one who comes up with an excuse for her to leave the house an’ deal with it.”

“Then, there’s something I’d like to ask you about her,” Starlight looked around, “Along with knowing where she is right now.”

Apple Bloom narrowed her eyes subtly, “That so?”

“I promise, I’m not trying to take advantage of-”

“I know ya ain’t,” Apple Bloom looked Starlight up and down, “You’re too much of a paragon for that. It’s jus’ that you’ve been snoopin’ around, gatherin’ info on her, an’ now here ya are comin’ to little ol’ me.”

Honestly, had she realized this girl knew this much, she’d have turned to her sooner. Still, something told her that this information wasn’t going to be cheap.

“Whatever I have to pay, I’ll do it,” Starlight said softly, “But, I’m really worried about her, and I need to confirm something.”

Apple Bloom looked to the side for a bit, “We’ll talk price, after you ask your question,” Starlight sighed in relief and asked Apple Bloom how Rarity was at home lately, if her behavior went through any sudden changes, “Kinda sorta. She’s been stayin’ out a lot later, an’ when she’s at home, she keeps to herself mostly. Jus’ comin’ out of her room to help with chores an’ stuff.”

“And, how’s her mood?” Starlight asked.

“Well, she’s always been kinda moody, but these days she seems sad ‘bout somethin’,” Apple Bloom frowned, “Though, this mornin’…” Starlight tilted her head, “She did somethin’ that she never does.”

“That being?” Starlight asked.

“She, hugged my brother,” Apple Bloom answered.

“That’s, odd?” Starlight asked confused.

“For her to jus’ say it, yeah,” Apple Bloom nodded, “Like, we know she cares ‘bout us, but she ain’t really the type to jus’ come out an’ say that she cares ‘bout someone. Really only one she's like that with is AJ, an' lately they've got this weird energy 'tween 'em."

So for her to suddenly show open affection like that… Starlight took a deep breath, “Fuck.”

“Be honest with me, alright,” Apple Bloom leaned in close, “Yer thinkin’ she’s gonna do somethin’ drastic, aren’t ya?” Starlight nodded subtly, making Apple Bloom avert her eyes seriously, “Yer gonna help her?”

“I am,” Starlight said, “But she can’t know that I asked about her, alright? This conversation never happened.”

Apple Bloom nodded, and pointed to the stairs, “When it rains, she eats in the Student Council Office. Any other time, she eats lunch on the school roof.”

“Thank you,” Starlight nodded, walking to the stairs but stopped, “Oh, about payment…”

Apple Bloom waved it off, “Let’s jus’ say ya owe me a favor, alright?”

That was almost more terrifying actually, as she still wasn’t sure what to make of this girl. Still, she didn’t seem like a bad person.

Maya's Theme - Persona 3 FES

Starlight thanked Apple Bloom and continued to the Student Council office. Before going inside, she peaked inside to see if Rarity was in. Sure enough, she saw her, trying to eat her lunch but it seemed like she was struggling with it. Her sandwich only had a few bites in it, and Starlight saw her pick it up, hesitate, and then just put it down.

She stepped in and knocked on the door, catching her attention, “Hey Rarity.”

“Hello,” Rarity said somewhat curtly, “Did you have fun with Rover?”

“I haven’t gone to see him yet,” Starlight said, stepping in to close the door. She noticed Rarity’s tie was undone, and her top unbuttoned a bit, “I see you’re being more natural today.”

Rarity shrugged, “Not like it’ll matter in a few days. I’m dead either way.”

“Rarity…”

“Do you need something?” Rarity asked sharply.

“I was just, coming to see how you were doing,” Starlight said, “I, overheard someone mention that, you were seen with Rover, and I was just worried. Normally you’re more careful about that, aren’t you?”

Rarity closed her eyes and took a breath, “I’m past the point of caring now. In two days, my life’s ruined no matter what I do, and that’s assuming I don’t just die from this killer nightmare,” she wiped away a tear, “So if someone sees me with the Dogs, fine. If Blueblood wants to report that I fucked Rover, fine. I don’t care what happens to me anymore.”

“But I care,” Starlight walked over to Rarity, “I’m your friend, Rarity,” Rarity shied back and looked at Starlight with a suspicious glare, “What’s it going to take to get you to trust me?”

Rarity averted her eyes, “I, want to be alone.”

Starlight thought about her next move carefully. She had every reason to believe Rarity was planning to kill herself, but none of that she could open up about till Twilight identified what caused the Nightmare to begin with. She wanted to be left alone, but from experience, Starlight knew that right now, showing these signs, she did not need to be alone right now.

“Rarity, I’m not leaving this time,” Starlight said firmly, but softly, causing Rarity to growl, “Say what you want, growl all you want, but I’m not letting you push me away. You’re suffering, and if all I can do is be a presence, then I want to do that. Please just let me do that much.”

“I don’t want or need your pity!” Rarity snapped, shooting up and glaring at Starlight tearfully.

“It’s not pity!” Starlight cried, not even holding back her tears.

“Then what is it?!”

“ I care about you!”

“Why do you care so much about me?!”

“Why do I need a reason to care?!”

“Because everyone has a reason!” Rarity shouted, “No one in this world is as nice as you! No one in this world gives a damn about strays like me, not without expecting something in return!” she broke down, “Even Applejack showed her true colors! She still sees that filthy dog from the street her Grandmother picked up! And I bet, for all this “we’re friends” bullshit, once you saw what sort of person I really am, you considered giving up on me too! So just go away! Leave me alone with my misery, and let me die in peace!”

Rarity fell to her knees and cried, just as hard as she did the one time Starlight managed to hug her, on the day she learned about what Cinch was planning on November 9th.

Starlight in response, knelt beside Rarity and wrapped her arms around her. As Rarity cried, she held onto Starlight tightly, and her emotions flooded into Starlight before she could stop them.

No matter what I do, my life is over!

Everything I worked to build up is going to be destroyed!

All because I couldn’t control myself! Because I’m just a filthy animal!

That’s all I’ll ever be!

It’s not fair! IT’S NOT FAIR!

Starlight took those emotions in and cried right there with Rarity. It wasn’t fair. Not at all. What Cinch was doing to Rarity was unforgivable, backing her in a corner like this. One way or another, she was saving Rarity from this Nightmare.

But if she couldn't change her heart, the only way to possibly save her might be to...

end song

Evening

Starlight didn’t feel like hanging out with anyone after school. After spending the rest of lunch with Rarity, she didn’t really say much. Feeling Rarity’s emotions like that did a number on her, but she had no idea who to turn to for help with this.

Thankfully, it seemed fate had an idea, as Celestia wrapped her arms around Starlight from behind as she sat on the living room couch.

Xion's Theme - Kingdom Hearts 358/2 Days

“Miss Tia?” Starlight asked softly.

“I’m here, my child,” Celestia said softly, nuzzling her, “Something happened, didn’t it?”

Starlight held onto Celestia’s arm, “I, faced Rarity’s emotions today. She’s, falling into despair, and I'm worried she might try to kill herself.”

Celestia tensed hearing that, and then quickly moved to sit beside Starlight, taking her hand, “Tell me everything.” Starlight opened up to Celestia, letting her know what she said, and how her emotions felt. She also told her all of the signs she’d seen, including what Apple Bloom told her, “Oh dear…”

“Miss Tia, I’m worried,” Starlight said, “We’re cutting this really close, and if we can’t find a way to stop Cinch from sending that report on the 9th, it won’t matter if we save her from her Dungeon. She’s not a bad person. Yes, she’s done some bad things in the past, but she doesn’t deserve this.”

“No, she doesn’t,” Celestia agreed, hugging Starlight, “I wish I could do more to help. Unfortunately, the information we have, we can’t prove, and Cinch…”

“I hate that woman, so much,” Starlight said softly, “I hate her as much as I hate Blueblood.”

“I, truly wished that Cinch wasn’t as vile of a woman as she appeared,” Celestia said sadly, “I had always hoped that, deep down she was still a good person. Now though…”

“If we, can’t change her heart like we did Fleur’s, what do you want me to do?” Starlight looked Celestia in the eyes. The way she looked back at Starlight told her everything. She understood where her head was.

And she didn’t like it anymore than Starlight did.

“For now, let’s wait until we hear what Twilight has to say about that last entry,” Celestia said, “We’ll reserve judgment for when we know the whole story.”

“That, might be a while sadly,” Trixie sighed stepping downstairs, “I just spoke to Twilight. It’s not looking good.”

“What do you mean?” Starlight asked carefully, getting up to walk over to Trixie.

“Apparently, that last entry is a mess to get through,” Trixie explained, “She’s trying to compile all of the necessary info, but she’s doesn’t think she’ll be done with it tonight.”

“But, the deadline is 2 days away!” Starlight exclaimed, eyes wide in horror, “We have to confront Rarity about her Dungeon tomorrow or else-”

“I know, and she does too,” Trixie said, going over to Starlight and hugging her, “She’s going to work overtime to get it done by the morning.”

“We’re not failing this mission,” Starlight said firmly, “If we have to take drastic measures to ensure Rarity lives, we do so.”

“You mean, if we can’t change her heart, then…”

“I don’t like it,” Starlight admitted, “But at this point, I’m not seeing another option.”

“Don’t see another option than what?” Rainbow Dash asked, she and Pinkie Pie stepping out of the kitchen.

“Twilight needs more time to compile the information,” Trixie said, “But if we’re going to do this right, we need tomorrow to confront Rarity, which means we need that info.”

“What happens if we can’t get the information in time?” Pinkie Pie asked fearfully.

“Then, the only way to ensure Rarity’s safety,” Starlight said carefully, “Would be to kill Cinch’s Shadow.”

“Not, just her Shadow,” Celestia said, turning to face the girls, “Remember, Rarity’s Dungeon has two Dungeon Masters, so if one vanishes, the other now has full control over the Dungeon. I don’t want you to kill either of them, but if you kill one and not the other…”

“Shit…” Rainbow Dash muttered, “This doesn’t look good. Like, at all.”

“Ooooh, I don’t want to kill anyone,” Pinkie Pie looked down, “Even if Cinch is a terrible person.”

“And now that we know what Rover’s motivation is, the thought of killing him just feels...” Trixie pulled her hat over her eyes, “Girls, did we bite off more than we could chew with this one?”

The air was heavy with that question asked. This was much worse than Trixie or Pinkie Pie’s Dungeons. Blueblood was vile, but he didn’t have any real power ultimately. Fleur had a lot of power over Pinkie Pie, but ultimately she wasn’t a bad person. Just misguided, and her good intentions were corrupted by jealousy.

But Cinch, was vile, and she did have power. And making it worse, if they didn’t solve this, Applejack and her family could be in a lot of trouble over this.

“I don’t feel comfortable finalizing this decision yet,” Starlight decided, “Not without giving Twilight a chance. We’ll see what happens tomorrow morning, and worry about what we’ll do in the morning, once we hear from Twilight.”

Everyone nodded in agreement to that. It was close. Very close. But at this point, all they could do was trust in Twilight.

Twilight was glued to her monitor, working furiously on making sense of this entry. Rarity's thoughts were all over the place, but she knew this was the last entry of her Akashic Records. But none of that mattered if she couldn't give them the necessary information to rescue Rarity.

Twilight sat back and rubbed her eyes, "I don't care if it takes me till the morning. I have to translate this. Everyone's counting on me." She took a deep breath and got back to work. She wasn't obsolete yet, and she was going to prove that by rescuing Rarity here and now.

Author's Note

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11/8

November 8th, 2019
Thursday
Cloudy

Morning

The air in the dorm was tense and heavy. All of them woke up early, and waited in the dining room, anxious to see if Twilight could compile the final entry before they went to school. Assuming they even had the final entry. Already showered and collectively eating breakfast, all they could do was wait.

The only one who wasn’t eating was Celestia. But she sat at the dining room table with all of them, hands resting under her nose, her eyes closed contemplatively. Starlight noticed that her leg was shaking underneath the table.

“I need another helping,” Pinkie Pie said, getting another plate of eggs, bacon, and toast.

“That’s like, your third helping,” Trixie pointed out, “And they’ve all been pretty big.”

“I’m really stressed here, so cut me a break,” Pinkie Pie requested.

Rainbow Dash pulled out her phone, “School starts in 20 minutes. Either way, we’re gonna be late.”

“I’ll cover for you,” Celestia said softly, “Don’t worry if you’re a little late to class.”

“But what about you?” Starlight asked, “You’re staff, and our homeroom teacher.”

“True, and Cinch won’t care for this, but right now I’m past the point of caring what that woman wants,” Celestia said, her voice low and filled with dark loathing, “Besides, this to me is more important.”

“Twi-Twi, hurry…” Trixie begged softly. Almost on cue, they heard someone rush downstairs, followed by Twilight throwing the door open, panting heavily in exhaustion, but holding up a folder with papers in it.

“Final, entry!” Twilight said, smiling in relief. All at once, the tension lifted in the room.

Riku's Theme - Kingdom Hearts 2

“You did it!” Pinkie Pie shot up and hugged Twilight, “You really did it!”

“Good job, Twilight!” Celestia beamed.

“You came, just in time!” Trixie rubbed Twilight’s back.

“Yeah, nice save, Mission Control,” Rainbow Dash said, pulling up a chair for Twilight, “Here, sorry if there isn’t much left to eat. Pinkie Pie’s a stress eater.”

“It’s fine,” Twilight said, sitting down at the chair beside Starlight, “I’m probably going to just eat something small after this and head right to bed. Part of why this took so long was because I needed to look up other entries in her Akashic Records to make sense of things. That said, I can safely tell this is the final entry, and this one, it’s a doozy.”

“What did you learn?” Starlight asked.

“First off, it seems like Rover appeared in the Dungeon first,” Twilight began, now making herself a small plate, “His involvement started shortly after he and the Diamond Dogs got out of juvie, which was apparently a few months ago, while we were still looking for Pinkie Pie’s Dungeon. They just, bumped into each other while she was walking through town, and he recognized her.”

“That’s it?” Rainbow Dash asked, “He didn’t track her down or anything, and corner her in an alley?”

“Not as far as I could tell, no,” Twilight shook her head, “It was just a chance meeting. He did ask about her appearance though, and mentioned that he knew she left the gang.”

“Which I can imagine, he wasn’t happy about,” Trixie said.

“Not in the slightest,” Twilight confirmed, “I looked up the Diamond Dog code, and they follow a ranking system similar to how people used to think wolf packs worked. So the average members are classified as Betas, new members are Omegas, and the leaders are the Alphas. Rarity was an Alpha right beside Rover.”

“She kinda does carry herself like an Alpha, or what I’d assume is an Alpha,” Starlight mused, “She almost seems resistant to showing weakness.”

“That’s because due to how rough her life was, she very well couldn’t,” Twilight said, “I’m not going to mince words here, okay? Based on what I learned about her, she had a terrible life from day one.”

“Being orphaned probably didn’t help matters,” Celestia said softly.

“That’s where it started,” Twilight said sadly, “According to these files, Rarity doesn’t know what happened to her real family. There was an accident when she was two years old, and she remembers hearing someone scream her name, but that’s it. The Diamond Dogs were her only real family before the Scarlets, and even then, due to none of them getting adopted, they had to more or less live on the support of the Golden Oaks Center, and they could only do so much. They formed their gang because it was the only way they could survive in the world.”

Starlight frowned looking away a bit, remembering Sweetie Belle. The way she got around Rarity suggested...

“No wonder Rarity’s so standoffish naturally,” Pinkie Pie looked down, “She really is just like you, Dashie.”

“No, she’s worse,” Rainbow Dash looked down, “I had you and Miss Tia once she joined the school staff, and now I got everyone else too. Rarity though? Besides the Diamond Dogs…”

“She was alone,” Starlight finished, “And they were all in the same boat together, which means their resentment of the world around them was shared.”

“Rover, and by extension all of them, probably came to believe that outside of the Golden Oaks Center employees, no one else could really be trusted outside of the pack,” Twilight continued, “So when Rarity showed up living a life with people outside of the pack…”

“He, felt like she betrayed them,” Trixie said, “And the fucked up part is, she kinda did.”

“Kinda nothing,” Rainbow Dash said, “Remember that plea deal she took with the Scarlets? She knowingly abandoned her pack with she did that. Yeah, it was either that or jail, and they all benefited from it, but what she did was selfish.”

“That’s what she meant…” Starlight realized, catching everyone’s attention, “At the Halloween Party, she said she did something selfish to fix her life, and she now feels like she’s being punished for it.”

Twilight nodded, “That lines up, yeah. Thing is, Rover was mad, but more than anything, he was concerned that Rarity was setting herself up for failure. That if she messed up even once, everything she worked hard to get would be lost,” she held up the folder, “And the messed up part was, he was one hundred percent right.”

“What happened…?” Celestia asked carefully.

“Okay, so, I’m going to read the entry first, and then we’ll talk. I’m warning you now though, this is going to sound weird. Rarity’s mind is, well, just listen,” Twilight began reading it, but like always, Starlight heard all of it in Rarity’s voice in her head.

I worked hard to get where I am today. No, it wasn’t easy, and I had to make some, compromises, here and there, give up a few things, but it’s necessary to live in this world.

People will be afraid if I’m abrasive, so I have to be mellow. People won’t respect me if I bark at them, so I have to be elegant. This is who they want. This is who they like.

Mmm, I’m so fucking horny. When was the last time I had a real dick in me?

I knew I did something right when I became the Student Council President. I won by a landslide. At first I thought it was because everyone hated my opponent that much. Suri’s a cunt by the way. But no, after the election, everyone was super nice and supportive of me. Even my teachers were congratulating me.

Only one on the staff who didn’t was Cinch. But fuck her. No, not like that. Ugh! Now I can’t focus on anything but sex. Come on, bring it back.

I did it. I became a success story. I turned my life around. Granny Smith was so proud of me. Applejack couldn’t stop smiling. Hell, Macintosh hugged me and said I did good. I, was a good girl. Oh, if I had a tail like I did in my dreams, it’d be wagging so much!

I was truly happy with who I became. But one meeting changed all of that.

Rover said I was setting myself up for failure. That deep down, I was still Dirty Diamond. I denied it then, but even as I said it, I could feel the hunger rising.

Not helped by how much stuff is on my plate now. On top of my duties as Student Council President, now I have exams to worry about, and this Nightmare Epidemic bullshit too. Come to think of it, the last few night, I’ve always dreamed that I was…

No, I don’t have it. Still, my head did feel a bit funny when I saw Rover. Hey, come to think of it, he appeared in my dream last night, didn’t he? But, no no no, it’s not that. I’m fine. I’m definitely fine.

Don’t worry. I’m fine.

But, damn it, this is too much. It’s getting worse now. I could always turn to Rover, and maybe ask for him to- NO! That’s not who I am anymore! I can manage on my own!

I say that, but the vibrator isn’t helping anymore. I can’t risk doing anything at the Scarlets’ either. That time with the horse was too close. I’d have been sunk if Apple Bloom hadn’t covered for me.

So, what do I do? Mmmm… it’s getting harder and harder to stay in control of myself. I need something or else I’ll explode. Okay, okay, don’t panic. I know what to do. I’m the Student Council President, right?

So if I ask a few students to keep a secret or two…

Let’s see, maybe three? Mmm, not enough. Five? Ten? Ugh, with as bad as it is, I might just need the whole football team? No, fuck that. Blueblood doesn’t get any of this. Maybe Spike? Mmmm, that’d be so awkward though, and I don’t want him to know what sort of bitch I really am.

Alright, I have my list. About 18 boys from various clubs. It’s, a lot, but for one night. Just one night, I need to be Dirty Diamond again.

I better be careful that no one sees my tattoo.

It turned into a full on gangbang in the boys locker room. If anyone saw it, I’d be in so much trouble, but I was careful. At least, I thought I was.

But, that cunt of a principal brought me into her office, and revealed she knew about everything. Apparently, the bitch with no life noticed a bunch of students gathering at the Locker Room and decided to stick her nose in to investigate. I can’t remember the last time anyone was that furious with me. Hell, not even Rover was that mad when he found out I abandoned the Pack. She had thought I had gotten myself under control. She even accused me of abusing my power as President!

*sighs* And, fine, she was actually right. I did abuse my power a bit. *growls* Okay, a lot. But I fucking couldn’t take it anymore! I needed to be free for just a bit!

This is why I kept you in a cage! Because I knew, the second I let you out, everything would be ruined!

If the Scarlets find out what I did… if Applejack finds out what I did…

Wait, if Cinch reports this… then my past will be investigated, won’t it? Then the Scarlets, and the deal I made with them, that’ll be out in the open! Macintosh could lose his job over this! No, worse! He could be ARRESTED for hiding me! What about Granny Smith?! What about Apple Bloom?! What about…

Applejack!

Please Cinch, don’t report me! I’ll do anything, anything at all, just please don’t tell anyone what happened! I don’t care what happens to me, but if the Scarlets take the fall for my sake, I’ll never forgive myself!

Damn it! The way that cantankerous crone smirked said it all.

The next day, a magazine came out with Pinkie Pie’s picture on the cover. It was so racy, and the students were apparently harassing her. Cinch wanted me to make an announcement about it, but I told her that’d just make it worse. That or paint Pinkie Pie in a bad light. But Cinch narrowed her eyes at me, and tapped her desk, where I knew the pictures were of my “episode”. Applejack was right there too.

I had no choice.

I’m sorry Pinkie Pie…!

I’m, so sorry…!

Now Cinch wants me to get rid of the Diamond Dogs. She’s said that they’ve been spotted close to the school, and are making the students, faculty, and parents worried. The “Higher Ups” are grilling her about it. However, if she deals with them her way, my involvement with them will come to light too, and then the Scarlets…

So now she’s making ME her attack dog to chase them away. Damn it, I didn’t want to see Rover, much less FACE him, like this, with my tail between my legs like a bitch on a leash. But, I did it. I spoke to him, told him everything.

And before I knew it, I was in his bed, and we were fucking. How it happened, I have no idea. But my control slipped again. It always slips when I’m near him.

He doesn’t want to leave town. Not with me here. The only way he’ll leave, is if I rejoin the Diamond Dogs, and go with him. But, not only would I be turning my back on Applejack’s family, but I’d be rejoining as an Omega. It’s our gang’s rules, so no getting around that.

But, it’d be a cage essentially. A metaphorical cage.

Cinch has me backed in a corner in the school, but now Rover’s giving me this ultimatum. If he’s reported, then the truth about me will be revealed, and since I’ve already slept with him since coming back…

I’m fucked. Rover was right. I made one mistake, and now the place I once found solace has turned into a prison before my very eyes, with Principal Cinch as the Warden. And outside of school, Rover’s keeping an eye on me now too, along with the other Dogs.

I’ve lost everything. Everything I worked for. Everything I built up for myself. All of that hard work. And now, it’s gone. I, I shouldn’t have gotten involved with the Scarlet family. I, I shouldn’t have signed that paper. I, I shouldn’t even be alive. All I do is bring pain and misery to everyone around me.

Applejack… I’m sorry I failed…

My story… is over…

end song

When Twilight finished, the room was silent, unsure how to process how that sounded. On the one hand, they now knew exactly what she did to get Cinch on her case, and based on how Celestia winced, it was bad. But on the other hand…

“That, sounded almost insane…” Rainbow Dash said softly.

“It was like, there were two Raritys in there,” Trixie added, “One being the Rarity we know from school, and the other one…”

“It was Dirty Diamond,” Starlight said, “The real Rarity.”

“That, or considering her partially awakened Persona,” Twilight closed the folder, “Her Shadow.”

“Whenever I would approach her, I’d insist on speaking to that side of her,” Starlight looked down, “I always assumed I was doing the right thing, asking her to just be natural. No wonder she always got so angry…”

“Miss Tia, could Rarity get in serious trouble for what she did in the locker room?” Pinkie Pie asked.

“I'm afraid so,” Celestia winced, “Sexual acts on school grounds is prohibited. Kissing and other shows of public affection are one thing, but actual sex…”

“That’s, pretty bad, yeah,” Trixie nodded.

“There’s also the issue that she used her position as President to draw in multiple students and swear them to secrecy,” Celestia continued, “That alone puts her in a questionable light. Add on top of that her connections to her old gang, and we’re looking at grounds… for expulsion.”

Everyone save for Twilight sucked in a breath or gasped at that. Starlight didn’t realize it was this bad. There were no two ways about it. Rarity messed up. She messed up big time.

“Also, I need to point out something else here,” Twilight said, “The Scarlets are still harboring a felon. If this gets out, they’re going to be investigated too.”

“But none of this was her fault!” Rainbow Dash defended.

“Rainbow Dash, I’m sorry,” Twilight turned to her, “But it undeniably is. She knew the rules of the school, and she violated them. She lost control, and while yes, nymphomania is a serious issue, she still chose to have that gangbang on school grounds, and she did abuse her power as President to attempt to cover it up.”

“But Tirek is the one who started it!” Rainbow Dash shouted, “That bastard doesn’t do anything except stomp on people weaker than him, just like what he did to my-” she caught herself and turned away.

“Dash…? What’s your connection to Tirek…?” Trixie asked slowly.

Rainbow Dash took a deep breath, “He’s, my father, alright?”

“You’re father?!” Trixie cried in surprise, “Wait, that means you’re…”

“Technically related to the fucker who raped and abused you? Trust me, it makes me sick, too,” Rainbow Dash ran her hands through her hair, “I agree that Rarity fucked up, but none of this would have happened if the Golden Oaks Center didn’t lose its funding, and he’s responsible for that.”

Twilight closed her eyes and took a breath, “You’re, right. Tirek’s the one who started all of this. That said, we still need to deal with Rarity here and now, because it did happen, and this puts us in an awkward position.”

“It, does?” Pinkie Pie asked, rubbing Rainbow Dash’s back.

“We know what she did,” Twilight pointed out, “No, we can’t prove any of this due to our method of learning, but we still know what happened, and rescuing her from her Dungeon isn’t going to change any of that. If we rescue her, and Cinch still reports it, depending on how involved we get with her, we could get in trouble too.”

“So… what are you saying?” Pinkie Pie asked, “We can’t just, do nothing about this.”

“Well, what do you think?” Twilight asked, turning to Starlight, “You’re the leader, so you get the final say in this?”

Starlight closed her eyes and thought about this carefully. Now they had all of the information they needed, and sadly, none of it looked good. Rarity, had undeniably done something wrong. That, and the fact she used her position as President to selfishly make this happen didn’t look good on her.

But Starlight remembered how hard Rarity cried when she held her, and how remorseful she was in her final entry. That, along with one of the last lines she said…

I shouldn’t be alive…

All I do is bring pain and misery to everyone around me…

Heartful Cry - Persona 3 FES

“What she did was wrong, no doubt about it,” Starlight said firmly, “She’s, done a lot of bad things. She and the Diamond Dogs did rob Tartarus Bank, she did abuse her power as President, and broke the rules in a big way, and she’s probably broken a number of laws in the past. That said,” Starlight opened her eyes, “Cinch is still wrong for taking advantage of Rarity like this!”

“Starlight’s right,” Trixie nodded, “Yeah, what Rarity did was fucked up, but far as that entry is concerned, Rarity messed up one time, and now Cinch is using that as an excuse to take advantage of her.”

“Also, Rover knows he’s putting Rarity in an awkward position, and while he may mean well, he isn’t putting Rarity’s feelings to heart,” Starlight tightened her fists, “No one is taking her feelings into consideration…”

“So we’re helping her, right?” Rainbow Dash asked, Starlight nodding immediately, “Perfect. That’s exactly what I wanted to hear.”

“Same,” Pinkie Pie nodded, “Rarity’s a good person. She’s just done some bad things, but she’s trying to be a good person.”

“The main issue I see, is that she keeps ignoring the problem,” Trixie pointed out, “Instead of actually getting the help she needs, she just puts on a fake personality to hide who she is.”

Starlight nodded, “She told me herself once that she wears that mask mostly so she doesn’t have to look at her true self. She can’t keep running from who she is.”

“I’m alright with helping her,” Twilight said, “But looking at the big picture here, we still need to worry about what Cinch is going to do to Rarity. Tomorrow’s the 9th, after all.”

“Right now, let’s worry about rescuing Rarity,” Celestia said, “Either way, she’s still in danger from the Shadows, and that much, we can deal with,” she turned to Starlight, “You have full clearance to tell Rarity the truth about her Dungeon.”

“Thanks Miss Tia,” Starlight got up, “Let’s head to school. Keep an eye out for Rarity throughout the day. No matter what, we have to get her to the school roof.”

“I’ll make sure the system is set up,” Twilight yawned, “And afterward, I’m heading to bed. If I’m still asleep when you’re ready to head in, wake me up.”

“Thanks Twilight, for that, and for everything you do,” Starlight smiled, “We couldn’t do any of this without you.”

Twilight pursed her lips and averted her eyes, “No, problem,” she said stiffly, “Good luck, everyone.”

With that, she went back upstairs, presumably to get the system ready and to get some sleep. Now, all they needed to do was confront Rarity about what happened, and tell her the truth about the Nightmare.

Almost done. Just one more push, and she’d be free of the Nightmare.

Lunch Time

Troubled - Persona 3

Thanks to Apple Bloom, Starlight knew where Rarity would be for lunch. She thankfully had shown up for school today, but according to everyone was being more evasive than usual. Starlight didn’t like this one bit.

As she made her way to the roof, she saw Applejack pacing back and forth in the hallway on her phone. She looked nervous.

“Come on… please pick up…” she begged. Starlight walked over to her just as she hung up and closed her eyes tightly, “Damn it, Rarity!”

“What’s wrong?” Starlight asked.

“I can’t reach Rarity,” Applejack said, “She got called to Cinch’s office at Second Period, but that was hours ago, an’ she ain’t pickin’ up her phone,” she bit her lip, “I get she’s still mad at me, but she could at least text me…”

Suddenly, Starlight’s heart leaped out of her chest. They needed to find her now.

“Alright, I’ll search the roof first,” Starlight said urgently, “You check around the classrooms and the back alleyway.”

Applejack didn’t even question it. She just nodded, “Alright. Thanks, Starlight.”

As Applejack took off, Starlight prayed to whatever God was up there that she wasn’t too late, and booked it to the roof. Hopefully she was there and alive, but even if Applejack found her first, they could make sure she was okay.

end song

When she arrived, she was thankful that the door wasn’t locked or anything, but when she opened it, she got the shock of a lifetime. She saw Rarity standing by the fence, and she had a gun…

One pointed, right at her head…!

Starlight gasped sharply, catching Rarity’s attention. Immediately, she turned to Starlight and pointed the gun at her, “Don’t, come any closer!”

Starlight sucked in a breath, but froze. She arrived just in time, but now was at the wrong end of a dangerous situation. She needed to choose her words extremely carefully here.

“I need you, to put the gun down, and take a few deep breaths,” Starlight said softly.

Rarity shook her head, “I’m not doing that. I’m ending this, one way or another.”

“Rarity-”

“I can’t, do this another night! That fucking nightmare won’t kill me, so I’ll just do it myself!” she trembled, tearing up as she brought the gun to the side of her head, “I, I have to do this…!”

“Why do you feel that way?” Starlight asked, her heart pounding.

“Because it’s the only way to save Applejack!” Rarity sobbed, “I messed up! I ruined everything, and because she and her family got involved with me, they’re in danger!”

This would be showing her hand a bit, but there wasn’t another option here. She had to keep Rarity talking. She had to talk her down from this before she even thought about tackling the Dungeon. Everything she'd learned about Rarity would be needed to save her.

A Glum Face on the Water - Blue Reflection: Second Light

“It’s because of that gangbang in the boy’s locker room, right?” Starlight asked, surprising Rarity, “When you say you messed up, you’re talking about that?”

“How… do you know about that…?” Rarity asked shakily.

“Right now, that’s not important,” Starlight shook her head, taking a single step toward Rarity, “What is important, is that I know, and I’m here to try and help you as best as I can.”

“This is the part where you tell me it’s not my fault, right?” Rarity asked harshly, “When you feed me empty words of sympathy?”

“No, I’m not going to say that,” Starlight shook her head, “You made a mistake, and yes, it was a big one, but it was one mistake.”

“My whole life is a mistake!” Rarity cried, “I’m nothing but a freak! A dirty whore, and a filthy stray who should have been put to sleep ages ago!”

“That’s, so not true, Rarity,” Starlight said, “You’re not a freak.”

“Yes, I am!” Rarity said, closing her eyes and sobbing quietly, “I have no self control of my urges, I’m barely even a person-”

“A wolf, right?” Starlight asked, “You’re a wolf, or some sort of canine.”

Rarity opened her eyes again looking at her carefully, “Yes… that’s how I identify…”

“I figured as much,” Starlight said, “I noticed how you behave around Applejack sometimes. How she’ll pet you, how you’ll nuzzle her, and a few other mannerisms I noticed, like how you were laying down on the bench on Halloween. Remember? You were kind of curled up on it, and I began petting your side.”

“I, remember that,” Rarity slowly nodded.

“It felt nice, didn't?” Starlight took another step, “Getting affection from someone who understood?”

“You don’t understand me,” Rarity defended, “How could you understand me? You barely even know me.”

“I know, that you take your job as Student Council President seriously,” Starlight said, “I know that instead of calling Applejack to deal with problems, you’ll face them yourself, like how you helped me when Blueblood cornered me at the beginning of the school year,” another step, “I know, that you take the time to read every single love letter that you receive, even though you think they're silly and pathetic. It’s because you care about the feelings of the ones who sent them, right?”

Rarity nodded, tears still streaming down her cheeks, “They’re, really desperate sounding a lot of the time, but they put so much effort into them. I, still have Spike’s in my room.”

“That’s, really sweet,” Starlight said, “You’re sweet. Even at your most abrasive, you’re sweet, and undeniably a good person.”

“Now I know you’re talking out of your ass,” Rarity said weakly, “Every time you’ve seen the real me, I was barking at you.”

“Not every time,” Starlight shook her head.

“Name one time I wasn’t.”

“The first time I ever saw Dirty Diamond,” Starlight said, “In the alleyway, when I stumbled into Diamond Dog territory. You protected me, and you did that as your true self,” she took another step closer, “Besides, the Scarlets know the true you, right? They’d have to know who you really are, and yet they still took you in. That’s because you showed them your best self, right? Think back to when you met them.”

“I, I remember,” Rarity said shakily, “It was, when we robbed a bank. I, protected them, and helped Apple Bloom get her inhaler.”

Starlight nodded, “And were you the President then? Were you wearing this mask then? I’m willing to bet, it didn’t even exist.”

“I just, didn’t want the last thing I did before prison, to be hurting others. I, I wanted to do, something good.”

“And that’s why you were given a second chance,” Starlight urged, “Because you showed you were a kind person. You keep saying all you bring is pain and misery to other people, but from where I’m standing, you bring a lot more joy to people. So what if you’re a bit on the slutty side.”

“A bit? Starlight, I’m a lot more than just a bit on the slutty side,” Rarity laughed ruefully, “If you knew just what I did to deserve the title Dirty Diamond…”

“It’s connected to your nymphomania, right?” Starlight asked Rarity, “It’s a serious issue, one you deal with regularly.”

“It, is,” Rarity whimpered, “Anything you can think of sexually, I’ve done and more.”

“That’s why you had that gangbang in boys locker room, right?” Starlight asked, “Because you lost control?”

“Yes!” Rarity cried as Starlight took another step toward her, “It’s so hard keeping myself in control! I tried, and I did good! I didn’t fuck strangers in alleyways! I didn’t suck people off for free stuff! I, did have sex with the owner of the sushi restaurant, but that was to get something nice for Pinkie Pie!”

Starlight smiled, “Even then, you were thinking of someone else.”

“I tred so hard to be good, but I couldn’t take it anymore! Everything was stressing me out, the mask was becoming too heavy for me, and my vibrator wasn’t enough, I needed something!”

“And Cinch took advantage of you, right?”

“SHE HATES ME!” Rarity screamed, “SHE’S HATED ME FROM DAY ONE! SHE DIDN’T EVEN WANT ME TO ATTEND THIS SCHOOL!” she sobbed loudly, “I get it! I know what she’s doing! She’s trying to get rid of me! And I deserve everything she’s doing to me! I just, I don’t want her to suffer because of me!”

“You mean Applejack?” Starlight asked softly, taking another step. She was almost right in front of the despondent wolf girl.

“I love her! I love her so much!” Rarity continued to cry, “I’ve loved her the moment I laid eyes on her! But I’m damaged goods! I can’t be the person she wants me to be!”

“I, don’t know what sort of person Applejack wants you to be,” in fact, she had a feeling Rarity didn’t know either, “But chances are, she wants the same thing I want. Which is for you to be happy, and true to yourself.”

“Why are you doing this…?” Rarity sobbed, “I know you’re trying to stop me from killing myself, but why?”

“Because I get it,” Starlight teared up now, “I’ve been where you are. That feeling of hopelessness, feeling trapped, feeling like you only bring pain and suffering to those around you. I… I never told you why I tried to commit suicide, did I?” Rarity shook her head, “It’s because I… I… I killed my mother!” Starlight broke down.

Rarity’s eyes widened, “What, do you mean by that…?”

“I wanted to be a witch so badly, that I did a ritual to unlock my magic potential,” Starlight continued, still crying, “The ritual, required giving up that which mattered most to you. I wasn’t thinking what it meant. I thought it was just something material. But when I finished the ritual, and was about to offer my tribute, I heard a crash outside of my ritual grounds, and I saw, my Mom’s car…!”

Rarity actually dropped her arm, looking at Starlight with a shocked expression.

“She died instantly. I knew it was my fault. I knew, that she was my tribute,” she looked at her Channeling Ring, “I, did kill myself, actually. I went through with my plan, and I was so close to just, disappearing. I said, that I needed to cure the illness, that was my life.”

Rarity grimaced hearing that, “I, feel the same way. Like, my life is, something that needs to be dealt with.”

“I know,” Starlight continued, still crying but standing right in front of Rarity now, “But I’ll tell you, the same thing that someone told me. The words, that reignited my will to live,” she looked Rarity in the eyes, “Instead of searching for the Light yourself, you can be the Light, for someone else.”

“Be, the Light…?”

“It means if you live, you can use your life, to help people,” Starlight held Rarity, “You can still do good, You can do so much good for this world, but not if you die here. If I had died, then I wouldn’t have been able to help Trixie or Pinkie Pie, and I wouldn’t be here for you right now. If you die here, then somewhere, someone out there loses the chance to meet you, and have their lives benefited from knowing you. I know, that if you die, Applejack will be devastated, and, so will I. I’m your friend, Rarity. I want to be the Light in your Darkest Hour, because I care about you.”

“Then, answer me this,” Rarity said softly, not returning the hug, “Which side, do you want to be friends with? The Student Council President, or Dirty Diamond?”

Starlight didn’t even have to think about it. She already decided on her answer in the Dungeon, after all.

Smile - Persona 4

“I want to be friends, with both.”

Rarity gasped, “B-both…?”

“Because, they’re both a part of you,” Starlight looked Rarity in the eyes, smiling lovingly, “Dirty Diamond, “Miss President”, they’re all masks that you wear. Ultimately, I want to be friends with the person behind the masks, but I acknowledge that both identities, are a part of you. I don’t care who you are, I just want to be there for you.”

“You, mean it,” Rarity said softly, “You, actually mean it.”

Starlight nodded, “I do. I mean every word. Even if it’s hard, I’ll be right there beside you.”

Rarity began breathing heavily, and Starlight carefully got the gun out of her hand and kicked it away from them. Rarity then broke down completely and hugged Starlight tightly, a gesture she happily returned.

“Good girl…” Starlight whispered lovingly, “That’s right, good girl…”

“I… I’m sorry! I’m sorry for everything I said to you in the past! I’m sorry for hurting you and Trixie by sleeping with Blueblood! I’m sorry I scared Pinkie Pie! I’m sorry I-”

“You don’t need to apologize,” Starlight said firmly, rubbing her back as she cried, “You’re a victim. You’ve been a victim from day one, but that ends tonight. You said that you can’t do this anymore, right? Well, you’re not going to have to.”

“What, do you mean?”

“I, still don’t know what to do about Cinch, but I can at least put an end to the Nightmare.”

“You, can save me from this?” Rarity asked, now looking at Starlight skeptically, but hopefully too.

“I can,” Starlight nodded, “After school, I need to tell you something really important, so meet me here at like, 3:30, okay?”

Rarity pursed her lips a bit, but nodded, “A-alright. I’ll be here.”

“This, involves my friends too, but if you want it to be just us, it can be,” Starlight said.

“C-could it, just be you and me?” Rarity asked, “I’m sorry but, I don’t want to be crowded right now. I’m, probably going to spend the rest of the day in the nurse’s office resting.”

“That’s fine,” Starlight nodded, “I’ll call someone to take care of the gun, but that's after I escort you to the nurse’s office,” Rarity nodded, and Starlight hugged her again, whispering into her ear, “The nightmare, is almost over.”

As she escorted Rarity off the roof, she could tell Rarity was looking at her somewhat confused. Somehow, she succeeded in saving Rarity’s life. She hadn’t stopped the Dungeon, that was still a thing, but she at the very least, stopped Rarity from ending her life.

Something she did, without her magic.

As Rarity laid in one of the beds in the nurse’s office, she thought about what just happened between her and Starlight. She knew way more about her situation than Rarity was comfortable with, and while this proved she was in fact investigating her, something didn’t add up.

Some of what she knew, she hadn’t told anyone. Not even Applejack.

There was only one way she could have possibly known those things, but it didn’t make sense. It, wasn’t possible, was it? That all that time, the Starlight she kept seeing in her dreams, fighting to protect her, was actually her?

“Just, who the hell are you, Starlight Glimmer?” Rarity asked softly, “And for that matter, what are you…?”

end song

After School

After making sure everyone was up to speed on things, and telling Suri she’d have to miss Pep Squad again, Starlight went to speak to Applejack, let her know that Rarity was okay.

“An’, you got the firearm?” Applejack asked, as Starlight did tell Applejack about Rarity’s attempted suicide.

“I called Miss Tia,” Starlight said, “She took care of it.”

“Good,” Applejack sighed in relief, “An’ yer sure I can’t be there for this part?”

“I’m sorry, but this needs to just be me and her,” Starlight said, taking Applejack’s hands, “I promise, after tonight, she won’t have to worry about the Nightmare Epidemic at least.”

Applejack looked at Starlight curiously, “Ya know, if it were anyone else, I’d say they were crazy talkin’ like this.”

“I know it sounds crazy, but I’ve already managed to save three people from this,” Starlight said, Applejack nodding.

“Pinkie Pie vouched for ya. Said you rescued her from this,” Applejack closed her eyes, “I trust ya. I mean, with how serious this is, the fact yer still claimin’ to have the power to save Rarity… Jus’, tell me one thing. Why’d she do it? Or I guess what I’m really askin’ is, was it ‘cause of what I said…?”

Starlight shook her head, “It’s a lot of things, but I promise, you’re not one of them. If anything, she just, wants to be someone you can be proud of.”

Applejack groaned looking up, “That’s why she changed so much. See, back when I met her, Rarity was completely different than how y’all know her. She was still, well, like the Diamond Dogs in a sense.”

Starlight nodded, “But then, she changed?”

“It was gradual, but noticeable. She started by bein’ more chill ‘bout things. Then, she took the white highlight outta her hair, an’ started dressin’ less provocatively. Then she started speakin’ differently. She said it was a Transatlantic Dialect or somethin’, meant to make her seem more high class. She practiced it over the summer, an’ come Sophomore Year, she was well, ya know.”

“How’d it make you feel? Seeing her change so much?” Starlight asked.

“Honestly, I was scared this was gonna happen,” Applejack confirmed, “I never wanted Rarity to change who she was. Only if she wanted to change. But, knowin’ she felt like she had to change, Starlight, I…”

“It’s not your fault,” Starlight said firmly, “I think, Cinch is more the reason behind this than anyone.”

“What’s that bitch doin’ to Rarity,” Appplejack asked narrowing her eyes, “Please, Starlight. I need to know.”

Starlight took a breath, and then led Applejack to an abandoned hall, checking the time on her phone. She still had time before she needed to meet Rarity, “I can’t put Rarity’s business out there, but Rarity made a mistake, and Cinch is punishing her for it. Effectively blackmailing her.”

“Blackmailin’?!”

“Shh!” Starlight urged, “Keep it down. I don’t want this spreading around school.” Applejack nodded, “Cinch is holding dirt over Rarity, to make her do what she wants. She’s also making Rarity chase off the other Diamond Dogs, and if she doesn’t do this by tomorrow, she’s going to report them herself.”

“Why didn’t Rarity tell us any of this…?” Applejack asked softly.

“Because apparently, if this gets out, you and your family could be in trouble too,” Starlight said, once again looking at her phone, “How much do you know about why she’s staying with you?”

“I, know a good bit,” Applejack said, “I know she an’ Macintosh struck a deal of some sort, an’ it means she ain’t gotta go to prison for the bank robbery.”

Starlight nodded, “From what I pieced together, the way this is happening, isn’t fully to code, so if Rarity gets investigated…”

Applejack closed her eyes, “Macintosh an’ Granny Smith, take the fall too. Damn it, Cinch knows that, I’m sure.”

“I’d be surprised if she didn’t,” Starlight looked out of the hall, and then leaned into Applejack, “I’m telling you this, because your family is connected to the police. What Cinch is doing can’t be legal, and while I can save Rarity from the Nightmare, my power is limited to just the Nightmare.”

“But, we can save her from this,” Applejack said, “Alright. I’ll talk to Macintosh ‘bout this. See what we can do. Rarity ain’t takin’ the fall for this.”

Starlight smiled, hugging Applejack, “Thank you. Leave the Nightmare to me.”

“Alright,” she hugged back, “I, don’t know what yer plannin’, but good luck either way.”

And with that, Applejack released Starlight and left. Starlight looked at her phone, seeing 3:25. She still had time to get to the roof. Feeling better about things, Starlight made it to the roof to meet with Rarity.

Like before, Rarity was already there. This time though, she was just sitting on one of the benches waiting for Starlight. She looked down at her lap, her expression unreadable, but looked up when Starlight arrived.

“You’re, early,” she said softly.

“I, was actually worried I’d be a bit late,” Starlight closed the door behind her, “I, spoke to Applejack. I’m sorry but, I did tell her about you trying to…”

Rarity nodded somberly, “It’s alright. You did the right thing. Was she, mad at me?”

“Not at all,” Starlight shook her head, going to sit beside Rarity, “She was worried about you, more than anything. She really does care about you.”

Rarity looked down, “Even after I tried to push her away… fuck that’s just like her…” she took a breath and turned to Starlight, “You said you wanted to tell me something.”

Starlight nodded, “I do, but first I need to get a bit more information. So, when did the Nightmare start?”

Living with Determination - Persona 3

Rarity looked up at the sky, “When did it start, huh? That’s a tough one. I guess it started, a bit after I learned Blueblood was abusing Trixie? No wait, it was after Cinch revealed that she was putting it under investigation.”

Starlight took a breath, “I take it, the dream wasn’t too bad when it started?” she asked, choosing to keep her anger out of this. This was about Rarity, not herself or Trixie.

“Not at all,” Rarity shook her head, “Back then, it was just, the school, and sometimes Ponyville, only it was a place where I could just, be.”

Right. Ponyville was another name for South Street, “A place where you could just, be?”

“You know, a place where I could be,” she undid her tie and unbuttoned her top a bit, “This.”

Starlight nodded, “A place where Dirty Diamond could be free.”

Rarity nodded, “It was paradise to me. Everyone accepted me, despite me being a shameless slut. I could have a full on orgy in the middle of the street, or have my ass pounded in the hallway of school, and no one would bat an eye. It’s not like how it is here,” she hugged a knee to her chest, not the classiest way to sit with such a short skirt, but looked more natural to Starlight, “The mask I wear? I started piecing it together from what I knew people would be receptive to.”

“What do you mean?” Starlight asked, rubbing Rarity’s back, “Did people not like you before?”

“They were terrified of me,” Rarity said, “One time, I was horny, so I turned to one of my classmates for sex, and he ran away from me. That’s, when I realized that being a nymphomaniac, was going to work against me. So, I bought a pill vibrator, and didn’t ask for sex anymore. I learned my attitude was too abrasive, so I put a lid on it so people wouldn’t run away all the time. I saw people thought my more wolfish tendencies were odd, so I taught myself how to behave more “human”. So on, and so forth, until,” she got up, buttoned up her top and redid her tie, before presenting herself to Starlight, “She came into being,” she said now in the "Transatlantic Dialect".

Starlight sighed, “I hate that you felt you had to change who you were…”

“I hate it too, trust me,” Rarity sat back down beside Starlight, undoing her tie and shirt again, “But, I wanted to prove I could be more than just Dirty Diamond. I wanted to prove that I could be, like them,” she huffed, “But it’s so hard, ignoring my urges, keepin' my temper in check, rememberin' that I’m not a wolf, but a human girl. Add on top of it SATs, ACTs, applying for colleges, searching for a part time job where I’m not spreading my legs, the Nightmare Epidemic, and then hearing that there was a case of abuse in the school and Cinch wasn’t doing shit about it because his father was Damien Tirek; the stress got to me, but the dreams gave me, solace. Back then, at least.”

“So, when did it change?” Starlight asked.

“First change happened when I bumped into Rover,” Rarity sighed, “He’d been wondering what happened to me, but I happened to be in town doing some shopping for Granny Smith when he saw me. When he found out that I left the Dogs, he was, well, he didn’t take it well, let’s just say.”

“He didn’t hurt you or anything, did he?” Starlight asked frowning.

“Not at all,” Rarity shook her head, “We argued a bit, but he never once laid a hand on me. He’d never do that,” she looked down sadly, “But, he did express how much he hated what I was doing. He called me domesticated, and said that all I was doing was setting myself up for disappointment and failure. I, denied it then, but deep down he got me thinking. How fragile was this new life of mine? He told me though, that despite how things turned out, I was always welcome at the old base. Which I, was happy to hear, much to my shame,” she smiled, but it was a sad smile, “And afterward, he appeared in my dream. But, it was different.”

“How so?”

“He felt more, real? Like, it was really him. And it seemed to match the real world too. Like, we’d do something in the dream, and then I’d run into him in town a few days later, and the dream would be referenced in some way,” Rarity explained, “Also, my nymphomania started getting worse. I needed to masturbate more often, I started having fantasies, one day, I even came to school with my vibrator in me. Another day, I did the same thing, but gave the remote to Apple Bloom, and asked her to just, play with it throughout the day.”

“She, must know a lot about this,” Starlight said.

“She covers for me when I need help,” Rarity explained, “Essentially, I pay her to look the other way when I, misbehave a bit.”

So Apple Bloom did accept bribes. Yeah, the “dirty cop” angle worked for her.

“She’s a lot stronger than the rest of the family knows,” Rarity said, “Yes, she has panic attacks, but outside of that, she’s really mature for her age, and well,” she leaned into Starlight, “Applejack doesn’t know this, but Apple Bloom has her own club that looks after the students.”

“Like, the Defense Committee?”

“If the Defense Committee is the police, Apple Bloom’s thing is more the mafia, really,” Rarity winced, “Again, Applejack has no idea about it, but part of the deal she and I have, I let her do her own thing in school, and she turns a blind eye and covers for me when I need to not be the President.”

Starlight nodded, taking a deep breath as she thought about Sweetie Belle getting involved with this. But, that wasn’t important right now.

“Okay, so getting back on topic, your nymphomania getting worse? That’s why the gangbang happened?”

Rarity sighed, “I knew it was wrong, okay? But, I was going crazy! I needed a bunch of dicks in me, back to back, in all three holes repeatedly! It was just going to be a few students, but I kept adding more to it, and eventually, I had a list of 18 students lined up to fuck me. Not Blueblood though.”

“Fuck Blueblood, not in the sexy way,” Starlight waved it off, making Rarity laugh.

“Exactly. So, I met up with them in the boys locker room, opened my top, removed my panties, and after making sure none of them squealed, let them go to town on me,” she smiled, moaning in pleasure, “And it was fantastic.”

Starlight was a bit surprised. She thought Rarity, didn’t like being a nymphomaniac.

“Why, did you choose to go back to being Dirty Diamond?” she asked, “I thought you hated being that way?”

“Not really,” Rarity shook her head, “Yes, I’m a slut, but I have fun as a slut. I, would like to have more control over myself, but so long as I get a steady supply of raunchiness, I’m usually fine.” she huffed, “I actually planned to keep them on call for me as a special group of students I could turn to whenever I had urges. But then, Cinch called me into her office.”

Starlight pursed her lips. She let Rarity speak though, as this was again, her moment.

“She said she was going to report me,” Rarity explained, “Mentioned off hand that the School Board wouldn’t be happy with knowing that I was a part of that gang. And, I panicked. I realized that if she told them, then Applejack’s family would pay the price. I said I’d do whatever she wanted if it meant keeping this a secret.”

Starlight took a deep breath, seeing her opening, and choosing to take it.

end song

“Which is when she became the Warden, and turned the school into that Prison, right?” Starlight asked, Rarity slowly turning to look at her.

“That’s, right,” Rarity said slowly, “I, need to ask you something now,” Starlight nodded, “How, do I look, in the dream?”

Starlight took a breath, “Let’s see, normally you look human, but are wearing something akin to a black leather harness in place of a bra, leather garter belt without panties, fishnet stockings, and black boots. I’ve also seen you take the form of a black and purple wolf monster, only when you’re with Rover,” she turned to Rarity, “Sorry about your wrist. Rainbow Dash felt terrible about hurting you.”

Rarity’s eyes widened, “You do know.”

“Yeah, I do,” Starlight smiled.

Rarity looked Starlight up and down, and seemed to run some things in her mind. After a bit, she sucked in a breath, "I, I know what you are…”

“Say it,” Starlight narrowed her eyes subtly, "Out loud."

“You’re, a witch…” she said in awe.

Mistic - Persona 3

Starlight closed her eyes, and clapped her hands, “Congratulations. You figured it out.”

“So, when you said to me earlier, that you did a ritual to unlock your magic…”

“That’s, true,” Starlight averted her eyes, “And you’ve seen what my magic is like. With my magic, I can enter people’s dreams, and fight the demons called Shadows that plague them. I use this magic to rescue people from their Nightmares.”

“You mentioned Rainbow Dash,” Rarity narrowed her eyes, “She’s, involved too?”

“As are Pinkie Pie and Trixie,” Starlight nodded, “They were all people I also saved from their Nightmares, and in the process, they became witches too. Well, Pinkie Pie’s a Magical Girl, but same thing, really.”

Rarity took a deep breath, and nodded, “Okay, so what’s really going on then? You know right? What these dreams are?”

“They’re, not just dreams. We call them Dungeons,” Starlight explained carefully as Rarity stood up and paced a bit, “See, when people go to sleep, they enter another world called the Phase. Essentially, they’re astral projecting into an environment of their creation. However, sometimes people get caught by what we call Shadows, and end up trapped in the same dream, which then becomes more vivid and real, until it gets to the point where you are.”

“And, you’ve been doing, this, for me since…”

“Remember when we saved you from Blueblood the first time?” Starlight asked, “That was the first night. We’d been trying to find our way to your dream for weeks before then, but your status as an orphan made it a bit trickier to pinpoint the location.”

“So, why tell me this now?” Rarity stopped pacing and turned to Starlight, “Why not tell me before that it was really you?”

“Because I couldn’t. Not until I had all of the information,” Starlight rose and took Rarity’s hands, “But now, I have everything I need. Tonight, my Coven and I are going to go into your dream, and this time, rescue you from it.”

“Rescue me?” Rarity asked, “You mean, I won’t have this dream anymore?”

Starlight shook her head, “Nope. Because we’re going to save you from your Dungeon. That dream can only exist so long as you’re there to have it, but once we get you to the exit, the dream will collapse.”

Rarity took a deep, slow breath, “Okay, so let’s say that you’re telling the truth, which honestly, I can safely say you are telling the truth about being there, scarily enough,” she narrowed her eyes at Starlight, “How do I know I can trust you? For all I know, you’re the one killing people in their dreams.”

Starlight took a breath, realizing Rarity still was afraid to trust her. She could work with this though.

“Remember when Rainbow Dash accidentally slashed you, and it hurt your wrist?” Starlight asked, “Your wrist was sore afterward, right?”

Rarity nodded carefully, “It, was. I had a mark and everything.”

“What happens to you in the dream follows you in the real world. If I were really going to kill you in your dream, considering I carry a scythe in there, don’t you think I’d have done it by now?”

Rarity pursed her lips, “Touche.”

“Why is it so hard for you to trust me?” Starlight asked, “Or a better question, why is it so hard for you to accept help period?”

“Because no one helps without an ulterior motive,” Rarity seethed, shying away from Starlight a bit, “Everyone wants something. So, what do you want? You said that you helped Trixie, Pinkie Pie, and Rainbow Dash, and they got magic, right? So what, I get magic and have to join your gang, too?”

“It’s, true that you might gain the same power as us through this,” Starlight answered, “But if you do, we won’t force you to join our Coven. You can just, live afterward.”

“So you’re not trying to make me join your group, or keep me in a cage?” Rarity asked.

“No cage, no ulterior motive, no fine print,” Starlight confirmed, “You’re free to live your life however you choose after this.”

Rarity looked down, clearly considering her options. After a bit, she took a deep breath, and looked Starlight in the eyes, everything going dark and in Rarity’s place was her dream self, wearing that parody of lingerie, “Fine. I’ll put my faith in you this time. Bust me out of this prison.”

Starlight nodded smiling, “Understood. We’ll save you, from both Cinch and Rover.”

Rarity nodded, still visibly tense. But, she accepted the help, so that was good. Now all they had to do was dive into her dream and rescue her.

She almost wished Adagio was available to help them with this. This was going to be their toughest mission yet.

Late Night

The Phase

Urge to Freedom - Mary Skelter Nightmares

Once they all gathered in the Library, and Starlight bought back Bicorn in case she needed her steed, they wasted no time. First, they went to the Diamond Dog HQ, where Shadow Rover was already outside waiting for them, flanked by probably all of his Shadows. Starlight didn’t like knowing she’d have to work with him on this, especially knowing he still planned on taking Rarity himself.

But, that was an issue for after they got Rarity out of the Prison.

“Kept me waitin’,” Shadow Rover said.

“Prep work took a bit longer on our end,” Starlight said, “Do we have a plan?”

Rover nodded looking up at the Prison in the distance, “How fast can your team get inside?”

“We got a way to get to the exterior at least,” Rainbow Dash said, “Not sure if we can warp right to where Rarity’s cell is, though.”

“I have a progra- er, spell for that,” Twilight said, “Don’t worry, the Checkpoint system can get us right inside. It’s getting Rarity out that’ll be tough.”

“Alright, so we can get in there pretty quickly then,” Trixie said.

“Perfect. Wait till my boys and I start hitting the Prison. Once that happens, you get in during the confusion, break Rarity out, and get her out. If this works, you won’t need to worry about fightin’ Cinch's minions too much.”

“Sounds good to me,” Starlight nodded, now smirking, “Try not to keep us waiting.”

Shadow Rover smirked right back, “Don’t worry, Little Star. We’ll be there before you know it,” he patted her on the back and then jumped onto a larger wolf Shadow, “Alright boys! Time to get our bitch back!”

The Shadows collectively howled/cheered before rushing off toward the Prison.

“Starlight,” Trixie said, placing a hand on her shoulder, “Once we get Rarity out of there, you know we’ll have to…”

Starlight took a deep breath and nodded, “I know. Fighting Rover is unavoidable if we’re to end this. But right now this is the only way we’re getting Rarity out of there.”

“Twilight, do you know where Rarity is?” Pinkie Pie asked.

“If I’m reading this right, she’s in her cell,” Twilight said, “I think I can see one of the apparitions guarding her.”

“Probably Apple Bloom,” Rainbow Dash said, “AJ’s apparition is still locked up, right?”

“Yes, she is.” Twilight said after a second, “I just confirmed that.”

“You said you can get us inside the Prison Cell area, right?” Starlight asked Twilight, “How so?”

“I’ve been working on a program to allow us to transport between Checkpoints we’ve already found,” Twilight said, “I had hoped I could test it first, but with how urgent this became, consider yourselves test subjects.”

“While we’re moving into position, where’s Cinch?” Trixie asked, the four of them running back to the Checkpoint as Twilight’s wisp vanished.

“Looking at this, she's moving through the Prison,” Twilight said, “It looks like, oh no.”

“What?” Starlight said.

“She’s gathering Shadows. She might be preparing to execute Rarity like she tried to execute Pinkie Pie!”

“No!” Pinkie Pie cried, “Are Rover’s Shadow’s going to make it in time?!”

“They’re already halfway there, so they should, but just barely,” Twilight said, her wisp returning, “The Checkpoint is set up. Get there pronto.”

“Got it. Sisters, let’s teach the “Warden” why you don’t fuck with a witch!”

With that, they pushed through the Checkpoint, which this time opened to the Prison interior, where the cells were.

“Is it time?” Trixie asked in a hushed tone.

“Twilight?” Starlight turned to her wisp.

“Not yet,” Twilight said, “Rover’s team is moving into position now.”

There was a crash heard outside, followed by the entire Prison shaking briefly. An alarm then went off.

“Dire Wolves are attacking the Prison!” a Shadow was heard over the intercom, “All units, move to intercept!”

Suddenly, they saw a bunch of Shadow Guards run past their hiding spot.

“Now?” Rainbow asked.

“Wait for it… and… now!”

They booked it out into the main hallway, following Twilight’s guidance to Rarity’s cell.

“Hang on! I see witches over there!” a Shadow called out.

“Damn it! It was a diversion! They’re after Prisoner number 1!” his partner exclaimed.

“Starlight, they’ll call reinforcements!” Trixie cried.

“Not today!” Pinkie Pie stopped and turned to them, turning her tiara into its bladed disc form. She then threw it out at the Shadows, knocking them back and turning them into their true Oni forms, “Hurry!”

“On it!” Rainbow Dash held up her blade, “Charge, Eclair Farron!”

Rainbow’s Persona appeared before her and slammed her blade down on the Shadows, creating a shockwave that hit both of them, keeping them down.

“While they’re downed!” Starlight summoned her scythe, “Hit them with an All Out Attack!”

All four Witches readied their weapons and bombarded the fallen Shadows with everything they had. The died instantly.

“Did we stop them in time?” Rainbow Dash asked.

“Hopefully, but it shouldn’t matter if you hurry!” Twilight urged, “I know a shortcut! This way!”

Twilight led them down the left, which sure enough did lead them right to Rarity’s cell. Like before, she was held tightly by iron bands, wrapped around her body and arms, knees, ankles, and her collar was connected in the back. Her arms were held tightly behind her back, and she was both blindfolded and gagged. Like Twilight said, Apple Bloom was standing guard. She smirked when she saw them.

Disquiet - Persona 5

“Looks like ya got visitors, Rarity,” Apple Bloom smiled, stepping aside as Starlight and company ran up to her.

“Rarity, we’re here!” Starlight said, removing the blindfold, “We made it!”

Rarity’s eyes widened as she looked at Starlight and everyone, this time with a look of recognition.

“You can tell, right?” Trixie asked, “It’s really us!”

“Hang on, Rarity!” Pinkie Pie said, she and Dash looking at the bindings and trying to undo them, “We’re going to get you out of here!”

Rarity gave a muffled cry as her eyes watered. She pulled at the bindings a bit, but to no avail.

“Damn it!” Rainbow Dash swore, “How do we break these?!”

Rarity shook her head sadly, and then started crying. Starlight caressed Rarity’s cheek to read her emotions.

I was afraid I’d appear here…!

There’s no way to break these bindings…! Cinch is the only one now who can undo these…!

Starlight blinked and took a deep breath, “Apparently, Cinch is the only one who can break these,” she said to her team, surprising Rarity.

“You’ve gotta be kidding me!” Trixie groaned, “Ugh! One obstacle after another!”

Alleycat - Persona 5

“Actually, that ain’t as true as ya think,” Apple Bloom said, lighting a cigarette.

“What do you mean?” Starlight asked the apparition.

“Remember when y’all were tryin’ to rescue my sister? I said only the true master of this Prison could break her bindins,” she smirked, “Y'all assumed that was Cinch, but I never said that.”

“The true, master of…” Starlight gasped, “I get it.”

“You do?” Trixie asked.

“I know who the true master of this Prison is,” she turned to Rarity and held her cheeks, “Remember when I told you what this place was?” Rarity nodded, “This place is real, but it’s still a dream. A dream where ultimately, you’re in control.”

Rarity’s eyes widened, but she then shook her head vehemently, crying softly.

“No, our Leader's right,” Rainbow stepped up, “This is a Prison of you’re making. Cinch only has as much control as you give her. Same with Rover. You can break these chains.”

Rarity tried pulling at them, but then cried even harder, this time in frustration. As Starlight was still touching her, she could feel her emotions.

You’re wrong! I can’t do it!

I’m not strong enough here!

“The President might not be, but I know Dirty Diamond is,” Starlight said gently, “Cinch is afraid of that side of you, which is why she puts you in this cage, and makes you think being your true self is wrong.”

“It's okay to be angry at her!” Trixie urged, “Yeah, you messed up, but Cinch has no right to treat you like this!”

“It’s the same as my Dungeon!” Pinkie Pie said, “The one keeping me prisoner, she was only invincible because I believed it! Once I let go of that belief, Starlight, Trixie, and Dashie were able to easily able to defeat Fleur!”

“Girls, Cinch is coming!” Twilight warned, “Whatever you do, do it fast!”

“Rarity, you need to hear this,” Starlight said, “You’re not being punished for wanting a better life for yourself.”

Rarity looked into Starlight’s eyes somewhat taken aback.

I’m… not?

“What’s happening right now with Cinch? She’s abusing you, plain and simple,” Starlight continued, “And like Trixie said, it’s okay to be angry. If she’s so afraid of Dirty Diamond, then be Dirty Diamond. Be true to yourself. It’s not your fault.”

“It’s not your fault!” Trixie added.

“It’s not your fault!” Rainbow Dash said.

“It’s not your fault!” Pinkie Pie said.

They repeated this to her, over and over. Rarity closed her eyes trembling a bit, but Starlight noticed Rarity's emotions were, shifting.

Maya's Theme - Persona 3 FES

It’s not… my fault…

It’s not, my fault…!

IT’S NOT MY FAULT!!!

Rarity’s eyes opened, and flashed yellow briefly. She then pulled at her bindings, more and more, her growls slowly becoming screams, but Starlight noticed, they were straining to hold her.

“That’s it! Keep going!” Trixie urged, “They’re breaking!”

“You can do it, Rarity!” Pinkie Pie cheered.

Rarity let out a mighty roar through her gag, and gave one final pull, and the bindings were pulled apart, along with the link holding her collar in place. As she fell to her knees, everyone save for Apple Bloom knelt beside her, Rainbow Dash taking the ball gag off.

“Good girl, Rarity,” Starlight said, petting her side.

“I, did it,” Rarity panted, “I really, broke free,” she looked at Starlight, “Could I, have always done that?”

“Possibly,” Starlight said, “But it’s okay that you didn’t know. No one can be strong alone forever,” she held Rarity’s hand, “That’s why you have friends.”

Rarity looked at Starlight and smiled a bit herself, “Right.”

“Much as this is really touching, we need to get out of here, like, NOW!” Twilight cried.

“Is the tiny flame always so fussy?” Rarity asked.

“Oh Twi-Twi? Yeah, she nags a lot,” Trixie said, “But this time, she does have a point. Cinch’s Shadow is coming to execute you.”

“Her, Shadow?” Rarity asked as Starlight and Pinkie Pie helped her up.

“We’ll explain everything once we’re out of here,” Starlight said, “I promise, but for now, just know that’s actually Cinch.”

Rarity nodded slowly, “I, don’t really get it, but fine. Let’s get out of here.”

“I’ll try to cover for ya,” Apple Bloom said with a smile, “See if I can lead them away an’ buy y’all some time.”

“Thanks Apple Bloom,” Starlight smiled in return, “For everything.”

“I’ll put it on your tab,” Apple Bloom turned her back to them, “Y’all take care of Rarity now, ya hear?”

Urge to Freedom - Mary Skelter Nightmares

With that, everyone ran off, this time toward the elevator. On the way though, they passed by Applejack’s cell, the former guard still trapped inside.

“Wait!” Rarity requested, stopping in front of the cell. Applejack, still blindfolded, gagged, and in chains, let out a muffled sound of recognition.

“What is it now?!” Twilight asked, “Cinch is right in front of your cell! We need to-”

“I know, but,” Rarity looked at Applejack’s apparition, “You said that’s really Cinch somehow, right? What about this? Is this really Applejack?”

“Nuh uh,” Rainbow Dash shook her head, “Far as we can tell, only Cinch, Rover, and Blueblood had Shadows here. This is more or less a copy of No Fun Jackie made from your feelings.”

“Made from, my feelings,” Rarity asked.

“Same with Apple Bloom and Macintosh. They represent your bonds with them,” Starlight said, “I, jumped in the way to stop you from killing Macintosh before because, if you had…”

“My feelings for him, would have been lost too,” Rarity realized, “Okay, I’m piecing some of this together.”

“So we can get moving then?” Twilight asked.

“Not yet,” Rarity said, closing her eyes, “I’m not leaving her in chains like this,” when she opened them, her eyes were once again yellow. She then slashed at the chains, shattering them to pieces, and removed the gag and blindfold, “You okay, Applejack?”

“Y-yeah but,” she looked around, “Ah. I see what’s goin’ on here.”

“I’m done being imprisoned here,” Rarity said, “Don’t try to stop me.”

“I won’t,” Applejack’s apparition smiled, hugging Rarity, “Go with ‘em. I’ll get the others to help cover yer escape.”

Rarity hugged her back, “Thanks. And um, for what it’s worth, I’m sorry that I… well.”

“All’s forgiven,” Applejack assured, “Now, get movin’.”

Starlight imagined a spell, and cast it on Applejack’s apparition, giving her back her Uniform and weapons, “There. So you’re not defenseless.”

“Thanks, Starlight,” Applejack smiled, tipping her hat to them, “Y’all be careful, ya hear?” she then ran out of the cell, joining Apple Bloom and pulling out her radio, “All Scarlets, begin firin’ at the Warden’s men! Rarity’s escapin’, an’ we’re helpin’ her!”

Rarity sighed in relief, “Sorry about that. I just, didn’t feel right leavin’ this place and not helping Applejack.”

Starlight shook her head smiling. She knew Rarity was a good person, and all that did was prove it.

They continued their way to the elevator, where this time they saw Guard Shadows and Wolf Shadows going at it again.

“Looks like Rover’s guys are moving in more,” Trixie pointed out.

“He’s here too?” Rarity asked.

“We kinda had to broker a deal with him for a diversion,” Pinkie Pie said, “Don’t worry though, we’re prepared to kick his butt too to get you free.”

Blood of Villain - Persona 5

“That’s assuming you get that far, which you won’t,” Cinch said, walking up to stand in front of the elevator, “You’re not supposed to be out of your cage, Mutt.”

"Shoot! She took a shortcut to cut us off!" Twilight fussed.

“You don’t get to yank me on a leash anymore!” Rarity seethed, “I’m my own master now!”

Cinch laughed mockingly, “Oh, is that so? Well, let’s see about that, shall we?” she pulled out a remote and pushed a button on it. Immediately, the collar around Rarity’s neck began charging with electricity, causing her to cry out in agony.

“Rarity!” everyone cried, gathering around her.

“Stop it!” Pinkie Pie cried, trying to grab the collar, but couldn’t due to the electricity, “You’re killing her!”

“Good!” Shadow Cinch sneered, “That’s one less problem for me to worry about!”

“I can’t believe you!” Twilight said aghast, “You have the audacity to call yourself a Principal?!”

“This will NOT go unpunished Cinch!” Celestia shouted, sounding like she was on the verge of tears, “What you’re doing is unforgivable!”

“That filthy whore has no business in my school in the first place!” Cinch seethed, “I let her in because she passed the entrance exam, and I thought she could push Canterlot High to new heights! That’s the only reason I let that flea ridden mutt into my school!”

“You mean… you were… using me from… the start?!” Rarity asked, trying to pull the collar off to no avail.

“Imagine it: a girl like her, rough around the edges, but brilliant, groomed into the ultimate success story! Why, Canterlot High would be lining with potential applicants from all over! It’d become the most sought after school in the state, and I'd be the one to make it happen!” Cinch narrowed her eyes at Rarity, “All you had to do was follow my commands, and stay in line, and you couldn’t even do that right!” she turned the volume up on the remote, making Rarity scream louder, “If you can’t do as your told, then you’re better off dead!”

Rainbow Dash’s body was engulfed in electricity, and she grabbed the collar, straining from the voltage herself.

“Dashie!” Pinkie Pie cried.

“What are you doing?!” Trixie asked horrified.

“THIS!” she pulled the collar apart, catching Rarity as she fell forward.

“What?!” Cinch asked, “How did you do that?!”

“Electricity is my main element, bitch!” Rainbow Dash said, catching her breath, “I just needed to figure out how much voltage I needed to match yours!”

“You…!” Cinch narrowed her eyes at them.

“You, made a huge mistake Cinch,” Trixie held up a card, summoning her Elenora.

“Rarity’s coming with us,” Pinkie Pie said in a low tone, summoning Serenity, “And if we have to go through you, then so be it.”

“One last chance, Cinch,” Starlight said, summoning Morgana and holding her scythe forward as Rainbow Dash summoned Eclair beside her, “Move, or we’re making you move.”

Cinch laughed manically, holding a hand to her head as dark energy gathered around her, “Do you really think, I’m intimidated by your empty threats?! Fine, do as you please! I’ll just have to do my job, and discipline the lot of you!”

She exploded in black mist, which cleared to reveal a large monster with upper body of Cinch wearing her Warden/Dominatrix uniform, and the lower body of a black spider with sharp bladed legs and a red X on her abdomen. In her hands was a large saber staff, both blades crackling with Electricity.

“That’s Shadow, it’s so powerful!” Twilight cried, “The readings are off the charts!”

“Got a weakness on it?” Starlight asked.

“I can’t analyze it for some reason!” Twilight cried, “All I can tell you, it’s stronger than every Shadow we’ve faced here!”

Trixie looked to the side and saw the hole in the wall Rover used to escape last time, “All we have to do is get Rarity out of here and we win, right?”

“I see what you’re planning,” Rainbow Dash said, stepping forward and holding her arm out, “Leader, go! Get Rarity out of here!”

“What?! But what about you?!” Starlight cried.

“We’ll be right behind you!” Pinkie Pie assured, “We’ll keep Cinch from following you two, and once she’s out, we’ll book it through a Checkpoint!

“Don’t even think about it!” Shadow Cinch raised her staff to slash at them, but the group all jumped away, Starlight grabbing Rarity and jumping away from everyone else.

“We’ll be fine! Go!” Trixie cried. Starlight hated this so much, but looking at that Shadow, they were going to need a lot more firepower to deal with that, and they still needed to do something about Rover. This sadly, was the best option.

“Come on!” Starlight took Rarity’s hand, “I’m getting you out of here!”

“But-” Starlight ran toward the hole, cutting Rarity off. It was a high jump, but thankfully Bicorn had Wind Magic. This could work.

“Where do you think you’re going?!” Cinch shouted, rearing her head back and shooting a green blast from her mouth at Starlight. Elenora fired a Eiha spell at her, knocking her to the side, but not before the attack hit Starlight in the back.

“GAH!” she cried, falling forward.

“Starlight!” Rarity cried, helping her up.

“I’m, fine,” Starlight said, feeling a bit light headed, but she could ignore it.

“Shoot! Didn’t get to her in time!” Trixie fussed. Pinkie Pie jumped up to Shadow Cinch’s face, both her and Serenity punching her in the face at the same time, and Rainbow Dash had Eclair lock blades with Shadow Cinch, pinning her to a wall. Starlight took that as her chance to make it to the hole in the wall.

“BICORN!!!” she shouted, summoning her steed. He was wincing, suggesting he wasn’t feeling great either. Maybe that attack did do something.

Not important now, Starlight thought. She helped Rarity get on Bicorn’s back and then jumped on herself, “Hang on tight!”

“What are you going to-” Rarity screamed as Bicorn jumped out of the hole, using Garu to create a series of wind gusts to jump on, allowing them to land easily. Once they were on the surface, Starlight had Bicorn run into the forest, dodging all of the Shadows fighting on the way.

end song

“What is this thing?” Rarity asked, “It came out of your ring, right? Is that your familiar or something?”

“It’s called a Persona,” Twilight explained, her wisp following after them, “Long story short, it’s similar to a Shadow, but purified and under Starlight’s control.”

“You all keep referring to Shadows,” Rarity said, “Do you mean the Jungian Term?”

“You know about that?” Twilight asked, Starlight looking back at Rarity as they rode.

“I read it in a philosophy book once,” Rarity said, “It’s like, the dark part of the psyche, right? The part you don’t wanna deal with?”

“That’s, right actually,” Starlight nodded, now feeling really sick, and she could feel Bicorn begin to falter, “The Cinch, and Rover that’s here, are their Shadows, imposing their will onto, this place.”

“Hey, are you okay?” Twilight asked, “You don’t look so good, and I think Bicorn’s looking weaker too.”

“Not, sure…” Bicorn slowed to a crawl, and then just fell to the ground, causing Starlight and Rarity to fall off his back. Rarity rolled to her feet, but Starlight was on the ground, feeling too weak to stand.

“Starlight!” Rarity cried, running over to her, “What happened?!”

“Hang on, I’m scanning it,” Twilight said, “She’s been poisoned!”

“Poisoned?!” Rarity exclaimed.

“It looks like it’s progressing fast too!” Twilight said urgently, “Oooooh, not good! Not good!”

“She’ll be fine once she wakes up, right?” Rarity asked, “This place is just a dream to her, isn’t it?”

“Not at all!” Twilight said, “Starlight’s like you in here! So anything that happens to her here carries over to her real body!”

Rarity’s eyes slowly widened, “Meaning, if she dies here, then…” Rarity turned to Starlight, “You idiot! Why did you put your life on the line like this?!”

“Because, I have the power to help people,” Starlight pushed to her feet, using her scythe as a walking stick, “I promised my Mother’s spirit, I’d use my magic, to help people.”

Rarity looked at Starlight tearfully, “You… you’d risk your life like that, for someone like me…?” all Starlight did was look at Rarity and smile, “Starlight… I…”

Desire - Persona 5

“Good job, Little Star,” Rover said, stepping out from behind a tree and standing in front of the exit door, “I can take it from here.”

“Rover,” Starlight said, narrowing her eyes at him. What rotten timing.

“Come, Dirty Diamond,” Rover said, his eyes flashing red, “Return to your Alpha.”

Rarity winced at that, and slowly rose up, only for Starlight to hold her hand out in front of her, “Starlight?”

Starlight shook her head. She then forced herself upright and held her arms out in front of Rarity.

“I don’t wanna fight you, Little Star,” Rover warned, “You ain’t in no condition anyway. Just step aside, and let me take care of Dirty Dia-”

“Rarity!” Starlight seethed, “Her name, is Rarity!”

“What are you hopin’ to accomplish here?” Rover folded his arms, “She goes with you, and what? Leads a normal life? Becomes one of you? That’s shit's what got her here in the first place.”

“You’re, right,” Starlight said, breathing heavily, “Trying to, just be like us, caused this. Instead of, letting people know, the real Rarity, she hid behind a mask, and put her true self, in a cage. That’s, not the answer. But neither, is just giving up, and closing your heart off, to even the chance at being more than this!”

“Still on that, huh?” Rover raised his head and glared at Starlight.

“Rarity, is smart! She’s kind, she’s loyal, and a fantastic President!” Starlight buckled a bit as her body became weaker, but she forced herself to keep standing, “One, mistake, doesn’t invalidate any of, that, and for you, to tell her, that she shouldn’t even try to be better, you’re hurting her the same way Cinch is, just at a different angle!”

“I’m trying to protect her!”

“So am I!” Starlight shouted, “The difference is, I’m not, trying to force her to be something, she doesn’t want to be!”

“I know everything about Rarity! Who she is, what she needs, and how she functions! You only know her at face value! You can’t help her, all you’re giving her are empty words! You’re barely standing right now!”

“I, can at the very least, manage here!” Starlight got in her fighting stance and summoned Morgana.

“You’re, not planning to fight him, are you?!” Rarity cried, “What about the poison?!” Starlight had Morgana cast Diarama on herself, “W-what…?”

“I’ll maintain myself with my Persona, but I won’t let him take you!” Starlight gripped her scythe, “I’m tired, of people yanking your leash around! This ends NOW!”

Rover growled at Starlight, barring his teeth, “Fine! If it’s a fight you want, you got it, but I ain’t goin’ easy on you!” he then let out a loud howl as he was engulfed in black energy, turning into the same biomechanical wolf Rarity turned into, except red and black, twice as large, sharper edges making it look more sinister, and red eyes, “I’ll do whatever it takes to protect my Pack! I don’t care who it is, I’ll rip apart anyone who gets in the way of that! Including you, Little Star!”

My Real - Blue Reflection: Second Light

Shadow Rover howled, casting an odd spell on himself. Said spell created an orange, purple, and green aura to appear around him in succession. At the same time, the door was locked by black and red chains, sealing it shut.

“Starlight! He just powered himself up all around!” Twilight cried.

“That’s fine! I’ll just hit him harder, and faster!” she jumped back as he slammed his claws on the ground before her, “LEANAN SIDHE!” she shifted Personas, sliding back and casting Rakunda on him, forcing his Defense back to normal at least. Shadow Rover charged at Starlight and slashed wildly with his claws. She dodged out of the way of his attacks best as she could, but he got a lucky strike in, knocking her back into a tree.

“STARLIGHT!!!” Rarity, Twilight, and Celestia cried at the same time.

Starlight forced herself to her feet, “M-Morgana…!” she shifted Personas, and cast Diarama on herself again. She then held out her hand as Morgana opened up her chest, revealing her Gun, which she fired rapid shots at the giant wolf monster.

Shadow Rover blocked the attacks, wincing a bit in pain, but then jumped back, firing a large black and red beam from his mouth at Starlight. She barely rolled out of the way, but then had to run as Shadow Rover followed her with the blast.

Eventually the blast stopped, and Starlight saw Rover hunch forward a bit, panting heavily in exhaustion. He was open!

Starlight shook her head as the poison began to kick in again, and then sent Morgana out to slash Rover while he was down. She hated doing this, but she couldn’t think of a time where he’d be open besides this.

He didn’t stay down for long, and he slashed Morgana back as he rose to his feet, causing massive damage to Starlight. He then rolled into a ball and tackled her, knocking her back to where Rarity and Twilight were.

“Starlight, no!” Rarity cried, “Please, just get out of here! You’ll die if you don’t!”

“I, don’t turn my back, on my friends!” Starlight cast Diarama on herself again, “No matter, how many times you push me away, I won’t abandon you!”

Rarity fell to her knees and looked down, “Damn it…! Damn it!” she punched the ground, “There has to be somethi-” she stopped, her eyes widening. She then looked up at the fight, “Right! I can still do that!”

“Still do what?!” Twilight asked, but her question went unanswered as Rarity pushed to her feet and ran over to the fight, “Rarity!”

Rarity’s eyes turned yellow again, and this time she transformed into her wolf form, and tackled Rover away from Starlight, knocking him to the ground.

“What are you doing?!” Shadow Rover exclaimed, “I’m your Alpha!”

“Not anymore!” Rarity said, her voice deeper and more of a growl in this form, “I am, my own Alpha now, and I’m going to protect Starlight!” she turned to look at Starlight, “She is…” she then glared at Rover, “She’s my friend!”

Rover growled, “Still makin’ friends normies, huh?! You really think she’s gonna look out for you?!”

“Considering how far she’s gone for me, yes!” Rarity said, actually tearing up, “Starlight makes me feel, like I can do anything! And she DOES accept me for who I am! It was ME who refused to see it! Because I held so strongly to the distrust we had when we were kids!”

“That distrust kept us alive! You remember what Tirek did! How the cops treated us! How everyone trampled on us, slammed doors in our faces, and reminded us that we weren't shit! That's the world she's a part of!”

“I remember all of that! But, Starlight and her friends, they’re different! I want to believe in them! That’s why,” she moved to push Starlight underneath her and barred her teeth, “I’m going to protect Starlight!”

“You’re makin’ a huge mistake, Rares!” he charged up his magic and fired his mouth beam at them. Rarity picked Starlight up with her mouth and jumped away. She then set her down and charged at Rover, slashing, biting, and wrestling him violently.

Starlight forced herself up, but then stumbled a bit. Her vision was getting blurry. She cast Diarama on herself again, but it left her much more tired than usual.

“My pupil, please stop this! We’re using too much magic! Your real body can’t handle this!”

“I, can’t give up!” Starlight staggered forward, holding her hand out, “Rarity, doesn’t have a Persona, so she can’t beat Rover, alone!”

“Starlight…” Twilight said softly.

“Morgana, please! Give me the strength to keep fighting!” Starlight begged her Persona. She heard Morgana sigh in her head.

“Very well. I am bound to your will, my pupil. If you desire to keep fighting, I will stand by you.”

“Thank you,” Starlight smiled, shedding a single tear. She then charged up her magic, “Rarity, dodge!”

Rarity jumped away, and Morgana fired a Bufula right in Rover’s face. While he was stunned, Rarity howled, casting a wave of black energy at Rover, which created black tendrils that lashed out at him. Starlight felt the name Eiga come to mind.

“Enough!” Rover roared, once again casting that spell that increased all of his stats. Rarity charged at him, but he slashed her mid air, knocking her far away and causing her to revert form. He then fired a Nuclear blast at Starlight, knocking her back to the ground.

“Starlight, no!” Twilight cried.

Rover walked over to Starlight, who this time, was too weak to stand or cast another healing spell, “If you can’t beat me, then you’re not worthy of keepin' Rarity,” he rumbled, “For what it’s worth, I hate doin’ this.”

Starlight gritted her teeth, and forced herself to her feet again. All Shadow Rover did was swat her with the back his his paw and she fell back down.

“This is it, Little Star. You lost,” he said, “Just admit defeat.”

And to that, Starlight once again forced herself to her feet. She could feel Cinch’s poison creeping into her system again, but she ignored the pain. For Rarity’s sake, she wasn’t going to give up. Even if it cost her everything, she was going to rescue Rarity from this hellish Nightmare.

Living with Determination - Persona 3

Rarity sat up, looking at Starlight and Rover. Even now, she kept fighting. Fighting for her sake. Even though she was probably on the brink of death, she wouldn’t give up.

“No…!” Rarity sobbed, holding her head, “No no no no no no! It’s not fair! Why is she suffering because of me?! Why does everyone suffer because of me?!”

She tried fighting back. She tried to stand beside Starlight, to make things right, but it wasn't enough. Rover was too strong for her, Starlight was dying by the second, and her friends were probably at death's door fighting Cinch. All this, because they came to rescue her and her worthless life.

If you can’t do as your told, your better off dead!

“Cinch is right!” Rarity sobbed, “Starlight, her friends, everyone is going to die, and it’s all my fault! I should have just pulled the fucking trigger when I had the-”

“Stop it!” Twilight shouted, “Your death isn’t going to do anyone any good, but you’re life can save Starlight now!”

“No it can't!” Rarity cried, “I’m powerless! I tried to fight, and in the end, I didn’t make a difference! It wasn’t enough!”

“Rarity, you have ALL the power you need, but the only way you can access it is to stop running from who you are!” Twilight’s wisp flew into Rarity’s face and glared at her, “I’m stuck out here in the Real World! All I can do is watch my friends while they fight and risk their lives! If you wanna talk about useless, there you go! But you’re there right now! You have power, but you keep stuffing it in a cage! And then, once things get bad, you start blaming yourself for being weak, saying just the worst things about yourself! If anything, you doing THAT is what makes you useless!”

“I… I failed though…!” Rarity sobbed, breaking down completely, “All I had to do was not lose control of myself! I made one mistake, and let my true self out, and it ruined everything!”

“Then don't stay in control!”

Rarity blinked, “Don’t, stay in control…?”

“This happened because you tried to be someone else, right?” Twilight asked, “Don’t you think that’s telling you something? Look, I get it. The real you is probably a lot for people to take in. They might not be able to handle you. They might even, be afraid of you, but right now, none of that matters. Starlight needs you. She needs the real you.”

“She needs, the real me…?” she looked at Starlight and Rover, still fighting, but Starlight was barely hanging on. Every so often, she’d cast that healing spell on herself again, but Rarity could tell it wasn’t as effective as it was before. Her friends weren’t here. They were back at the Prison fighting Cinch. Twilight was back in the real world, stuck outside and being unable to do anything except watch. But Rarity… she was right here, and she was alive.

If you die here, then somewhere, someone out there loses the chance to meet you, and have their lives benefited from knowing you.

Indignation - Night of Azure

“That’s, right,” Rarity said, slowly standing up, “If I die here… then, Starlight will die…” she thought about everyone in her team, who all probably dealt with this Nightmare, and all the people who were dealing with it now, “People, need her. They need Starlight, and she needs, me.” Rarity closed her eyes, “She needs, the real me! Dirty Diamond!”

So, you’ve finally come to your senses?

“Yes! I’m ready!” she felt her temperature rise, to the point where she felt a bit delirious, but she wasn’t afraid, “No more running away! I need you! All of you!"

Mmmm…! It’s about fucking time!

I’m sick of watching you bitch and moan like some domesticated pup!

I’ll help you, but only on one condition.

“Name your price!”

Once I’m out, that’s it. I stay out, and you NEVER lock me in a cage again.

Promise that, and I’ll give you my power, along with absolute control over it.

“It’s a deal!” Rarity said, clutching her chest as the pain became unbearable, “I, I don’t care, what happens next! Go buck wild! On both Rover and Cinch!”

Then it’s a deal!

You failed at being clean and proper, so lose yourself to your passion, and be the dirty, wild beast you are!

Say my name! Scream it to the heavens!

And become the wolf you were always meant to be!

“RILEY!!!” she screamed at the top of her lungs, and then exploded into a tower of fire, catching Rover and Starlight’s attention.

“What in the world…?” Shadow Rover asked, stepping back a bit. Starlight smiled in relief.

Inside the flame, the “lingerie” Rarity wore burned away, replaced with a black jacket with a white fur lining the collar and the ends of the sleeves, a purple bra top, black skin tight booty shorts, fishnets that were torn on the left leg, and black and purple high heeled boots. She then sprouted white wolf ears and a long bushy white wolf’s tail, and her front bangs were once again colored white. Her teeth sharpened to fangs, and around her neck appeared a new collar, this one extremely fancy and lined with jewels, with a golden tag hanging off the middle. Her eye shadow became dark blue, her lipstick blood red, and around her right ring finger appeared a Channeling Ring, followed by black leather gloves on her hands. Inside the flame, she threw a few punches and kicks before throwing her head back.

“AWOOOOO!!!!” she howled loudly, the flame dispersing around her and revealing her new form. No, her true form! In front of her, the remaining flame turned into what appeared to be a motorcycle, but upon further inspection was a Persona. It looked similar to Rarity’s wolf form, but was recolored red with white accents on it. It was heavily armored and bulky, yet had an elegance to its shape and design, with a single large wheel in front, and another large wheel in back. It had two silver exhausts pipes behind it, spewing out flames, multiple chains wrapped around it but were broken, and it looked like it had multiple ports for various weapons. The wolf’s head in the front was completely static, frozen in a ferocious expression, and displayed proudly on the side of the bike was the Diamond Dog insignia, now before a golden sun.

“Thou art I, and I am thou! I am Riley, the embodiment of your true self! Don’t forget Rarity. You promised.”

“Don’t worry,” Rarity said, moving to get on top of her Persona, “From now on, we ride together, always.”

"Thank you."

"No Riley, thank you," she smiled lovingly, rubbing the motorcycle, "For not giving up on me."

“Rarity, what happened to you…?” Shadow Rover asked carefully. Rarity chuckled.

“Don’t you recognize me, Rover? It’s me, Dirty Diamond~” she revved up the engine of her Persona, which sounded almost like it was growling, “I’m back, and pissed as all fuck!”

She charged at Rover, jumping into the air, and tacked him with her Persona, knocking him far back and making him slide on the ground. She dispersed her Persona and landed beside Starlight, who was just looking at her in awe.

“What? See somethin’ you like?” Rarity asked Starlight, who gave her a weak smile.

“The, white wolf,” Starlight said, “It, was you, the whole time,” she fell to her knees, but Rarity caught her.

“Leave this to me,” Rarity said, “I’ll take him on.”

“We fight, together,” Starlight said looking Rarity in the eyes, “I, can keep going.”

Rarity looked at her intently, and then nodded, “Fine, but focus on support and staying alive. I’ll do the punchin’,” she stepped forward toward Shadow Rover, cracking her neck a bit, and then her knuckles, “Been a while since I had a good fight, and I got a lotta shit to vent! So let’s go buck wild, Rover! Just like the animals we are~!” Rarity said with a brilliant grin.

Our Real - Blue Reflection: Second Light

Rarity charged at Rover, holding out her Channeling Ring and summoning her Persona. When Rover tried to fire his mouth beam attack at her, she effortlessly rode out of the way, driving in a circle around him till he exhausted himself.

“LEANAN SIDHE!!!” Starlight shouted, shifting Personas and casting Rakunda on Rover, lowering his defense. Rarity then stopped in front of him, holding her Channeling Ring to her face.

“I’ll break you…!” Rarity seethed, “PERSONA!!!”

Riley opened up all of her weapon compartments, revealing a truly ridiculous amount of guns and missile launchers, all of which were fired at once. For some reason, Starlight felt the name “Triple Down” come to mind when she saw that.

As Rover screamed in agony, Starlight looked at Rarity wide eyed. She was grinning like a madwoman the whole time, almost like she was getting off on seeing how much pain she was inflicting on Rover. Was this, Dirty Diamond? Just how much was Rarity keeping hidden?

“Come on, Rover! You were talkin’ that good shit earlier! What happened?!” Rarity shouted, a wild and gleeful smile on her face, “Can’t handle when I’m at my filthiest?! I thought you were better than this?!”

Shadow Rover staggered to his feet and shook it off. He then laughed, “I knew it! I knew you were still in there, Dirty Diamond! Not gonna lie, even at this angle, it’s good to see ya!”

Rarity laughed, “Good to be back! Now come on! I’m just startin’ to enjoy myself here!”

“Then let’s see how you handle this!” Rover howled, once again casting that spell that increased all of his stats at once.

Starlight gritted her teeth seeing that, but cast Diarama on herself again. If this kept up, they were gonna get overwhelmed again.

So, why was Rarity laughing…?

“Yes…! YES!” she screamed gleefully, holding a hand to her head as she burst out laughing, “That’s what I wanted you to do!” she jumped off her Persona as it dispersed, and rushed to Rover, “COME ON!!! GIVE ME EVERYTHING YOU’VE GOT ROVER!!!”

Rover slashed Rarity wildly, and Rarity met his slashes with her own rapid punches. They happened so fast that Starlight could only make out a blur of fists. The whole time, Rarity was grinning from ear to ear. It was terrifying to look at, but for some reason, to Starlight, Rarity was beautiful like this. She was finally embracing her true self.

“You feel it, don’t you?!” Shadow Rover asked, still slashing.

“YES! I FEEL IT!!!” Rarity cried gleefully, her assault not relenting, “This feeling! It feels, MAGNIFICENT!!!”

Starlight held her hand out, “Morgana…! Sukunda!”

Morgana held her hand out, casting a spell to remove his speed buff, letting Rarity get a few more shots in.

“Thanks, Little Star!” Rarity said, kicking Rover back. She then summoned her Persona/Motorcycle again, hopping onto it, “SCREAM REAL GOOD FOR ME, DARLING~!”

Riley’s eyes flashed, and a pool of black energy rose up around Rover, black tendrils lashing out and slashing him at all sides. While that went on, Starlight rushed at Shadow Rover holding her scythe ready, Morgana flying beside her. The two of them slashed at the same time, making Rover cry out in pain.

“Good, job…!” he groaned, falling forward as his form dispersed, revealing his more humanized self.

I'll Face Myself -Another Version- -Persona 4

As he laid on the ground, Rarity walked over to him squatting beside him, “So in the end, you did go back to your old self.”

“Guess so,” Rarity conceded, “You can thank the purple flame for snappin’ me out of it.”

“Twilight, by the way,” Twilight said.

“And yet, ya still ain’t comin’ back, are ya?” Shadow Rover asked sadly.

Rarity shook her head, “Sorry. I think, I found a new pack,” she looked at Starlight, “Least, I wanna give it a shot.”

Shadow Rover sighed, “My real self’s gonna wanna test you,” he said, white light engulfing him, “Personally though, I think you can do it.”

Rarity smiled, “Thanks. And for what it’s worth, I am sorry for how things turned out.”

“Just tell me one thing,” Shadow Rover requested, “Why’d ya take that deal?”

“Because, I didn’t want us to go to jail,” Rarity answered, “Macintosh said he’d make sure you guys only got three years in juvie, instead of full on prison. Also, I’ll admit,” she looked away darkly, “I, just wanted a shot at a real life. He said he’d give me that chance, and he wasn’t lyin’, so I figured, why not? That’s why I took the deal.”

Shadow Rover shook his head, “Nah, there was another reason wasn’t it? That blond chick you’re always goin’ on about, right?”

Rarity closed her eyes, “Alright. Fine, I’ll admit it. She was my main reason. I, wanted to be near her.”

Shadow Rover chuckled, “All this, for love eh? Well, I ain’t gonna stand in the way of that.”

“I still love you, Rover,” Rarity caressed his cheek with a saddened look, “And I am sorry.”

“I am too,” Shadow Rover said sadly, caressing her cheek too, “And, I’ll always love you, Rarity,” he turned to look at Starlight, “Take care of her, Little Star.”

Starlight nodded, “I won’t, leave her side.”

Rover smiled, “Know what? I actually believe that,” he sat up and looked into Rarity’s eyes, “See ya around, Dirty Diamond.”

“See ya around, my former Alpha,” Rarity said softly. She and Shadow Rover kissed deeply and lovingly as he faded away in a white light. Once he was gone, Rarity held herself and whimpered, her ears folding back sadly.

Starlight walked over to her slowly, knelt beside her, and scratched behind her ears. The soft yelp she made was cute, and was followed by Rarity nuzzling Starlight’s hand. Her tail was even wagging!

She's so cute like this...!

“Good, girl,” Starlight smiled weakly.

“Thank you,” Rarity said softly, but then gasped, “What about you, though? You’re still poisoned, right?”

“I’ll be…” Starlight fell out, Rarity catching her.

There's Nothing We Can't Do, Right? - Blue Reflection: Second Light

“Shit! Fuck!” Rarity swore, “What do we do now?!” she looked at the Prison, realizing where the others were, “Hey, Twi-Twi, right?”

Twilight sighed, “Sure. I don’t even care anymore.”

“Pinkie Pie’s Persona heals. She got a spell to heal this?” Rarity asked.

“I, think so actually,” Twilight answered, “We’ve lucked out so far, not having to deal with poison, but I know that Pinkie Pie prefers healing magic, and her Persona would reflect that. I’d be surprised if she didn’t have a spell for healing poison.”

“That’s all I needed to hear,” Rarity said, picking up Starlight bridal style, “Riley, come to me!” her Persona appeared before her in a golden flame. Rarity put Starlight on the motorcycle, and then got on herself, “They’re still alive, right?”

“They are, but barely holding on.” Twilight confirmed, “Cinch is giving them a hard time, but they're still alive at least.”

“Then we better not keep ‘em waiting,” she revved up the engine of her Persona, “Don’t you dare die on me, Starlight.” she then rode off back to the Prison, where her new pack waited for her.

My Real - Blue Reflection: Second Light

Meanwhile, Shadow Cinch knocked Trixie back with her blade, and then raised her saber staff to block another series of slashes from Eclair Farron, all guided by the slashes of a tired and strained Rainbow Dash.

“Pinkie Pie, got another heal in you?!” Rainbow Dash asked through gritted teeth.

“I, I think so!” Pinkie Pie said, holding her shoulder, “Hang on everyone!”

Pinkie Pie summoned Serenity, who cast Mediarama on everyone.

“Thanks Pinkie Pie!” Trixie held up her Channeling Ring, “Light ‘em up, Elenora!”

Trixie’s Persona manifested, and tossed another Eiha spear at Cinch, knocking her back. They’d managed to intuit that her Shadow was weak to Cursed skilled, to which Trixie had one, and it was a weak one. Not enough to do serious damage, but enough to knock her back briefly.

“Guh!” Shadow Cinch grunted in pain.

Rainbow Dash had her Persona slash Cinch while she was open, doing a good bit of damage to her, “Hurry! Before she-” Cinch held her blade above her and spun it, casting a healing spell on herself, “Heals…”

“Ugh! This is impossible!” Trixie fussed, falling to her knees, “My one Cursed Spell can only make her flinch!”

“I’m scared, girls,” Pinkie Pie admitted, “I, I don’t know if we can beat this one.”

“I ain’t givin’ up!” Rainbow Dash said, pointing her sword at Cinch, “I’m sick, and tired, of this bitch pushing us around! Our Leader’s counting on us, so no faltering!”

Trixie forced herself to her feet, “Right! Can’t give up now! We have to survive this!”

Pinkie Pie slapped her cheeks and nodded, “You’re, right! Starlight needs us to keep Cinch busy!”

“Oho! You girls have a lot of spirit!” Shadow Cinch said, “Shame you can’t put this energy into what really matters, like your grades!”

“Yeah, cause getting an A+ is more important than saving someone’s life!” Trixie shouted, “You really are fucked up, Cinch!”

“You’re just like my old man!” Rainbow Dash seethed, “For what you did to Rarity, I’m gonna enjoy beating you into the ground!”

“Really?!” Cinch swung her blade, hitting all three witches at once, knocking them back onto the ground, “You care that much about that worthless dog?! She’s nothing but a stray that Honey Crisp took pity on!”

“That stray, has done more good for the school, than you ever did!” Trixie screamed tearfully, “When she found out Blueblood abused me, she took it seriously! She took action to protect me and the other students! Action that you forced her to stop so Tirek could line your pocket!”

“I’m thinking of the good of the school!” Cinch said, holding up her blade as she charged up another spell, “Tirek’s support could bring the school to new heights!”

She cast her spell, unleashing a massive thunder storm on everyone present. Even Rainbow Dash fell to the ground from that, and she was strong against Zio based spells.

“You, don’t give a damn about the school!” Rainbow seethed, using her sword to support herself, “If you did, you wouldn’t have forced Rarity to make that shitty announcement when that magazine went public! All you did was make the situation worse for Pinkie Pie!”

“Rarity, was so upset afterward, that she was sick!” Pinkie Pie cried, “And yet you were patting yourself on the back like you did a good job! You’re a terrible person, and a horrible Principal!”

“In order to bring about Canterlot High’s full potential, sacrifices need to be made!” Cinch reared her blade back and thrust it forward, leading Rainbow Dash to summon her Persona once more to block, “One or two students falling to the wayside is fine so long as the overall prestige of the school rises, thanks to my contributions!”

Trixie shut her eyes tightly, “So I guess that means, Pinkie Pie, Rarity, and I were just, tossed to the wayside?!”

“I hate you…!” Pinkie Pie cried as she staggered to her feet, “You're nothing but a monster!”

“Good! You’re all okay!” Twilight called out.

“Mission Control, what’s the status?!” Rainbow Dash asked, pushing against Cinch’s blade with Eclair’s, “Starlight get Rarity out yet?!”

“We hit a snag in that, actually!” Twilight explained, “Long story short, Starlight and Rarity are on their way there now! Starlight’s been poisoned, and she needs healing!”

“I knew it!” Trixie exclaimed, “It was that one attack that hit her! Cinch poisoned her!”

“I have a spell for that!” Pinkie Pie said.

“Hang on, you said Rarity’s coming too?!” Rainbow Dash asked, “Why’s she-” before she could answer, black tendrils shot out of the ground and lashed out at Cinch, making her scream in agony as she was knocked back, “Holy shit.”

“Hey Principal Bitch! Did ya miss me?!” a familiar voice called out. They all looked and saw Rarity, now as a human/wolf hybrid in a super sexy outfit, getting off a flaming motorcycle with a strong wolf motif, and was subtly glowing like a Persona, with Starlight on laying on the seat still.

“You…!” Cinch seethed looking at Rarity, “Those clothes, that white highlight. So, finally showing your true colors then?”

“Your opinion of me ain’t changin’, right?” Rarity cracked her neck, “So I figured I’d act like the filthy slut I am!” she looked at the group, motioning toward Starlight, “Hey Pinkie Pie, Starlight needs ya.”

“O-on it!” Pinkie Pie rushed over to Starlight, summoning Serenity to cast Amrita Drop on her, “You okay?”

“Tired, but yeah,” Starlight smiled, “Thanks, Pinkie Pie.”

“So um,” Trixie asked as Rarity strutted in front of them, hips swaying enticingly with each step, “You, got one too?”

“What? A Persona?” Rarity asked, “The bike. Her name’s Riley.”

Rainbow Dash looked at the Persona, “That’s, the coolest fucking thing I’ve ever seen.”

“Her Persona is a motorcycle?” Trixie asked, “Yeah, that’s pretty metal.”

“You had so much potential,” Cinch said, looming over the group as her focus was on Rarity, “I thought you were going to be the school’s shining star. Seems I was wrong to think you’d ever be anything more than a-” she was cut off by Rarity’s Persona firing another barrage of missiles at her.

“Shut the fuck up,” Rarity spat, “Your voice is giving me a headache,” now feeling better, Starlight stepped up to join her team, standing beside Rarity, “You’re the Alpha of this pack, right? I’ll follow your lead, just so long as I get to beat the fucking shit out of her.”

“Hearing Miss President talk like this is so surreal…” Trixie whispered.

“It’s, kinda hot, actually,” Rainbow Dash admitted, Pinkie Pie nodding in agreement.

“Alright. Rainbow Dash, you focus on physical attacks! Pinkie Pie, move to the rear guard to rest up! Trixie, you’re with me on general offense, and Rarity,” Rarity turned to Starlight, who pointed to Cinch, “Give it to her hard.”

Rarity grinned gleefully hearing that.

Cinch rose to her feet and raised her saber staff, charging up her thunder spell.

“Careful! She’s preparing a strong attack!” Twilight said, “We need to intercept it!”

“Oh that’s easy,” Rarity smirked, holding up her Channeling Ring, “TO ME, RILEY!!!” Rarity jumped onto her Persona as it appeared, and cast Maeiga on Cinch, knocking her to the ground, “Let’s wail on her, Starlight! Please? Pretty please?” she begged, a terrifying grin on her face.

“Let’s do it! All Out Attack!” Starlight commanded. Pinkie Pie was still tired, so she sat this one out, letting Rarity take her place. For her contribution, she cracked her knuckles and charged at Cinch along with Rainbow and Starlight, pummeling her with rapid fire punches. These attacks made Cinch cry out in pain as she took massive damage.

“Careful!” Rainbow Dash shouted, “She can heal, and does so when she takes too much damage!”

“Then we just gotta hit her harder than she can heal!” Rarity said.

“I really like the way you think!” Rainbow Dash grinned, “Please tell me you’re joining our group!”

“There’s a good chance of it, I’ll admit,” Rarity said smirking.

Cinch walked over to the wall, walking on it to get on the ceiling. She then shot webs out at the Witches, forcing them to scatter out of the way.

“MORGANA!!!” Starlight shouted, shifting to her primary Persona and casting Rakunda on Cinch, lowering her defense. She then felt Trixie’s heart resonate with hers, “Someone knock her down so Trixie and I can hit her with our Double Tech.”

“Leave that to me!” Rainbow Dash held up her sword and Channeling Ring, “Come forth, my inner self!” she intoned, summoning Eclair Farron, who slashed Cinch hard, knocking her off the ceiling and onto the ground.

Starlight and Trixie ran over to each other and stood back to back, “COME FORTH, OUR PERSONAS!!!” they shouted at the same time, Elenora and Morgana appearing beside one another. Morgana slashed at Cinch a few times, followed by Elenora kicking her with fire engulfed legs. Morgana then followed with a drill kick into her chest, which Elenora followed by throwing fireballs at Cinch.

The two Personas then held their arms out, nodded to each other, and then slashed through Cinch in an X formation.

Cinch flinched back from that, “Such, insolent children!”

“You gotta earn respect to get it!” Rainbow Dash said, holding up her blade, “Hey Miss President! I got a present for ya!”

Rainbow Dash summoned her Persona, casting Rebellion on Rarity. Like before, her grin was terrifying.

“Ooooh, I like the way this feels~!” she purred, once again summoning her Persona, unleashing her barrage of missiles at Cinch, who tried to block but was immediately overwhelmed by the assault. Seeing her on the ground and getting bombarded with missiles, Rarity let out a laugh akin to a banchee, “THAT’S RIGHT! KEEP SCREAMING! YOUR PAIN MAKES ME SO WET~!” she moaned and hugged herself, “I’m gonna cum if you keep screamin’ like this…!”

“I am, so confused and turned on by this…” Pinkie Pie muttered.

“I want her to step on me,” Trixie said softly, pulling her hat over her eyes and blushing. Even Starlight had to admit, seeing Rarity just loose herself like this was really sexy.

Rainbow Dash’s Persona once again clashed blades with Cinch, this time breaking her blade in two and slamming into Cinch herself. Before she could retaliate, Rarity once again hit Cinch with her massive Cursed Spell, knocking her to the ground.

Starlight made the call, commanding an All Out Attack, which this time Cinch didn’t recover from, as she let out a loud wail of pain before falling over, her monstrous form fading away, and leaving her in her humanized form.

end song

Rarity chuckled, and then burst out laughing, “Yes! Oh fuck YES! Beating the shit outta that belligerent, self righteous cunt was JUST what I needed!” she then moaned, “Mmmmm, I came a little…”

“I’m never getting on her bad side,” Trixie said.

“I ain’t afraid of No Fun Jackie,” Rainbow Dash said, “But that? That was terrifying.”

“So, what do you have to say for yourself?” Rarity asked, hands on her hips and tail swishing back and forth, “Get it now? You don’t own me anymore. I’m doing what I want from now-” Cinch started laughing, “What’s so funny?”

Desire - Persona 5

“You are,” Cinch said, rising to her knees, “All of you.”

“What are you talking about?” Rainbow Dash asked. Starlight’s heart was racing for some reason.

“You think this changes anything?” Cinch sneered, “I still have dirt on you, remember. And it’ll be morning in a few hours. Know what that means~?”

Rarity stepped back, eyes wide and now trembling, “No…!”

“Hang on! Why didn’t her heart change?!” Pinkie Pie asked, “We did everything right, didn’t we?!”

“It’s because Rarity isn’t her treasure!” Twilight said, “It’s the same with Blueblood! She didn’t value Rarity, so setting her free didn’t affect her!”

“What are you saying?!” Trixie asked frantically, “All of this, we did for nothing?!”

“That’s right!” Cinch laughed, “You didn’t change anything! All you did was galvanize me to see my plan through to the end!”

Starlight gritted her teeth, and summoned her scythe.

“Enjoy your night of freedom, because it’ll be your last!” Cinch gave Rarity and everyone an evil grin, “I’ll enjoy seeing you fall into despair, as you get sent straight to hell, and the Scarlets all get dragged down with you!” she then let out a euphoric, sinister laugh.

Rarity hyperventilated, holding her head in agony, “No…! Applejack…! I…! I…!”

Starlight gripped her scythe tightly, getting it ready. She didn’t care at this point. She was going to put an end to this woman once and for-

end song

A loud bang was heard, followed by Cinch freezing in place. Black blood ran down from a hole that randomly appeared on her forehead, and her laughter ceased.

“W-what happened?” Pinkie Pie asked. Cinch fell limp, her body fading away and dispersing in black mist, “G-girls…!”

“Who, did that?” Rainbow Dash asked, “None of us have gun weapons, right?”

“I technically do, but mine are playing cards,” Trixie said, “That wasn’t…”

“Ugh! Finally! Thought she’d never shut up!” a new voice called out, “You’re welcome, by the way.”

Organization XIII Theme - Kingdom Hearts 2

They looked, and saw three figures standing by the cells. One of them was Adagio, but the other two, were new. One was a girl about their age wearing a red and golden Chinese inspired dress, dark red boots, and had red and golden hair tied in a pony tail. She held two large guns, one pointed forward and smoking.

The other new figure looked a bit older than them, but only a bit. She wore a short, tight, and extremely sexy green and black dress, fishnet stockings, black high heels, and a traditional witch’s hat like Starlight. Her hair was long, straight, and neon green. In her hands was a book, which she seemed very focused on. The way she wore her hat made her eyes impossible to see.

“A-Adagio?” Starlight asked. Adagio beamed and ran over to Starlight, hugging her tightly.

“Starlight! I’m so happy to see you again!” she smiled.

“Who are these two?” Rainbow Dash asked carefully.

“Oh! They’re my Coven!” Adagio smiled, “The one in red is Sunset Shimmer, and the one in green reading is our leader, Chrysalis!”

“It’s nice to meet you,” Chrysalis smiled, closing her book,“Especially the one who’s been chosen by the Right Eye.”

“The, Right Eye?” Trixie asked.

“The Right Eye of Nyx, of course~” Chrysalis said, placing a hand on her chest, “I myself was chosen by the Left Eye of Nyx. I suppose you could say we’re the same, you and I.”

“Nyx?!” Twilight cried, “H-hang on a second! You three know about Nyx?!”

“Duh,” Sunset shrugged, “The Akashic Records have info on everything. She’s kinda sorta the source of our magic, right?”

“I wanted to give you a chance to solve this on your terms, but once that Shadow revealed that she was unrepentant, I couldn’t stay silent,” Chrysalis said, her hat still covering her eyes, which made her extremely friendly smile very unsettling, “I hope you don’t mind us stealing your kill.”

“Stealing my…”

“You were going to kill her yourself, right?” Chrysalis continued, “There’s nothing to be ashamed of. That’s what our magic is for, after all. To rid the world of monsters.”

“I… I wasn’t, I mean I…” she looked down at her scythe, trembling a bit. Really, she was considering it, and if they hadn't killed Cinch themselves, then...

“Honestly, I don’t see why you waited so long,” Sunset rested a gun over her shoulder, “I mean, she was actually the worst, am I right?”

“Well, she was,” Trixie looked away awkwardly, “But, you can’t just…”

“Oh, but we can,” Chrysalis said, “This is the world of magic, which can’t be proven in a court of law. We can kill to our heart’s content, and never have to worry about facing the consequences.”

“How, can you be so calm about killing someone?” Pinkie Pie asked shakily.

“Because she was a monster, and deserved it?” Sunset said like it was nothing, “I mean, she was gonna wreck the wolf girl’s life if she lived, right?”

“Some people are just pure evil,” Adagio said somberly, “It’s the same as my manager. I had to kill him, in order to protect myself and my sisters.”

“And, you killed Cinch, in order to help me?” Rarity asked the three Dark Witches. Chrysalis chuckled softly.

“Yes, because you have potential, White Wolf. You could be the strongest witch in this current era, or at least one of. It’d be a shame to let such potential go to waste,” she walked over to Rarity, “If you want to join their group, I won’t stop you, but, do know that Neo Strega, is looking for people like you.”

“Neo, Strega…?” Rarity asked softly.

“It’s the name of my Coven, named after a group in the past who used the power of Persona in the honor of dear Mother Nyx,” Chrysalis explained, “Do consider our group, White Wolf.”

With that, Chrysalis turned and walked off. Sunset gave the group one final wave before walking after Chrysalis. Adagio on the other hand, turned to Starlight, taking her hands.

“I hover around the Akashic Records, so we can catch up there,” she smiled before hugging Starlight tightly, “I’ll see you again, Starlight!” she then released Starlight and ran after her friends.

“What, just happened?” Rainbow Dash asked. Starlight didn’t have an answer to that, sadly. All she knew though, was Principal Cinch, was dead.

And Starlight, almost killer her herself.

end song

The walk back to the entrance was silent for a bit, but eventually Rarity broke the silence by taking the time to ask what happened, what this power actually was, and also to get an idea of what they all did to rescue her.

“So, the Nightmare Epidemic is really people getting trapped in these Nightmares?” Rarity asked. They were now right in front of the door.

“Pretty much, yeah,” Starlight nodded, “We’re still not sure what’s causing it, but we have a theory as to where the source is.”

“That being?”

“Elysium,” Trixie said, “It’s a tower somewhere in the Akashic Records that seems to be related to the Dungeons. Diamond Tiara formed a Dungeon, but we got to hers before it fully manifested, and it was inside Elysium.”

Rarity nodded, “And, you said that you had one of these too?” Rarity asked Trixie, who nodded gravely.

“Blueblood was my Dungeon Master,” she explained.

“Fleur was mine,” Pinkie Pie said somberly, looking down, “I’m, still not sure how to deal with that, honestly.”

“I, didn’t have a Dungeon per say,” Rainbow Dash said, “Running theory is that Pinkie Pie and I kinda shared one, though, since I was so affected by her situation.”

“I see,” Rarity nodded, folding her arms and looking up, “This is a lot bigger than I thought, but, I sorta get it.”

“Now that you know, what are you going to do?” Twilight asked Rarity.

“Unsure, being completely up front with you,” Rarity admitted, “I’m thinking for now, I just need to rest and process what happened. All of it.”

“Good idea,” Starlight nodded, “Oh, fair warning. Awakening to your Persona seems to cause a fever, so you might be sick when you wake up.”

“Stay home, got it,” Rarity nodded, holding her head, “Kinda feeling lightheaded.”

“That’s not uncommon,” Trixie said, “Honestly, I’m kinda shocked you didn’t feel it sooner.”

“I was running on adrenaline, I think,” Rarity said, “So, how do I get outta here?”

“Through that door, you’ll find yourself in a library of sorts,” Twilight explained, “Once there, just take off your Channeling Ring, and you’ll return to your body.”

“That simple, huh? Alright then,” Rarity turned to everyone, “Look, I, don’t do mushy stuff well, so…”

“We get it,” Starlight smiled, “You’re welcome, Rarity. And, we’ll catch up with you tomorrow.”

"I'm glad you're okay now, Rarity," Pinkie Pie hugged her, "Talk to you later."

"Yeah, see ya," Rarity smiled a bit, hugging Pinkie Pie in return. She nodded to everyone else, and then went through the main exit, presumably taking her Ring off shortly after.

“So, we won, right?” Trixie asked, “Cause, I kinda don’t feel like celebrating.”

“We know what happened to Cinch,” Pinkie Pie said, “Kinda sours things a bit.”

“I ain’t sure how I feel about it,” Rainbow Dash admitted, “Which in all honesty, is kinda sad.”

“Neo Strega…” Twilight muttered to herself, “The Left Eye, and Right Eye, of Nyx…?”

“Twilight?” Pinkie Pie asked.

“I, need to talk to Mitsuru about this,” Twilight said, “But for now, you should all get some rest.”

“Good idea,” Rainbow Dash stretched, “Tomorrow’s gonna suck. Well, I’ll see ya back at the dorm.”

“See you, everyone,” Pinkie Pie waved to them, “Once we know Rarity’s okay, we should do something to celebrate.”

Rainbow Dash and Pinkie Pie walked through the door together, leaving Trixie and Starlight alone.

“You okay?” Trixie asked Starlight, who shook her head.

“Can we, talk a bit when we get home?” she requested, “In our room?”

Trixie nodded smiling, “Of course, Starlight.” she said, taking Starlight’s hand, “Come on. Let’s head back.”

Starlight nodded, and walked through the door. As they left, and no one was there to have the Dream, the whole Dungeon cracked, and shattered into the Ether.

Author's Note

New Party Member Unlocked:

Rarity Stark
Persona: Riley
Arcana: The Hanged Man
Strengths: Darkness and Physical Attacks
Weakness: Blessed

Lore: The main character of the Riley Jenson Guardian Novels from Keri Arthur. Born of a werewolf mother and a vampire father, she's often caught between the two worlds. Her werewolf culture very important to her, but her vampire lover Quinn and her job as a detective/assassin make embracing this side of herself very difficult. Werewolves are known to be very sexually active, and become more so during the full moon.

Click here to check out the Go Fund I'm starting for my parents, and consider either donating or sharing this on your social media accounts.

11/9

November 9th, 2019
Friday
Sunny

Morning

Living with Determination - Persona 3

She was still a bit queasy when she woke up the next morning. Starlight wanted to play it by ear though, see if she could still make it. She wasn’t going to push herself, but she needed to see what would happen today with her own eyes.

The idea that Cinch was now probably dead was just… she didn’t know.

Trixie was already up when she opened her eyes. She waited for her, and as soon as she was up, Trixie brought Starlight into a hug. There, Starlight just, cried. She wasn’t even sure why she was crying really. It certainly wasn’t because Cinch was dead. Also, they succeeded in saving Rarity, so she should have been happy.

And yet, here she was, bawling her eyes out, instead of congratulating herself and her coven for a job well done.

Trixie was wonderful. She didn’t say anything. She just held Starlight, and let her cry it out. Only once she was calmed did Trixie speak, and even then, she mostly focused on listening as Starlight told her what almost happened, and just, her general feelings on it.

“I see,” Trixie said once Starlight finished, “So when that woman with green hair said she took your kill…”

“She was right,” Starlight said weakly, “If that girl, Sunset hadn’t shot Cinch then…” she closed her eyes tightly, “I think, I would have killed Cinch myself…”

“Oh Starlight…”

“I’m turning into a monster…!” Starlight cried, holding her head tightly, “I still want to kill Blueblood's Shadow, when Rainbow Dash almost killed Fleur’s Shadow I didn’t stop her, and now with Cinch…!”

“You’re not a monster, and I can tell you exactly why,” Trixie turned Starlight to look at her, “You’re crying. You still care enough about just the idea to be emotional about it, to care that someone died. The way that Sunset bitch spoke, and how Chrysalis talked about killing to their heart’s content simply because they can’t get caught, they’re the monsters.”

“I, want to believe that, Trixie. I do, but…”

“But…?” Trixie urged.

“What if I told you, I’m not sorry that Cinch is dead…?”

Trixie pursed her lips and took a deep breath, “Honestly, I’d be relieved. Since I’m not either,” Starlight’s eyes widened, “Starlight, she didn’t do anyone any good. She made what was otherwise a pretty great school absolute hell for a number of students. She forced Rarity to make that announcement about the sexual harassment instead of letting Pinkie Pie leave school early, she didn’t take the fact I was abused seriously on the grounds of my sexual interests being leaked, and instead of talking with Rarity and possibly getting her professional help, she blackmailed her into being her personal attack dog, threatening to ruin not just her life, but Applejack and her family’s lives too,” Trixie closed her eyes, “Even when we defeated her Shadow and took back Rarity’s power, Cinch was still going to report Rarity simply out of spite. Starlight, you have nothing to feel guilty over.”

“But then, does that mean that, Chrysalis and Sunset were right to kill Cinch?” Starlight asked, a bit uncomfortably at whatever the answer was. Based on Trixie’s expression, she wasn’t comfortable with her answer either.

“I, I don’t know, Starlight,” Trixie looked down, “Because if they hadn’t, Rarity, Applejack, and the Scarlet's lives would have been ruined. I, I think I’m less sorry that she died, and more sorry that she had to die.”

Starlight agreed, but as she looked down at her lap, she realized something, “Rarity, probably feels terrible about this.”

Trixie closed her eyes, “Sad thing is, you’re probably right. She hated Cinch more than any of us did, but she was still killed in front of her.”

“And with Rarity’s guilt complex…” Starlight took a breath, and got up, “Alright. I’m going to school, after all.”

“You sure?” Trixie asked, “I mean, you were hit pretty bad with that poison, and we didn’t get to you till later.”

“True, but you did get to me,” Starlight said, grabbing her towel (still didn’t remember to buy a robe…) and heading toward the door in her nightgown, “After school, I want to try and catch up with Rarity.”

“I’ll see if we can get Ms. Tia to drive us,” Trixie said, “She knows where the Scarlets live. I think she and Granny Smith are good friends, even.”

That didn’t surprise Starlight at all.

“Thanks Trixie,” Starlight smiled, “For listening, and for helping me rescue Rarity. I know it looked rough there, but you never left my side.”

“I promised, right?” Trixie smiled lovingly, “No matter what, I’ll be with you till the bitter end.”

Trixie got up and went to kiss Starlight, a gesture she happily returned. She wasn’t going to let Cinch ruin this victory for her, and once she made sure Rarity was okay, she’d feel better about celebrating.

Lunch Time

Starlight opened her locker and sighed. Sure enough, neither Cinch nor Rarity were in today. Everyone was a bit on the somber side today, with many students worried about how Rarity was, and a few wondering where Cinch was, as she was never tardy, nor did she miss days. Still, in terms of Cinch, that was, pretty much it. No one really seemed to mind that she wasn't there, not even the faculty. In fact, despite the air being a bit down due to Rarity's absence, the day seemed to go by smoother without Cinch's watchful eye.

Starlight did feel a bit light headed still, and her stomach was a bit on the funny side, but she didn’t feel terrible. Still, she’d probably have to take it easy over the weekend. Which sucked, as she was hoping to catch up with some of her friends. Mainly Fluttershy, as she was still worried about their last encounter.

A Small Distance - Blue Reflection

“Starlight?” Starlight turned to see Sweetie Belle standing there with her lunch and her chess set.

“Hey Sweetie Belle,” Starlight closed her locker and smiled at her, “Is everything alright?”

Sweetie nodded, “I’m okay. I was wondering if you knew how Rarity was doing. She didn’t come to school today.”

“She’s, a little under the weather, but she’ll be okay,” Starlight assured her, “I’m actually planning to visit her after school.”

Sweetie nodded, and then looked down, “Um, can we sit together at lunch today? I, wanted to talk to you about something.”

“Is it about Rarity?” Starlight asked Sweetie Belle, who nodded, “Sure. I’ll answer what I can.”

“Thank you,” Sweetie Belle smiled a bit. Starlight walked with the young girl to her usual table, where she set down her chess set and lunch. Before diving into anything, she set up the chess board and the pieces.

“So, what did you want to talk about?” Starlight asked.

“Rarity is a part of that gang, isn’t she?” Sweetie asked, turning to Starlight, “The Diamond Dogs?”

Starlight’s heart leaped out of her chest, “Well… it’s a bit complicated, but well…” she sighed, “She used to be a member. She’s left them, and is trying to lead an honest life.”

Sweetie nodded, “That’s, sort of what I thought,” Starlight asked Sweetie why she was curious, “Some of my classmates are talking. They mentioned a rumor that Rarity was seen with the Diamond Dog leader, and that she has their tattoo somewhere on her body. It’s on her hip, right?”

“How, do you…?”

“When she came to see me at the National Chess Tournament, she was wearing a dress that was high cut and revealing. I caught a glimpse of it then. Normally it was covered, but the way she was sitting made it visible.”

Must have been before the Diamond Dogs made their return, before Rarity felt the need to hide the tattoo as much, “These rumors, they’re not serious, are they?”

Sweetie twirled her finger through her hair, “Define, serious.”

Oh that wasn’t good, “They’re not, doubting her integrity, are they?”

“Some, are,” Sweetie said, averting her eyes, “Some are just confused.”

“What about you?” Starlight asked, “Where do you fall in this?”

“The second camp,” Sweetie answered, “I didn’t want to confirm anything until I spoke to you. Besides Applejack and Apple Bloom, you’re her closest friend, and I doubt they’d tell me much.”

No, probably not. But, she had a feeling that whatever Sweetie Belle was going through, and whatever this odd air was between her and Rarity, she needed to know the truth of things in order for her to find peace.

“I promise, Rarity’s a good person,” Starlight assured Sweetie Belle, rubbing her back, “Regardless of her connections, and regardless of anything she’s done in the past. She’s a good person, and genuinely cares about the students.”

Sweetie nodded, pursing her lips in an expression similar to Rarity, “I knew it. I heard Snips and Snails saying things about Rarity that weren’t nice. They were saying she was secretly a thug, and was using the fact she was president for her own benefit," she looked away, a darkened look in her eyes, "I told them they were being mean, and they should stop it.”

“They, didn’t give you a hard time, did they?” Starlight asked carefully.

“They said I was biased,” Sweetie looked down, tearing up a bit and trembling, “Said I was just upset because I was in love with a delinquent. So I, screamed at them, and told them that I didn’t care what they thought. Rarity is a good person, and they shouldn’t say bad things about her.”

Sensing that Sweetie was getting really upset, Starlight brought her into a hug, “You’re absolutely right, Sweetie Belle. Rarity is a good person, despite where she came from. You did the right thing, standing up to your bullies.”

“Even, if they think, I’m in love with her?” she asked in between sobs.

“Screw what they think,” Starlight said, lifting Sweetie’s chin, “You know your true feelings, whatever they are. So what if others don’t understand. And most importantly, the people who are your closest friends, they’ll trust you.”

“Like… you?” Sweetie looked into Starlight’s eyes desperately, “You truly truly believe me, when I say I don’t have a crush on Rarity?”

“I do,” Starlight nodded, “I don’t know what this is, but if you say you’re not crushing on Rarity, then I believe it.”

Sweetie hugged Starlight tightly, “Thank you, Starlight! Thank you so much!”

She believes me! Maybe I…

Maybe I can trust her with my secret after all!

Taking note of Sweetie’s emotions, Starlight hugged her right back. She felt significantly closer to Sweetie Belle.

Starlight decided to stay by Sweetie Belle’s side and just enjoy lunch with her.

In the Devastated Town - Devil Survivor 2

“So, what do you think?” Scootaloo asked, watching Starlight and Sweetie Belle together, “Think she can be trusted?”

“Pretty sure of it, actually,” Apple Bloom said, leaning against a tree and narrowing her eyes at them subtly, “Even if there’s, somethin’ about her that ain’t entirely normal.”

“Gonna approach her?”

“Not yet,” Apple Bloom shook her head, taking a bite from her pretzel stick, “Gonna see what happens with Rarity first, then approach her. Still,” her eyes landed on the ring Starlight was wearing, “I am curious about what those rings mean…”

“Maybe they’re in a club or something?” Scootaloo shrugged, “I heard something about her and the other girls in that dorm being into witchcraft or something. Could just be their symbol.”

“See, I wanna say that’s all it is, except for one thing,” Apple Bloom showed Scootaloo something on her phone, “Rarity’s got one now.”

Scootaloo frowned at the picture, “When, did she get that…?”

“Far as I can tell,” Apple Bloom took another bite of her pretzel, “In her sleep.”

“Huh,” Scootaloo looked at Starlight, “And, she was snooping around a lot, trying to get info on the President.”

“Granny Smith said Miss Tia’s probably gonna be stoppin’ by today, an’ she might be bringin’ them along too,” Apple Bloom pursed her lips, “I don’t know what they did, but I’m bettin’ that eventually, Rarity’s gonna be spendin’ a lot more time with ‘em.”

“Keep me updated, Apple Bloom,” Scootaloo rested her bat on her shoulder, “Just in case.”

Apple Bloom smiled, “Always, Scootaloo.”

The two girls bumped fists, and then walked off together. That Ring, Cinch’s odd disappearance, and the mysterious transfer student. They were all connected, and depending on the end result of it, she had one of two options.

Either join the Company, or be dealt with by the Company…

end song

After School

Once everyone had left class and gotten their things, they began the ride to the Scarlet family’s farm. To give them more room, Pinkie Pie actually rode with Applejack in her car along with Apple Bloom. As they rode, Starlight looked out the window, taking in the sights as the rode through town. It didn’t take long for the town to give way to suburbs, and eventually more wooded areas.

“This place, is beautiful!” Starlight said as the car rode out into an open field where she could see the clear sky and setting sun clearly.

“I’ve always enjoyed the ride down here,” Celestia smiled.

“You and Granny Smith are good friends, right?” Rainbow Dash asked, “I think Lulamoon mentioned that.”

Celestia nodded, “She and I met when I first enrolled at Canterlot High as a History Teacher. She’s a lovely woman.”

“I met her once,” Trixie said, “It was actually when Blueblood and I were together. She looked at us together, and pursed her lips. She then pulled me aside and said that I could do way better. I sadly, didn’t really take her seriously then.”

“Granny Smith is very insightful,” Celestia said, “Word of advice, if she tells you something, it’d be best to listen.”

“Definitely gonna remember that,” Trixie muttered. Starlight couldn’t wait to meet her, with accolades like this.

Eventually, Applejack’s car stopped, signaling that they made it. Once they stopped, Starlight and co stepped out of the car and took in the sights. It was the most beautiful farm land she’d ever seen. The field was wide open and green, sectioned off into various crops. Off in the distance was a barn, and Starlight could see a number of animals roaming about in various pins, and on the other side she saw a number of trees that seemed strategically placed and bunched together.

Halcyon Days - 13 Sentinels: Aegis Rim

Ahead of them was a nice, comfortably blue and white house, which Starlight assumed was their actual house. Seeing this, Starlight felt a lump in her throat. It was that beautiful to her.

“Well, welcome to Sweet Apple Acres,” Applejack said, presenting her home to those who were newcomers.

“No fucking way…” Rainbow Dash looked around, “You live here?”

“This place is beautiful…” Trixie said softly, Starlight nodding in agreement.

“It really is,” Pinkie Pie smiled, “I always love coming out here. The air is fresh, the animals are friendly, and Granny Smith is a fantastic cook.”

“Indeed she is,” Celestia confirmed, “I’ve actually gotten a number of recipes from her.”

“Seriously?” Trixie asked Celestia, “And just like that, I love it here.”

Applejack laughed, “They actually trade recipes, Granny Smith an’ Miss Tia.”

“Wait, so that lasagna recipe that Granny Smith made last week,” Apple Bloom turned to Celestia, “She said that came from a friend. Was that…?”

“Oh, she made it?” Celestia beamed, “How was it?”

“I, couldn’t stop eatin’ it,” Apple Bloom looked down, “Pretty sure I gained weight from that.”

“Ah, yer too young to be worryin’ ‘bout stuff like that,” Applejack beamed, “’Sides, I’ve had Miss Tia’s cookin’, an’ it’s legit the food of the Gods. It begs to be gorged.”

Apple Bloom gave her older sister a dry look, “Ya say that, an’ yet you were doin’ a jog ‘round the whole field the mornin’ after too.”

“Hey! I gotta look nice for-” she cut herself off and blushed, “For, reasons.”

“Mhm,” Apple Bloom narrowed her eyes, “Reasons. Right.”

As Applejack laughed it off, Starlight frowned a bit. She wondered what “reasons” Applejack felt the need to look good at all times.

As they walked toward the house, Starlight took note of the trees in the distance, “Are those, Apple Trees?”

“Scarlet Family’s specialty,” Applejack said, “We provide the apples for the whole town.”

“Your family must be extremely important,” Starlight said.

“Well, I don’t like to brag, but…” Applejack chuckled.

“Bull, fuckin’, shit,” Apple Bloom shot, “You brag ‘bout our family all the goddamn time.”

Applejack walked over to Apple Bloom and wrapped an arm around her, “Oh Apple Bloom, such a little prankster!” she was frowning despite her smile. Apple Bloom did not look amused.

“I ain’t Dash. You ain’t scarin’ me with that,” Apple Bloom said dryly.

“I’m not afraid of No Fun Jackie!” Rainbow Dash shouted, but then muttered, “It’s Miss President I’m afraid of now…”

Starlight, Trixie, and Pinkie Pie all nodded in agreement of that, blushing collectively. But, this brought up a question.

“Um, how is Rarity?” Trixie asked, “She didn’t come to school today.”

“That’s ‘cause she woke up with a fever,” Applejack explained, “Wasn’t too bad, but Granny Smith didn’t want her pushin’ herself.”

“I take it she’s in her room then?” Starlight asked.

“That, or restin’ near the apple trees,” Applejack said, “Warnin’ ya now, Rarity puts on airs in school a lot, so don’t be surprised if she ain’t as openly friendly as she is in school.”

“That’s alright,” Rainbow Dash said, “We, kinda know what she’s really like. Well, she does at least,” she pointed a hand to Starlight.

“Right. Y’all know ‘bout her past,” Applejack stopped and turned to Celestia, “I take it, you know too?”

“I know quite a bit, actually,” Celestia said, but smiled, “But I promise, unlike Cinch, my main concern is Rarity’s well being. I’m actually hear to discuss some things with Granny Smith concerning Rarity going forward.”

“So, ya know what she did then…?” Applejack asked softly. Seemed Rarity told the Scarlets about the gangbang after all, or told them something.

Celestia sighed and nodded, “I do. But I also know that she has a lot of issues she’s working through, mental and emotional, and I before we jump to disciplinary action, I’d like to try and get Rarity the help she needs to work through them. Like I said, I'm not Cinch.”

“Thank you,” Applejack looked down, “Rarity’s, complicated, but she ain’t a bad person.”

“I know she isn’t,” Celestia said, hugging Applejack, “I’ve seen just how good of a person she is, despite her past. I want to help her just as much as everyone here does. Will you trust me to do so?”

“I, will,” Applejack hugged Celestia back, “I can’t say Rarity will though. She don’t trust no one outside of this family really.”

“I think I can make a good case for her,” Celestia smiled, “But first, I’d like to speak with Granny Smith.”

Applejack nodded, and ushered everyone inside the small house. The interior was just as cozy as Starlight thought it’d be on the outside, but a lot bigger than she initially thought it’d be.

“Granny Smith, Miss Tia’s here, along with Pinkie Pie an’ the rest of the Starswirl Dorm!” Applejack called out. A few seconds after, an older woman with white hair tied in a bun stepped out, wearing a green dress and an apron. She was short, somewhat rounded, but Starlight could see a wise, elegant, beauty from her.

“Oh, hello Miss Tia! Always a pleasure to see ya!” she said, walking over to hug their homeroom teacher, who happily hugged her back.

“Likewise. How are you, Honey Crisp?” Celestia asked.

“Oh, I’m doin’ alright, dearie. How are you? Tired of teachin’ teenager’s yet?” Granny Smith joked, making Celestia laugh.

“Not at all. They’re the children who truly need the most guidance, such is my reason for existing,” Celestia said.

“Fair ‘nough. I take it these are the ones in that dorm ya managin’ now?” Granny Smith asked, turning to the group.

“Yes. I believe you already know Trixie, and I know you know Pinkie Pie. With her are Rainbow Dash, and Starlight Glimmer.”

“Hi Granny Smith,” Pinkie Pie said, going up to hug her, “I’ve missed you so much.”

“It’s always a pleasure to see ya, Pinkie Pie,” Granny Smith smiled, returning the hug, “A bit surprised to see ya dressed all sexy like. That manager ain’t forcin’ ya into this, is she?”

Pinkie Pie shook her head, “She did pick this outfit out for me, but these days, I wear it because I like it.”

“Alright. Long as yer okay with it,” Granny Smith said, now turning to Rainbow Dash, “Finally confessed then, I take it?”

“Wait, what?” Rainbow Dash asked, making Granny Smith laugh, “H-how’d you know Pinkie Pie and I were dating now?!”

“Honestly, I didn’t, but yer face was so priceless I had to!” Granny Smith said through her laughter, “Though y’all do look nice together.”

“T-thanks Granny Smith,” Rainbow Dash said blushing. The older woman then turned to Trixie and Starlight, and sighed in relief.

“Now this looks right,” Granny Smith said, holding Trixie’s hands, “Got away from what’s his name, didn’t ya?”

“More or less,” Trixie said, looking away with a sad smile, “It’s, a bit more complicated these days, but I am done with him. Now, I’m actually dating Starlight here, and I’m much happier.”

“It’s a pleasure to meet you, Granny Smith,” Starlight said stepping forward.

“Nice to meet you too, sugarcube,” Granny Smith said, walking over to Starlight, “Rarity said she was expectin’ ya.”

“She, did?” Starlight asked, “H-how is she?”

“Physically she’s a lot better,” Granny Smith confirmed, “Though, ain’t so sure mentally or emotionally. She’s been through hell an’ back.”

“Indeed,” Celestia nodded, “How much did she tell you?”

“She told me ‘bout what she did to get in trouble,” Granny Smith confirmed, “Poor thing was so upset she started cryin’, worried that we’d toss her onto the streets. Seems she got it into her head somehow that she needed to change who she was, which led to a bunch of other issues, ultimately leadin’ into what happened in the locker room.”

“She wasn’t in trouble, was she?” Pinkie Pie asked, “She was really sorry, and Principal Cinch was already-”

“I know, Pinkie Pie, an’ trust me, she ain’t bein’ punished for what happened. I’m sure she’s learned her lesson,” Granny Smith confirmed, “But, she does need a bit more help movin’ forward.”

“So this is why my ears were burning,” Rarity said, coming from upstairs. Instead of her usual President’s attire, she was wearing a tight purple tank top and black shorts that hugged her curves tightly. She only had on light make-up, and her hair was tied in a ponytail, “Didn’t expect to see everyone.”

“I, hope you don’t mind me bringing my friends along,” Starlight asked, raising her Channeling Ring, “Figured it’d be better for all of us to talk at once.”

Rarity pursed her lips, nursing her new Channeling Ring with an unreadable expression, “Indeed,” she then walked over to Applejack, “And, how are you?”

Applejack smiled, “Rarity, I am rollin’.”

Rarity nodded, smiling a bit, “That’s, good. Um, I want to talk later, but right now, I need to discuss something with Starlight and her, friends.”

Applejack nodded, “Alright. Take yer time, Rarity.”

Rarity then turned to Celestia, “And um, I’d also like to talk to you about some things soon.”

“Of course. I expected as much,” Celestia hugged Rarity, whispering into her ear, “You did wonderfully last night.”

Rarity returned the hug, taking a deep breath. She then turned to Starlight, “Let’s talk in my room.”

Starlight nodded, letting Rarity guide them to her room upstairs. Due to how she wore her hair, Starlight caught a glimpse of an odd, dark mark on the back or Rarity’s neck, a bit off to the side. It was shaped roughly like a dog’s paw. Must have been a birthmark.

“So um, this is what you’re like when not trying to impress everyone at Canterlot High?” Rainbow Dash asked Rarity once they were upstairs.

“Basically,” Rarity sighed, going up to her room and opening the door, “Though right now, I guess I’m a bit, in between phases of myself.”

“I was the same afterward,” Trixie assured her, “It’s not uncommon to be kinda, unsure who you are after that wakes up.”

“Persona, right?” Rarity asked, Trixie nodding, “Let’s get inside first, then we can talk about it.”

end song

They all walked into Rarity’s room, and Starlight was a bit, surprised by how girly and frilly it looked. She expected it to be filled with heavy metal posters or something, but it was surprisingly dainty looking and fancy.

“You know, after seeing you kick so much ass in the Dungeon, I half expected your room to be more, heavy metal,” Rainbow Dash said.

“What can I say?” Rarity shrugged, “I am a girly girl. I just like to play rough, is all. Feel free to sit wherever. Bed, chair, the floor, I don’t care.”

Starlight and Trixie both chose to sit on the bed, with Pinkie Pie sitting on the floor, and Rainbow Dash taking a chair and sitting in it backwards. Rarity chose to take the bed too, bringing a knee to her chest.

“I take it Cinch didn’t show up?” Rarity asked.

“Nope,” Starlight shook her head, “She’s, actually gone I think.”

Rarity took a breath, “Shame I ain't torn up over that. How was the school?”

“Fine, for the most part,” Pinkie Pie averted her eyes, “But there are rumors of you being seen with the Diamond Dogs.”

“Reception’s kinda mixed on it,” Rainbow added, “Some don’t give a shit, but some…”

Rarity closed her eyes, “I fucked up.”

“Kinda yeah…” Trixie admitted, “But hey, not everyone’s thinking the worst of you. Apparently Sweetie Belle stood up for you pretty vocally.”

“She did,” Starlight confirmed, “Some of her classmates were gossiping about you, and she told them to shove it, even when they called out her supposed "crush" on you.”

Rarity blinked, “She, did that much for me?” Rarity pursed her lips, “Wish she hadn’t done that…”

Living with Determination - Persona 3

“Um, why?” Rainbow Dash asked, “She stood up for you. That’s good, isn’t it?”

“It just paints more of a target on her,” Rarity pointed out turning away, “She gets bullied enough as is.”

Rainbow sighed, “Bitch, you really need to stop acting so tough all the time,” Rainbow Dash said, surprising everyone.

Rarity raised an eyebrow, “Excuse me?”

“You heard me,” Rainbow closed her eyes, “Look, I get it. I’m a throwaway kid, more or less like you, and I get that the world probably kicked your teeth in a couple hundred times because you let your guard down. But believe me, when you have someone willing to stand up for you, and you know they legit give a damn, it’s better to just be happy and accept it. Having one person who loves you makes up for the hundreds of people who don’t.”

Rainbow Dash turned to Pinkie Pie and smiled. Pinkie Pie blushed and smiled back.

Rarity huffed, “You think I like this? I’m lonely, I’m on edge all the time, and I get it, I need to trust people more.”

“So why don’t you?” Trixie asked.

“Maybe because I don’t know how.”

“You trust Rover, don’t you?” Trixie asked.

“Yeah, I do. But I grew up with Rover,” Rarity said, “Even his Shadow, only wanted to protect me in his own way. That’s just like him”

“What about my cousin?” Pinkie Pie asked, “You, still trust her, right?”

“I, do,” Rarity said stiffly, “But my feelings for her are… complicated. Somehow, my heart just knows that, she won’t lead me astray. I know I can trust you girls, but at the same time I, I’d rather just, not get involved with people.”

“You’re afraid, aren’t you?” Starlight asked, “Afraid that, you’ll get involved with someone, and then they’ll get hurt?” the way Rarity closed her eyes and whimpered said it all.

“Rarity…” Pinkie Pie said sadly.

“I, still feel a bit like, I’d be better off dead…” Rarity admitted weakly, “Like, if I keep living, someone else is going to suffer.”

“Sadly, waking up to your Persona, doesn’t magically fix you,” Starlight said, reaching over to rub Rarity’s hand, “But if you let us, we’ll help you find the will to live.”

“Even if you don’t join our Coven,” Trixie added, “We just want to be your friend.”

“But, could you please not join those Neo Strega chicks?” Rainbow Dash begged, “They give me really bad vibes.”

“Don’t worry, I ain’t joinin’ them,” Rarity said to everyone’s relief, “Ain’t sure where I’m endin’ up ultimately. I’m still expectin’ the police to show up and take me to jail.”

“That won’t happen,” Starlight assured Rarity, “You’re free now.”

“I shouldn’t be free,” Rarity pointed out.

“Who says?” Trixie asked, “Cause if you ask me, you being free is a sign that you deserve it.”

“Either way, you need people in your life,” Starlight said, “People who will life you up, and who can help you find yourself.”

“Please Rarity,” Pinkie Pie urged, “Let us be your friends. You’re real friends.”

“We’ll start there,” Rainbow Dash suggested, “Just good friends, the five of us. No need to make any sudden moves or commitments. Just, hang with us.”

“Yeah! And as you get more comfortable, if you want to officially join our Coven, you can,” Pinkie Pie beamed, “But it’ll be when you want to.”

“You’re really trying to make this work for me, huh?” Rarity asked, “Even knowing what I really am? What I did?”

“Yep,” Starlight said with a king smile, “No one is expecting you to be perfect.”

“I mean, in terms of your hyper sexuality, we live with Pinkie Pie,” Trixie pointed out, “Pretty sure she’s horny all the time.”

“Am not,” Pinkie Pie protested, “Just 85% of it.”

That got Rarity to chuckle a bit.

Friends In My Heart - Kingdom Hearts 2

“So like, are you actually horny all the time?” Rainbow Dash asked.

“You mean with my nymphomania? Sorta. It’s like, imagine being hungry, okay?” Rarity began, “You eat, and eat and eat until you’re stomach is bloated. Yet for some reason, you’re still hungry. That’s, kinda how it gets for me at my worst.”

“Shit…” Rainbow Dash muttered, “Okay, that fucking sucks.”

“Normally, the worst I have to deal with are fantasies,” Rarity said, “Intrusive, violent fantasies.”

“Like what?” Starlight asked, surprising Rarity.

“You really wanna know?” Rarity asked.

“I do!” Pinkie Pie raised her hand.

“I’ll admit, I’m kinda curious too,” Trixie said.

“Especially after seeing what a hot mess your Dungeon was,” Rainbow Dash said, “No offense, Miss Presi-”

“Rarity,” she cut her off, “Please everyone. Just, call me Rarity.”

Rainbow Dash smiled, “Got it, Rarity.”

“As for my fantasies, let’s see,” Rarity folded her arms, “Well, I've had fantasies where I’m in class, and one of my classmates just randomly gets up, bends me over my desk, and just starts roughly pounding my pussy while the lecture goes on.”

“W-whoa,” Trixie muttered blushing, “Okay yeah, that’s pretty intense.”

“I’ve also had a fantasy where I’m tied up under my homeroom teacher’s desk, and while he’s holding class, I’m being forced to suck him off,” Rarity continued, “Oh, there’s also the one where I’m forced to go through the whole school day naked, and I’m constantly dragged off to be fucked by classmates and teachers…”

“Oh my God, that’s so hot…” Pinkie Pie said softly.

“How, often do you have these fantasies?” Trixie asked.

“How often do you breathe?” Rarity asked Trixie with a raised eyebrow.

“Well that’s an odd question. I breathe all the ti- oh…”

Rarity nodded, “Mhm. Every day, I have these fantasies. Even before it started getting bad, I had to go into the girls room frequently just to pleasure myself,” she got up and pulled out a small egg shaped device and a remote, “Eventually, I just invested in this, and sometimes I’d just go the whole day with it. Starlight knows of two times in particular.”

“That’s, your vibrator?” Starlight asked.

“Yep. I also have a dildo in my drawer, and a “magic wand” type vibrator. Need new batteries for that one…” Rarity sighed, “Being a slut is so expensive…”

“Sounds like it,” Rainbow Dash winced, “Sheesh.”

“So, concerning those fantasies, was that why you did the thing in the locker room?” Trixie asked. Rarity closed her eyes pained.

“Yeah, it is…” Rarity sighed, “It was a fantasy I had for a long while, of being taken in the boys’ locker room and just, absolutely disgraced. Everything was getting to me all at once, my nymphomania was flaring up so much, and I’ll admit, Rover’s words did get to me a bit.”

“When he said you were domesticated?” Starlight asked Rarity.

“I, wanted to prove that he was wrong. That I still had my edge, and that I could be as dirty and wild as I wanted,” she closed her eyes tightly and trembled, “So, I gathered as many boys as I could, used my position as President to keep 'em quiet, and then…” she hugged herself, crying softly, “I knew it was wrong when I did it, but the school should have been more or less empty. I didn’t know that Cinch stayed after so much later…”

And now, the only faculty member who had any knowledge of what happened save for Celestia was dead. She’d get off Scott free, but she’d have to live with the knowledge that she still did it. Everyone looked at each other pained. All of them were dealing with their own struggles, but Rarity was dealing with the aftermath of a mistake she made, that almost cost a good family everything.

“That’s why, I said I shouldn’t be free!” Rarity sobbed, “Because, that’s the sort of person I am! I’m okay now, but one day, my urges will get the better of me again, and I won’t be so lucky to have the Principal suddenly die before she can report me!”

Starlight looked down, thinking about her next words carefully before she spoke.

Lloyd - Tales of Symphonia

“You’re right,” Starlight got up, “One day, your urges probably will get the better of you, and it will be bad,” she hugged Rarity, “But next time, you won’t be dealing with it alone.”

Rarity slowly opened her eyes, “S-Starlight…”

“I’ll help you get control,” Starlight said, taking Rarity’s hand into hers, “Whatever that means in the moment.”

“If you’d like, I’ll help too,” Trixie said with a smile, “I mean, I kinda owe you for Blueblood.”

“But, I couldn’t get rid of him…” Rarity said weakly, “I failed as President, and I even… fucked him repeatedly to save my own ass…”

“Yeah, but I get it. That’s the sort of asshole Blueblood is. Besides, you did help me,” she smiled, “You gave me hope, that people do care.”

“As a fellow foster kid, I’d be real shitty if I didn’t try to help,” Rainbow Dash admitted, turning to Pinkie Pie, “And I know my Princess wants to help too, so where she goes, I’ll go.”

Pinkie Pie nodded, “Yep. We’re helping you Rarity. However we have to.”

“Everyone…” Rarity looked down smiling, “Even knowing what sort of person I really am, you’re still willing to help.”

“It’s because we see what sort of person you really are,” Starlight said, confusing Rarity a bit, “A flawed, ferocious, but undeniably noble wolf,” she nuzzled her, “And the best girl.”

Rarity moaned softly, nuzzling Starlight back.

Pinkie Pie went up and scratched behind her ear, “You’re really cute like this.”

“No one, thinks I’m strange?” Rarity asked.

“What, for the whole wolf thing?” Rainbow Dash asked, “I mean, it is kinda odd, not gonna lie, but I ain’t gonna judge. Especially seeing what you look like in the Dream World.”

“Thank you… everyone,” Rarity smiled gently, “I, still don’t know what I’m going to do ultimately, but I, I want to be friends, with all of you.”

“Then consider it done,” Starlight smiled, “And like Pinkie Pie said, if you decide you want to join our Coven, feel free to do so at your pace.”

“Yes. I’ll, remember that,” Rarity said, holding Starlight’s hand tighter, a new emotion hitting her.

I’m so happy, that I hired you as my Secretary.

Thank you Starlight, for being my friend.

Starlight hugged Rarity tighter. She could feel a faint bond forming between her and Rarity.

Power of the Heart - Persona 4: Golden

Thou art I, and I am thou…

Thou hast established a new bond…

This bond shalt become the stairway to thy ascension…

Thou shalt be blessed when fusing Persona of the Hanged Man Arcana…

The five girls all enjoyed each other’s company, learning more about their new friend. She hadn’t joined their group yet, but Starlight felt like that’d happen eventually. Either way, now it felt like a celebration.

They did it.

Against all odds, they saved Rarity.

Evening

After spending some more time with them and seeing them off, Rarity returned to her room to just, think. According to Granny Smith, Celestia offered to help as well. Apparently she knew someone who Celestia said “would be a good person for Rarity to talk to”, but she knew what that meant.

She was offering a therapist for her.

Granny Smith said that the final decision would be Rarity’s, which Celestia seemed to accept. Honestly, Rarity had enough mind to say no on principle. She didn’t trust shrinks. They never really understood her issues. They said they did, but Rarity knew better.

But, she wasn’t getting anywhere on her own. She needed someone else to consult with. Besides, she had a feeling that whoever Celestia brought over, they’d know about “Personas” and such, and she did need someone to talk to about that.

As she laid in her bed, she looked at the Ring on her finger. The ring was mostly silver and fancy, with an indigo colored gem in the middle shaped like a diamond, similar to her tattoo. She wasn’t sure what to make of that dream or the fever she had at first, but once she realized she was wearing the same ring that appeared in her dream, she couldn’t doubt it.

The dream was real. All of it was real.

“So, what do you think?” she asked, imagining her Persona in the room with her. She could practically see the motorcycle sitting by her bed now.

“About Miss Sunshine in the kimono? I dunno. She seems fishy to me. She knows too much.”

“She does,” Rarity pursed her lips, “But, she seems nice. I don’t know, maybe she could help us get control.”

“Maybe. Or maybe she could be playin’ us like so many other adults.”

Rarity sighed. She hated that Riley was right.

“Look, whatever you decide to do, I’m with you. Just, make sure it’s the right call. I’m trustin’ you for the big decisions.”

“No pressure, right?” Rarity smiled a bit.

“Hey, you wanted the driver’s seat.”

True. She did think it was interesting that her Persona was a motorcycle while the others looked more like spirits. Was that because Riley, because her inner wolf was relenting full control to her?

A knock on her door, “Rarity? It’s me,” Applejack said from outside.

“I took my clothes off,” Rarity warned, “That alright?”

“Yeah, it’s fine,” Applejack said, opening the door, “Guess you were windin’ down?”

“Something, like that,” Rarity said stiffly, not meeting Applejack's eyes and using her bangs to cover her nipples a bit, “If you want, I can put a robe on.”

“No. I mean it, it’s fine,” Applejack assured her, “Pretty sure doin' stuff like that got ya in this mess in the first place,” she sat down on the bed in front of Rarity, “What you told Granny Smith an’ Macintosh this mornin’.”

“About the locker room?” Rarity asked shying back.

“Was, was that true?” Applejack asked, “Did you really, do that in the boys’ locker room?”

“You mean did I have a gangbang in the boys’ locker room?” Rarity asked, folding her arms under her breasts, “Yes. Yes I did.”

Applejack sighed, “Why’d ya do it, Rares?”

“Would tellin' you change anything?” Rarity asked, turning away and scowling.

“It’d help me understand,” Applejack said, “I ain’t mad at ya.”

“Bullshit.”

“I mean it. I ain’t upset. I’m jus’, Rarity I’m worried ‘bout ya!” Applejack said, surprising Rarity a bit, but she didn’t let it show, “Knowin’ ya tried to kill yerself, that gangbang, Cinch blackmailin’ ya, an’ you also havin’ the Nightma-”

“Not anymore,” Rarity said immediately, “Starlight, did a thing, and it, helped me.”

Applejack took a deep breath, “So… she wasn’t lyin’, when she said she could… cure that?”

“Nope,” Rarity shook her head, “It’s a bit complicated, and I’m not quite in the position to say how she did it, but she did. So, I won’t be dying anytime soo-” Applejack hugged Rarity tightly, “Apple, jack…?”

“Thank God…!” Applejack said, crying softly, “I, I was so scared that, I’d lose ya…!”

Rarity bit her lip, and then slowly returned the hug, “N-no. I’m not, going to die from that.”

“Good. But what I said still counts. I’m still worried ‘bout ya,” Applejack said, now looking into Rarity’s eyes, “Ya changed so drastically. All o fa sudden, ya started talkin’ differently, ya stopped dressin' in skimpy clothes, it was like ya became a completely different person. Whoever that person was, they weren’t Rarity. Not the Rarity I know, at least.”

Rarity averted her eyes, “I just, wanted you to be proud of me…!” she started crying, “I wanted to be someone, who could fit in your world…!”

“Why’d you feel like ya had to change so much of who ya were for that?”

“Because no one in your world got me!” Rarity cried, “No one gave me a fair shot! It was the same when I was with the Diamond Dogs, except now I was alone! I had to change, in order to fit in and be accepted!” she broke down completely, “I hated it! I felt like I was in a cage! But then my teachers were proud of me, students approached me, I even became Student Council President because of it!”

Applejack hugged Rarity again, rubbing her back as she cried, “I’m sorry. I’m sorry you felt like you had to change, an’ I’m sorry it lead to all this.”

“I can’t keep wearing this mask! I need to be myself! But, who I am, doesn’t fit in your world!” Rarity cried harder, “I feel like, my only two choices are, to spend the rest of my life in a cage, or be free but forever alone! I tried Applejack! I tried so hard!”

“An’ that’s what I don’t understand,” Applejack said softly, “Why did you try so hard? Ya said it was to make me proud, but why-”

“BECAUSE I LOVE YOU!”

I'll Face Myself: Another Version - Persona 4

Applejack froze, “You, love me…?”

“I, don’t understand it, okay?!” Rarity admitted, breaking out of the hug and pacing around the room, “But I loved you the second I laid eyes on you! I wanted to be someone worthy of being loved by you! So I changed! I changed to fit in your world, so that you’d love me back!”

“Oh Rarity,” Applejack got up and put her hands on her shoulders, “You didn’t have to change to make me love you.”

Rarity sucked in a breath.

“I, I felt the same way,” Applejack admitted, “Somethin’ about, seein’ ya with the Diamond Dogs, I felt a part of me reach out, like I needed to hold ya. I don’t know what this is, platonic love, romantic, or somethin’ else entirely, but I know that I need ya in my life.”

“It’s, the same with me,” Rarity said, her heart racing, “My world, it lit up when you entered it. I just, didn’t want you to leave me.”

“I’ll never leave you,” Applejack hugged Rarity tightly, “No matter how far apart we are, I’ll always be with you. Oh Rarity, I didn’t mean to make ya think ya needed to be someone different. You were always beautiful, jus’ the way ya are.”

Rarity whimpered, and nuzzled Applejack. She began rubbing her back, petting her side the way she liked to be petted.

“Applejack, I need help,” Rarity admitted, “What happened in the locker room, I lost control of myself.

“Yeah, I figured,” Applejack sighed.

“And, on top of that, I hate myself still,” Rarity continued, “Deep down, I still hate who I see in the mirror.”

“Then, we need to change that,” Applejack said firmly.

“I think, Miss Tia wants to help me, but to get that help, I might…”

“Have, to move into the Star Swirl Dorm…?”

“I, I’m torn,” Rarity pulled out a bit to look at Applejack, “Part of me wants to stay here, with you, with Macintosh, Apple Bloom, and Granny Smith. But, to get the proper help I need, I think I need to be there,” also, she couldn't shake the feeling that right now, she needed to be there. She needed to be where, she was.

Applejack looked down a bit, “Well, I’ll admit that, I’d rather you stay here with us. With, me,” she then smiled, “But, if Miss Tia says she can help you, then she ain’t lyin’. An’ if you think you need to be in that dorm to get the help ya need, then I say, go for it. Jus’, promise me that you’ll be yourself from now on. Even if it turns people off at first, give 'em a chance to know the real Rarity Stark.”

Rarity nodded smiling, “I, I promise,” she leaned in and nuzzled Applejack, “I do love you, but until I learn to love myself, I…”

“I know,” Applejack nuzzled Rarity back, “Take all the time ya need. I’ll be waitin’ for ya, when yer ready to make sense of, this.” Rarity sighed in relief, and pushed Applejack onto the bed underneath her, “Guess I’m sleepin’ here tonight, eh?” Applejack asked with a chuckle.

“You are,” Rarity decided, holding Applejack and snuggling into her “This will be our last night together for a long while.”

Applejack smiled peacefully and held onto Rarity, “Doesn’t get much better than this, honestly.”

Rarity closed her eyes, letting sleep claim her. She was worried, as she was more or less joining their group, but she needed this help. Also, she wanted to do what she could to stop this Nightmare Epidemic.

If nothing else, to protect Applejack, her human.

I won’t let anything happen to you, Applejack.

I’ll become a strong wolf, and protect you from the Nightmare.

Author's Note

Fool – Seekers of Light: 5/10
Magician – Trixie Lulamoon: 8/10 :heart:
Priestess – Diamond Tiara: 10/10 Thrall
The Empress – Ms. Tia: 5/10
Hierophant - Victor: 2/10
The Lovers - Pinkamena Diane Pie: 3/10
Chariot – Rainbow Dash: 3/10
Strength - Tokugawa Fluttershy: 2/5
Hermit – Sunburst: 2/10
Hanged Man - Rarity Stark: 1/10 ESTABLISHED!!!!
The Devil – Silver Spoon: 5/10
The Sun - Sweetie Belle: 4/10 LEVEL UP!!!
Transformation - Ms. Luna: 1/10

Click here to check out the Go Fund I'm starting for my parents, and consider either donating or sharing this on your social media accounts. Even all you can donate is a dollar, that'll help immensely.

11/10

November 10th, 2019
Saturday
Cloudy

Morning

Let's Girl Talk! - Blue Reflection: Second Light

Starlight stepped out of the bathroom after finishing her shower, and almost bumped into Twilight, who looked at her with a dry expression.

“You really need a robe,” Twilight said.

“I keep forgetting,” Starlight sighed, holding her towel closed and wishing she had a larger one.

“Why are you using the bathroom up here anyway? You’re on the second floor, and this is the third.”

“Because Rainbow Dash got in the second floor shower first, and I really wanted to get to the park as soon as possible to meet with Tokugawa-san,” Starlight explained.

“You’re still spending time with her?” Twilight asked with a raised eyebrow, “Even though she’s probably in line with Cinch?”

“That’s the thing, I don’t know if she is,” Starlight said, walking with Twilight downstairs, “Her Halloween Costume was inappropriate, but she seemed almost, shamed by me seeing it, along with what happened afterward.”

“Something happened afterward?” Twilight asked.

“At the party. I won’t go into detail, but she was engaging in some, kink play during it,” Starlight explained, “She thought that I wouldn’t want to be friends after seeing that.”

Twilight frowned, “That’s pretty telling,” Starlight tilted her head, “Right. You wouldn’t know being American. Japan holds public image to ridiculous heights. You’re expected to more or less strive to look impressive and be just as impressive to match. Because of this, being shamed is a big deal.”

“How big of a deal are we talking?” Starlight asked.

“Big enough where you knowing she engaged in public play could easily make her think you didn’t want to be friends with her anymore,” Twilight explained, “It could also just be a personal thing. Her last name is Tokugawa, right? That’s a really significant name in Japan.”

“One of the families that unified Japan, right?” Starlight asked. Twilight looked at her somewhat surprised.

“Well, glad you’re not a complete airhead,” Twilight snarked making Starlight grumble a bit, “But yes, so to her, showing any form of weakness, or not being put together in front of you could make her think that you don’t respect her anymore, which yes, to her would be a big deal.”

Starlight looked down thinking. She didn’t realize that Fluttershy valued her public image so much. She thought Fluttershy was just really cool, but she didn’t really know much about her culture.

“How do I, let her know that I still respect her?” Starlight asked, stopping by her bedroom door. Twilight took a breath before speaking.

“Well, you calling her by her last name and honorific is a good start. It shows you care about our culture. Beyond that, however you are with her, just, don’t change. Chances are, if she hasn’t considered you a nuisance yet, she likes you as you are, so don’t pull away, don’t alter your behavior, but most importantly, don’t push her to talk about it. I know you want to understand what happened, knowing you, you’re probably concerned she has a Dungeon or something.”

Honestly, that hadn’t crossed her mind till Twilight said something. But what if…

No, they needed to take a break after Rarity’s Dungeon. She promised her team, and she wasn’t going to go back on that promise.

“So, only talk about it if she brings it up,” Starlight said.

“Yes,” Twilight nodded, “And just, be yourself I guess. I’ll admit, you… impressed me with Rarity’s Dungeon. You really pulled your weight there.”

“Thanks,” Starlight smiled, “And, thanks for being there. I couldn’t have done that without you.”

“I didn’t do hardly anything,” Twilight shook her head, “Except watch.”

“No, you pushed Rarity to face herself,” Starlight said, “And got her to awaken to her Persona. Twilight, you saved my life.”

Twilight looked at Starlight intently, and then closed her eyes, “Well, fine. I’ll accept that much. Oh, before I forget, Mitsuru’s going to be bringing a few friends with her when she visits.”

“Members of her Persona Team?” Starlight asked, remembering that Mitsuru was a Persona User too.

“One of them. Her name’s Aigis. She’s my best friend, and she wanted to meet all of you. She might be a bit, shocking, when you first meet her, though.”

“Shocking?” Starlight asked, wondering internally why the name Aigis sounded familiar.

“Miss Tia told you about the Anti Shadow Weapons, right? Robots with the power of Persona? Aigis is one of them.”

Starlight sucked in a breath. She was going to be meeting an actual android. She asked Twilight what she was like.

“She’s really sweet. Kind of reckless and headstrong, but values life above all else. In many ways, she’s human to a terrifying degree, even if her mannerisms are still a bit mechanical,” Twilight explained, now looking up smiling, “I actually really admire her.”

“I can’t wait to meet her,” Starlight smiled, “Who’s the other person coming?”

“My Sister in Law, Cadence,” Twilight said, “She’s married to my brother, and works in the Kirijo Group as a Counselor. Miss Tia wants her to be here for us as a team therapist of sorts.”

So that’s who Celestia probably called to be Rarity’s therapist. But, Rarity’s issues were very much sex oriented. Cadence would be, okay talking about that sort of thing? Starlight asked Twilight.

“Yeah. Sex isn’t that big of a deal in Japan. Well, it is, but more in the sense that the Government really wants people having sex to fix the decreasing population. Girl school uniforms are getting shorter by the year, the prostitution, porn, and BDSM scenes are bustling, for as stiff and conservative as Japan seems, when it comes to sex they don’t really bat an eye. Also, Cadence is one of the kindest, most understanding people I know. She was suffering from the Nightmare at one point, but Miss Tia helped her recover, resulting in her getting a Persona. How do you think we knew about Channeling Rings, Dungeons, and how all of it worked?”

“That, does make sense, yeah,” Starlight nodded.

“Thing is, we got lucky with her,” Twilight continued, “She knew about the Nightmare Epidemic, so we could guide her out of her Dungeon. Her Persona isn’t a combat type though, hence the need for Project Dream Catcher.”

“Will she be joining us?” Starlight asked. Twilight averted her eyes.

“I’m, not sure,” Twilight said, “She, might want to sit in on things with us, though.”

“Well, if her Persona can’t fight, know that we’ll do our part to protect her,” Starlight smiled, rubbing Twilight’s shoulder, and getting hit with a sudden wave of anxiety.

This unit, is not being decommissioned…

Is she…?

“Thank you,” Twilight said, turning away from Starlight, “I’ll see you downstairs for breakfast.”

Starlight watched as Twilight went downstairs, and pondered what she just felt. She was worried about being, decommissioned? That couldn’t happen though. Twilight was indispensable to their team. Surely they weren’t sending someone from the Kirijo Group solely to replace her.

Right…?

Daytime

Kairi Theme - Kingdom Hearts 2

After eating breakfast, Starlight made her way to the park to see Fluttershy, who was in the middle of training when she arrived. As always, Starlight was struck by how serious she looked while training. It was almost like she was a real samurai, training for a battle for her own life.

She had her usual fury at first, but once she noticed Starlight watching, something in her changed. Starlight noticed she relaxed a bit, and her motions suddenly became more ferocious. Starlight wondered where that came from. Was it because she inspired Fluttershy, or was that her personal pride kicking in, wanting to look cool and strong before her underclassman?

Once she finished her current set of drills, she sheathed her sword, bowed, and then walked over to Starlight, “Konnichiwa, Starlight-san.”

“Hi Tokugawa-san,” Starlight smiled, bowing to her, “How are you?”

“I, alright,” Fluttershy looked away rubbing her arm, “Midterm grade, not happy with, but next time, I do better.”

“Why don’t we study together next time?” Starlight offered with a kind smile, “Studying together with my friends helped me do better than I’d normally do.”

“O-oh, um arigato, but…” Fluttershy shook her head, “Appreciate it, though.”

“Well, alright,” Starlight frowned, not liking this, but relenting. Something in how she turned that down just felt, odd to Starlight.

“Um, how is friend?” Fluttershy asked, now sitting on the grass, “One you, want help.”

“Oh, she’s doing, well, I think she’s doing better,” Starlight sat beside Fluttershy, as close as they normally sat to let her know she wasn’t ashamed to be close to her, “She still feels like she wants to die, but she’s at least opening up.”

Fluttershy looked down at her lap, “Starlight-san, good friend. Not, give up on friend, even when give up, on herself.”

“I don’t give up, or turn my back on my friends,” Starlight placed a hand on Fluttershy’s back, surprising her a bit, “For any reason.” Fluttershy looked at Starlight wide eyed, blushing a bit. Realizing she just touched her without permission, Starlight pulled away, “S-sorry. I uh, I didn’t mean to-”

Fluttershy shook her head, and took Starlight’s hand, “Uun. Starlight-san, not do anything wrong. Like, being close to Starlight-san.”

“Y-you do?” Starlight asked, now feeling a bit flushed herself. Taking a chance, she opened herself up to Fluttershy’s emotions.

Starlight-san, really is my friend.

I don’t care if it’s reckless, I want to be close to her.

“Afraid, after Halloween, not want to be friend anymore,” Fluttershy smiled warmly, “See now, Starlight-san genuine friend.”

Starlight smiled, “I am. You don’t have to worry about me ever being too embarrassed to be near you.”

The way Fluttershy smiled was too much for Starlight. She genuinely cared for her, and their friendship, but now something was concerning Starlight. She felt that being friends with Starlight was, reckless?

Did someone, not want them to be friends…?

“Also, if there’s anything wrong on your end, you can trust me,” Starlight threw out, “I’ll try to help in any way I can.”

Starlight felt the briefest tension, but it was overshadowed by immense joy coming from her Japanese friend, who nodded smiling, “Hai. I keep in mind,” Fluttershy said, holding Starlight’s hand a bit tighter as she scooted closer to her, “Arigato, Starlight-san.”

I wish you and I could see each other more, Starlight-san…

“You’re welcome, Tokugawa-san,” Starlight said, her heart racing a bit. She felt like she and Fluttershy became significantly closer, but…

Starlight was really beginning to worry about her friend’s home life.

Halcyon Days - 13 Sentinels: Aegis Rim

While Starlight went out to meet up with Fluttershy, Celestia took another trip to Sweet Apple Acres. She’d given Granny Smith her number in case Rarity decided to take her up on her offer, but she honestly expected it to take a bit longer to come to a decision. She was both happy and somewhat concerned.

“Yer sure ‘bout this, Rarity?” Granny Smith asked, all of them gathered by Celestia’s car as Macintosh packed her things in the trunk.

“I, am,” Rarity looked down, “I want to stay with you, but this incident showed me that I need a lot more help, especially since this time, I almost brought dragged you down with me.”

“Now Rarity, I meant what I said,” Granny Smith said, cupping her cheeks motherly, “Ain’t no one here mad at ya for what happened.”

“Granny Smith’s right,” Macintosh closed the trunk, “I’m more upset at Cinch for blackmailin’ ya.”

“I, I know,” Rarity averted her eyes, “But I’m mad at myself. And I do need this. Miss Tia says she can help, and if you trust her, I’ll try to trust her as well.”

Granny Smith took a breath and smiled, “Well, alright. Jus’ know that yer always welcome here, Rarity,” she hugged the teen, “No matter what, yer family.”

Rarity whimpered, hugging her back as she cried softly, “Thank you, Granny Smith.”

“If those girls over in that dorm give ya a hard time, let me know,” Apple Bloom smirked, “I got connections, after all.”

Rarity laughed and hugged her, “Of course. I wouldn’t worry though,” she then leaned in and whispered, something to her, which made Apple Bloom smile more. She then turned to Macintosh and leaned toward him, hands on her hips and smirking, “You sure you don’t want me to suck you off before I leave? I’m not jailbait anymore~”

Macintosh rolled his eyes, “No, but yer still young for my tastes,” he then smiled and ruffled her hair, “Try to stay outta trouble, alright?”

“I'll try,” Rarity huffed, smiling despite herself. She then turned to Applejack, the two girls looking at each other intently. After a second, they hugged each other tightly.

“We’ll, still see each other in school,” Rarity said, trying not to cry, “And, after school.”

“Right,” Applejack nodded, also trying not to cry, “I’ll, be visitin’ the dorm a lot more too, so, it ain’t goodbye or nothin’.”

“Exactly,” Rarity smiled, nuzzling her dear friend, “I’ll see you at Student Council, because yes, I am getting you your job back.”

Applejack nuzzled back, “Alright. See ya there, my noble wolf.”

Celestia smiled softly seeing them work things out. She then turned to Macintosh and Granny Smith, “Don’t worry. She’s in good hands.”

“I ain’t concerned, Miss Tia,” Granny Smith said, “I know how much you take care of your kids.”

Celestia nodded, “I do. Rarity is another of my children in need of guidance, and I’ll do everything I can for her,” she turned to Macintosh, “I heard you were investigating Cinch personally. Have you had any luck?”

Macintosh shook his head, “I was plannin’ to bring her in for questionin’ yesterday, but she didn’t show up to school. My private Squad’s lookin’ into her whereabouts now,” he leaned into her, “They know ‘bout everythin’, an’ report to me first an’ foremost.”

Celestia nodded, “Keep me posted, then,” she took a breath and turned to Rarity, “Ready to go, honey?”

“Y-yes, I am,” Rarity nodded, “Let’s go.”

After another wave of goodbyes and hugs, Rarity and Celestia got into the latter’s car, and drove back into town. Rarity sat in the passenger’s seat beside Celestia, looking out the window. Now they could talk freely.

Xion Theme - Kingdom Hearts 358/2 Days

“I’m sure you have questions,” Celestia said as they drove into town, “I’ll answer all of them honestly.”

“You’re not just a Teacher from Japan, are you?” Rarity asked.

“No, I’m not,” Celestia confirmed, “I'm a representative of the Kirijo Group, one of the most prolific companies in all of Japan, and the center of all Persona related actions.”

“Which answers my next question,” Rarity muttered, “Okay, so why are you here?”

“Because I want to save Humanity from eternal slumber,” Celestia answered, “Just so happens, the means of doing so, is here in America.”

“The means of doing so?”

“There have been a number of issues in Japan, centered around Shadows and Personas,” Celestia continued, “This Nightmare Epidemic, is just the latest, and by far most extreme. Each time, however, someone wielding unlimited potential appeared, with the perfect set of skills needed to oppose this threat.”

“Starlight,” Rarity turned to Celestia completely, “She’s the one, isn’t she?”

Celestia nodded, “She possesses the power of the Wild Card, which means she can change humanity’s fate. She’s already changed yours, hasn’t she?”

Rarity looked down, “I, suppose she has. I feel like, I was supposed to die, and Starlight, saved me.”

“I will not mince words, Rarity,” Celestia said as they stopped at a red light, “Your Persona, could be of great use to us.”

Rarity took a breath, “Here we go…”

“I’m not going to force you to do anything,” Celestia assured Rarity, “I meant what I said about wanting to help you. I already called a friend from Japan, and she’ll come to live with us later this month. However, I am saying that you should hear how bad this situation is, and see it for yourself. Then decide what you’ll do,” Celestia looked grave, “They need all the help they can get.”

Rarity looked at her in silence for a few seconds, and then sat back closing her eyes, “After I get settled in, I wanna know everything ‘bout this Nightmare Epidemic, and these Personas,” she held her hand up, looking at her Channeling Ring, “I’ll decide if I help afterward.”

“I can live with that,” Celestia nodded.

“If I do join, I ain’t doin’ it for you,” Rarity narrowed her eyes, “I’m doin’ it for her.”

Celestia smiled, “That’s perfectly fine. Really, my main goal is to help Starlight.”

“Cause she’s the one with this Wild Card thing, right?”

“Oh, she is much more to me than that,” Celestia said.

“Is that so?” Rarity asked skeptically.

“She’s my beloved child,” Celestia answered simply, “Same as you.”

Rarity frowned subtly at that. The rest of the drive was in silence, but Celestia could sense that Rarity was relaxing a bit more. Celestia knew she was suspicious, but she was nothing but upfront when it came to her children.

She loved them dearly, and would do everything within her power to help them.

end song

Evening

“Girls, I’m home~” Celestia said, stepping inside the dorm.

“Hey Miss Tia,” Trixie said, all of them gathered in the living room.

“Did you take care of everything you needed?” Pinkie Pie asked.

“I did,” Celestia smiled, “Oh, I picked up a stray on the way home. Hope you don't mind.”

Rainbow Dash frowned, “I, thought pets weren’t allowed in the dorm.”

Lloyd Theme - Tales of Symphonia

“Who the fuck you callin’ a pet?” Rarity asked, stepping inside, pulling a suitcase.

Starlight’s eyes widened, “Rarity…?”

Rarity took a breath and nodded, “Hope, you girl’s don’t mind me staying here for a bit,” she chuckled, “Don’t worry. I don’t have fleas or anything.”

Pinkie Pie jumped up and hugged Rarity, “I was hoping she was going to pick you up!”

Trixie and Rainbow Dash went over to her, the latter rubbing her back, “The more the merrier, ya know?”

“Twi-Twi’s gonna be shocked when she sees this,” Trixie chuckled, “The look on her face is going to be priceless~”

Starlight approached Rarity as the others pulled away from her. The two of them looked into each other’s eyes for a bit, and then Starlight hugged Rarity.

“Welcome home, Rarity,” Starlight said softly. Rarity hesitated, but then hugged Starlight back, somewhat tightly, as if afraid to let go.

“It’s, good to, be home.”

Riku Theme - Kingdom Hearts 2

Rarity’s room was right next to Twilight’s, across from Starlight and Trixie’s room. Normally her room would have been on the third floor as she was a Senior, but as the only Senior staying in the dorm currently it was agreed the second floor was fine. Besides, they weren’t expecting the dorm to be really full, as it was a bit away from the school. Naturally Twilight was surprised by the new dorm mate, but since she had met Rarity at the birthday party, it wasn’t too much of a surprise.

For Rarity, the rules were a tad different due to her being a Senior. Mostly the same as the other girls in terms of maintaining the place, but she had a much later curfew than the rest of them. Rarity actually volunteered to adhere to the same curfew as everyone else, but Celestia insisted on her having the same as any Senior, citing that it was a sign of trust, and a way to let her know they weren’t trying to limit her.

It seemed she was a bit uncomfortable with this amount of trust. Starlight would have to talk to her about that later.

After getting situated and eating dinner with everyone, they gathered in the living room to get Rarity up to speed on everything thus far.

“So, what do you know so far?” Celestia asked Rarity, who sat on the couch across from Celestia and Pinkie Pie, choosing to sit beside Starlight.

“I know about what the Nightmare Epidemic is, more or less,” Rarity began, “Effectively those monsters, Shadows you called them, they’re trapping people in their Nightmares. I also know that Trixie and Pinkie Pie were victims of this too, right?”

Trixie nodded, leaning over the couch at Starlight’s other side, “Starlight helped me escape mine first.”

“If you don’t mind me asking, what did yours look like?” Rarity asked. Trixie took a breath and pursed her lips, “If it’s too personal, I-”

“No. No it’s fine. You should know. Mine was a twisted circus. All of the attractions were focused on my humiliation in some way, and I was the center of a lot of BDSM themed shows, mostly putting my life in jeopardy.”

Rarity’s eyes widened, “And Blueblood was your Dungeon Master…?”

“He was the Ring Leader of the circus,” Trixie confirmed, “And since I can see where this is going, yes, everything he did to me in the dream he did to me in real life in some capacity.”

“That rotten good for nothing…!” Rarity seethed, taking a deep breath before turning to Pinkie Pie, “Alright, what about you?”

“Well, you know Fleur was my Dungeon Master, right?” Rarity nodded, “Mine was, a fantasy world like a fairy tale. I was the Princess, and Fleur was my advisor.”

“Kinda like that movie you starred in?” Rarity frowned, “The Forgotten Princess?”

“It, was similar to it, yeah,” Pinkie Pie nodded, “In my case, Fleur had taken over the entire Kingdom, and pretty much had full control over me. She kept me imprisoned constantly, let the Shadows have their way with me to keep them happy, and by the end of it, I couldn’t even speak,” Pinkie Pie nursed her neck a bit, “If Starlight, Trixie, and Dashie hadn’t saved me when they did, I’d have lost full control over my body.”

Rainbow Dash wrapped an arm around Pinkie Pie, closing her eyes “The bitch is lucky she got a Change of Heart, and that Pinkie Pie saved her. I was ready to kill her myself.”

“Change of Heart? What’s that?” Rarity asked, “You all mentioned something concerning that with Cinch.”

“It’s when the person’s Shadow decides to repent for their sins and change their ways,” Twilight explained, “In Japan a few years ago, there were a number of these occurring in rapid succession. These were orchestrated by another team of Persona Users called the Phantom Thieves,” she looked up with a lovesick smile, “Their Leader’s codename is Joker, and he’s so badass and amazing~” she gushed holding her cheeks.

“A school girl crush, how adorable,” Rarity teased, making Twilight pout cutely.

“S-shut up, Fido!” Twilight cried, making Rarity laugh out loud, “Damn it, it’s Trixie all over again…”

“You know you love the attention, Twi-Twi~” Trixie purred, “Don’t deny it.”

Twilight turned her nose to the air in defiance, “I will not grace that with a response.”

“As you can see, we try to have fun here,” Starlight said to Rarity, who nodded still laughing a bit.

“That’s good. Glad it’s not all doom and gloom here,” Rarity smiled, but then frowned, “But hang on a second. Why didn’t Cinch have a Change of Heart? Pretty sure Rover did by the sound of it…”

“If I had to guess, it’s because Cinch didn’t truly value you as a person,” Celestia said gravely.

“That’s, important?” Rarity asked.

“See, in order to change the Shadow’s Heart, the thing the person pins their desires to has to be taken from them,” Twilight explained, “In the case of Joker’s team, they entered a space called a Palace, which is basically a Dungeon made by the Shadow.”

Rarity nodded, “Okay, so a reverse Dungeon. Following you so far.”

“In that case, the Palace was formed around an object that the person in the real world valued. Once that was taken from the Palace, the Shadow had nothing to pin their distorted desires to, so they let them go,” Twilight continued, “It’s the same logic here, only in this case, it’s not an object.”

“It’s the individual,” Rarity finished for Twilight, looking down, “So since Rover actually cares about me, once he realized he couldn’t keep me, he changed.”

“It’s what happened with Fleur,” Pinkie Pie confirmed, “I told her that I was leaving, and since I had my Persona, she couldn’t stop me from doing so, so she let me go.”

“But Cinch didn’t actually care about you as a person, sad as it is,” Celestia continued, “I think, all she wanted was to see you suffer. I’m truly sorry…”

“Why are you apologizin’?” Rarity looked away folding her arms, “Ain’t nothin’ I’m not used to already. Just the first time someone turned into a demon and tried to kill me.”

“The fact you’re not more fazed by this…” Trixie winced, as did Starlight. On the one hand, it was good she was stable. On the other hand though, it really spoke to how hard she had it growing up.

“Still, know that here, you’re safe,” Celestia assured Rarity, “We value you as a person, so please, make yourself at home.”

“Make, myself at home, huh?” Rarity asked, a bit uncertain if her expression was an indication.

“Yes. If you’d like to think of us as your pack, then feel free to do so,” Celestia confirmed.

“Yeah! So relax and be yourself, Rarity!” Pinkie Pie beamed, “Whatever that means, we’ll learn to adjust to it!”

“I’ll, keep that in mind,” Rarity nodded, “So, Elysium. I think I wanna see it for myself.”

“Miss Tia, can we take Rarity into the Phase?” Starlight asked Celestia.

“Absolutely,” Celestia nodded, “I don’t know what to expect going forward, so try not to stay too long in there.”

“So, what do I do? Just go to sleep wearing this?” Rarity asked, holding up the hand wearing her Channeling Ring.

“I know. Almost too easy, right?” Rainbow Dash said, “But yeah. Just make sure you got that on when you go to sleep, and you’ll end up appearing in the lobby of that huge Library.”

Rarity nodded, stretching a bit, “Good thing I’m actually a bit tired then. Alright. I’m gonna shower and get ready for bed. Meet you in there.”

“See you there,” Starlight smiled, rubbing Rarity’s back. Rarity smiled and got up, sauntering up to her room.

“Think we’ll be able to induct her into the Coven soon?” Pinkie Pie asked.

“Maybe, but she still seems a bit guarded,” Trixie said, “She’s reaching out a bit though, so that’s good.”

“Gotta treat her like an actual stray,” Rainbow Dash said, “Just give her space, make sure she’s comfortable, and let her come to us. She’ll be sitting on our laps in no time.”

“Oh, is that what you want?” Twilight teased, “For Rarity to sit on your lap?”

“Gah! Not like that! That’s reserved for Pinkie Pie!”

Everyone had a good laugh from that. Starlight felt good about the way this was going, and hoped that soon, at least metaphorically, Rarity would be sitting in her lap.

Rarity leaned against the wall upstairs, still listening to them a bit. Yes, she knew she was being silly and paranoid, but old habits died hard. That said, she did like that they seemed to understand her mentality, and weren’t rushing into things with her.

“Well, you’re making a good case for yourselves at least,” she decided, continuing to her room and undressing on the way. Maybe this wouldn’t be so bad after all.

Late Night

The Phase

Qualia - Blue Reflection

When Starlight arrived in the Library, she saw Rarity sitting on a desk reading one of the books there. It was so surreal still, seeing her usual prim and proper self in the real world, only to then see “Dirty Diamond” in the dream world. The way her tail flicked every so often put Starlight in the mind of a fluffy dog, and she wanted to just cuddle her.

“It’s like she’s a completely different person,” Trixie muttered to Starlight and the others.

“Even the way she’s sitting is different,” Rainbow Dash said softly. Unlike the more elegant manner she sat in the dorm, here she had one leg on the desk and another one dangling off of it. Might have been due to her wearing a skirt in the real world, whereas here she wore booty shorts, but still.

“You know I can hear you, right?” Rarity asked, now speaking without the elegant dialect.

“Wait, from all the way over there?” Rainbow Dash asked. Rarity pointed to her wolf ears.

“Wolf remember? Excellent hearing,” she got up from the desk and stretched, “In case you’re wonderin', this is how I naturally am. The classy bitch you guys see is just me puttin’ on a front.”

“Did you at least take the mask off when you were with the Scarlets?” Twilight asked.

“I loosened it when I was with them,” Rarity answered, putting a hand on her hip and looking away, “But I wanted to show them I could be a good girl, so…”

“Yeah, that stops now, okay?” Rainbow Dash said, surprising the wolf turned human, “First off, let’s be real here. You kinda suck at being a so called “good girl”.”

“Um, you really wanna antagonize the literal wolf in a human body with the motorcycle gun Persona?” Trixie asked Rainbow Dash wide eyed.

“No, no she’s right,” Rarity grumbled, closing her eyes, “I got into this mess because I tried to be like everyone else and denied my urges. Technically I didn’t even do that right, since I did sleep with shop owners to get under the table discounts, and I did abuse my power as President to, well, you know.”

Starlight went over to Rarity and rubbed her back to comfort her. She still had a lot of guilt about that, it seemed.

“Which leads into the second thing,” Rainbow walked over to Rarity, looking her dead in the eyes, “You’re not like everyone else. Not even going into the whole nymphomania deal, you’re more wolf than human, right? So stop trying to be a human girl, cause all that’s doing is making you miserable.”

“At least around us, Rarity,” Starlight urged, “We won’t judge you. It’ll take some getting used to, I’m sure, but we’ll manage.

“Seriously ain’t used to people bein’ so accepting of me…” Rarity muttered.

“Whether or not you’re in our Coven, you’re with friends now, okay?” Starlight smiled. Rarity met eyes with Starlight and smiled in return.

“Okay. So, where’s the way to Elysium?” Rarity asked.

“That’d be this way,” Twilight said, her wisp flying ahead, “Follow me.”

As they walked, Rarity looked around the Library, taking everything in.

“Pretty crazy, right?” Trixie asked Rarity.

“That’s, definitely the word for it,” Rarity nodded, “What, is this place, exactly? I know it’s the Phase, but…”

“Where is the Phase?” Twilight chimed in, “In terms of location, it’s hard to say. Best I can say is, you’re walking through the Collective Unconscious of humanity.”

“This is the Collective Unconscious…?” Rarity asked, picking up a random book off the shelf as they walked, “So what? All of the knowledge in the world is kept here or something?”

“Yes, actually,” Twilight confirmed, “In fact, as a Witch, you can learn literally anything here just by reading and/or taking one of the books with you when you wake up.”

“It can’t be that easy,” Rarity denied.

“Oh, it is,” Trixie nodded, “I learned the secret to my Father’s magic here. All those tricks you see me do in school? It’s thanks to that.”

“I can heal just by placing my hands on someone injured,” Pinkie Pie said, “Dashie sprained her ankle the other day, and I healed it instantly.”

“And I can fuck with machines using electrokinesis and a bit of technokinesis,” Rainbow Dash smirked, “You’re welcome, by the way.”

“So that explains what happened to Blueblood’s phone,” Rarity nodded, smirking right back, “Well, thanks. You did do me a solid there.”

Rainbow Dash rubbed her nose grinning, “We throwaway kids gotta stick together, ya know?”

“Yes, indeed,” Rarity said softly, now looking at Starlight, “What about you? You got anything?”

“Psychic Empathy,” Starlight said, “If I touch someone and open myself up to them, I can feel their inner emotions. Also, if their emotions are exceptionally strong, I’ll touch them, and feel something leap out at me even if I’m not prepared.”

“Ah,” Rarity nodded, “So, all those times when it seemed like you knew how I was feeling…”

“S-sorry,” Starlight winced, “I know it’s a bit invasive, and I try not to rely on it, but that’s how I knew you had a Dungeon. I promise, from now on I’ll only read your emotions with your permission first.”

Rarity smiled, and lightly hit Starlight’s arm, “Don’t worry about it. I ain’t the best at showin’ my emotions, and you did save my ass, so we’re good.”

Starlight sighed in relief. She was happy Rarity wasn’t mad at her for that.

“Starlight!” they heard up ahead. Starlight looked and saw Diamond Tiara waving to them.

Rarity’s eyes widened, “I’m sorry, what the actual fuck?” she asked as Diamond ran up to them.

“Hey Diamond,” Starlight met up with Diamond and hugged her, “Sorry I forgot to call you, but we’re planning to head into Elysium.”

“Oh, that’s fine,” Diamond smiled, “I was literally just wandering around aimlessly here, so this is perfect,” she then looked to Rarity and her eyes widened, “Miss President? Is that you?” Rarity groaned softly, looking away with a nervous expression, “It’s okay, Miss President. I, I don’t know everything, but I did know you had a Dungeon.”

“So, this is really you, Diamond Tiara?” Rarity asked, shying away a bit.

Diamond nodded, “Yep. I had a Dungeon too, sorta. Mine was weaker though, so saving me didn’t give me a Persona, but I did gain the ability to Lucid Dream and come here of my own free will.”

“So, how much do you know about me?” Rarity asked.

“Only that you had a Dungeon, and it had a BDSM Prison/Porno theme to it,” Diamond said.

“She was actually the one who found your Dungeon for us,” Trixie confirmed, “We were having a hard time tracking it down, and Diamond just sort of, stumbled on it.”

“So in that case, I guess I owe you, then,” Rarity smiled, “Thank y-” she stopped herself, as she sounded almost like “Miss President”, “Thanks, Diamond.”

Diamond nodded, “You’re welcome, Miss President. And um, just going to say, the white bangs are really hot.”

“You, think they’re hot?” Rarity blinked.

“The whole biker chick meets werewolf thing is badass and just looks, I dunno, more you? Like, something just looks right about this. You should totally let others see this side of you.”

Rarity looked at Diamond intently, and then nodded, “You, gave me a lot to think about. Thanks, Diamond,” she smiled.

“Anytime,” Diamond hugged her, and then turned to Starlight, “See you on the battlefield, Mistress~” and with that, she turned into a pink light and flew into Starlight’s Channeling Ring.

“Um, what did she…?”

“Oh that? She’s Starlight’s Thrall,” Pinkie Pie answered, “Essentially she’s a summon spirit who helps us in combat.”

“It’d be better for you to see it for yourself,” Twilight said, flying over to the door leading to Elysium, “Speaking of, we’re here now.”

They pushed through the door, revealing the dark, open field and the large golden, glowing tower shooting beyond the clouds into the heavens. Rarity looked up at it, her eyes widening.

“Jesus fucking Christ…” Rarity muttered, “This place, it looks almost… divine.”

“Wait till you see the interior,” Rainbow Dash said, “Lead the way, Leader.”

Starlight nodded, and led them to the tower, and ultimately to the Checkpoint.

Hod: Lvl 18

Untamed Heart - Klonoa Door to Phantomile

The group made their way to the topmost floor they could reach. Standing on the large platform floating in space, Rarity looked awestruck.

“Fuckin’ hell…” she said breathlessly.

“Beautiful, isn't it?/i]” Twilight said, her wisp right beside Rarity, “I wish I could be there with you in real time experiencing it personally. Just from my visor, it’s too beautiful for words.”

“We, sure it’s okay for us to be here?” Rarity asked the group, “Like, real talk? I’m feelin’ like we’re breakin’ into Heaven or some shit like that.”

“I doubt it’s like actual heaven,” Rainbow Dash said, “I mean, come on. This is a dream world, right?”

“Mmmm, not from what you guys were saying,” Rarity shook her head, “This is a real place, right? So that means this place just, looks like this.”

“The Kirijo Group’s scientists have theorized that the Collective Unconscious is where the afterlife is,” Twilight said, “So for all we know, this could lead to someplace divine in nature.”

“That said, if they’re the cause of the Nightmare Epidemic, then whatever is up there needs to be dealt with,” Trixie said.

Rarity sighed, “Well, not like I haven’t done shit like this before. Last time it was robbin’ a bank to save an orphanage,” she cracked her knuckles, “This time, it’s breakin’ into Heaven to save humanity.”

“Everything she does like this is so hot…” Pinkie Pie whispered to Starlight and Rainbow Dash, both of whom nodded in agreement.

Trixie meanwhile, walked over to the stairs, which still were blocked off by that golden barrier, “Bad news, everyone. We’re still barred from the next area.”

“That’s no good,” Starlight said, walking up to the barrier, “This can’t be the end of the line.”

“My sensors are still not seeing the next area,” Twilight said, groaning in frustration, “Ugh! This is so frustrating!”

“Move,” Rarity said, pushing past everyone and looking at the wall, “A wall of light, huh? I got just the thing for that,” she held her face with her hand, her Channeling Ring glowing as a blaze formed around her, “TO ME, RILEY!!!”

“Hang on, what?!” Trixie cried, Rarity’s terrifying motorcycle Persona appearing, “Um! What are you-”

“If you want to break down a wall of light, you need darkness!” Rarity said, her voice gravely and lacking her usual elegance, making her sound almost insane, “Lucky for you, I am darkness!”

The eyes of her Persona’s face plate glowed red, and Starlight could have sworn she heard a wolf’s howl. The wall was then assaulted by black tendrils, hitting it repeatedly and actually cracking it. Within a few seconds, the wall had shattered, leaving everyone dumbstruck.

Rarity got off her Persona as it vanished. She took a bit to catch her breath, “Twi-Twi, check it now. Can you see the next area?”

“Y-yes, actually,” Twilight muttered, “Doing that, unlocked the next area.”

“Good,” Rarity straightened her hair and turned to Starlight, “You’re the Alpha here, right? How do we proceed?”

Starlight blinked, snapping herself out of the daze she was in. Holy fuck that was sexy.

“Okay! So, normally we fight in groups of four. As the Leader, I need to be in the front lines, and I want you to gain combat experience here,” Starlight said to Rarity, who nodded in agreement.

“I’ll sit this one out then,” Rainbow Dash said, “You and Lulamoon have that combo move, and Pinkie Pie’s the White Mage. I’ll be in the back row offering support.”

“Alright, and if needed, I’ll switch you out with someone in the front lines,” Starlight nodded, turning to everyone else, “Is this okay with you?”

“I’m alright with it,” Trixie shrugged.

“Same,” Pinkie Pie nodded.

“Long as I get plenty of asses to kick, I don’ t give a fuck,” she said in a low voice, cracking her knuckles again. Starlight shuddered hearing that, and was getting really wet from it. Looking at her friends, she wasn’t the only one.

“Alright. Let’s get going,” Starlight said, escorting her team up the stairs to the next area.

Netzach – Lvl 1

KOSUICHINOKAKUSURANAKIKU.EXE - Blue Reflection

This area looked similar to the last area, but the lights were a bit brighter, and the walls had more white on them. In a few areas, Starlight and co. saw stained glass windows which seemed to depict a figure with long black hair in a black dress, curled up in a black orb as black energy shot out of her onto people below her. Said people were on their knees, seeming in agony of some sort.

Starlight’s heart felt heavy looking at this picture. She wondered what it meant.

As they ran through the maze of a hallway, they spotted a cluster of Shadows up ahead.

“I’m detecting four from that cluster,” Twilight said, “Be careful going forward.”

Starlight nodded, and rushed out to greet her opponent, slashing them with her scythe. Immediately the cluster formed into two Angels, an Oni, and a Fuu-Ki.

“That’s one fucked up looking Angel,” Rarity noted.

“For some reason, that’s how the collective unconscious views them,” Twilight shrugged.

Realizing Rainbow Dash was in the back row, Starlight knew she couldn’t rely on Electricity on Fuu-Ki. Also, she remembered Oni didn’t have a weakness. They needed to focus on them. She then had an idea, “Rarity, use darkness on all of them!”

“Got it!” Rarity said, summoning her Persona, “I’ll break you…! PERSONA!!!”

Riley appeared, and Rarity jumped on her, immediately casting Maeiga on everyone. She killed the Angels in one go, but the other too stood their ground.

“Come forth, my loyal servant!” Starlight cried, “Rise, High Priestess!”

The stage appeared, and Diamond Tiara strutted out, going right to the pole and grinding against it, “Hey big boys~ Wanna have some fun with me~?”

Rarity was speechless, looking at Diamond Tiara pole dance. She then looked at the two enemies and noticed how they were hyper focused on her, “Oh! I get it!”

Starlight nodded, “Yep. That’s how Diamond Tiara helps. She can’t use a Persona, but she can draw on my magic to hold their attention.”

Taking advantage of this, Pinkie Pie summoned Serenity and had her pummel Oni with a barrage of heavy punches.

“Go, Persona!” Trixie cried, summoning Elenora and hitting Oni with Agilao, killing him instantly. Fuu-Ki was still hyper focused on Diamond Tiara, who’d since removed her top and was shaking her breasts at him. He didn’t even notice his partner had been killed.

“Dash! Switch with Pinkie Pie!” Starlight commanded, “Use Zionga on Fuu-Ki!”

“Switching out!” Pinkie Pie jumped back, replaced by Rainbow Dash.

“Leave this to me!” Rainbow Dash held her sword up, “Come forth, my inner self!” she roared, summoning Eclair, who held her sword in the air, causing a bolt of lighting to hit Fuu-Ki and knock him to the ground.

Starlight tried to reach out to Fuu-Ki, only to be met with resistance. She shrugged, and gave the command for an All Out Attack. All of them brandished their weapons, which for Rarity just amounted to her cracking her knuckles, and the witches pummeled the enemy into the ground, killing him instantly.

Starlight waved to Diamond, thanking her for her help. In response, Diamond blew Starlight a kiss before vanishing in a pink light.

“Starting to really like how this team rolls,” Rarity grinned, “Might want Diamond to give me a private show one day.”

“Am I the only sane person here…?” Twilight asked.

“Give it time, and you’ll accept the crazy at some point,” Trixie said with a shrug.

“God forbid…” Twilight muttered. It didn’t take them long to find the stairs after that.

Netzach – Lvl 5

With Rarity’s help, and just having an extra fighter in general, moving through Elysium became a bit easier. If someone took too much damage, the could switch out and move to the back row, which normally now was occupied by Pinkie Pie. She didn’t mind, as she just focused on healing everyone after tough fights.

Concerning Rarity though, she was literally a beast in combat. She was the MVP of the night, doing the most damage to the Shadows opposing them. Starlight seriously hoped she joined their Coven, as she made combat a lot easier. Even if her love for fighting was a tad disturbing.

On the fifth floor of this section, they saw a large golden golem Shadow with a sharp, fancy looking body, wearing green and red robes that emphasized his muscular figure, and red and white shoes. Beyond that, the area was open.

“This is a checkpoint area,” Twilight said, “But that Shadow seems to be guarding it.”

“Seems someone doesn’t want us proceeding,” Trixie held up one of her cards.

“So chances are, whatever lives in this place knows we’re here now,” Starlight said, “Brace yourselves. Pinkie Pie, get ready in case we need you on the front lines.”

Pinkie Pie nodded, “Got it. I’ll be ready.”

DNF FW15C -ii- - Blue Reflection

“The Shadow’s ID is Kin-Ki!” Twilight said, “But I can’t find a weakness! The Terminal’s having too hard of a time locking onto the enemy!”

“Then we’ll just resort to my favorite tactic!” Rarity charged at it, rearing back her fist, “HITTING IT UNTIL IT DIES!”

She threw a punch, but it threw its fist out to meet hers. Rarity smirked, and the two of them traded rapid fire blows while Rainbow Dash held up her Channeling Ring.

“Come forth, my other self!” Rainbow Dash shouted, holding her sword up as Eclair appeared before her. She then cast Rebellion on Rarity, who then managed to punch through Kin-Ki’s defense, knocking him back.

Trixie and Starlight ran up beside Rarity, the latter holding her scythe forward into the ground while the other held out her arms. Trixie launched a barrage of cards at Kin-Ki while Starlight fired at him with her sniper rifle, but he held up his fists to block both attacks.

“Persona!” Rarity shouted, summoning Riley and jumping on her, driving around the Shadow in a circle and firing her missiles at him. He flinched back from her attacks, but then grabbed her once she got too close, causing her Persona to dispel.

“RARITY!” Starlight cried, holding up her Ring, “NUE!!!”

The giant yellow gorilla charged at Kin-Ki, tackling him into a wall and making him drop Rarity. The two traded blows until Kin-Ki threw a powerful punch into Nue’s stomach, causing him and Starlight to fall back. Kin-Ki then spun around hitting everyone around it with its fists, knocking all of them into walls.

“Gah!” Trixie screamed, she and Rainbow Dash landing near each other, “This guy can seriously throw a punch…!”

“Yeah, and he can take ‘em, too!” Rainbow Dash groaned, forcing herself to her feet, “Hey, how are you two holding up?”

“I, could do this all fuckin’ night,” Rarity said, rising up with Starlight’s arm over her shoulder, “Hey, you and Trixie got that double technique. I’ll work with Dash to make an openin’. Then you hit him hard.”

Starlight nodded to Rarity. She switched to Morgana and cast Mediarama on everyone before running over to Trixie. She didn’t get to Trixie though, as Kin-Ki slammed his fist down in front of her to block her path.

She looked up as he loomed over her, but before he could throw another punch, a barrage of missiles hit him in the face knocking him back.

“Don’t fucking think about it!” Rarity swore, “Dash, get your lumps in before I go to town on this fucker!”

Rainbow Dash nodded, summoning her Persona once more. This time, Eclair Farron charged with her sword and slammed it down onto Kin-Ki, forcing him to block. Rarity jumped onto Riley and tackled him into Eclair, who pinned him from behind with her sword before discharging electricity for more damage.

“Come on…! Fuck!" Twilight swore.

“Twilight, what’s wrong?!” Pinkie Pie asked, holding her scepter ready in case she got called in.

“Blank! Everything on my terminal is coming up blank for this Shadow!” Twilight fussed, a slamming noise heard from the real world, “Ugh! There has to be SOMETHING I can do!”

“Twi-Twi, relax!” Trixie shouted, readying her Channeling Ring, “We’ve got this! Elenora, Sukukaja!”

She cast her spell on Rainbow Dash, increasing her speed. Once Starlight reached her side, she felt her heart stir immediately. She and Trixie stood back to back holding their arms forward.

“COME FORTH, OUR PERSONAS!!!” they shouted at the same time, both Morgana and Elenora appearing at the same time and flying into Kin-Ki.

Morgana slashed Kin-Ki three times with her claws, followed by Elenora charging in with rapid kicks engulfed in flames. This was followed by Morgana drilling into Kin-Ki’s chest, pushing him back as Elenora threw large fire balls at him from a distance.

The two Personas held their arms out at their sides and charged up. With a single nod to each other, the two Personas flew into Kin-Ki with their X Strike, causing him to fall to one knee.

“All Out Attack!” Starlight ordered her team, who all got their weapons ready (Rarity as always just cracked her knuckles smirking), and wailed on the Shadow with everything they had.

Somehow, he managed to put up a fight, knocking all of them back soon after.

Starlight once again cast Mediarama on everyone, but realized she was taxing herself too hard.

Trixie summoned Elenora and cast Eiha on Kin-Ki, knocking him back a bit as Rarity summoned Riley to hit Kin-Ki with her missiles while riding around the field, “Damn it! Why’s he still standing?!”

Kin-Ki took a deep breath and then roared at the ceiling, an orange aura coming over him briefly.

“Hey! What was that attack?!” Rarity asked, still riding around the field.

“Tarukaja! It’ll give it higher attack for a few seconds to a minute!” Twilight explained, “Oooooh! Why isn’t it working…? Please please please give me something to work with here…!”

Kin-Ki spun around, once more hitting everyone at once and knocking them back. Starlight fell to the ground screaming, and noticed Trixie fall beside her. Starlight turned to her girlfriend and went pale.

She wasn’t breathing…!

“No…! TRIXIE!!!” Starlight screamed, “Pinkie Pie, switch with Rainbow Dash! Recarm, fast!”

Pinkie Pie jumped into the fray Serenity already summoned as a golden light engulfed Trixie, who quickly coughed as she sat up a bit, “S-Starlight…?”

Starlight wrapped her arms around Trixie tightly, her heart racing. Just now, she thought she’d lose someone else important to her.

Rarity looked at the two of them wide eyed, and then glared at Kin-Ki, “You, just fucked up BIG TIME!!!” she roared at Kin-Ki, rearing her fists back and punching the golden golem continuously, “YOU GODDAMN MOTHERFUCKING SON OF A BITCH!!! I’LL RIP YOUR FUCKING ARMS OUT OF THEIR SOCKETS AND FORCE THEM DOWN YOUR GODDAMN THROAT YOU GLORIFIED GOLDEN PIECE OF SHIT!!!”

Kin-Ki was clearly taking damage, but he also managed to block a number of her attacks. Scarily enough, it didn’t seem like Rarity noticed or really cared.

“This is bad! Someone needs to stop Rarity! She’s leaving herself wide open!”

“Pinkie Pie, heal! Trixie, cast Sukukaja on Rarity! I’ll step in to provide support!” Starlight commanded, forcing herself to pull herself together.

“Help is on the way!” Pinkie Pie cried, summoning Serenity and casting Mediarama on everyone. Trixie cast her speed spell on Rarity and then began her own assault from a distance while Starlight slashed Kin-Ki back with her scythe.

“Rarity! Calm down!” Starlight commanded, “Pinkie Pie healed Trixie just in time!”

“This fucker damn near killed your girlfriend! I’ll calm down once he’s-”

Kin-Ki threw a powerful punch at the two of them, but this time Starlight blocked with her scythe. She still took massive damage, but at least she was able to protect Rarity, who looked at this wide eyed.

“We, have to keep, a cool head here,” Starlight urged, “Otherwise, one wrong move, and…”

Rarity looked down seriously, and then nodded, “Right. I’ll, follow your commands then, from now on.”

Starlight took a breath. She could tell Rarity was berating herself for losing her cool, but now wasn’t the time for a pep talk, “Twilight, any idea how much more this guy’s got?”

“I don’t, I’m sorry!” Twilight sounded on the verge of tears herself, “I keep trying to get a lock on the Shadow, but you’re too far out of range for the system to track!”

Starlight swore to herself and then looked up at the Shadow, who was currently trading blows with Serenity, who despite not being an overtly combat type Persona was holding her own, fighting a bit like Chun-Li from Street Fighter it seemed, “Rarity, the anger you’re feeling right now? Channel that into your Ring and cast your strongest spell. Try to knock him down.”

Rarity took a breath and nodded, holding up her Channeling Ring, “Fear my power! PERSONA!!!”

Rarity jumped on Riley as she appeared, and cast Maeiga on Kin-Ki. The Shadow flinched back from that and then took an Agilao to the face, falling to one knee.

Starlight once more commanded her team to launch an All Out Attack. This time, Kin-Ki wasn’t able to keep standing, and quickly fell to the ground, where he faded away in a black mist.

Daydream - Blue Reflection: Second Light

Trixie fell to her knees, “IT’S DEAD! IT’S FUCKING DEAD!” she laughed/cried in relief.

Pinkie Pie ran up to her and hugged her, “That, was rough.”

“Yeah, I’ll say,” Rainbow Dash said walking forward, “They’re getting stronger, aren’t they? The Shadows?”

“Makes sense,” Starlight said, “We’re getting closer to where the leader is presumably.”

“So, they’re not usually that strong…” Rarity mused to herself.

“Rarity?” Pinkie Pie asked.

“If, I hadn’t been here, then…” Rarity trailed off, holding a hand to her head.

“We’d have lost,” Starlight finished for her, surprising the white wolf, “Badly.”

“But, earlier I almost-”

“Wasn’t too bad,” Starlight said, “We pulled you back before you got hurt,” she rubbed Rarity’s arm.

“Actually, it’s kinda touching, knowing you got so upset because I was hurt,” Trixie said, looking away and rubbing her arm and smiling, “And, hearing you scream profanity at the Shadow was hot.”

Rarity blinked, and then rubbed the back of her head, her ears twitching, “I seriously ain’t used to people liking this side of me…”

“Get used to it, Rarity,” Pinkie Pie scratched behind Rarity’s ears, making the wolf girl moan softly, “Whether or not you’re with us officially, I wanna see this side of you more.”

“Let’s head back to the Library to rest before waking up,” Starlight said as the Checkpoint opened, “Twilight, is the Checkpoint set up?”

“H-huh? Yeah, it is,” Twilight said, her voice soft, “I, could at least do that much.”

“Mission Control, you good?” Rainbow Dash asked.

“Yes, I’m fine,” Twilight said. From what Starlight could hear, it sounded like she was trying not to cry, “I’m logging off. I’ll see you girls when you, wake up I guess.”

“Twili-” Starlight called out, only to be met with a click as the Wisp vanished.

“Hey,” Trixie said, placing a hand on Starlight’s shoulder, “Let’s get out of here before reinforcements show up.”

Starlight nodded to Trixie, and walked through the door with her team. She was seriously worried about Twilight, though.

Riku Theme - Kingdom Hearts 2

After logging off from the system, Twilight went downstairs into the kitchen. She poured herself a glass of orange juice to try and calm down, but it wasn’t working. She couldn’t get over what just happened.

Her Terminal couldn’t lock onto the enemy at all. Even if it didn’t have a weakness, it was as if the system couldn’t recognize the Shadow as being there.

Did I, hit my limit…?

No, no there has to be a way to increase broadcasting range.

But even as she thought it, deep down she knew what was wrong. They were entering more abstract aspects of the Collective Unconscious. Soon, she’d be able to still talk to them, and she’d still be able to follow them through the Remote Viewing System, but that’d be it. She’d be an observer, and nothing else.

She’d become, obsolete…

“No. No no, I won’t be decommissioned. After all,” she sat up and laughed to herself, “Next time they go into a Dungeon, they’ll need someone to gather Keywords and compile the data. That’s something only I can do,” she held a hand to her head, “I’m not obsolete. I’m not. I’m not.”

Outside the kitchen, Celestia leaned against the wall listening to her child. She wanted to check on her and see how she was doing, but the way she sounded, it truly seemed like she might…

“Please no. Don’t let it be this…” Celestia held a hand to her chest, her fear gripping her very soul, “Of all the people to get the Nightmare…” she closed her eyes tightly, “What do I do…? How, do I save my child…?”

Author's Note

Fool – Seekers of Light: 5/10
Magician – Trixie Lulamoon: 8/10 :heart:
Priestess – Diamond Tiara: 10/10 Thrall
The Empress – Ms. Tia: 5/10
Hierophant - Victor: 2/10
The Lovers - Pinkamena Diane Pie: 3/10
Chariot – Rainbow Dash: 3/10
Strength - Tokugawa Fluttershy: 3/5 LEVEL UP!!!
Hermit – Sunburst: 2/10
Hanged Man - Rarity Stark: 1/10
The Devil – Silver Spoon: 5/10
The Sun - Sweetie Belle: 4/10
Transformation - Ms. Luna: 1/10

Link to my Patreon

11/11

November 11th, 2019
Sunday
Cloudy

Morning

Let's Girl Talk! - Blue Reflection: Second Light

Even after relaxing for a bit, Starlight was dead tired when she woke up. She was happy that it was still the weekend, so she didn’t have to worry about school. She was curious about what was going to happen at school tomorrow with Cinch, assuming there’d even BE school. She expected there would be, though. She had a hard time imagining school shutting over this.

After getting showered and dressed, Starlight made her way downstairs for breakfast. Twilight seemed okay, but Starlight was still concerned. Based on how everyone kept sharing looks, they were all worried.

“Are you sure you’re okay, Twilight?” Pinkie Pie asked.

“Yes Pinkie Pie, I’m fine,” Twilight insisted, “I was just overwhelmed is all. I’m going to update the system, and I’ll be able to scan Shadows again like before.”

“Well, if you’re sure…” Pinkie Pie said, clearly not convinced.

“So, where’s Rarity?” Twilight asked as a way to change the subject, “Still asleep?”

“Probably,” Trixie said, “That was her first Elysium run, and she kinda stole the show a few times there. I imagine she’s exhausted.”

“She also stayed in the Library the longest,” Starlight added, “She wanted to get a feel for the place, and was curious about some of the books there.”

“Bet she’s looking for a super power too,” Rainbow Dash said, sitting down with her second helping of everything Ms. Tia made.

“She’s still not sure she wants to be a witch,” Trixie pointed out, “Why would she be searching for magic?”

“She’s not sure she wants to join our coven,” Rainbow Dash corrected, “But she’s a witch now, whether she likes it or not. And why wouldn’t she want to play around with this? She’s got true power for the first time in her whole life.”

“Honestly, it’d be good for her to play around with a few things there,” Celestia said, sipping her tea before continuing, “The more she uses her magic, the better she’ll be with it.”

“Wonder what she’d pick,” Pinkie Pie mused, “Maybe super strength?”

“Nah, I don’t see it,” Rainbow Dash said, “Sure she’s kind of a brute in combat, but she’s still a girl. She’d probably want something more ladylike or elegant.”

“Rarity? Ladylike and elegant?” Trixie asked with a raised eyebrow, “I cannot picture Rarity anywhere near those two words.”

“Yeah… good point, now that I think about it,” Rainbow Dash said, “So, what do you think she’d pick?”

“I dunno. Maybe something sexual? A way to use her nymphomania for her benefit?” Trixie threw out, “Or just something to make it easier or more fun to indulge?”

“Ooooh! That’s true!” Pinkie Pie nodded, “Like a super allure spell she can activate on command to attract a mate! Or maybe a way to recharge energy from having sex!”

“Exactly,” Trixie pointed to Pinkie Pie, “Just what I was thinking of. Something like becoming a succubus, but without stealing energy ffro”

“You know, she might just use this to cure her hyper sexuality,” Twilight pointed out, “This is a big issue for her, isn’t it?”

“She told me on the school roof she doesn’t really mind being hyper sexual,” Starlight said, “Just as long as she has a way to deal with it safely.”

“Speaking of, what are we going to do about that?” Trixie asked, “Assuming she doesn’t cure it magically, we have to find a way to help her get control of it.”

“I’ll talk with her later to figure out what she needs for that,” Celestia said, “Ultimately that’s what Cadence will be discussing with her, but she won’t be arriving sadly until the 21st of November."

“Until then, we’ll have to figure something out to help her,” Starlight said, “I know she and Spike had sex recently. Maybe he could help?”

“Spike?” Twilight asked.

“He’s on the student council with Starlight and Rarity,” Pinkie Pie said, “Remember the guy who dressed as Riku for Halloween? That’s Spike.”

“Oh! I remember him now,” Twilight said, “He kept staring at me from a distance for some reason.”

“Really, Twi-Twi?” Trixie asked dryly, “You don’t know why he was staring at you?”

“Your costume was pretty hot,” Rainbow Dash pointed out, “I didn’t know you were that stacked until I saw you wearing that.”

“And that was real?” Pinkie Pie asked Twilight, who nodded slowly.

“Yeah, all of that was natural. I wanted it to be authentic, so there's no padding for the breasts.”

“Wait, did you make that?” Trixie asked as Starlight heard footsteps coming downstairs.

“I planned to wear it to a gaming convention later this year, assuming it’s happening during hours where I’m active,” Twilight answered, “Cosplay is essentially just a Halloween Costume you wear outside of Halloween, so I figured why not? I sometimes would cosplay for fun back home.”

“We should cosplay together sometime, Twilight!” Pinkie Pie requested, “Maybe walk through South Street together as our favorite anime or videogame characters!”

“Only problem with that is Twi-Twi asleep when we’re awake,” Trixie said, “She’d have to fix her sleep cycle before you could do that.”

“Could you, Twilight? Could you please?” Pinkie Pie asked.

“I, I’m sorry but, it’s too important that I keep this sleep cycle for work,” Twilight sighed.

“Though true, Mitsuru, Cadence, and Aigis are going to want to see you, Twilight,” Celestia said, “Try to stay up with everyone at least for Thanksgiving?”

Twilight looked like she wanted to protest, but Celestia raised an eyebrow making the young teen sigh, “Yes, Miss Tia…” and with that, Pinkie Pie hugged Twilight tightly, making her roll her eyes and smile a bit.

end song

The door opened, followed by a yawn, “Morning, everyone…”

“Good morni-” Starlight stopped mid sentence, blushing profusely. Trixie looked up and held a hand to her mouth in shock.

“Oh, my God…” Pinkie Pie muttered. Twilight blinked, eyes wide and actually blushing a bit herself.

Rainbow Dash swallowed, following Rarity with her gaze as she walked over to grab a plate, “W-whoa…”

Celestia coughed lightly, suppressing a smile, “Um, Rarity honey?”

“Hm? What’s up?” Rarity asked.

“Did you um, forget something?” Celestia asked carefully. Rarity turned to look at everyone, visibly still groggy. She was completely naked. Starlight couldn’t take her eyes off of just how perfect her body was. She was really curvy, about as much as Pinkie Pie, who thus far had the largest rack in the dorm outside of Celestia.

Our Days - Blue Reflection: Second Light

“Huh? Did I forge- ah shit,” Rarity groaned once she realized what happened, “Made the same mistake back with AJ’s folks too.”

“The same, mistake…?” Twilight asked slowly.

“Not seeing much of a mistake here…” Rainbow Dash muttered, prompting Twilight to hit her arm.

“Guess there’s no point in hiding it now…” Rarity sighed rubbing her eyes, “I’m a naturalist. Or, I used to be one, I guess…” she ran her hand through her hair in slight frustration, “I don’t like wearing clothes, okay? Not unless I gotta go out or somethin’, and even then I try to get by with the bare minimum or at least look sexy.”

“So, back with the Diamond Dogs, you just…” Starlight waved her hand to Rarity, eyes locked onto her breasts.

“Pretty much, yeah,” Rarity rubbed her arm looking away, “No one used it as an excuse to fuck me anytime or anything if you were wonderin’. Rover’s rules with that were that as an Alpha, I had to be the one to initiate shit like that.”

“And, at the Scarlets…?” Trixie asked, swallowing as she held Starlight’s hand tightly.

“Nope. Like I said, I made the same mistake there my first day, gettin’ too comfortable and shit,” Rarity took a breath, “Sorry about this, everyone. I’ll, head upstairs and, put something on.” she put her plate down and walked toward the door, lightly brushing Starlight accidentally.

Goddamn it! I keep forgettin’ people don’t do shit like this normally!

Don’t fuck up now, Rarity! You’re still the odd one out here…

I Can Feel Your Body Heat - Blue Reflection: Second Light

“Hang on!” Starlight shot up, taking Rarity’s hand and stopping her, “Don’t. Please, stay and eat with us just like this.”

Rarity turned to look at Starlight, uncertainty and fear in her eyes.

“We said we’d be your new pack, and for you to make yourself at home,” Starlight said, rubbing the top of Rarity’s hand, “If you’re the only one who’s making compromises though, then that’s not a home.”

Rarity bit her lip and looked down. Starlight could feel how nervous and shamed she was.

Realizing this was serious, Starlight turned to everyone and expressed how important this was for Rarity. They all shared a look after she spoke.

“Well, we did say that we were willing to do the hard work to be friends with you,” Trixie said.

“Besides, the view’s really nice,” Rainbow Dash blurted out, before catching herself, “Gah! Um, I mean, uh…” she looked at Pinkie Pie nervously, who giggled.

“It’s fine. I was thinking of maybe asking Rarity if she’d want to have a threesome with us somewhere down the line, and this just helped with that~” Pinkie Pie said, licking her lips and smiling.

Twilight sighed, “Well, I’m barely up as is when everyone else is, so not like I have much say. Not sure how Mitsuru’s going to handle it, though…”

Rarity looked to Celestia, both fearfully and hopefully. As the Dorm Mistress, she had final say, after all.

Celestia closed her eyes and smiled, “I meant what I said yesterday, Rarity. Make yourself at home. If this is part of what it means to be home for you, I guess this dorm is now clothing optional.”

Rarity’s eyes widened. She then whimpered, wiping away her tears before smiling, “Thank, you. Thank you all so much.”

“Just know that I’m sexually objectifying you in my head, and we’re good,” Trixie grinned.

Rarity just laughed, “Be good, and I’ll let you sexually objectify me in real life, too.”

“Wait, is she serious?” Trixie asked, “Starlight, you’re still holding her hand! Check her emotions! I wanna know if she’s serious!”

Starlight laughed awkwardly and then turned to look at Rarity, who just raised an eyebrow at her smiling.

“You are still holding my hand,” Rarity pointed out, leaning into Starlight and giving her a smoldering gaze, “In some countries, this would be considered at least first base, you know~”

Starlight meeped looking down and blushing, making everyone laugh. Just when she figured things out with Trixie, Rarity had to come in and complicate things all over again. Well, at least she didn’t have to worry about Trixie being jealous.

As Rarity sat back down with the group, they all sort of just, fell into comfortable conversation. Rarity mostly just listened, but it was clear she was beginning to relax a bit more. Starlight felt closer to her Coven as a whole from this.

Daytime

Let's Girl Talk! - Blue Reflection: Second Light

Starlight and Trixie spent some time in their room making out after breakfast, because they were both that horny after seeing Rarity naked. Realizing that was her new normal was going to take some getting used to. Starlight had considered going skyclad herself, but wasn’t anywhere near confident enough in her body for that.

She almost wanted to try it now, but wasn’t sure. She felt like spending the day skyclad in the dorm would do wonders for her courage. She might have to consider that for a weekend where she didn’t go out.

After spending time with Trixie, she stepped downstairs, where she saw Rarity, much to her dismay now dressed in her “Miss President” attire. Thankfully though, the tie was undone, as were some of the buttons of her top, along with her blazer being open. She leaned on the desk next to the sign out sheet looking at her phone.

“What the actual fuck…?” Rarity asked. Starlight walked over to her and asked what was wrong, “Oh, nothing’s wrong, just confused. My bank account has way more money in it than last time.”

“That’s from fighting the Shadows,” Starlight said.

“What? We get, paid to fight them? How the fuck does that work…?” Rarity asked. Starlight shrugged, as she didn’t know either. Only that it did, and she wasn’t complaining, “Well, I guess that’s fair. Being a witch really does seem to have its perks…”

“I, noticed you were dressed,” Starlight said, trying to hide her disappointment, “Were you going out?”

“Oh, that. I was um, actually waiting for you. See um, I kinda wanted to, go shopping for some things in town. Some new clothes since, I’m trying to embrace who I really am more, you know?” Starlight nodded, “And I was wondering if you… well,” Rarity looked away blushing, “w-wanted to, come, with, me.”

Starlight got the sense Rarity was really out of her element here, but it was nice seeing her attempt to reach out. She had a good feeling about today, like she and Rarity could become closer today.

“I know a pretty decent clothing store on South Street, or Ponyville as you know it,” Starlight said, “Diamond Tiara showed it to me. They have really sexy clothes there, so you might find something you’d like.”

“I, think I know what store you’re talking about. Lady Love?” Rarity asked, Starlight nodding, “Alright. Lead the way.”

Starlight and Rarity signed themselves out and then made their way to South Street. Starlight’s heart fluttered in excitement, realizing this was the first time she and Rarity were truly hanging out as friends.

Our Days - Blue Reflection: Second Light

As it was Sunday, Lady Love wasn’t really all that crowded, so they were able to more or less browse without much issue. As they walked around, Rarity looked around a bit uncertain of herself.

“Am I this out of touch with myself…?” she asked herself, confusing Starlight, “Three years ago, I would know this place like the back of my hand...”

“I noticed in your Dungeon you never went into this store,” Starlight pointed out, “Not that much, at least.”

“Nope,” Rarity walked over to a tight black and red mini dress, running her hands along it, “Always did want to go inside though. Guess I just, knew that she wouldn’t buy clothes out of here.”

“You mean “Miss President”?” Starlight asked.

“Got it in one,” Rarity said, closing her eyes, “I tried so hard to be a good girl, but I hated the clothes that were in other shops. I ended up just buying fabric to make my own wardrobe.”

“Wait, you can sew?” Starlight asked tilting her head.

“There was a time where I wanted to be a seamstress,” Rarity explained, “My dream was to open my own business and make the sort of clothes I’d find sexy for other people,” she closed her eyes and chuckled, “Weird, right? A filthy mutt off the streets wanting to make clothes for a living?”

“I don’t find you strange at all,” Starlight said, “Just means you’re a wolfie with dimensions.”

Rarity blushed averting her eyes, “Why you gotta say it like that…? Makin’ me out like I’m some cute puppy or some shit…”

Starlight laughed, “I’m sorry, okay? But seriously, you are cute when you get bashful like that. It’s a nice contrast with how brutal you are in the Phase.”

“Well, try not to spread it around, okay?” Rarity requested, “I’m trying to get my bad bitch reputation back up.”

“Your secret is safe with me,” Starlight chuckled.

“Thanks,” Rarity said, taking a breath, “Well, guess I better actually try some shit on…”

“You can do it,” Starlight urged, pumping her fists. Rarity laughed shaking her head, and then took the mini dress off the rack to try it on.

Needless to say, she looked hot in it. It was so short that if it’d been any higher her butt would be showing in the back. Starlight wasn’t surprised when Rarity chose to buy it.

She chose four other outfits to go along with that one, each one just as sexy and revealing as the last. Starlight was getting incredibly turned on seeing her in so many sexy clothes, but Rarity valued Starlight’s opinion so much she had to stick around. Besides, Rarity was actually really cute like this.

On the outside, she tried to look tough and put together, but it was clear she was very self conscious on the inside. In many ways, she and Starlight were a lot alike.

After paying for the clothes along with some new makeup, Starlight and Rarity stepped out of the shop to get something to eat. Maybe they could try Challenge 2 toge-

Sunset Bridge - Persona 5

“Well this is a sight I didn’t think I’d see,” a familiar, rough male voice said behind them, “Dirty Diamond and Little Star, hangin’ together almost like packmates.”

Rarity sucked in a breath and turned around, “Hello Rover.”

Starlight turned around too. Not just Rover, but that large, terrifying husky with him too. Link, if Starlight remembered right. The fact he wasn’t on a leash still scared Starlight a bit.

“Glad to see you’re not in the slammer,” Rover raised his head, “You mentioned that cunt of a Principal wanted us out by the 9th or else. I was worried about ya all weekend.”

“Well, now you can rest easy,” Rarity said curtly, “As you can see, I’m doing fine. Just spending time with my friend Starlight.”

“Oh? You two are friends now, eh?” Rover asked, now looking at Starlight.

“Yes. We are. In fact, I’ve recently moved into the same dorm as her,” Rarity said raising her head.

“We’re her pack now,” Starlight said, meeting Rover’s gaze evenly, “My friends all know what her issues are, and accept her for who she is.”

Rover narrowed his eyes a bit at her, “That so?”

“They’re letting me go natural in the dorm,” Rarity said with a slight smirk, “I think a few of ‘em even wanna fuck me.”

Rover snorted, “You’re takin’ a huge risk on these girls. What’ll you do if this gig doesn’t work out? If you become too much for them to handle?”

“I’ll worry about that if it happens,” Rarity said in a low voice, one that suggested uncertainty.

“You know there’s one place where you’ll be guaranteed taken care of, right?” Rover asked, walking up to Rarity, “I wouldn’t let anyone harm you, Rares. Even if you rejoined as an Omega, I’d keep you safe.”

Rarity pursed her lips and averted her eyes, “I know, but it ain’t just about safety. Rover, I got dreams. Dreams I still haven’t given up on. I love you so much, but I love Starlight and Applejack too. I don’t wanna choose between you and them, but if I have to choose between living here with them and going off with you, I have to choose them. Now, due to how things are turning out, I’m not asking the Diamond Dogs to leave town.”

Rover raised an eyebrow, “What about Cinch?”

“Don’t worry about Cinch. Worry about me,” Rarity said, “I’m still the Student Council President, and the Diamond Dogs are scaring my students. I need to make sure they know they’re safe, so I’m claiming Canterlot High as my territory.”

Starlight, Rover, and if she saw it right even Link, all looked at Rarity shocked.

“You know what you’re saying to me, right?” Rover asked narrowing his eyes.

“I do. I also know that you’re not going to let me leave the Dogs without first fighting for my freedom, so I’ll make it simple for you,” Rarity handed Starlight her bags and then folded her arms, barring her teeth a bit at Rover, “You and me, in Ponyville Park before school. If I win, you promise to not harass my students, or vandalize the school grounds. You don’t have to leave Canterlot, but you will leave Canterlot High alone.”

Rover nodded, “Alright, but if I win, you gotta come with me back to the Dogs, on the spot, collared and leashed, no questions asked.”

Rarity closed her eyes biting her lip as she presumably thought about that. She then nodded, “Deal.”

“H-hang on a sec. Rarity, what are you-”

“Starlight, I adore you, but please stay out of this one,” Rarity requested, “This is official Diamond Dog business.”

Meaning this was Rarity officially wrapping up said business. She hated it so much, but she nodded, stepping back, “I trust you.”

Rarity smiled at that, “Thanks.”

Rover nodded, “Guess I’ll see ya there, then,” he then turned and walked off, Link right beside him.

“Rarity, are you sure about this?” Starlight asked.

“Positive,” Rarity nodded, “His Shadow said he’d want to test me, remember? This is that test.”

“If you fail though…”

“I won’t,” Rarity assured her, “I promise you, Starlight.”

“Okay,” Starlight conceded. Throughout this, she felt like she got to see what sort of person Rarity was a bit better. She felt significantly closer to Rarity.

Late Night

The Phase

Starlight felt like walking around the Library at night after spending time with Rarity. It’d been a while since she could just walk through the halls and relax. She had been meaning to return to that section she and Victor found, in the hopes of learning more about Project Dream Catcher.

As she walked through the Library, she noticed Adagio sitting by herself at a table reading. She, set off a few red flags for Starlight, and now that she knew that she was with those Neo Strega Witches, she felt a bit awkward about her. But, Adagio didn’t seem like a bad person per say.

Starlight weighed her options. She knew that once she reached out to her like this, there’d be no turning back. Should she take that chance? Adagio had clearly wanted to reach out to Starlight more, requesting it in Rarity’s Dungeon. With her spending time in the Library, it’d be awkward to avoid her if she didn’t reach out.

Starlight took a breath to gather herself, and then walked over to Adagio.

To Know One But You - Blue Reflection

“Hey Adagio,” Starlight called out with a pleasant smile. Adagio looked up, her gaze somewhat sad at first. But when she saw Starlight there, her eyes lit up. Slowly, she smiled and got up, running over to Starlight and hugging her tightly.

“Starlight! I’m so happy to see you!” she cried happily, her happiness washing over Starlight.

You came! You actually came!

Oh Starlight! I knew you would!

“I was walking through the Library, and I saw you here. You seemed so lonely, so I wanted to say hi,” Starlight said.

“Thank you,” Adagio pulled out of the hug and looked down sadly, “I, do get lonely a lot. Chrysalis and Sunset are cool and all, but they’re not as affectionate as you are with your Coven. A lot of times I just, find myself sitting here alone.”

“That’s a shame,” Starlight said, “Covens are supposed to feel like a family. At least, that’s how I feel.”

“A family…” Adagio looked down, taking that in, “I, haven’t felt close to my family for a while. Not since I killed our Manager.”

“You, must have really hated him…” Starlight asked wincing, “For you to have killed him like you did.”

Adagio closed her eyes, tearing up, “After what he took from me… yes. Yes, I hate him.”

“What did he take from you…?” Starlight asked, afraid of the answer. She had a feeling, but she didn’t want to assume anything.

“Something, that I’ll never get back…” she gently placed a hand over her nether region, “Nor will ever be able to give to another…”

Starlight shut her eyes tightly, piecing it together from that, “Damn it… I was afraid of that. Adagio, I’m so sorry…”

“It’s alright…” Adagio looked with a sad smile, “It was, a necessary sacrifice, for me to gain the power of magic.”

“W-what…?” Starlight looked at Adagio aghast, “Adagio, nothing about that was necessary…!”

Adagio looked at Starlight wide eyed, “W-what…? What do you mean…?”

“He hurt you! He abused you!” Starlight cried, “Adagio, how long was this going on?!”

“For, years actually,” Adagio looked down pained, holding a hand to her chest, “Once he took us on as our Manager. I was 16 when he, first…”

Starlight had to use the nearby desk to support herself she was so upset. Not just at what he did to her, but the fact Adagio had somehow convinced herself that this was “a necessary sacrifice”, “Adagio, nothing about that was okay.”

“B-but… it led me to getting my power…” Adagio said, looking at her Channeling Ring, “If I hadn’t, gone through that, then I wouldn’t, be where, I am today…”

“No, no you wouldn’t,” Starlight closed her eyes, “But, look. You remember Trixie right? The one who used Playing Cards?”

Adagio nodded, “You two, are close right?”

Starlight nodded, “We are. Her Dungeon, had a similar base to yours I imagine. Her boyfriend at the time was abusing her. I won’t go into details because it’s not my story to tell, but the things he did to her were just unforgivable. Even now I wish I’d just killed him when I had the chance,” she took a breath to calm herself before continuing, “Through that ordeal, she became a Witch too. That said, I’d never tell her that it was “alright” that she got abused, just because she gained magic. I will forever wish that she could have gotten her magic in another way.”

Adagio looked down again with a sad smile, “You’re, so kind. But sadly, the price of power is steep. That’s what, Chrysalis says. She and Sunset, they all had to suffer greatly before they could awaken to their power. It was through their suffering, and owning it, that they were granted magic. Surely, you and your Coven have experienced the same pain to an extent.”

“I…” Starlight looked down at that, “I suppose, in that sense yeah. We have all suffered in some way for our power. And, I am grateful, for the power that I have,” she looked at her Channeling Ring, “I’ve helped so many people with it. But that said,” she looked up at Adagio, “It’s okay for you to be in pain. To acknowledge your pain. Even if you gained something from it as a result, you can still cry. It’s okay for you to be sad. It’s okay for you to be in pain.”

Adagio averted her eyes, taking a few deep breaths, “If I… were to ask you, to hold me, and to just, be with me sometimes, when it becomes too much… w-would you…?”

Starlight answered by first hugging Adagio, “Without question. Regardless of you being in that other Coven, you and I are friends, Adagio.”

“Thank you…!” Adagio wrapped her arms around Starlight, bursting into tears and letting her emotions out. Starlight knew that she’d need some help with her emotions when she woke up but, Adagio needed this. She could definitely feel a faint bond forming between her and Adagio.

The Power of the Heart - Persona 4

Thou art I, and I am thou…

Thou hast established a new bond…

This bond shalt become the stairway to thy ascension…

Thou shalt be blessed when creating Persona of the Outsider Arcana

The Outsider? Another Arcana not in traditional Tarot. Somehow, she had a feeling this was significant. Yeah, she was definitely going to keep helping Adagio. Somehow, Starlight had a feeling like this was a sign.

That, she needed to be there for Adagio. Something terrible would happen to Adagio otherwise.

Author's Note

The Outsider is not in Traditional Tarot. It is only found in Osho Zen Tarot, where it's the name of the Five of Rainbows Card. The explanation of the card reads as follows:

The child in Five of Rainbows Osho Zen is standing on one side of the gate, looking through it. He is so small and so convinced that he cannot get through, he cannot see that the chain holding the gate is not locked; all he has to do is open it.

Whenever we feel “left out”, or excluded, it brings up this feeling of being a small, helpless child. It is not surprising, as if there is a feeling of being rooted in the childhood experience, repeating it over and over, like a tape in our lives. You have the opportunity to stop that tape, stop torturing yourself with the idea that you are somehow not ‘enough’ to be accepted and included. Recognize the core of this feeling in the past, and let the old pain pass. It will bring you the clarity to see how to open the gate and enter that which you most long to become.

Fool – Seekers of Light: 6/10 LEVEL UP!!!!
Magician – Trixie Lulamoon: 8/10 :heart:
Priestess – Diamond Tiara: 10/10 Thrall
The Empress – Ms. Tia: 5/10
Hierophant - Victor: 2/10
The Lovers - Pinkamena Diane Pie: 3/10
Chariot – Rainbow Dash: 3/10
Strength - Tokugawa Fluttershy: 3/5
Hermit – Sunburst: 2/10
Hanged Man - Rarity Stark: 2/10 LEVEL UP!!!
The Devil – Silver Spoon: 5/10
The Sun - Sweetie Belle: 4/10
Transformation - Ms. Luna: 1/10
The Outsider - Adagio Dazzle: 1/10 ESTABLISHED!!!

Link to my Patreon

Prologue

Author's Note

This piece is a work of fanfiction. One that takes place in an alternate universe centered off of the Real World, but with additions from the Persona Series.

As you read this story, you will see faces that you think you recognize, people that you think you know, with personalities that seem familiar. The author of this story wishes for you to forget all of that, and to view these characters as their own individuals. This will apply even if they do seem close to the faces that you know.

By proceeding with this story, you are singing a contract that you the reader can accept these characters as their own, and can see this as the piece of fanfiction that it is.

The author thanks you, and hopes you enjoy this story.

Prologue

6 months ago…

play song

How had her life turned out this way? Why had God forsaken her? Why was her life now falling to pieces so hard? Was it really all her fault? Is it true what they said about dark magic? Was it really playing with the devil? And if so…

Was what happened to her mother… all her fault?

As she sat on the couch of her old living room, she thought back to the last conversation she had with her mother before she ran out of the house to invoke that ritual. The one that was supposed to grant her the powers of a real live witch. Her mother never supported her beliefs, and she knew that, yet for some reason it just hit a head this last time. They had a terrible argument, and she ran out of the house that night. She’d show her mother. She’d show ALL of them! She’d become a powerful witch, and then use her magic to create the life that she wanted! That was the plan at least.

Instead, she lost everything that she truly held dear…

Almost immediately after she did the ritual, she heard a loud crash. Her attention went to the source, and she was horrified to see her mother’s car toppled over. Apparently she had gone to search for her, and was in a terrible accident. An accident, that had cost her mother her life.

She had already lost her father to cancer, but that was back when she was still young. She didn’t know who he was, so she didn’t really grieve over his lose. Her mother though, she knew. When they weren’t arguing over differences in faith, they were really good friends. Best friends, even. She laughed with her, held her when she cried, took care of her when she was sick, all the wonderful things that a mother did.

None of those would ever happen again though. Now… her mother was gone, and it was all her fault…

She closed her eyes in a vain attempt to stop the influx of tears, but soon gave way to deep, heavy sobs. This was her punishment for running away. This was her punishment for turning her back on “God”, whatever the hell that was. God hated her now, she knew it. That was why her relatives didn’t step in to help her. None of them stepped up to help take care of her. Who could blame them though? She was already seventeen, and most of them all had lives of their own. They wouldn’t want to look after a cursed teen like her.

Still, knowing that she was now alone hurt.

The house was going to be sold to the state soon, so she couldn’t even stay here herself. She’d lost her mother, and her home, all in one night. She’d almost lost everything, but there was one last thing she still had. Something that she once held dear, but as of now, saw no use for it at all.

Her life was over now anyway…

She rose up, and walked up the stairs to her room. She took the time to look at the pictures on the wall of her and her mother, remembering all of the good times, all of the bad times, all of the conversations, the moments of silence, the arguments, and the times where she was in her arms. It was okay though, because they’d be together again real soon.

Wait for me Mother…

I’ll… I’ll be there beside you shortly…

She stopped at the door leading to her room, and felt out her emotions. She felt… numb. Empty. She had wondered how she’d feel when she got to this point, and was almost pleased to feel so empty. That meant nothing would stop her from carrying this out. It wasn’t like anyone would miss her. Not even Sunburst had contacted her about her mother’s death, assuming he even knew.

Well, it’s not like her life was worth saving anyway. She was nothing, no one. She’d never done anything worth while with her life.

She opened the door to her old room, which looked as if nothing had ever changed. Slowly she walked over to her bed, sat down, and opened her purse, revealing a vial of anti-depressants. These were her mother’s, and were only meant to be taken twice a day. They were meant to treat the illness of depression, but today they’d have another use.

Today… they’d cure the illness that was her life…

She pulled out a bottle of water, and then opened the vial of pills. She then began popping them into her mouth like they were candy. One after another, her world was becoming wavy. She felt her body getting weaker. Still, she didn’t stop taking the medicine. She needed to be cured. She needed to cure the illness that plagued her. She needed this.

She was becoming dizzy… She looked in the vial… twenty more pills… Would that be enough…? Maybe if she took a few at a time… This time she started taking two, and then drinking them down with the water… Her throat… was still dry… and it was becoming harder to… keep her eyes open… No…! She wasn’t cured yet…! She looked into the vial… two more pills…

Just two more… and she’d be cured…

She took the last two pills… laid down in her bed… and closed her eyes… She did it… she cured herself… of her illness…

Mother… I’ll see you… soon…

She opened her eyes with a start. She was now sitting in a chair. It looked like she was in an… office of sort? No, it was an elevator, but it wasn’t moving. It was really big for an elevator. There was a shelf that had a few alcoholic beverages on it, a few pictures that showed various characters on the desk, some cute, and some terrifying looking, and a few other ornaments on the walls. She even saw a wardrobe off to the side. It was something akin to an elevator and an office all at the same time.

After looking around a bit, she became aware of something even more terrifying. She wasn’t alone here.

Standing before her at the other side of the desk were too figures. One was a tall man standing off to the side, holding a large book. He wore a blue and white uniform like a butler, had long silver hear, and yellow eyes, making him look almost demonic.

The other man was just as terrifying, if not more so. He wore a black pinstriped suit, had long, yet oddly elegant looking hands, gray hair that was balding, and the longest nose she’d ever seen in her life. He held his hands thoughtfully under his nose, and had a creepy smile. When he opened his eyes, they were blood shot, like he hadn’t slept in days, and when he looked at her, she felt both terrified, and drawn in at the same time. He then spoke in a soft, almost elegant voice of an old man who had seen a lot, yet still had vitality for life.

“Welcome, to the Velvet Room.”

The Velvet Room…? Was this the first stop before death? Was this man… God? Was he the devil? Should she be afraid right now? Not that it really mattered at the moment. She was resigned to her fate. Still, she became aware of a soft melody surrounding them. It was both sad, and hopeful at the same time.

“Well, this is a surprise,” the old man said with a light chuckle, “In all my years, I’ve never seen one come to this place in a manner such as yourself.”

She tilted her head confused. Where was this place? How did people enter this place normally?

“My name is Igor,” the man introduced himself, “Do not be afraid, you are perfectly safe in this space.”

She looked down at her lap, “Am I… dead?”

“Not quite yet,” Igor explained, “This place exists between dream and reality, mind and matter. It is a place of refuge for the soul. When you chose to end your life, something within you sought a place of rest.”

Wait, he knew that she tried to kill herself? But… how?

Igor chuckled, “This is truly a rare occasion. I’ve never met someone quite like you, in a manner quite like this. I’ve seen many people of many different types, all with their own different reasons for coming here. Yet this is the first time I’ve ever met someone after they threw their life away. Perhaps though, this is a sign that you're not quite ready to give up just yet.”

That didn’t make sense to her. She lost everything. What could she possibly have left?

“Tell me,” Igor said, adjusting his hands, “Do you have a dream? Something you wanted so deeply when you were still fully in the world of life?”

She thought back. What did she want so badly? There was something… but it was hard to remember. Wait, she did have a dream.

“I wanted to be a witch.”

Igor chuckled again, not mockingly but in good nature, “Someone in this day and age that still believes in magic. Truly a rare one indeed. It was that dream that lead you here, wasn’t it?”

It was, to a degree. Sure, maybe not here, but her desire to become a witch had cause her mother to…

“Would you mind, if I read your fortune?” Igor asked, a deck of tarot cards suddenly appearing on the desk, as if it had always been there.

The girl tilted her head, and asked Igor why he’d want to. Her life was pretty much over anyway.

“It’s something I’d like to test. You see, young lady, I am someone who is fascinated by life itself. Humans are an odd species. Half of them begs for death, but the other one clings to life. You yourself remind me of a young man I met a long time ago,” Igor looked around, “His Velvet Room had a similar appearance to yours. Like you, he was someone close to death. I wish to see if there’s in fact a connection between the two of you.”

Someone like her? Someone who was close to death? She wondered what happened to that boy. A bit intrigued, she nodded to Igor. It wasn’t like this was going to change anything, right? She was still going to die.

Igor shuffled the cards with surprising dexterity. Clearly he’d done this a lot, probably for almost everyone who came to this place. After a few seconds to a minute, he placed the deck down, and three cards shot off from the top in a line before her, all by herself. Igor turned the first card over.

“The Tower,” he said, “It appears you’ve lost something precious to you, and your life has fallen apart as a result. The very foundation you built your life upon has come crashing down, much like the tower itself in this picture.”

That sounded about right. Thanks to her stupidity, her mother was dead, and she’d lost everything.

“The second card is...” he turned it over, “Death. This card represents not just death itself, but transformation. Your present moment is crucial, as it’s a transitional period, in multiple ways.”

Well, she was about to die, wasn’t she? That made sense in the scheme of things. If she knew this spread, the next card was her future, but what sort of future did she have? She was going to die.

“The final card here is…” he turned it over, and everyone was surprised. Even the man holding the book, who had said nothing at all since she arrived. This card showed a naked woman pouring water into a small pond of water, a large golden star above her, surrounded by seven smaller white stars, “Well this is certainly a surprise. The Star.”

“The… Star?”

“This card represents hope, renewal, and realization,” Igor said, his expression somehow softening despite still possessing that creepy smile, “Your future is one where you could end up achieving the very dream you sought after, and possibly light the way for others.”

Wait… what was he saying…? Did that mean, that it might not be over yet…?

“In light of this odd occurrence, I give you a choice,” Igor said, “If you still believe your life is over, then you can pass onto the afterlife. I won’t stop you, and this will be the end of our interactions.

“Alternatively, if you wish to see what this future could be,” Igor said adjusting his hands again, “You can return to the realm of the living. Understand that this doesn’t mean your life will be happy, and it may yet still lead to tragedy, but with this, you’d have a chance at making a new life for yourself.”

She looked down at the card before her. She wanted to die before, but suddenly she wasn’t so sure. It might end up being for nothing, but… what if? What if she could become the witch she always wanted to be…? What if she could actually do something worth while with her life? What if… what if this card meant that her life…

“Is there really… a chance for someone like me…?” she asked hopefully.

“Most certainly,” Igor said, drawing one more card off the top of the deck, “After all, it’s when one has nothing that their journey can truly begin,” he placed the card onto the desk before her, revealing a picture of a young man standing on the edge of a cliff, holding a sack at the end of a pole, like he was going on a journey. Behind him was a white dog, and a bright sun. He seemed frivolous, naive, but at the same time hopeful.

“Are you familiar with this card?” Igor asked, the young girl shaking her head, “This card is called The Fool. It is the first in what’s often called the Fool’s Journey. It is like the number zero. Empty, yet filled with infinite potential.”

Empty… like how she felt moments before she…

“This… is me…?” she asked, taking the card into her hands.

“Should you choose it, you can make your life into anything you want. Truly the possibilities are endless. Magic does exist, you know,” that caught her attention, “I’ve seen it with my own eyes, many times. People like you have used the power of magic to cause great change in the world. I imagine, that that sounds appealing to you, doesn’t it?”

She nodded slowly, her heart beginning to beat faster. Magic was… real?

“Master, if I may offer my thoughts on the subject,” the man with the book said, his voice deep, yet youthful, “If you don’t know where the light is yourself, perhaps you could be the light for others.”

Be the light…? If what these two said was true, then perhaps… she could not only live a better life herself… but maybe she could… even help others.

Don’t give up now! Your life still has purpose!

Please, live! Live, and turn that small flame in your heart into a burning inferno!

That voice… it sounded like her own, but with much more power. A part of her… was still clinging to life…? She felt it. Her heart was racing. So much that it was beginning to hurt. Once again, the tears flowed freely.

“I… I DON’T WANT TO DIE!!!” she cried desperately, “Please help me! I made a mistake! I’m not ready to die yet!”

Igor closed his eyes, and a look of peace and… relief (?) came over his face, “In that case, I will aid you in your return to life,” a piece of paper appeared before her, “Simply sign your name on this contract, and will be done.”

She looked at the contract, and at first was afraid. But when she looked at it, there was only one line of text. She picked it up and turned it around, checking to see the fine print. Nothing. Just one term that was terrifying in of itself.

I choose this fate of my own free will.

She then noticed a pen held over to her. She looked at Igor, who was looking directly at her with that same smile. It was odd, but somehow she didn’t seem afraid of him. In fact, she felt like he was honestly looking out for her. Like he wanted to help her.

Like he… cared about her.

She took the pen, letting her and Igor’s hands lightly touch, and she wrote her name on the line underneath the contract.

Starlight Glimmer

As soon as she finished signing her name, the elevator clicked. Slowly, it began to ascend upward, eventually picking up speed and moving at a steady pace.

“And with that, your life will continue,” Igor said, the contract disappearing, “We will meet again on the day your journey truly begins. Till then, take this as a sign of our new partnership.”

A small light descended down to Starlight, and she held out her hand to accept it. The light then turned into a small blue and white key.

“When the time comes, that key will bring open the door to this room,” Igor explained, “On that day, when you need us the most, we will come to your aid. Speaking of, I neglected to introduce you to my assistant,” he held his hand to the man holding the book, “This man is Victor. When the time comes, his purpose will become more clear.”

“It is a pleasure to make your acquaintance, Miss Glimmer,” Victor said with a bow, “I look forward to our next meeting.”

Before Starlight could say anything, she felt the world become wavy again.

“It seems our time is up here,” Igor said, “Till next we meet, Miss Glimmer.”

With that, the room faded from her sight, as if it were all a dream.

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When Starlight opened her eyes, she was greeted by a bright sun beaming right on her face. She looked around and saw she was in a hospital room. The walls were white, and the window was large. The sun was shining brightly, as if to welcome her back.

“Oh good, you’re awake,” the nurse said, catching Starlight’s attention, “A neighbor brought you here after noticing the door to your house open. Had she waited a moment longer, you would have surly died.”

“So… I’m alive…?” Starlight asked, slowly sitting up. The nurse gave her a truly genuine smile.

“Through the grace of God, yes. You truly have angels watching over you,” the nurse said. Starlight held her head, wondering if she dreamed that room up. That man, Igor, gave her a second chance, and here she was. If that was a dream though…

Her attention went to the bed stand next to her, and her eyes were wide. On the bed stand were two items. One was a fancy silver ring with a pentagram on it, etched within an indigo colored gemstone. The other item damn near made her heart shoot out of her chest. It was the blue and white key that Igor gave her.

It wasn’t a dream…

“Are those yours?” The nurse asked, “When you were brought in, you were clutching onto those items for dear life. We had a hell of a time getting you to release them, so we figured you’d want to keep them.”

“Thank you,” Starlight said, taking the two items and looking down at them, eyes wide. That room, the two men who helped her, and the contract she signed. All of it was real. That meant… magic was real after all.

The nurse sat down on the bed and placed a hand on Starlight’s leg, “Life is a precious gift,” she said, “You shouldn’t throw it away, no matter what. Promise me you’ll cherish this gift you’ve been given.”

Starlight looked at the nurse, and nodded. She then hugged the nurse tightly, “Thank you! Thank you for saving me!”

The nurse laughed lightly, “I think you saved yourself, honey,” she said returning the hug, “With how tightly you held onto those items, it tells me you were planning on living from the start. I’ll come back to check on you in a bit, okay?”

Starlight released the nurse and nodded, her expression lightening. As the nurse left, Starlight looked up at the blue sky out her window. She placed the ring on her finger, and held the key close to her heart, silently thanking the two angels who came to her rescue. She didn’t know when she’d ever see them again, but until then, she’d live her new life to the fullest.

Watch me, Mother! I’ll become a witch, but I won’t use my magic for selfish reasons!

I’ll only use my magic to help people!

I’ll shine brightly Mother, so please… don’t give up on me!

9/25

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It was a sight unlike any other… so much that the witch couldn’t contain herself. While the magician was unbelievably sexy, her true beauty shined in the dreamscape. The blazer she wore showed just enough cleavage to be enticing and still leave onlookers begging for more, and thanks to the red leotard she wore underneath, her shapely legs were on full display, made all the nicer in her sheer stockings.

So to see her in such a state: bound, helpless, and struggling to get free, it was damn near too much for the witch to handle.

“Please, don’t do this…!” Trixie begged, pulling at the ropes keeping her wrists bound futilely. The witch had her wrists bound to a pole behind her with a magically generated rope. Another wrapped itself around her waist and arms, ensuring that all movement was limited, but still allowed her to writhe helplessly.

“I don’t think you’re in much of a position to negotiate,” the witch said, lovingly caressing Trixie’s cheek. The pleading expression on her face, the way her full, luscious lips pouted, and how her eyes watered, she was driving the witch crazy. She had to taste those sweet lips. The witch slowly closed the gap between them, kissing Trixie deeply and hungrily. They were so soft. Just as she anticipated they’d be.

The kiss lasted for a few more seconds to a minute before the witch slowly broke the kiss, again caressing her cheek.

“Why are you doing this…?” Trixie asked.

“You have no idea how much you drive me insane,” the witch said, her voice soft yet oozing with lust, “Always flaunting your curves, just out of reach for me to touch you. It became too much, so I decided to just take what I want.”

The witch’s hand slowly moved down Trixie’s waist, stopping on her hip and rubbing it. Again, Trixie pulled at her bindings, but it was no use. The witch was the only one who could remove these bindings.

“Stop this… please…!” Trixie begged once more. She yelped at the witch slowly began unbuttoning her blazer.

“You keep begging me to stop, but your blush betrays your words,” the witch said, unbuttoning right to where the rope was. The way Trixie’s breasts bounced once they were free of the blazer aroused the witch so much. She needed to touch them herself.

As her hand slowly reached for the mound before her, Trixie began pulling at her bindings more frantically.

“No…! No! Please, don’t do this to me…! STARLIGHT, NO!!!”

end song

September 25th, 2019
Tuesday
Sunny

Starlight shot up in her bed. Eyes wide, heart racing, she took a deep breath to try and calm herself. What. Was. That?! Oh shoot, was it another Dungeon?! Was Trixie trapped agai-”

“Mmm…” Trixie moaned in her sleep, catching Starlight’s attention. She was about to try and wake her, or just feel if her body was cold or not, “Rainbow Dash… don’t put the broccoli on the roof… Starlight will get mad…”

Starlight sighed in relief. It sounded like Trixie was just having a normal(?) dream. She relaxed and laughed softly to herself. That was silly, thinking that Trixie was in danger again. She had a Persona now, so she was protected in her sleep. She couldn’t get another Dungeon again. Besides, neither of them were wearing their Channeling Rings, and Starlight needed that to enter Dungeons anyway.

But then, did that mean that Starlight dreamed that herself?

Once more, her heart began beating faster. That was the first time Starlight had ever dreamed anything like that. And why Trixie? Was she really going to molest Trixie in her dream? Did she want to do that? Starlight again turned to Trixie as she continued to sleep peacefully.

Trixie’s lips really were luscious and soft. Unlike in the dream, they weren’t red with lipstick, but that didn’t matter to Starlight. They still looked so enticing and kissable. Looking at Trixie right now, it was becoming harder to focus. She felt a warmness slowly consume her body, and she found herself slowly leaning closer and closer…

Until she damn near fell out of her bed onto the floor.

Catching herself, Starlight shook her head and tried to come back to reality. This was getting ridiculous! She needed to get a hold of herself. Realizing she had woken up earlier than usual, she decided to take the golden opportunity to take a shower and get dressed before Trixie woke up.

A nice, cold shower.

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Trixie was in the shower by the time Starlight was finished, apparently choosing to use the shower on the third floor. When Starlight walked into the dining room, she saw Rainbow Dash, Pinkie Pie, and Celestia all waiting for her.

“Good morning, Starlight,” Celestia said with a smile, “Did you sleep well?”

Starlight nodded quickly, hoping no one noticed how red her face must have been. She quickly got together a plate of food and sat at her usual seat, where she quickly began eating in an attempt to distract herself from her thoughts.

“You okay?” Rainbow Dash asked slowly.

“Fine! I’m fine!” Starlight cried.

“Would you like something to drink, honey?” Celestia asked, visibly concerned.

“Please. Thank you,” Starlight said. Celestia rose from her chair and poured Starlight a glass of orange juice, which she quickly drank in almost one gulp.

“I see someone was thirsty,” Celestia said with a slight giggle.

“Are you sure you’re okay, Starlight?” Pinkie Pie asked, “You look even more nervous than me right now.”

“I’m fine, I promise,” Starlight said. She needed to change the subject, fast. Um, uh, got it! “You guys are up early.”

“I set my alarm to wake myself and Pinkie Pie a bit early,” Rainbow Dash said before leaning in close to Starlight, “Wanted to test to see if it would wake Pinkie Pie too.”

Starlight nodded subtly. That was good thinking, and apparently it worked. They’d have to use that tactic.

“I’m happy Dashie set her alarm like that,” Pinkie Pie said softly, “I slept really hard, and was afraid I’d make everyone late.”

“Since a majority of you have my homeroom, it wouldn’t bother me too much,” Celestia said rubbing Pinkie Pie’s back, “Now Dash on the other hand might have been in trouble.”

Rainbow Dash laughed awkwardly, “Well, everything worked out, didn’t it? Seriously, can I please transfer into your homeroom, Ms. Tia? Harshwhinny is like a drill instructor!”

“Sorry Dash, but my power is limited in that field,” Celestia said with a slight laugh, “Besides, I think a bit more discipline would be good for you.”

“Hey, at least always have her at the dorm,” Starlight said, finally able to smile. Thankfully all of the heat was off her now.

Nailed it.

“Yeah, you’re right. That’s way better than having her for homeroom,” Rainbow Dash said as the door opened again behind them.

“Morning, everyone,” Trixie said with a yawn. The sound of her voice made Starlight’s heart shoot out of her chest.

“Good morning, Trixie,” Celestia said sitting back at her usual seat, “Were you able to sleep well?”

“Surprisingly, yes,” Trixie said fixing her plate, “I’m not even upset about Blueblood anymore. Well, at least not as upset.”

“Well, if he gives you any trouble, just kick him in the crotch or something,” Rainbow Dash shrugged.

“Now Dash, what have I said about settling things with violence?” Celestia lightly scolded.

“I’m sorry, but guys like him need a good kick in the crotch every so often,” Rainbow Dash said, “Tell me I’m wrong.”

It looked like Celestia wanted to, but couldn’t find the words. In the end, she just relented with a sigh.

“Hopefully it won’t come to that,” Trixie said, sitting down at her usual spot right next to Starlight, “Besides, if he does try anything, I have Starlight with me for most of my classes. Right Starlight?”

“Huh?” Starlight snapped out of her daze and quickly nodded in agreement.

“You okay, Starlight?” Trixie said placing a hand on her back, “You look flustered.”

“Oh she’s fine, right Starlight?” Rainbow Dash asked knowingly, wagging her eyebrows up and down. Even Pinkie Pie managed to giggle despite herself. Starlight turned to Trixie to tell her that she was fine, but her words got lost in her throat upon laying eyes on her beautiful face.

She’s wearing the lipstick! Oh fuck me, she’s wearing the lipstick!

Starlight quickly nodded as a reply and went back to eating. Trixie shrugged and focused on her breakfast. Things devolved to their typical morning small talk and lighthearted teasing, but all the while Starlight could feel Celestia’s knowing gaze on her.

What a way to start the morning…

Daytime

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The four of them coordinated their schedules and worked out a system to ensure Pinkie Pie was always with at least one of them throughout the day. Thankfully she did have at least one class with all of them, so that wasn’t difficult. Once they knew her schedule, whoever shared her next class would meet up with her and escort her personally to her next class.

Currently it was Starlight’s turn to escort Pinkie Pie to Science with Cheerilee.

“Thank you for doing this,” Pinkie Pie said, “I can tell everyone’s still talking about the pictures.”

“It’s not a problem at all,” Starlight said, “Part of me wonders if Silver Spoon was the one who started this mess.”

“I doubt it,” Pinkie Pie said, “Silver Spoon’s kind of a bitch, but she’s not the type to pull a stunt like that,” she placed a hand on her chest and turned her nose to the air, “Such things are beneath me.” she jokingly said in a shockingly good impersonation of Silver Spoon.

“She would say something like that,” Starlight said shaking her head. She still had no idea how she was going to work on that social link.

“Hey, could we head to my locker first? I need to change books,” Pinkie Pie requested. Starlight nodded, now escorting Pinkie Pie to her locker on the first floor. Maybe this was a good time to get some information.

“So, if you don’t mind me asking, how did you end up at that photo shoot?” Starlight asked, “No way you wanted to do that.”

“Well, not really, but…”

“Wait, did you want to do that photo shoot?” Starlight asked turning to Pinkie Pie. She sighed and waited a few seconds before replying.

“Remember when I said that I did want to take on more adult roles? Part of that does mean posing for magazines that are a bit racier, I guess,” Pinkie Pie explained, “I didn’t think Fleur would sign me up for something like that, but she said that it would help my career.”

“Does she make all of the decisions for you when it comes to your career?” Starlight asked, “Do you have any autonomy at all?”

“I do… I mean, granted she does handle a lot of the decision making, but if there’s something I really want to do, she usually does find a way to make it happen,” Pinkie Pie said.

“Pinkie Pie, can I be honest with you?” Starlight asked, only continuing when Pinkie Pie nodded, “This doesn’t sound right to me, for a number of reasons. For starters, isn’t your contract under renegotiation?”

“It is.”

“So should Fleur really be able to make decisions like that for you? I don’t think that’s how it works.”

“I… I suppose, maybe not normally, but she’s not just my agent Starlight. She’s my Godmother, and… she knows more about show business than I do.”

Starlight found that hard to believe. She remembered Silver Spoon saying that Fleur was only big for a short time before getting the boot, but it sounded like Pinkie Pie had been a celebrity for a couple of years at least.

“I know you’re worried about me, Starlight,” Pinkie Pie said closing her locker, “And I love you for that, but Fleur is just trying to look out for me.”

“You say that, but if she were looking out for you,” Starlight pulled out her phone and pulled up one of the racier pictures, “would she have let something like this happen?”

When Pinkie Pie saw the picture, she averted her eyes with an unsure expression. Starlight hated doing this, but if they were going to start making any progress toward helping Pinkie Pie, her perception of the situation needed to shift, even if only a little bit.

“Starlight, I-” the bell rang, “We should head to class. Cheerilee is nice, but she’s not Ms. Tia.”

Starlight sighed, but relented. Hopefully this got Pinkie Pie thinking at least. That alone would help alter her cognition.

Lunchtime

Starlight closed her locker and turned to head to the courtyard, only to bump into the last person she wanted to see.

“Oh hi Starlight~” Silver Spoon said, phony perkiness oozing through her tone.

“What do you want, Silver Spoon?” Starlight asked with a slight groan.

“Just thought you should know that you’ll have an audience at Pep Squad practice today. Me~” she clasped her hands together and smiled, “Isn’t that lovely?”

“Why are you coming?” Starlight asked.

“Diamond Tiara was bragging about how great you are, and I just had to see this for myself,” Silver Spoon narrowed her eyes, “For your sake, she better be right.”

“So, you don’t want me to fall flat on my face?” Starlight asked. This girl was so confusing.

“Considering if you did, it would make Diamond look bad, uh, no!” she leaned in close and smirked, “But if you do suck, I won’t have any problem running your reputation into the ground, so put on a good show for me Goth.”

With that, Silver Spoon walked off, probably to her locker to get yet another perfectly crafted lunch. Starlight knew exactly what she was doing. She wanted to use her presence to make Starlight uncomfortable so she’d mess up. Well, that just meant she’d have to put on her A game today.

She was definitely going to Pep Squad practice today.

After School

play song

Trixie asked if Starlight wanted her to sit in on practice, and normally she’d have been okay with that. However, she still felt really nervous whenever she was around and so said she’d be alright. She really hoped she’d get past this soon, because she did not want to make things awkward between herself and Trixie, especially with Blueblood causing her grief.

If necessary, she’d just have to deal.

Pep Squad wasn’t too stressful, even with Silver Spoon watching her every move. In fact, her presence just made Starlight want to do even better. Again, the football team came by to watch them, and she could tell that a lot of the boys were looking at her. By the end of practice, she felt a good deal more graceful, and she felt her popularity skyrocket. She was getting noticed now.

One brief look at Silver Spoon revealed the rich girl was scowling at her. Clearly she hated all the attention Starlight was receiving.

Starlight loved every second of her frustration.

After practice, Starlight went over to her water bottle, which she left right next to the rack of footballs. As she drank her water, she listened to the boys talking nearby.

“Dude, did you see that goth chick?”

“I didn’t know a goth could be that hot! She was on fire!”

“Dumbass, she’s right over there!”

All of them turned to Starlight with huge grins and waved, clearly trying to play it off. Starlight just smiled and waved to them, watching them walk off. She was definitely loving the attention she was getting. Right when she was about to catch up with Diamond Tiara, she felt someone shove her hard in the back.

“AHH!” she cried, falling right into the football rack. The dramatic gasp afterward told her exactly what happened.

play song

“Oh my goodness! You need to be more careful Starlight!” Silver Spoon cried. Starlight sat up and shot her a glare as the rest of Pep Squad ran over to her.

“Oh my God, I like, didn’t think you’d be such a klutz, Starlight,” Suri taunted, some of the girls laughing at her. Starlight couldn’t help but growl a bit, still glaring at Silver Spoon, who just folded her arms with a smirk.

“Lay off her. Accidents happen,” Diamond Tiara said running over to Starlight and helping her up, “You okay?”

“Yeah, I’m fine,” Starlight sighed, “Must have just tripped, is all.”

“Yeah, well you’re still the one who made this mess, so you’re the one cleaning it up,” Suri said, “Everyone else, to the showers.”

Suri lead most of the girls away, but Starlight noticed Coco lingered a bit before running after Suri. Starlight looked around at the mess and groaned. She was hoping to get back to the dorm earlier, but looked like fate had other plans.

“Well, sucks to be you, I suppose,” Silver Spoon shrugged, “Come on, Diamond. Let’s leave her to her mess,” Silver Spoon walked off, but stopped when she noticed that Diamond Tiara wasn’t following her, “Diamond, come on.”

“Hey, I’m going to stay and help Starlight with this,” Diamond Tiara said. Starlight was genuinely surprised to hear that, but her heart lifted seeing how loyal Diamond Tiara was. Made all the better when she saw the shocked expression on Silver Spoon’s face.

“What?! But you didn’t make this mess! This kind of work is beneath us!” Silver Spoon cried watching Diamond Tiara pick up the rack.

“Starlight is my friend, Spoony. Besides, she shouldn’t have to clean this alone,” Diamond Tiara said seriously before rushing off to grab one of the footballs. Starlight picked one up and threw it right to Silver Spoon, raising an eyebrow.

“You don’t expect me to help, do you?” Silver Spoon asked incredulous.

“If it’s good enough for Diamond, it’s good enough for you too,” Starlight said narrowing her eyes. Silver Spoon narrowed hers as well, and looked like she was about to say something.

“It would help us get done faster,” Diamond Tiara said walking back, “Please help, Spoony.”

It looked like Silver Spoon was having an internal battle of sorts. After a second, she sighed in defeat, “Fine, since you asked, I’ll help.”

With the three of them working together, the job went by a lot quicker. Also, seeing Silver Spoon have to pick up balls too made Starlight feel vindicated. Somehow, she felt like her relationship with Silver Spoon got significantly stronger.

Late Night

The Phase

play song

Starlight chose to lead her team deeper into Pinkie Pie’s Dungeon tonight, if for no other reason than to get closer to the village. According to Rainbow Dash, she actually spent most of the time at the castle, which was where Starlight was hoping to find Pinkie Pie. Hopefully they could find something there that could help them get past Shadow Fleur’s defense.

They ran into a few Shadows on the way, but nothing too serious. Starlight did manage to FINALLY get that snowman looking one named Jack Frost, which was of the Magician Arcana. She was happy to see that it had a variant of Bufu that hit multiple targets, apparently called Mabufu. No wonder she wanted it so badly.

Definitely giving that to Morgana at some point.

“Ugh, are we there yet?” Trixie groaned.

“I think we’re about halfway there,” Rainbow Dash said pushing a branch out of her way, “If I’m right, there should be a small cabin up ahead.”

Trixie almost tripped on a root, but caught herself on a nearby tree, “I’m sick of this forest!”

“I’m sick of your whining,” Twilight said floating past Trixie.

“You try walking through a goddamn forest in high heels!” Trixie fussed.

“Your Leader doesn’t seem to have much of an issue with that,” Twilight said.

“You realize she’s yours too, right?” Rainbow Dash asked Twilight.

“My Leader is the head of the Kirijo Corporation, Mitsuru. Which by the way, she doesn’t have any trouble with heels either.”

Starlight shook her head chuckling to herself. Seemed Twilight was intent on still being difficult. This Mitsuru person must have been really impressive.

“That aside though, how are you so okay walking through here, Starlight?” Rainbow Dash asked, “My shoes are flats, but your heels are just as high as Trixie’s, yet you do more jumping around here than any of us.”

“I just know that I can, so I can,” Starlight said, “Even if this place is real, it’s still a dream, so dream logic still applies. If you think it, you can do it.”

“In other words, stop complaining about how you can’t walk through the forest in heels and just walk through the forest in heels,” Twilight concluded.

Trixie rolled her eyes at that, but then looked down at her shoes. She frowned a bit, tilting her head, and then proceeded to walk on ahead perfectly, “Hey! That worked!” she ran over to Starlight and hugged her arm, “Thank you, Starlight!”

“N-no problem,” Starlight said, trying to hide how red her face must have been, which felt pretty damn hot with Trixie’s breasts pressed against her arm.

Focus Starlight! Focus!

Fuck these stupid teenage hormones!

“So it’s similar to how I move around so fast here,” Rainbow Dash said pulling out her sword and examining it, “I’m starting to like it here, you know, besides the whole Pinkie Pie’s in danger bit.”

“Hey, I’m seeing that cabin up ahead.” Twilight said suddenly, “It’s the center most point of the Dungeon, so if you rest there I should be able to scan the entire layout of the Dungeon.”

Starlight looked ahead and saw the cabin in the distance. It looked small and dilapidated, almost like the one the seven dwarves had in Snow White. The four of them approached the cabin, pulling out their weapons just in case.

Starlight put her hand on the door and silently counted to three before pushing the door open. Thankfully the cabin was empty.

“The coast is clear,” Starlight said putting up her scythe, “No sign of any enemies.”

play song

As the rest of her team walked/floated inside, Starlight felt the energy of the cabin. Despite it being abandoned, there was a sense of safety and security here. She wondered what this place represented in Pinkie Pie’s head.

“It’s going to take me a bit for me to analyze this area,” Twilight said floating into the center of the cabin, “I’ll let you guys know when I’m done. Till then, stay in the area.”

“Just in case, someone needs to stand watch of Twilight,” Starlight said, “I don’t think her wisp can be attacked-”

“It can’t, by the way.”

“-but I don’t want her to get distracted, and too much commotion could cause an issue.”

“I’ll keep watch,” Rainbow Dash volunteered, “My attacks are the fastest, so if anything DOES try to attack, I can hopefully take it out quickly.”

“Perfect,” Starlight turned to Trixie, “The two of us are going to explore this place. I get the feeling it’s important to Pinkie Pie, so we might learn something about her circumstances.”

“Makes sense,” Trixie said.

She and Starlight walked deeper into the cabin and looked around. All the while, Starlight kept stealing glances at Trixie, feeling a good deal embarrassed as her eyes kept falling to her chest. Did her breasts always bounce so much when she walked? Ack! Stay focused! Now was not the time to be ogling her incredibly sexy roommate.

They walked into what appeared to be a bedroom, which was oddly one of the nicer rooms. It almost looked like it was used recently.

“That’s funny,” Trixie walked over to the bed and knelt down in front of it, “This looks like someone slept in it recently.”

“Think it was Pinkie Pie?” Starlight asked looking around at the room, which did put her in the mind of someplace a Princess would rest in.

“That makes the most sense, honestly,” Trixie said standing up and folding her arms under her bosom, “She seems be able to move around a bit in her Dungeon, so this is probably a safe haven for her. At least it was, before Fleur convinced her not to run away anymore.”

“R-right,” Starlight turned to look at her roommate, eyes once again falling to her chest. This time however, Trixie turned to Starlight, prompting the teenage witch to quickly turn away. Her giggle destroyed any hope of Trixie not noticing where her eyes were.

“Enjoying the view over there?” Trixie taunted.

“I… I’m sorry,” Starlight said heading toward a bookshelf, “I should be more professional, and respectful, all things considered.”

“No, no, it’s fine. Really,” Trixie looked to the side slightly, “It, actually helps in an odd way,” she then chuckled, “I guess since my waking attire isn’t as revealing, it’s easier to notice here in the Phase.”

“Y-yeah, that,” Starlight said looking through the books, trying to keep herself distracted as to not sexually objectify her roommate.

“Don’t worry, I’m not mad,” Trixie said walking over to another shelf, this one full of children’s books, “It’s weird, but with everything that’s going on, having someone think I’m hot actually helps my self-esteem a bit.”

“I would think having someone ogle you sexually would upset you,” Starlight said briefly turning to Trixie.

“Maybe in the mind of an SJW,” Trixie said laughing, “But it doesn’t work like that in real life. It’s weird but, I find myself actually wanting people to think I’m hot. Sort of a way of fighting back, I suppose.”

“Can I ask you something personal?” Starlight asked. Trixie nodded for her to continue, “Didn’t Blueblood think you were hot?”

“He did, but… it was different with him I guess,” Trixie stood up and looked at the ceiling, “He more so was pushing me to just dress more provocatively,” she leaned against the bookshelf and folded her arms, “I remember what he told me when he saw my new outfit. “That’s a much better look for someone like you.” These days I wonder what he meant by "someone like me".”

“He was just being a lecher,” Starlight said, “Personally, I think you look great no matter what you wear.”

“Even how I dress back in the real world?” Trixie asked hopefully.

“It looks more, you,” Starlight explained, “That and you seem happier, so that helps.”

Trixie smiled appreciatively, which prompted Starlight to get back to work searching the shelf, feeling like she accomplished her mission. Trixie was smiling again, and that was all that-

Trixie’s arms suddenly wrapped around Starlight in a loving embrace, one that pushed her chest right onto Starlight’s back.

“Thank you, Starlight,” Trixie said lovingly, “You have no idea how much your words mean to me.”

“No problem,” Starlight said, her heart beating out of her chest. She needed to think of something fast or she WOULD push her onto the bed and start kissing her. Then again, would that be such a bad thing? What if Trixie actually was attracted to Starlight? But, what if she was just being affectionate and appreciative. Should she try to press her luck? If she was wrong, then she’d make things so awkward between them.

But… if she was right, then…

“Hey, what’s that book?”

play song

“Huh?!” Starlight cried in shock, just as her hand was beginning to get closer to Trixie’s hand. She felt a twinge of disappointment as Trixie released her and picked up the book.

“The Forgotten Princess? Starlight, this is the book that Pinkie Pie’s movie is based off of,” Trixie said.

“Open it,” Starlight requested, “Since this is a dream, the book might be differen somehow.”

Trixie nodded and opened the book, lightly skimming through the pages, “Hold on. This isn’t how that story goes. Princess Victoria isn’t supposed to be a simple farm girl.”

“Last I checked she was born into royalty,” Starlight said, “Does it show anything else?”

“Looking at the description of some of these characters, this is completely wrong. One of her attendants is described as having straight purple hair and a super stoic expression, the leader of the royal guard has short silver hair and is a raging she demon, and give me a second,” she turned to the next page, “Her handmaid is described as being super shy to the point of being mute.”

“Those are not the characters of that story,” Starlight said, “If I recall, the handmaid was really outgoing and flirtatious.”

“She was my favorite character, so I kept an eye on her,” Trixie said, “Hang on. I need to check something,” she turned the pages quickly searching for something, “Found the part where the knight shows up. Let’s see if I’m right.”

Starlight was confused. She wondered what she was looking at.

“Okay, listen to this. “The noble knight stood proud, with magenta eyes that glowed with a perpetual flame of determination, and hair that was long and vibrant like a rainbow.” Who does that sound like?”

“Rainbow Dash…” Starlight said, “She’s been substituted for the knight.”

Trixie nodded closing the book, “I bet the other characters were her sisters. Remember when she said they would act out the book? What if those were their characters?”

“But the book itself isn’t telling the right story, is it?” Starlight asked.

“No it isn’t,” she turned to the back cover of the book, “This story has the princess starting out living a simple life, but inherits the kingdom early on in the story.”

“I wonder…” Starlight said thoughtfully.

“Hey, I’m finished with my analysis,” Twilight’s voice shot through the cabin, “You two, get back to the living room. A Checkpoint appeared after I finished.”

“On our way,” Starlight said, “Let’s show Twilight and Rainbow Dash the book too.”

Trixie nodded in agreement and followed Trixie back to the living room, where they immediately updated the rest of the team on what they found.

“This is…” Rainbow Dash said looking through the book herself now, “I didn’t know Pinkie Pie thought so highly of me.”

“She must really see you as her guardian if she’s seeing you as the knight in the story.” Twilight said.

Rainbow Dash turned the page again but this time frowned, “Hey, one of the pages is torn out.”

“Wait, seriously?” Trixie asked, all of them gathering around Rainbow Dash and looking at the book, “Hey, you’re right. Close to the end of the book the page is ripped out.”

“That’s probably significant,” Twilight said, “Remember the posters of Trixie’s dad in her Dungeon? This might be a similar case.”

“Twilight, if we give this to you using the mail box outside, can you analyze the contents of this book?” Starlight asked.

“Yes. I was going to suggest that myself,” Twilight said, “It might take a couple of days to look over the data, so try to keep Pinkie Pie in a good mood as much as possible.”

“Hey, don’t we have this Thursday off?” Trixie asked.

“I think so,” Rainbow Dash said, “Something about a Professional Development day for the staff or something. Why?”

“What if someone goes back to watch the movie again?” Trixie asked, “Maybe we can get a clue as to why the page was ripped out if we see what happens in the actual movie.”

“What’s this book called? The Forgotten Princess?” Twilight asked, Starlight nodded, “I think I have that book in my library.”

“Think I could borrow it?” Starlight asked.

“Eh, sure. I’m not reading it right now. I’ll probably be up for a bit analyzing this, so I’ll give it to you before I go to bed.”

“Thanks Twilight,” Starlight said genuinely. As usual, Twilight was silent for a bit before answering.

“Yeah. You’re welcome,” she said softly. Sometimes Starlight wished she could see Twilight’s face, so she could get an idea of what went on in her head sometimes. She was really difficult to read.

“Let’s wake up for now and get some sleep,” Starlight suggested, “Twilight, good luck, and thanks again for everything.”

“I’m just doing my job,” Twilight said, “I’ll see you before I head off to bed.”

“Good night, Twi-Twi~” Trixie sang as they walked through the checkpoint.

“How many times do I have to tell you MY NAME IS TWILIGHT!” Twilight fussed. While Starlight felt bad for laughing at her expense, it was something everyone desperately needed.

Author's Note

Gonna start leaving the names of who's what Arcana, because that's how I have it written on my document, and I need to just be able to copy and paste this part on here.

Fool – Seekers of Light: 3/10
Magician – Trixie Lulamoon: 4/10
Priestess – Diamond Tiara: 4/10
The Empress – Ms. Tia: 3/10
Chariot – Rainbow Dash: 1/10
The Devil – Silver Spoon: 2/10 Level Up!

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10/20, 10/21, 10/22

Author's Note

Content Warning: This chapter contains elements of bestiality that may turn off some readers. Reader's discretion is advised.

10/20, 10/21, 10/22

October 20th, 2019
Saturday
Raining

Daytime

I (sun) - Blue Reflection

Starlight was happy when she saw it would rain all day. She needed today to just, chill and shut down. A day to just, not be the Trickster, but to just be herself. Fall Break was coming in a few days, so they’d get back to exploring Elysium then.

Sadly Twilight had hit a dead end again in her search for Rarity’s Dungeon. She was able to at least pinpoint what side of the Library it was in, and had a general idea of where it was, but she hadn’t been able to narrow it down any more with the information they had gained. They needed some new info soon.

Well, for now Miss Tia insisted on everyone taking a break today. Pinkie Pie went food shopping with her, while Rainbow Dash, Trixie, and Starlight hung out at the dorm. Trixie chose to wear the collar today, and as such stayed by Starlight’s side. They played Tales of Symphonia together, studied for midterms, and even did a session of light bondage. It wasn’t much, just letting Trixie struggle tied to the bed while Starlight studied, occasionally touching her.

It was kind of amazing how well she was able to relax like this. She really had a natural knack for domination it seemed. That or Jack Frost was having fun playing with a fellow Magician. One of the two.

Evening

Toward the end of the day after untying Trixie, Starlight sat down at the couch in the living room and read her new book. Just as she thought, the book emphasized the importance of caring for one’s sub. The first chapter was on something called After Care, which ultimately just amounted to cuddle time after a scene to help both dom and sub relax and return back to their natural roles. Starlight did that anyway, but she had no idea that it was a major thing in BDSM.

Again, the entire first chapter emphasized the importance of it, and other chapters kept harping on it too. The author of this book, someone named Azure Sandora, seemed to really take this seriously. Starlight could feel just how important the dom was to the sub, both for protection and comfort. She felt significantly more sensitive after reading.

She read through half the book before joining everyone for dinner and getting ready for bed.

end song

October 21st, 2019
Sunday
Cloudy

Morning

Normally Starlight would have run into Twilight at this point, either on her way to her room to get ready for bed, or Starlight would bump into her while she was stepping out of the shower (one of these days she’d remember to by a bathrobe). Today, none of that was the case. After getting dressed, Starlight went to Twilight’s room and poked her head inside just to see if she was sleeping.

She wasn’t even in her room.

Xion Theme - Kingdom Hearts 358/2 Days

“Is something wrong?” Ms. Tia asked walking up to Starlight as she closed the door to Twilight’s room. Starlight explained the situation to Ms. Tia, who frowned, “It’s almost ten. Twilight should be asleep by now.”

“Think she’s still in the computer room?” Starlight asked Celestia.

“Mm, probably,” Celestia sighed folding her arms, “Let’s go see.”

Starlight nodded and followed Ms. Tia upstairs to her room. As they walked, Starlight’s eyes tended to wander to her homeroom teacher every so often. She was so beautiful and graceful, and the way she wore her kimono was so lovely. Even though having it hang over her shoulders was a surprising sexy look, she came off as nothing but elegant. It was amazing her breasts never once spilled out of the top.

....... Was she even wearing a bra underneath that? Was she wearing, anything underneath it?

Celestia turned to Starlight as they reached the top floor, and Starlight looked away blushing. The way Celestia chuckled made Starlight feel so embarrassed.

“I’m not mad,” she assured, “I’m well aware that my children find me attractive.”

“Well, yeah,” Starlight murmured softly, “Honestly, you’re easily one of the most beautiful women I’ve ever met. I do wonder though, why do you wear such a sexy kimono all the time?”

“Hm,” Celestia placed a hand to her cheek, “I guess it’s because, it reminds me of simpler times from back home.”

“Right, you and Twilight are Japanese,” Starlight remembered. Really, it just seemed like Celestia was, Celestia to Starlight.

“Cinch doesn’t care for it, and has mentioned she wants me to wear something more traditionally American,” Celestia closed her eyes in exasperation, “Honestly, I feel like that woman just hates self expression.”

“While I do agree that Cinch is the worst,” Starlight blushed, “The fact you wear yours so… well…”

“Hm?” Celestia blinked, but then laughed heartily, “Oh! You mean how I wear it off the shoulder?” Starlight nodded, “Yes well, much as I’m sure that’s arousing, I do that for a practical reason,” she demonstrated by stopping to pull it up over her shoulders. Due to how massive her breasts were though, it ended up falling right back into place.

“Ah. It, doesn’t fit otherwise.” Starlight said somewhat dryly. Such a mundane reason.

“I did think about getting it fitted so it wouldn’t,” Celestia admitted, looking thoughtful, “Hm. Maybe I should?”

“No!” Starlight blurted before she could stop herself, surprising Celestia. Shoot! Think fast! Uh! Uh! “I mean, you should just wear what feels right to you! D-don’t let Cinch or anyone make you think, you should, um, change yourself! Yeah!”

Nailed it.

Celestia laughed lightly, and kissed Starlight on the forehead, “Well, if you feel that strongly about it, I’ll just have to keep this look then.”

Much to Starlight’s embarrassment, she was relieved to hear that. She’d never tell Celestia this, but she really enjoyed the view.

Once inside Celestia’s room, they weren’t disappointed. Twilight was asleep, head resting on the keyboard of the computer, which was still on and running a scan through the Akashic Records.

Celestia sighed and walked over to place a hand on Twilight’s back, making the young girl jump, “Gah! I’m up! I’m up!”

“Yes, though you really shouldn’t be,” Celestia lightly chided, “Have you been here all night?”

“Just, trying to get a lock on Rarity’s Dungeon,” Twilight said, sounding incredibly tired, “I’m,” she yawned, “I’m sure I’m getting closer…”

Starlight looked at the computer to try and make sense of it. Though she wasn’t intelligent enough to understand it exactly, she understood enough of what she was seeing to tell that sadly, the system wasn’t narrowing it down at all. It only knew what section of the library it was in. Not the floor, or the isle. If they looked for it with this, they’d be lucky to stumble upon it.

Starlight shook her head and walked over to Twilight, “You should get some rest, Twilight. It’s not healthy to be up for so lo-”

“I don’t need you telling me what to do!” Twilight snapped, making Starlight jump back surprised. Twilight sighed and rubbed her eyes, “Sorry… just a bit cranky I guess…”

“All the more reason for you to get some sleep,” Celestia said, “I’ll keep the terminal on and monitor it, alright?”

“Thanks Ms. Tia,” Twilight said with another yawn. She got up from the chair and trudged out of the room, lightly brushing Starlight.

Alert! Unit’s efficiency is dropping to dangerously low ratings! Unit must increase efficiency by approximately 58% or will be deemed obsolete and be slated for termination!

Starlight frowned watching Twilight leave. Her emotions felt so strange, and yet they were urgent. What did she mean by being deemed “obsolete”?

“Ms. Tia, Twilight is human, isn’t she?” Starlight asked Celestia.

“She is, yes,” Celestia nodded, “Why do you ask?”

“She just at times, feels like a machine, I suppose,” Starlight settled on, choosing not to worry Ms. Tia with another possible Dungeon before they found Rarity’s, let alone Twilight's. She could tell they were extremely close.

“This doesn’t surprise me in the slightest,” Celestia sighed, “Twilight certainly has the work ethic of one. Mind you, we do have robots working in the Kirijo Group. They’re called Anti-Shadow Weapons, and are robots capable of summoning Personas.”

It took a second for Starlight to realize why that was a huge deal, her eyes going wide when she thought of the implications of that, “Wait a second! So artificial intelligence with an actual soul exists!”

Celestia nodded, “Indeed it does. Currently there are only two active, but despite being machines, they’re very sweet girls.”

Starlight was curious about meeting them one day, but at the same time was a bit afraid to. She had always imagined what a robot was like, and admittedly was a bit excited at the prospect of Twilight being one, but the idea still scared her. Especially knowing that now they even had souls and could summon Personas.

“Still, you do raise a valid issue,” Celestia looked down and sighed, “Twilight is overworking herself. If necessary, I may need to ask Mitsuru to send aid for Twilight. That, or even take over myself for a bit.”

“Twilight, won’t like that,” Starlight said with a wince.

“No, she won’t,” Celestia muttered, “But her safety comes first to me. Starlight, keep an eye on her much as you can during this next Dungeon please,” Celestia requested, Starlight nodded to her, “Thank you. I pray she doesn’t get it too…”

Meaning Celestia had the same worries as Starlight. Hopefully she was just stressed out. Still, hearing her refer to herself as “obsolete” and worrying about “being terminated” didn’t put Starlight at ease at all.

Evening

I (sun) - Blue Reflection

Still wearing the collar, Trixie laid her head on Starlight’s lap while she sat on the couch reading her book. The chapters she was going over now spoke about safety, knowing your subs cues, and most of all, the safe word and signal. All of these were meant to ensure that the sub knew they were safe, even if the scene got a bit extreme.

Trust was a large part of what made this BDSM actually work.

Starlight briefly looked down at the beautiful young girl laying on her lap. Like this, she looked so peaceful. Really, even more than seeing her tied up and struggling, Starlight just enjoyed seeing her, happy. Knowing that she trusted her on such a level that she’d submit herself to her like this. That she’d surrender her control to Starlight. She’d do everything to protect her, and deserve that trust.

Starlight smiled and returned to her book. She felt significantly more sensitive after reading.

By the time she finished the whole book, she could tell she was a lot more understanding.

October 22nd, 2019
Monday
Cloudy

Daytime

Like a Dream Come True - Persona 4

Today was the first day of Fall Break, so all of the students had today and tomorrow off. Starlight figured now would be a good time to get back to climbing Elysium, at least to get to the end of Hod. That said, Starlight felt that today would also be a good day to try and figure out who their father deity would be. They all agreed that Eos was a perfect choice for a mother, but they wanted to make sure that the father could play nice with her.

With Ms. Tia’s help, they found a number of books on Greek figures, and all gathered in the living room to discuss this.

“This is hard,” Pinkie Pie sighed, sitting back in the couch.

“Tell me about it,” Trixie muttered, rubbing her eyes, “Does it really matter that the Gods actually like each other?”

“Absolutely,” Starlight nodded.

“To be on the safe side, I have to agree with Starlight,” Celestia said, bringing in sandwiches for the girls, “For all you know, the Gods could exist. You probably don’t want to risk angering them.”

“Especially the Greek ones,” Rainbow Dash added, taking a sandwich, “Some of ‘em are fine I imagine, but a lot of them are super petty,” she looked up to the ceiling, “Um, no offense Eos. I imagine you’re a lovely lady,” this got a laugh from everyone present.

“Hey, I know this is an obvious choice, but what about Zeus?” Trixie asked “I mean, I can’t see anything here that says he and Eos ever-” she was cut off by Celestia coughing so hard that she doubled over.

“Miss Tia! Are you okay?!” Pinkie Pie cried, everyone turning to her.

“Yes! Fine, fine, just getting over a cold,” she assured, “But, um, considering Zeus’ history with women…”

"Oooooh..." Rainbow Dash winced, "The guy has slept around. Pretty sure he's got a whole list of women who are pissed at him for one reason or another."

“You know what? Fair,” Trixie nodded, “And considering how his wife is, the last thing we need is for her to get on our asses.”

“Yeah, and sadly it is low hanging fruit,” Starlight agreed, “Let’s keep searching.”

“May I, make a suggestion actually?” Celestia asked, reaching over the table to take one of the sandwiches.

“Sure,” Dash said, “Not like we’re getting anywhere with this on our own.”

“Why not Aries, the God of War?” Celestia suggested, “You girls are fighting Shadows at night, so his blessing would benefit you. Also, he and Eos do have history together.”

Pinkie Pie read over a section on that quickly, “Yep. Says here that she and Aries slept together. But um, are we sure that’s okay?” she looked up at Celestia, “Apparently Aphrodite got super pissed at Eos for that. She cursed her and everything.”

“Wait, seriously?” Trixie asked Pinkie Pie, who nodded.

“She placed a curse on Eos, making her a nymphomaniac who lusted for mortal men,” Pinkie Pie explained.

“Well… though true,” Starlight added, “Aphrodite can’t say much in her defense.”

“Why not?” Trixie asked.

“Hang on, I think I know that story,” Rainbow Dash said, “At least part of it. Isn’t Aphrodite cheating on her husband or something?”

“She is,” Celestia nodded, biting into her sandwich, “Her actual husband is the God of the Forge, Hephaestus, but she sleeps with Aries because she thinks her husband’s boring and unattractive. Eos was a known consort of Ares at the time.”

“So what? Aphrodite was just being a petty bitch trying to say “he’s my man, and no one can have him”?” Trixie asked.

Celestia nodded, “That’s all it was.”

“Well fuck that then,” Rainbow Dash decided, “I say we choose Aries then. Aphrodite can get pissy about it if she wants.”

“Not sure its wise to antagonize the Gods,” Trixie muttered, “But yeah, I like this.”

Pinkie Pie nodded, “Same, on both accounts. Eos as our Divine Mother, and Aries as our Divine Father.”

“Alright, so how do we make this official, Leader?” Rainbow Dash asked, all three of them looking to Starlight. How did she want to do this? She’d never gotten this far in forming a real Witch’s Coven.

Well, her Coven, her rules.

“Well, I don’t feel right going forward with this without Twilight,” Starlight decided, “Regardless of whether or not she has Magic, she’s a part of our Coven, but I say when she’s up, we gather in a circle, and together send a prayer collectively to Eos and Aries, asking them to adopt us as their divine daughters.”

“If its a ritual, then why not have it where we hold the hands we wear our Channeling Rings on in the center,” Trixie suggested, “Sort of a way of binding our magic together.”

“Sounds good, ‘cept for one issue,” Rainbow Dash said, “Twilight and Ms. Tia. They’re in this too, and they don’t have Channeling Rings.”

“Oooh! Oooh! I got it!” Pinkie Pie called out, “How about we sandwich their hands in between ours? Like, on the bottom are me and Dashie’s hands, Ms. Tia and Twilight in the middle, and Trixie and Starlight at the top?”

“That’s, actually a good idea,” Starlight nodded, “I’ll even use my Empathy during the prayer, so I can synchronize everyone’s emotions.”

“Perfect!” Pinkie Pie chirped, “And when we get to add more witches, we can add their magic to the circle, and ask Papa Aries and Mama Eos to adopt them too! This is so exciting!”

“Now all we need is a name,” Rainbow Dash said, before groaning, “Fuck, I suck at names…”

“Join the club,” Trixie sighed, “I’ve been trying to figure out a name for our Coven for a while, but I can’t think of anything.”

“Neither can I,” Pinkie Pie said, “Starlight, did you come up with anything?”

Starlight shook her head. Most of what she came up with was a bit too edgy sounding for what they were doing. They weren’t just Witches with no purpose. They were a Coven dedicated to protection and hope.

“The name will come to you,” Celestia said, “You’ve all taken a major step toward forming your new Coven though. You should be proud of yourselves.”

“Ms. Tia’s right,” Trixie said, “And once we get the name, we’re set. So let’s just relax and celebrate this major step.”

“Still, I gotta wonder,” Pinkie Pie looked up quizzically, “What are we going to do if Aphrodite puts a curse on us?”

Trixie thought about that, and then shrugged, “Have an orgy?”

Starlight sighed rubbing her eyes, “Do I need to administer another spanking?”

“Maybe~” Trixie grinned.

Once again, everyone had a good laugh from that. If this was what she could expect from this new Coven, she was pleased. She liked having so many new friends, a lot.

Hopefully Rarity would be joining them soon.

Evening

Maya's Theme - Persona 3

Well, here she was. It took a while to get out of the house, mostly because Granny Smith needed help, and then she needed an excuse to go into town. She hated lying to her, but she couldn’t get them involved in this. Especially not after she and her family did so much to help her.

And now, here she was, back in this alley, preparing to meet up with her old “pack” again. She felt like she was spitting in the face of the elderly woman who gave her a second chance. In many regards, she was. She made a promise, and in many regards, she was turning her back on said promise.

But right now, Rover was the only one who could help her with her, issue.

“Why is it so difficult to control these days…?” Rarity fussed, holding her head as she leaned against the wall, “It didn’t bother me so much before…”

“Maybe it did, and all it took was a taste of your old life to notice,” Rover said, stepping out of his place to greet her. Naturally, his dog Link was right there beside him, “Good to see ya again, Dirty Diamond.”

Rarity folded her arms and turned away, “Getting real sick and tired of that name…” she growled, “Thanks to you, now I got “Little Star” callin’ me that.”

“Really?” Rover blinked, and then nodded looking away, “Not bad. The Goth’s alright after all.”

“Not bad?!” Rarity snapped turning to him completely, “You got any idea how fucked I could be if too many people found out?! Bad enough Cinch has got me on a tight leash, now I got my secretary gettin’ all fresh with me, investigating me for some stupid reason!”

“Oh really? Little Star’s snooping around? Well, if she wants to know the truth about you,” he and his husky walked around Rarity in a circle, like predators eyeing their prey, “She could always, come to the source.”

“Don’t, you dare,” Rarity growled.

“What? Don’t want her knowin’ the truth about you?” he grabbed her waist and began rubbing her side up and down, “Don’t want the image of the prim, proper, clean Student Council President tarnished?”

Rarity trembled from his touch, shutting her eyes.

“Shame, cause I bet it’d be tons of fun,” he began slowly unbuttoning her purple and white blazer, “A whole school of “good boys and girls”, just wait for a bit of a taste of the wild side.”

“That, ain’t my scene anymore. I’m-” she gasped as Rover’s hand lifted her skirt, touching her butt and groping her.

“What? Clean? Bitch, you know damn well you’re anything but,” Rover’s other hand went up to her breast and began groping that, all the while Link circled around her, eyeing her much like a hungry beast, “If you were, you wouldn’t be here, now would you?”

Rarity bit her lip, her fingers twitching a bit.

Rover leaned into her and took a deep breath, “Wear the same perfume and everything. You haven’t changed at all, have you Dirty Diamond?” his groping increased, “You dress all fancy, act all elegant, talk all proper, like some high class prissy noble, but deep down, you’re just the same, filthy, cum addicted slut, the Dogs and I know and love.”

Rarity groaned loudly. Damn it…! She was so hungry…!

“We’re the only ones who’ll give it to you the way you like it,” Rover continued, Rarity now panting like a bitch in heat, “That’s why you always come back. Not because Cinch wants you to get rid of us, but because you know that if you want to be handled as raw as you like,” he lifted her skirt from the front and stuck his fingers into her panties, roughly fingering her, “If I’m wrong, make me stop. If I’m right, unbutton your top. What’s it gonna be, Dirty Diamond?”

Rarity leaned back into him. She was so torn. On the one paw, hand! On the one, hand, she gave this up. She wasn’t “dirty” anymore. She’d cleaned up her act.

But on the other… ooooooh, how she wanted this so badly…! She felt “the hunger” rising last time she spoke to Starlight, and her vibrator just wasn’t doing it for her at the moment. Ever since those dreams started, the cravings returned in full force.

She closed her eyes tightly, tearing up, “Fuck…!” she whimpered, her hands rising up slowly…

And she slowly unbuttoned her blouse…

Rover chuckled, “Look at that, Link,” he said to his husky companion, “Seems Dirty Diamond’s still in there after all.”

Rarity could feel the intense gaze of the husky before her. She knew what she was about to do. She hated herself for it, because she knew what this meant. She knew how Rover would take it. It was so wrong.

But that’s what makes it feel so right~

She opened her top completely, revealing a lacy purple bra that was sheer, showing her nipples behind it perfectly. She then lifted her skirt and looked at Link, slowly smiling as she let her more depraved side take hold.

Link got the message apparently, as he walked over to her just as Rover removed his fingers from inside of Rarity. She let her lacy thong fall to the ground, and Link gave her pussy, a slow, methodical, lick.

Rarity howled from the sensation, and again as Link repeated this action over and over.

“How many do ya want, Dirty Diamond?” Rover asked hotly in Rarity’s ear, “You ask, and I’ll give it to ya, babe.”

“All of them!” Rarity demanded intensely, “Every Dog you can reach! Back to back!”

“You really were hungry, weren’t you?” he kissed her neck a bit before licking her cheek, all the while Link’s tongue brushing against her sensitive lower lips.

“It’s getting worse…!” Rarity moaned, sobbing as Rover continued to grope and kiss her, “I can’t control myself…! Help me…!”

“Is that a request, for your Alpha?” Rover asked, his voice a low growl, “Say it, bitch. I want to hear you say it.”

“Y-y-y-yes!” Rarity decided, surrendering herself to the sensation, “Yes! Please, my Alpha! Please take me! Fuck me raw! Take every hole! I don’t care what you do to me, just please help me!”

Rover motioned for Link to back away, “You’ll get to play with her after I’m done,” he said to the husky. Rover then backed Rarity against the wall, pinning her wrists to it as he claimed her mouth in a hot tongue kiss. One that she gladly accepted and returned.

She lifted her leg to rub his side as Rover unzipped his pants, thrusting his erect cock into her dripping wet cunt. This wasn’t loving. This wasn’t tender. He thrust in and out of her with enough force to rip a lesser bitch apart.

But this was how Dirty Diamond liked it.

As he pounded her pussy, he released her wrists briefly so she could remove her blazer and top. After tossing them aside, she undid her bra and let it fall, and Rover immediately took advantage, grabbing her wrists and holding them above her head with one hand and groping her left breast roughly with the other hand.

Rarity groaned, pushing her breast into his hand more. They kept going like this for what felt like a blissful eternity, but it was probably only a few minutes before she could feel herself reaching the first orgasm of the night.

The two beasts in human form made out the whole time, both of them thrusting into one another with faster and increased speed, until both of them came at the same time, looking into each other’s eyes. She could feel it. Even now, his hold on her was just as strong.

“I knew you were still in there, Dirty Diamond,” he said breathlessly, caressing her cheek, “You know what I really want, don’t you?”

Rarity nodded, nuzzling his hand, “You, made that clear, with your message.”

“This ain’t your world,” Rover said, “You don’t belong with them, you belong with us. With me. If they saw you like this, they’d toss you out on the street in a heartbeat.”

Rarity wanted to refute it, but that’s why she kept up her “mask”. If anyone, even Applejack knew exactly what made Rarity Dirty Diamond, they’d never accept her for who she was. Not unless she could keep her cravings in check. Something she apparently couldn’t do.

Damn it! She’d done such a wonderful job, too…!

“I’m not givin’ up,” he decided, “I know you better than anyone in this world. You will come back to me, Rares,” he kissed her again, “For now though, I’mma give some of the boys a call, see if they’re in the mood for some fun, a’ight?”

“Thank you, my Alpha,” Rarity said, letting out tears of anguish, and relief.

As Rover let her go, she fell to the ground and crawled over to Link, who’s eagerness was quite visible. She nuzzled him, moaning and growling softly, Link’s rumbling still perfectly understandable to her, even now.

“I know, honey,” Rarity said softly, “I know you missed Momma. Momma missed you too,” she pressed her forehead to Links, holding his cheek, “For now, let’s not worry about the past or the future, hm? Let’s just, spend time together like always.”

Link licked her as a response. This lasted for a bit, till Rarity turned around on all fours, presenting herself to the husky. And he mounted her, wasting no time taking his turn with her pussy.

Rover chuckled to himself, “Guess some things never change,” he said wistfully, pulling out his phone, “Yo, get the boys and come to the base. Managed to get an old friend to come out to play for a bit.”

He’d seen enough. He couldn’t believe it! That prissy, stuck up whore, acting all high and mighty with him! Acting like she ran the school! All that time, she was nothing more than another filthy dog from the street! The “Bitch” the Diamond Dogs wanted back, was none other than the Student Council President herself!

And now, he had all the proof he needed to put her in her place.

“She thinks she’s going to take away my scholarship?” Blueblood asked, looking at his phone, and the video he recorded of “Dirty Diamond’s" antics, one that clearly showed the Diamond Dog insignia on the side of her hip, “Well, let’s see how compliant she is after seeing this?”

10/31

October 31st, 2019
Wednesday
Sunny

Morning

As soon as Starlight got up, she tracked down Rainbow Dash to talk to her about what Twilight told her about why Celestia was so adamant about waiting to rescue Pinkie Pie. The two of them spoke downstairs in the living room, as Pinkie Pie and Trixie wanted to surprise them with their costumes.

“So that’s why she wants us to wait till after midterms,” Starlight explained to Dash, currently dressed in a red and black dress that hugged her body and showed off her legs and breasts a bit, along with a witch’s hat and high heels. Again, basic and predictable, but it seemed right to her. No one in school knew she was an actual witch save for a few, so this gave her an excuse to just be her true self.

Rainbow Dash sighed and folded her arms and grumbled a bit. She was wearing what looked like a blue and white Japanese school uniform with pieces of knight’s armor: shoulder pads, leg and arm guards, and a belt with a sword’s sheath at the side. She seemed to be going for more of a standard anime protagonist. Like a school girl mixed with a knight.

“I know this is frustrating,” Starlight continued.

“Yeah it is.”

“But try to see it from Miss Tia’s point of view.”

“Starlight, I sleep next to Pinkie Pie,” Rainbow Dash said, finally looking at her, “She was crying in her sleep, and based on the way she was moaning at times…”

Starlight closed her eyes. She, didn’t want to think about Pinkie Pie suffering through that, but based on what they saw in Rarity’s Dungeon…

“Okay, so then where is she in the Dungeon?” Starlight asked Rainbow Dash, “How deep in that prison is she? Can you safely say that you can get her out of there right away? Without running into any trouble along the way?”

“I… well,” Rainbow averted her eyes.

“Remember, anything that happens in the Dungeon we feel in the Real World,” Starlight cited, “We’re not going to be able to focus much on anything after an intense run inside the Dungeon. We barely managed yesterday. I know I did.”

“What about Pinkie Pie though?” Rainbow Dash argued, “She went through hell last night, and could barely get out of bed afterward. How do you think she’s going to do, dealing with midterms during the day and then getting tortured at night?”

“Honestly, not well,” Starlight sighed, “But that’s all the more reason we have to do well. Worst case scenario, we all do poorly on midterms. Miss Tia gets harassed by the school board, and they investigate her activities. Then they find out about the super computer upstairs, Twilight living here period, and decide that Miss Tia’s not fit to be a dorm mistress. Now we either get a new one that isn’t a member of the Kirijo Group, so now all of our operations have to be done in secret, without mission control or we get put in separate dorms, and can’t coordinate, on top of needing to hide our nightly rituals from whoever our new dorm mates are.”

Rainbow Dash growled in frustration, “Goddamn it…”

“I hate this, okay? The timing of this is terrible, but we have to work with the cards that we’ve been dealt,” Starlight put a hand on Dash’s leg, “We can help Pinkie Pie out here in the real world too, by giving her something to look forward to today.”

“But will that be enough?” Rainbow Dash asked, visibly worried.

“Until this Friday, it’ll have to be. Just, please apologize to Miss Tia when you get the chance, Dashie. She’s on our side, and she has a lot she’s dealing with too.”

Rainbow Dash closed her eyes, “Right. When she comes downstairs I’ll apologize to her for snapping. Thanks, Leader.”

Starlight smiled in return, not having the heart to tell Rainbow how worried she was about her leadership skills. This problem was beginning to feel too big for her.

Let's Girl Talk! - Blue Reflection: Second Light

“Alright, I’m ready~” Trixie called out, coming downstairs. Starlight and Rainbow Dash turned and saw Trixie wearing a black strapless tutu dress that accentuated her breasts enticingly and was super short, showing her legs fully, black high heels, black gloves, and black cat ears and a matching tail. Starlight noticed that she was in fact wearing her collar, too, along with the deep red lipstick Trixie knew drove Starlight insane.

So much for focusing in class today.

“So, how do I look?” Trixie purred, holding her hands up like paws and lifting a leg cutely, “Am I a vision of purrfection~?”

“Okay, first off, you did that too well,” Rainbow Dash said, Starlight nodding vigorously, “Second off, hot damn! I was NOT expecting your costume to be so…”

“Fantastic? Beautiful? Sexy? Awesome?” Trixie asked, going to sit beside Starlight, “Yes, I know. Dunno why, but felt like being a cat today would be appropriate.* So I figured since Mistress is going as a Witch, I’ll be her familiar~” she leaned in and nuzzled Starlight, “Do you like it, Mistress?”

“I love it!” Starlight beamed. This was definitely going to lift her spirits today, along with Pinkie Pie’s hopefully.

“Have you seen Pinkie Pie or Miss Tia yet?” Rainbow Dash asked.

“Pinkie Pie said she’s almost ready, and I think Miss Tia was in Twilight’s room discussing something with her,” Trixie said, now laying on the couch and resting her head and arms on Starlight's lap (was her tail moving...?) “Probably related to the Dungeon.”

“Just a minor update,” Celestia said, walking downstairs to join everyone in the living room, "Apparently the Shadows on the other side of the Dungeon are beginning to stir." She was wearing a white and gold loincloth dress that looked like something straight out of ancient Greece, large red and golden belt her usual high heeled sandals, a fancy headpiece like a tiara, and her colorful hair tied up into a high ponytail. The dress itself was super sexy, showing the sides of her legs perfectly and while it covered her breasts completely, it looked like they’d spill out at any moment. Also, due to how it was parted in the middle, it was very obvious that she was NOT wearing a bra. Somehow, she seemed to almost be glowing, and wore it all with such grace one could easily mistake her for a real Greek Goddess.

“Meow…” Trixie muttered.

“You look, magnificent Miss Tia…” Starlight said softly, Rainbow Dash nodding in approval.

“Oh, thank you, girls,” Celestia smiled, “Decided that since I’m a history teacher, I’d go as Helen of Troy.”

“She was the cause of the Trojan War, right?” Starlight asked.

“Allegedly, though it’s more like she was caught in the middle of it,” Celestia said, “We’ll be going over that some more in November though.”

“Hey, um, Miss Tia?” Rainbow Dash got up and walked over to Celestia, “I’m, sorry about last night. I said some pretty shitty things to you, but I know you’re just as worried about Pinkie Pie.”

Celestia sighed, “Apology accepted, and I’m sorry too. I wish I could send you girls right into Rarity’s Dungeon again to rescue Pinkie Pie…”

“But, you need us to do well in Midterms to keep your mission going,” Rainbow Dash said, “I get it. Starlight explained everything to me.”

“Sucks you have to play the role of a teacher along with your real job,” Trixie said, somehow making her ears fold back. Okay seriously, how was she...

“Really, I consider anything I do to help my children to be my real job,” Celestia smiled softly, “But, I will admit, it’s times like these I wish I could just focus on the Dungeons. Between Rarity’s Dungeon being so intense, Pinkie Pie being a prisoner now too, and Cinch’s shadow…”

Rainbow Dash looked down darkly, “Yeah, that’s a thing. We’ll deal with her, after we avoid flunking Midterms. So… we’re cool now, right Miss Tia?”

Celestia smiled, and hugged Rainbow Dash, “Yes, Rainbow. We’re cool now.”

Starlight and Trixie both sighed in relief, but then noticed someone else walking downstairs. All eyes were on the stairs as Pinkie Pie stepped down into the living room.

And what an entrance it was.

I Shall Go On - Blue Reflection: Second Light

She was dressed in a pink and white Victorian inspired gown, the skirt coming up high in the front to show off her legs, and flowing down to her ankles behind her, similar to Starlight’s witch gown in the Phase actually. She wore white fishnet stockings, pink high heels, and white gloves. The dress hugged and accentuated her breasts sensually but tastefully, and the sleeves opened wide around her wrists. To complete the look she wore platinum colored earrings, a platinum necklace with a pink gem in the middle, and a platinum colored tiara. For makeup, she wore pink lipstick and light purple eye shadow.

“Sorry I took so long,” Pinkie Pie said in a soft voice, giving everyone a smile that Starlight could tell was peppered with sadness, “I just, needed some time to mentally prepare myself for my debut.”

“Pinkie Pie…” Rainbow Dash walked over to Pinkie Pie, gently placing her hands on her sides, “You look, magnificent.”

“I’ll say,” Trixie rubbed the back of her neck, “If I didn’t know better, I’d say you were a real live Princess.”

“Is this, Princess Victoria?” Starlight asked Pinkie Pie, “From the Forgotten Princess?”

Pinkie Pie nodded, “From Book 2 and onward. After she takes up arms and chooses to fight for her kingdom, she has this dress made for her. Both because it's easier to move and fight in, but also to embrace how being kidnapped changed her.”

“How appropriate for you,” Celestia said, placing a hand on her cheek with a worried look, “Speaking of, how are you holding up, dear? Last night wasn’t too rough, was it?”

Pinkie Pie shook her head, “It was bad, but I managed for the most part. Sadly, I didn’t get a chance to talk to Rarity, but I did get to experience what that potion does.”

“They, used it on you?” Starlight asked slowly. God, this was painful...

“They said they wanted to test it on a witch,” Pinkie Pie rubbed her arm, “I could still think, but just barely. Mostly, I was just so horny that nothing could fulfill me beyond the most debased things you could think of.”

“Oh my God,” Trixie went to hug Pinkie Pie, “Will you be okay? Like, seriously okay?”

“I, think so,” Pinkie Pie returned the hug, “Um, I think Serenity wanted to help me throughout the day though. So if throughout the day I seem a bit more bubbly and kinda like Usagi…”

“Gotcha,” Rainbow Dash looked down at her ring, “Didn’t realize we could use them in the Real World too. Our Personas, I mean.”

“A Persona is really a mask that you put on around others,” Celestia explained, “Since you’re all Witches who use the power of Persona, it makes sense you’d be able to draw them into the real world in a more mundane manner.”

“This is good,” Starlight put a hand on Pinkie Pie’s shoulder, “Whatever you have to do to make it through the day, alright?”

Pinkie Pie nodded smiling, “Thanks, Starlight. And hey, this is still Halloween, and we’re all looking hella sexy. So, let’s try and have a good time, alright?”

Celestia smiled, “In that case, let’s all eat breakfast and then make our way to school, shall we?”

Everyone agreed to this, and went inside to eat breakfast and try to enjoy their morning. This time, breakfast was a lot more lively than yesterday.

Daytime

School Days - Persona

Midterms, along with many of the exams, were handled very much like how they’d be handled in college. As such, each day was dedicated to one or two exams, with the final day being more of a wrap up day.

Honestly, it didn’t make sense why Cinch would cancel Halloween then. They’d only be in class for part of the day anyway, so there was literally no excuse not to just take the test and then have the party.

Well, joke was on her, because just about everyone was in costume. The costumes ranged from really cool looking and detailed to absolutely sexy. Cinch was going to have a field day with this. She even ran into Sunburst, who dressed as Harry Potter, complete with Lightning Bolt Scar. She could tell he really liked her costume, which she played up.

All of her Coven were getting great reception for their costumes. Trixie embodied a cat perfectly, letting people pet her and scratch behind her ears, only to then at the drop of a hat walk off and do her own thing. Starlight still didn't know how she got her costume to look so realistic, and Trixie refused to say. Rainbow Dash got a lot of positive reception too for her creativity. She called herself the "Hero of the school", which everyone loved and played along with. She even had a mock battle against some of the ghoulish costumed students.

But if anyone could have been said to "win" in the costume department, it was Pinkie Pie. She carried herself with the grace, poise, and subtle sensuality of her namesake perfectly, with many claiming she even managed to capture Princess Victoria's more tragic energy. If only they knew the whole truth...

A few times, Starlight tried to touch Pinkie Pie in order to gauge her emotions, but was pushed back by an image of Serenity, holding her arms out and shaking her head. Was Pinkie Pie using her Persona to block out Starlight's Empathic Touch? She didn't even know that was possible.

For her midterms today, Starlight got a double dose of Bulk Biceps, who claimed he came as Shakespeare. Though it was officially English, Starlight noticed there were a number of Questions on physical health there.

She didn’t fail this one, but she knew she wasn’t going to get an A. She nailed the English questions though, so she expected to get a good grade today at least.

end song

Afternoon

After she finished her tests for the day, Pinkie Pie left the classroom, saying she needed some time alone. Thanks to Serenity offering to handle classes throughout the day, Pinkie Pie was able to manage without much issue, at least on the surface. On the inside though, she was far from okay.

After running into the girl's restroom, Pinkie Pie carefully looked around, checking all of the stalls. Once she saw she was alone, Pinkie Pie closed her eyes and held her hand to her heart.

“We’re alone now, Pinkie Pie. You can come out now.”

In her mind’s eye, Pinkie Pie imagined Serenity stepping out of her body, and herself stepping back inside it. Immediately, Pinkie Pie fell to her knees and broke down crying.

I Shall Go On - Blue Reflection: Second Light

“Oh Pinkie Pie…”

“I, don’t know if I can do this…” Pinkie Pie sobbed, “Last night, was dreadful!”

She heard Serenity sigh, and suddenly saw her Persona wrap her arms around her, nuzzling her, “I, I know… I wish I could do more.”

When Pinkie Pie told Miss Tia and everyone that she managed, that was actually the biggest lie she had told in her life. It was brutal. She was assaulted and abused by the Shadows nonstop, and at one point was even tortured by Shadow Cinch just to get information on where the others were. She didn’t tell her anything, but still.

Rarity was present for that. She didn’t get to speak to her at all, but she did see her there.

Pinkie Pie gently wiped away her tears as to not ruin her makeup, “What am I going to do, Serenity? I’m afraid to go to sleep tonight. I feel like I'm trapped in my Dungeon all over again.”

“Let me take full control tonight in the Dungeon.”

“What?! But Serenity, that means you’ll-”

“Better me than you! Pinkie Pie, I hate seeing you suffer like this! If all I can do is act as a buffer between you and whatever happens in there, then let me do that much! Please!”

She felt Serenity tighten the embrace, and could almost picture her trembling, crying softly. Just like how Usagi was in the manga and anime, she was always willing to sacrifice herself for her friends, even if she was afraid. This was why Pinkie Pie looked up to her so much. She was so brave where it counted, so sensitive, and such a wonderful person.

She was her Persona, meaning this was an aspect of who Pinkie Pie really was. But, she didn't know if she could be that person right now. She was too afraid. Still though...

Before she could answer her Persona, the door swung open, and Rarity stormed into the bathroom, and leaned over one of the sinks, eyes closed and trembling, “That bitch…! I swear to God, one of these days, I’m gonna-”

“Rarity…?” Pinkie Pie asked, making Rarity suck in a breath. She was actually in costume as well, dressed as a pirate. Said costume consisted of a super fancy and extravagant red and black jacket that was closed but opened at the top to show her ample breasts and flowed down behind her, a black and purple frilly skirt, fishnet stockings that were torn on one leg, brown leather boots, and a large fancy pirate’s hat. The darker eye shadow and lipstick really made her look dangerous, and that combined with her energy put Pinkie Pie more in mind of how she was back when she first met her.

“Pinkie Pie,” Rarity closed her eyes, “I didn’t see you there.”

“It’s, fine Rarity,” Pinkie Pie rose to her feet, “Um, what’s wrong?”

“It’s nothing, okay? Just Cinch on my ass like usu-” she stopped herself, “I’ll be alright. What about you though?” she turned to face Pinkie Pie, leaning back against sink, “I’d have thought you’d be enjoying the first day of Nightmare Night with Rainbow Dash and the others.”

Pinkie Pie giggled, “Nightmare Night?”

“Oh, you didn’t hear? That’s what they’re calling your little plan to stick it to Cinch,” Rarity smiled, “Some are even saying they want to do this again next year, and make it a new school ritual.”

“That’d be nice,” Pinkie Pie smiled looking down, “The idea that Cinch would just cancel the Halloween Party like that…”

“You’re basically family, so I’ll let you in on it,” Rarity looked to the side, “Cinch didn’t actually cancel it out of concern for the student’s. She's just using it as an excuse. She's been wanting to cancel it for a while now.”

“I, figured,” Pinkie Pie closed her eyes, “To answer your question, I’ll be meeting up with everyone later. I just, needed some time to myself. Going through something at the moment.”

“Oh? Nothing too bad, I hope,” Rarity said, pursing her lips and folding her arms.

“It’s, kind of stressful, I’ll admit,” Pinkie Pie admitted, “But, you’re going through a lot too, right?”

“I’ll be fine, Pinkie Pie,” Rarity said quickly, looking away, “Don’t worry about-”

“We’re basically family. You said it yourself,” Pinkie Pie said, walking over to take Rarity’s hand, “Why wouldn’t I worry about you?”

Rarity looked at Pinkie Pie intently, and then shook her head laughing, “Fuck, this is odd.”

“What is?”

“This is going to sound crazy, alright? But, you showed up in my dream recently. In it, you kept looking at me with those same eyes. Like you were worrying about me, even though you were suffering.”

She remembered. Even though she couldn’t speak to her, she was able to reach her on some level.

“I guess, that’s because I would do that,” Pinkie Pie smiled, “Even back when you still had the white highlight in your hair, I’d worry about you. You’re practically my cousin’s sister, so that makes you family to me.”

“Even though I’m a Diamond Dog?” Rarity asked carefully, “Even though I snapped at you horribly last week?”

“You did scare me, but I know you’re not a bad person. And yes, that's even knowing you were a Diamond Dog,” Pinkie Pie went to caress Rarity's cheek, noting her odd reaction. She closed her eyes gently, almost in bliss, and nuzzled her hand a bit. It was cute, and kinda did put Pinkie Pie in the mind of an animal being petted.

“You’re nice,” Rarity said softly, “You and Starlight both…”

“Starlight is really nice,” Pinkie Pie said, “She helps me a lot, and I know she just wants to help you too, if you'd open up to her.”

“I’m, sure she does,” Rarity looked down weakly, “Right now though, I just-” her phone made a noise, and she picked it up to read the message on it. Immediately she tensed, and her expression darkened, “Of all the times…”

“Rarity…?”

“Sorry. I have to go,” Rarity said, her voice soft, and distant. Pinkie Pie could feel her sadness and needing to leave this blissful moment.

“That was him, wasn’t it?” Pinkie Pie asked, “Blueblood?”

“No point in pretending,” Rarity pocketed her phone and walked to the door, “Whatever is going on, I hope you’ll be okay.”

“I…” Pinkie Pie shook her head and ran over to hug Rarity from behind, “I hope you’ll be okay, Rarity.”

Rarity didn’t say anything, but she did reach up and touch Pinkie Pie’s hand briefly before pulling out of the hug and leaving the room. Now alone, Pinkie Pie took a deep breath.

“I can’t be weak right now,” Pinkie Pie said to Serenity, “She’s suffering, so much right now. So much more than me.”

“So, you know what we have to do then?”

“I do,” Pinkie Pie nodded, “I have to have courage, which means that, even if I’m afraid, I need to face those Shadows,” she looked down at her Channeling Ring, “For now, let’s catch up with everyone, and gather our strength. The stronger we are now, the better off we’ll be for when we go back into the Dungeon.”

“Alright Pinkie Pie. What I said still stands though. If it gets too much, let me take over, alright?”

“I will. Thanks, Serenity,” Pinkie Pie smiled, and then walked out of the bathroom, looking at Rarity as she walked down another hall, “See you tonight, Rarity…”

Author's Note

*I pray someone gets the reference I'm making here.

Fool – Seekers of Light: 5/10
Magician – Trixie Lulamoon: 8/10 :heart:
Priestess – Diamond Tiara: 10/10 Thrall
The Empress – Ms. Tia: 4/10
Hierophant - Victor: 2/10
The Lovers - Pinkamena Diane Pie: 2/10
Chariot – Rainbow Dash: 3/10
Strength - Tokugawa Fluttershy: 2/5
Hermit – Sunburst: 2/10
The Devil – Silver Spoon: 5/10
The Sun - Sweetie Belle: 2/10
Transformation - Ms. Luna: 1/10

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