Fading Star

Rainbow Dash, Fluttershy, and Applejack made their way west into the Smoky Mountains, which happened to be closer to where Starlight had first disappeared.

“She’s gotta be here! I know it!” said Rainbow Dash, energetically. Fluttershy was far less eager about this long journey, still traumatized from what she saw happen to Starlight through the portal in the library just yesterday. She spoke even less than normal. It was Rainbow’s determination that kept her from abandoning the mission all together. Applejack wasn’t as scared, more so skeptical. Of course she wanted to help Starlight, but, in her mind, there was no realistic approach to doing so. Finding Chrysalis’s lair seemed downright impossible. It would at least take years to cover all of Equestria. And would Starlight even be alive by then?

“She’s got to be in these mountains, I’m sure of it!” said Rainbow, reassuring herself once again. Applejack finally had enough of Rainbow’s peppy demeanor.

“Really? These mountains go on forever, she could be anywhere,” she said, scowling.

“Do you want to help Starlight or not? We have to try!”

Applejack rolled her eyes.

“All I’m saying is-”

“That this is a waste of time? We know there are tunnels in those mountains, and Starlight disappeared right around here. It’s way more likely than not that she’s around here somewhere,” said Rainbow, who was already tired of arguing. She just wanted to get this over with.

Applejack hesitantly agreed and kept her complaints to herself from then on. Truthfully, she was just scared of what they would find, but couldn’t admit that to the others. She was supposed to be the strong one, the brave one. But all of this didn’t feel right.

Rainbow Dash was angry. She had gotten around to thinking of Starlight as a true friend faster than the others, as she recognized Starlight as respectable and steadfast almost immediately. Anypony willing to give up a little dignity to commit to being a better pony deserves a second chance, she thought. Which is why it angered her so much to see Starlight in peril. Especially at the hands of that monster Chrysalis.

The trio continued their restless trek until they arrived at a small village tucked between the mountains, a village none of them had ever been to. It was about a quarter of the size of Ponyville, heavily populated, and seemed to consist of only Earth ponies. The town was bustling, ponies selling and buying all sorts of things. Rainbow Dash approached one golden-haired mare filling a bucket of water at a well.

“Um, excuse me?”

The mare looked up, seemingly disinterested.

“Yes?” the pony spat.

Rainbow Dash was slightly taken aback by the mare’s lack of manners, but proceeded.

“Um, yeah, we’re looking for a lost friend of ours, she was walking back on the westerland trail, and disappeared. We know she’s being held in some cave somewhere, and we think it might be in these mountains. Do you have any idea if there’s some sort of cave entrance anywhere?”

“Whoa, whoa, slow down there...are you saying your friend was ponynapped?”

The mare’s expression changed to concern, and Rainbow knew to take advantage of that.

“Well, yes, and she’s in a lot of danger if we don’t save her soon,” she said, with a hint of desperation.

“Heavens, that’s quite a story. The westerland trail is a few miles from here, she might’ve passed through...Say, where was she coming from?”

“Yakyakistan.”

“Oh, well she probably didn’t come this way. Sorry. But there is an old mine shaft not too far from here that goes through the whole mountain range, if she was taken off of the westerland trail, whoever did it could’ve easily snuck in there.”

“Great! Can you take us there?”

“Sure, I think I remember how to get there. I’m Sunflower, by the way.”

“Rainbow Dash.”

“We can leave tomorrow morning, you can stay at my sister’s inn for the night, on me.”

“Wow, thank you so much!”

The two separated, Rainbow Dash returning to the others and relaying the plan.

“I don’t know, Rainbow Dash, didn’t Chrysalis say nopony knew about the place she’s in? Why would she go into an old mine shaft that anypony could find?” asked Fluttershy, who’d rather be at home forgetting about all this.

“I thought about that, and my bet is that she’s built her lair somewhere that connects back to the Mine Shaft. I mean, there’s no way she dug her own cave system by herself. She’d have to start somewhere, right?”

“I guess so,” said Applejack, still unsure. Rainbow Dash began to notice both Applejack and Fluttershy were uneasy, and dialed her excitement back a little.

“Look, let’s all just rest up and get our heads ready, tomorrow we finish this.”

Starlight finished cooking dinner after a little less than an hour. Sparing no expense in presentation, she delicately aligned each herb and decorative vegetable, just the way Twilight liked it. Unsure of how to give the food to Chrysalis when she’s chained to the wall, she stood there for a few seconds doing nothing before mustering up some courage.

“Um, my queen?” she said, close to yelling.

A few seconds passed and Starlight began to worry.

‘What if the food gets cold? What do I do?’

Suddenly, Starlight was teleported out of the kitchen into Chrysalis’ throne room. Still holding the plate in one hoof, Starlight got a hold of her surroundings and looked up at Chrysalis, perched on her throne.

“Yes?” hissed Chrysalis, burning a hole in Starlight’s forehead with an unforgiving glare.

Starlight was a bit flustered by her sudden relocation, but quickly got over it.

After clearing her throat, she stood straight and attentive and stared at Chrysalis.

“Your d-dinner, my queen.”

She presented the plate, bowing her head. Chrysalis brought the plate towards her with her magic, already unimpressed.

“Is this what Twilight likes? I can see the snooty prestige of Canterlot has rubbed off on her…”

She flicked some of the decorative tomatoes off the plate onto the floor in disgust. Inside, Starlight was fuming, peeved by her captor’s disregard for her careful effort. Chrysalis’ verbal barrage continued as she took her first bite.

“Well, this is horrendous. The chicken is raw and the salad is too wet.”

Of course, the food was actually delicious and Chrysalis was lying through her teeth, and though Starlight guessed that, for some reason, she still believed her.

‘It was horrible, wasn’t it? I’m such a bad cook.’

Chrysalis noticed Starlight begin to doubt herself, which was precisely what she wanted. To break down Starlight Glimmer in every facet. Starlight held back the tears of rejection and embarrassment and stuttered out,

“Forgive me, my queen.”

Chrysalis smiled at Starlight, who was trembling in fear of what would happen to her for failing. Chrysalis had all the power.

“I think you can sleep in the dungeon tonight with the rats, as punishment. Don’t you agree that’s fair?”

“O-of course, my queen.”

‘Rats? Real rats? That’s disgusting!’

She supposed there could be worse punishments and went along with it.

“Now, I have some matters to attend to, but I don’t want you roaming around freely while I’m gone, so…”

With that, she teleported both her and Starlight to a new room, this one completely empty except for a pair of metallic transmitters planted on the ceiling, with a matching pair on the bottom. They were shaped like large metal ice cream cones, wires poking out from beneath the plate crevices like veins under the skin. At the end of the transmitters were small, light-bulb like fixtures, with metal wires sticking out from inside. Each one in a pair was about three feet from the other. Chrysalis tossed Starlight towards it with her magic. But instead of falling to the ground, Starlight found herself hovering in the air. Her upper hooves were being held by beams of bright orange energy flowing from each transmitter, the same with her lower hooves. She had been caught by the transmitters, a limb being held by each one, spread wide apart. She hovered there, her arms and legs stretched out to the farthest extent, pulling her joints apart. She grunted in discomfort as her limbs were tugged. The beams of energy surrounded her limbs, hugging them tightly, and held them up in the air firmly.

“Hold on, this is where it gets fun.”

Chrysalis zapped a nearby power box, wires crawling up towards the ceiling of the tight room, as the machine came to life. Sparks of electricity began travelling up through a series of wires into each transmitter. A sharp, burning sensation came across Starlight like a fist as the electricity flowed through the beams. The pain felt as if she was being stabbed and burned at the same time. She grunted, refusing to scream.

“Hold on, it’s only at five percent.”

Dread had never swept a pony that fast before. Chrysalis magically turned a dial on the powerbox from five to fifty percent, and now the real pain started. Her limbs felt as though they were being ripped out of their joints, as if her skin was being torn off over and over again. She was screaming now, a high pitched shriek that she didn’t think she could ever have produced. Tears leaped out of her eyes. She had wondered how much a pony could cry before they ran out of tears, but lately it seemed to just never end.

“I’ll see you in a bit…” said Chrysalis, forebodingly.

She turned to leave the room, but stopped just before she reached the exit.

“Oh, and don’t go anywhere,” she snickered, before shutting and locking the door. Starlight didn’t actually hear Chrysalis’ stupid quip, as the sound of the shocks raging through the contraption combined with her blood-curtling screams consumed her ears. Starlight’s shrieks filled the entire cave system. She kept expecting the intensity of the pain to subside or at least grow stagnant, but it only ever felt like it was getting worse. This may be the worst pain she’s ever felt, definitely worse than the needles and having to eat puke.

‘I can’t imagine what one hundred would be like!’

She figured that one hundred would most definitely kill her, as fifty felt like it was pretty close. Then she got an idea.

‘If I hold my breath long enough, I’ll pass out!’

She attempted this, but the need to scream and cry from the pain prevented her from being able to hold it that long. Now, most of all, a rescue would only ever be a dream.

Twilight, Pinkie Pie, Rarity, Shining Armor and his crew made the three mile hike across the frozen tundra to the base of Mt. Stormy, the third tallest in the Crystal Mountain range.

“Twilight, wouldn’t it be more feasible for you to teleport us up there?” asked Rarity, tired of walking.

Twilight glanced upwards at the intimidating height of the mountain.

“Well, I could try, but it’d be dangerous.”

“Well, it would save us a lot of time…” said Shining Armor, throwing his bag of climbing equipment to the side. Twilight grabbed a hold of Rarity.

“What? Me first?”

“It was your idea,” Twilight said with a smirk.

Immediately, Twilight and Rarity disappeared in a flash of light. A few moments passed before Twilight reappeared in the same spot, but without Rarity.

“Well, it works. Who’s next?”

It took about fifteen minutes for Twilight to transport everypony, up onto a cliffside flat high above near the top of the mountain. Shining Armor took a few moments with the crew’s cartographer to decipher where they were and where to go next.

“We’re not far from the cave entrance, less than a mile along this ridge .”

Shining Armor deployed a length of rope to each pony to tie around their harness, connecting them all together.

“This cliff face is narrow, so hold on to the ledge for support…”

“Why can’t Twilight just teleport us there?” asked Pinkie Pie.

They all looked at Twilight.

“I’m all worn out, Pinkie Pie. That was a large distance and I had to do it eight times.”

Two of the crew ponies muttered some complaints as everypony continued attaching their harnesses.

“We’re doing it the old fashioned way then, don’t worry, everypony, it’s only about half a mile.”

He trudged through the snow towards Twilight, who was staring off into the distance, admiring the view from above. She could see the outline of Canterlot, hundreds of miles away.

“I’ll lead, Twilight, you go in the back in case any pony gets in trouble.”

Twilight nodded and flew to the back, as Shining Armor began walking along the narrow cliff ridge, which was only about half a foot wide. The other ponies all followed in single file, hugging the side of the cliff face for support.

“Nopony look down!” said Shining Armor, jovially.

Instinctively, Pinkie Pie looked down.

“Whoa! I didn’t know we were that high!”

Shining Armor could see their destination up ahead, where the cliff ridge emptied into a large flat rock surface, where the cave entrance sat off to the side. Things were going well.

About halfway, their good luck began to change. A storm was moving in from the north, one that nopony had predicted. Shining Armor noticed the storm clouds approaching with speed in the distance, and picked up the pace a little. They were so close. Light flurries turned to heavy wind and thick snow. Sight became difficult. They had to slow down the pace for fear of somepony slipping. But suddenly, a loud cracking noise from near half a mile above them sent them all into panic mode.

“Avalanche!”

“Move! Move!”

Shining Armor was now practically jogging, in turn tugging on the rope, so much that the fourth crew member in the back, the scout, Fritz, lost track of his footing and slipped forward, slamming his head on the cliff wall, losing a few teeth and falling right off the cliff side. Drops of blood slid down the mountain side, in parallel with the fast-approaching avalanche above, which gained in size and speed as it tumbled downwards. Fritz managed to grab hold of the edge of the walkway with one hoof, dangling over certain death.

“Uh, a little help?!”

Twilight couldn’t make out what the interruption was, only that they had stopped moving. That was a problem, because the avalanche was approaching, fast. They had about fifteen seconds by her estimate. Twilight disconnected from the harness and flew around the pack, and saw Fritz hanging for his life. She swooped down and picked him up, carrying him to where Shining Armor was, at the flat rock. Now they had about ten seconds. Pinkie Pie and the cartographer were next, all making it to the flat rock alive. The cliff ridge they had walked over was long, steep, and flat, perfect for the avalanche to run down. The flat rock was cut in at an angle that meant the avalanche would pass right by it. If they all made it to the flat rock, they’d be safe from the avalanche. Twilight froze as she realized the others definitely wouldn’t make it in time, and flew back towards them.

“Twilight! Don’t! It isn’t safe!” yelled Shining Armor, who couldn’t stop her hero complex.

Twilight dove underneath the approaching avalanche and picked up a paralyzed Rarity and one of the soldiers. What she didn’t realize, was that the crew doctor was still hugging the cliffside, his white winter jacket making him invisible to Twilight through the thick snow. She was only alerted that he was there upon hearing his cries of anguish as the snow piled down on him and brought him down the mountain. Shocked, Twilight dropped the two down with the others on the flat rock, and collapsed out of exhaustion and despair. Flying in the snow was harder than she thought.

Shining Armor took a moment to mourn the loss of the doctor as the others all sat and caught their breath from the thrill of near-death, before taking a stand once more.

“Alright, let’s get out of this weather and into the cave, we made it.”

He nudged them all towards the cave entrance, which was decorated with hauntingly sharp stalagmites and stunk of rotting flesh. Twilight had a strong feeling that this was the right place.

Starlight Glimmer’s muscles were burning. She hadn’t stopped hollering since the moment her captor flipped the switch, and she never got used to the sensation. All she could think about was how much she wanted to die and be free. But, at last, Chrysalis did return, and was a bit stunned at how sweaty and crisp Starlight’s body was. The electricity had worked her muscles non-stop all day, giving her a new, tightly formed body.

“Huh, that thing really worked you, huh?” said chrysalis, not expecting these results.

Starlight had finally run out of tears to cry a few hours ago, now she just whimpered and yelped.

“Alright, alright, shut up.”

She flipped off the switch, letting Starlight fall straight on her face, her muscles so exhausted they couldn’t even move. She just lay there motionless, as if she really was dead.

“Consider that your exercise for the day.”

Chrysalis giggled and began dragging Starlight by the tail with her magic. Starlight’s eyes were sunken and her hooves were black from the burns. As she was dragged along the gravel ground, bits of rock dug into her sensitive, warm skin, and stuck there like raisins in peanut butter. That thought made Starlight remember that she hadn’t eaten any real food in nearly four days, besides her own puke, which really didn’t count as a meal. She wanted to beg for food, but knew she wasn’t supposed to speak.

‘If I die of starvation, it’ll be better than staying alive for more of this.’
She expected to be taken back to her cell up in the wall of the cave, but instead, Chrysalis took her to a new room, one she had never been in before.

“I said you would be sleeping in the dungeon tonight, remember?”

Oh. Yeah.

Starlight was actually looking forward to going back to her cell, to fall asleep and dream of a better life, and hoped the dungeon wouldn’t be too different. She hated being Chrysalis’ pet so much. But what could she do? Her magic never worked and every day she was being physically tormented. But she did notice one benefit, that her muscles were now surprisingly firm and well-shaped. Her whole body looked a lot more symmetrical and strong, likely due to the shock therapy.

‘I guess there’s something good in every situation.’

She glanced over again at her burned hooves, which stun like mad.

‘Not much though.’

Chrysalis finished unlocking the door to the mysterious room, and threw Starlight in there.

“Sweet dreams, Starlight Glimmer.”

Chrysalis closed and locked the door. The room was carved in stone, with some kind of strange gooey sticky substance coating the floors and the walls.

“What is this stuff?”

She reached down to claw at it, and found most of it stuck to her hoof. It was white, and resembled strands of hair.

“Is this...spider web? Ew!”

Starlight was terrified of spiders. And rats, she supposed, but definitely spiders. She began looking around the room in terror, figuring this room was another torture, yet, it seemed empty. No rats nor spiders.

‘Please stay that way.’

It didn’t.

The sound of scurrying feet sounded off in a corner of the room, which was pitch black save for a dimly lit chandelier hanging from the center of the ceiling. The room was stone and larger than her first cell. She peered over towards the source of the scurrying and saw an army of rats, all mangy and full of disease, about the size of cantaloupes with sharp teeth and beady eyes. They had foam drooling from their crusty mouths, and seemed to be irritated by her presence, hissing at her from the darkness. She had heard stories of creatures that lived in the deepest darkest parts of caves as a filly, but never thought them to be real. She gasped and clasped her mouth with both burned hooves to stop her from screaming. The rats suddenly rushed in her direction, giving the illusion that the floor was moving.

“No! Ew Ew Ew!”

The rats swarmed all around her, two biting her legs, making her yip in surprise, disorienting her enough to be tackled by the others, who scurried all along her face and bit her in every place imaginable. Starlight didn’t even try to fight them, instead just sitting there and doing nothing, hoping they would eventually just leave her alone. Eventually they calmed down, still walking all over her, but no longer biting. The bites she had received, which numbered about thirty, stun like someone was sticking a toothpick in a knife cut, she reasoned she must be infected with something.

‘Oh Celestia, that won’t be good.’

Exhausted from a long day of torment, she tried her best to shut her eyes and drift off, though the constant noise of the scurrying rats and occasional presence of one on her face made that difficult. Looking into the darkness, her eyes grew somber and saddened.

‘Please, Twilight, help me…’