The Light of the Night

Much time had passed since that eventful day for Starbeam Glitter and her parents. It had been nearly two days when both Twilight Sparkle and Sunset Shimmer discovered that Starbeam Glitter could perform magic, effortlessly even. To this day, they were still trying to figure it out as initially the plan, mostly on Twilight’s part, was merely to use her magic to create life yet even she had not counted on the fact that the magic included nearly ‘all’ of her abilities passed on to her daughter. But so, it came to pass… Their daughter is now gifted with magical abilities.

They had promised that they would explain to Starbeam Glitter about how her powers were possible, add to the town’s awareness of magical properties. While both parents were intent on telling their daughter about it. But for the time being, life returned to normal for the three women. It had even been two days since Starbeam had a frightening vision of some scary woman she saw in the mirror, but she had not told either of her parents about it. Not so much because she was worried or if they’d think she’s crazy, but she didn’t feel there was enough to fully explain what she saw. For the time being, she kept quiet about it until she could understand what this vision was trying to tell her.

On one particular day, Twilight Sparkle treated Starbeam Glitter to another home-schooling session with Sunset Shimmer occasionally helping out with several lessons. As usual, Starbeam Glitter was getting bored with the lessons. Most of the subjects she had already memorized and ironically it had gotten boring to get most of the questions right. If anything, Starbeam should feel lucky being that her teachers are two of the smartest women in town and some would call it an honor to be as smart as them. And yet… And yet Starbeam felt ‘unsatisfied’ with her progress.

These past few days, this did not go unnoticed by the parents as they observed their daughter during their lessons. They recalled what Starbeam suggested about going to an actual school, Sunset Shimmer explained to her wife the discussion they had at the park. But despite having mentioned there’d be hardly anything the school could teach any more than what Starbeam already knows, they did understand what she meant.

One particular day, Starbeam Glitter, with her headphones over her ears, came down from her room for what she expected to be another home school session. As she made her way into the family room, she saw both her mothers, Twilight Sparkle and Sunset Shimmer, together. Starbeam Glitter gazed toward both of them before lifting the headphones down toward her neck.

“Well this is new,” Starbeam replied, turning to Sunset. “You requested a personal day just so you can join Twilight’s teachings?”

“Not exactly,” Sunset shook her head.

“Sunset and I have decided that for today we’re doing something different,” Twilight Sparkle explained. “We’ve decided to go on a little trip and we’re inviting you to come with us.”

“Where are we going?” Starbeam asked, curiously.

“It’s just a little drive out of town,” Twilight explained. “No need to pack, just felt like we should get out of the house for a while.”

“Sounds good to me.”

“Great!” Sunset spoke. “Now you just get dressed; we’ll be leaving in a few minutes.”

Starbeam Glitter nodded, noting how she was still wearing her night clothes. Without hesitation, she makes her way upstairs while her two parents look on from their seats on the couch. Then, they turn toward each other, the two being the only ones who know what the purpose of this trip was. Knowing that where they are going, this was just what their daughter needed.

<>

A short while later, the three women were on the open road beyond the town borders and into the open countryside. They rode together in the family Sportwagen, Twilight Sparkle at the wheel with Sunset Shimmer on the passenger side, while their daughter, Starbeam, was buckled in the back watching the views from the window. Starbeam wasn’t told specifically as far as where they’d be going today, but it did not matter all the same. Starbeam had grown rather restless being mostly at home all day when she was skating around town or at the park. It was always nice to get out with her parents, giving they don’t often travel together.

Eventually, after a lengthy drive, they manage to reach their destination. Pulling into a tiny parking lot, the family Sportwagen pulled up toward a hiking trail, a wooded area known for it’s wide open fields and mountains. One by one, all three women step out of the car taking a moment to stretch out their limbs after sitting in the car for heaven knows how long.

“When you say we’d go on a field trip, you weren’t kidding,” Starbeam remarked.

“There’s a reason for us to be here,” Sunset replied. “Plus, I thought we could use a bit of fresh air for where we’re going.”

Taking Sunset’s word for it, Starbeam takes a glance toward the start of the trail before looking around. They noticed that apart from them, there weren’t that many other cars at this hour except perhaps for one. Though how long the folks before them have been in this area, she couldn’t say for sure. Together, all three took their first steps on the trail crossing into the quiet wood with the only light stemming from the sun’s rays barely piercing through the trees.

<>

Forty five minutes had gone by since they first started the trek together. There wasn’t much wildlife to see, either because the animals were still asleep, or they preferred to stay as far from a public trail as possible. At one point, they came upon a fork in the road though one part of the trail was where the extreme hikers would go. But for today, Starbeam’s mothers had something else in mind as they took the opposite trail, noting the number of miles they’d still have to trek to get to where they need to be. And while it was a rather hot summer spring day, they were fortunate that the tall trees were able to provide some shade from the sun.

Finally, after climbing a rather steep hill, trekking up the rocky steps, they would eventually reach the very top where Starbeam was greeted to an incredible sight: Canterlot City, in full view. Aside from their beautiful home just near the center of town, several other monuments caught their eye. From the Amphitheater where the ‘Battle of the Bands’ took place to the Movie studio; they even saw an observatory sitting on a hill overlooking the city. It was a beautiful sight, especially when the sun was cast so that the sun’s rays shone along all the buildings, the windows sparkling like diamonds.

“Wow…” Starbeam gasped.

“Oh yes, that’s how I thought when Sunset first took me up here,” Twilight Sparkle replied. “We’d come up here to reflect when you were still a baby, Starbeam.”

“You know why we chose now to bring you up here?” Sunset asked.

Starbeam turned towards Sunset Shimmer, silently shaking her head ‘no’.

“You asked once about how such an ordinary city like what you see would know anything about magic. Well believe it or not, that’s just how this city used to be: Just an ordinary, run of the mill place.”

“What changed?” Starbeam asked.

Sunset Shimmer took a deep breath, as she turned back toward the city.

“Years ago, when I was younger, I came to Canterlot City for a ‘change of scenery’ so to speak. Of course, I was a much different woman by then and I hate to admit it… I wasn’t the nicest woman in the world.”

“Like one of those Queen Bee stereotypes in those family sitcoms we’d watch?” Starbeam asked.

“Well… Yes and no, I was ‘far’ worse I’ll tell you that. The worst part is that I would have stayed that way had it not been for a group of girls and… A very special friend who taught me that there is a better way. But sure enough, my presence in this city consequently paved way to a strange force that would turn this whole city upside-down.”

“Kind of makes it sound like you came from another planet or something,” Starbeam joked, light-heartedly.

“Well, you wouldn’t be any further from the truth,” Twilight Sparkle replied. “It was so strange how these strange magical occurrences have been happening, especially during this ‘Battle of the Bands’ event many years ago. I was so curious that the major reason I joined my old Crystal Prep students was so I could investigate these magical occurrences where the source was stronger.”

“Like a generator that concocts magic?” Starbeam asked.

“Actually… ‘A portal’,” Twilight corrects.

This really drew Starbeam’s interest as they take their seat on the hilltop. But while their in the middle of talking, they don’t realize that the green grass they are sitting on suddenly starts to brown as if someone had been spraying this region. Nor did they notice some bark on the nearby trees start forming frost despite the fact it was still warm out.

“It was my reason to believe that this portal served as a gateway between our world and one realm different from our own,” Twilight explained. “A place where magic is an ever abundant force, a stream of energy that controls the weather, grows the plants, and is even used for everyday activities. Eventually, this magic started to leak out thus granting the people in this city such power. Including your mother, myself, and our friends.”

“Like my magic?” Starbeam wondered.

“Technically, magic varies from one to another,” Sunset explained. “Like my magic for example, it grants me telepathic abilities, to look into the thoughts and minds of those I come in contact with. Even your mother was able to use magic at some point.”

“You did?” Starbeam asked, turning to Twilight.

“’Used to’ is more like,” Twilight sighed. “Not to say I was very good at it; I mostly wanted to study the magical energy entering our city. At first, I merely sought to understand how it all works. But then when I started using magic myself, it wasn’t so much knowing about ‘how’ it works, it was about understand ‘why’ magic works.”

“Would you be able to show me a spell?” Starbem asked.

“… Unfortunately, I can’t,” Twilight answers, regretfully.

“You see Starbeam, magic is a very complicated subject,” Sunset explained. “Those who are able to use magic come in two groups. There are those who seek to use magic for good, and then there are those who seek something to gain. On that note, we faced a dark force that threatened to use its power to hurt the defenseless. It took our combined weight of our magic to confront and defeat the darkness… In the end the results proved costly.”

“While your mom was able to regain her magic… Mine I’m afraid will never come back.”

“Oh…” Starbeam sighed. “I’m sorry…”

“There’s no need to be sorry,” Twilight assured. “Because this story does come with a happy ending, one that involves you especially.”

Just as Twilight was about to continue, she suddenly felt something cold touch the tip of her nose. Slowly raising a fingertip to her face, she brushed her finger toward the spot and felt something cold and wet. She looks at her finger and sees… Melted snow. Just then, she notices snowflakes start to fall from all around drawing the others attention. As they look around, feeling the snow fall on them, they look up to see large black clouds covering the sun-filled sky and snowing before them.

“Snow?” Twilight questioned.

“That can’t be,” Sunset said, “Winter was over months ago!”

The two women then turn toward Starbeam, who looks from one to another.

“Don’t look at me! I’m not the one doing this!”

“Whatever the case… This isn’t natural weather,” Sunset observed. “I’ve got a bad feeling about this.”

“Me too!” Twilight agreed. “Come on, we must return to the car.”

The three women start to turn back down the way they came up… When suddenly a huge gust of icy wind swooshed from out of nowhere, nearly knocking the girls back. Folding an arm over their eyes, to keep the snow away, they stay as close together as possible keeping each other cold against a blistering breeze that seem to cut them like knives. It got to a point where the wind was so thick, they could barely see a few feet in front of them.

Through the howling winds and brushing snow, Starbeam barely had one hand clasping Twilight’s hand while Sunset lead the way. But then all of a sudden, in the midst of all the howling, she thought she heard another voice. A demonic feminine voice whispering a very eerie tune…

“When the golden sun doth rise… Fills with shining light the skies…”

Starbeam looked around, her eyes widening and trying to adjust to the snow. She saw a passing shadow brush through the wind, but it was too quick to make out. It frightened Starbeam as she tried to keep walking beside her parents.

“Then you’ll fade away from sight… Shine no more ‘till comes the night…”

That song was just so eerie, so frightening. And the shadow kept zooming around them from side to side, as if some monster were stalking the group… Specifically her. She had no idea what happened next. The melody was so repetitive, and it kept ringing in her ears, she tried to cover her ears with the headphones around her neck, but they had slipped and fell into the ground buried in the rising snow. Crying out, she dug desperately in the ground trying to find them all the while that song kept going. So much, she tried vainly to block it out with her hands over her ears.

“Twinkle, twinkle, little star… How I wonder where you are!”

“SHUT UP!!!!” Starbeam cried.

Starbeam eventually hurled her arms out, firing bursts of magical aura all over the area. She tried to hit the source of the singing, aiming for the passing shadows. But not once did she come close to making contact. It was driving her crazy, her magic firing out of control. As if mocking her efforts, it kept calling her name.

“Starbeam… Starbeam… I’m gonna get you… I’m gonna get you…”

“GO AWAY!!! LEAVE ME ALONE!!!”

“Starbeam… Starbeam…”

Crying out, Starbeam kept shooting her magic into the sky at one point it scathed against a tree, slicing a bit of the bark off. She kept looking around desperately, until cold hands clasped her shoulders and she turned around with a scream. But it was only Twilight Sparkle, who tried to calm her daughter.

“Starbeam… Starbeam, it’s okay!” Twilight cried out. “It’s okay, I’m right here… You don’t have to be scared!”

“MOM!!!” Starbeam cried, pressing into her shoulder. “MOMMY!!!”

“It’s okay! I’m right here; I’m not leaving your sight! We can get through this!”

Suddenly, Starbeam heard a crackling noise and looked up. A tall tree, the one her magic hit, was slowly starting to come down. And it was heading right toward the pair.

“MOM! LOOK OUT!!!”

Reacting fast, Starbeam shoved her mother aside and fell back, just as the tree landed with a ‘CRASH!’ Next thing Starbeam knew, she was rolling down a tiny hill, head-over-heels, until she hits a rock on the side of her head. And she lay there in the cold completely unconscious. Her vision started to get hazy, everything starting to get dark. Not knowing if her mother is okay or any of her parents, she laid there cold and frozen all while hearing that malicious voice…

“Come home, Starbeam… Make us whole… Make us whole…”

Starbeam could no longer fight it; before she knew it, she fell completely into the darkness.

“Let go, Little Star… Come home…”