The Light of the Night

It was 3:48 am, soon a new morning would dawn momentarily. In the meantime, the whole room was silent and not a sound could be heard. Starbeam Glitter laid perfectly still, nestled comfortable under the sheets and her head nestled on a cushioning pillow. However, the air around her was anything but silent. For looming over the sleeping child, a lingering presence appears.

“Starbeam… Starbeam…”

Starbeam barely budged, even as the voice called out to her ear. Her face barely squints, as she adjusts her head on the bed.

“Starbeam… I know you can hear me…”

“Go away…” Starbeam muttered, tossing a second pillow over her head.

“STARBEAM GLITTER, WAKE UP!!!”

Finally, the voice was loud enough to violently wake Starbeam Glitter. She looked around, rubbing her eyes.

“I-Is someone there?” Starbeam mumbled.

A malicious chuckle echoed in her bedroom, as Starbeam Glitter looked around.

“Oh Starbeam, you should know my voice by now…”

Starbeam slowly turned toward one corner and reeled back with a gasp. There she was, Midnight Sparkle, with her eyes shut. Judging by her appearance, she seemed more like another illusion. Finally, the figure opened her eyes which gleamed in the darkness like a pair of searchlights.

“… It’s only me after all.”

Starbeam nearly jumped out of bed, her eyes never taken off the creature before her. The confusion mixed with shock was made apparent on her face.

“No way!” Starbeam shook her head. “T-This… This is just another dream! You’re trying to give me another nightmare!”

“Nope!” Midnight replied, unfolding her arms. “Not this time.”

“How are you—”

“I came tonight to offer a little chat with you.”

Starbeam remained on guard, her aura forming along her hands. She kept a sharp look towards Midnight, darting around in case she tried pulling another trick.

“About what?” Starbeam asked.

“About her,” Midnight answered harshly, yet calmly. “After all that foolish girl said to you, back in Equestria… Do you believe any of it? Are you not scared of her?”

Starbeam was surprised over by how much Midnight knew. She hadn’t thought that she was even around during their talk.

“When did you—”

“I’m always around. I was… intrigued about what she’d do. Honestly, everything she said… sounded like complete bull! Wouldn’t you agree, little star?”

Starbeam didn’t reply, she only glared as the intensity of her aura increased. She was ready to strike the witch at any moment. But Midnight Sparkle, on the other hand, wasn’t waiting for a response.

“Come on! Don’t tell me you actually believed her. ‘You mean the world to me’… And they say my illusions are fake! I know for a fact she doesn’t mean it, any of it. She doesn’t care about you or anyone else. All she cares truly cares about is her precious wife, MY TWILIGHT! Hmm… The only other time I ever recalled her ‘caring’ for you… was when she ‘took care of you’.

“I believe those were the only times, even back then, she felt anything. You remember it, don’t you? Whenever you’d lose control of your powers, she’s always there to rescue—no, she’s always there to stop you! Deep down, she’s terrified of you. Why else do you think you’ve never gone anywhere on your own? All those years, being ‘alive’, and you never once went to school? Even you could tell she was scared to leave you in the same room with other children.”

Starbeam struggled not to let the words get to her, the aura around her hands began to fade as she tried to maintain focus.

“… That’s not—”

“True? Wake up, little star! She doesn’t see you as a person; she doesn’t even view you as a pony! How else do you explain the times she’s killed you in your dreams? Why you’re never truly alone with Twilight? Or even when she had this devilish grin on her face whenever she kills you? You remembered every single detail, and we both know… you’re not innocent either. You love using my powers; you always experiment when nobody’s looking! You don’t even realize all the countless forms of life you’ve harmed for your ‘nonstop fun and games’—”

“That’s a lie!” Starbeam cut her off. “I would never hurt anything or anyone! I don’t believe you!”

“But you are curious about your powers; she was aware of that too. Oh, and one more thing: When you two had your ‘heart-to-heart’ chat, do you notice? That every time you ‘apologize’, she always says, ‘I know’? See… If you ever did something, anything that could harm or kill her precious Twilight, she wouldn’t think twice about killing you. She’s cautious when she’s around you; she hates you! She’s always hated you!”

“S-STOP IT…”

“You already know why, don’t you?”

“SHUT UP!!!”

“Because I’M inside you!!!”

“SHUT UP!!! Just shut up! Shut up! SHUT THE HELL UP!!!”

Finally, Starbeam could no longer take it anymore. She held her hands over her ears, the aura having since faded away. She broke down, bawling her eyes out, crying as she tried to cover her face. Because whether she wanted to admit or not, everything Midnight Sparkle said… it was all true…

<>

Twilight Sparkle woke from her bed, sensing something was wrong.

“Starbeam?”

<>

“I-I-It’s not true… It’s not true… It’s not true… It’s… not… true…”

“Denial only numbs the pain, but the truth NEVER goes away.”

As Starbeam Glitter sat in that bed, crying with her eyes shut, Midnight Sparkle came closer. She held her close to her chest, gently caressing Starbeam’s silvery hair with her hands without her nails. She leaned towards her ear, whispering softly.

“She will hurt you if you do one thing wrong, just one thing… But we can avoid that, won’t we? If you and I join forces, be the family we were meant to be, I can protect you from false parents like her. Together, we will be the strongest force in the multiverse!”

“GO AWAY!!!” Starbeam pulled away. “YOU’RE A LIAR! YOU’RE ALWAYS LYING!!!”

“So naïve… Think of how many times you’ve hurt others, just because you ‘exist’. It’s obvious she hates you, why prolong the inevitable?”

“Why should I believe anything you say? All you do is lie! You lied to my mother; you’re lying to me now! You’re not real, you’re just a vision in my head and nothing else!”

“’Not real’, you say?” Midnight chuckled. “Poor little star… I am very real.”

“I… I don’t believe you!”

“Whether you believe or not is irrelevant. You’ll see soon enough. Regardless, if a freakish, tragic accident were ever to happen to poor little Twilight, she’s going to turn on you. She will kill you unless you agree to let me protect you.”

“My mother… will never hurt me! She’s the greatest mom in the whole world; you’re just a freak! An inhuman monster!!!”

“Starlight Glimmer! Such language… Why must you keep lying to yourself? We both know she scares you.”

“B-Because of you! Because of what you did with me! And… t-the way she responded… I-I don’t blame her! She had every reason to, but… b-but that’s not the case anymore! I’ve learned from my mistakes, and… They know that too!”

Silence fell through the room, neither Midnight nor Starbeam uttered a single sound. Midnight soon floated over the floor, smiling as she placed a hand upon Starbeam’s back.

“That’s your final answer? Well, in that case… I suppose we could always… test that theory[/i].”

No sooner did Midnight Sparkle say that when the door slowly opened. Starbeam turned her eyes away for one minute but next thing she knew… Midnight Sparkle was gone.

“Starbeam?” Twilight called out, concerned. “A-Are you alright? I thought I heard you speaking to someone.”

“Ooh… Perfect timing!” Midnight’s voice spoke, in Starbeam’s head. “What better way to demonstrate than playing with her one and only wife, ‘Mama Twilight’… Oh, how I missed ‘playtime’.”

“N-No!” Starbeam cried, begging. “Please don’t!”

“Starbeam, what’s wrong?”

“Mom… please get out!”

“What?”

Suddenly, Starbeam Glitter felt her whole-body spasm as her head was lifted back with a gasp. As her head dropped, her body began to quick as it slowly rose to Twilight’s eyelevel.

“M-M-M-Mom… P-Please!” Starbeam yelled, raising her hands. “Get out of here! Run!”

“Too little, too late… Little Star!!!”

“RUNNNN!!!!!”

Starbeam fired a beam towards Twilight, who barely avoided it. Twilight barely got up on her feet before her own daughter tackled her to the ground.

“Starbeam! Starbeam, stop!” Twilight cried.

But poor Starbeam couldn’t stop herself, as her tiny hands showed surprising strength. Her mom tried to fight back, but Starbeam had her pinned down to the point she can barely squirm. And without any magic, there was little for Twilight to do but cry out toward her daughter.

“Starbeam! Stop this! This isn’t like you! Tell me what’s going on?!”

“I-I… I can’t… control… m-my body! She’s… controlling me!”

“What?!”

Midnight Sparkle’s sinister laugh echoed in her head, as tears streamed no matter how tightly Starbeam closed her eyes.

“Now… How did that dream go again? Oh yes! I remember now…”

All at once, Starbeam’s hands started to glow. Try as she might, Starbeam couldn’t keep them down no matter how desperately she pushed herself. For it was during this dire situation where Starbeam was completely out of her control, her hands glowed brighter, the magic increasing in strength, and all she could do is turn to her mother’s nervous gaze with her own tearful eyes, which glowed just as her hands.

“M-Mom… Please, promise me!” Starbeam beg. “P-Promise me, no matter what, you’ll block my attacks! I-I can’t… guarantee what I’m about to do. But please… Please don’t let me hurt you! I don’t want her to make me do this!”

“Sorry, little star,” Midnight spoke, moving Starbeam’s arms. “But we all must learn the hard way.”

“M-Mom… I don’t… w-want this! I’m so scared! I don’t want to hurt anyone… not my own family. Not the people I care about more than myself! Mom… I don’t know what to do…”

“Starbeam, this isn’t your doing,” Twilight Sparkle assured. “I know you; you’re a good person. Whatever she’s saying, whatever she’s doing to you, that does not change my feelings about you. You can beat her; you’re stronger. You just need someone who believes in you, and I do! I can never be angry at you nor blame you for anything. You can fight this; you can take control! I’ll always believe in you because… I love you, Starbeam.”

“M-M-Mom…” Starbeam smiled.

With those final words, the aura surrounding Starbeam’s arms began to fade. Slowly but surely, the magic began to disappear.

“That’s right, Starbeam! I love you… I’ll always love you.”

“Mom… I-I’m so sorry… I didn’t want to…”

“No Starbeam, it’s not your fault. You did nothing wrong.”

Seeing this tender moment between mother and daughter, Midnight Sparkle laughed as she observed the two. Either because it was the most predictable choice of words shared between them… or because it was just so pathetic.

“I swear I didn’t mean to do this,” Starbeam spoke. “I’m sor—”

Before she could finish, a fireball strikes Starbeam and sent her flying toward the wall. But unlike before, this fireball had her bound in some magical force preventing her from going anywhere. Starbeam turned her head toward her bonds around her arms, legs, and around her waist, before turning forward in shock.

“Now… Let’s see what she thinks of you for attacking her beloved.”

The look on Sunset Shimmer’s face, raw rage and anger, sent chills down Starbeam’s spine.

“Sunset, wait!” Twilight called out. “She didn’t—”

“I saw everything, Twilight!” Sunset growled. “She was going to—”

“No, she didn’t hurt me! It’s Midnight, she’s controlling our daughter! It’s her doing!”

As Sunset Shimmer took a closer look a her daughter, it dawned on her that Twilight was telling the truth. This was not Midnight Sparkle as she previously thought, but it was truly their frightened daughter. Sunset powered down, releasing the bonds keeping Starbeam in check.

“What happened?” Sunset asked, which was more of a demand rather than a question.

“I came to check on Starbeam when I heard shouting,” Twilight explained. “Her eyes… they started glowing, and she had this terrifying look. Starbeam was really scared—”

“Her eyes glowing,” Sunset repeated, in shock. “Twilight go back to the room. Contact the other Twilight now!”

“Wait, what are you going to—”

“Twilight, please just… just trust me, okay?”

“What about Starbeam?”

“I’ll figure something out. Just write to the other Twilight; I’ll be there soon.”

Reluctantly, Twilight left the room as Starbeam examined herself. Fortunately, her mother’s attack didn’t leave her physically damaged, but it was so scary she couldn’t bear to look up at her mom.

“Starbeam, I’m sorry,” Sunset apologized, closing the door. “I was wrong for reacting that way, that wasn’t fair for you. I really should’ve examined the situation before acting.”

“I-I know…” Starbeam whispered. “I-I understand why; y-you had every right to—”

“No, I didn’t. You didn’t deserve that; I know that now. I’m sorry for not realizing sooner, Starbeam.”

“… So, you broke free of my illusion.”

“Took me a moment, but I knew it was you,” Sunset spoke, turning around. “So how about coming out and showing yourself… Midnight Sparkle?”

And Midnight did just that, appearing before the two women in the flesh… most of it anyway.

“Long time no see, Sunset Shimmer… or should I call you, ‘Daydream Shimmer’?”

“Seems you’ve lost your former look. What are you?”

“That’s for me to know, and you to find out. But you surprise me, Sunset. I wondered how long it would take for you to figure me out… thought you’d be smarter than that.”

“You don’t know me well enough, Midnight.”

“Oh… But I do know you, pretty well actually. You still fear the past will repeat itself. And look at your daughter, look at all the potential she has. She only wants to be ‘free’ and I can show her the way.”

“I’m not buying it, Midnight. If she truly wanted you, she would’ve done so by now.”

“Perhaps… But I do know her better than you think.”

Midnight Sparkle floated towards Starbeam Glitter, looming over the crying young girl. She keeps her head low to avoid her gaze, which only makes Midnight shake her head.

“Look at her, so afraid,” Midnight noted, turning to Sunset. “So scared of her potential and who she’ll hurt next. You feel it too, don’t you Sunset? Her faith is fading, not because she’s afraid of me… and not because of you either. She fears… herself.”

“Don’t listen to her, Starbeam!” Sunset warned. “She’s just trying to make you doubt yourself!”

“Oh Sunset Shimmer, you poor naïve girl,” Midnight shook her head. “What do you hope to accomplish with mince words? She knows she’s a danger to everyone; she knows what she could do in the future. It’s not a matter of if she gives in to her fate, but rather when.”

“You really need to shut your mouth, Midnight!” Sunset snapped. “You say one more thing about my daughter, and I’ll—”

“She’s right, mom,” Starbeam interrupted, looking up tearfully.

“What?” Sunset gasped. “Star, you—”

“Please… w-we both know she’s right, mom. I-I don’t… I d-don’t know w-what I would’ve done… I-If I hurt mom…”

Sunset Shimmer pulled her into a tight hug, not allowing her daughter to finish that sentence.

“No, Starbeam! Midnight’s just messing with you; you did nothing wrong. You can never hurt Twilight, and you know that. She knows that too.”

“But… what if I had? M-My magic can hurt numerous people… even defenseless creatures. I-If I lose control again… I-I won’t just hurt them… I-I’ll kill them all! I… I can’t deal with that… I-I can’t—”

Sunset Shimmer pulled back, looking directly into Starbeam’s eyes.

“Starbeam, stop it! Stop punishing yourself. You’re stronger than that!”

“Denial…” Midnight chirped, causing Sunset to turn. “Do you really believe it won’t happen again? Come now, you saw yourself just how easy it is to manipulate your own daughter. Of course… I’m more than willing to arrange another ‘demonstration’—”

Before Midnight could cease control, a fiery circle surrounds the demoness. Surprised, yet showing no concern, she turns toward Sunset Shimmer, her right arm extended with a fiery glow.

“I’ve heard just enough crap out of you, Midnight!” Sunset frowned. “This stops right now. I won’t let you near my daughter or Twilight or anyone else ever again!”

Before Midnight’s very eyes, Sunset Shimmer transformers into her ‘Daydream’ persona, keeping Starbeam close. Midnight nearly gazed upon her, seemingly impressed by the divine being looming before her.

“You’re really not going to like what happens next!”

“Hmm… Interesting. But if you think I’m going to give up that easily, you’re more foolish than I assumed. With that said… you have my attention Sun—no… ‘Daydream’. Let’s see what you’ve in store for me; I’ll show you mine if you show me yours. But be warned: I’m not one to make the same mistake twice.”

Midnight casts the flames aside with one swipe of her hand. Just as she was about to cast a spell of her own, Daydream Shimmer lunges fireballs toward her direction. Midnight, nearly smiling, sliced the fireballs with her other hand effortlessly.

“Going for the kill already? Very kinky… but two can play at that game!”

More fireballs were hurled towards Midnight, who evaded them as easily as a ballerina. The few she managed to evade were caught under Midnight’s own magic, suspending them in the air. She juggles them around with no use of her hands, turning toward Sunset with a mocking gaze.

“Since you love playing with fire… you can take them back!!”

Daydream Shimmer counters the hurled fireballs Midnight Sparkle tossed back. However, despite her quickness, several fireballs she couldn’t block slipped by her scrapped her and tore the fabric of her dress. Quickly, Daydream casts a barrier around herself and Starbeam, blocking the oncoming attacks.

“Quick thinking as usual… hiding behind your little barrier rather than facing my attacks. Very impressive… Too bad you didn’t shield yourself from everything!”

Just then, a gasp escapes Daydream Shimmer’s lips as a stabbing pain hits her left abdomen. She looks down seeing a blade stuck on her side, her dress seeping red as blood dripped down her leg. She slowly turns as her form shifts back and forth, seeing the shocked expression of her daughter, her eyes glowing purple. Eventually, as she resumes her normal look, a smile forms on Sunset’s face.

“… Heh, real dirty move, Midnight…” Sunset sighed, breathing heavily. “Using my own daughter against me… just to kill me. Heh-heh… I expect nothing less from you. No such thing as a fair fight.”

Starbeam reeled her arm away, as her mother fell back slowly. She managed to catch her mother, leaning so she can lie down gently. Tears swelled upon her eyes, the realization of what she did was as plain as the nose on her face. But when Sunset looked up toward her, there was no ‘disappointment’ in her eyes. But in fact what Starbeam saw was quite the opposite.

“H-Hey, Star…” Sunset replied weakly. “Don’t beat yourself up for this, okay?”

She paused to release a cough, as a hint of blood escaped her lungs.

“I know… this was not your fault…”

“M-Mom… I-I didn’t…” Starbeam cried tearfully. “I’m so sorry!”

“I-I know… I know,” Sunset nodded. “I’m sorry too… I’m sorry I couldn’t protect you.”

Sunset Shimmer could feel her strength slowly seeping away. Her vision turned hazy as she kept her eyes upon Starbeam’s tearful gaze.

“Everything’s… going to be okay, Star. You’re not alone… I-I’m always going to be there for you. Your mom… she’ll be there too. But… you must stay strong, okay? Just be the sweet kid we know you are… don’t… don’t give up…”

“D-Don’t go… please!” Starbeam begged, her tears raining down. “Please, mom! I love you… Don’t leave me!”

“Heh… Guess what they say about dying is true… Stay strong, Star… I’ll be… rooting for you…”

And with those final words, drawn from her very last breath, Sunset’s head leaned back, and her body ceased to move.

“M-Mom…” Starbeam whispered, shaking her mom. “Mom! MOM!!! Please… I’m so sorry.”

All at once, Starbeam Glitter was completely frozen. The fear swelled within her as Sunset’s lifeless body laid upon her arms. For the first time in her life, the little girl didn’t know what to do. She couldn’t save her mother; she couldn’t stop Midnight Sparkle. And now… she was about to lose everyone she loved.

“No… This can’t… This can’t be happening again!” Starbeam shouted. “It can’t end this way! M-Mom…? I’m so sorry. I… I let you down… I let you down again. That’s all I seem to do… I let everyone down… and they get hurt… And why? Because I can’t fight back?! Because I’m so weak?!?!”

Midnight Sparkle simply looked on, amused by the events that had came to pass. She stares at Starbeam, as the little girl belittles herself further, feeling unable to fix ‘anything’ that has already happened.

“N-No… No, stop it!” Starbeam told herself. “You promised her you wouldn’t feel sorry for yourself! That doesn’t accomplish anything, you know that! You have to control yourself!”

Then her eyes popped open, as if she suddenly had an epiphany. There was only ‘one’ thing Starbeam Glitter could do, something she promised she’d never do five years ago.

“… Control… That’s all I can do! Mom, I know you told me not to… and I haven’t done this since, but… If it can bring you back, it’s the only way! This is not your time to die! I may be breaking a promise… but I must save you!”

With no second thought, Starbeam proceeds to conduct her spell. All of space and time around her began to move backwards, even the clock’s numbers began to dial back. A few moments passed before the effects of the spell became too much for Starbeam. Having taken so much, she falls back onto the bed and passed out.

<>

It took a moment for her eyes to open before Starbeam Glitter finally awoke. Panting over the tremendous toll of the spell, Starbeam slowly picked herself up as her strength returned gradually. She turned her head, looking around, seeing that everything had gone back to normal. Well… almost everything.

For standing in that very same corner, not even bothering to stop Starbeam Glitter, she leaned against the wall, her arms folded, and that smirk still present on her face. As if she ‘knew’ Starbeam would conduct this ‘last resort’ and did nothing to prevent her from doing so.

“You really are ‘predictable’, Little Star,” Midnight Sparkle spoke mockingly. “Must be the first time in… five years, was it? You must’ve felt so guilty for your actions that you’d go back on your own word. In the end, that’s how it all comes in full circle: Just ‘one’ path of repetition. Lashing out at your ‘Mama Twi’, fighting against ‘Mama Sunset’, killing Sunset mind you… for a girl who believes strongly in ‘family’, you’d resort to time travel only so you’d never face the repercussions.”

“Shut up…!” Starbeam growled. “I’ve had enough of your lies!”

“I’m the liar? Are you sure?”

“They’re my family! They mean more to me than anything!”

“Really… If they truly mean so much to you, why do your parents still get hurt? If they really meant everything to you, you could’ve stopped me by now. But no… you can’t. For all the power you possess, you refuse to surrender to your destiny. And because of your hesitation, your mother is just going to die over and over and over… and the cycle of repetition continues.”

Midnight Sparkle draws herself close to her, smiling as her presence made Starbeam turn away so as not to face her. With one hand, she effortlessly turned the girl’s face to her so their eyes would meet.

“You are an endangerment to these girls, Little Star,” Midnight stated venomously. “One day, you’ll lose control, they will die… and any feeble attempt to take it back will ‘kill’ you too. That magic of yours will take it’s toll on you, it will be too much for your tiny little frame to handle. And when it does happen, the next time you try to rewind time, you’ll save them… but you won’t be able to save yourself.”

Starbeam’s eyes faced down, nodding her head.

“… You’re right.”

“You see? Only in the end, when the worst has occurred, do you understand.”

“… I never asked for this magic,” Starbeam cried. “I don’t want this anymore! I just want to be a normal girl!”

“But you were never born a normal girl, weren’t you?”

Then, Midnight Sparkle thrust a finger onto Starbeam’s head violently. The girl lashed her head, crying out as she can feel her body shift against her will. What once stood a normal silvery-haired girl with the purple stripes, now a unicorn stood in place as Midnight kept her hold onto her.

“You are a pony created as a result of magic, a sacrifice of a woman trying to avoid her own mistakes! They raise you as a human just so you can ‘pretend’ to be normal, yet your magic says otherwise. You had to learn the truth eventually; whether you accept or not, you will never be a normal girl... You will never be... human.”

“My magic… it hurts them,” Starbeam strained. “I don’t want that anymore! I intend to fix this, one way or another. To make sure no one, neither human nor pony, gets hurt because of me!”

“Aren’t we being ‘noble’ so suddenly? And how, pray tell, do you plan to do that?”

“Because I’m going to do what neither of my parents could ever do,” Starbeam declared, staring fiercely. “I’m going to destroy you; rid my family of the shadows for good! It may not be today nor tomorrow, not a week or month or year, but I will destroy you! I will bask you so deep into the light, I’ll use all the magic I have to do it… as much as it would break my family’s heart. But I will fight you, this is my battle to win and I refuse to have anyone solve my problems for me!”

It was only a matter of time before Midnight’s body started to fade, so much show her own hand disappeared from Starbeam’s head and the illusion of her own pony form fades. As Starbeam resumes her humanity, Midnight stares upon her fading hand as if realizing what was happening to her.

“Seems there’s still a limit to my form,” Midnight observed. “No matter, we will finish where we left off in due time. But before I take my leave, little star, listen closely… For I am only going to tell you just this once.”

Midnight Sparkle leaned her head toward Starbeam’s ears, whispering silently her final words as the young girl stood silently and attentive.

<>

During which time, Sunset Shimmer woke up in her own bed. She looks around the room as if it were suddenly coming together.

“This feels… familiar,” Sunset thought. “I’m still alive. But… was it all just a dream?”

Sunset Shimmer turned beside her, seeing Twilight’s sleeping frame upon the bed. Her wife lying completely unaware of what had transpired. Even the moment when she was told to contact the Other Twilight Sparkle.

“No…” Sunset shook her head. “That was real… Midnight was there. But if I’m here, that means Starbeam…”

Sunset’s eyes lit up, as she got up from the bed.

“Starbeam!” Sunset whispered aloud. “She needs me!”

Quickly yet quietly, Sunset Shimmer left the bedroom while her life barely stirred from the commotion.

<>

“Keep those words in mind, little star,” Midnight Sparkle advised. “Next time we meet… it will be our last.”

No sooner did Midnight Sparkle say that before she completely vanished without a trace. Starbeam Glitter looked around the room, but without question not a single bit of Midnight’s presence could be found. With Midnight nowhere in sight, Starbeam quickly bolted from the bed and rushed toward the bedroom door. She had just opened the door, to suddenly run into a rather surprised Sunset Shimmer.

“Starbeam… thank goodness you’re—”

But not waiting for her mom to finish, with no other word, Starbeam Glitter raced toward Sunset Shimmer and hugged her. The little girl sobbed uncontrollably, as she pressed her face upon her mother’s chest while Sunset carefully hugged her close.

“Star, did she hurt you?”

Starbeam nodded her head.

“You turned back time didn’t you?” Sunset asked, sighing. “Starbeam, we talked about this. That was extremely risky of you. She could’ve taken control, all of time would’ve been erased—”

“I know…I know!” Starbeam cried, her voice cracking. “I’m sorry I broke my promise; you told me not to do it again. But… I couldn’t let you die, not again! I’ve seen it too many times in my dreams and it nearly came true more than once! I don’t want you or mom or anyone else hurt again because of me. I’m sorry mom… I know what I must do. I promise, no one is going to get hurt anymore.”

Sunset Shimmer smiled, not so much because of Starbeam’s words but because of ‘how’ she said it. She raised Starbeam’s face, rubbing her head.

“Starbeam Glitter, no more apologies from you,” Sunset declared. “You are very sweet when you are determined, but I don’t want you to try to change. The only way to move forward is to realize whatever we face, neither you nor I are going to face this alone. All we have is each other.”

Starbeam Glitter slowly nodded her head, if only to show her mother that she at least heard what she said.

“But for what it’s worth,” Sunset continued. “Thanks for saving me, kiddo.”

“… I love you, mom,” Starbeam whispered.

“I love you too… Starbeam.”