Starlight sighs. I hate trains; she thinks sourly. Too noisy and cramped. She levitates her coffee to her lips and takes a deep drink. Nice and warm. And long. So long. Even if this one is more like a tram. Especially if this one is more like a tram. Her experiences with trams are… subpar, to say the least.

The countryside flew by, and for once it started looking different. Well, as different as grass and tress can be. An excited Starlight knows that means she is close to Ponyville. She gathers her camera and notes, making sure to properly hide the AK and ski mask. Can't let those get out. She pops open her pill bottle and downs the remaining three capsules of joy. "Ahh…" Her headache flies away as she sighs blissfully.

Manhattan is an exhausting place. It is dirty, smelly, and cramped. But that is where here… 'family' choose to live, so that is where she travels every now and then. Heh, if only.

The train starts to slow to a halt. Starlight gets out of her seat and pushes past two stallions to get to the door. One gives her a dirty glare, but she ignores it. I could send him cowering if I wanted! She cringes at the internal dialogue.

The station only has a few ponies, as per usual. As the train slows, Starlight hops out and walks off, even though she just broke at least three rules. They won't catch me. At least that's what she tells herself. And if they do… her fake tooth is feeling extra bulgy today, the cyanide having just been swapped out.

The town looks eerie in the dark. It looked much better when she left a month ago; it was noon then. Starlight trots on through the town; past Sugarcube Corner, various houses, a few shops… she reaches the doors to the Crystal Palace, knocking on them.

She receives no answer. Hm… Testing the lock causes the door to lazily swing aside. Feeling her nerves build, Starlight creeps inside, putting on her mask. This isn't right. Twilight knows I return today.

She hears four stallions from the kitchen. What?! Is Twilight being robbed?! She hurries a bit too quickly and hits a bookshelf with her leg. "Ow!" She stumbles to the side.

The voices from the kitchen stop. Before she knows it, the lights are on, and a stallion peers at her from the kitchen. "Company!" He shouts with an unusual accent.

"Stop, thieves, or I'll-" Starlight gets pushed from her left flank. "Wha?!" This is supposed to be my time off! "Twilight!" Starlight screams. "Help!" She struggles desperately. Not like this!

One stallion takes her pack off as the one that hit her pins her down, eyeing her greedily. "Eh, this bitch looks bloody-" Another stallion slaps him. "Oh, come on! Fine, I'll stop!" He shoots a dirty glare at the other stallion.

No matter how much she squirms, Starlight is stuck. "Twi-" she screams before getting slapped. A tear starts to form as she prepares to be violated.

"I have ears! Sheesh!" The stallion stops for a second. "Wait, why do you want Twilight down here?!"

"What the he- Oh shit!" Twilight groans. "It's already today?! I'm sorry, Star!"

After receiving a glare from Twilight, the stallion on top of Starlight stallion lets her go. "Yeah, yeah. Do be careful though eh?" With a chuckle, he heads over to his friends. "Ooh, nice,"

"Where you deploy?" The first stallion asks.

"Hm?" Starlight asks. She breaks into a sweat as she sees him holding the AK.

"Is AK-74, nyet? Where you fight?" He asks again. He smiles warmly. "If not want to talk, is ok…"

Twilight freezes. "She's… not a soldier…" She struggles to understand what she is watching.

"Ah. Ivan take gun then," Ivan stops to look at the stock, pondering. "If no soldier, then why fifty scratches?"

Starlight freezes colder than Twilight, not even breathing. Oh fuck.

"Star…?" Twilight asks questioningly.

"Uh…" Starlight sighs in frustration, putting a hoof to her temple. "Just please know I didn't want to do any of this, ok?"

"What are yo-"

"Why do you think that I'm away whenever there's a bombing, or a kidnapping?" Starlight slumps into a chair, tears starting to flow.

"Coincidence. Why?"

"It's not! I did that subway in the news last week! I bombed that village in the mountains a year ago! And I… I participated in 9/12!"

Twilight lets out a horrified gasp. "But... why?!" The hurt in her voice is clear. 9/12 was a horrific bombing, killing at least a thousand ponies. Her eyes filling with tears, Twilight asks "Why?!"

"You know the Twilight Orphanage? A thousand foals living in there?!" A nod. "They have that place rigged to blow when I don't comply!" A tear splashes against the floor. "Fuck me!" She slams the table, cracking wood.

Trixie comes down the stairs. "Star…?"

"Don't come close!" Starlight warns. Trixie backs away hesitantly, turning to round the corner. "Fuck…"

"So, you're a terrorist?" James asks, rolling a zero for charisma.

"Well spotted, fuckface! As if the AK and my ski mask don't make it obvious!"

"Terrorism isn't always bad," James says to a surprised Starlight. And Twilight. "It depends on who you are terrorizing,"

"Anyone! Anywhere! I don't know why, but they want me to cause chaos!" She punches a bookshelf. "How could that be good?!"

"Had Twilight told you about nazis yet?" Hans asks.

"No…"

"Well, I'd bomb 'em and laugh," James says. "Twice, actually. With a really big bomb. Ok, a nuke,"

"Point is, you have a reason," Hans says, sympathizing. "A good one. Now, tell us more about this organization that forced your hand… er, hoof…,"

"I…" Starlight takes a deep breath. "Ok. Some far-right group, they want chaos. They call themselves the 'UNSMP', or 'United National Socialist Mare's Party,"

"Well shit," Tommy says. "Bloody buggers got here too, eh?"

"Da. Is… concerning," Ivan takes a swig of vodka. "Blyat,"

"They seem rather authoritarian, but they don't discriminate against any groups. They just want power, I think,"

All four humans sigh in relief. "Thought we were buggered for a second there,"

"A-anyways, they bomb buildings, blow up trams… shoot up towns… burn… schools…" Starlight realizes what she has been doing. "I guess I do too, huh?" A dark chuckle. "You know what? Kill me now. It'll save the executioner's time,"

James moves forward and puts a hoof on her shoulder. "Ya know…" He retracts the hoof. "Sorry, unstable footing. As I was saying, we don't blame you," A pair of tear filled eyes look up at him. She's pretty. Uh, hold on… "You have a legitimate reasoning, and I'm sure purple princess power here will have a cop squad on the scene tomorrow,"

"Cops are…?" Twilight asks, intrigued.

"Police,"

"Those are…?"

James frowns. "Law enforcement,"

"Ok," Twilight heads to Spike's room. "Hey! Send this to Celestia! Now, we can save lives!" She scrambles into the next room.

"Well…" James turns back to Starlight. "Point is, you're gonna be fine. Don't beat yourself up about it,"

"But you don't understand! I killed ponies!"

"…We need to have a talk tomorrow if Twilight withheld that much,"

AN HOUR LATER

Starlight gnaws at her pillow. She is currently stuck in a nightmare. Just like most nights, her prominent role in 9/12 was tonight's subject.

DREAM WORLD

It is all vivid, those poor firefighters lined against the wall… she lines up her sights. Her gaze settles on the one with an eyepatch. His one eye looks full of fear. He shakes, looking as if he was about to run. She squeezes the trigger, watching the splash of blood.

A few minutes later, she heard the foal cry out in joy from her hiding spot around the corner. "Daddy? Daddy! Come out Daddy!" A giggle. "Stop playing Daddy! I wanna go home! Daddy?" The foal's voice starts shaking. "Daddy, get up!"

"Hey, wha- oh my," Another firefighter arrived in the scene. "Come on kid, we'll get your Dad soon,"

"But Daddy! Come on!" A whine. "Daddy! Come back! No! Let me see my-"

REAL WORLD

Starlight wakes up, screaming. She quickly quiets herself and tries to bury her face in her pillow. It doesn't keep the memories out, however, as she numbs herself to the pain.

After a minute, the door creaks open. Starlight looks up, tears flowing freely, as James gets on the bed. "Hey, move over. I need space too," Starlight scotches over.

"What are you gonna do to me?" Starlight whispers, barely being heard. Is he gonna…

"I'm gonna stay here and wake you up if you get troubled," James smiles warmly.

"But you need sleep, right?"

"I can last a day," James says dismissively. "Plus, you need help, and I ain't gonna let ya scream again,"

"I…" Starlight sigh, wiping away her final tears. "Okay,"

A tense minute passes as the two adjust to having an extra pony. Eventually, Starlight shyly says "Hey… I wouldn't mind it if we… um… had to touch…"

"Very nice, but no nee-"

"Please cuddle me," Starlight slips out. Her cheeks are bright red as James smiles. "I'm sorry, I"

"Sure," He slides under the sheets and wraps two hooves around Starlight. "Like this?" She's so cute… oi, what the fuck!

"Yeah, just like that…" Starlight nuzzles him. So cuddly. She wraps her own hooves around him. A tense minute passes as they lay in each other's arms. "I want to know… why?"

"Hm?" James waits for her to answer.

"I mean… why… did you just… accept me?"

"Well, why not?" James smiles softly.

"I'm a terrorist. A monster. I killed fifty ponies. I-" Starlight starts to hyperventilate.

"Saved a thousand kids - no, foals," James corrects himself. "That justifies it to me,"

"Yes, but… how do I live with this?" Starlight sounds apprehensive. Mm, so warm…

"You make some friends and buckle down,"

"But.. how would you know?!" She lets a tear slip free.

"I'll answer tomorrow, now sleep,"

"Fine," Starlight sighs and snuggles closer. James looks at her, heart warming. So adorable… ok we need to talk. Eventually Starlight relents to the demanding of Luna's realm. However, this time she felt warm and safe. No matter what was thrown her way, she would withstand with a smile.

Author's Note

Yes, UNSMP is based on the NSDAP (Nationalist Socialist Deutches Arbeit Party, or Nazi party).

Twilight: vibes
Me: Today on Bottom gear: Pony edition, the Diarchs are secret lovers, Starlight Glimmer is a far right terrorist, and there are three (+) ponies in Equestria ready to die! (Warning: budget does not exceed ¥23)