Exquisite Corpse: Forever Together

Chapters

Chapter 1 (Atom Smash)
Chapter 2 (Buttery Bisuit)
Chapter 3 (QueenChrysalisForever)
Chapter 4 (short tale)
Chapter 6 (Jarvy Jared)
Chapter 8 (Ninjadeadbeard)
Chapter 9 (Lone Writer)
Chapter 10 (Stinium_Ruide)
Chapter 11 (Armid)
Chapter 12 (Arkane12)
Chapter 13 (iAmSiNnEr)
Chapter 14 (SwordTune)
Chapter 5 (Nailah)
Chapter 7 (Firefoxino)

Chapter 1 (Atom Smash)

Starlight Glimmer was bored. She looked at the clock and sighed. Ten more minutes, only ten more bloody minutes and her torture would end.

"Ugh." She let out a groan and the teacher looked up from her paperwork with a stern expression.

"Yes, I know it's boring." The teacher chided. "But detention wouldn't be a punishment if it was fun would it."

Starlight just huffed. She wanted to say something, but she knew Ms. Sunflower wouldn't listen.

It wasn't her fault she was stuck here. It was those bullies. They thought they were sooo special with their cutie marks and their talents. Wohoo, Bucker could kick a hoofball really far and hit a goal, and somehow felt that made him better than Starlight and Sunburst. What an ass.

She didn't say that last part out loud of course, instead she levied the most pleading look she could manage as she met the teacher's eyes.

"Please." She mouthed. "It's only…" She threw a quick glance at the clock. "... Nine minutes and forty three seconds left."

The teacher shook her head, but Starlight saw a smile in the corner of her mouth as Starlight began to count down.

"Nine minutes and forty seconds. Nine minutes and thirty eight seconds."

The teacher glowered at her.

"Nine minutes and thirty f-five seconds." She continued, suppressing her own smile.

"Nine minutes and thirty three sec-"

"Young lady." The teacher cut her off. Yes! Starlight felt that victory was near, so she offered a truce. She stopped counting and just smiled at the teacher who cracked.

"Youn lady…" The reacher began again, and then gave up. She marked the page and closed her book with a sigh.

"Alright, we can end early this time." The old teacher muttered and stretched, wincing as her koints popped. "This time." She finished with a growl.

"Thanks." Starlight returned the glower with a smile of practiced innocence. She had always been good at making ponies see things her way. Maybe that would be her special talent some day?

The teacher just shook her head. "And no more fighting in the schoolyard."

"I promise." Starlight lied. She totally would if Bucker and his friends dared to pick on her friend again, but the teacher didn't need to know that.

Ms Sunflower didn't seem too convinced but grumbled and waved Starlight out of the room as she began to stuff the book she had been reading into her saddlebags.

"See you tomorrow!" Starlight called before galloping out, just to get the last word in.

The sun struk Starlight as she emerged from the dark cramped schoolhouse and she nearly found herself running into her own personal sun.

"Woah, careful." Sunburst exclaimed as she stopped short just in front of him.

"Sunburst!" Starlight exclaimed and hugged him. "You waited!"

"Well of course I did." He mumbled, blushing slightly at her display of affection. He always blushed when she hugged him, and stammered too. It was soo cute.

"I said I would, didn't I?" He said when she finally let him go.

"I mean, you got into trouble for helping me. It's only fair I wait too. Besides." He tapped his saddlebag. "I got done with my homework while you were in detention so we can play after dinner."

Ugh, homework! Starlight applied a hoof to her face. "I forgot about that."

A pleading look at her friend and he stood by her.

"It's okay, I'll help you." He said like a valiant knight, saving her from yet another history essay.

"You're the best!" Starlight exclaimed and gave him another hug.

"Well of course." This time he hugged her back, awkwardly. "You're my friend, right."

"Mmhm." Starlight replied. "And you're my best friend."

"R-really?" The yellow colt shone at that. "Thanks."

"And we'll always be together?" Starlight asked, breaking the hug and looking at him with her most winning eyes.

"Of course." He replied, some more confidence in his voice now.

"Promise?" Starlight pressed.

"I promise." He chuckled and then did the motions for a pinkie promise.

Starlight cheered, that felt reassuring. Detention had proved how boring life would be if she didn't have her best friend to hang out with, she never wanted to experience that again.

Sunburst joined in with her laughter and bumped her.

"Hey, our parents are probably getting worried soon, race you home?"

"Mhm." Starlight nodded and bent to take a starting position, only to notice that Sunburst had already started running.

"Not fair!" She called as she set off after him. "We're supposed to start from the same time!"

The colt only laughed, but slowed down enough for her to catch up. He really was the best friend a filly could ask for.

Author's Note

Written by Atom Smash.

Chapter 2 (Buttery Bisuit)

Starlight trotted next to Sunburst, they had started out racing each other home. Now they were tired of running, it was several miles back. They constantly hung out after school, spending time together, playing, doing homework, and snuggling. The two were inseparable, stuck together like glue.

Starlight smiled at her friend, leaning against him, feeling the beat of his steady heart, the warmth coming off his hide. Starlight thought about their situation, “I’m happy he’s here. I couldn’t imagine living this way without him.”

All those foals ganged up on them, day in and out, neither of them seemed to ever catch a break, not from them, not from the teachers. It was as if the whole world was against them. Like the fact that they were the last blank flanks of their class and they were unusually old to be blank flanks. It brought them closer together in the end but some days it was just so hard, hard to believe it would get any better.

“Maybe it's worth it, maybe this is a sign we’ll be best friends forever.” Starlight thought as she stared at the ground, watching her small purple hooves kick up dust. All Starlight could do is hope, hope that this meant something. Maybe they had to get their cutie marks together and that's why it was so hard. Was that possible? Twin cutie marks?

“Destined friends,” she thought with a smile. Wouldn't that be something? Starlight closed her eyes and stayed in this wonderful fleeting moment of hope, faith, belief. Her heart fluttered, and it felt like she was walking on clouds. Starlight’s hide was prickling the same way if she were to loafi under a warm summer sun. All she had to do was trust in her friendship, and that's what she did.

“HEY!”

As soon as Starlight heard her voice, that wonderful feeling was gone. Starlight went from walking on clouds to treading on burning hot coals. She trembled in place and looked up at the three worst foals she knew. Starlight gulped down hard, voice caught in her throat and she pressed herself into Sunburst.

“It’s the blank flanks! Didn’t get your cutie mark today either? What a surprise!” The leader of the three young foals spat at Starlight. Light pink, purple hair, earth pony with a chef hat cutie mark. She stood several feet away on the dirt road, her muzzle painted with smug satisfaction.

“Yea,” her entourage yelled back in unison. Two other earth ponies, one blue and green one with a spoon cutie mark. The other red and yellow with a rolling pin cutie mark. They stood behind the pink earth pony with that same expression.

Sunburst trembled next to Starlight, wrapping a hoof around her as he yelled. “W-w-w-we W-w-w will!” He stuttered, a condition he was born with.

“N-n-n-o, No. No, you won't!” The pink earth pony, Icing, mocked then laughed a hearty but malicled laugh. “You won't because you're sick!”

“What, no- we're fine, see” Starlight yelled as she trotted in place, muscles below her hide shifting, in unison, her breath steady. “See we’re perfectly fine, meany.” SHe stated, spotting a smug grin, she wasn't gonna let this bully get the best of her so easily.

“No, you're sick, that's why no pony goes near you! You're infecting ponies with Blankflankis and every pony knows it.”

“What,” Starlight and Sunburst asked, eyes widening, heart thudding in their ears.

“That’s your special talent, being losers, blank flanks forever.” Icing laughed harder, “no cutie marks for looser ponies.”

Starlight trotted toward her, one purple hoof in front of another, shaking as she made her way to the bully. If she could prove them wrong, maybe they would leave them alone, “that's not true, let me show you-” She planned on arguing that there was no such talent but was quickly interrupted.

“NO, GET AWAY.” Icing squealed as she trotted the other way, so fast it would have given onlookers whiplash. Her posey practically on her tail as they followed her.

“You got everyone around you sick, you’ll get us sick. You’ll make our cutie marks go away.” Icing’s voice trailed off as she and her crew bolted down the old dusty road leaving behind a tear-stained Starlight and a shaking Sunburst.

“Do-do -don’t listen to them Star-star-star-light, they are just big b-b-bullies, jealous b-b-bullies. We have true fr-fr-friendship, not like them. We’ll be fr-fr-friends no matter what happens. We’ll always be fr-fr-friends.” Sunburst said as he wiped the tears from Starlight's muzzle.

Starlight leaned against the only pony who meant anything to her life. Her mother had passed and her father never home, it only left her Sunburst. She wrapped her hooves around him so tightly, like he'd float away if she let go. Starlight didn’t need a cutie mark, she didn't need more friends, she didn’t need to be popular. All she needed was Sunburst to be happy.

She didn’t care who they would become, what they did. As long as they were together, living life with each other. Cutie marks were overrated anyway, just look at how they drove her and Sunburst apart from others, maybe that was her future cutie mark. To bring those together, to bring equality, love, and understanding back into pony's hearts.

She smiled at the thought. What a world that would be, what a destiny, bringing creatures together through love and understanding and magic. She could see a future in that, and Sunburst would help her accident that future, she was sure of it.

Author's Note

Written by Buttery Bisuit.

Chapter 3 (QueenChrysalisForever)

As the young Sunburst and Starlight trotted through town, their bellies began to rumble. “S-should we return to m-my place for lunch?” Sunburst asked, his mind still on those cruel fillies. They were sure to get their cutie marks soon, he just knew it! Starlight was so smart and funny, if anything, he was sure she would get hers first. He just wished they would stop teasing about his stutter. There was a chance he would grow out of it, right?

“Well, I am rather hungry,” Starlight admitted with a grin. “What do you think your mom has made for us today?” She turned to the right and started trotting down the path to Sunburst’s home. Sire’s Hollow was beautiful this time of year, the perfect, balmy, weather; lush green grasses and hardly a cloud in the sky. Perfect weather for finding out their cutie marks. Even if that hadn’t worked out for them today.

“H-hopefully Mac and Cheese,” Sunburst mumbled, his stomach gave another growl as he followed Starlight. “The p-p-perfect food to h-help us g-get back out there and get our cutie marks!” His ears lowered and he let out a sigh. “D-d-do you think Icing is r-right?” he suddenly asked and bit his lip nervously. “D-do we keep ponies from getting their c-cutie marks? Or worse! T-t-t-take them from th-th-them?” What if that little filly was right? What then?

“Nah, that couldn’t happen!” Starlight said waving the idea away with her hoof. “Have you ever read about such a cutie mark magic in all our books? I know I haven’t.”

“L-lets go to the bookstore a-after lunch t-then? M-m-maybe a book th-there would say something?”

“Sure, I’m always up for some new books. Will just have to make sure Dad left me my allowance.” She rolled her eyes and mumbled a barely intelligible, “if he didn’t forget for the tenth time this year.”

They paused in front of Sunburst’s home, lifting their muzzles to the scent of fresh mac and cheese and garlic parmesan sweet potatoes. Licking their lips, the two hurried inside and to the kitchen, where Sunburst’s mom, Stellar Flare, was just placing a big plate for each of them on the wooden table. She carefully laid down a fork for each of them and a sunny yellow napkin.

“Good timing, you two,” she beamed and slid an apron covered in sunflowers off and onto a hook near the door. “Any luck with cutie marks today?” She turned to Sunburst as his ears wilted once more and he frowned, then shook his head. “You did bring the checklist I made for you, hmm? Of ideas of things to try? I know how hard it can be to think of what you are good at yourself, dear.”

Sunburst sighed and nodded. “Y-yes mom, we d-did. Still no l-luck though.”

“Aww I’m sure you’ll figure it out soon enough. After all, you two are so smart!” She wrapped a hoof around each of them and gave them a quick hug. “I’ll go make another list of ideas while you eat. Remember Sunburst, chew 32 times before you swallow!” she chirped and with a flick of her tail trotted out of the room.

“I wish my dad was as attentive as your mother,” Starlight sighed, twirling her fork in her mac and cheese before she lifted it and took a bite.

“N-no you don’t. It’s e-e-embarrassing.” Sunburst groaned and took a forkful of sweet potatoes, mentally chiding himself when he only chewed 30 times before swallowing.

“Better than a father who’s never there,” she grumbled. They ate in silence for a few minutes, the only sound the clinking of their forks against their plates, before Starlight spoke up again. “I wish I could do something about those bullies. It’s no fair of them to make fun of your stutter. You can’t help it!”

“M-m-maybe if we just ig-ig-ignore them they will s-s-stop?” Sunburst suggested, even though he knew the idea was crazy. It hadn’t worked in the past after all.

“No,” Starlight shook her head and pounded a hoof on the table. “That has never worked. We need something better, something that will... scare them! Yes! Scare them so much they’ll never bother us again!”

“I-I-I’m not much for the S-s-scary, Starlight, y-you know that.” Sunburst rolled his forehooves together and glanced down at the floor. “I c-can’t even handle s-sc-scary movies.”

“Oh, but it will be us doing the scaring, so we should be fine!” She rubbed her forehooves together and smiled gleefully. Then, she turned back to her meal and began to wolf it down. “Come on Sunburst, hurry and eat! We really need to get down to that bookstore!” She said in-between bites.

“O-okay, b-b-ut I have a b-bad f-feeling about this,” Sunburst mumbled as he tucked into his meal as well.

Author's Note

Written by QueenChrysalisForever.

Chapter 4 (short tale)

Starlight wasn’t sure how to scare a pony but knew it would have to involve magic. Was there anything that was worth doing that didn’t? There was a plan forming in her head. Well not so much a plan but an inkling of a plan. That’s good enough. She looked at her comrade in arms Sunburst as he tried to keep in time with her expedient eating.

Sunburst caught the wicked gleam in her eye. He knew that she wasn’t going to let the idea of scaring the bullies alone. He also knew that whether he wanted to or not, he was getting roped into it. He finished the 32 chews his mother instructed and prepared to leave.

The pair scrambled out the door while Sunburst’s mother called after them. “Wait, Sunburst, you forgot the list! Oh, did you think of an idea yourself? Good luck finding your cutie marks!”

“D-d-do you think we w-w-will get our cutie marks for this?” Sunburst asked tentatively.

“Maybe. Only one way to find out,” Starlight answered as her little legs directed her towards the beloved bookstore.

The bookstore was almost like a second home to Starlight. Or maybe a first home in hindsight. She and her father spent more time there than the humble abode they both shared. The jingling of the small door chime happily announced their presence. And the bookstore owner happily greeted her new patrons. Until she saw who they were.

“Welcome to.. oh, it’s you. He’s in the back. Again. Unless you’re here for yourself this time,” said the owner with a blazé expression. “If so, make sure you put it all back. I don’t want to pick up after two ponies.”

Starlight sighed. She made her way to the back where she knew her father would be. Best to talk to him first rather than waiting for him to sneak up behind her. Again.

“I know what you’re going to, Starlight,” said a commanding voice that Starlight knew too well.

“L-L-L-Lucky Star,” Sunburst stammered. His stutter got worse around her for some reason. Starlight felt a little annoyed by that.

“Sunburst, causing such trouble is unfitting for you,” Lucky Star said, arching her neck high in the air.

“Stop scaring him, Lucky,” Starlight said standing in front of her friend. Sunburst stepped back a few paces. He didn’t like some pony else standing up for him.

“That’s cute. But I’m not trying to scare him, just warn him,” Lucky Star said with a sigh.

“Oh right, you're ‘seeing the future’ thing,” Starlight mocked. She didn’t like other ponies looking down on her or Sunburst. If only everypony treated each other equally.

“I do not ‘see the future’. I just read the stars. That’s where my cutie mark came from.”

“Well if you know the future then you know I’m not going to listen to you and do what I want anyway,” Starlight reasoned, puffing out her chest. It was as sound as any logic she heard before.

“I do know that,” Lucky said with a sigh. “I also know what you’re looking for is on page 263. Bye.”

The obnoxious trotted off with head still high in the air and a look of disinterest plastered on her face.

“Muffin! Is that you?”a well known voice called from behind the book stacks.

“Hi Dad!” Starlight said with enthusiasm. She always liked the pet names he called her. It made her feel special.

“H-h-Hi S-S-S-Starlight’s Dad,” Sunburst greeted. He always had the most trouble with the “s”s.

“You missed lunch again!” berated the annoyed unicorn filly.

“I did?” Firelight said bewildered. He looked at a nearby clock as his daughter stared at him down with that judging gaze. He never gets good judgement from that face it seems. “Oh I’m sorry I got caught up in the history of Galloping Gorge. It’s fascinating! Did you know that it was once a proving ground for young buffalo?”

“Dad! I don’t care about that boring history stuff,” whined the little filly. “I need you to focus. Now go! Eat! The gorge can wait!”

“Oh, uh, sure Pumpkin,” Firelight sheepishly. “What did you want?”

“I already ate Dad! At Sunburst’s house.”

“Oh! Well as long as you’re not hungry..”

“No Dad!” Starlight shouted, the vein in her head pulsing. “Go! Eat! Now!”

She directed him out of the store with her hoof and watched the defeated historian relent. He slowly got up and marched towards the exit. Starlight couldn’t help but notice the sad backward glance he gave the book and not her. It stung.

Starlight took a few calming breaths and turned back to Sunburst with renewed vigor. “Alright let’s find that spell,” she said, rubbing her hooves together.

Book after book, word after word, the search continued. Sunburst was getting antsy. His mother wanted him home precisely at sundown and the sun hung low on the horizon. He was just about to voice his concern when Starlight shouted.

“I found it!”

“W-W-W?”

Starlight didn’t wait until he got the word out. She knew the question. She excitedly thrust a book into his hooves.

“You’ll summon a Peryton!”

“B-b-but I can’t..”

“Oh I'll take care of the summoning but we’ll make it look like you did it,” she interjected again.

“B-b-b-But I can’t even look at a picture of a Peryton,” Sunburst finally blurted.

“Close your eyes then,” Starlight said off-handedly. “When those bullies see that you can summon a peryton with your eyes closed. They’ll never make fun of your stutter again! We might even get our cutie marks in sorcery!”

Sunburst’s head was swimming. Had Starlight lost her mind? A peryton was a deer-headed bird of death! Even the strongest ponies had trouble with those. He would need to find a way to stop her. Or find a way to stop the peryton at least. That might be easier.

“And smarty pants Lucky Star was wrong!” Starlight proudly declared. “I found it on page 265.”

“Uh S-S-Starlight,” Sunburst said, staring at the book. The remark caused an eyebrow to rise from his companion. “The bottom of the page was dog-eared. It was on page 263.”

“Aww horseapples. Well, it still doesn’t mean she can see the future.”

Author's Note

Written by short tale.

Chapter 6 (Jarvy Jared)

Sunburst didn’t stop running until well after he’d cleared the final edge of Sire’s Hollow, and even then, he continued, rushing blindly ahead. He barely noticed the wetness in his eyes, and even then, he would more than likely have attributed it to the fierce wind which took up beside him than anything else.

He ran without thinking, unaware of where he was, until finally he stepped awkwardly across a series of rocks jutting out from the dirt and tripped, sailing through the air momentarily before landing in a crumpled heap against the hard soil.

A cloud of dust rose around him. Sunburst was slow to right himself, rubbing his head and groaning. His vision swirled for a moment, and he had to close his eyes and wait for it all to settle.

Once he did, he was able to open his eyes and see his surroundings.

He was in the middle of a densely wooded area, surrounded on all sides by thick, twisting trunks and vines that hung like snakes from the branches. Faintly he could hear small woodland critters—he hoped they were small—scuttling about in the undergrowth, and a few curious birds watched him from their nests. Far off, there was the sound of water running—a river, then, or a brook, or a stream—words and terms entered his mind with such rapidity that it hurt, and he closed his eyes, again overcome.

He opened them again. It was the water, the birds, the critters, the woods, and himself. Nothing more nor less.

Alone, he felt his heart calm, but still his mind was racing.

“Oh, Starlight,” he murmured. “Starlight, Starlight, Starlight… what have you done?”

He had other questions. The first was where on Equestria had Starlight gotten that magical book. As far as he knew, no library in Sire’s Hollow would have given a pony a book that would have allowed them to summon something as dangerous as the Peryton, let alone a filly without a Cutie Mark. He supposed he could try and track down its origin through a bit of muddled investigating on his own, but would there be time?

That brought him to his second question, and by far the most important: What was he going to do?

Sunburst looked around him as though searching for an answer in the foliage. He had nowhere near the magical capability that Starlight had. If that Peryton had even a fraction of her power, he doubted he’d be able to go against it directly. But still, something had to be done. Innocent ponies and not-so-innocent ponies would get hurt.

But maybe they deserve it.

The harshness of that thought forced him to raise his head, as though somepony else had said it aloud; but it was still just him in that undergrowth, alone, frightened, confused.

After all, the Peryton had the direct order to stop anypony who was bullying Sunburst. Surely that meant it would only single out those who’d been doing the bullying in the first place.

But magic was unpredictable, and summoning eldritch abominations like the Peryton had a nasty habit of not obeying the laws of common sense. Starlight was powerful, but could she really control something whose existence defied the nature of the universe?

Think, Sunburst! Think!

Thinking got you into this mess in the first place! came another thought, another voice. It was his, but distorted, bitter-sounding, aciding in taste. If you hadn’t said anything, Starlight wouldn’t have thought this was necessary!

“That doesn’t mean she should have done this,” he said, in a voice that echoed off of the trees and into the darkness beyond. Nearby, there was a flurry of movement as something unseen, scared, scurried off.

No, but now she has. It’s all over, anyhow, the voice continued. There’s no going back. The town’s lost. You might as well run.

“I can’t just run!”

You can and you must. You can’t go back there. There’s nothing there left for you.

“There’s Starlight—”

She’s on her own. She’s made her bed. She knows what she wanted to do and has done it. Now you have an opportunity to get away from her, from what she’s done. You must take it!

That voice seemed to echo in the real world. It bounced off of the leaves and whispered between the branches and darted between the great, elongated shadows. It echoed that singular statement over and over: You must take it, you must take it, you must take it…

“No!”

Sunburst stomped his hoof. A cloud of dust rose around him. “I can’t just abandon my home! I can’t just abandon my friend!”

It’s lost, it’s lost, it’s already lost.

“I refuse to believe that!” Consciously, he knew he was just talking to himself, or rather, to nothing at all, yet this voice had a presence to it—a somber, haunting presence, like that of the dead unwilling to depart peacefully for the world beyond the living.

Somewhere without, the eyes of curious animals returned to that clearing, to watch this strange pony talk to the air. They gathered at the edges, wondering.

Believe what you want, the voice continued. It matters not. The town is lost. Your friend is no longer your friend.

“Why? Just because she made a mistake?”

She has acted rashly. It would be foolish to think—

“She’s my friend! That doesn’t change because she made a mistake! If anything, that gives me more reason to return—to help her fix this mistake!”

Fool! the voice hissed. With it there came a burst of wind, so cold that it might have come from the distant north. The wind bit Sunburst’s skin and triggered some primal urge in him to flee, but he grit his teeth and held his ground. She has forsaken you and reason! You don’t need her anymore. You don’t need anypony—

“It’s not about need!” Sunburst shouted. He felt his glasses slip, but he didn’t care. He turned in a circle, as though seeking out the voice’s speaker. “It’s about doing what’s right because it’s right, and that’s the only reason any pony dumb enough to be friends with anypony else needs in order to help his friend!”

A hush came over the world. The birds and animals who’d been watching quieted and seemed to melt into the dense greenery. Even the river, which had been bubbling somewhere distant, seemed to stop, frozen by the force of Sunburst’s words.

He was breathing heavily, he realized. And sweating, too—it was a hot day, and the lushness of the forest insulated the area like an enclosed chamber. That seemed important to him—but he could not recall at that moment why. Heat, temperature—what did that have to do with the Peryton?

“Forget the Peryton,” he murmured. The voice did not reply. It seemed to have gone away. Good; that meant Sunburst could concentrate. “Forget the Peryton,” he repeated. “Starlight’s the one who needs my help. She needs to see… she needs to see that this isn’t going to help any one of us.”

But how? There wasn’t a spell that could magically help a pony realize their mistakes, much as he might have wished otherwise. A pony had to realize on their own terms.

That, he realized, almost with a dim sense about him, could be said about the bullies, too—whether he agreed with that statement was moot, for putting fear into a pony, forcing them to learn by way of power and powerlessness; that was what they did, and therefore they could not learn their own infliction of pain by receiving it in greater degree. There were other ways. There had to be. But the Peryton, he knew, was not one of them.

No sooner had he thought this that, distantly, shouting broke through the forest. He didn’t recognize any of the voices, but knew instinctively what it was: the effect of Starlight’s magical spell.

Sire’s Hollow needed him. No, more than that: Starlight needed him.

He felt rejuvenated, and though a bolt of fear continued to surge through him, he focused instead on his goal: getting Starlight to stop. Only she, after all, could stop the Peryton; and only he, Sunburst, could convince her to do so.

Thinking this, Sunburst circled in his spot once more, watching the shadows, the lines between the trees, waiting for that voice to return, to tell him he was wrong.

When it did not, he broke out at a brisk pace, and ran back towards the town. The eyes of the forest watched until he had vanished once more.

Author's Note

Written by Jarvy Jared.

Chapter 8 (Ninjadeadbeard)

“Uh, all of them?” asked Sunburst, wincing at the alien eyes which watched him.

“All of them, yes,” the Peryton laughed, “And everycreature after that. And on, and on, and on still! On until the ending of the world!”

Sunburst looked over to Starlight, and gestured silently with one hoof towards the magical abomination.

She sighed, and rolled her eyes.

“Yes, I get it,” she said, glumly, “I went overboard. I see that now.”

The Peryton huffed. “You’re not ignoring me, are you?”

“And what if I am?” Starlight sneered back. “What are you gonna do about it?”

The Peryton blinked. He opened his mouth to speak… and then stopped.

At last, he said, “Anyway… since I’m free, I think I’ll start by destroying you and your annoying coltfriend…”

He opened his maw wide, fire and fangs flashing as he prepared to lunge.

He didn’t get that far.

The air throbbed with the explosion of magical might that slapped him in the face, sending the Peryton sailing high, high into the air and over the near horizon. Sunburst hadn’t even had time to scream, or cry, or panic at all before it was over.

Sunburst looked over to Starlight, whose horn still glowed with arcane energies.

She blew off the smoke wafting up from her horn, and stared off into the distance, where the Peryton had fallen.

“Sunburst?” she asked, emotionlessly.

“Uh… yeah?”

“Go get Twilight and her friends,” she said, an angry snort blowing out her nostrils, “The situation has… escalated.”

“Uh…” Sunburst glanced towards the horizon, and noticed the way smoke and fire billowed up over there in a way that did not look comforting. “Can you defeat him?”

Starlight said nothing, for a moment. They both watched the horizon become a churning vortex of debris and smoke as the Peryton started to move again.

“No,” she said at last, “But I can buy you all time.”

Sunburst nodded, furiously, and began to gallop in the opposite direction as the demonic Peryton. But, only a few feet away, he stopped, and spun around.

“Wait a gosh darn minute!” he cried out, “You’re not fighting this thing alone!”

“Yes, I am,” Starlight sighed. “You were right. About all of it. I did this, and I have to pay the price. Go now, and our friends can at least figure out what to do about him.”

Sunburst bit down, hard, and grit his teeth. He took a few brave steps back towards his closest friend, and towards the maelstrom of dark magic now seething towards them both.

“No!” he shouted, horn frailly lighting up with what little offensive magic he could muster. “I’m not leaving you! That’s a thing about friendship, right? You stick with your friends, no matter what’s going on! And fighting a demon? That’s definitely something going on. I don’t…”

He found his words cut off, rather suddenly. It was hard to talk when your mouth was covered, and for a few blissful seconds, Sunburst could almost forget about the Peryton. The electric shock that ran up and down his spine caused him to melt into that one, solitary moment.

And then, too soon by half, Starlight broke the kiss. She leaned in, and pressed her head to Sunburst’s, till the base of their horns touched.

“I love you, Sunburst,” she whispered, so quietly that Sunburst could feel his own heart break.

But when she pulled back, he could see in Starlight’s eyes that it wasn’t just his.

Through the tears, and her own cracking voice, she said, “But I wasn’t asking.”

Sunburst’s breathing hitched, as the realization hit him.

“Starlight, wa--!”

He didn’t get that far. In a flash of turquoise light, he was gone.

Gone, but safe.

Starlight breathed in, slowly. She carefully wiped the tears away with a hoof, and shook herself.

Safe. Sunburst was safe.

“Are you quite done!?” that sinister, cloying voice growled from behind her. “I have a long list of lives to end today, and yours just got a bullet point next to it.”

Starlight turned around, and faced the Peryton. Its wings crackled with wild, hellish magicks. Its eyes burned with unyielding fury, and its teeth dripped venom.

She smirked.

“And… you think you’re the one to do it?” she said in a low voice. She chuckled, and said, “Do you have any idea how many creatures have tried?

“You don’t even know who you’re dealing with!” she cried out, and flared her magic. The ground cracked as turquoise fire bloomed from her horn.

Even the Peryton’s rage couldn’t blunt the worry in it’s eyes as a magical shield wrapped around Starlight’s form, nor as with another flash of magical light, two more Starlights walked out from her body.

“I took down Queen Chrysalis!” the one to the left taunted, before she moved off to the side in a blur of super speed.

The Starlight to the right took to the air, and charged her horn for battle. “I shattered Time itself, and battled Twilight Sparkle to a draw!”

Surrounded, the Peryton fell into a defensive stance, eyes wildly snapping between targets as they circled.

Starlight, the one in the center, glared at the beast before her, and stamped the ground with her forehoof.

“I may have made a mistake in summoning you,” she snarled, and bared her teeth, “But I aim to correct that. You’re nothing compared to what I’ve faced before. And you think you’re bad enough to take me? Do you know who I am?”

She drew herself up to her full height, and said, “I’m Starlight Glimmer…”

In Trixie-like fashion, she paused for effect.

Then…

“Starlight FUCKING Glimmer!”

All three Starlights charged, and they each let loose a warcry fueled by their loss, their self-hatred, and the burning desire to do just one thing right today.

Such a cry would have shattered the resolve of any mortal creature.

But the Peryton wasn’t just any creature. And he certainly wasn’t mortal.

“Good,” he snarled and grinned. Then, leaping towards the nearest Starlight, he cackled with glee, and cheered, “A worthy challenge…!”

Author's Note

Written by Ninjadeadbeard.

Chapter 9 (Lone Writer)

A chill engulfed the castle. Something was wrong. Twilight Sparkle could hear it. A presence that rang throughout the invisible eldritch magic web of the world. She had always been sensitive to these occurrences. But it was different then the ones before.

“Something wrong Twilight?” Applejack asked from her crystallized throne near the cutiemark map table.

“Yes, Darling you’re completely flustered!” Rarity stated in a motherly tone.

Twilight glanced at each one of her colorful friends that surrounded the table. Each one staring back. The temperature around her returned to normal. The presence receded like a memory. The Princess of Friendship put on a soft smile with practiced bravado.

“It’s nothing girls.” Even if she told them, what would they say? How would they even react?

Fluttershy managed to speak past her silk pink mane, “Are you sure Twilight. There’s nothi--”

“Then let's move on with this friendship meeting,” Rainbow Dash cried out. “Wonderbolt practice is in thirty minutes and I can’t be late again.”

“Alright Rainbow, lets begin.” AJ took control of the situation.

The discussion became nothing more than white noise. Static played through an old speaker. The presence returned to the forefront of Twilight’s mind from her subconsciousness. It was powerful but weak due to the distance. A pulse created from anger and desperation. From her countless adventures with her friends, Twilight knew that acts of desperation can have grim consequences. It was this that weighed heavy on the alicorn’s mind.

“Something’s wrong.”

Her five friends all paused to look at the purple alicorn.

“Whatcha mean Twilight?” Applejack raised a brow.

“I can’t explain it. Something just feels… off.”

The room was quickly overtaken by a blinding magical teal light. Like the gravity well of a black hole, the light pulled together to a single point. Twisting inward, tightening until a figure’s outline was visible in the air. A pony. White and orange colors raced up the pony’s hooves to the tip of its horn. He fell into the map with thud along with his silver spectacles.

All the ponies around the table jumped a little at the sound. Spike was the first to speak, “S-Sunburst? What are you doing here?”

“It's horrible!” He yelled, still recovering from his dazed state.

“There is a magical creature threatening to destroy all of Equestria!”

“There is a magical creature threatening to destroy all of Equestria.”

Twilight and Starburst spoke at the same time. The stallion looked shocked, unsure of what he just heard. The princess blinked. Completely unaware of what she said.

Sunburst hopped off the table, dumbfounded, “How did you know?!”

“I don’t know, really...”

The map began to pulse. Demanding the attention of all around. The cutiemarks of all the bearers of harmony swirl over a single point like a maelstrom. Sire’s Hollow. But something was off. An ugly black ink was in the center of the town. Remodeling the map slowly before their eyes. Were the elements calling them? Or something darker? The temperature continued to drop around Twilight. Colder by the second. As it was, her magic was being forcefully drained. She began to shiver.

“Tell me exactly, what’s going on.” The alicorn asked Sunburst.

He opened his mouth to speak but paused. The unicorn was unsure how to word it, “Starlight summoned some sort of otherworldly beast. It’s agile. Extremely intelligent. Even magical! The creature’s large frame easily overshadows a normal pony! An eldritch abomination of wings, horns and fangs.”

Sunburst’s eyes reddened. Tears had built on his orbits. “And Starlight is fighting it alone! You have to help,” He dropped to Twilight’s hooves. “Please!”

In Twilight’s mind, there was no way she could abandon her student. Her friend. She looked at her companions. They looked ready for a fight. It brought a grin to her.

“Come on girls! We got a friend to help!”

“Aw yeah! Monster fighting time!” Rainbow Dash hollered, flying in loops through the air.

“What about your practice, Rainbow?” The orange earth pony wondered.

“They’ll understand,” The rainbow maned pegasus batted a hoof at Applejack. “Saving Equestria always comes first.”

Everypony came close to Twilight. Her horn began to glow. A ring of violet energy quickly cut the shape of an ouroboros in the floor around the party. The alicorn’s eyes shined bright. The ring turned into a dome. The dome turned into a bright flash. They were gone.

Spike sat in his chair, staring at the mess of papers, dust and books the spells had flung around. The small dragon let out a long sigh, “I guess I’ll just stay here.”

Author's Note

Written by Lone Writer.

Chapter 10 (Stinium_Ruide)

Twilight and her friends (minus Spike, obviously) gasped.

The formerly lovely settlement of Sire’s Hollow had degraded into numerous heaps of rubble dotting the surrounding landscape. The entire town was shrouded in a shadowy mist of ethereal void as mystical lightning crashed and crackled from the centre of the city. An endless cacophony of discordant sounds emanated from within, sending constant shivers down the spines of Twilight and her friends.

“Twilight, we must hurry, the monster has already torn through the entire town!” Sunburst exclaimed as he put on a burst of speed towards the centre of the town. “We need to find Starlight NOW!”

Twilight blinked, before rushing after Sunburst with the rest of her friends rallying from behind, passing by yellowing grass and demolished cottages. As they leapt over random bits of rubble on the cracking pavement, they swiftly arrived at the central plaza.

“STARLIGHT!” Sunburst yelled.

A loud, maniacal laughter boomed from the shadowy figure before them, accompanied by abhorrent flashes of lightning. Winged and certainly capable of magic, the creature revealed an almost impenetrable umbra in a flash.

“Sunburst!” a weak, though audible voice rang out.

The shadowy figure conjured a claw out of its very being and enveloped Starlight’s black cocoon. “Ah, I’m glad you all have come to join us. It’s all working… as planned.”

Twilight trotted forth slowly. “Who are you? Wh-”

“Who am I? That is a very… interesting question with a very… interesting answer,” the shadow began as its claws playfully tossed Starlight’s cocoon like a tennis ball.

“Give it up, shadow… uh, thing!” Rainbow Dash exclaimed brashfully. “Stop this now, or Twilight will blast you with her magic!”

The shadow chuckled. “Blast me with her magic? Then I’ll just kill Star-”

“No! You can’t do this!” Twilight shouted exasperatedly. She couldn’t let her first student, and one of her best friends go if she could help it. She had to think of a way to get Starlight out of there, pronto!

She had to distract it.

“Just… who are you?” Twilight shouted, trying to sound calm, though the breaks in her voice were evidently giving that away. “And why are you doing this to Starlight?”

“Who I am…” the shadow’s mouth-like features morphed into a thin, wry smile. “Specifically, a scorn scooting scoundrel scything through the scene seamlessly; a shadowy sapient sentient specially sent to sentence a sure sentiment of senseless servility; a self-appointed sentinel sentry to severely sever the setting select. So I shower sadness and sorrow to swallow the sheer sharpness of shame, to scatter shades of sham in the shambled shards of space. S-”

“Yeah, yeah, yeah. Did you seriously recite that everyday in the bathroom mirror just for this?” Rainbow Dash sighed heavily, shaking her head. “I didn’t know shadows can be eggheads.”

“Ye — I mean, SILENCE!” the shadow boomed. “So I shall subjugate you stupid sentiments—”

“I’m pretty sure that not even how you use the word ‘sentiments’, Shadow,” Twilight interjected loudly, her voice somehow managing to cut through the figure’s own as she smirked.

“SHUT IT!” the shadow howled deafeningly. “I practised and refined this over generations and I’m gonna—”

“No, sh—”

“No, you shut up! I’m the mastermind here!” the shadow bellowed out. “I’ll just send Starlight to limbo before you all even have a chance to save her!”

An eerie silence hung thick in the misty air. Twilight tried to think, but her mind was filled with the prospect of losing Starlight forever to this weird, shadowy thing. She racked her brain for a solution, but before she had a moment of genius, Sunburst suddenly leapt forward to confront the beast himself.

“I will never let you send my best friend to limbo without a fight!” Sunburst exclaimed, before charging his horn to fire a blast at the tainted creature. A sharp orange beam struck the creature, dead-on, accompanied with howling cries of pain.

But those cries didn’t come from the shadow.

It came from Starlight.

“Sunburst! Stop!” Starlight cried out in certain agony from her prison. “You… you’re killing me!”

“Foals… did you seriously think that you can hurt me with your puny blasts of magic?” the shadow goaded as Sunburst ceased his magical attack. “I’ll just channel your destructive energies into something that can… manage it.”

“Shadow, please. Why are you holding Starlight hostage?” Twilight asked, hoping that it would help to de-escalate the situation. Maybe if she could better empathise with this shadowy mass…

Author's Note

Written by Stinium_Ruide.

Chapter 11 (Armid)

The shadowy figure whirled around it’s darkness along its body, what was supposed to resemble its mouth shifted into a grine. “Hostage?” it let out a maniacal laughter that echoed through twilight’s ears, “oh you fools! You haven’t realised the true meaning behind all of this yet? Have you never thought to yourself, why Starlight?”

Twilight went deep in thoughts, trying to make sense out of words that came from the writhing shadow, the life of Starlight was at dear risk but she had to focus! “I-I don’t unders-”

“Quit the riddles and give Starlight back!” Rainbow Dash shouted, increasing her distance from ground, “Or we make you pay for what you are doing shadowy egg head!”

“SILENCE!” Said the writhing show figure, “what makes you think you can hurt me? Didn’t you just witnessed with your eyes?” the figures anatomy twisted around and wriggled, letting momentary peepholes to exist to peek at Starlight’s body.

“Rainbow, this isn’t how we should approach this” Twilight let out a cry, and turned her head towards the living dark cage that held her student hostage. “Just tell us what you want!”

The writhing darkness grind ear to ear, revealing what resembled sharp teeth. “I have, what I want.” it’s shadowy hooves stepped forward, and it got closer to twilight and her friends, “But do YOU have what you want?”

Twilight went deep in thoughts once again, once again, attempting to make sense of the writhing shadows lightless claims. Only for her to come back to reality by remembering what she is here for, “We want Starlight back” she shouted staring at the lifeless eyes of the monstrous being who stood tall in front of her. “And I reckon what you want too is also Starlight.”

“Not necessarily, but yes!” it’s wriggling darkness moved sporadically on its body, and lowered what resembled a neck down, “She does offer quite a lot of what I need!” it whisper echoed through their ears.

Twilight, Sunburst and spike took a step back, keeping their distance from the personification of darkness and sorrow. It smirked and turned back to leave. It was then that rainbow dash charged at it.

“Hey! Come back here!” She shouted flying at Starlight’s moving shadowy cage full speed. The shadows started to move furiously, joining at the back of the creature and formed a tentacle that wrapped itself around Rainbow Dash in an instance. “What da-” she said before being tossed at ground with pure force. She screamed in agony briefly before she hit the surface, dusting up the area.

“Rainbow!” Shouted Twilight, as she ran towards her with spike.

The moving shadow marched and continued its way. “You puny creatures can not stand against our kind!” and let out an echoing laughter that defend the sky.

Rainbow dash however, was in an awful state, her wings were badly damaged, one was broken and the other one had very bad bruises. Her left shoulder was dislocated, and perhaps cracked. She was passed out, however still breathing. Twilights eyes were filled with tears, dropping out of the socket without her will. Spike was sitting close to rainbow dashes head, holding it with among his hands.

Sunburst however, had lost every breath in his chest. Frozen in place, he expected the events, but his body was unable to move. He was breathing, but he felt as if he was choking. His eyes were fixed on the monsor who held his best friend, not even blinking for once. He was seeing that it was leaving, escaping from his grasp. He would have lost track of his best friend again. Even though his whole body was shaking, even though he was still in shock of what happened to Rainbow Dash, he stepped froward, and another step forward. Slowly he speeded up, charging to the shadow monster without questioning the logic, chance or even the situation. Was it adrenaline? Rage? Fear? Or perhaps a dear feeling from the deepest part of his heart? Whatever it was, he had one thing in mind: “Getting Starlight out, whatever the price!”

The personification of darkness sensed the desperate unicorn rushing at it. Writhing its shadows like worms moving in sand, created another tentacle to fend off the foolish stallion. It swung around like a whip in the air, ready to smack the brave pony with a critical blow! Sunburst enlightened his horn, from the corner of his eyes, he saw the strike coming and before it could have touched him, he blasted the newly formed limb of the monster away. The living shadow turned it’s head to witness the cloaked stallion charging at it with its hollow eyes. Another tentacle was formed, this time from the side. It went straight and impaling for the bearded ponys heart. However Sunburst managed to step out of the way, and blast the tentacle off from where it was connected to.

“Do you want to kill your dear friend?” said the living shadow, while forming two more tentacle on it’s back, both rising high, ready to hammer down on the charging pony.

Sunburst was close though, he was almost behind the dark living cage of his friend, he was not concerned about the menacing tentacles that were reaching the clouds. The path was clear, he required only the courage to do what he thought of.

As the two sky scraping tentacles were coming down, Sunburst jumped into the living shadow!

Author's Note

Written by Armid.

Chapter 12 (Arkane12)

As he plunged into the shadowy behemoth, the world faded away from Sunburst. For an instant, everything turned black. Every hair on his body stood on end as a wave of cold washed over him. He landed hard against the stone floor, rolling head over hooves.

When he finally stopped, Sunburst rose and brushed the dust from his cloak. He glanced at his surroundings. He stood upon an island of stone, floating amidst a vast empty void. Stars twinkled above and below, casting their dim light across the little ground there was.

“Starlight?” he called out, glancing back and forth across the emptiness.

His search bore fruit when he spotted an orb of magic in the distance. The blue sheen told him that Starlight was nearby.

“Hang on, Starlight,” Sunburst called out, searching for a path to his friend.

As if the void itself could hear his silent pleas, the air before him shimmered, revealing another stone platform. Straightening his glasses, he galloped forward and jumped, his speed just enough to get him across the gap.

This new island looked similar to the last. A cobblestone floor, overgrown with moss and weeds. A stone staircase led down from the platform to an endless drop. The foundation of a tower rose to his right, the ruin of a civilization he didn’t recognize.

But he didn’t have time to worry about that now.

He shook his academic fascination away, searching for another island. Again, the abyss provided a path. This time, he didn’t stop to examine it. Instead, he leapt off the edge, the ground appearing just in time to catch him. He pressed forward in a similar manner, making a beeline for the hovering orb of energy.

“You’re an annoyance, Pony.”

The room shook with an echoing voice, rattling debris from the edges of the ground.

Starburst didn’t slow down.

“I won’t let you take Starlight,” he promised. “Do you hear me, Starlight? I won’t let him take you.”

“Big promises for such a small being. Are you sure you can keep them?”

A booming laugh reverberated through the nothing.

The stars below started to flicker and die, one-by-one. Shadows pooled like a sea of ink, swelling up toward the ground. A dark tendril tore up through the depths, pointed directly at Sunburst. At the last moment, he banked to the side, flinching as the tendril punched through the ground beside him. Then another. Then another.

Half-a-dozen tendrils speared through the earth, each one a little closer than the last. The impacts caused the stone to crumble, barely allowing the haggard stallion a platform to jump from.
One final, massive platform rose from the dark sea. Crumbled furniture and torn banners marked the walls, giving it the appearance of what was once a great hall, now brought to ruin. Directly above, a few feet off the ground, hovered Starlight. Her eyes were squeezed close, her head hung low. A quiet whimper surrounded her.

“I will not allow you to take her!” the beast roared.

Dark limbs rose up on every side of the platform, rising high into the sky and coalescing into black sky.

“Starlight? Can you hear me?”

With a shocked gasp, she glanced up, tears running down her face.

“Sunburst?”

“I’m here to rescue you.”

“Where are we? What happened?”

“We don’t have time for that.”

Her magic bubble popped, dropping the mare onto the floor at his side.

“No!”

The darkness rose up, forming a vortex around them that inched closer.
“So, what’s your plan?” Starlight asked.

Sunburst chuckled nervously.

“Well, I’ve got an idea, but you’re not going to like it.”

The two of them stood back-to-back as the shadows curled in, scored by a raucous laughter.
Forms like blackened snakes slithered out from the mist, grasping for their hooves. Starlight screamed as one of them wrapped around her foreleg, burning a ring into her fur.

Sunburst summoned him magic, cutting Starlight free with a burst of magic.

“What’s the plan, Sunburst?” Starlight pleaded.

“Do you trust me?”

“What?”

“Do you trust me?”

Starlight recoiled as another limb grasped at her, but she blasted it back.

“I trust you, Sunburst. What do you need me to do?”

She stumbled as Sunburst grabbed her hoof, dragging her along as he charged head-first into the dark. Starlight didn’t have time to argue as her companion erupted with golden light. With a horrified screech, the darkness reeled back. Thickened tendrils swung through the air, raining down a hail of strikes on the duo.

Starlight raised her shield, absorbing the first slam.

Sunburst countered, slicing their attacker in two with a beam of golden magic.

Together, they twirled through the dark, throwing shields and beams with the precision only a trained magister could muster. By the time they finally reached the edge, sweat dripped from Sunburst’s brow and Starlight struggled to catch her breath.

“Where do you think you’re running to, little bugs? This is my world.”

The black clouds funneled together, forming a storm as they solidified into a monolithic figure.
Starlight summoned her magic as the attack landed. With the sound of shattering glass, her resolve broke, along with her shield. The force of the strike sent them skidding back toward the edge.

“Sunburst? You do have a plan, right?” Starlight asked through gritted teeth.

“Yeah.”
The dark beast reared back for another attack. Starlight pulled herself together, readying to raise her shield for another attempt. Before she could, Sunburst grabbed her by the scruff of her neck. With a holler, he leapt from the platform. The beast’s strike landed, shattering the last remnants of the earth within the void, and narrowly missing the duo.

As they fell into the abyss, Starlight couldn’t help but shutter at the cold gale that surrounded them. And then she landed hard on solid earth. She looked up just in time to see the look of amazement on Twilight’s face.

Behind them, the beast roared and charged.

Author's Note

Written by Arkane12.

Chapter 13 (iAmSiNnEr)

“Sometimes I wonder,” Discord mused as he watched the ponies battle the beast. “If I should ever interfere in these events.” A banana split appeared in front of him, and he started slurping the ice cream up like it was milk.

“But then,” he threw the bowl aside and it exploded as it made contact with the floor of the platform he was watching the events from. “I wouldn’t have as much fun watching them causing chaos. Such delicious chaos,” he laughed. “Next time, I should bring that god from the greek world along…”

He paused. “What was his name again? Right, Chaos. He’d probably appreciate this.”

“But then again,” a pair of glasses popped into existence on his snout and he flipped through a book of greek myths. “He’s just a sentient being, so I probably wouldn’t be able to bring him here. Maybe Set from the Egyptian world, he’d appreciate this too.” He rubbed his hands in anticipation. “I really need another chaos god to enjoy this with.”

“Hmm…” he sighed. “It is a little boring just watching them fighting. Perhaps...a little extra?” He snapped his claws.

“Get his legs!” Twilight shouted as she flew above the beast firing beams of magic at his face. Everytime a beam connected, the beast flinched but there was no other visible damage.

Starlight nodded, materialising a lasso made out of raw magic. She focussed and threw the lasso, wrapping the magical rope around the beast’s front legs.

Just then, an anvil landed on Sunburst’s head as he moved in to help, knocking him cold.

“Well,” Discord stared at the scene. “I intended for a mountain of banana peels, but an anvil will do.”

“But I do want more bananas.”

“What the-” Starlight gasped as she looked at the unconscious Sunburst. “Where did that come from?!”

“Something’s messing with us!” Twilight shouted. “Probably one of his minions!”

The beast blinked in confusion, but it was wiped away by a look of smugness. “Yes!” he lied. “My minions are here!”

Suddenly, an avalanche of banana peels was dumped on Twilight’s head, and she squawked in surprise as the banana peels prevented her from flying well and sent her spiralling to the ground.

“Now that,” Discord cackled in glee. “Now that is chaos. But I can’t make it too obvious it’s me…”

“What the buck,” Starlight swore. “Who’s messing with us?!”

“Yeah, stop!” Twilight agreed as she freed herself from the pile of banana peels. “This beast is about to destroy the world!”

At this point, the beast just stood still, bewildered at the sight of banana peels.

“This is hilarious,” Discord doubled over laughing. “Look at their confused faces-”

“What are you doing?” A stern voice said behind Discord. A voice he recognized, and feared. He turned around slowly to stare the alicorn known as Harmony in the eye.

“How many times have I told you this?” Harmony demanded. “Do not interfere when they’re trying to save the world unless it’s time for your villain arc!”

“Faust gave me permission…?” Discord said weakly.

“I did not,” a dry voice said from behind Discord. Discord spun around again to see a stark white alicorn with a maple colored mane, a quill cutie mark on her flank.

“I did not give you any permission whatsoever,” Faust said. “As you can see from the script…” she flipped through the script. “It says here that you were only supposed to come in during chapter 14 and then flood the place with water.”

“I can flood it with water now,” Discord offered. “Anyways, who needs a script?”

“I say we do,” Faust threw the script aside, and it vanished as it disappeared into her subspace. “Anyways, I will make it so that you appear in chapter 15 now, since you disobeyed my holy script.”

“But there’s only 14 writers!” Discord protested. “There can only be 14 chapters!”

“Yeah, your own fault,” Harmony said sternly. “You know, I could just turn you to stone now and prevent you from doing anything.”

“Aw, party pooper,” Discord wrapped himself around Harmony. “As Pinkie Pie said, the party must go on!”

“It would be more interesting to the reader if we went Discord’s way,” Faust admitted. “According to polls, easy fixes are never interesting. I could write in an anti-hero arc for Discord.”

“Did I hear my name?!” a pink earth pony poked her head through a rift in the space-time continuum. “Who was talking about me?!”

“Ah, Pinkie Pie,” Harmony straightened up, pushing Discord off her with her magic. “You know, we could use an Element’s opinion.”

“I’m ready for anything!” Pinkie bounced over. “Hit me!”

“You asked for it!” Discord said gleefully, blasting Pinkie Pie with a shower of cupcakes. Pinkie giggled as her mane grabbed the cupcakes and launched them back, turning the chaos realm into a cupcake battle.

Faust and Harmony sighed as errant cupcakes splattered into their coats. Harmony rolled her eyes, before materialising a shield to protect them. “We should never let Pinkie Pie and Discord have a scene together,” Harmony suggested.

“Agreed,” Faust materialized the script again and cancelled something out. “They would just destabilize time and space. Hasbro would be on my ass for not being ‘kid friendly’. Honestly, I still think they wrote Tirek wrong.”

“What can you do?” Harmony shrugged. “I had to make a cameo to bust their asses out of the trouble they found themselves in.”

“And yet here we are,” Faust mused. “Breaking the fourth wall.”

“Eh,” Harmony took a bite out of one of the cupcakes. “That’s quite decent, actually.”

“Of course!” Pinkie popped up inside of their shield, and the two alicorns jumped. “The cupcakes are from the Sugarcube Corner!”

“Of course they are,” Faust scribbled something on the script. “And now it’s time to get back to the main scene.”

Twilight fired a fireball at the beast, and it stumbled backwards and slipped on the banana peel, slamming its head on the ground and knocking itself unconscious.

“Or maybe we come back here,” Faust shrugged. “Discord’s interference made the win easy.”

“At least I get a break,” Harmony said happily. “I don’t have to appear for the friendship laser!”

“Yeah, yeah,” Discord snapped his fingers. “Onto the next writer!”

Author's Note

Written by iAmSiNnEr.

Chapter 14 (SwordTune)

High above the misty mountain, cold. Its caverns, deep, had cisterns of gold. Not long ago the great heroes, in beds they laid for the beast was slayed.

Later at dawn, that gilded morn, their journey’s end at last was told. The pony Starlight cast mighty spells, but by the princess Twilight the beast was felled. And in places strange where the chaos reigned, their anguished groans were heard like bells.

In ancient halls for golden thrones, the pony Twilight let out her woes.

“What are we guarding here as guardians? That cunning and tricky friend of ours, who else could’ve guessed he aligned fiendishly? We, oft as shields, saving and shouting from threatening, megalithic monsters, and many times after, each and every sudden venture forward are fatigued and fumbling.”

With this, Starlight agreed.

“He has frustrated us badly, wormed under welcome, so weird-minded that, from what he arranged, there are scant scenes to sit and rest. Offer home-roast hay and oats. I’ll gobble gladly.”

And that was a good breakfast.

AJ, who was also called Applejack, had prepared cider for the heros, after they had bested the burly beast, as it has been told. To this feast came Starswirl and Stygian. Meadowbrook came not, as she had to journey from the bayou. Flash Magnus, their friend, was there, and Rockhoof, with Somnambula, told stories. Mistmane, who had no youth, was there; a wayward spell had bitten off her younger years ere she could live them. There was Big Mac and Sugar Bell, his wife, Celestia with Luna, and Discord was coming. Many were there of the heroes and legends.

Oh how the heroes shook their heads and howled at Discord for meddling and never invited him before they set to drinking. But Discord arrived, and outside the palace he met a royal guard and spoke to him.

“Speak now, guard, or not one step farther shalt thou fare. What cider-talk here do they have within, the oh-so glorious heroes?”

And then the guard spoke. “Of their magic and skill, and their might in war, these glorious ones speak. From the heroes and legends who are gathered here, no friend in words shalt thou find."

“In shall I go to the princess’ hall, at the feast I would like to sit; my loneliness and boredom I bring to the ponies, a fitting gift for the invitation I missed.”

“If thou would go into their hall, and sprinkle on heroes thine words of wit, think thee well lest they wipe it back at thee.”

“Bethink thee little pony,” Discord said and sneered, “if thou and I shall strive with wit and wile, wealthier I grow in weighted words if thou speakest too much to me.”

And then Discord entered the palace, and to the royal dining hall he walked. But all who waited there sipping cider and saw his slithering self fell silent.

“Parched, I am present, and pitter-patter did I pace my pegs to this palace of ponies, to ask of any ardent adventurer to share cider and seat with me. What? Why thee sit in silent stares? A sip of cider and a seat in this palace, prepare for me, or get me gone.”

Rockhoof, the bragging one, rose up on his rock hooves and bellowed at Discord. “A cider and a seat, this palace prepares not for thee. For the heroes know well which creatures they wish to see.”

Turning to his friend, Discord spoke. “Remember, Starlight? In the olden days we both beat Chrysalis. And later again, thou didst promise us a welcome to the school. Will this time be the break of our bond?”

Starlight answered back. “Fine then. Rockhoof, leave him be, lest the words of Discord disturb our peace.”

“Yes, yes, pour cider for me,” Discord spoke and raised his glass. “Hail to you heroes. Hail and glory, all! Save for the one over yonder there, braggart Rockhoof.”

“A shovel and carriage, from my holdings will I give, and a bag of bits to boot.” Rockhoof did not rise to Discord’s challenge. “So that hate thou will not have nor rouse our heroes’ wrath.”

Discord spoke back. “In shovel and bits thou shalt ne’er be rich, braggart, but both shalt thou lack. Of the heroes here together met, least brave art thou, and thine stories lack sincerity.”

“If now were I without as I am within, here in the heroes’ hall, thine head would my shovel’s head bear to pay thee the price of these lies.”

“Seated thou art bold, but not so of thine stories told. The braggart, bravest of braves! But his friend, Stygian, he did not dare save. For when shadows rise his heart did cave.”

Somnambula, beside Rockhoof, did then speak. It was peace and agreement that she would seek. “Please, such a hero as you are, speak not to Discord such words of spite within these halls.”

“Quiet you, Somnambula!” Discord did voice. “Thou art, I say, a mare most fortunate in fame, since thou thy hopeful-bright deeds didst demand offers from thy citizens."

“To thee I speak not with wrathful words. I calm Rockhoof, who is dulled with drink, for I wish not that they be fierce and fight.”

Stygian rose to quiet his friends. “Why, you two heroes, with bitter tongues, do raise hate among us here? Discord is famed for his mockery foul, and the heroes in heorots he hates.”

But against him Discord spoke as well. “Quiet you, Stygian! For now I shall say who led thee to evil life. A shadow’s promise gave powers ominous, and within it thine fate was laid.”

“Mad thou art, Discord,” Starswirl defended his friend, “and little of wit. Ire of Stygian to rouse, for the fate that was set shall not always be.”

“Quiet you, Starswirl! Unjustly thou settest the fate of the fight against friend. Never gavst thou to him who deserved a doubt’s benefit. To you, the baser, the battle's prize."

The came Meadowbrook from the bayou. Bursting open the doors did by the might of the earth pony mage. “Disorderly one, cease. Or my mighty potions shall close thy mouth. The tazlewurm sickness shall I give, and so shall your life be misery.”

“Lo, in has come a pony of earth. Why threaten so loudly, Meadowbrook? Less fierce thou were to fight with the Shadow when he swallowed Stygian up.”

And then, seeing that all were angered toward him, Discord did hover high in the hero’s hall. “I have said to the false friends and haughty heroes the things that whetted my thoughts. But, before thee do I now go forth alone. Friendliest of friends, no friends in thee I find.”

And then Discord did hide himself away in the Canterlot ponds, in the guise of a salmon, but there the heroes got him. The pony princess Twilight tracked the trickster and trapped him in statued stone once again. Starlight spun a spell around the statue to loose the stone-sleep, only when Discord stayed his chaotic ways.

Author's Note

Written by SwordTune.

Chapter 5 (Nailah)

“This is dangerous, not to mention crazy!” Sunburst shrieked, jolting back lifting his foreleg up into the air, his face a shade of beet red. He pawed at the empty air of nothingness, hoping to somehow reach her.

Starlight rolled her eyes, and continued studying the spell. Muttering under her breath quickly. “No one will ever make fun of Sunburst ever again.”

Scanning the page one last time, she closed the book shut, nodding to Sunburst before speaking aloud the incantation to summon the Peryton.

The spell’s aura surrounded the entire room, the blue wave from Starlight’s horn illuminating a light, sparkling like a firecracker as she unleashed the wave of magic from her horn.

Starlight pushed Sunburst behind her, watching as the aura filled the entire room. Her lips rose up into a smug grin at the sight before her.

It was giantitic, a long slender serpent-like creature, five times the size of a standard pony. The creature hissed, but went silent, seeing Starlight.

“Perfect, it will only listen to me.” Starlight exclaimed, the joy on her face, contagious. Soon, no pony would ever dare to make fun of Sunburst ever again. She’d show them all. She knew she nor Sunburst needed a cutie mark to be amazing together.

“Starlight please…” Sunburst begged, as he flinched back, and scooted away from the strange creature-being. He wasn’t even sure anymore. He took a deep breath, as he tried his best to reach Starlight before everything and anything went out of his control completely. He visibly cringed, remembering how often Starlight’s obsession with magic and the unknown; could lead to dangerous places and things.

Starlight didn’t even look at him. She was entranced by the creature she had summoned. Fascinated, even.

The creature loomed over Starlight, it’s strange gaze eyeing her over, slowly tilting it’s long slender head towards her, leaning forward.

“Gawh.” It muttered, half hiss, half attempting some form of communication with it’s summoner.

“Now, I want you to take care of a problem for me.” Starlight began, rubbing her front forehooves together, snickering. No more would any pony dare ever again to insult her friend, and they would all conquer before her own exquisite skills with magic.

It wasn’t long before the creature began slithering away from Starlight and Sunburst, heading in the direction it had been given.

Now, all Starlight had to do was wait. It was only a matter of time, before the bullies would get what was coming to them. Starlight looked back at Sunburst, who desperately was shouting at her, over and over.

“Starlight, what were you thinking?

“Sunburst, don’t even try to stop me. I’m committed to this, and there’s nothing that will stop that monster from destroying everything and anything in his path.”

“That’s exactly why you need to stop it. You could hurt innocent ponies!” began Sunburst, as his wide rimmed glasses fell down to his snout. He attempted to lazily fix them, while keeping focus. “The point is, you never think these things through. And that ends up with me having to fix it!”

“Sunburst, can’t you see I’m just trying to help?” Starlight asked, as she took a step forward, so that their noses were scrunched up together.

There was no telling how many numbers of ways this could go wrong, and inevitably would go wrong. Sunburst bit his bottom lip and pushed Starlight away from his body, stomping a hoof on the ground.

“Starlight, stop! I never asked for your help. I never asked anyone to help me.” Sunburst blurted out, as he turned away in disgust, and scurried away from her. He couldn’t look at her right now. He could let her see how much pain she gave him, by thinking he needed help.

Starlight blinked as she watched him run off in a scurry. She debated on going after him, but she chose not to. She knew no matter what, by the end of today all their problems would be over.

Starlight held her head high, as she strutted through Sire’s Hollow. She wanted to check up on him later, but right now she was enjoying this moment. She approached the bullies, and simply waited.

The snake-like serpent was already there, tormenting the bullies with it’s pure might, and oddity. The fillies didn’t know how to respond to it, as one by one each were grabbed in it’s coils and thrown off into the distance.
“Help! Please someone help us.” they cried all at once.

Starlight yawned, and sat back on her haunches. “Oh, if only Sunburst could see this now. I’m sure then he would understand why I did this.”

Starlight settled into her spot, as she enjoyed the visuals. Truly, it couldn’t be a nicer day for her. She just hoped Sunburst would realize that this was all for his benefit after all. He’d understand with time. She knew he had a tendency to overreact to things he didn’t quite grasp the meaning of.

Author's Note

Written by Nailah.

Chapter 7 (Firefoxino)

When Sunburst left the forest he didn’t expect things to have gone south so quickly, there in the middle of the town was Starlight.

Her horn was alight with powerful magic the same kind that the Peryton had in its eyes, the creature in the meantime was happily going around smacking ponies left and right.

Sunburst felt like his heart could simply fall off right there and there, those ponies were being hit so bad, yes they might have been bullies but this was too much. Someone had to stop Starlight and he was the only one who could do it.

“Starlight!” He shouted, he huffed and ran towards the city, determined to right the wrongs. “Starlight please stop!”

“Sunburst? You came back! Good good.” She said happily bobbing her head to herself. “See I Was teaching these idiots what happens when you mess with my friend. You learnt your lesson right?”

“Y-yes!” One of them replied hastily.

“LIE!” Starlight snarled, whipping her head, the Perytone immediately took the poor colt and catapulted it against the other prisoners, all of them groaning in pain.

“Starlight please stop!” Sunburst pleaded. “This has gone far enough, stop before you make any mistake.” He tried to convince her.

“Sunburst…” She said, looking at him right in the eyes. “You… I can’t believe it.” She looked shocked, almost dumbstruck.

“Good, looks like it worked.”

“You are a true heart of gold, I can’t believe you would forgive them so easily.” She said, giving a nuzzle to a now slack jawed Sunburst. “Don’t worry, I will make sure you don’t have to apologize to them ever again, you may be pure of heart but me? I’m already a villain.” She whispered in his ear.

“Perytone!”

“NO!”

This stopped Starlight for a bit. “Hmm, true, you can't see something like that. Perytone, bring them inside the house. We'll deal with them later.”

“YES! Yes, later is good, good.” Sunburst replied, his heart now beating a million times a minute.

“So what do you wanna do while we wait for a more fitting time to properly punish them?” Starlight asked sweetly.

“What about some game of… chess!” He said triumphantly.

“Chess uh? Fine, I'll play.” She ignited her horn and summoned a chessboard. “Celestials move first.” She said hoofing him the white side of the game.

“So, what are you gonna do to them?” He asked, trying to gain any kind of time.

“I don’t know honestly, I may let the Perytone decide, your turn.”

“Isn’t that a bit drastic Starlight?”

“Drastic? They tormented you for so long, and yet when I do the tormenting I’m drastic? Your move.”

“I’m not saying they are innocent, but they don’t deserve it, they don’t deserve…”

“Don’t be that down, they do deserve it, if I make the Perytone go away and apologize what will they do? They’ll go back to square one. Your move.”

“Even if that’s true, shouldn’t you, the one in power, I dunno use it for good?”

“What's good Sunburst? Your move.”

“Good is, not bad?”

“Good is the absence of evil, I am doing good can’t you see it? I am getting rid of evil. Check.”

“Even if you phrase it like that it doesn’t make you good.”

“Oh Sunburst, when did I say I was? Check again.”

“Won’t you be good? Not even…”

“Not even what?”

“Not even for me? Your move.”

“But I am! Can’t you see that I’m doing good?”

“You are doing what you THINK is good, it isn’t. Check.”

“It isn’t!? How can you tell!?”

“Because I can feel it, down in my heart and up in the sky. Celestia wouldn’t do it, and she has the power to do it. Yet she doesn’t. Check.”

“Celestia can’t go around whipping bullies!”

“Neither can you. Check.”

“I’m doing GOOD!”

“Please, stop. Before it is too late. Do it for me Please Starlight I beg you.”

Tears started to form in Starlight eyes. “Don’t do that, don’t give me hope, don’t you dare tell me that everything will be fine. Because it won’t,I did too much. I already am a monster, you said it yourself!”

Sunburst put a hoof under her chin and moved away a fallen tear. “I never did, I never will.”

“Why… Why must you be good? How can you tolerate being near me? I’m full of evil.” She said now hiccuping in her own words.

“The world isn’t as black and white as you seem to think.” He said moving a piece in the last place, Celestia's calm and almost anguished expression right in front of the angry, and yet oh so pained counterpart.

“Draw.” They both said at the same time.

“I’m sorry.” She whispered. “I’m so sorry.”

“We will fix this, you just have to say sorry, they may punish you but I swear I will do anything to make any punishment a bearable one.” He said confident in his promise.

“Thank you… I really can’t believe you can stand around me.” She said, finally drying her tears away.

“I will never tell you to go away, and I will never betray the trust you put in me today. Never.”

“I-”

“Now that won’t do…” A chilling, unholy and nightmarish voice said. The body of the Perytone was now coiled around them staring like a predator ready for the pounce. Its eyes full of malice and disappointment, yet showing a hint of amusement.

“What are you doing? I didn’t tell you anything like this.” Starlight said with some of her previous will. At the sight of the beast's eyes though, she backpaled away in fear. “No… how?”

“A heart full of regret and hope is not one that can leash me. You are not worthy. You will now be destroyed and after you.” The beast looked around with a hungry look in its eyes. Gone was the amusement, now only pure unbridled viciousness oozed from them, like black tar.

“All of them.”

Author's Note

Written by Firefoxino.