Pain is mundane.

People rarely mention it when they tell their life story. What people talk about is sudden pain. You can tell a tale about how you paddled through flood water or how your orphanage burned down. That’s the pain of getting stabbed; it’s dramatic. That kind of pain you can overcome; the kind that tells you you’re alive.

The real pain of a troubled life comes in the quiet moments. It drags everything down to a uniform, numb soreness, like a toothache. Sometimes it spikes, but it never goes away. When that grey misery goes on too long, it's easy to slip up and forget you were supposed to be on pins and needles. It makes you sloppy; drives you to do things you never thought you were capable of.

Ditzy Doo knew that pain from an early age. Her weekly schedule was divided into two neat halves; the time when she was happy, and the time when she was at home.

It was senior year. Ditzy Doo was seventeen years old and aching for independence, but she wasn't sleeping on anyone's couch just yet. The couch in her home was already taken.

Truly in life, there were exceptions to the rules, and then there were people like Bubblecup. If she had ever experienced a moment’s introspection in her forty-something years of life, Bubblecup might have recognized the cliche she embodied. A single mother slumped in a compromising position on the couch, clutching a handful of lotto tickets as she dozed in the flickering glow of her TV.

Ditzy hoped that the sound of “Real Housewives of Applewood” would be enough to cover her scheme. The door to her own bedroom had been taken off years ago, but the kitchen door was still up. Ditzy flinched as it squeaked closed, nearly dropping her bag of contraband.

Ditzy opened the gritty kitchen window to let any potential smells out. She couldn't let her mother catch on, so she stuffed some rags under the door. She got on her tiptoes to pull the smoke detector off the wall.

Something shifted in the room. Ditzy's jacked eyes looked around in terror…and saw that it was just a mouse. The young girl's knees were shaking. Her eyes were heavy. All she wanted was relief from this purgatory of squalor, and soon, she would FINALLY have it.

With a low click and no small amount of trepidation, Ditzy started the fire.

Or rather, she tried to. The old gas stove sparked once, twice, a third time as Ditzy quietly panicked. She reached into the cupboard, cringing as it squeaked, and found a little box that still had a couple of matches in it.

"Come on...come on!" Ditzy struck one, and it broke in her hand. Something creaked in the living room. Ditzy prayed her mother had just turned in her sleep. She struck the second match with quivering fingers, gasping with delight as it lit the gas burner.

With an impish smile, Ditzy Doo laid her ingredients out carefully; this was going to be the perfect crime! Her Mom would never see it coming.

Ditzy unsheathed enough bread, lettuce, and tomato for three whole sandwiches; a bounty she had gotten from the annual food drive at CHS. She brushed a few slices of stale bread with olive oil and set them to toast in a pan. As soon as they seemed ready, Ditzy dressed them with wilted lettuce and slightly deflated tomato slices.

Ditzy’s nose scrunched with concentration. The prized pack of bacon she had gotten crinkled as she laid each cut into the pan. Ditzy’s stomach growled, and not for the first time that day. She just had to be patient. She was going to sleep over at Bulk’s house over the weekend, and with these sandwiches in hand, she wouldn’t have to beg for food. She could even share one! And when things were quiet and she and Bulk were alone, she would ask him very nicely if she could stay with his folks for a little while. It would be the first step in her master plan to smuggle herself away from her Mom.

Ditzy put all of her focus on watching the bacon fry, just in case something went wrong. She couldn’t afford to mess this up like everything else. The sizzling, savory smells of the cooking meat made Ditzy feel ravenous and joyful.

When Ditzy Doo made food, she was alive.

“What do you think you’re doing?”

Ditzy jerked, knocking the pan off the stove. A splash of hot grease hissed in the sink as Ditzy’s wrist was yanked painfully backward.

“Nothing, Mama! Nothing, I was just hungry!” Ditzy said. Her stomach growled at the merest mention of food.

“Where did you get that?” Bubblecup demanded, pointing at the steaming pan. Ditzy could feel the heat rising behind her. She struggled to pull out of her mother’s grip or else get burned.

“You’re hurting me!”

“I didn’t buy that for you, so where did you get that?”

“Mama, please!”

“Was it that fool food drive? Didn’t I tell you WE DON'T TAKE HANDOUTS!?”

Bubblecup had learned long ago not to hit her face directly, so when her hand fell on Ditzy, it was at the meeting of the neck and the head, enough to make the girl’s ears ring. She fell to the floor, sobbing.

She wouldn’t hear the rest of the rant, but she knew its type; unfettered cruelty about her failures, her foolishness, and her eyes. She could see flames reflected in her mother’s eyes. The bacon grease had caught the curtains on fire. The fire alarm screamed. The only thought that could find purchase in Ditzy’s mind was that this was all her fault, and there was nothing she could do but sit and cry alone like she always had.

In the present, Ditzy’s knitting needles lacked a bumbling beat in her shivering hands. She had the makings of a scarf-like thing between them. It was supposed to help her focus.

“How long did this abuse go on, Ditzy?” Silver Spoon said.

“It had been a long time since she hit me. I wasn’t ready.” Ditzy said.

“Did she hit you often?”

“Only when I really messed up. But…yes, she started hitting me a long time ago. I can’t even remember the first time.”

“I see. This hypervigilance you feel, that’s a typical response to the kind of abuse you’ve suffered.”

“That’s a lot like Buck, actually. He kinda beats himself up about it when he burns something on the stove, and-”

“Hold on. We’re here to talk about you, remember?”

“Right. I’m sorry.”

“That’s fine. How about you tell me more about your high school experience?”

“Well…it was…mean. Sunset Shimmer bullied the heck out of everyone, and everyone she bullied sort of bullied everyone else, and it was…just…super angry! I felt like I was on pins and needles in Sophomore year. Anytime I messed something up, or said anything, or bumped into anything, they’d all call me Derpy and laugh!”

The scratching of Silver Spoon’s pen comforted Ditzy. It was like someone was writing the story of her life. It let her know that she was being heard.

“But then the Fall Formal happened, and Sunset apologized and suddenly everything was all, uh…”

“What?” Silver Spoon said.

“Oh, you remember! It was like being in some sorta high school musical! Everyday was an adventure; everyone was nicer and louder and just more! It was like everything came into focus; I joined the science club, I was in the Friendship Games, I mean, people in town still gave me crud sometimes, but then I started dating Bulk, and that all stopped! For three semesters, everything just kinda went my way! There was magical weirdness every once in a while, but nobody got hurt! Okay, maybe some people got hurt…but things were good for the most part. School was great, Bulk was great, I had friends, everything just sorta worked out!” Ditzy said.

“Right, Bulk…”

“Bulk Biceps!”

“What drew you to Bulk?” Silver Spoon said.

“Bulk…wasn’t super good with words. But he was really, really caring! That, and…between you and me, he’s a big softie soft serve. A real snowflake, you know? I remember we used to watch TV, and if one of those commercials with the sad animals came on, he would just start bawling his eyes out! It was so sweet!”

“What happened between you and him?”

“Oh, uh…you’re gonna laugh.”

“No one’s going to laugh at you here. I promise.”

“He…changed his mind. He met this guy, Caramel; I think that was the name, and well…that was it.”

“Oh. Oh! That must have been a shock to you!”

“Not really…we never did anything naughty, so I thought he was just shy. It was nice. I never thought it was because he wasn’t…you know, into me.”

“Teenage relationships can be like that; it’s a period where you’re constantly discovering new things about yourself, and that leads to a lot of experimentation with identity. That’s all to say; it’s possible that he loved you, but in more of a platonic sense than a physical one.”

“Is that a thing?”

“Of course! Attraction is a spectrum, after all. You can be attracted to a person’s physical qualities, but not their personality and vice-versa! There are all sorts of elements that could catch your interest in another person, from how they speak to what they wear, to things that are more internal on your end, like what you were attracted to in the past.”

“Wow! That’s sorta complicated…but I think I get it. I liked Bulk because of his personality, even though all of his muscles made him kinda bad to cuddle with.”

“Exactly. The reasons we gravitate toward others are often complex and multifaceted. That’s one of the reasons why relationships can get so complicated!”

“You’re telling me…”

“But we’re digressing. You said that after high school, you were trapped in Canterlot with nowhere to go.”

“That’s right. For a while, I just bounced from job to job. I really did my best to keep it together, but I made a lot of mistakes, and that meant getting fired a bunch…” Ditzy said.

“So you were stuck in Canterlot for a while yet, and eventually you moved to Our Town. I understand the reasons why you would seek that place out, but what convinced you to stay?”

Ditzy Doo was twenty-four years old when it all started going wrong.

Three police officers stood just inside the entrance of Our Town; the little commune that had been Ditzy’s paradise for the last two months.

To Ditzy, they looked like wolves just off a path in the woods, their eyes flickering in the lantern light.

They spoke sternly at Firelight, who was absent of his usual smile. His stance was tense; almost like he was about to lash out. Ditzy had learned to watch for that tension in her mom’s shoulders.

“Send Ditzy Doo up here. Please.” Firelight said.

The crowd opened. Ditzy Doo shrank under the sudden attention.

“You’re not in trouble,” Firelight soothed. Ditzy didn’t feel any better.

The jingling clack of Ditzy Doo’s buckled shoes on the cobblestones echoed across the quiet night. She stumbled once, but Firelight caught her.

“They’re just here to talk to you,” Firelight said. It was one of those tiny lies that children come to recognize with time. It wasn’t there to protect the innocent; it was there to save an adult a long explanation. Ditzy’s cocked eyes looked with naive fear from Firelight to the police.

“Are you Ditzy Doo?” A cop said.

“Yessir.” Ditzy squeaked.

The police looked at each other. They looked at the crowd.

“Is this your family?” They said.

“We are,” Firelight said. He placed a hand on Ditzy’s shoulder. She felt that she would fall through the ground without it.

“I’m sorry to say this, but your mother is dead.”

“What?” It was barely a whisper.

“It was suicide. I’m sorry.”

Ditzy let out a sound that would echo through the rest of her life. It was a wail so sharp it was nearly a scream. Ditzy Doo fell to the ground, her heart tearing itself open as her thoughts raced.

It was because she left; it had to be. Her mom needed help, and Ditzy had left her alone. She ran away like the little coward she was, and now her only family in the world was dead, and it’s all your fault Ditzy Doo, it’s all your fault!

And then Sugar Belle was there. Ditzy’s first friend in Our Town. She ran to Ditzy’s side and held her. And then another villager happened by, then another, and soon, the people of Our Town surrounded Ditzy Doo and fell to their knees, weeping with her.

The whole village wailed with Ditzy Doo, pausing when she gasped for air and screaming as she screamed.

It was almost like clockwork; Ditzy’s wails waxed and waned, and the villagers followed as if it were a song. Ditzy had never been so surrounded by care and attention. It was like nothing she had ever experienced before.

The clock tower rang, and Ditzy knew that everything would be okay. She was finally safe.

So when Silver Spoon asked her years later why she had stayed in Our Town, the answer seemed obvious; it was the only place she belonged. The only place she could heal. The only place that could love her.

Why would she ever want to leave?

Starlight Glimmer was sure that she’d gone insane.

Whatever was in that brownie had knocked something loose in her brain. That, or her whole stay in Our Town had been one long, elaborate prank by her father. But that couldn’t be true! Starlight couldn’t be crazy, because crazy people don’t know they’re crazy and her Dad had literally never been funny a single day in his life.

With no way to logically explain how her journal had just sent her a DM, Starlight decided that the only rational course of action was the scientific method. She picked the book up from the corner she’d thrown it to and started to test it with rigor.

“No, it’s not a touch screen. What are you doing?” The red words curled across the page in a pragmatic, vaguely familiar hand.

“If you want to take some time to process this, I can always check back later. No, I can’t see or hear you over there if that’s what you’re asking. You’ll need to write it in the journal if you want to communicate.”

Starlight, who had been opening and closing the back, turning it over, and whisper-yelling to herself, scribbled frantically.

“WHAT IS THIS? WHO ARE YOU?” Starlight wrote in all caps.

“It’s Sunset Shimmer. This is a magic journal; an artifact from Equestria. We can use it to communicate without anyone knowing.”

Starlight searched the top of her bunk for answers. It had none.

“I HAVE SO MANY QUESTIONS!” Starlight wrote.

“Of course you do! I do, too! What you need to know right now is, yes, magic is real. No, you aren’t going crazy, and this isn’t a prank. I really am speaking to you through a magical journal.”

“Okay. I’m not panicking. I am being very calm and reasonable right now!” Starlight wrote. In her bunk, she very calmly and reasonably unleashed a protracted scream into her pillow. She counted her lucky stars that Ditzy Doo was a heavy sleeper. “Explain to me where this magic is coming from, and how you know it, and-and what’s going on!”

“It would take too long to explain! I want to help you. I’ve been reading your journal entries, and I’m on your side.”

“YOU’VE BEEN-” Starlight started to scream out loud. “You’ve been reading my JOURNAL ENTRIES!?” Starlight wrote instead.

“Yes, and I’d like to apologize for that.”

“Even the weird ones? …like the ones about Sunburst?”

“I skimmed. Look, the point is, that was a big breach of privacy, and I’d like to apologize for that. I sensed a lot of mana in you when we met, so I figured you would be involved in the magical events occurring in and around Fillydelphia.”

“I have no idea what you’re talking about! What do you mean I have a lot of mana in me? Is this like an invitation to Hogwarts, or something? Am I about to get attacked by a dragon or a dark wizard!?”

“No, Starlight, you’re not Harry Potter, but you do have magical potential, and you are in danger. Power attracts power.”

“Well, what am I supposed to do about it? I’m not some superhero, I’m just…me.”

“Don’t sell yourself short. I know for a fact that you can do great things if you put your mind to it! You could save everyone in Our Town!”

“How could you possibly know that?”

“Magic,” Sunset drew a little winky face to punctuate it. Starlight couldn’t help but smile.

“Okay…how? What can I do?”

“You said that you think something strange is happening in Our Town. Tell me everything.”

She did. Starlight Glimmer told Sunset about all of the bizarre little details she’d noticed since entering the little settlement, and just as before, she felt a miraculous calm as they spoke. In practice, it wasn’t all that different from when she messaged Sunburst online. Sunset even dropped a joke here and there to lighten the mood.

“And she didn’t seem to respond to the usual stimuli of a conversation?” Sunset said.

“Right. She sounded like she was reading lines off a teleprompter. And she looked exhausted.”

“Would you say she looked noticeably grayer?”

“Maybe? It was dark.”

“I see. This could be worse than I thought.”

“What do you think is happening here?”

“Everyone I spoke to in Fillydelphia had similar testimonials. You remember what I said on the plane, about sudden bouts of lethargy and depression?”

“Yes.”

“Those are signs of magical drainage. Humans have magic in them, at least a bit, but no way to unleash it. It’s possible some sort of magical creature is siphoning that power and storing it in Our Town.”

“Don’t you think we would notice if a big, magical…thing was wandering around here, mind-controlling a bunch of weirdos in the middle of the forest?”

“You’d be amazed at the kinds of things people will overlook.”

“I guess so.”

“I have my suspicions, but I can’t make a move until I have some more information. Do you think you can give me some sketches of the runes you’ve seen around town?”

“I’ll see what I can do. I’m pretty sure those are just folklore, though. My Dad loves dumb, old decorations like that. I doubt that they’re meaningful.”

“‘Meaningful’ is a matter of perspective. If you get those runes to me, I can research them. In the meantime, keep an eye out for any magical events around town.”

“How will I know one when I see one?”

“Well, you can watch for mana streams. When magical power passes through the air, it looks like a mirage. It’s a colorful, translucent thing, and it moves across the air. If you see something like that, take note of the direction it goes in.”

“Got it.”

“And I think this goes without saying, but don’t tell anyone about this unless you completely trust them.”

“That won’t be hard. I don't trust anyone here."

"Really?"

"I only really know two people. One is a total clutz, and the other is a chatterbox.”

“Aren’t they your friends?”

“I guess?”

“If something happens, rely on them. You’re vulnerable on your own, but friendship can help you in ways you’d never anticipate.”

“Yeesh. Did you read that on the back of a cereal box?”

“Something like that.”

“Okay, but Sunset, what happens if it really is a monster, and everyone is in danger?”

“Then we’ll face it together. You can count on that.”

Nothing else needed to be said. That was, besides “Goodnight” and some meandering thoughts about how completely insane this all was. None of that seemed to matter as Starlight laid back and stared at the bottom of Ditzy’s bunk. Sunset had spoken, er, written which such care and conviction, Starlight had no doubt that she would be true to her world.

Better than that, she now knew she wasn’t crazy for disliking this place immediately. Something was turning her Dad’s passion project into a weird supernatural incident, and she was going to get to the bottom of it.

For the first time in Starlight’s life, she had a mission. She was important. It was hard not to feel giddy about it.

To say that Starlight looked at Our Town with new eyes would be a bit of an embellishment. She had been leery of the place since she got there. She knew her father to be a man of projects, and while Our Town was a bit more than a model train set or a restored antique shelf, Starlight was more than happy to scrutinize it all the same.

With a month gone by, the buzz around the founder’s daughter arriving in town had worn off. Starlight was doing an excellent job of blending in with the hapless villagers, aside from her unimpeachable talent for frowning.

First came the runes; Starlight noticed one symbol in particular. It was some sort of fractured funnel, or maybe a mountain; several curving lines converging to a point on top. Once she spotted it once, she saw it placed surreptitiously on practically every building. It was whittled into wooden beams and carved into the cobblestones below her feet. It was everywhere.

Starlight looked around. No one was out in the streets; they were all in the Mess Hall for Dinner. She had a quick window to scribble this rune in her journal.

“I hope this drawing will do.” Starlight wrote. The book flashed and buzzed like a phone.

“That’s perfect! I’ll go ahead and look into it.” Sunset wrote.

“And you’re sure this isn’t just decoration? I feel like I’m spotting hidden ponies in Equestria Land.”

“It will take a bit of time to look it up, but you’ve done great. I’ll get back to you about this as soon as I can. Try to lay low in the meantime.”

“Roger that.”

Starlight’s version of laying low was people-watching as she pretended to eat the horrible colonial food in the mess hall. Her Dad didn’t make an appearance; she assumed that he had his own catering set up in the mansion. How else was he sending her those lunch boxes at night?

The villagers were just as amicable as ever; eating their dinner, chatting about nothing, and happily taking their dishes up before leaving the mess hall. The only suspect thing, as ever, was their friendly leer as Starlight tried to act natural. Not knowing what she was looking for exactly, Starlight resorted to the one person she knew would have gossip.

“Starlight, getting up at five o’clock isn’t “suspicious.” Lots of people do that.” Sugar Belle said as she moved a broom around the kitchen floor.

“Well, you’ve been here for a while, haven’t you? You have to have seen something weird by now.” Starlight said.

“Besides secret hookups and little snacks that people take from the kitchen, not really. The people here are mostly on the ball, just, you know, peppy.”

“What about the execs?”

“I’m looking forward to being one! I’m pretty sure they get dental and medical.”

“Huh?”

“They’ve got some sort of medical facility that does physical therapy. It’s like a sort of reward for sticking with the program. You get some spa days before you leave, or something.”

“Really?”

“I mean, have you seen those guys running around? They’re like racehorses! Like they don’t even know they’re doing it! There’s gotta be a gym in the mansion, or something! They’re super fit.”

“Ugh. I can’t stand peppy jock types.” Starlight said.

“Did I ever tell you, you’re a little messed up?”

There was an odd smile on Sugar Belle’s face.

“What’s that supposed to mean?” Starlight said.

“You always see the worst in people. I’ve never heard you say anything nice about anybody.” Sugar Belle said.

“Okay, so we’re naming things about each other, now? How about your attitude problem? Can they fix that in your fancy mansion gym?”

Just as a new argument was about to kick off, Ditzy Doo came stumbling into the kitchen. She looked like the aftermath of an argument at a grocery store register.

“Looks like somebody needs a spa day.” Sugar Belle said.

“A what?” Ditzy said.

“You’ve heard about that, right? The special service in the mansion?”

“Only a little bit…ugh, whatever, doesn’t matter!”

“Uh-oh. What happened?” Starlight said.

“Let me guess. Double Diamond stood you up?” Sugar Belle said.

“…that guy has rocks in his head!” Ditzy sniffled. She started to clear the used cookware from the counter but couldn’t seem to get a grip with her shaking hands.

“He’s dense and loyal. The cute ones usually are.” Sugar Belle said.

“Oh yeah? Speaking from experience?” Starlight said.

“Sugar Belle’s got a guy in Canterlot that she really likes. Like really, really likes.” Ditzy said with a mischievous smirk.

“Shut up! Nobodies’ talking about that! We’re just…really good friends! Like family!” Sugar Belle said, turning red.

“Suuuure.” Ditzy said. “I don’t think Double Diamond even wants to be friends. He’s just…I dunno.”

“Give it up, Ditzy. We’re not even supposed to date here.” Starlight said.

“I know…he’s just been looking really anxious lately, so I thought he’d want someone to talk to. But it’s like nothing I said could get through to him!.”

“Anxious? Anxious how?” Sugar Belle said.

“I dunno, he’s just sorta twitchy. He kept looking over my shoulder and stuff and mumbling.” Ditzy said. “Maybe he’s working on some sorta project, I don’t know.”

“Or an escape plan,” Starlight said.

“What?” Ditzy said.

“Maybe he got tired of the food. Or the way they make us dress. Or having to act happy all the time.”

“Okay, what is up with you, lately?” Sugar Belle said. “You clearly didn’t want to come to Our Town, and I get that, but now you’re picking at this place like some sort of paparazzi! What’s your damage, Starlight? Are you trying to get us in trouble?”

“No! I’m just asking questions!” Starlight lied badly. “You have to admit how strange this place is!”

“It’s only strange when you’re new! I promise once you get used to the food-” Ditzy said.

“I am NOT getting used to the food,” Starlight growled.

“You know you’re allowed to leave if you don’t like it here? You can quit the program whenever you want. No one is forcing you to stay here and talk shit.” Sugar Belle said.

Now Sugar Belle was sneering at Starlight, hands on her hips.

"Hey, cool it with the language..." Ditzy mumbled.

“Ditzy, help me! You have to have seen something! What about Night Glider? She was all bug-eyed and weird!” Starlight said.

“I don’t…I don’t know her! Maybe she’s always like that!” Ditzy said.

"Well, what about all the weird pictures on the walls?" Starlight said.

"That's just old colonial stuff!" Sugar Belle said.

“Come on! Something suspect is happening here, and I think my Dad is a part of it!” Starlight said.

“What? Mister Firelight is the nicest man I’ve ever met! He would never do anything to hurt us!” Ditzy said.

“You don’t know that.” Starlight said.

“I know you hate your Dad, but he’s managed to build something really impressive, and it’s helping a lot of people.” Sugar Belle said. “People like me and Ditzy, who didn’t grow up with a silver spoon in our mouth.”

Starlight’s eyes narrowed like a wolf in the brush. Her inquiry disappeared as she started to see red.

“What’s that supposed to mean?” Starlight sneered.

“I’m just saying, just because Our Town isn’t working for you, that doesn’t mean you get to dump all over it.” Sugar Belle said.

“Okay, maybe we should settle down a little…” Ditzy said.

“I’m not trying to insult you! There’s some things about Our Town that just don’t add up, and I want to get to the bottom of it!” Starlight said.

“For what? So the place is weird! Lots of things are sort of weird and hokey, but they work! Do you walk into an acupuncture joint and ask a bunch of questions? No, you lay down on the table, and you let them do their work!” Sugar Belle said.

“Since when did you start defending this place? You’re always complaining about how its boring and gossiping about everyone!” Starlight said.

“That’s just talking, it doesn’t mean I hate this place! I came here for a fresh start! I wanted to move on from the person I was and be someone better, and so far, it’s working! So why do you feel the need to come in here and criticize everything?”

“Look, Our Town…there’s something off about it, and if you know what's good for you, you'd get out of here before it gets any weirder!” Starlight said.

“Oh, so now you think you know what’s good for me? Little miss perfect over here thinks she’s so smart, just because she was a straight-A student!” Sugar Belle said.

“Sugar Belle, maybe we shouldn’t.” Ditzy tried.

“Well, so was I! And you know what? It didn’t make me any better than anybody else!” Sugar Belle said.

“I don’t think I’m better than you!”

“Ohhhh, yes you do! You think you’re better than everyone here! We can all see it; the way you look at us! You think we’re a bunch of sheep! You think you know what’s best for everyone around you, just like your friend Sunset Shimmer!” Sugar Belle had rounded on Starlight, a finger up in her face as she ranted.

“Well, maybe I wouldn’t think that if even a single one of you stopped to question what was going on in this place! The way they make you dress, and all this hard labor, and the way you all look at my Dad like hamsters on a wheel, you have to admit how it all looks!”

“Hey! This place has been great for me! This place gave me a home when I lost mine!” Ditzy barked. “Look…I know you haven’t really fit in much since you got here, but Mister Firelight really is a wonderful man, and he’s doing great work here.”

“‘Mister Firelight’ is a grown man that’s treating this place like a doll house, and you’re the dolls! I know you’re cock-eyed, but I didn’t think you were blind!”

Ditzy Doo shivered like a chihuahua as Starlight shouted at her. Her next words were barely a whimper.

“Sugar Belle is right. You don’t belong here.”

“Did someone say my name?”

The girls all cringed as Firelight made his presence known. They hadn’t even heard him come in. He crossed the threshold to find the three women cleaning dishes, stacking cookware, and sweeping the floor with an upside-down broom in Ditzy's case.

“We were actually talking about Double Diamond, sir. Have you seen him around? I heard he hasn’t been feeling well.” Sugar Belle said.

“Well, that’s funny. I haven’t seen him all day! I wonder if he’s been staying in his bunk?” Firelight said.

“Oh no, I just talked to him a few hours ago! I think he’s just got a lot on his mind.” Ditzy said, righting the broom with fumbling hands.

“It’s probably about Night Glider. She’s going to be wrapping up the program soon, and I know those two are as thick as thieves!” Firelight said.

“Oh, he thinks she’s thick, alright…” Sugar Belle muttered.

“But besides that, are you doing alright, Ditzy? You’re looking a bit flushed!” Firelight said. He placed a hand on Ditzy’s forehead, and she turned about three shades redder, to Starlight’s disgust.

“Oh! Um…I’m fine, sir! No need to worry!” Ditzy stammered.

“Healthy as a horse, as always! I love it!” Firelight said. “Now, I’m actually here for two reasons. First of all, Sugar Belle!”

“Yes?” Sugar Belle said.

“You’ve been doing great work ever since you got here. I talked with the executives, and we all agree that you should be promoted! How would you feel about cooking for the mansion?” Firelight said.

“Really!?” Sugar Belle said.

“Of course! Now, the promotion process is a bit involved, but I think your progress in both the kitchen and out speaks for itself. We can set you up with a room whenever you’re ready!”

“That would be great! And um…does the promotion come with more pay, for when I get out of here?”

“Of course! We'll drum up a contract with all the particulars for you to read. Whenever you’re ready to start the process, you just let one of the execs know, and we’ll get you started! Congratulations!” Firelight said, clapping Sugar Belle on the shoulder.

“That’s great, Sugar Belle! With some hard work, you’ll be on your way in no time! Though I guess it is a little sad…I feel like I’m losing a friend, almost.” Ditzy said.

“Nonsense! You’ll see each other around!” Firelight said.

Starlight didn’t bother to hide her sneer.

“With that out of the way, Sugar Belle and Ditzy, could I ask you two to leave? I’ve been meaning to talk to my widdle chipmunk cheeks here for a while!” Firelight said. Starlight smacked his hand away before he could pinch her.

“Awww…!” Ditzy said. “That’s so sweet!”

“Pfft…yeah…sweet!” Sugar Belle said, chuckling. “We’ll go ahead and give you some space. Thanks again for the promotion!”

“Take care now, ladies!” Firelight said, waving them off.

“Take care now!” They said in unison.

Starlight was disgusted to find she still had to tilt her head a bit to look at her father’s face. Firelight couldn’t seem to meet her eyes, even as he smiled that stupid smile Starlight had seen throughout her whole childhood.

“Well?” Starlight spat.

Firelight flinched. His smile wavered, but he calmly stepped away, grabbed a chair, taking a seat.

“Cheeky chops, will you sit with me?” Firelight said.

“No.” Starlight crossed her arms. “And I have a name,” Starlight said.

“You’re upset,” Firelight said.

“Oh, you figured that out? After I’ve been at your weird little summer camp for a month with you barely saying a word to me, now you’ve figured out I’m mad?”

“I haven’t been avoiding you; I’ve just been busy.”

“You’ve been “busy” my whole life! Tell me something, Dad; when have you ever not been busy?”

“Yes, that’s right, I’ve always been busy, and because I’ve been busy, you’ve never wanted for anything! Where do you think the money that put you through school came from, hm? How about the mansion you grew up in, or the car you drove to get away from it!?” Firelight said, standing up.

Suddenly, Starlight was a tiny child of five again, shivering under her sheets. The smile had fled, but then Firelight looked in his daughter’s eyes and put a hand to his forehead.

“What am I doing?” He said.

Starlight watched her father shut his eyes and collect himself. The smile slowly returned as he sat back down.

"I know. I know you’re upset about a lot of things, and I’m sorry you feel that way.” Firelight said.

“Sorry I feel–you have been avoiding me since I got here!” Starlight snapped.

“I need you to understand. You left. You left, and then your mother…"

"You don't get to talk about my mother." Starlight hissed.

"Our Town has been my whole world for the last couple of years. I wanted there to be a place that went back to the roots of the Equestrian dream; a place where people could come and find themselves. A place where you could find your passion, find your way, maybe even find a family. It’s been a long time since we’ve been a family, hasn’t it?”

Firelight looked up at his daughter. She had never seen him look so small and tired.

“Dad, I’m sorry. It’s just, you always do this! You put all your attention on some dusty historical project, and while you polish it up, you leave everyone on the side! Do you have any idea what that did to me? What that did to Mom?” Starlight said.

“Your mother used to be out of the house six days a week, doing errands or rallying for a cause. We both had our own worlds, but when we got together, it was nothing but love. God, I miss her so much, Starlight.” Firelight said.

A sharp inhale. Starlight was shaking.

“It wasn’t easy to pull all of this together, but you can see the result. Good people, making good decisions for themselves, without having to worry about how it will impact their bottom line. A place where anyone can be stable and free! It’s not the best thing I’ve ever created, of course.”

“Well, what is?” Starlight said.

“You, Honeybun.” Firelight said.

Starlight froze up. She saw a bit of wetness in the corner of her father’s eye.

“I see you here, all grown up, strong and proud and so much like your mother! …look, I know that times have been hard. I know things were hard for you when you left home, and I thought with Our Town, you’d be able to feel safe. Like when you were young.”

“By treating me like a child!?”

“I understand if you hate me. If you want to leave, I’m not going to stop you. I just thought that this place could be home for you. And maybe, we could try and be a family again.”

Starlight was lost. This was what she wanted, wasn’t it? She wanted her father to feel bad; to show even an ounce of remorse about the harm he’d caused for years, but now that she was getting it, it was hollow. For a few agonizing ticks of the clock, Starlight felt like a wind chime in a snowstorm.

Starlight choked up. Her words came out shakily as she kneeled down to meet her father at eye level.

“I don’t hate you, Dad. I love you. Of course I do! I didn’t come here to put down that work, I…I came here to figure things out!”

“Right,” Firelight said.

“I don’t want to be angry at you forever, but you need to stop running away from what you did, and start working with me. We can…we can be a family again, but it’s going to take time.”

And Firelight hugged his daughter tightly, and it was every gentle embrace that Starlight had felt in her childhood. She never wanted to lose this feeling again. She hugged her father back.

“I’m so glad you decided to come home. I’m going to fix this, I swear!” Firelight said.

The clock tower rang the hour in. All the weight slumped out of Starlight’s shoulders. The boiling fury, the sadness of abandonment, and the jagged bedrock of spite she had built up for her father, it all circled a drain in Starlight’s head.

She was grateful to be here. Grateful that she had this chance to fix what was broken in her life. Grateful her father had made a place for her to start again.

Starlight’s eyes shot open.

It was there for barely a second; a mirage of sparkling orange light drifting away from the tender embrace, joined by a brighter cyan glow. They fluttered through the kitchen window like confetti streamers, then shot with an arrow’s arch toward the clock tower. Emotions carried away on a breeze.

A scream strangled into a whimper in Starlight’s throat.

She parted with Firelight after a few moments and said nothing but a thoughtless affirmation as she headed for her bunk. She was strangely empty of emotions at first, but as she crossed the village, she felt a chill run through her.

She was carrying a contradiction. She wanted to tear this place apart. She wanted to save everyone here. She hated her father.

She loved her father.

By the time Starlight made it to her bunk, the sun had set. She had been wandering in a daze, but none of the villagers seemed to notice. Ditzy was already fast asleep, and chances were she wouldn’t want to talk. That left Starlight with only one person to turn to.

She took a deep breath and tried to push back the panic that was rising in her head. Finally, she brought her pen to the page.

“It’s feeding on my Dad, too.”

It was the current year and the present day when a changeling scout crawled through a window in downtown Canterlot. Changelings never cared much for timekeeping; all they knew was "Now" and "Not now." But if this changeling had been taught to read a clock, it would know that it was around 8 am.

It was dressed in a plain face. A face called Norman. Its mission was to acquire some material for the Queen. It had never been taught to question why.

The scout straightened its shoulders and walked down the corridor. The high sun cast beams through the windows, across the beige walls and soft carpeting.

“Soft.”

The scout bent down to run its fingers across the plush fibers across the floor. It wasn’t used to soft. Soft felt nice. Soft was good. Felt good between the fingers. Fingers. Fingers were still new.

“You drop a penny or something?”

The scouts snapped to attention with a rehearsed smile. Hungry. Someone in a suit walked past, not paying attention. The scout rose and watched the interloper leave. The mission. Find one face in particular.

The scout waited for the interloper to pass. It continued the mission.

There were rectangles on the doors. The scout knew rectangles and their symbols, the Queen made sure of it. A lot of time making mouth sounds to rectangles and words. The scout pointed at the rectangles on the doors and read them carefully until it found its target.

“Silver Spoon.” The scout read.

This is where the face would be. A person of some importance to the Prize. A face that was valuable to the queen. The scout giggled with glee as it reached for the handle.

The scout blinked. It looked around at the beige walls and soft carpeting.

Soft.

As it bent down to run its fingers across the plush fibers beneath its feet, the scout tilted its head in confusion.
Office. Norman. Hallway. Rectangles? Rectangles! The scout knew rectangles and their words.

The scout rose and pointed at the rectangles on the doors, reading them carefully until it found its target.

“Silver Spoon.” The scout read. See Silver Spoon. Get the material. It reached for the door handle, giggling with glee.

The scout blinked. Office. Norman. Hallway? Hungry. Hungry! No! Mission!

Now the scout trembled like a two-year-old in a dark hallway. Confusion. Hunger. Fear. Focus! Mission. Silver Spoon. Material.

The scout read through the rectangles on the doors and found the name Silver Spoon. Mission! Fast! The scout grabbed the handle.

Office?

“No!” The scout hissed.

“God, these things are dumb.” Sweetie Drops said.

The changeling convulsed as electricity danced through its body.

Pain! Fear! Failure. Sad! Cold! Cold. Cold...

It was dead before it hit the ground.

“Better clean this up before anyone sees.” Sweetie Drops grumbled, pocketing her taser and memory stone. The creature was incredibly light; Sweetie Drops didn’t even have to strain as she lifted it and dumped it out a window. It hit the alley floor with a low splat. It would melt away within the hour.

“Anything else want to get in my way today?” Sweetie Drops sighed. She moved through the office space on light feet, tilting her head around a corner to check for any more drones.

Instead, she saw the lady known as Silver Spoon sitting in a cozy little lounge, quickly flipping through a book titled “The Essential Role of Therapy.”

“What the hell am I doing?” Sweetie Drops wondered for the third time this week. She straightened her shoulders and remembered to simply act natural instead of skulking around like a spy. Somehow, a full night's sleep hadn't been enough.

As she made her way down the hall and out of the building, Sweetie Drops failed to notice Silver Spoon glancing around the lounge, picking up office supplies, and turning them over to examine them with gleeful curiosity.

“How are things coming along with that air lift?” Sweetie Drops said. “Yes, I know this is unorthodox, but lives are on the line. I swear, nothing and no one will get hurt; have a little faith! They are taking care of it. He’s fine, I’m sure. I mean, you know better than I do how to get them moving. Yes? Yes, we’ll pay for the feed, just get it done. Okay. Thank you so much.”

Sweetie Drops hung up her phone with a groan. A pale green hand patted her shoulder.

“That bad, huh?” Lyra said. There was sympathy on her face, but Sweetie Drops could tell she wasn’t happy with yet another diversion from the day’s festivities.

“Work is a real killer this week. But I swear, I’m not gonna let it stop us from having fun!” Bon Bon said, smiling. "Now, where were we?"

“You were gonna get us some ice cream!”

“And when did I say I was paying for it?”

“Come ooooon Bonnie! I spotted you last time!”

“You spotted me at the gym, yes. That’s not the same thing!”

“That’s totally the same thing! Besides, I heard that Sugar Cube Corner’s new flavor is like super good! Like O.M.Goodness good!”

And just like that, the pair headed down the street. Bon Bon's morning had already been sidelined, so she hoped against hope that Agent Sweetie Drops wouldn't be needed for the rest of the day.

“And you’re sure you saw it?” Sunset wrote.

Once again, Starlight was in Our Town, and her memories were starting to speed down a track she had traced over and over in the intervening years. The sun was setting, and Starlight was alone in her bunk.

“I know what I saw! My Dad’s emotion, or his mana, or whatever flew away just like everyone else’s! There’s something in the clock tower that’s draining everyone in this place!”

“And you don’t think it’s your Dad?”

“...I think he thinks he’s genuinely helping people.”

“I see. Well, I have good news, bad news, and really bad news. Which do you want to hear first?”

“It doesn’t matter! The good news, I guess!”

“The good news is that I’ve translated the rune you gave me.”

“Okay? What does it mean? It’s just a bunch of squiggly lines to me.”

The red ink crossed the journal page, drawing the strange funnel of converging lines that Starlight had seen around town.

“This is the Delta rune. Like a river delta. It’s supposed to represent a dispersal of energy. But it's inverted; purposefully drawn upside down.”

“So what?”

“It’s been drawn in such a way that it does the opposite of its purpose. Instead of dispersing a stream of mana, it takes a thin cloud of mana and focuses it into a stream. Like a funnel.”

“Okay, so that’s how all of the energy from the townsfolk is being sent to the clock tower?”

“Exactly! Whatever this thing is, it isn’t attacking people directly. It’s draining their energy from a distance.”

“That’s good, right? By comparison?”

“It’s still bad. It's already drained individuals of all their magic before.”

“It has?”

“I believe it was responsible for the state of the people I interviewed. It can probably drain anyone that gets close to it. So it's dangerous. Whatever is orchestrating this knows what it's doing. And that brings me to the really bad news. This rune is ancient stuff. It’s so old, they don’t even use it in Equestria anymore. The last people on record to use these runes were part of a religious group. The Order of the Horned Lord.”

“I knew it! This place is a cult!”

“What little information I could drum up was pretty vague. The Order of the Horned Lord worshipped creatures with magical powers, like unicorns. I have reason to believe that their “god” of sorts was the centaur Tirek.”

“Tirek? Like, The Devil? Like ‘Tirek’s Revenge’, Tirek?”

“You play Tirek’s Revenge?”

“Some guys at my college used to keep me up at night playing that stupid game in the next dorm over. Isn’t the correct spelling Tirac? I think I saw that on a test once.”

“Sort of.”

“Tirek isn’t real! That’s the point! He’s just a lie that parents tell their kids to make them behave; like Santa Claus or the Tooth Fairy.”

“He’s very real. He’s imprisoned in Tartarus, which is also a real place, where real magical monsters get locked up when they cause too much trouble.”

“So Hell is real?”

“Is that your version of Tartarus?”

“Yes? No? I don’t know, I kind of slept through my World Mythology class.”

“You went to school for Mathematics, and you slept through something cool like World Mythology? Are you even fucking human?” Buck balked, from the future.

“Shut the fuck up, Buck!” Starlight snarled.

“Sorry, sorry, that’s insensitive.” Buck said.

“What I found is that Tirekian runes were used by some of the oldest settlers of the United States of Equestria. That’s scary enough on its own, but this world isn’t supposed to have magic. It didn’t until relatively recently. It's possible something powerful came over from Equestria. Something with knowledge of old, forbidden magic.”

“You don’t think…the literal devil is hiding out in Our Town?”

“No. As far as anyone knows, he’s still imprisoned. I think it may be one of his minions, which is better for us. Whatever it is, Our Town is systematically feeding it.”

“So it’s not The Devil, but it’s probably a demon. In what way is that better?”

“It’s a smaller scale threat, for one. One that can be contained.”

“Okay, so now what? Do we call the army? The Men in Black?”

“I’m sorry to say, but it's just me.”

“You’re joking.”

“I wish I was.”

“What about your club of paranormal investigators? Why can’t they get in here and do some ghost-busting?”

“It’s not as simple as that.”

There was a long pause, during which Starlight wondered just what was going through Sunset’s head. Despite the confusion and rising fear, Starlight felt a bit giddy. In one conversation, Our Town had gone from a strange, ineffable prison to a problem that could be solved.

“Let’s just say that there aren’t a lot of people that can pony up when the going gets tough. But that’s alright. If you can get me into Our Town, I can handle this myself.” Sunset wrote.

“Why can’t you just sign up for the program here? They’ll let you in that way.”

“Are you kidding? Their screening process is nuts.”

“What screening process?”

“Did you not sign up through their website?”

“No, I just told my Dad I was coming home, and he gave me instructions on how to get here.”

“When you sign up for Our Town, you have to fill out this huge survey and a non-disclosure agreement. That survey has some pretty personal questions, asking for banking details and proof, your home life, and where you live and went to school. Weirdly specific stuff. And the waiting list is really long!”

“I guess they only want a certain kind of person here.”

“That’s one way to look at it. Either way, I managed to track someone who lived in Our Town, and I found out how to get there.”

“So what’s the problem? Just sneak in and do whatever you do.”

“Did you know you’re living in a fortress? The walls are thick, and too tall to climb, and there’s security cameras everywhere. There’s no way for me to get in without being spotted.”

“Can’t you just use your magic to fly in on a broom?”

“There’s no way I can just fly over the wall without being seen. I’ll need someone on the inside to let me in.”

“Because that will be easy, right? How am I supposed to get the gate open without anyone noticing?”

“Maybe you don’t need to. Do you still have your phone?”

“No, they take your phone when you show up. Some dumb folksy idea about clearing away modern distractions.”

“Do you know where they keep everyone’s phones?”

“No…but I can guess.”

“The mansion, right. If you can send me a picture of the inside of the mansion, that might be enough for me to teleport in.”

“Really? You think that would work?”

“In theory. Do you know anyone that works in the mansion?”

“Well, there’s Sugar Belle, I guess.”

“Sugar Belle? Sugar Belle is there?”

“Yes. She’s the chatterbox I told you about. Do you know her?”

Another pause. Starlight narrowed her eyes.

“...yes. Sort of. Sugar Belle is trustworthy. I really recommend you get her help for this, if you can.”

“Oh, what, you think I can’t figure this out on my own?”

“In times like this, it never hurts to have a friend!”

“We’re not friends. We’re not even on speaking terms right now.”

“What happened?”

“It wasn’t my fault! I was asking about weird things around town, and some things were said, and they freaked out at me!”

“I see.”

“But she’s up for a promotion. She’s going to be working in the mansion, and she’s a total gossip. She’ll probably find out where the phones are in no time.”

“But that also puts her in harm’s way of whatever is lurking in the clock tower.”

“Ugh. This is getting complicated.”

“Hang in there! Once you get your phone, just call me up and we can go from there.”

“How is that going to help?”

“Once you call me, I should be able to handle the rest. Try to patch things up with Sugar Belle; she’s your best chance of getting into the mansion.”

“But she hates me!”

“I’m sure she'll come around. Sugar Belle is really very sweet, but she can be really defensive.”

“Well, why don’t you ask her, if she’s so sweetl?”

“She…definitely wouldn’t want to talk to me.” Sunset said after a moment.

“Oh yeah, that sounds real reasonable. I’ll get right on that.” Starlight rolled her eyes.

“Take your time, and be careful. You’re in more danger than you know.”

“What do you mean?”

“Magic can change living things in drastic ways. If your Dad, or Sugar Belle or anyone else starts to get strange on you, there’s no shame in running away.”

“I’m not running away from this! I’m a part of it now, and I’m going to see it through.”

“That determination really is impressive. Here’s another tip. When people’s emotions are drained, they tend to fall into a sort of trance. They need a little kick in the pants to snap them out of it.”

“Like, violently?”

“No, no, I mean emotionally! You need to appeal to them emotionally; find something that causes them an emotional reaction. It could be something negative, but it’s better if it’s something happy.”

“Like what?”

“Like, I don’t know…bring up their favorite hobby, or a song they like.”

“Wow. You really have done this before.”

“I’ll do everything I can on this end. Take care of yourself over there!”

“Thank you. Without you, I’d just think I’m going crazy here. It’s nice to know that someone is looking out for me.” Starlight wrote. She went to cross that out, but it faded before she could catch it.

“You're not crazy; you're just in a crazy circumstance. I need to go. This might be the last time I can talk for a while."

"What? Why?"

"I'm being followed, and something tells me it's not a Rainbooms fan that's tailing me. If you don't hear from me, remember to rely on your friends."

"But who's going to watch out for me with you gone!? What am I supposed to do if something happens?"

"Whatever happens, I'll take care of you. I promise."

The next day, Starlight Glimmer was greeted by the usual crowd of staring eyes and shining smiles. Starlight tried to meet them with the same manufactured gentility, but her cheeks hurt by the time she made it to the Mess Hall. Sugar Belle was nowhere to be found. Twice, Starlight passed Ditzy Doo at a distance, but she refused to meet her eyes.

They were actively avoiding her now, and she couldn’t decide if she was angry or sad. Starlight wanted to tell them flat out that a monster was feeding on their energy, but she couldn’t be sure if they would tell her Dad. She was running out of people to trust.

With no one else to turn to, Starlight went to the Rec’s computer lab for a second opinion.

“So let’s say, hypothetically, someone was really mad at me, but I needed their help for…” Starlight paused and almost smiled when she realized she had typed out honest-to-goodness ellipses. “...a project.”

“Sounds like typical college stuff. What’s the project?” Sunburst said.

“It’s uh…a photography project.”

“Funny you should mention that! My Mom just sent me a bunch of pictures from when we were kids!”

“Any good ones?”

“A lot of them are interiors of your old house, actually. From back when my Mom sold it to your folks. There’s even shots of your housewarming party!”

“I didn't know that! No wonder the place was so tacky.” Starlight smarmed.

“I don’t know, I thought it was cozy.”

“We’re getting off track. I need some extra eyes, but the group isn’t working together. What do I do?”

“What did you say to make them mad at you?”

“Why do you automatically assume it’s my fault?”

“Because I know you. You’re the smartest person I know, but you’re also the most opinionated. Well, you were until about a month ago.”

“Right, you’re ‘making friends’ over there.”

“I am! They put me on a great new hobby that I think you’d really like!”

“Tell me about it later! I need your help!”

“Then tell me what you said!”

“I said that they aren’t paying attention to what’s going on around them, okay?”

“And what’s going on around them? Is something happening in Our Town?”

“I can’t say.”

“Right, you signed that NDA.” Sunburst said.

Sunburst sent a little gif of Micheal Scott from The Office doing a facepalm.

“Just trust me when I say this project is important.” Starlight said.

“I do trust you. Here’s the deal, Starlight. If you want people to work with you, you’ve got to stop talking to them like you’re always right.”

“But I am right!” Starlight said it out loud as she typed it, then covered her mouth.

“Yes, but if I’ve learned anything from school just recently, it’s not about what you say, but how you say it. In the words of a surprisingly wise man;”

“You’re not wrong, you’re just an asshole.” Buck said.

In the dark of the cave, Starlight glared at Buck’s underlit face. There was nothing smug about his expression, but Starlight was shocked. What she realized at that moment, she knew Buck had figured out, too.

"Stop looking at me like that." Starlight growled.

"Like what?" Buck said.

"Like you're looking right through me! Stop it! I had enough of people staring in Our Town!" Starlight said.

“You know, it’s funny, because he’s right. I bet you’d be way into tabletop games if you tried them.” Buck said, looking at the ceiling.

“Is that what you want? For me to sit at a table next to you and my worst enemy and yell at pieces of plastic?”

“Yeah, that sounds pretty cool.”

“If I say yes, will you give me your mana so we can get out of here?”

The bonfire of red light had grown again, but Starlight could tell it wouldn’t be enough to get them out. Buck knew it, too, and he knew that she knew that he knew and Starlight was about to get up and slug him again. Before Starlight could start arguing, Buck leaned forward and stared at his shoes.

“What’s she going to do to me?”

“You know what Adagio does, already.”

“No, I mean The Queen. Chrysalis. If Chrysalis gets her hands on me, what’s she going to do?”

Starlight's hand went to the replica memory stone in her pocket. She couldn't risk triggering Buck, and more than that, she couldn't risk him finding out that he'd been lied to. Now was a chance to do a bit of damage control.

“She’ll try and drink you dry. That’s what she did the first time she attacked you. Though, since it's you, she’ll probably drink her fill, then stick you in a cocoon for later.”

In the deepest shadows on the floor of the cave, a pair of pale blue compound eyes watched with a predator’s focus. The eyes were set on the head of a small snake. One of the garters that were common in the Everfree region. It could hear everything that was said, and it understood almost all of the words.

Funny.

Attacked.

Drink.

“You saved me then, didn’t you? That time in my apartment?”

“Ditzy saved you. I just helped a little.”

“Yeah, what a wuss, right? Y’all saved me. Shouldn’t’ve had to.”

“I tried to warn you. Do you remember that? When she was in your apartment, playing Adagio.”

"Is that what happened?" Buck said, rubbing his temple.

"You don't remember because you fainted. It all happened very fast."

"Okay, well, I may not remember, but I'm sorry for not hearing you out."

“Well, you’re...You’re hearing me out now, aren’t you?”

“Yeah. And by the way, I do get where you're coming from with all of this."

"Do you?"

"It’s one of the worst feelings in the world; when you know something bad is about to happen, but no one will listen. You think you can just handle it on your own…”

“But a part of you knows you can’t. Yes.”

Buck smiled joylessly. Maybe he did understand, after all.

“What happened next?” Buck said.

Starlight looked up at the ceiling and thought about it.

Listen, thought the eyes in the dark.

Feelings.

Next.

A shadow fell over Starlight's computer screen. Starlight closed her tab at the speed of a teenager hiding a slashfic, spinning in her swivel chair.

"Oh, hi Starlight! I didn't know it was you! All done for the night?" Said Party Favor.

"No. I'm having a private conversation."

"Well I'm sorry to say that your time's up! We need to clear out the lab for renovations!"

"Renovations?"

"That's right! They're going to redo the wires in here! The internet is going to be down for a while!"

"What do you mean for a while!? We barely get to use it as is!"

"I'm sorry if that's inconvenient, but Mister Firelight said-"

"Whatever! Whatever, Party Favor!" Starlight got up and stomped her way to the door. She could swear she heard Party Favor mutter something behind her back, but when she turned, he was just staring at her with that plastic smile that everyone else wore. Starlight marched briskly down the path, trying to ignore the eyes all around as primal anxiety prickled at her brain.

The net was closing. Whatever was draining Our Town must have known she was up to something. Any one of these nights, something was going to sneak into Starlight's bunk and snatch her up, she knew it, and everyone around her was blind if they couldn't see the nightmare taking place.

When Starlight returned to her bunkhouse, she found that everything was unsettled. The wardrobe was wide open, as were the drawers. She scrambled to check for her journal and found it was still where she had hidden it. All of her belongings were still there, though the little lunchbox she had come to expect was missing.

But Ditzy’s weren’t. Her simple clothes were gone, her bunk was freshly made, and there was an open envelope on the little corner table. It was addressed to Ditzy Doo.

Starlight read it without hesitation, and her heart sank into a paralyzing dread.

Panic struck her immediately. Starlight tore out of her room and into the streets of Our Town, hoping she'd catch Ditzy's back in the crowd. She instead saw people waving to each other as they retreated to their own bunkhouses. She was surrounded by smiles again beneath eyes that judged silently, watching for any twitch that would give her away. Starlight clenched her fists and smiled right back.

She wouldn't get any sleep that night.

Silver Spoon had been gone for a while.

Ditzy was just starting to wonder if her therapist would come back at all when the door clicked. She jumped.

"Are you okay?" Silver Spoon said.

"I'm fine, I'm fine! It's just, you know, you usually knock." Ditzy said.

"Right, that's my mistake! Now, are you ready to continue?" Silver Spoon said. She looked to Ditzy expectantly, notepad open, a peculiar smile on her face. Ditzy wasn't paying much attention. She was trying not to sink between the floorboards.

"I don't know about ready..." Ditzy trailed off.

Ditzy Doo would never look back on those days intentionally. Instead, echoes of her pain would sneak up on her in the quiet moments of the day; shadows with long, trailing claws waiting to snatch her by the throat at any second. They appeared when she least expected; in a stranger's laugh on the streets, the moment she finished cleaning up a spill, or on her daughter's own face. Now, as she recounted her trauma, she felt a nauseous pain rising in her stomach. She knew she would get through it, but only if she had the courage to keep moving forward.

Ditzy Doo shook as a long yawn escaped her mouth.

She truly believed she was good for two things; cleaning and knitting. She had learned knitting just recently, but cleaning up was second nature to her. She did all the cleaning in her childhood home because the place would turn into a wreck when she didn't.

She’d been given a few job options as a trial executive, and the only one she felt confident about was tidying up the bottom floor of the mansion. She should have been in her element, but she was honestly terrified. She hadn’t gotten any sleep since she was told she could be an executive; her nerves were totally shot. It took so much effort to stop herself from shaking as she took an antique feather duster in hand; she felt that even the slightest twitch of the arm would send something flying.

With great anxiety, Ditzy ran her fingers over the ancient flip phone that she had been given. There was no chance to scroll social media; the phone was too primitive for that, and who would she contact, anyway? The only family she had left was here in Our Town.

From the outside, the Our Town Mansion cut an imposing, steepled shape, with its clock tower overlooking the sleepy village beneath it. Ditzy had expected the inside to be sweeping and gothic, like something out of Scooby-Doo or an old Regency drama. What she found instead was much more… kitschy.

After handling the majority of the downstairs area, Ditzy Doo was cleaning up the living room, dusting off a rose-patterned couch that looked tantalizingly comfy. There was even a little coffee table with some stacked books that looked just tall enough for someone to put their feet up.

The salmon wallpaper was dappled with white polka dots, and the warm-colored wooden floors had long rugs running down the halls. The lights were recessed into the ceiling, casting the whole place in a stark artificial glow. The curtains even stood out with their pink and green stripes, tying the rooms together in an aesthetic that Ditzy likened to a thrift store’s drapery section.

Ditzy took extra care in dusting off the old but still impressive stereo system; then she moved to the stubby coffee table with a board game box on it.

"Dragon Pit? That's an old one...wow." Ditzy mused.

The whole place had a homey feel to it, or maybe the word was “homely”. It was like a dream home…designed by Hasbro.

Ditzy couldn’t be sure if it was strange or incredibly comfortable. What she was certain of is that this 70’s home shopping catalog of a mansion on the hill was surprisingly dusty, and so Ditzy Doo took to cleaning as if everything was made of glass. She couldn't fall into her usual clutzy ways or risk breaking some precious knickknack. Too much was riding on her success here, and she was so tired of being an embarrassment.

She was determined not to screw this up because if she did, well…she didn’t know what she would do. She couldn’t admit that this was just another house she had ruined. If she failed here, it would confirm all of the brutal honesty her mother had spoken. The pull of that looming despair threatened to unravel Ditzy at the seams.

At the same time, she’d been up for so long, and she’d been working so hard; surely there was nothing wrong with taking a little nap, right? I mean, it’s not like anyone was in the mansion during the day; they were probably all out in the town, doing...whatever executives did. And she was so tired. Nobody would notice.

Feeling far too tired to turn it over in her head, Ditzy Doo felt the magnetic pull of the old couch. Before she knew it, her head was on the soft arm cushion.

Even without the clock tower’s ring, Ditzy found herself reflecting as she drowsed. She had so much to be thankful for; this job, this place, and all of the wonderful people…excluding a very rude someone who she was still very much nettled at. Ditzy put Starlight from her mind. She had found her place, truly, and so long as she did as she was told, there was nothing to worry about.

With a deep yawn, Ditzy Doo started to drift away.

“It’s a nice couch, isn’t it?”

Ditzy was yanked from her daydream like a fish on a line. She sputtered and flailed onto the floor. Her hand whipped at the coffee table, sending a book sailing into the air.

It was caught by a well-placed purple hand.

“M-M-Mister Firelight!”

“Hey there, Ditzy Doo! Did I interrupt your nap?” Firelight chuckled. He leaned down and offered Ditzy a hand up, which she took with all the poise of a mouse found in the pantry.

“I, that is, uh, no, I, uh…it is! It is a nice couch!” Ditzy’s words tumbled out of her mouth as she frantically adjusted her apron and hair. Her eyes darted around, looking for an escape hatch, when she noticed that Firelight had brought in a full tea cart with a pot and a couple of small cups.

“If was my wife’s choice. She always loved a good floral pattern. Really, this whole place is hers. I was never much good at home decor.”

“Me either!” Ditzy tittered nervously. She felt like she was standing under a spotlight, waiting for Firelight to snap at her. Instead, the stately founder of Our Town was staring at a family photo on a nearby shelf.

“Is that right? But you’re so good at keeping things tidy; a figured you had a knack for feng shui!” Firelight said, smiling.

“Uh, do you want me to move some things around in here?” Ditzy said.

“No,” Firelight said sharply.

There was a moment of silence. Ditzy Doo fiddled with her hair, her knees shaking so much they threatened to knock together. After a bit, the tension was too much for her to bare.

“...I’m sorry, Mister Firelight! I didn’t mean to fall asleep; it’s just I’ve been so excited to go executive and this place is so neat and carefully laid out, and I-I-I-”

“It’s fine. I don’t care if you take breaks, Ditzy. As long as you get the job done, that’s all that matters to me!”

“Really?”

“You can’t spell “exceptional” without “exception”! Now, how do you feel about chamomile?” Firelight said, pouring himself a cup of tea.

“...oh! Um, I wouldn’t mind having some!” Ditzy said. She awkwardly plopped down onto the couch next to Firelight as he graciously poured her a cup. “Did…you come here to make sure I was working?”

“No, I knew you’d be working hard. I came down to tell you that you can take a break! That’s why I brought the tea, and all.”

“Wow! Thank you, that’s so nice of you! If I’m being honest, I’m not really used to a boss that…trusts me.”

“I agreed to let you dust because I wanted to know I could trust you! That’s what this job is about; showing everyone that Ditzy Doo is dependable!”

“Well, that’s a relief! Wait…this was a test?”

“That’s right, sweetheart! And you passed! I’ve already had a look around; you’ve left the bottom floor spotless, just like you were asked!”

Ditzy Doo was caught completely off guard. Firelight placed the book she had knocked away in the exact spot it had been on the top of the little stack. He moved so casually, and yet the placement was extraordinarily meticulous.

“So, I did a good job?”

“You did better than expected by a country mile!”

“Better than expected?”

“Well, certainly! The other executives had their doubts, let me tell you! Most of them were convinced you’d make a bit of a mess.” Firelight said. “But I told them! I told them not to count you out, and look at you! You’re fantastic at this!”

Ditzy Doo deflated.

“I mean, I’ve always been a little clutzy…it’s not easy to stay balanced with eyes like these.”

“Where are you from, Ditzy? It was Canterlot, wasn’t it?”

“Yes sir, Mister Firelight. I moved away from Canterlot to…get away from my Mom.”

“Right. I remember. Terrible business, that was. At least she’s in a better place now.” Firelight said gravely.

“I sorta doubt it…” Ditzy Doo muttered.

“What’s that, dear?”

“Nothing!”

“I hope you’re not still hurting from that whole ordeal, Ditzy.”

“I…haven’t done a lot of talking about it. I mean, she was my Mom. I was her whole world I just up and left, and…”

“Well, what’s important is that you don’t stress about it. We all make mistakes, after all.”

“...what?”

“That’s what the police report said, wasn’t it? A stress-related heart attack? Something like chronic empty-nest syndrome.”

“No, they said it was…it was suicide.”

“Oh. So, she died of a broken heart?”

“I wouldn’t say that…”

“Well, that’s in the past, anyway. As I said, mistakes happen, but no matter how big, we have to keep moving forward. And I think you’ve done just that since you came to Our Town! You were like a baby deer when you first came through our gates, scared of your shadow and shaking with every step. But now, well, look at you! You’ve really proven yourself, Ditzy. I’m proud of you.”

“Thank you, Mister Firelight. That really means a lot, coming from you.”

“Nonsense. Anyone that can see straight knows you’re a marvel, Ditzy!” Firelight said, and as he laid a reassuring hand on Ditzy’s shoulder, she felt like she was truly anchored to the ground. Safe.

“Right…I’m maybe not the best at seeing straight. But I can at least aim a feather duster, right?”

“Hahah! Exactly! So, how do you feel about going executive? Do you think you’re ready for more responsibility?”

“Um…to be honest, I’m having second thoughts.”

“Whatever for?”

“Well, the executives are so dependable and strong and nice, and I’m just…me. And I don’t think they really trust me.”

“Who said they don’t trust you, Ditzy? What, was it Double Diamond?”

“No! No, sir, it-”

“Firelight is fine, Ditzy. We’re all friends here.”

“That, uh…no, uh, Firelight, Double Diamond never said anything like that to me.”

“Well, good. We don’t tolerate any disparaging remarks around here! Etiquette is a top priority here in Our Town, but you already know that. No one comes to Our Town because they’re perfect. They come here for a fresh start, and proper guidance! Isn’t that right?”

“Yes sir-uh, I mean uh…Firelight. Yes, that’s right.”

“Good. Now, it’s about time for me to get back to work. Tell you what, Ditzy, if you ever need any of that good old guidance, feel free to tell me anything, alright? You’re in good hands, here.” Firelight stretched his arms and rose with half of a yawn.

Firelight turned to leave, but Ditzy grabbed his hand.

“Mister-that is…Firelight? Can I ask you something? Something serious?”

“Of course, Ditzy! Anything at all.”

“Do you think that…if I do good here, do you think I could stay? Here in Our Town, I mean? Do you think I could stay here?”

“You want to stay?”

“It’s just, I know that the program’s rules are that it’s four months and then executive for a while and then that’s it, but…I like it here! I know Sugar Belle’s probably going to be done soon, but I’m not ready to go out into the world again!”

“Well…I’m sorry Ditzy, but the program is the way it is for a reason! You know, people come to Our Town because they need to fix something up in themselves, and I understand feeling nervous about moving on, but-”

“As soon as I leave this place, I…I won’t have anything left. I won’t be an executive of Our Town, I’ll just be this weird girl with messed-up eyes again. I can’t go back to that!”

Ditzy Doo’s cheeks were hot with tears. She looked up at Firelight like a lost child. His face was impassive as he took in her ramble, and Ditzy thought then that this was it; that she’d ruined everything, that the pressure of this program really was too much for her, and this was all pointless, and she was going to be out on the street. She braced herself, ready for old scars to open, but instead, she was warmed. Firelight was holding her.

“It’s alright, Ditzy. I’ve got you,” Firelight said.

For a time, Ditzy squeezed him. He felt like a sturdy pillar, one strong enough to hold up the roof of the world. He was warm. Then, Firelight pulled back and touched her cheek.

“Do you still want to be an executive?” Firelight said.

“Yes, sir.” Ditzy sniffled.

“Then I’ll need to be able to trust you. Can you keep a secret?” Firelight said.

“Yes sir!”

“We have some special privileges here in the mansion. A sort of spa room. We use old techniques I found when I was researching to build this place; ones that go all the way back to the founding of the U.S.E. We can fix all sorts of problems there; physical, mental, and spiritual. It’s like…”

“Magic?” Ditzy offered.

Magic had always been trouble as far as Ditzy was concerned, but magic could do all sorts of things. Magic could fix people; she’d seen it with Sunset Shimmer, Gloriosa Daisy, and even Twilight Sparkle.

“How would you like to have your eyes fixed, Ditzy?” Firelight said.

“You could do that!?”

“Anything’s possible, Ditzy Doo. Some rules may seem set in stone, but-”

“You can’t spell “exceptional” without “exception”?”

Firelight and Ditzy chuckled together, but then Firelight’s hand on Ditzy’s shoulder tightened.

“I’m serious, Ditzy. You can’t tell anyone about this. I know I don’t have to tell you the reasons why. You’ve been doing great with the program, but if you really want to stay, well…I’ll consider it.”

“Thank you, Sir!”

“Firelight.”

“Thank you, Firelight! Thank you so much!” Ditzy Doo said. She threw her arms around the man’s neck and squeezed him tight until he awkwardly patted her back. They shared a bashful smile, and Ditzy looked away, a deep blush on her face.

“But Ditzy Doo, you have to promise, you’ll follow through.” Firelight said.

“Of course I will! Whatever I need to do, you can bet I’ll do it!” Ditzy said.

“And I promise you, as long as you make good, as long as you do as you’re told, everything’ll come up Ditzy!”

And Ditzy Doo nodded, balling up her fists with determination, ready to finish her work. The clock tower rang, and Ditzy Doo closed her eyes, as she’d done every day since she’d arrived at Our Town. It was finally happening. The one thing she had wanted her whole life, but was too scared to pray for. Finally, Ditzy Doo could find her place. Finally, she could be normal! It was like a dream.

When the echoing of the bell finally stopped, Ditzy Doo’s eyes shot open.

Firelight’s lips were on hers.

Starlight spent the next few weeks looking over her shoulder. Everything around her seemed just a bit out of place. Starlight would leave her bunk, then double back around to make sure the journal was where she left it. She didn't get anything from Sunset Shimmer.

Everywhere she went, Starlight felt eyes on her. She kept waiting for something to happen. Instead, the dullness of Our Town turned into a sharp dread, scraping at the surface of her skin.

During the day, she kept her head down and did her work, but during the night she had been creeping around Our Town, trying to find some way into the mansion that didn’t involve any help. As it turned out, there was only one door. That meant that Starlight’s worst fears were realized; either she would have to make amends with Sugar Belle or try and break in.

There was a big supper celebration in the mess hall for the two new executives, but Starlight couldn’t show her face. Starlight saw Ditzy Doo at some point, surrounded by a small crowd of chatty villagers. She didn’t get a good look. She assumed she was still mad. Sugar Belle, though, she would listen. Sunset had said so.

Starlight knew that if she could catch Sugar Belle before she went back to the mansion, there was a chance she’d hear her out, so she leaned on the outside of the mess hall, idly waving to the people as they filed out.

Slowly, the crowd of people thinned to a trickle. Even the usual cleaners headed out and away, leaving the hall silent.

“That can’t be right. That was halfway Sugar Belle’s party.” Starlight mumbled. The sun was setting, and she still hadn’t seen Sugar Belle.

The double doors to the mess hall creaked against Starlight’s hands.

“Hello?” Starlight said. Her echoing voice only made her sound more lost.

The mess hall was dark and silent at this hour. The daylight coming through the windows was like fireplace embers. Starlight’s footfalls echoed as she crossed the hall to the kitchen doors. There was a bizarre, rhythmic sound coming from inside. It sounded a bit like boots being dragged out of thick mud and something like a hammer on metal.

“Is anyone there?” Starlight said.

She turned the light on and instantly recognized Sugar Belle. She was facing away, bent over a steaming cast iron pot, and she was moving a spoon around inside. Starlight recognized the spiceless, meaty smell of scrapple.

I’m here!” Sugar Belle said. She kept stirring the pot; the spoon bumping clumsily against the sides.

Starlight reached out to touch Sugar Belle’s shoulder. The woman didn’t seem to register that, so Starlight pulled on her to turn around.

Sugar Belle turned to her with a bright, toothy smile. She took a while to blink as she regarded Starlight blankly. It was the exact same expression Starlight had seen around town.

“Yes?” Sugar Belle said.

“What are you doing?” Starlight said.

“I’m making scrapple for tomorrow’s dinner!”

“Why are you cooking all alone in the dark? Wait, no, that’s not important. I have several questions!”

“Ask away!” Sugar Belle said, with the rehearsed enthusiasm of a waiter. Starlight felt goosebumps rising on her arms.

“...why aren’t you in the mansion right now? Aren’t supposed to be doing executive training or something?”

“Oh, funny thing about that! I failed!” Sugar Belle said.

“What’s funny about that?” Starlight said.

“I just didn’t make the cut, is all! It happens to the best of us!”

“But you obviously want to… never mind. What happened?”

“What happened with what?”

“With the mansion! How did you fail? What happened in there?”

“Oh, it wasn’t anything special! I just didn’t have the right attitude for the position. Though, they did let me use the spa room! Now I feel all better!”

“All better? But there was nothing wrong with you!”

“Well, that’s just not true! I had an attitude problem; you said so yourself!”

“Well, that’s…I didn’t mean it like that.”

“That’s fine! I forgive you, Starlight! It’s fine, because you were right! I did need an attitude adjustment, and now I’m right as rain!” Sugar Belle giggled. Her expression was somewhere between a corporate spokesman and an amusement park mascot.

“Since when do you say things like ‘right as rain’?” Starlight said.

“Would you like a muffin? There’s some left over from supper.” Sugar Belle said, lifting a tray from the counter. There were a couple of muffins on it, but no sooner did Starlight take a bite did she wretch and spit it onto the floor.

It tasted like biting into a wet rag that was used to clean a blueberry stain.

“Is this some kind of prank!?” Starlight balked. Sugar Belle just smiled at her, shaking her head.

“You don’t like them?” Sugar Belle said.

“What happened to the recipe you were using before?”

“That was just for your party, silly! This is how the colonials used to make them!”

“With no sugar?”

“Exactly!”

“Sugar Belle, what’s going on? Since when do you make terrible muffins? I thought baking was your thing!”

“Oh, no. No, no, no, no, no. No, no, no, no, not at all.” Sugar Belle said. Her expression stayed the same, but she blinked rapidly. “I’m not much of a baker. Not at all.”

“Sugar Belle…what happened in that mansion?”

“I can’t tell you that! It’s against the rules!”

“Since when do you care about rules!?”

“Everyone should care about rules!”

Starlight’s heart was hammering in her chest. The whole world was falling out beneath her.

“No…this…this isn’t right. You love baking. I’ve seen it. You love making muffins and brownies, and you love to gossip.”

“Hm?” Sugar Belle tilted her head with that same vacant smile.

“Where did you learn baking?”

“What?”

“Where did you learn baking? What was it like there?”

“I don’t…”

“Sugar Belle! Where did you learn baking?”

“I learned from my Mom! When I was little, we would shoo everyone away from the kitchen, and we would mess around with sugary recipes. Just the two of us! Every summer, we would just try everything! She taught me muffins, and whoopie pies and cream cakes, and pralines, and…Starlight?”

“Yes!”

“Starlight, what…what month are we in?”

“Uh…April, I think?”

“It’s April. That means, where I come from…it’s starting to rain a little less, but it's still nice and cool out. People are out fishing and it’s right at the start of festival season, so there’s brass music all over town. Not a ton of tourists this time of year, but enough that everything’s alive, and it’s going to get hot, but not for a while yet. Not for a while. When I was little, April was always my favorite time of year. I don’t even know if…if it would be the same, even if I was there.” Sugar Belle said.

“Are you okay?” Starlight said, and Sugar Belle turned to look at her with eyes that would better fit a lost puppy on a rainy day.

“I wanna go home…!” Sugar Belle sobbed. “I wanna go home, but it’s...it's gone!”

For a moment, Sugar Belle stood there, tears rolling down her face, but then Starlight embraced her.

She didn’t have the details, but she understood that bitter feeling; wanting to go back to a place where you knew you belonged, but knowing it just wasn’t there anymore. Maybe it was something Sugar Belle did, or maybe things had just changed. Maybe, like Starlight, Sugar Belle no longer had a house to go back to. Maybe she just missed her family. As Starlight hugged Sugar Belle around the shoulders, she wished she could be holding Sunburst. After her dad had spent a month avoiding her, she was starting to feel like Sunburst was the only real family she had.

“I um…there, there…I get it. I really do.” Starlight mumbled.

Starlight Glimmer was a girl of equations and word problems. She considered herself a problem solver, certainly, but she had never been good with people. She tried to focus on the big picture.

“Sugar Belle, something’s wrong with this place. I came looking for you, because I need to know-”

Suddenly, the clock tower signaled the passing of the hour. The ringing echoed for what seemed like an eternity.

Starlight found herself thinking of the bright green grass along the paths of Our Town, and the smiling faces of everyone she met. She thought of the good cheer of people in the Rec, and how good the muffins had tasted on the day of her arrival. She thought of the cute little lunch boxes she found on her bunk, which would disappear between when she slept and when she awoke.

The frigid homesickness, that aching, universal need for a particular warmth, floating away on a breeze. Starlight felt the corners of her mouth tug upward.

She saw a gentle smile on Sugar Belle’s face. A smile that stretched wider until it became that familiar, toothy grin. Her eyes were totally vacant.

“Are…are you okay?” Starlight said.

“Huh? Of course I’m okay. Why wouldn’t I be?” Sugar Belle said.

“You were crying just now!”

“Right. I’m sorry about that. I was just having a moment, but I’m fine.”

She meant it. A thin wisp of cyan light drifted off Sugar Belle like a fine smoke. It floated off through a window. Starlight knew exactly where it was going, but she stared at Sugar Belle with open-mouthed shock.

“What were we talking about?” Sugar Belle said.

Starlight ran. She ran for her life, and she ran to hide her tears. The last thing she heard as she scrambled away from the mess hall was Sugar Belle saying “Take care now!” with all the pomp and circumstance of a professional tour guide.

Starlight came to a hard stop in the street, almost falling over. There were still villagers out, and they regarded her with practiced civility. Fighting tears, Starlight waved to them and walked to her bunkhouse on shaking knees.

She checked the journal. Nothing. Starlight screamed into her pillow until her voice went hoarse.

Starlight Glimmer was well and truly alone.

The bonfire crackled and bloomed. Buck stared into the dancing red flame, looking past the cave floor, past the story, and past this moment with a shell-shocked expression that Starlight unfortunately recognized.

“Buck? Hello?”

Buck’s eyes snapped up at Starlight like a rabbit in a hedge.

“Yeah, yeah. I’m listenin’.” Buck said, but his eyes burned. A small purple horn jutted from the side of his forehead. The creature watching them shrunk back into the cave's rubble, its blue eyes narrowed with fear and suspicion.

“...I get it. You hate injustice as much as I do. The idea of people being taken advantage of, especially when they came looking for help; it’s sickening. That’s something we have in common.” Starlight said.

"Yeah." Buck said.

"This story is going to get worse before it gets better. But, I'm glad that you've chosen to hear it. Really, I am. You know, there's a saying my Mom always used to pull out when she did her rounds." Starlight said.

"What's that?" Buck said.

"Justice has a voice, but only when people like us speak up." Starlight said.

Buck nodded, and his eyes slid back down to the floor. He touched his forehead, winced, and took a deep breath.

"If there's one thing I know how to do, it's listen." The horn faded. He looked like he wanted to say something, but he just shook his head. “...go on with it,” Buck said.

The red flame bloomed again, and the watcher eyed it hungrily from the shadows. Spittle gathered at the edges of its mouth as it prepared to strike.

When Starlight finally made it back to her bunk, she desperately reached for the journal. She needed to tell Sunset Shimmer that even Sugar Belle was compromised, and now Ditzy Doo was in that mansion alone, and there had to be something she could do, there had to be something!

Her hand found empty air under her pillow. The journal was missing.

“No. No, no, no, no!” Starlight frantically reached under her blanket. Maybe it had shuffled when she got out of bed? She reached over the side and found nothing. In her panic, she failed to notice the dark figure creeping out from behind the door to her bunk.

Starlight didn’t even have time to scream as a hand clamped over her mouth. Another strong hand barred her arm behind her back. Starlight thrashed and kicked, fully panicking now that she’d been caught. Her mind raced through all sorts of hideous magical experiments; her soul removed and poured into a bottle, her body fed to dagger-toothed dragons, but none of that happened. Instead, a familiar but urgent voice whispered in her ear.

“Calm down! I’m not going to hurt you!”

Starlight whimpered with helpless anger.

“I’m going to let you go. Please don’t scream…!”

Starlight fell onto her bed. She instantly turned on her feet and delivered a swift, unsportsmanlike kick to the crotch of her opponent, who jumped back deftly and nearly toppled into the wooden wardrobe.

Even though the room was lit by nothing but a flickering candle, Starlight recognized the milk-white skin and the broad shoulders.

“Double Diamond!?”

“Shh!” Double Diamond regained his footing, looking around suspiciously.

“What are you doing here!?”

“I need your help!”

“What?”

“You’re the only person in town that doesn’t seem affected by…whatever’s going on here! Listen. They're doing things to people. They took Night Glider and did...I don't know what! I think they’re going to do it to me, next!”

“Oh my god, finally someone in this place that hasn’t lost their mind! Wait a minute, did you…?”

Double Diamond held out Starlight’s journal with a downcast look.

“I was reading it to see if you knew what was going on. I only skimmed, I swear!”

“What is it with people reading my journal…?” Starlight grumbled, snatching the journal back.

“Look, we need to get out of here! We need to get the police!” Double Diamond said.

“Sure, but not before I get an expert in here to handle whatever’s happening in the mansion.” Starlight said.

“Are you crazy? They’ve got magic! You know…magic! The thing that’s not supposed to be real? They’re doing it at the mansion! I’ve seen it! The "spa" is just a coverup for some crazy Twin Peaks stuff!”

Starlight had just been on the edge of a full-blown panic attack, but now that she had someone else freaking out, it made it much easier for her to pivot. Some prideful part of her personality refused to look as helpless as she felt.

“Slow down! What did you see, exactly?”

“I’ve seen the way people look when they’ve been at the mansion for a while. And I’ve seen weird lights coming from the clock tower at night after everyone’s gone to bed!”

“Got it. Great.” Starlight said. She jotted down a few lines in her journal, knowing that Sunset Shimmer would eventually see them. “Okay, do you know a way to get out of this place without being spotted?” Starlight said.

“...no.”

“Then we need to get in the mansion and put a stop to this. Actually, follow-up question; do you have a phone?”

“I don't. We only get phones when we're working.” Double Diamond said.

“Oh, brilliant. No, that’s fine. It’s fine! You worked the mansion for a while, right? Is there a way in that doesn’t involve the front door?”

“Uhh…yes? Yes. Yes! There is!” Double Diamond said. "There's a little window me and Night Glider would slip through when we needed some uhhhh..."

"Private time?" Starlight said, rolling her eyes.

"Yeah! I could get you in with a boost, and we can go from there!"

The two talked back and forth for a while, with Starlight checking her journal to see if Sunset had responded. Nothing. She was on her own. With no other options left, Starlight and Double Diamond snuck out in the dead of night.

In the present, Starlight was shaking, and not for the reasons you might expect. No, she had her back up against the cold cave wall. Buck was in front of her holding his arm out like she was a child in the passenger seat of a car.

A high hiss filled the collapsed cavern. It came not from a fanged mouth, but from something that superficial resembled a rattler at the end of a creature’s tail.

Starlight and Buck had retreated as a large facsimile of a snake emerged from the rubble, and now nothing but the flickering light of the magical bonfire was the only thing between it and them. Its blue compound eyes regarded them hungrily as a distressingly long tongue (like a horse’s, but forked at the end) lapped at the mana as if it were a scoop of cherry sherbert.

“The fuck is it doin’?” Buck whispered.

“It’s feeding on your mana! I told you! I told you we need to-”

“HISSS!” The changeling replied. It had left an oily green slime trail behind it, streaked with the black of its melting form, but now it reared up like a cobra and glared at the odd pair.

“We need to take it down,” Starlight whispered.

“No, we don’t. It’s starving.” Buck said.

“And if we let it feed anymore, it’ll kill us!” Starlight hissed.

The changeling's face briefly warped into a horrible mockery of Starlight’s own snarling visage. It hissed.

“Starlight, can you trust me? Just this once, can you trust me?” Buck said. Starlight glared at him, right in those big, idiotic golden half-moons of his.

“Please,” Buck whispered.

And Starlight fought it. In her mind, she pushed Buck aside, grabbed a rock, and smashed the changeling like the horrible, mutated insect it was, but that all fell into the look in Buck’s eyes.

It was the sort of rock-solid determination she had only ever seen in two other people, maybe three at most. There was no arguing with it.

“...fine,” Starlight said. She caught Buck’s wrist as he started to step forward. “Just don’t die.” She said.

Buck nodded. He held a hand out in a way that Fluttershy had taught him years and years ago. He squatted slowly, trying to appear smaller.

“HISSSSS!” The changeling menaced Buck with a few two many fangs in its mouth.

“Easy…easy big guy. Ain’t gonna hurt’cha…I’m gonna help ya.” Buck said.

The changeling eyed him suspiciously as he moved with shaking knees. His fingertips sparked with tiny pink lights.

“Starlight, help,” Buck whispered, eyes wide.

Starlight put a hand on Buck’s back. She could feel his temperature rising. He tried to imagine a boiling pot, and the fire beneath it. His hand bloomed with a low flame, like a gas stove firing up.

Starlight cringed as the changeling hissed again.

“This is important; I swear it’s important…! Help me make a ball. A small one.” Buck said.

A red mist ignited in Buck’s palm. A bright pink flame emerged as a jet, but then a field of soft turquoise energy enfolded the fire and swirled it into the shape of a softball.

“My big sis always used to say that people need two things; to be fed and to be loved. With these guys, those things’re one and the same!”

“What are you talking about!?” Starlight said.

The ball of flame bobbed and ballooned as Buck held his wrist with his free hand.

“Alright…let it go!” Buck said.

The changeling shrunk back in terror as the ball of energy rocketed toward it. The mana struck right in the center of the snake, and it fell to the ground, hissing and writhing as it was engulfed in flame.

“What did you do!?” Starlight said, but Buck didn’t pay her any mind. He was staring at the creature. It ripped itself out of the snake’s skin, and at first, hobbled across the stone floor in a half-formed horse-like body, but then that too fell aside, revealing a humanoid form with a shiny, segmented shell for skin. A single curved horn jutted from its head. It was all smooth and solid, save for the ragged holes in its limbs.

For a second, Buck, Starlight, and the changeling stared at each other.

“...huh,” Buck said.

“Huh,” The drone repeated.

A thick blackout curtain of clouds cast Our Town in a gloomy shade. The threatening rumble of an approaching storm was the only sound above a whisper. The mansion was reduced to an imposing spire, circled meticulously by slow-moving guard-shaped blobs.

Starlight Glimmer fought her nerves as she snuck through the shadows between cottages. If she was caught, who knew what would happen?

Double Diamond stood out, well, like an albino against black velvet, so they knew they had to be quick. Even if he was found around the mansion grounds, he could explain it away; he was an executive, after all. But if Starlight Glimmer was seen shuffling through an open window, the game would be up.

There was an old tree sitting in the shadows of the mansion, its branches pruned in such a way that it was impossible to climb without help. Starlight was glad for Double Diamond's strength as she stepped into his joined hands.

Starlight grabbed the sil of the only open window, but her hands slipped on a bit of mist. She stumbled down, and were it not for Double Diamond catching her, she would have crashed into the ground.

“What gives!? The window is dripping wet!” Starlight whispered.

“Well, that makes sense since it leads to a bathroom!” Double Diamond said. “Hurry! The guards are gonna come around the corner any second!”

A stray raindrop ran down the back of Starlight’s neck, and a shuddering chill swept through her. It was like the blast of a starting pistol.

Starlight scampered up Double Diamond’s back this time, heedless of the mud she tracked on his grey hoodie. She tried to wipe away the wetness with her sleeve, but a thin beam of light twinkled in her eyes. A lantern!

Starlight scrambled into the window as quick as she could, hitting linoleum floors with a light squeak of the shoes.

"Come on!" Starlight said, reaching down, but Double Diamond tried twice to climb after her. Starlight grunted, trying to haul the man up into the window, but her fear of the coming guards was matched only by her disappointment. She was too weak.

"Go! Just go!" Double Diamond whispered. "I'll figure something out!"

He dropped to the mud, gave Starlight a last look over his shoulder, and ran.

Starlight held her breath in the shadowy space for years in the space of seconds. She heard a pair of feet sloshing away through the mud, then several more, and then nothing but the sound of her own hammering heart.

Starlight Glimmer grasped the cold door handle, gritting her teeth in assurance that whatever she found in the mansion, she would face it with courage. Starlight Glimmer could not have possibly been ready for the nightmare waiting for her.

The door swung open without a noise. The lights were off in the hallway, but a flash of lightning revealed a scene from Starlight’s past. Striped wallpaper and wooden paneling that had to have come from the seventies at the latest. A grandfather clock ticking away the day in loud, thumping tocks. Down the hall, a door with a little wooden star hung from a nail, and across from it, another door that was slightly ajar, a thin beam of light stretching the length of the carpet.
She was home. Her childhood home, all the way from Sire’s Hollow.

Starlight moved with the stuttering stealth of a wounded alley cat, so shaken by the strangeness, but then a breath caught in the gutter of her throat.

It wasn’t the grandfather clock making that thump.

Thump, thump, thump.

It was quick, rhythmic, and hideously familiar.

"No...no, no, no...!" Starlight whispered.

Thump, thump, thump.

Starlight had stored it away with all of the loose change from her childhood, but it was here now; it was slamming against the door of her mind.

Thump, thump, thump.

“Please…I don’t…” Whimpered a high, muffled voice.

“Shh.” Said another. It was curt, almost businesslike.

Starlight was at the door now. The thumping sped up. It was frantic now. Desperate. Starlight heard a gasp. She looked through the crack in the door.

She saw it clearly.

Desperate scrabbling steps scattered Starlight back to the dark bathroom. She wasn’t seen; she knew that, but her heart was trying to smash its way out of her chest with a sledgehammer, and it was all she could do to sit in the tub and cover her mouth.

A thud, a scrape! The old tree rapped its gnarled knuckles on the window as rain swirled through the air. It startled Starlight so badly that she gave out a yelp.

The thumping had stopped. Starlight listened. A door squeaked shut.

Starlight heard a pair of expensive shoes stroll meaningfully down the hallway, approaching her hiding spot.

Starlight held her breath.

The bathroom door opened. The lights clicked on, and Starlight’s blood froze in her veins.

A figure turned to the faucet.

Hot water tossed steam into the air. A bead of sweat rolled down Starlight's face. Don't move, don't move, don't even breathe...!

The lone figure turned from the faucet and sat heavily down on the toilet. For a moment, that’s all it did; hunching over as the faucet’s squeaky roar erased the noise outside.

Suddenly, a hand reached through the curtains! Starlight squawked and scrambled away. Her heart was in her chest as she raised her fists. The curtain was thrown open.

“Ditzy?” Starlight said.

Her dress was down around her ankles. She was rubbing between her thighs with a wad of toilet paper.

Her face was red and puffy, tear tracks cutting down her cheeks as she stared at Starlight like a deer who just noticed the glint of a rifle.

At first, it was shock, but then Ditzy’s eyes drooped and searched the floor for some remnant of the sensible world she used to know. She sat down on the toilet, and the tears came again, and suddenly Starlight was out of the tub, holding Ditzy by her shaking shoulders as she whined into her chest.

“You were right, Starlight! You were right…!” Ditzy sobbed.

“I’m sorry Ditzy, I’m so, so sorry!” Starlight said, but the words were tumbling out too fast, and very quickly she was explaining as much to herself as she was to Ditzy.

Starlight remembered it all. It was never a nightmare. At least, it wasn’t one in her head. It was the middle of the night.

It was a maid that her parents had hired to clean their house. Starlight had liked her. She did silly voices and told silly stories about her home and how she missed it. And then Starlight had heard her and her father, and then her mother shouting, and then Starlight had never seen the maid again.

Starlight Glimmer had only been six years old; there was no way she could have known then, but as the years and quiet arguments and silent, furious dinners rolled on, Starlight would come to understand her father in a way that no child should.

Sometime later, she got a call from Stellar Flare that her mother had died. She didn’t know how; there was too much blood in the bathtub, but Starlight understood now.

She understood what her mother understood; that the only thing to do with a nightmare is to wake up. She couldn’t believe she had trusted him.

Footsteps came from outside the bathroom. The water was too loud, the hysteria too high for the girls to hear them coming.

“I feel so ugly…I…why didn’t anyone tell me? Why didn’t anyone tell me it would be like this?” Ditzy wailed.

“Ditzy, we need to go. We need to get Sugar Belle, and we need to get out of here. Listen, listen, listen! I know! I know, but I need you to tell me if you can walk?” Starlight said.

The bathroom door slammed open. A glassy blue stare emerged from the dark of the hallway, glancing at the startled girls like it was looking for a seat in a high school cafeteria.

"What are you girls talking about?" Night Glider said. "Can I join? Ooh! Starlight Glimmer, now you know the rules! I'm going to have to-"

Starlight's fist crashed into Night Glider's face, which smacked into the wall and slid down to the floor.

"Come on!" Starlight said. She grabbed the shell-shocked Ditzy by the wrist, pulling her out of the bathroom, hoping she could find somewhere safe to put her.

"What are you doing!?" Ditzy said.

"Getting us out of here!" Starlight said.

Striped wallpaper streaked by as they ran for the stairs. Behind them, Night Glider lurched into a sitting position. Her expression was like a painted doll. There was a fresh bruise on her face, but she didn't seem to notice.

"Hang on! That's against the rules! Where are you girls going? Can I come?" Night Glider said. She broke into a dead sprint, charging down the hall at Starlight and Ditzy with a customer-service smile. She dove into a football tackle just as Ditzy Doo tripped over her own feet. Night Glider slammed into the banister, tumbling halfway down the stairs.

"Oh no! Are you okay!?" Ditzy said.

"Never better!" Night Glider sat up and smiled.

Another door slammed. Lights turned on, and Starlight saw more executives coming up from the bottom floor, eyes empty, smiling the exact same way, moving in lockstep.

"What the fuck what the fuck what the fuck!" Starlight said.

"Now, don't be silly! I think you both need to take a moment and relax! Mister Firelight will want to see you!" Night Glider said, running at them again.

"Ditzy, get up!" Starlight shouted and then was pulling Ditzy along down the hall, only to be greeted by another wave of executives.

"What do we do, what do we do!?" Ditzy squealed.

"Just go! Come on!" Starlight said, rushing back the way they came. There was no time to process, no time to dwell, nothing but adrenaline screaming through her brain and the hammer of her heart. In a way, it felt good. Things were finally simple. Starlight tried to make a break for the bathroom, but the door suddenly shut. She yanked Ditzy to the end of the hall as a throng of brainwashed morons closed on them. They were cornered! Well, almost.

Starlight could feel Ditzy squeezing her hand. The poor girl was gibbering in terror, eyes welling up with fresh tears. Beyond her was a familiar door with a little wooden star nailed to it.

"Okay, okay, if we can get to a window, we can at least get out!" Starlight said. Her foot crashed against the door. It wasn't unlocked! The girls scrambled in and Starlight was immediately moving things to block the door shut. She had grabbed the edge of a bed when she suddenly went still. She gasped like she'd been stabbed in the kidney.

A memory of dark purple wallpaper and emo band posters surrounded Starlight. Tacky fake crystals, tall boots with buckles, and skulls, skulls, skulls. A guitar she had screamed for only to play it for a month. All the tell-tale signs of a tell-tale heart trapped in a mid-2000s suburban wasteland.

Starlight's childhood bedroom, recreated down to the dust on her nightstand.

She realized then that the bathroom she'd entered was oddly nostalgic, and the wallpaper in the hall was uncomfortably familiar. Had her Dad just taken his house and crammed it inside an old mansion? Starlight had so many questions, but she couldn't slow down. Loud, insistent knocks pummeled the door, followed by a round of voiced concern.

"You're not supposed to be in here! Are you okay? If you come out, we can talk!" It all mashed together into a disgustingly sincere chorus.

Any second now, these customer service zombies would break the door in, and who knew what was in store for Starlight if they caught her? She looked around the bedroom for any source of hope.

Hope came in the form of some curtains. They still had tears in them from the tantrums that Starlight would throw. Lamplight peaked in from behind them.

"Yes!" Starlight said, throwing the curtains open. She saw Our Town sprinkled with rain. She also saw a set of iron bars blocking her way.

"No! There has to be something...!" Starlight smacked her temples, trying to figure a way out of this. She wished she had her own magic, so she could hocus-pocus this whole nightmare away.

Ditzy was on the floor against the bed, hugging her knees.

"What's happening? Why are you doing this? What's wrong with them!? What is this room!?" Ditzy panicked, searching Starlight for a trace of sanity.

Starlight stopped. She thought. She hoped.

"Ditzy, did they give you a phone?" Starlight said, as gently as she could.

Ditzy nodded slowly. She fumbled a phone out of her pocket; one that looked like it came from the late Mesozoic period.

“Give it to me right now. I'm calling for help!” Starlight said.

And Ditzy cringed away from her, stuttering. The hammering on the door persisted. Thunder crashed outside.

“No, no, no, no, wait, wait! I can still fix this! I can…I can be the executive I know I can be!” Ditzy said. A desperate attempt at a smile twitched over her face, and it made Starlight feel sick in her stomach.

The knocking stopped. Despite the wailing wind outside, Starlight could hear a set of footsteps coming down the hall.

“We need to get out of here! Give me that!”

Starlight snatched the phone from Ditzy’s hand, and before Ditzy could try and claw it back, Starlight was hammering the buttons, sending a desperate series of texts. Somewhere on the west coast, another phone beeped and blooped.

The door crashed open in a burst of orange light.

“Ah, there you two are! You're just in time for a little welcoming party!” Said Firelight.

Ditzy screamed. Starlight threw the phone down at the wall, where it smashed into pieces.

The room flashed, and then Starlight was lost in darkness.

“Okay, I’m going to catch it,” Starlight whispered.

“Wait,” Buck said, holding an arm out. “Look.”

The changeling was once again sitting across the little bonfire. It was bending its arms, rolling its neck, and trying to sit upright like a newborn infant. A few puckering holes opened up on its limbs.

Buck, with Starlight’s hand on his back, rolled a ball of pinkish mana into the bonfire.

The drone's jaw dropped open like a snake’s. A forked tongue extended through the fangs and lapped at the pink mana for a moment before slurping a piece of the fireball into its mouth.

Buck could hear the drone exhaling rapidly as if it had bitten into a piece of meat that had just come out of a frying pan. He was about to comment on that when the changeling suddenly convulsed.

It pulsed with a pink light just before a pair of insectile wings of the same color unfurled from its back.

“Woah,” Buck said.

“What the hell are you doing?” Starlight whispered.

“Just let me cook, alright?” Buck huffed. “You’ve got some juice; see about making us a door.”

Starlight rolled her eyes, but she did so while pointing her hands at the rubble that had sealed them in this cavern. A few stones lifted in a red glow, causing the changeling drone to cringe and hiss.

“We're not going to hurt you! You can understand me, right?” Buck said.

“Right?” The changeling said in Buck’s voice. It turned to look at him like a puppy meeting god.

“Right.” Buck said. “Look, I’m gonna go out on a limb here and assume you’re out here on orders. You’re supposed to catch me.”

“Catch.” The changeling hissed.

Starlight tensed. A bit of red gathered around her hand. Buck’s mana.

“Well, I want to get caught. You don’t have to hurt me to do that, right?” Buck said.

“Don’t…have to?” The changeling said, still holding its defensive stance.

“Cool, cool. Look, I know you’re hungry. All’a y’all are.”

The changeling tilted its head as it looked down at the pink flame.

“Hungry,” It repeated.

Buck smiled and pointed a finger at the ball of mana on the floor. It blossomed brighter.

“HISSS!” The drone bared its fangs, leaping like a cricket to hang suspended from the ceiling.

“It’s cool, it’s cool!” Buck said. He held his hands up and dropped to his knees, trying to seem smaller.

“Hungry.” The drone warned.

“Starving, right? Eat up.” Buck said, shaking a bit. His heart was beating so hard, Starlight could feel it in his back.

Buck sat on the ground and waited, watching as the drone crawled down the wall to sit across the flame from him, taking the exact same pose.

“Well, this is surreal,” Buck said.

“Surreal.”

“Yeah, that.”

The changeling moved its mouth experimentally and made a chirping sound that was something like words and something like a cricket scream.

“Uhh…”

“Surreal.” The drone repeated, then made the strange sound again, with a sort of upward inflection.

“Surreal?” Buck said.

“Surreal?” The drone repeated, pointing and nodding.

“What’s that word?” Buck offered.

“Surreal?”

“Weird. It’s weird.” Buck said.

“Weird.” The drone agreed.

“Hungry?” Buck said.

“Huuuungry…!” The drone drawled. It crept toward the pink flame with an outstretched tongue, coughing as it swallowed the morsel.

“If that’s too hot, you can have some of this, you know?” Buck said.

The drone flinched as Buck reached into his pocket. It leapt to its feet as Buck carefully placed a handful of trail mix on the ground nearby. “Can you guys eat normal food? Is that a thing? I mean, Adagio eats feelings, and also curry, so…?”

The drone sniffed at the ground, then fumbled about, prodding at the handful of nuts and dried fruit with a closed fist.

“You have to use your fingers, man.” Buck said. The changeling looked at Buck and tilted its head so far it looked like it would simply roll off its shoulders. Buck heard a crack.

“Like this,” Buck said. He reached out and plucked an almond from the floor, then dusted it off on his jacket and popped it into his mouth. The changeling watched, utterly enraptured, and then its features shifted to Buck’s. It mimicked the motions exactly, picking an almond up. It lifted the snack triumphantly.

“Uh…good job!” Buck said, giving it a thumbs up. The changeling shuffled and held out a fist, then a thumb grew out of the top with a low popping sound.

"Ugh, jesus!" Buck cringed. The drone's eyes widened suddenly, and it jumped to its feet. Buck tensed, ready to defend himself, but the changeling shivered and nervously spun in place, picking up its feet and stomping.

“Good job! Good job!” The drone said.

“Allllrighty then.” Buck said. “Look, do you know how to get to the hive?”

Hive!” The changeling said.

“Can you take me there, since its your mission and all? I’m sure the queen would be uh, really happy if you did that.”

“Happy!” The changeling said. It dove to the floor and quickly scooped the rest of the trailmix into its mouth.

“Okay, cool. You can have that and the mana, no sweat. You’re basically starving, right? I get that.” Buck said.

“Starving,” The drone agreed.

“If you take me to the hive, you can have more of that, okay?”

“Okay?” The drone said, pleading with its eyes.

“Yeah, it’s okay. You got a name?”

“Name?” The changeling said.

“Yeah, I’m Buck. Do you guys do names?”

Starlight Glimmer facepalmed.

The changeling looked over Buck’s shoulder.

“...name?” It said.

“Buck. That’s me. Who are you?” Buck said.

“Who are you?”

“It’s Buck. What’s your name?”

“What’s your name?”

“It’s Buck, that’s what I’m saying.”

“It’s Buck, that’s what I’m saying.” The changeling repeated, with a smiling Buck’s face.

“Okay, so you’ve got jokes. Who’s on first?” Buck chuckled.

“First?”

“I think I’m gonna call you Gregor. Greg for short.” Buck said.

"Is that a reference?" Starlight said.

"Pfft. Do I read, she asks." Buck said.

“Greg. For-short.” The changeling said, tilting it’s head back and forth.

“Greg,” Buck said, giving a thumbs up.

“Greg!” The drone said, repeating the gesture.

“Alright, Greg! Let’s go to the hive!” Buck said, pointing.

The newly christened Greg looked in the direction of Buck’s finger, and saw that a small hole had been made in the rocks.

Starlight was already crawling up and through it. The drone looked to the small magical bonfire, then at Buck.

“...you can take that, if you want.” Buck said.

The drone slurped it up, then watched as Buck ignited a match-sized pink flame on his thumb tip.

“It’s alright. You’re safe with me.” Buck said.

“Safe.” The drone said.

Buck stepped to the hole Starlight dug and found a lavender-colored hand offering him some help up.

“This doesn’t change anything.” Starlight said. “That thing is going to get hungry, and-”

“Greg’s gonna get us to the hive. That’s his whole job. Now…” Buck grunted as Starlight helped him up into the corridor. Greg climbed up the rocks behind, then scampered up the walls of the cave, looking at Buck and Starlight expectantly as it pointed down the tunnel.

“Gotta feelin’ it’s gonna be a long walk. Tell me the rest of what happened.” Buck said.

Starlight Glimmer was nowhere and no one. There was nothing but darkness all around her. Warmth was like a bitter memory in this senseless place. She was starting to wonder if she could feel anything at all, but then it hit her.

Pain. A sickly, tearing feeling as if she was being flayed from head to toe. Starlight screamed, and there was no sound. She flailed, but had no limbs. Starlight opened her eyes.

An icy cold hand was groping around inher chest cavity. She saw her lungs shake as she screamed. She saw a pair of great curling horns above her, and eyes that blazed with orange flame.

So, Starlight thought, this is Hell.

Her heart. The thing was pinching her heart in a claw, and it was pulling, pulling, and the arteries were stretching like red taffy, then ripping. Starlight screamed with no voice and no sense.

Starlight woke screaming. She was struck with the nightmarish sensation of waking up during open heart surgery. Something had been torn out of her chest, but as she blinked away the tears in her eyes, she couldn’t tell what it was. Her eyes swiveled around in pure panic as a cloth was tied over her mouth to silence her.

She was tied to a stone slab.

She only knew this from the very edges of her senses; vaguely aware through the crushing numbness in her body that she was tied down in a large chamber made of bricks.

Spinning machinery crossed the span of the wide, high-ceilinged chamber, lit by flickering candelabra. A brass bell as tall as two men hung from the ceiling. It was covered in runes, some familiar and some alien to Starlight. Below that was a glass cabinet. It was inhabited by jars filled with…something. Something that glowed in various glittering colors. Magic. It had to be.

Lightning flashed through the opaque glass that made up the clock’s face overlooking Our Town. Against one stone wall was a pair of tall double doors.

Ditzy Doo lay unconscious in the center of the room. She was tied and gagged as well, surrounded strange runes that had been carved into the floor.

Executives. Starlight recognized Night Glider and Double Diamond among a crowd of twenty or more people standing around in their gray hoodies, chanting in a language that was like English and like the rumble of a racehorse at the same time. She saw Sugar Belle among them. Their eyes were as pale and glassy as the cabinet. They were smiling.

And then, there was her father.

Firelight stood over Starlight, dressed as if he was out for a Sunday stroll. His face was lit turquoise by an odd symbol floating above his hand; a purple star with greenish wisps just above it.

“First of all, I’d just like to say that I’m not mad; just disappointed,” Firelight said. “I wanted to believe you would adjust to Our Town, and in time you would understand. I didn’t want to do this now, but you’ve left me no choice, Cheeky Chops.”

Starlight Glimmer tried to summon the drive to scream beneath her gag, but nothing came out. Her tear-streaked face couldn’t even manage to grimace. She couldn’t feel anything besides the strange internal static of a numb limb. She felt like she had run a marathon, and she felt like she had been laying in bed for a week.

“That’s alright, no need to get up. I forgive you. We all do.” Firelight said. He glanced at his glassy-eyed followers, and received a small chuckle that may have been brown-nosing and may have been mind control.

“In a way, you’re the whole reason we’re here. Without your mother, I was despondent. I was listless, and empty; even the most basic business transactions turned to torture. I lost contracts, and my reputation in Sire’s Hollow fell to pieces. Friends, neighbors, investors: they all turned their backs on me. It was the shock of you leaving for school that drove me to hit the old history books and seek a deeper meaning. And I found it! The old settlers, they had powers. They could do impossible things; survive the harshest conditions, take on the fiercest enemies, and all because they put faith in a higher power. A force so strong that nothing in this world can rival it! I called out to that power, and against all odds, it answered, and now it’s given me a chance to put everything right! Everything I’ve done, every way I’ve failed, I can fix it all, finally!”

He spoke with all the confidence of a man delivering a TedX talk that he paid for. Starlight was too horrified to even process his words. She watched in horror as he lifted the glowing symbol in his hand, presenting it to the room.

“I found the route to power, but I could never hope to control it! So I searched everywhere I could for people with unique skills, hoping against hope that I could find the one I needed. I almost gave up. And then, you came home; with all your angst and your whining, I could barely sense the power in you. But now I see, you were the key all along! With this mark, I can control all the magic in the world with a snap of my fingers! And I never could have done it without you!” Firelight said. His fingers curled around the strange aurora-like symbol. Starlight felt a part of herself wither away.

Firelight erupted in a column of turquoise light, which quickly turned dark and infernal, crackling with black lightning. He snarled in pain as a pair of equine ears poked out of his head. The jars on the periphery of the room exploded in a burst of swirling symbols that all surged forward and twisted into a long horn in the center of Firelight’s forehead. A trailing purple tail flicked out from behind him, waving in an invisible breeze.

Firelight floated just above the floor in a pulsing aurora of power. He looked down at Starlight as if he was watching her open a Christmas present, and then he glanced at Ditzy Doo with a grimace.

“I’m going to get her back, Starlight. I’m going to make us whole again.” Firelight said. “But first, I have to find her.”

Firelight spun slowly in the air. The executives continued their chanting, extending their hands in Firelight’s direction. With a long inhale, streams of mana snaked from their outstretched hands and into Firelight's glowing horn.

Space split open, rending a screaming slice in reality.

“More!” Firelight said, and the executives chanted louder, energy streaming out of them to feed the hellish spell. One of them dropped to the floor. Firelight’s horn strobed with power. The room shook as the rip in space got longer and deeper.
Starlight saw that Ditzy had awoken. She lay face up on the floor, her eyes flooding with tears, her shoulders shaking with terror.

“I said more!” Firelight shouted. His minions poured more and more mana into the spell. Another one fell, and another.
Starlight’s eyes darted around the room, waiting, hoping, praying.

The hole in the world was tugged at the air in the room. Starlight began to float off the slab, held down only by her bindings. Ditzy Doo was fully off the ground, eyes shut to this nightmare made real. Starlight couldn’t know what was on the other side of the rift, but as lightning lit the chamber, she knew it was the end of the world. Starlight shut her eyes and waited for the world to start making sense again.

Nothing. No salvation, no wise words, not a single drop of faith could be found in Starlight’s mind. Her thoughts felt sluggish and hollow. No more last-minute plans. She wasn’t even sure she could pick up her own feet. Despite all of the chaos, Starlight Glimmer’s world turned gray and cold.

She wondered if this was what dying felt like.

Suddenly, Starlight heard something. A sudden boom, like a meteor smashing into the ground. It sounded a second time. Closer. Firelight looked around.

His hands were outstretched, his pilfered magic pouring into the wound in reality, but the stream slowed as he glanced around the room.

“What was that?” Firelight said.

Starlight grinned. She could still feel smug satisfaction, even through the haze.

The boom came again, louder this time. The mansion shook with what sounded like the footfalls of a giant.

“What is that!?” Firelight said, looking to his minions. They simply smiled. The stream of magic petered out. Firelight whirled on Ditzy, glaring down at her with hate-filled eyes. “What did you do!?”

Starlight chuckled against the cloth covering her mouth. Firelight floated to her and ripped away the binding.

“She didn’t do anything! It was me. I saw how you remade our old house, so I sent an S.O.S. to Sunburst, who just happened to pass an old photo album onto someone else.

Far below the clock tower, a strange red light dazzled in one of the mansion’s first-floor windows. Then another flash blinkered on the second floor. Then it bounced around to various rooms, getting faster and faster.

“Who!? Who did you think you would send to stop me!?” Firelight snarled.

The red light blinkered in the hall, in a bedroom, in the kitchen, and then up, up, up, glaring through the small windows that ringed the mansion’s tower.

“A friend.” Starlight said.

The doors crashed open. All eyes turned to see a booted foot protruding through the threshold. A flash of red light blinded Starlight, and then a solitary figure stood before her.

In the years to come, in her darkest moments, Starlight would return to this moment; a spiked black leather jacket, punk boots, and a soft blue blouse beneath. A petite frame with broad shoulders.

A pair of turquoise eyes look down at Starlight with bottomless compassion. A light orange hand touched Starlight’s shoulder, and her savior’s eyes flashed white.

“Sunset, they’re going to-”

“I know. Don’t worry. I’m here.” Sunset Shimmer said.

In one hand, she held a fencer’s foil. Its basket was bejeweled with sparkling red rubies, and there was a sharp red glow at the very tip, turning the training tool into a long, deadly scalpel. With a flick of the wrist, Starlight’s ropes were cut.

“Who do you think you are, little lady?” Firelight said. He was still smiling, but his eye twitched in a way that made Starlight grin.

“I’m Sunset Shimmer, and I’m going to give you one chance to surrender. You’re messing with powers you don’t understand. You need to end this now before anyone else gets hurt!”

“I see. That’s an interesting point. Everyone?” Firelight said, and with a snap of his fingers, the executives turned their attention to Sunset, closing on her like a pack of wolves.

“Look. I am clearly an experienced sorcerer, and I have a sword. We can put all of this to bed, but this is your last chance before things get ugly.” Sunset said. The blade of red mana at the tip of her foil turned into a little ball of pulsing energy.

“I couldn’t agree more. Gang, escort this girl off the premises before she gets herself hurt.” Firelight said.

“Welcome! Welcome!” The executives droned as mana streamed out of Firelight and into them. They drew truncheons.

“Why do they always have to do it the hard way?” Sunset said. Her tone was disappointed, but Starlight could see the smile on her face. This was just another Tuesday for her.

The goons charged. A flash of white light erupted from Sunset, engulfing the crowd. Clubs swung at her, but she dodged them all as if this were a dance she had rehearsed. Her foil flashed into the chest of an executive, and the tip burst with a cannon’s boom, sending the stocky man hurtling across the room.

“Low strike, then a shoulder charge…” Sunset recited, and sure enough, another goon swung at her knee before rushing forward with his shoulder. Sunset tripped him with little effort. And just like that, Sunset worked through the crowd, moving with the grace of a practiced stuntwoman, turning away strikes and knocking back all aggressors, but for each one she knocked down, another one rose with that same glazed expression on their face. Starlight guessed they were all as numb as she was.

Sunset strode through the rain of blows, sending minions flying left and right. Firelight fled to the corner of the room. A panel in the wall opened with a wave of his hand, and he spun some knobs and pulled a lever.

“I’ve put too much time and effort into this! This is my life’s work, and I won’t let some little girl stop it short!” Firelight said.

The cogs spun up, and the great bell rang a note that rattled Starlight’s teeth.

Arcane power from across the settlement gathered in the bell. Sunset rushed at Firelight as he ran to stand beneath it, but he moved with a strange deftness that belied his age. He weaved around Sunset’s foil like a trained boxer, then blasted her with a burst of arcane energy.

Sunset threw up a barrier of force to catch the blast, but it still sent her careening to the other side of the room.

“Do you really think you can stop me!? This is my life’s work, and nothing is going to stand in my way!” Firelight said.

The mana of everyone in Our Town poured over Firelight like a waterfall, gathering at the tip of his unicorn horn before tearing into the rift in space. The hole expanded, and the dust of the chamber drifted toward it.

Another burst of red mana. Sunset was at Starlight’s side, taking her hand, trying to get her on her feet.

“Starlight! Starlight, I know this is all a shock, but I need your help!”

“Huh?” Starlight blinked slowly. She’d almost forgotten that she was in the room at all. She looked around and saw that Ditzy Doo was awake in the circle on the floor, looking at the enfolding ritual with open-eyed horror.

“He’s taken your cutie mark, Starlight! It’s what’s allowing him to control this much power! I can get it back, but first we need to cut him off from the source!”

“He’s out of his mind…the whole world’s gone crazy.” Starlight mumbled.

“Starlight, listen to me! I know you’re still in there! He’s taken the magic in you, but you can still fight, can’t you?”

“No, I can’t fight! I’m useless! All I could do was call you here!” Starlight cried.

“That’s not true! You’ve been fighting this whole time! Aren’t you angry? Tell me you can still swing a stick!” Sunset said.

Starlight shuddered and clenched her fists.

“I am angry!” Starlight said. “I’m angry all the time!”

“That’s right! Why are you angry? Be honest!”

Hot fury bubbled up in Starlight’s guts. Our Town had almost made her forget.

“Because my Dad ruined my whole life, and now he’s doing it to everyone else!”

“That’s the feeling, Starlight! Hold on to it! Squeeze it in your hands!” Sunset said.

Starlight clenched her hands together. She heard her mother's voice, somewhere far away, calling out for justice. One of the rubies on Sunset’s foil flashed. With a roar like an engine firing, a staff of blazing red magic appeared in Starlight’s hands.

“I know this is crazy, but I need you to fight! Keep those guys off me while I deal with him!” Sunset said.

Starlight stood up, wincing at the numbness in her limbs. The only thing moving her body was the knowledge that she’d been right, that this whole place was suspicious from the start, and that now she could finally make a difference. She looked at the smiling, empty faces of her father’s victims and thought of every time she had beaten the dust out of a rug.

“I FUCKING HATE THIS TOWN!” Starlight screeched as she charged at the goons, bashing them with a frenzy that had been building from the moment she arrived.

“Try not to kill anyone!” Sunset said. She brandished her foil, raising it in a duelist’s salute. Another two rubies flashed red, and then went dark. The gears of the great clock groaned and slowed.

A chaotic beam zig-zagged through the air. Sunset dove just in time for the spell to blast the stone podium into pieces instead of her.

“Stop her! Stop her right now!” Firelight said. He held a hand out, funneling power into the rift, but his other hand fired bolts of mana indiscriminately in Sunset’s direction. It was all she could do to dodge and duck and teleport out of the way.

“Welcome!” A goon struck Sunset on the back, nearly knocking her over. The energy around Sunset’s foil wavered.

“Crap! Starlight!” Sunset said.

“I’m a little busy!” Starlight yawped, smashing her staff into another executive face.

A thin beam slashed through the air, and suddenly Ditzy Doo sat up, pulling the cloth from her mouth.

“Don’t let her get away! I need her body!” Firelight snarled.

The executives turned their attention away from Starlight. She smacked down another and another as they swarmed Ditzy Doo, who cowered and screamed.

Another flash of red. Ditzy was behind Sunset now, terrified and confused.

“Ditzy Doo! Can you fight?” Sunset said.

Ditzy shook her head, eyes welling with tears. She couldn’t find any words. She was completely lost.

“That’s okay! That’s okay! See that panel over there?” Sunset said, pointing at the mechanism that controlled the bell.

And then a sledgehammer made of mana dropped heavily into Ditzy’s hands. Her terror turned to anger in an instant. She started running for the panel.

“Starlight, cover her!” Sunset said.

Ditzy was off like a three-legged racehorse. Wobbly, but determined. Starlight fell in right beside her, swiping at anyone that dared try and intercept them. Suddenly, Starlight was knocked off her feet by a pale form. She saw Ditzy frantically swinging her sledgehammer at Night Glider, who approached without an ounce of fear in her empty eyes.

“Get away! I don’t wanna hurt you!” Ditzy said.

The bell rang again, but a red aura surrounded it, just barely stopping its swing. Sunset Shimmer dodged another chaotic bolt of energy, forehead beading with sweat as she tried to concentrate.

“Get off me! Get off me!” Starlight shrieked as albino hands tried to hold her down. It was Double Diamond. He was smiling, just like the rest of the goons, but this close up, Starlight could see the tear streaks on his face. He couldn’t scream, but he could still weep, and as he put his weight on Starlight, he whimpered at her with all that was left of his voice.

“I’m sorry. I’m sorry. I’m sorry.”

“GET OFF!” Starlight frantically thrashed Double Diamond, swinging her staff, kicking and screaming, until she heard a crack.

For a second, Starlight thought she had broken something, but then she realized that Double Diamond had let go. He was looking across the room, where Night Glider had fallen to the ground. Starlight squinted and saw that Ditzy’s hammer had blood dripping from it.

Double Diamond dropped to a knee, scooping Night Glider into his arms. Her knee was broken, and she was in clear pain, but her eyes met Double Diamond’s. She smiled.

Starlight scrambled to her feet, smacking away anyone who came close to Ditzy Doo. She could hear the girl wailing behind her.

“Get to the panel!” Starlight said.

“I-I-I can’t!” Ditzy stammered. Starlight turned and saw that another figure was between them and the panel on the wall. It was Sugar Belle.

“Oh no, no, no…” Starlight said.

“Welcome!” Sugar Belle said.

“Please…! I don’t…I don’t wanna hurt anyone else!” Ditzy cried.

“You don’t have to hurt anyone! If we all just do as we’re told, everything will be right as rain!” Sugar Belle giggled.

Starlight looked at the staff in her hands, then at Sugar Belle.

“Nobody says right as rain! And you never do as you’re told!” Starlight said.

“Oh, hi Starlight! When did you get here?” Sugar Belle said.

Starlight felt a flash of acute, focusing anger.

“You know what, Sugar Belle? I don’t like you. You have something snippy and sarcastic to say about every little thing, and that’s when you’re not pretending to be friendly like some mall-dwelling mean girl stereotype!” Starlight ranted.

Sugar Belle blinked in surprise, and then her cheeks turned red.

“I…I’m not a mean girl!”

“You’re irresponsible, you’re a rule-breaker, and you don’t listen!” Starlight said.

“Hey, hey, don’t say that! Sugar Belle is-” Ditzy started, but Starlight held up a finger.

“And you’re two-faced! You talk about how you miss home and your Mom and your sweets and all that, but walk around a kitchen with no salt and no sugar and act like it’s fine!? What is wrong with you?”

“W-Well, that’s…very rude!” Sugar Belle stammered, and her plastic smile wavered, and the strange, doll-like glaze over her eyes started to fall away.

“Sunset taught me this; we need to give her an emotional jolt to break her out of the trance!” Starlight whispered to Ditzy.

“Oh.” Ditzy said. She smiled. “Hey, Sugar Belle?”

“What is it, girlfriend?” Sugar Belle said.

“Just tell Big Mac you like him already!” Ditzy shouted.

Sugar Belle’s eyes went wide as Ditzy ran past her.

“Welcome! Welcome!” The executives swarmed, and Starlight raised her staff to swing again.

Suddenly one of the goons went down with a heavy thud as a right cross connected with his chin. Sugar Belle stood over him, rolling her wrist.

“Sugar Belle! You’re back!” Starlight said.

“Yeah, yeah, hugs later! Hey, Bacon Hair!” Sugar Belle shouted. Sunset Shimmer glanced at her with a half-smile, half-grimace. Sugar Belle flipped her the bird. “Throw me something, sister!”

A flick of Sunset’s foil conjured a rolling pin in Sugar Belle’s hands.

“Eh, good enough. Ha!” Sugar Belle rampaged into the executives, side-by-side with Starlight. Each of them got to their feet slowly after being laid out, their smiles remaining even as they were battered and bruised.

The numbness was fleeing from Starlight’s body. She was terrified. She was exhilarated. She was filled with determination.

“We can do this! Break the box, Ditzy!” Starlight said. “Do it now!”

“Don’t you dare! Put that thing down!” Firelight barked.

Ditzy Doo froze on the spot. For a moment, she looked like a child who got caught stealing from the cookie jar.

“Do as I say, Ditzy Doo. Don’t make any trouble for me.” Firelight said. His eyes glowed with a hazy green light.

“I…I don’t, I never…” Ditzy mumbled, her body going slack. The conjured sledgehammer wavered like a mirage.

“Oh, put a sock it in!” Sugar Belle said. A swift, unsportsmanlike kick sent Firelight to his knees.

“GAH!” Firelight screeched, and an explosion of arcane force threw Sugar Belle across the room.

“Sugar Belle!” Ditzy shook the cobwebs from her head and remembered her fury. Her hammer smashed the panel. The bell went still.

Sunset’s fencing foil jabbed at Firelight’s chest, and a red burst blasted him through the glass face of the clock tower.

Starlight’s stomach dropped. Her father had gone hurtling out into the storm. She waited for the crunch of a body hitting pavement. It didn’t come.

Instead, Starlight heard a long metallic groan, and suddenly a spear of metal pierced Sunset Shimmer. Starlight and Ditzy’s conjured weapons disappeared as they stared in horror.

The hour hand of the clock tower had been torn off, and now it pinned Sunset to the wall.

“Idiots! All of you! Do you really think I need a machine to ring a bell?” Firelight laughed. The hour hand wrenched out of Sunset’s torso, twitching through the air with an unsteady pattern. Firelight grunted, and the hour hand struck the bell. More mana poured in from all around, but this time, Firelight diverted it directly to the growing rift. Raindrops from outside were pulled into the hole in space as it expanded more.

“More! I need more!” Firelight shouted. All around, the remaining executives were hitting the floor as their mana was drained.

Starlight was at Sunset’s side in an instant. She was holding her side, trying to stop the blood. Starlight’s rage was receding. She had brought this woman to die. Numbing despair crept up her spine as she looked from her father to Sunset Shimmer. Sunset Shimmer smiled at her.

“I’m so sorry…I never thought he would…I didn’t want to-I should’ve-”

“Hey, hey, none of that! Look, this? I can deal with this.” Sunset said. The hand over her wound lit with a soft red glow. “But I need your help to finish this. Where’s…? Ah. My foil. Grab it, quick!”

Starlight fumbled around on the floor, grabbing Sunset’s foil. It was still glowing with power, but the aura was wobbling like a candle’s flame.

“What do you mean? How am I supposed to-”

“There’s no time to argue! Help me up!” Sunset said.

Starlight got Sunset under an arm, and the two grunted as they got to their feet. They disappeared in a flash of red light, appearing at the ledge where the clock’s face had been broken.

“I’ve got a spell loaded up in there. Just point it at the village, and think about how you feel about this place. About your Dad, and about your Mom, and everything that’s happened. Just…just put all of that at the tip of the sword, and let it go!”

A stray bolt of chaotic energy lanced at Starlight. Sunset put a hand up, and a shield of mana just barely deflected the shot. More bolts of mana fired off from Firelight as he barely managed to contain the power.

Starlight stammered at the foil in her hands. None of this made any sense. The whole world was crazy. Starlight felt hot tears roll down her face.

“This is all my fault!” Starlight whined.

“Starlight? Starlight! Look at me! You didn’t do this! He did! We can fix this, but only if we do it together! I know you feel empty and betrayed, but I’m here for you! Together, we can turn this whole thing around!”

Firelight’s glowing iridescent horn increased in size. He howled as the magic surged through him, into the rift, igniting the stormy sky with a corona of energy.

Starlight felt a hand in hers. Starlight looked to her left. It was Ditzy Doo.

“We’re going to get through this.” Ditzy said. Her face was red and streaked with tears, but there was an unmistakable determination in her off-center eyes.

A hand on her shoulder. Starlight saw Sugar Belle. She had an ugly bruise on her face, but she didn't seem to care.

“Us troublemakers have to stick together!” Sugar Belle said.

Starlight smiled, and it felt like the first time. She raised the foil, but her hands weren’t shaking anymore. A pair of hands touched her back, and there was Double Diamond, filled with remorse, and Night Glider, wincing but smiling.

“Focus on your feelings, Starlight. Put it all right at the tip of the sword…” Sunset said.

Energy streamed from Starlight and everyone around her. The red light at the edge of the foil strobed blue, turquoise, and cyan. Every volatile emotion Starlight had felt since coming to Our Town fused together in a blast of righteous fury. Her focus narrowed to a singular point, one singular north star that gave shape to her trauma.

She demanded Justice with her whole heart and soul.

“What was that thing you girls always say?” Sugar Belle said.

“Friendship is magic.” Sunset said.

“Is that like a reference to something-?” A cacophonous cannon boom cut Starlight off mid-sentence. A stream of rainbow light burst from the foil, wrapping around Firelight like a ribbon of force! He screamed as the colors restrained his hands to his sides, illuminating the stormy night like a neon flash.

Starlight smiled in satisfaction; the way one smiles when they wake from a horrible nightmare. She knew that after all she had been through, it was finally over.

That’s why her blood ran cold when she saw the rainbow snap.

“You stupid brats! Don’t you know by now? I have all the power here!” Firelight screamed, and the world flipped under Starlight Glimmer. She and her allies–her friends--were blasted away, stapled to the wall by bands of cyan light. Even their mouths were covered, leaving them nothing to do but watch in horror as Firelight floated triumphantly back to the center of the room.

“Now, I need you all to be good and sit still while I finish my little project here!”

Firelight funneled power into the rift, which blossomed into a great sucking wound in the air. Raindrops, broken glass, and empty jars flew into the yawning abyss, lost in a white void that flickered like an old TV screen.

“Where was I? Oh, that’s right!” Firelight said. A flick of his wrist blasted debris away from the spell circle on the floor, and another levitated Ditzy Doo to the center of it.

"No! No, no, no, please! MAMA! PLEASE, SOMEONE HELP ME!" Ditzy screamed, struggling helplessly against the arcane constraints.

Ditzy’s frantic eyes met Starlight, who could do nothing as Firelight chanted in that strange dead language, his eyes glowing, his crazed smile growing wider.

“I know you don’t believe me. No one believed me! But I’m going to prove them all wrong; I’m going to fix everything right here and now!” Firelight shouted.

Thunder crashed outside as the portal expanded, flickering through scenes of impossible space. Starlight saw a dark world filled with shifting shadows and white rocks. She saw a sprawl of gothic stonework beneath a blood-red sky. She saw a strange casino filled with blaring slot machines and malicious grins. There was a gleaming metropolis built on a cliff over the sea, a land of glittering crystal towers, a blasted wasteland filled with pools of lava, all whizzing by in an instant until the portal’s view came to rest on a massive chamber of stone. It would have been black as pitch were it not for towering spires aglow with bright circles hewn into the top.

There were cages everywhere filled with impossible, snarling monsters. A massive beast with three slobbering dog heads lay sleeping at the foot of a stone staircase. At the top of countless flights sat a cage with bars of black iron holding one singular form.

“There! Finally, I’ve found him!” Firelight shouted with glee. “Master! Master, it’s me!”

The hunched figure stirred stiffly beneath a sooty cloak, turning to regard Firelight with dying ember eyes.

“You have done well…!” Said the creature. Starlight could just barely make out a pair of wringing hands. Its voice was sandpaper on a chalkboard. “Now, come closer, my acolyte!”

An infernal aura clutched Firelight in its grip, crackling with black bolts. Firelight didn’t struggle, but Starlight caught a fleeting moment of fear in the corner of his eye.

"I trust you have gathered the requisite payment?"

“Yes, my Lord, I have done as you asked!”

Firelight’s pilfered power surged as a torrent of rainbow light from the horn on his forehead to the open maw of the beast.

Starlight looked on in terror as the ragged cloak was tossed away, revealing a red-skinned centaur ballooning in size as it devoured the power of Our Town’s residents. Shriveled limbs bulged into rippling muscle, a massive barrel chest emerged, and a pair of huge curling horns cradled a miniature sun as Lord Tirek’s hellish might came into full focus.

A clean twitch of the arm shattered the cage that had trapped him.

Firelight’s form deflated in response, his jaw going slack, his dark purple skin fading to a pale, grayish tone. The horn of light disappeared, and Firelight slumped to the ground.

Lord Tirek raised his fists in triumph, his voice booming across the howling night.

“Finally! It took all of my remaining mana to reach across dimensions with a message, and though the magic of your world is paltry and anemic, you have gathered enough for me to blast open the doors of Tartarus and pillage Equestria for all of its arcane might once more."

Suddenly, a chorus of barks echoed through the chamber. The guardian had awakened, but as it rumbled toward the prisoner, that hellish aura wrenched it off the steps and into the abyss below.

Firelight raised his chin with great effort, his voice coming out as a rasping mockery of his former stately demeanor.

“My Lord…I followed your instructions down to the date and time. Isn’t it…isn’t it time for me to receive my reward?”

Lord Tirek glared at his minion, then a devilish smile emerged on his face.

“Ah, yes. You…beseeched me for the means to bring your beloved wife back.”

“Yes!”

“Here’s what I know of reanimation. You must have a shell, a great deal of mana, and your wife’s cutie mark. Let me see…” Lord Tirek’s gaze swept over the room. Ditzy Doo cowered in terror. “You have brought a sacrifice, which is similar to a shell, but not quite right. You had a great deal of mana. And I regret to inform you that as your wife is long dead, you have no way of retrieving her cutie mark. What you wish is impossible.”

“But…but you swore to teach me how to resurrect my wife! I was going to reunite my family! I was-”

“You were an indispensable resource. We exchanged power for knowledge. I gained power, and you gained knowledge. Our bargain has been made. Now do as you will, and begone from my sight, pathetic apeling.” Tirek laughed and turned away from the portal, descending the stone steps in earth-shaking strides.

A twinkle of mana drifted from between his horns, then a rushing stream.

“You bastard! I trusted you! YOU BASTARD!” Firelight exploded in a gout of hellfire. A gnarled horn erupted from his forehead, blasting beams of light through the rift at Lord Tirek.

“Adorable.” Tirek chuckled, twirling a finger.

Firelight launched into the ceiling, then crashed to the ground in a broken heap. Starlight Glimmer and friends all hit the ground; the threads of force that were binding them had faded away.

Lord Tirek blasted the colossal doors of Tartarus open in a brilliant display of power before striding through the threshold in his shrunken, original form.

And Firelight coughed and turned himself over, picking himself up with shaking limbs. His words came out in a stumbling mutter.

“It’s fine, it’s fine, because now I know. I’ll just start over, and follow his example.” Firelight said, flickering with the last vestiges of his stolen magic. The portal blinked like a great eye as Firelight tried to channel some other source of power.

“I can fix this…I’ll find a way to look for her…I’ll reach into hell itself if I have to!”

The portal blinked. Here was a dark and thorny forest, there was a shining citadel on the side of a mountain, a massive vaulted temple atop a cloud, and an abandoned castle all swam by as the portal expanded.

Firelight moved his fingers like a puppeteer as the portal shuddered wider. Suddenly, a red flash butted him backward. Sunset Shimmer stood square, one hand holding her side while the other raised her foil.

“Haven’t you learned yet!? You need to end this right now before you get us all killed!” Sunset said.

“Please, stop this! It doesn’t have to be this way!” Double Diamond said. His voice had gone hoarse from weeping. He was in the corner, holding Night Glider in his arms.

“What would you know? What would any of you know!? You all come to me, broken and beaten, and you ask me to fix all of your problems, like even a single one of you knows what it means to truly suffer!” Firelight snarled.

Ditzy Doo flew screaming to his side in a flicker of aura, then Firelight shouted in that strange, eldritch language. The mansion shook, and the portal groaned even further open, blazing with the light of a dying sun.

“I’ll find my wife, and we’ll finally be a family again! No matter the cost!” Firelight said.

“Everybody hit the deck!” Sugar Belle said.

The clock tower detonated in an earth-shaking explosion.

In nearby Fillydelphia, lights began to flicker on the edge of the city limits. It had been a truly grueling day at the Fillydelphia farmer’s market, and one young woman was driving home with several crates that were sadly filled with unsold carrots. Rain from the rumbling great clouds above pattered her windshield.

Her amber eyes were filled with a creeping regret, her pale blue skin darkened with the dust of the day, her curly white hair gone frazzled after frantically hawking at her stall. Nothing had worked.
She couldn’t blame anyone, really; this season’s harvest had been pretty weak, and the resulting produce was shriveled and sickly.

“It would take a miracle to turn a profit on these.” Serena said. She wondered idly if there was some sort of banana bread-style solution to this. She had been out of ideas for a week, but this one felt vaguely like hope as her raggedy car’s wheels squeaked into her driveway. The winds plastered a littered newspaper to her side for just a moment.

Her feet dragged up the shadowy apartment stairs. She was lit only by a light that had been flickering since she moved here, and as she butted her shoulder against the perpetually stuck door to her apartment, she wondered, not for the first time, if her sister had been right all along. At the very least, she might be able to help, and unlike her Mom, Serena’s sister wouldn’t gloat. She’d always been helpful; Serena was just hard-headed. She wanted to stay in the city, and this is what it got her.

With a yawn, she dialed her phone.

“Carrot Top? Hey Sis, listen I…I know it’s late. Look, do you still have that old Carrot Cake recipe? I wanted to try a…no, no, sis it’s not a sex thing, will you just listen? The Farmer’s Market was a bust, and I need to do something with the stock. Do you think you could-”

A crash of lightning shook Serena’s eardrums like a cannon blast. It was so loud, she dropped her phone, leaving her sister to question what was going on.

The crash didn’t stop. It filled Serena’s ears, and the apartment, and as she stumbled to open the window, she realized it was filling the air above her head.

A glowing hole in the sky looked down on the sleeping streets of Fillydelphia, screaming like a tortured jet engine. Everywhere Serena looked, lights were rising from the buildings, from the cars, under bridges, and inside alleyways.

It was like watching shooting stars in reverse; motes of pulsing lights surging into the air, swallowed by the strange rift.

Serena fell to the ground, hanging onto the windowsill with both hands. Her legs had given out, filled with a numbing static.

The light blue color had drained from her feet and legs, and now it was leaving her fingertips; melting off Serena’s form like a doused watercolor painting, glowing as it streamed into the air.

Her jaw went slack. Her eyes drooped with fatigue, and soon she was lying face-up on the floor.

Serena couldn’t scream; all she could do with her empty voice was wail as terror washed over her. From somewhere outside the shadows racing into Serena’s vision, she could hear her sister calling her name, screaming to know if she was okay, threatening to call an ambulance, but nothing could get through.

Serena’s last thought was that she should have listened to her sister, and then there was nothing but the dawning horror of being dragged into someone else’s story.

Starlight Glimmer awoke to a ringing in her ears. She was scraped and bruised, looking up at an aurora borealis. Rainbow lights were streaming through the air above her, and for a moment, she shed a tear at the majesty of it. She was moving, a bit. No, she was being shaken.

“Starlight! Starlight, get up!” Sugar Belle said, pulling Starlight to sit upright.

It was another nightmare. The bell, the masonry and and any chance of a normal future had been scattered to the winds.

Another rift was in the sky above the clock tower, bombarding the platform with a stream of magical energy. Starlight could see more of those strange glowing marks whiz through the air like comets, straight toward what remained of Firelight.

A new rainbow horn had grown in his forehead; then another, and another until they formed a jagged crown on his head. Four horns, six horns, ten horns. They swelled in size as magic poured into them, and ragged, disjointed wings extended from Firelight’s back. He was hunched in an odd posture on a pair of hairy hooves. Somewhere in the vaguely equestrian mess that had been his face, Firelight was smiling.

Firelight held Ditzy Doo in one swollen claw as the other piloted the portal; flipping through other points in space. Rain was falling horizontally into the rift. Starlight watched as Firelight’s executives were pulled into the space between spaces, unable to do anything but smile as they were lost forever.

Ditzy Doo was screaming.

Sunset was rising now, up into the air. She glowed with a blazing light and traced the air with her foil. The great wound in the sky burned, and its edges slowly started to cauterize.

A blast came from beneath, but Sunset turned it away with a shield. Somewhere in the chaos, Starlight could hear Sunset Shimmer swear.

The second rift shut, and Starlight’s faith in Sunset doubled. But then, Starlight watched as Sunset’s glowing red aura faded, and she thudded to the ground; unconscious and spent.

Her foil splashed into a puddle on the floor, and her shield spell broke.

An explosion of sound surrounded Starlight as she hung on for dear life.

“POWER! I NEED MORE POWER!” Firelight garbled. His voice fractured into laughter, whinnies, and wails. The portal rent further, unfolding on a blasted landscape devoid of stars. Horrific shadows with indescribable faces howled and pushed against the portal, trying to escape into the human world.

Starlight was hanging onto a piece of rubble, her eyes roaming, hoping against hope that there was still time. Sugar Belle was doing the same, holding Sunset Shimmer around the waist.

“What are you doing!?” Sugar Belle said.

“I…I think I can fix this! I just need to find…there!” Starlight said.

She let go of the rubble. She fell sideways toward the portal, but she had a plan. No one had trusted her; no one but Sunset Shimmer, but she had been right. She had been right all along, and now she knew what she had to do. She remembered her mother’s words as she fell; about how justice is hard to come by. If there was any chance that she could make this right, she would take it in a heartbeat.

A heartbeat, coincidentally, was all she had. Starlight Glimmer reached out and snatched at the glint she saw. Sunset’s foil.

Time began to slow. Sunset could use magic to fix things; to close rifts, help people, and right wrongs.

So why couldn’t Starlight?

Her feet came down, balancing her on a precarious ledge. She pointed the foil at the portal, and she tried to follow Sunset’s instructions. She let her fury sink in; blazing in her chest like a signal fire. The necessity of what she needed to do anchored her to the world. Power gathered in Starlight’s hands, and with great effort, she pushed that power to the tip of the foil, just as she’d been taught.

Righteous anger. Necessity. Consternation. Terror. Regret. Focus!

In Starlight's mind, that word came again. The word her mother had taught her.

Justice.

It all swirled together in a glowing ball of force.

“Please Mom…please let me make this right…!” Starlight whispered. A horn of light grew from her head. Teardrops mixed with the rain.

Firelight turned just in time to see what was happening. Starlight no longer saw her father in what he had become. He roared and charged, teeth gnashing to devour the magic.

A lance of turquoise light tore through the air toward the portal, but instead went straight through Firelight's chest.

Ditzy Doo fell from his grip as he stumbled forward, hands trying to cover a smoking hole in his torso. His monstrous form shattered like glass, leaving behind his sallow, shaking human form.

The portal squinted like an iris, dropping the objects caught in its orbit to the ground.

Firelight turned to Ditzy Doo, smiling, bleeding, and pleading. He was human once more. His copper-colored eyes were emptying out; his purple skin turning gray as the portal drank the mana from him.

“Hey, Ditzy Doo…I’m sorry, but I still need you. You understand?” Firelight said. The marks he had stolen from countless people floated out of him like soap bubbles. Starlight saw as they floated into the bodies of Double Diamond, Night Glider, and Sugar Belle. But for each of those, three more were devoured by the tightening rift.

Ditzy shook her head, backing away, stammering as Firelight shambled toward her.

“I need you, so please, come with me. Don’t go…!” Firelight said. He reached out to touch Ditzy, but his hand was wrenched back toward the portal, colors running off it, then skin, then flesh in twirling streamers.

“No, no, no, get away from me! GET AWAY!” Ditzy screamed. A shard of glass flashed in her hands. She stabbed Firelight over and over, splattering herself in his blood. He was still smiling, even as the light left his eyes.

“Just...do one thing right. This is all your fault.” Firelight said. His face ripped into the portal, leaving nothing but a stripped skull, then a blur as the rest of his form was dragged into some nameless realm.

Something in Ditzy Doo shattered. Starlight dropped the foil, watching as the clutzy girl from Canterlot doubled over and held her stomach, screaming. It was more tortured than any sob Starlight Glimmer would ever hear again.

Sugar Belle limped over to Ditzy and gently took her shoulders.

“You need to go.”

It was Sunset Shimmer. Starlight looked at her in numb shock as Sunset picked up her foil.

“...what?”

“That portal isn’t closing; it’s collapsing. If I don’t deal with it, it’s going to take everyone here with it, and maybe a chunk of Pennsylvania, so you have to go.” Sunset said. She grunted painfully as she raised the foil at Sugar Belle and Ditzy Doo.

“What are you doing!?” Starlight said.

“Sugar Belle! I’m going to send everyone your way! Wait until the last flash, and then take everybody and run!” Sunset said.

Sugar Belle looked bewildered at her, then nodded, mumbling at Ditzy Doo to get to her feet. A flash of red light erased them from reality. Another gem on Sunset’s foil went dark.

“What did you do? What did you do!?” Starlight shouted.

“I took care of them. Just like I’m taking care of you. A promise is a promise.” Sunset said. She pointed at a couple of bodies that Starlight was sure had to be Double Diamond and Night Glider. They vanished as well.

“But, but, but…!” Starlight said. Sunset grabbed her shoulders, forcing her to lock eyes.

“You did the right thing. Do you hear me? You did the right thing, Starlight. Your Mom would be proud.” Sunset said. She was halfway between a smile, and a grimace.

The portal roared, a halo of orange light forming around a pitch-black core.

“But, what are you going to do?” Starlight said.

“I’ll see you soon,” Sunset said.

Starlight blinked, and she was looking at Our Town from a hilltop that had to be a mile away. She saw a flash of red light, and someone appeared next to her.

Starlight looked around and saw Sugar Belle counting heads.

Another flash, another person.

Ditzy Doo was sitting on the grass next to Sugar Belle, not quite looking at anything at all. Double Diamond and was up. He was carefully laying Night Glider down on the grass.

Another flash. There was Party Favor. Then more. Two by two, then one by one, the survivors of Our Town appeared on that hill, and a vast orange glow lit up the stormy night, getting brighter by the second.

Below, Starlight could see bunkhouses snapping off their foundations, falling up into the miniature black hole. Then went the Rec Center, the Mess Hall, and Starlight’s only positive memories of the place. Clouds streamed into the portal from above, circling the rift like a pool drain.

Starlight scanned the crowd. She recognized a few faces but didn’t have many names. Somehow, that felt like a failure to her.

One final red flash. A glorious phoenix rose from a tiny pinprick in the air, its majestic wings of flame curling around the rift that had finished the job her father began years ago.

Starlight’s family was finally broken beyond repair.

Somewhere a world away, Sugar Belle was talking fast, and people were running. They didn’t know where to. Starlight certainly didn’t either, but as Sugar Belle grabbed her wrist and pulled, she realized it didn’t matter. Anywhere was better than here.

Starlight took one last look at the remains of Our Town; a place where time stood still, where the people were always smiling, and where everything was wrong.

What better project could there be for a man like her father?

With a flash so bright it was like gazing at sunrise, Our Town was replaced by a crater in the ground.

Ditzy Doo lay down, staring at the ceiling with red, wet eyes. She was safe; sitting in Silver Spoon’s office, finally understanding why this kind of sofa was called a fainting couch. She wasn’t sure she could stand.

“And after that, you came to Canterlot?” Silver Spoon said, flipping through her notes.

“Not right away. Sugar Belle still had her phone, she called ambulances and taxis and stuff. Eventually, a big bus came and picked us all up. You know, it was really impressive; Sugar Belle kept checking up on everybody. She was asking them about where they came from and, and where they might go, and you could swear she had done this all before.” Ditzy said.

“Right. She seems nice.” Silver Spoon said.

“She’s a survivor. Her whole family is like that.” Ditzy smiled briefly. “We got to Fillydelphia, and we heard what happened to them.”

“A few hundred people went braindead that night, all at the same time, for no discernible reason. Even today, the “Fillydelphia Incident” is common fodder for rumor-mongers and conspiracy theorists.” Silver Spoon read from a newspaper clipping in her notes.

“They’ll never guess it.” Ditzy chuckled sadly. “Sunset Shimmer eventually caught up to us. She picked up from where Sugar Belle left off; organizing people and sending them on their way. She asked me if I had a place to go, and I said no, but Sugar Belle had something. She called the Apple Family–nicest people in Canterlot–and said they’d let us stay while we got on our feet.”

“I understand.”

“I didn’t hurt that a certain guy happened to be working the farm there. You couldn’t get her to shut up about Big Mac if you paid her!” Ditzy said.

“I understand. And what did you do when you got back to Canterlot?”

“Oh, I needed to find a job, and fast. I wouldn’t be able to do farm stuff, so I needed to get something else. Granny Smith let me use her car, and I started doing food deliveries, and after a while, me and Sugar Belle moved into our own place in the city.”

“Why did you need to find a job?”

Ditzy sat quietly for a while. She heard the light ticking of Silver Spoon’s clock on the wall. She knew better than to fight the tears that were coming.

“Uh…a few weeks after getting back to Canterlot, I…I started getting morning sickness.” Ditzy said, her voice shaking.

“I see.” Silver Spoon said.

“I love my daughter. You understand? I love my daughter with my whole heart…!” Ditzy sobbed.

“Of course you do.”

“But sometimes when she laughs, when she gets mad, I…I see him…! And then, then, with Buck, I know he’s not-”

“This isn’t about him; this is about you.” Silver Spoon cut in.

“But you understand! Please tell me you understand! I can't feel safe!” Ditzy said. Silver Spoon was checking her notes; a process that seemed to take years.

“I understand that you are a survivor, and that’s something to be proud of. Abuse has a way of warping the world around us. It’s like a shadow that darkens everything; and when things are dark, you’re on edge, waiting for something to come at you. That hypervigilance; is that what you feel when you get intimate with Buck?”

“I think I’m going to throw up.” Ditzy sobbed. Silver Spoon nudged a small trash can toward her, just in case. “Yes. When he holds me, I’m so excited, and so scared…but that’s in my head.”

“Yes. The brain is a delicate organ, and damage to it can be very challenging to address. You’ve been hurt, Ditzy Doo.”

“I’ve been hurt. Yes.”

“But that’s what we’re here to do; we’re here to heal. Now, I know that you’ve been struggling, but we’re going to reclaim what was taken from you in Our Town; your peace, your innocence, and the power to determine who you are.” Silver Spoon said.

“Power? Really?” Ditzy said.

“More than you can possibly imagine. You’ve already made great progress, but this is the next step.” Silver Spoon said with a smile. She turned her notepad around and tapped it with a pen. Ditzy squinted, and read the word "Meditation".

“I think I read that in a self-help book once! And…meditating will do all of that?” Ditzy said.

“It’s a start.” Silver Spoon said.

“Then I’ll do it. Whatever it takes to make a good life for me and my daughter, and…” Ditzy didn’t finish it. She was confident now, moreso than she ever had been, that she was in control. It was her life and her family, and she was going to make it work, one way or another.

Ditzy sprang from her seat and hugged Silver Spoon, who went totally rigid.

“What are…what are you doing?” Silver Spoon said.

“Thank you so much…!” Ditzy sniffled. She trembled as Silver Spoon reached up slowly and stroked her hair.

Starlight Glimmer stood on the hill overlooking the crater when Our Town had been. After hugs, tears, and empty promises to stay in touch, Starlight watched as Ditzy Doo and Sugar Belle waved from the back of a bus. She held a phone to her ear.

“I don’t think I’m allowed to talk about it.” Starlight said.

“It’s seriously all gone?” Sunburst said. He had been panicking very vocally for the last few hours, and now his voice was tired and hoarse.

“It’s gone.” Starlight said.

“You’re welcome to come and stay at my place while you figure things out. Considering the circumstances, I’m sure Mom would be fine with that.”

“I don’t want to owe Stellar Flare anything.”

There was a lengthy, painful silence. Starlight simply wasn't ready.

“Well, what are you going to do?”

Starlight shivered and yawned, watching as the storm clouds rolled away. Her family, her past, and any trajectory for the future had all been sucked into the rift, leaving Starlight with nothing but a gray feeling of numbness that she couldn’t quite describe. The night was cold and deeply unpleasant, but now at the very least, it was quiet.

“I think I’m going to sleep for a week.” Starlight said.

“I get it. I get that something unbelievable happened and you’re processing right now. I’m going to call again in the morning, to make sure you’re okay.”

“Okay. Thank you, Sunburst. You’re just about the only family I’ve got left.” Starlight said. Wherever her brain was floating, it suddenly cringed, but Starlight could barely register it under all the emotional exhaustion.

“Stay safe. I’ll talk to you soon. I..it’s going to be okay.” Sunburst lied.

“Thank you.” Starlight said and dropped the call.

Starlight tensed up as a warm leather jacket was laid over her shoulders. She shimmied over in the grass as Sunset Shimmer sat beside her.

“Are you okay?” Sunset said.

“No.” Starlight said. “Sunset, who are you, really? What is…what was all of this?”

“Well…to start, I’m your friend. And I wasn’t joking when I said I was part of a group of paranormal investigators.”

“Are you with the government?”

“I can’t say.”

“So this was like…like an X-Files thing. You’re out here trying to deal with magic, aliens, and…demons.”

“Pretty much.”

“So this whole thing is going to be erased.”

“...Yes.”

“What could I have done?”

“What’s that?”

“What could I have done differently to stop this? If I never flew out here, then-”

“Don’t do that! None of this was your fault! You couldn’t have known what your Dad would do.”

“I could have guessed most of it.” Starlight snarled. She pulled her knees to her chest and squinted against the hot tears threatening to spill over. “I knew the kind of thing my dad was capable of, and I didn’t do anything. I was so wrapped up my own, stupid feelings, then I could’ve…!”

“What? What could you have done?” Sunset said.

Starlight’s hands clutched at the dirt on either side of her, shaking with fury. She put her head down and tried not to sob. Sunset touched her shoulder once more; not a placating gesture, but simple solidarity.

“If you had come earlier, could magic have stopped this?” Starlight said.

“Probably, yes.” Sunset sighed. At least she was honest, Starlight thought.

“Are there others out there, using magic to hurt people?” Starlight said.

“...Anyone can use Equestrian magic, and that means that anyone can be overtaken by it.” The words came out slowly, weighed down by the pain of the admission. Starlight looked up and saw the bags under Sunset’s eyes lit by the glow of a cigarette.

“Teach me.”

“Huh?”

Starlight rose to her feet, wiping her eyes on her sleeve.

“Teach me how to do it. I need to learn how to fight this, because this can never happen again. I can’t ever let this happen again.” Starlight said.

Sunset looked at her, then back at the crater. She took a deep, shoulder-slumping breath.

“You’re going to say I can’t do it.” Starlight said.

“No. I’ll teach you.”

“Really? Just like that?”

“Just like that.” Sunset smiled. “To be honest, I’m tired of doing this by myself.”

Starlight would take to the art of monster hunting very quickly. She studied with a furious drive, spending hours pouring over books, listening to Sunset’s stories, and trying to shoot lasers from her hands. When she learned that she couldn’t harness magic without some components, she threw a tantrum so furious that even Sunset Shimmer had to simply step back and let her burn through it.

Even with her lack of mana, Starlight would become a formidable presence in any magical engagement she found herself in. With magic, she could right any wrong. She could fix any problem. She could fly.

Nothing in the world could stop her dogged pursuit of any and all magical anomalies, and that’s why when she became a full-fledged agent of the Pillars Organization, she was given the privilege of defending Canterlot.

Starlight leaned against the cold cave wall, eyes on the floor as she stepped out of the painful memory, her face the very picture of defiance. This was in spite of the tear tracks on her face, which Buck didn’t dare point out.

The newly named Greg the changeling was on the ceiling, looking around with shivering tension.

Buck was across the tunnel, his raised hand filling the cavern with a soft red glow. The flickering light made Buck’s horrified expression look all the more ghastly. It was the face of a man acting brave even though he was watching a horror movie alone.

“First of all, I’m sorry that-”

“Save it.” Starlight cut Buck off. “I’ve cried enough by now. Why be quiet about it?”

“...your Dad was sick.”

“My Dad was cruel! He was cruel, and selfish, and he used people! He was a manipulator and a monster, and it’s good that he’s dead!” Starlight shouted.

“Be quiet about it.” Greg said, in Starlight’s voice, holding up a finger before its mouth.

"No one asked you!" Starlight glared at Greg with searing hatred in her eyes. The changeling scuttled to Buck’s side, trying to look as small as possible in his broad-shouldered shadow.

“Don’t let that thing fool you.” Starlight growled.

“Greg’s fine.” Buck said, patting the creature on the shoulder.

“Fine.” Greg buzzed.

"It's evil!"

"It's a literal baby!"

"It came from evil! Chrysalis is a monster; a manipulator just like my Dad, but even less subtle about it! She's built a fortress that she's going to use to do..."

"What?"

"I don't know what, but it can't be good! She needs to go down, just like my Dad did. The hive needs to go, just like Our Town needed to go, and if we don't act fast, we might be too late to stop her!"

"Okay, but we're here to catch her, right? We're not here to kill a single mom and her kids, right?"

"We're here to do whatever we have to!"

"Why does that have to involve hurting her?"

"Because she's evil, Buck! This isn't some philosophical exercise! We live in a universe where evil exists! There's good magic, and there's evil magic, and the changelings are made of evil magic! Objective evil!"

"And who the fuck gets to decide what Objective Evil is!?" Buck shot back.

"I DO!" Starlight exploded. "I do, because I've seen it! He had me fooled; he had everyone fooled, thinking he was some sort of humanitarian, all just so he could use us to fulfill a sick power fantasy! But that’s what manipulators do! They find people who are at their lowest point and offer them the bare minimum, then they use you and use you until there’s nothing left! THAT'S FUCKING EVIL!” Starlight raved, her fists squeezing so tight that her nails drew blood. She shut her eyes and made a valiant attempt at calming down.

Starlight had years to speculate after Our Town. Her Father may have seemed like a good man at some point in his life, but he did truly despicable things, and it wasn't because the devil twisted his mind; it was because he was toxic from the start. Starlight knew this, the way she knew the sun would rise in the morning.

“I know I’ve been hard on you, and a lot of that was undeserved.” Starlight said.

“It’s because I remind you of him.” Buck said, quietly.

Starlight looked at him like a bit of roadkill she had stepped on. Buck didn’t meet her eye.

“Let's just be honest, alright? I remind you of your old man. And that’s why Ditzy is so fucking scared of me.” Buck said.

“The reason I’m mad at you, is because you keep going back to Adagio, expecting her to be anything other than a user! She is going to bleed you dry, and she’s going to drag everyone around her straight to hell in the process! You have to see that!” Starlight said.

Buck was silent. He looked at Greg, and gave the changeling scout a bit of pink mana. Greg ate it out of the palm of his hand, then looked up at Buck, mirroring his smile perfectly.

“I don’t think she will.” Buck said, finally. He raised a hand, stopping Starlight before she could launch into another tirade. “Let me finish. I don’t think Adagio’s gonna do that, cause she already tried that at the Battle of the Bands. She’s not that person no more.”

“What are you talking about?”

Greg tugged on Buck’s pant leg. Buck nodded at the scout and followed as it scuttled down the corridor.

“That person wasn’t the same one that was banished by the Pillars of Equestria, and that person wasn’t the same one that tore down the G.G.A.A. ‘dagio’s been around a long time. She’s had hundreds of years to perfect the art of being a mean-ass disney villain. And despite all’a that, despite what she’d say, Adagio’s changed since the night I met her. She’s on our side.”

“She’s on her own side! She’s just trying to use you!”

“She’s just trying to live! You haven’t seen what I seen. I’ve seen that woman feel remorse. Seen her, seen her break down in tears, because she misses her family! I’ve seen her lament the loss of a world that she hated. I’ve…I know that she’s usin’ me, alright? But I don’t think that’s all there is to it.”

“Oh, brother!”

“Maybe, like this little guy here, if she gets fed and loved, she’ll realize she actually can be vulnerable. She needs friends, Glimglam. And she needs me.”

“Oh, here we go! Here comes Buck; a guy who thinks he can deal with a literal super villain by sticking his dick in it!"

"Don't knock it til' ya try it."

"After everything I’ve told you, how can you be so naive? Adagio’s been corrupted by Equestrian magic for centuries! She’s just going to do to you what Tirek did to my Dad!” Starlight was tearing up now.

“No, she’s not. That ain’t what she’s tryin’ to do.” Buck said.

“You can’t know that!”

“She’s old. Old, and tired, and she’s scared of change, and in spite of all that, she's already done a ton to help me with my magic."

"So she can use it."

Buck rolled his eyes.

"So I can fucking use it! Who do you think taught me this!? It wasn't you, that's for sure!" He focused on the ball of red mana, and with great effort, it flickered into a flaming cube, then a wiggling penis, then back to the pulsing ball. Greg the changeling watched with absolute awe.

"So she taught you some crummy magic tricks; big whoop."

"Starlight, don't you get it? I can use this power to do ANYTHING!" Buck said.

"And all Adagio sees is a destructive force that she can tap!" Starlight snarled.

"No, that's what you fucking see!" A flare. Starlight glared at Buck, and for the length of a candle's flicker, she saw a demon standing there.

"Look I know you're the big ol' badass huntress here, but I know magic can go both ways. I’ve seen it turn Sunnybuns into a monster, and I’ve also seen it turn her into somethin’ incredible, and it was all because the Rainbooms gave her a chance.” Buck said.

“No. Hell no! Adagio is nothing like Sunset Shimmer! She's a monster, and I'm not giving her a chance!"

"Then give it to me." Buck said.

"...what are you saying?"

"I never been no gamblin' man, but I'm willing to put my chips on Adagio Dazzle. She won't turn me into a monster."

"You don't know that."

“But if she does, if I do turn into monster...you can kill me.”

Silence slammed into the chamber like a falling guillotine. Buck squinted at Starlight, refusing even to blink in the face of her glare.

“You’d consent to that?” Starlight said.

“Stake my life on it.” Buck said. To Starlight's horror, she recognized the resolve in his eyes. There was no hint of a bluff.

“Fine.”

“But until that day comes, I’m the one that decides what to do with my magic, alright? Not you, not Adagio, not nobody but me. And you’re gonna respect my wishes, and treat me like an actual teammate instead’a like a battery. Can we call that square?”

“Fine! That's fine, but when we’re in the thick of things, you have to go with me instead of starting a fight!”

“Bitch, you swung first!”

The red light popped and flared.

“After you screamed in my face!”

“After you’ve been talkin’ shit at me since the moment we met! I was just standin’ up for myself and–fuck this. Same team, so fuck this. Just collab with me on the plan before we’re in the shit, alright?”
The mana receded back to a flickering flame. For once, Starlight was impressed.

“Deal.” Starlight said.

“And no killin’. We’re here to save everyone!”

“We’re here to get the Queen so we can question her!”

“No killin’!”

"But the changelings-"

"You're not usin' my magic to kill nobody!"

“Fine, fuck! No one dies!”

“And! You gotta be nice to ‘dagio.”

“Don’t push your luck!”

Greg tensed. Buck and Starlight glared at each other for a few seconds, then Buck let out a wheeze and started giggling.
Starlight blinked at Buck incredulously, but as he held his stomach in a laughing fit, she couldn’t help but start chuckling as well. Starlight was trying to catch her breath when Buck straightened up and held out his hand.

“Alrighty, alright, you’ve got yourself a deal!” Buck said.

“Right.” Starlight said.

Buck slapped his hand into Starlight’s, shaking it with all the fervor of a used car salesman. A sudden wave of blazing giddiness crashed into Starlight, red sparks sizzling around her head like tiny fireworks. A bit of color returned to Starlight’s pale purple face, and Buck saw her smile like a race car driver cutting a promo.

“Wow. Is this what you feel like all the time?”

“Only when I really care about somethin’. Right now, that somethin’ is you, Starlight Glimmer.” Buck said.

Starlight pulled Buck into a hug; a squeeze so tight it was almost painful. Buck heard her sniffle, so he patted her back.

“Uh…you good?” Buck said.

Starlight pushed him away, a look of absolute embarrassment spilling across her face. For a second, the red sparks died down, but they rose again as Starlight found her determination.

“Let’s get a move on. We need to get to the hive and regroup!” Starlight said.

“Right!” Buck said.

Starlight held out a hand, and a spell circle traced its own glowing red lines into existence on the earthen floor.

“Oohhh hell yes!” Starlight said.

Buck and Starlight lifted into the air, wrapped in a sparkling red glow.

“Alright Greg, take us there!” Buck said.

Greg took off on buzzing wings, with Buck and Starlight floating just behind. For the first time in a long time, Starlight Glimmer wasn't charged with piss and vinegar. She was running on hope. A hope she shared with Buck.

Hope that maybe, things were finally turning around.

The entrance to the Snowdrop Inn was a resplendent bit of old-world architecture. A pair of glass doors gilt with swirling golden snowflakes. The majestic valley view was blocked by a thick wall of snow.

The drones buzzed about on their typical errands of upkeep, but one came to a stop, its ears twitching oddly.

It was a sound like a faucet blasting hot water into a sink. A low hiss rose. The glass doors warped in a green glow, and then exploded inward, scattering snow, glass, and a couple of drones across the floor.

Queen Chrysalis strode back into her hive, her regal poise only slightly dampened by her cold shiver. Her jet-colored skin and thin, willowy form were dotted with frost. Her dark green human nipples poke out indignantly.

“Clothes. I forgot to put on human clothes, and now I’m freezing.” Chrysalis muttered.

A few drones scuttled in behind her, carrying Sunburst’s limp body down a corridor.

“One of you get me a robe!”

As the Queen of the changelings strode to her bedroom, a bank of snow fell down, burying the entrance to the hotel once more. The dark stony substance of the hive crinkled as it enveloped the space where the doors had been.

Chrysalis sat once more before the mirror in her lavishly appointed suite. A pair of drones draped a thick bathrobe over her shoulders as she plucked her pilfered phone from the counter.

Despite how truly awful humans were, she had to admit their technology eclipsed anything Equestria had to offer. The idea of coordinating her troupes without the use of magic greatly excited the Queen of the Changelings, but so far the bulk of her children had melted into slime before they could learn how to use a smartphone.

Still, not all of them were blanket failures. Chrysalis grinned as she dialed and waited for an answer.

“Hello. Yes, yes, of course. You read your lines? Did you get the sample? Excellent. You are to return to the Hive as soon as possible. I’ll need you here for the next phase. Plan D, then Plan M. Yes, yes, I know you’re excited. How? I’ll arrange something in just a moment.”

Chrysalis laid out her treasures on the counter; the dark leatherbound book, the cracked changeling stone, and hair from two of her precious honored guests.

It was only a matter of time before the rest of them arrived. Chrysalis didn’t have much time to get ready.

“Bring me the components for Plan D!” Chrysalis said.

“Ugghhh…” Groaned something. The Queen’s eyes fell on a hunched form bound to a chair in the corner of the bedroom.

“And you, stop your whining! Your Queen needs to focus!”

There was an obnoxious scraping sound as a squad of drones dragged several logs into the bedroom.

“Those accursed ghouls made the mistake of underestimating me. Trying to keep me in the dark while using my children to supply their pathetic schemes with mana. Did they forget that information gathering is a specialty of my kind?” Chrysalis said.

A pulsing green glow lifted the strands of hair, as well as several of the photographs ringing Chrysalis’ mirror, placing them strategically on the logs.

“If they think I don’t know what they’re planning, they’re truly hopeless. I need to move quickly, or none of us will be spared.” Chrysalis said.

Chrysalis winced as green light poured from her horn. More holes opened in her limbs as the crackling energy filled the room.

“Soon, I’ll have everything I need to get out of this loathsome arrangement. And in the wake of the coming storm, I will rule this world. Nothing can stop the rebirth of the changelings!”

Author's Note

Carry On My Wayward Son is a classic rock bop that everybody knows. In the words of songwriter Kerry Livgren, it's an autobiographical piece about his own search for meaning in a chaotic world. Its verses read like a personal psalm meant to soothe and encourage a wandering heart. Back in '76, it really put Kansas on the map.
Of course, my generation probably knows it most from hearing it screeched in convention halls by fans of Supernatural. The song will always have a connotation of violence and the kind of ennui that only urban fantasy protagonists can conjure up.
Because of this combination of genuine self-reflection and violent turmoil, I get a distinctly young adult vibe from this song. People trying to navigate a world that is far darker and more sinister than they could have ever imagined.
In the case of this chapter, it's a song for the Starlight Glimmer, Ditzy Doo, and Buck in equal measure.

Let this chapter be a friendly reminder that people are always carrying weight that you can't see, and that no heated argument is ever about just one thing. It won't do to be a doormat, but neither is it right to be a sledgehammer.