Now...
So many times... So many alternate timelines... But she'd finally tracked Starlight down. She landed with Spike just behind her. She looked up, spell at the ready...
But it died on her horn. Her mouth dropped in shock.
Spike whimpered a little as he looked around. The land was barren and desolate as far as the eye could see. The air was harsh, dusty, and low in oxygen-it smelled like the smoke from a funerary pyre.
Above, the sky was blood red, as the moon and sun were locked together in a permanent eclipse.
The only thing that looked pony-made was the Cutie Map table, covered in dust. Starlight was staring at it, her eyes wide and filled with dismay.
"I... No... How could this have happened?" Starlight whispered. "It's not possible...!"
"I..." The words died in Twilight's mouth, as she spied something under the table. She galloped over to it, and looked underneath. She gasped in horror. Spike was alongside her in an instant, staring with her. He sniffed the air.
"... Human," he said, his voice cracking. The remains were old. Very old. Wrapped in rags. A small leather bound journal lay in the hands of the corpse. Twilight lit it up with her magic, trembling, as she pulled it free. She set it down on the table, and opened it up.
She could feel Starlight peeking over her shoulder... But she didn't care. She read through it, so quickly...
"Day 1... This land is barren and toxic. It's like a forest fire or a volcanic eruption wiped everyone out. The sun and moon in a permanent eclipse is freaky-How can that even work? Is this a world of magic? Am I in the Chronicles of Narnia? I don't know. I don't know where I am or how I got here, but I can't just die. I won't die. Not like this.
...
Day 7... I found the ruins of a town. Drank and ate like a starving man (which I am). Whoever lived here almost seem like they were human, if smaller. And four legged. The design architecture... I can't say much on it. So much has been destroyed. Burned. I found a basement with some supplies. And a lot of pictures and files. Maybe I can learn what happened to this world? I'm counting the days based on how long I sleep, since there's no day or night cycle.
...
Day 9... Ponies? Alien ponies? Well, I suppose nothing is impossible. I found some starcharts in the remains of a library. Nothing looks familiar. Hell, for all I know I'm not even in the same universe. Whatever happened must have happened quickly-I found a few houses with dishes still on tables, and outlines of these ponies burned into the walls. Like a nuclear war. Did these ponies blow themselves up? This is like a demented Twilight Zone episode. Pony Pompeii. It'll end with me screaming 'it's not fair!'
...
Day 21... The rest of the supplies are good, but I can't find any water sources that don't taste like ash. And even those are drying up. I can't read the records, but apparently there was a railway and a very important city up in the mountains. Maybe their government officials had bunkers in case of a disaster? It's worth a shot.
...
Day 30... I explored every inch I could of the city. I'm talking to myself more. The entire place is just... So silent. I have to keep talking, I can't stand the quiet. There was so much to this civilization. Even in the ashes, there's so many books and artworks and treasures I can't understand. Was it magical, or just technology so advanced it reaches Clarke's Law levels of advancement? I don't know. I also still have no idea what happened here. I still can't really read the language, though I'm building a basic translation. Even that's pretty tough.
...
Day 90... I'm beginning to understand some of the Pony written language, though what it sounded like is anyone's guess. Some kind of calamity... A huge release... Some kind of containment center? For "great evil" was breached by... Chaos? A demon? And apparently the Pony leader tried to fight it. Beyond that, I can't say anything. There was a picture of their leader, I think: Her name would be something like 'Celestial' in our language maybe? She was erupting with flame. Her face was so full of rage and despair. Did she do this? Is it possible?
...
Day 100... The water sources around the capital are all dried up. The food's all spoiled. I feel more tired every day. Like the entire planet is draining my strength. I have to use a walking stick just to get around. There hasn't been the sound of anything. Not a bird. Not a rat. No bugs. NOTHING. THE ENTIRE PLANET IS DEAD. IT'S ALL DEAD. IT WANTS TO MAKE ME DEAD TOO. HOW DO I KNOW I'M NOT DEAD?! WHAT IF I AM?! WHAT IF I ALWAYS WAS?!
...
Day ??... why did this happen to me what did i do i'm sorry i'm so sorry please forgive me i'm begging you please i didn't mean to i'll always be good please
...
Day ???... I made it back to the town. I don't know why. The Table... I felt something from it. In my dreams? In my nightmares? Even as I lay under it. It's the only thing that's really warm. That's not dying. Not dead.
I don't know why I came here. I don't know why. Maybe it was just to die with this dead world. I keep crying, and crying. I can't stop, even when the tears stopped.
I can't cry for myself though. Not anymore. I was always going to die. But a whole world?
It's a tragedy. This world was so beautiful once. So wonderful. Filled with so much joy and happiness. Such wonderful beings lived here.
I wish I could have seen it. I wish I could have met them.
Maybe we could have been
Twilight shut the book, tears dripping down her cheeks. She heard Starlight suck in a breath behind her. Spike wasn't keeping his tears concealed any better, and he couldn't look under the table.
Twilight slowly turned and looked back at Starlight. The unicorn had tears in her own eyes as she trembled.
"I-" Starlight tried, but Twilight cut her off.
"You did this," she said, her voice cold and dark.
Starlight shook her head frantically.
"I-I didn't mean to-!"
"Did you think about anything other than yourself?!" Twilight roared. Her magic lashed out, lashing around Starlight and binding her in chains. Starlight tried to fight back, but Twilight's power wrapped around and squelched it from her horn. Starlight stared in fear as Twilight trotted towards her.
"You-How-?!"
"I was holding back," Twilight stated, her magical chains now digging in so hard Starlight cried out in pain, "I wanted to stop you non-violently. I wanted to convince you to change."
Twilight's eyes narrowed.
"But you don't understand that, do you Starlight? All you care about is yourself. You can't see outside of your wants. Your desires. Your pain."
"I-I couldn't, I didn't mean to-I had reasons-!" Starlight tried, just before she choked.
"What. Reasons?!" Twilight demanded. "What reason is there to do all this?! To destroy our entire world?! To end it all?! Tell me: What was your reason?"
"Twilight-" Spike tried, holding out a hand, but Twilight ignored him as she advanced on her helpless captive.
"You took away everything," Twilight snarled, "not just from me, but from everypony. From everyone! All because I ruined your selfish plans to rule over Equestria?!"
"I-I never wanted this-!"
"TOO BAD!" Twilight bellowed, "because this is exactly what you got!"
Twilight's magical chains dug into Starlight's horn, hard. Starlight screamed.
"N-no-what are you-ARGGGHHH-!"
"I'm going to break your horn," Twilight seethed, "I'm going to break your everything. I'm going to leave you here to die. It's what you wanted, isn't it?! AN EQUESTRIA WITHOUT ME?! WITHOUT ANYONE OPPOSING YOU?!"
"TWILIGHT! DON'T!" Spike shouted.
"Congratulations! YOU GET TO RULE OVER THE ASHES!" Twilight snarled, "it's ALL YOURS!"
"Pl-Please...!" Starlight began to cry, "I-I'm sorry! I'M SORRY!"
"You're not sorry! You're sorry you got CAUGHT!" Twilight roared.
"I'M SORRY!" Starlight screamed, "I'M SORRY! YOU'RE RIGHT! I WAS STUPID! I WAS SELFISH! I LIED! I CHEATED! I DIDN'T WANT THIS! I-I CAN FIX IT-!"
"No, you won't. I'll fix it," Twilight boomed, Eldritch powers burning inside her like a sun, "you stay here and die. Alone. Like you did to Shepherd! LIKE YOU DID TO EVERYPONY!"
"TWILIGHT!"
Spike grabbed onto Twilight's side.
"Twilight, please! Don't do this!"
"It's what she deserves!" Twilight snarled. Spike shook his head rapidly, still crying.
"M-Maybe! Yeah! But... Is it what you should do?!"
The chains tightened some more. Blood began to ooze from the pressure, and Starlight sobbed. Twilight grit her teeth, her magic still holding tight.
The wind howled softly, as Spike spoke.
"Shepherd was angry. He was scared... But at the end... He was just sad. Sad about this world," Spike said quietly, "sad that it was destroyed. Please, Twilight... I don't think he'd want you to avenge him... Not like this."
A few more perilous seconds passed. Twilight glared her hatred at Starlight.
"She'll never learn anything different," Twilight hissed, "she's lied, she's cheated-"
"Then teach her!" Spike insisted. "Teach her, please!"
Twilight stayed still. She turned her baleful glare onto the sobbing, beaten Starlight.
She let the chains go, save for the one on Starlight's horn. Starlight whimpered, tears still streaming down her cheeks. Twilight trotted up to her, her eyes still narrowed.
"We're going to see why you became like this," Twilight said slowly, "and then we're going to fix this. And you're not going to do it because you fear me... But because it's the right thing to do."
"But I-I do fear you," Starlight whispered.
Twilight held back a sigh, and nodded.
"And I'll have to fix that, too," she said softly. "Spike? Come on... We have to save the world."
Spike nodded, and followed Twilight and Starlight into the time portal.
Now
Honestly, I don't know what Twilight was thinking. Taking that crazy Communist unicorn in as a student seems like a time bomb just waiting to go off. I can't believe Twilight made me leave her alone!
So the moment some magic went off, I burst into the Cutie Map room, pistol drawn.
I blinked in disbelief. A very morose and contrite Starlight stood there, with an exhausted Spike and a stern Twilight.
"Hey... Everything all right-?" I asked... But a moment later, an alicorn Princess teleported into my arms and hugged me so hard my ribs creaked.
"URK!" I managed.
"SHEPHERD!" Twilight sobbed, covering my face in kisses.
"Ah-Um," I tried, before Spike hugged my leg.
"Shepherd! You're all right!" Spike laughed happily.
"Did... I miss something?" I asked.
Twilight shook her head, eyes red from tears but she was smiling.
"No... No, you didn't miss anything," she insisted. "Um... Starlight's going to be staying with us. As my full time apprentice."
I cocked an eyebrow, and looked over at Starlight. The Commie Unicorn winced, and looked away from me in... Guilt?
"You're... Sure?" I asked.
Twilight nodded happily.
"Yes! Yes I am!"
"... Okay," I said quietly. I looked back at the table, and blinked.
"Hey, there's an old book. Did you forget-?"
"It's mine," Starlight said quickly, taking it up with her magic, "and uh... For myself and my teacher to study. Nothing important."
I glanced at Twilight, who buried her face in my chest. I sighed heavily.
"Fine," I said. "Anyway, I gotta get to work-"
"Can we just... Cuddle? For a while?" Twilight asked. I chuckled, and scratched her behind her ears.
"All right... But can we at least talk about what's got you so spooked?"
All three looked at me with winces. I shook my head, and laughed.
"Not right now! It's cool! Just... Ya know... So I know what I'm helping you with?"
"Someday, Shepherd," Twilight said softly, "someday."
"All right," I said, as I carried the heavy alicorn off, "no rush. We've got all the time in the world..."
Twilight being awkward around me for a few days? Fine. A week? Stretching it, but it had happened before. Sometimes, she was just so intensely focused on something she couldn't be brought out for anything short of a full body massage.
But she'd never been this... Sad. This evasive. Spike was the same way. Which was even weirder!
My little dragon bro? Keeping secrets from me?
And the problem is... Well... It's kind of my job to solve problems like this. I'm a Knight of Equestria, and I was given the mission by Celestia herself to safeguard these mares. And Spike too. Especially given he can go Godzilla.
Whatever was going on between Twilight, Spike, and Starlight? I had to know. Especially given that, with how they walked on eggshells around me, it involved... Well, me.
Well, probably involved me. I'm not so self centered to think everything involves me around here.
So I waited as long as I could. Just going about my duties, sending reports to the Princesses, managing the defenses around Ponyville, helping Twilight in the library... Along with her new student Starlight.
You have no idea how patient I had to be. There were a dozen moments I could have struck up a conversation and steered it in the direction I wanted.
With the tact of a wrecking ball, I'll admit, but still.
Finally... I decided that being direct was the best approach.
I headed up to Twilight's bedroom, just as she went in to do some reading for fun. I politely knocked on the door.
"Twilight?" I called.
The door swung open. Twilight was sitting on her bed, staring intently at me. She let out a soft breath through her nostrils.
"Come in, please," she said.
I shrugged, and entered. I closed the door behind me. I stood about three meters away from her, feeling a bit unsure all of a sudden.
Twilight sucked in another deep breath, and looked down at the floor for a moment, before looking back up at me.
"Please... Sit with me," she said.
"Okay," I agreed. I walked over, and sat down next to her. I wrapped an arm around her, and she stiffened. Like she had when we first met, only this time her wince was out of guilt.
"Twilight?" I asked softly. "Twilight, come on. What's wrong?"
Twilight shut her eyes tightly.
"Nothing... And everything," she said.
Well, that cleared everything up. She clearly sensed how deeply unimpressed I was with that answer, and pushed her hooves together.
"I'm not being cute, I just... I don't know how to explain it," she said quietly, "it's so complicated."
"All right," I said, "is there a way... I can help?"
Twilight sucked in a deep breath again, calming herself with a routine she'd learned from Cadance. She finally managed to look up at me.
"The thing is... Starlight got into Starswirl's unfinished time travel spells, and figured out time travel... That wasn't a time loop," Twilight stated.
I was silent, but the horror was evident on my face. Twilight shook her head.
"It's okay, it's okay! I... I fixed it. I stopped her, but..." She closed her eyes. "She changed the future so many times... And every time was worse than the last."
I grimaced, wrestling with the implications. Frankly, it felt like the enormity of the universe and its endless possibilities was opening up before me.
"I... I didn't notice anything," I said.
Oh God that was stupid. Why would I say that?!
Twilight nodded.
"That's... That's for the best," she said.
"... How bad...?"
Twilight lifted that strange journal up with her magic, and held it between us. I took hold, and opened it up to the first page. I frowned.
"A journal? This is my handwriting..."
Twilight nodded stiffly.
"Yes... Another you."
We read it together, slowly. It was bizarre, like I was reading something I'd written long ago and forgotten. The pages were weathered, but Twilight's magic had restored it to readability.
It was impossible not to notice some things as it went along though. Red splotches of blood on the paper here and there-Blood. Wet marks-From tears?
The final page though... I had to stop a lot, closing the journal. Not just for me-Twilight was trying to hold back sobs.
I mean, how are you supposed to react to another you's journal of how they slowly died, on a dead world?
We finally finished. I closed the journal. Neither of us said anything for a long time.
"That's... Geez," I muttered, "I don't..."
Twilight wrapped her wings and hooves around me. I hugged her back tightly.
She was here, alive and well. And so was I. I knew she needed to know that.
"I'm here. I'm not going anywhere," I murmured, "I promise. Is... Is this what's made you so upset?"
Because fuck. I totally understood why. Seeing your entire world destroyed, and the corpse of your friend?
Fuck. That was dark. And terrifying. I shuddered just thinking about it.
"It got worse," Twilight admitted thickly, "when I finished, I... Starlight... I almost..."
I was silent, just stroking her back and the middle of her wings. She got herself under control.
"I almost killed her," Twilight admitted, "I wanted to kill her. There was... There was nothing in my mind but making her suffer and die slowly... Just like you had."
Twilight stared away from me, out into space.
"What... What kind of pony...? I'm the princess of friendship," she whispered, "and I was willing to kill for that friendship. I wanted to... So badly..."
"What stopped you?" I asked softly, stroking the top of her head.
"Spike," Twilight murmured, "he... He made me stop. We went back in time to see why Starlight was the way she was. And then... We fixed everything. But..."
She shut her eyes tightly.
"Starlight's afraid of me," she said, "and I... I'm scared of me too."
"Twilight," I murmured.
"I know, intellectually," Twilight said, "that the deeper my feeling for another... The more it will hurt if... If I lose them. If something takes them away from me, or makes them suffer... But I..."
She bowed her head. I held her tightly, rested my cheek against hers.
"Twilight... If I was in your place, I... I can't say I wouldn't have done the same thing," I said, "but you know what else? I'm... I'm not sure I would have listened to Spike telling me to stop."
Twilight was silent. I sighed. This was going to sound stupid but...
"Friendship may have made you lash out... But friendship made you stay your hoof. It's not that simple, but... It's a place to heal from. And I'm not going anywhere."
Twilight didn't say anything, but she relaxed a little bit more into my embrace. I hugged her, and kissed the top of her head.
Yeah... I was still freaked the fuck out. Who wouldn't be?
But I knew Twilight would get through this. She was too strong not to.
All she needed was me... And I was going to be here for her.
No matter what.
Spike
"And the last event for Faustday will be the budgetary process," Spike said, walking with Rarity down the main hallway of Twilight's palace. Rarity nodded, using her magic to make some notes in her planner with a smile. The red and orange rays of the sunset were shining through the windows of the palace, casting the crystals in a beautiful symphony of deep color.
"I suppose putting the pain off until the end is best," Rarity said, "though I might be a little late. I'll be putting the finishing touches on a new order."
Spike made a note on his clipboard, and nodded. He smiled warmly at the unicorn mare.
"I'm gonna be glad when this festival is over," Spike admitted. Rarity chuckled.
"Oh, you'll think that! But after it's done, you'll miss it," she said. They stopped at the doors. Rarity gave him a side long look, her usual graceful smile now filled with compassion.
"Spike?"
"Hm?" The little dragon asked.
"I changed my hair style, just for you, and you haven't said a word," Rarity said. Spike started, and looked over at the mare.
"Ah... Yeah," Spike managed, "it uh... It looks nice."
Rarity nudged him gently with her head.
"You know, you can talk to me Spike," she said softly, "if there's something on your chest? I can listen. I won't judge, promise."
Spike smiled in genuine appreciation.
"Thanks Rarity... Maybe when I've had more, uh... Time to process it," Spike said. He hesitated, before he reached out to cup Rarity's cheek. The unicorn blushed at the move, as did Spike. He pulled his claws back slowly, and smiled. She smiled back and nodded.
"Okay. Good bye, Spike," she said. The doors opened, and she headed out. The doors slowly shut behind her, and Spike let out some smoke from his nostrils.
"Phew..."
"You really care about her, don't you?"
Spike slowly turned around. He hadn't been too concerned about Starlight's presence, as she trotted up from an adjacent hallway.
"Yeah," Spike admitted. He coughed and looked to the side.
"As a friend! A very, very good friend," Spike stated quickly. Starlight allowed herself a small smile.
"Of course," she said with a nod, "um... can we talk?"
"Sure," Spike said, already heading for the kitchen, "I wanted some snacks anyway."
Spike led the way, and he and Starlight soon entered into the well appointed kitchen. Spike poured himself some emeralds, and sat down on one side of the table. Starlight took the other, with a bowl of hay chips. Starlight took a deep breath, contemplating the bowl of food.
"... I wanted... I wanted to thank you," she said, "for saving me. I..." She winced. "I know you didn't do it for me."
"Huh?" Spike asked, crunching a gemstone. "What?"
"I mean..." Starlight stared at her snack, "you... I saw your face. You were just as angry as Twilight when..."
Spike swallowed, his mouth feeling dry. He worked his jaw and shook his head slowly. That memory was still so... Raw.
"I... I mean, I didn't... I didn't not do it to save you," Spike began.
Now it was Starlight's turn to look confused.
"Huh?"
"Well," Spike began, "I mean..."
He shut his eyes. That desolate, barren world came to his mind, despite his best efforts.
"... I'll admit," he said, "when I saw that? When I read that? I... I was angry too. Furious."
He was clenching a fist before he knew it. He looked at her intently, meeting her eyes.
"But I saw your face," he said, "I saw that you had tears in your eyes. I mean... You didn't really... You don't know Shepherd. Or any of our friends, but, you were still crying over seeing that. Reading that."
Starlight bowed her head, her eyes shadowed by her bangs.
"I... It made it hit home. I mean... That Shepherd... I felt like I had been alone, but him..."
"It's then I saw that... That you weren't, ya now, evil evil," Spike explained, "I mean you were doing wrong. Terrible things. But like you were... Some foal messing with something she didn't understand. And..."
Spike trailed off, but pushed himself on.
"And I knew that if Twilight... If she killed you? She would have regretted it forever," Spike finished, "friendship made her want to kill you. But friendship saved you... And her. And, well... Everypony, really."
Starlight swallowed, and nodded.
"Thank you," she said softly. She pushed her bowl of hay flakes aside. "I... I feel like I need to apologize to Shepherd, too."
"But that didn't happen," Spike said.
Starlight sighed.
"I... I know, but I need to," she said.
Spike nodded, and got up. He moved to clean up the bowls, but Starlight took care of it with her magic. Spike gave her a little smile, and they headed out and up to the bedrooms.
They soon made to Twilight's bedroom. Spike gently opened it a crack, and peeked inside. Starlight poked her face in to spy as well. She saw Twilight on the bed, sleeping away, in the arms of Shepherd. The human was still stroking her back, as she napped. Shepherd glanced up, and shook his head. He held a finger up to his lips, then made a few other hand signals.
Spike nodded... And went on inside anyway. He crawled up, and snuggled into the free side of the human. Starlight blinked... Then shrugged. She closed the door behind her. She trotted up, and cautiously crawled into the bed. The human was very warm, so was Twilight.
It had been a long time since she'd felt anypony's touch. That this human was so welcoming was... Strange, but very nice.
Shepherd rolled his eyes.
"I was telling you to go away, she's sleeping," he muttered.
"Oh," Starlight murmured. She made to get up... But Shepherd pulled her back down into a hug.
"But... What the hell, cuddle up," the human chuckled.
Starlight smiled, and did so.
It was a start, but... She was beginning to feel like she was finally home.
Author's Note
A little exploration of an idea I had, but using my human original character. I hope you enjoyed.
