The Lonely Prince

Hidden Cave in the Badlands

Starlight Glimmer cackled at the scroll before her. After nearly a full year of searching, it was all hers.

“Finally… I finally have Starswirl the Bearded’s famous time travel scroll. With this… I can change all of history!!!”

Twilight Sparkle didn’t do a lot of friendship related quests anymore, but she still had found time to ruin what Starlight had at her little village. Twilight’s defeat of Tirek was nearly universally known but the details of what Twilight had actually done to the centaur wasn’t public knowledge. It didn’t matter to Starlight; she knew that she had to get Twilight back for costing her everything.

With a pop of magic, a certain draconequus appeared in the cave, sitting on a lawn chair, wearing sunglasses, and eating popcorn.

“Bravo! When is the first act?”

Starlight turned on her hooves to blast the intruder but found herself unable to hurt the draconequus.

“Discord!!! What are you doing here?”

He shrugged. “Oh, you know. I just follow chaos and you, my dear, are creating a lot of it. It’s almost intoxicating. Still, it’s a Friday night, so it’s movie night. I thought I’d share my favorite movie with you, my fellow creator of chaos.”

Discord magically created a second lawn chair and set up a movie projector, to display the movie on the cave wall. Starlight found herself teleported directly into the chair with popcorn in her hooves and a drink beside her. Deciding not to fight it, she settled in to watch the movie.

The movie was titled, “The Fall of Tirek” and was actually footage of Twilight’s battle with the centaur from beginning to end, created by Discord himself. It displayed Tirek slowly growing more powerful, Discord joining his side, Twilight’s decision to evacuate her family to Ponyville, the destruction of the library and with the assumption of her families death, the rise of Dark Sparkle. It showed the battle in brutal, graphic detail, and ended with Tirek melting on the surface of the sun followed by Twilight getting her new castle in Ponyville and returning to her normal Twilight Sparkle self. And everypony lived happily ever after, except for Tirek, since he died.

Starlight was left with her jaw dropping, unsure of what to say about any of that. Starlight acknowledged that the battle with Tirek had happened before Twilight had ruined the little gig she had with her village but looking back on it, she’s not sure she would have trifled with Twilight Sparkle at all if she knew what Dark Sparkle could have done to her.

Discord causally commented. “FYI… Twilight recently made a deal with the changeling queen, Chrysalis, and they are looking for you. Me personally, I’m waiting for the sequel to this movie. ‘The Fall of Starlight Glimmer’, should be a blast.”

Starlight asked a dumb question, a little of her remaining defiance trying to show. “What makes you think she can beat me?”

Discord snorted. “As Dark Sparkle, nothing can beat her, not even me, Celestia, Luna and Cadance. If you go back in time to change the past, and it results in Twilight’s daughter, Velvet Dawn, never being born and Twilight has any inkling for having lost her only daughter, there is no force anywhere on Equus that would be able to save you from her wraith. But like I said, it would make a decent movie.”

Starlight had been consumed with the need for revenge but now felt an inkling of fear. Discord was a prankster and he loved chaos, but he had no reason to lie. Not when the truth created more chaos.

Starlight turned to him. “Why warn me? Why help me?”

Discord used a nail file on his claws and seemed a little bored. “Well… I’m mostly reformed and I enjoy several perks of being so. Chrysalis may never fully change but she’s playing nice, for now. Tirek is dead. Never coming back. But you, my dear, have a chance. You may very well be the most powerful unicorn to have ever existed. If polished more, your power could rival an alicorns. You may even be more powerful than Twilight Sparkle, but you will never be more powerful than Dark Sparkle. However, Twilight needs help with a project, and she seems to be looking for you. If you were to, I don’t know, go to Canterlot and turn in that scroll and at least pretend to be reformed and help Twilight with her project… you can start over. Trust me, revenge is overrated, predictable, and a little boring.”

Starlight nodded slowly and considered her limited options. “And if I say no?”

Discord shrugged. “Queen Chrysalis has over 1,000 changelings looking for you. They have orders to take you alive but if you start to kill them while fighting back, there is no telling what they will do to you. I don’t know what it’s like to be mortal, but if I had to choose between going to Canterlot on my own and helping of my own free will or being dragged there by changelings… well, you’re a smart pony. I trust that you’ll make the right choice.”

Starlight knew she had no choice but to accept. “Discord… can you please take me to Canterlot? I don’t want to risk being ponynapped by changelings while already going to turn myself in.”

With a snap of his fingers, they disappeared from the cave and reappeared directly in a well-stocked laboratory. Twilight was wearing a lab coat and pouring some chemicals into a beaker from a test tube. Starlight held her breath, not daring to break Twilight’s focus.

Discord yelled at the top of his lungs. “I BROUGHT YOU A PRESENT, TWILIGHT!”

Starlight’s eyes bulged out of her head, but Twilight didn’t move, didn’t even acknowledge their presence. Once the liquid was successfully poured, Twilight put the beaker on a burner to cook and a magical field lowered. She turned around and was startled.

“Oh, goodness, with my noise silencer spell up I didn’t hear you come in. Discord? Did you bring Starlight here?”

He grumbled. “Yes, I did. I wanted to repay you for sparing my life when you thought Tirek had killed your family. I found Starlight, gave her a short, vague version of what is going on, telling no secrets, and got her to agree to come here of her own free will to help you. We might not be ‘even’, but I hope you afford me a little leeway if I were to cause a little mischief?”

Twilight pursed her lips. “You may have your usual fun so long as you leave my research alone. That’s the best offer that you’re going to get from me.”

Discord bowed and left with a flash of light, leaving Starlight with Twilight in the lab.

Starlight rubbed the back of the head. “So… um. I found this Starswirl the Bearded scroll that is a more powerful version of the time travel spell that you can cast with your horn. The regular spell only lets you go back a week but this scroll allows you to travel to nearly any time in the past. It is too dangerous in the wrong hooves, and I’ll admit that I was going to use it to try to get revenge on you until I came to my senses. I’d like you to take it for safe keeping, Princess.”

Twilight nodded. “It’s nice to see that you’re capable of putting the past behind you. I really didn’t want to have to kill you like I did with Tirek. My actions occasionally haunt me, and I’d rather not have to do it again, although I will if I must.”

The nervous laugh of a tell-tale guilty conscience filled the air, but Starlight swallowed her nervousness while Twilight left to file the dangerous artifact in the Canterlot Castle Archives. Starlight occupied her time with looking over the experiment and the notes that went with it.

By the time Twilight had gotten back Starlight was well impressed with the level of scientific method going into this. Twilight cleared her throat, causing Starlight to freeze in place.

“So, what do you think?”

Starlight nodded. “It’s very through. The measurements do seem to add up but I’m not seeing the purpose of the experiment. It’s like it’s not written down.”

Twilight nodded. “That’s because its not. This experiment is top secret, and I didn’t want a random guard or maid to stumble across my secret. I’ve been working on this for nearly two years, and I’ve been in medical school for one year, but I’ve taken two years’ worth of medical classes already. Despite my courseload, I’m considered to be top of my classes and I’m absorbing this knowledge like my life depends on it. Doing two specialties at the same time is considered impossible, or at least should take twice as long. I’m doing very well with both; however, they are related fields so some of the classes I’ve taken were needed for both tracts of study. I am slowly making progress, but I need help. You have the magical knowledge to assist me. I will help you with what you need if you can help me. Consider it to be a partnership of sorts.”

Starlight nodded. “So… I’ll be able to learn more about magic and… friendship?”

Twilight went back to the beaker. “For sure, more magic. Friendship will be optional. It seems foolish to help you grow more powerful without fully reforming you, but I need the help that badly. Say the word, and I’ll even set you up with another village to rule over.”

That so badly sounded like a trap…

Starlight gulped. “I’m not reformed, per se, but I no longer desire to be a villain either. An alicorn willing to kill… willing to use her powers completely unrestrained is dangerous for any creature crazy enough to even try to be a villain. So, what exactly is this experiment?”

Twilight sighed, a sadness overtaking her. “The birth of my daughter left me barren. It is a state secret but I’m trying to repair my reproductive system… which is why I’m in medical school for OBGYN and Reproductive Science. Most, if not all of my experiments, deal with fertility in both magic and potions, increasing the odds of conception, and ultimately hoping to reverse barrenness caused by magic, overuse of foal-control potions and natural infertility. If, by the same token, we can also make a better foal-control potion, one that prevents pregnancy without doing permeant harm to the reproductive system… that would also be good. I’m willing to split the profits from the sales of any potions we patent 50/50. I can probably pay you a monthly royal stipend as well while we are waiting to finalize our first patented potion. That is, if the terms are okay with you.”

Starlight jumped at the chance to help. “You have a deal. So, what should I do to maximize my ability to help?”

Twilight rubbed her chin in thought. “University is out for the summer, but we can get you enrolled into fall classes. We can probably get you into either Nursing, or Lab Research Assistant, or Medical Assistant, or something similar that would allow you to help me with no issues. The crown will pay for your education in full as additional compensation for helping me. As smart as you are, it shouldn’t take you a full 4 years to earn a degree no more than it would take me a full 8 years to become a doctor. I’ll help you as much as I can, but I am very busy also between my royal duties and my own studies. Working together though, we might can solve this problem, not just for me, but for every mare who wants a foal that could never have one.”

Starlight nodded and smiled. “Well, a formal education would make it easier to stay reformed. At least I’ll never be in want of a job with all that education at my disposal. I’m ready to get started whenever you are.”

Twilight smiled and walked over to give Starlight a hug. “We will get you enrolled for Fall classes and see what availability there is to get you on the right path. In the meantime, I can bring you up to speed with all my experiments, both failed and successful. Maybe we can continue to make progress even while we are learning.”

Starlight couldn’t argue with that. “And where shall I stay?”

Twilight raised an eyebrow at that. “We will get you quarters here in Canterlot Castle and matching quarters in the Castle of Friendship in Ponyville. Between free room and board, free education and a monthly stipend… I dare say that most ponies would kill for the opportunity I’m giving you.”

The thinly veiled threat seemed to remain in the back of her mind and with another nervous laugh, Starlight tried to play it down.

“There’s no need to go that far… I’m happy to help and I’m sure this will be the start of a wonderful partnership.”

Twilight smiled again. “I think so, too. Welcome to the team. I guess I need to send Chrissy a letter telling her to call off her changelings. I’m glad that wasn’t needed…”

Twilight went to compose a letter and Starlight sat down shakily, trying to catch up on Twilight’s research notes.

Discord wasn’t lying about that. Okay Starlight… just… relax. Fake it til you make it and for buck’s sake throw out all revenge plans. This is my life now and I have got to make the most of it.

With the letter sent, Twilight came back to the main laboratory. “Alright. Let’s get started…”

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