"STARLIGHT!?"

The sound of Twilight's hoof crashing frantically against Star's door was jarring. Guards posted down the hall had already come to check on us several times. As soon as each of them had noticed me with the violet unicorn they returned to their post.

I still hadn't fully recovered yet, nervously scratching at the back of my hoof with the other. If Twilight wasn't banging on the door at the moment, I would have been right there in her place doing the same. Just hearing that the Nightmare might be targeting Star had sent me into a quiet panic.

The distress of that possibility combined with the raucous pounding felt like a gavel was being smashed directly against my skull. I wouldn't stop her though. Seeing Twilight in such a terrified state told me just how likely it was that Star was being targeted.

Well, that and the whole being tempted by the monster myself.

Thankfully, I'd been able to fight the curse off without too much effort, -- it hadn't said a word in my mind since back in Celestia's quarters -- but if that meant I'd sent it straight to Star, then I was the one to blame for this mess.

Please, Star... just... please be okay.

"STARLIGHT!"

Twilight...

Her shouts were dripping with a level of fear I couldn't fathom. The disturbing screech was a perfect reflection of her current mental state. It made sense she'd be more on edge than I was. She'd received the brunt of the attacks from the Nightmare for Celestia knows how long. Knowing that fact now didn't make my previous ignorance hurt any less though.

I should have-

"I HEAR YOU! I CAN HEAR YOU! I'M COMING!" the lilac mare's muffled shout finally came from within the room, bringing me back to reality. Twilight lowered her shaking foreleg, but her erratic mood stayed firmly in place. After a few more seconds the door was roughly pulled open by a coating of teal magic as the irritated unicorn appeared before us in an explosion of mana. "NOW WHAT THE HE--eeey, Sun! What's going on?" Her irritation was gone in an instant at seeing me, but more important than that, she didn't even acknowledge Twilight's presence.

"Star we-"

"STARLIGHT DID YOU TALK TO HER!?" Twilight didn't hesitate, pressing her hooves into Star's shoulders and pushing the mare backwards. The lilac unicorn was able to stand her ground after a second, but she had been moved backwards multiple steps.

I was surprised.

Star was annoyed.

"Who are you even talking about?" she snorted in disgust. Her horn still hadn't stopped shimmering. With a rough jerk she forcefully lowered Twilight's hooves with her own before walking away from the frazzled mare. She took a seat in front of her mirror, going back to what she'd been doing before we arrived, which looked to be getting ready to... go somewhere? from the looks of things. She was brushing her mane and didn't appear to have a care in the world.

"Twilight, you have to calm down," I stepped into the room right behind her, speaking softly. Honestly, I was a little surprised Star had taken Twilight's sudden aggression in stride.

If she does something like that again...

If that did actually become the case, I wasn't about to sit by and watch a brawl break out between my best friends.

Entering the room itself I found it exactly as I expected it to be. It was absolutely flawless, not a single thing out of place. The pristine space recalled memories of her town and just how organized both it, and the ponies she'd controlled, were. More appalling than the absolute order -- at least, to me -- was the complete lack of any personalization. It was cold... but knowing Star -- if she actually had any -- she'd have put up some pictures of herself. For some reason that idea made me smile.

"The Nightmare!" Twilight still hadn't calmed down completely, but at least she wasn't screaming anymore.

"Oh. That thing," Star didn't bat an eye at its mention. She continued to style her mane as if nothing troubling at all was happening.

"Then you did!?" Twilight crouched slightly, her body tensing. It was clear she wasn't pleased with the answer she'd received.

"Maybe," Star yawned. "Maybe not. Either way, I don't see how it's any of your business."

"This isn't a joke, Starlight!" Twilight stomped over to the unicorn. "We HAVE to take them seriously! We can't jus-"

"I don't have to do anything you say, traitor." Star's declaration was made so stoically I nearly winced as harshly as Twilight did at hearing it. She hadn't even looked at the violet mare, yet there was so much venom in her words that Twilight couldn't manage to stand up any longer. Star didn't let up either. "What I do with my time is none of your business." She glanced over her shoulder, the piercing gaze in that single narrowed eye enough to make Twilight tremble. "Or are you planning on stabbing me in the back again if I don't obey you?" Her horn was still humming, but it was clearly way too loud for just a simple telekinetic spell.

"I didn't..."

Twilight turned away, her body shaking and her eyes wide. She looked like she might begin crying at any moment. My heart ached for her, but my better judgement told me not to intervene.

You have every right to be mad, Star. Just please... try to be-

"That's what I thought." Starlight returned to her preening.

"Starlight I..." Twilight lifted a shaking hoof towards the lilac mare, but before long it was lowered to the floor in defeat.

Twilight...

As soon as her tears began to fall I knew I couldn't sit and watch any longer. I trotted up next to the purple mare, wrapping a foreleg around her. She nuzzled into me, sniffling.

"I'm trying, Sunset," she whispered. She was still trembling. Seeing her like this... it hurt so much.

"I know, Twilight," I sighed. "Star?"

"Yes, Sun?" she replied to me instantly. She was much more chipper when speaking to me.

"Did you talk with her?" I stroked Twilight's shoulder, trying my best to comfort her. It looked to be working, but not as well as I'd hoped.

"I did," she answered immediately. Twilight went rigid at Star's answer. My heart skipped a beat.

Was it... was it really my fault then?

"Did she come to you... a little while ago?" I pressed.

"Like... today?" she laid her brush down and turned around, a bright smile on her face. Her horn had finally gone dormant, thank Celestia. Though, I was guessing that was because she was only talking with me now and not Twilight. Well that, and she probably had used one final spell to keep her mane perfect and in place. "No. Not today."

Thank goodness.

I was able to expel the breath I'd been holding without making too much of a scene.

"Then..." Twilight whispered again, lifting her head a tiny bit.

"Then... when?" I asked the lilac unicorn. She crossed her hind legs, leaning back on her chair as a devious smirk curled her lips upward.

"The night before we left for the Crystal Empire."

...

"W-why?" Twilight's voice trembled, her body shaking as well. It clearly wasn't a question directed at our friend, more a sorrowful remark.

I didn't have time to be sad. I really couldn't overreact. I had to try to piece things together.

Why wouldn't she tell me? She couldn't have made a pact with her. If she had then she surely wouldn't have been taken down so easily in the Empire. A-and the Nightmare is still trying to mess with me and Twilight so... that has to mean she's still looking for a partner... right? There has to be a reason...

"What's wrong? Think I made a deal with her?" Star lifted an eyebrow. Her expression said she was none too happy with me and my silence. The change in her tone of voice made it obvious her question was meant to be a test.

Thankfully, I trusted her wholeheartedly, so having to do something stupid like lie wasn't going to be an issue.

"No," I shook my head, not needing time to think about it. "I wasn't lying to you, Star. I trust you."

Her eyes narrowed to slits for a second before her entire tough mare act crumbled to dust before my eyes.

"I know, Sun. I know. I'm just... Look, I'm sorry for not saying anything, okay?" she sighed. Her lax posture became a whole lot more tense. She leaned forward, resting her elbows on her knees and placing her head in her hooves. "She offered me power. Enough to rival Celestia and Luna's. I..."

...

It was clear she was struggling with telling me the truth. I wanted to move to her side, -- to comfort her as well -- but I couldn't just leave Twilight alone. The violet unicorn was still in shambles. It was easy to see she needed me more at the moment, but that didn't mean I would just abandon my other best friend.

"Star," I said firmly. The mare lifted her head, looking directly at me. "It's okay. As long as you're okay..." I smiled at her sudden incredulous expression. "then that's all that matters to me."

...

"Sun..." A wry smile came to her face. "I'm... I'm fine," she glanced to the side. If what we were discussing wasn't so important I'd have pressed her. "I can't imagine you two came here acting like someone was dying just because you suddenly thought I'd..." she trailed off once she'd noticed I looked down at Twilight.

"Honestly, I didn't really know what what was going on exactly..." I continued to comfort the purple mare. "It was..."

...

"She..." Twilight began once she'd had enough time to somewhat compose herself. "The Nightmare said she was talking to you."

Star's expression didn't change, but it was clear she was listening intently.

"She said... she said you were open to working with her," Twilight continued, looking up at the mare with pleading eyes. "It's not true is it!? She's was lying... wasn't she!?"

Still, Star's visage didn't change. She looked down at Twilight, not answering immediately.

...

"So she's working on you too, huh?" The lilac mare turned away. I was guessing because she didn't want Twilight to see just how much that fact bothered her.

"Not just her..." It was probably the best time for me to bring it up. Their eyes were suddenly on me, both mares openly surprised by my interjection. Star's eyes said she was especially concerned, though she didn't move a muscle. Again, I assumed her inaction was due to Twilight's presence. "Back in Princess Celestia's room..." I glanced down at the mare I was holding close. She looked up at me, her eyes just as worried as they'd been for Star earlier. "She was in my head. BUT DON'T WORRY!" I spoke fast, hoping I could put an end to any unnecessary worries they might experience before they began. Both of them had moved to cut in, but my quick reaction did have the desired effect. "She hasn't tried anything since I told her to hit the bricks."

...

"That sounds like you," Star laughed. "Guess you don't need us anymore, huh?"

It was just a joke, -- that much was obvious -- but I wasn't about to let it slip by.

"I'll always need you, Star," I smiled at her. She rolled her eyes, but the slight blush and avoidance told me how she really felt. "Both of you," I wrapped my other foreleg around Twilight, hugging her tightly before letting her go. She wasn't in such a poor state anymore -- the shift to a much warmer atmosphere having done her a world of good -- so I knew it was okay to let her go.

"Thanks, Sunset," she said quietly. She smiled appreciatively, wiping away the remaining tears from her eyes with a foreleg. I didn't need to say anything else to her. Instead, I returned her smile before turning to face Star.

"If she's targeting you two/too? -- I couldn't really be sure -- that changes things," she tapped her chin, now deeply contemplating our situation.

"Starlight..." Twilight mustered some of her courage. Star looked at the unicorn with much more contempt than I'd have thought she would. She didn't say a word, waiting silently for the mare to go on.

Things definitely aren't going to go as smoothly as I had hoped.

"The Nightmare was lying... right?" Twilight tried to force a smile onto her muzzle. She tried to look hopeful. She failed. A crazed look came to the purple unicorn's face.

She wasn't going to let it go. Star stared back at her. It was nearly impossible to discern what she was thinking at the moment.

...

She spoke calmly.

"She wasn't."

...

...

...

"O-oh..." Twilight's head fell. Star looked at me, her expression not changing.

"Will my interest in the Nightmare be a problem..." she smirked deviously. "Sunset?"

What is she...?

I kept the developing grin on my own face from fully forming.

"They prey on whom they wish, when they wish. Whether it's spying from afar or trespassing right inside one of us."

"Do whatever you want, Starlight," I narrowed my eyes on her. "It doesn't really matter to me," I shrugged, lifting my hooves to feign indifference. "Just know that if you try anything we'll just have to put an end to your little coup."

...

The lilac mare exploded in a fit of laughter. She entered the same relaxed posture as before once her glee died down.

"I guess we'll just have to see what happens then, won't we?" she smiled knowingly at me.

"That we will," I nodded.

"But, Starlight-" Twilight was still planning to try her darndest, but a firm clearing of my throat stopped her.

"It's okay, Twilight." I laid a hoof on her shoulder, drawing her gaze. "If she tries anything, I know we can handle it. Trust me, okay?" I did my best to look convincing while also not giving anything away.

She moved to speak but closed her mouth almost as fast as she'd opened it.

...

"Okay, Sunset," she nodded, her look of distress shifting to one of confidence. "If that's what you want... then I'll trust you."

I was relieved. From the corner of my vision I could see that Twilight's decision had pleased Star as well.

"Thank you, Twilight," I patted her shoulder.

"Glad that's out of the way," Star's horn blazed for a second, teleporting her onto her bed. She was suddenly lying on her stomach, her devilish smile persisting. "Now let's get this over with. I've got things to do tonight."

"Right," I nodded looking to Twilight. She looked worried for a second before she nodded as well. We moved together, sitting at the foot of Star's bed next to one another. The lilac mare's demeanor and positioning made it feel like I was about to talk to my mentor.

She sure is good at playing these games.

I took a deep breath.

It was time.

Author's Note

So I finally made a video with effort put in. It's about Cadenza. If you have a chance it'd be cool if you gave it a watch.