Team Superstars: Regain The Strength

The sun was setting as the group rushed into the tearoom. Haven already there, having tea with Alphabittle. “She’s coming!” Zipp exclaimed.

“We know!” Alphabittle exclaimed, he gulped. “A suspicious looking pony even came in and asked where ‘The unicorn with glowing hooves’ was. I think she was working with Gumdrop… Because she claimed that she was an expert and was determined to search for her.”

“What if she was Innocent?” Asked Izzy.

“N-No. I had a bad feeling… I had to suggest that they might be at the creek.” He said. “She sounded like she was hiding something and was just looking shady…” She recalled a few more things about the pony, the way it behaved and spoke. Zipp nodded slightly but her face turned to concern. There was another one on Gumdrop’s side, but this time, a unicorn? One that was never seen in Bridlewood before, who was this unicorn and where did she come from. No wonder he sent her elsewhere.

“But where are they now?”

“Hiding, somewhere safe. I don’t think anypony besides me and Agate knows.”

“Agate?” Izzy questioned softly with a gulp, she knew of his history with Onyx, she tried to assure herself that he’d see the gravity of the situation and not screw Onyx and Dapple over. Like he had done many times in the past.

”A nice meeting here?” Asked a voice that sent shivers down everyone’s spines. Zoom defensively stood in front of the queen. Heart racing and hooves shaking as she stared right at the thief who entered the tearoom. Everyone was frozen in feat. The only thing on Zoom’s mind was fear. She had a bigger urge than ever before the defend the queen at all costs. She automatically knew this cloaked griffon was danger. Of course she would know that. She gulped as her mouth turned dry as she stood in the silence. It was like the room had gotten warmer as she stood there, staring down the freak up ahead, if only she had some sort of weapon to kill her- Or bound her, at least, so she was unable to do anything. ”Well, well well…” The griffon chuckled. “Who here is my golden trophy?” She paused. “Or should I say has my golden trophy?”

“I-I'll give you any object in this room!” Alpha quickly spoke. “J-Just leave us alone!”

“You are not welcome here!” A random unicorn spat.

”Give back our powers while you are at it!” Zoom shouted. The griffon laughed, Foxglove taking a little peak through the doorway, looking rather smug, Oleander nowhere to be seen.

A buff cloaked unicorn with a red mane and orange, striped body walked through the woods, looking around at her surroundings. She felt no one really acknowledged her in the past few days she spent in Bridlewood, which was a good thing. She stayed alert was she marched through the woods, ignoring those around her, until she heard a pony speak. ”I can’t believe those two are wimping out and hiding just because one of them has glowing hooves.” Said a red stallion with a messy tan and dark red mane to a dull yellow stallion with his dark brown mane covering his eye.

“Shhh.” The latter said, looking around concerned. “You shouldn’t say that! Who knows who is listening.”

”Who would be, anyway?” Laughed Agate, “Just some glowing hooves, who cares!” He rolled his eyes as he walked along. Jasper glancing at him with concern and sighing, hoping that nopony suspicious heard him, the last thing they need was anyone approaching them like one did in the next moment. Much to Jasper’s concern and fear.

”Glowing hooves, huh?” The buff unicorn said as she approached the two unicorn stallions.

“Of course, it happens with O-“

”What Is it to you?” Jasper asked, he was terrified. But he knew the griffon was after her and he was not going to let Agate give her away. If that what he was planning to you. “I think you should mind your business.”

”What, why?” Stripes asked, sounding surprised. “Don’t you know this is for your own good?”

”Our own good?” Jasper asked, raising a brow. “What do you know about the glowing hooves and magical. Eh-Powers that come with them?” He stepped back, slightly scared. He was terrified and it was clear in his face, as much as Onyx was unbearable at times, he didn’t want to be the jerk, this was a serious situation after all.

”Oh, everything you don’t!” Stripes exclaimed. “I just so happen to know the origin of these powers. They may seem safe and harmless at first, maybe even a little fun. But I’m from the same world as where these powers originated. I’m just disguised as a unicorn to fit in, that’s all”

”Y-you are?” Jasper asked, stuttering as Agate rolled his eyes. “How do we know you aren’t with the griffon?”

”Why would I be? The griffon wants them for her own greed and I just want to get these ponies to understand how to use them properly. The powers will only grow within them and turn them into complete monsters if they can’t controll it.”

”M-monsters!?” Jasper jumped back. Starting to feel unsure, was she telling the truth? There was a lot of unknown stuff happening with the powers, there would be no surprise if this pony was telling the truth? But was she?

“Blood-thirsty, dangerous magical monsters!” She smirked, “They will lose complete control and won’t be as you had once know them, they will be freaky overpowered with perhaps a few extensions to their regular form. You don’t want that, do you?” Jasper’s blood ran cold as he ran off, screaming, terrified of any thought of any monsters in Bridlewood, which was literally his worse nightmare.

“I don’t know where they are!”

Agate scoffed and flicked his mane, not seemingly scared at all, in fact he seemed to be finding this as an opportunity for his own greed. “I know exactly where they are…” He said with a smug expression. “On one condition. You give me a raw tourmaline, it’s my girl’s favourite gem and I want to make her a necklace.”

”Deal.”

Agate smirked as he approached Onyx’s home, a bad feeling in his stomach as he glanced at the giant tree home. But he shrugged the feeling away, telling himself his eggs were many not fresh or something. “Those scaredy cats ran in there last time I saw them.” He smirked then put out his hoof. “Tourmaline, please.”

”Excuse me?”

“A deal’s a deal. I showed you what you wanted and now you owe me the tourmaline.” He said, looking a little annoyed.

“A deal?” Asked Stripes before she stomped loudly, picking up Agate in her magic aura before growing, ignoring his terrified expression. “I don’t do deals.” She spat before throwing him away from hed and marching to the door, a large grin. Bucking it down in one buck before marching in and shouting. “You can run, but you can’t hide!” She shouted, getting a match from her cloak. “Come out, come out wherever you are, or I’ll huff and puff and burn this tree in!”

The two unicorns were in a room upstairs hardly touched for ten years. It was seemingly a filly’s room caked in dust. A small bed near the window with a balcony, boxes of toys, scattered blocks, a desk with pencils and papers and a few other things. There were a bunch of stuff packed in boxes, like old toys and books, likely to be donated as Onyx would have had no use for any of that stuff. This used to be her parent’s home, so this room must have been hers as a filly. But perhaps she hadn’t had any plans for the room. Dapple didn’t understand why Onyx didn’t want him to come into this room. She hated the idea of going in it, but Dapple did it anyway, knowing this was likely the best place in the house to hide the powers. It was like she was embarrassed of something in here, like what? What he could see, there was nothing to be ashamed of. Just a few toys scattered about, like a teddy bear, blocks and a squeaky snail. She also had some cool looking books. He was sitting under the bed with Onyx, it was bit of a squeeze, but they fit under surprisingly easily. He could hear her heavy breathing as she looked towards the door with concern, soon sneezing as some dust tickled her nose.

“Shhhh…” Dapple whisper-yelled, his heart skipped a beat when she made a noise. But as he touched her, he could feel that she was shaking, out of fear, but she had her monotone expression, which soon changed as soon as she noticed him pick up a book under the bed besides him, she let out a gasp as her ears pointed back.

“Dapple-“ She whispered, but it was too late, he was already looking at the cover, the bright pink cover with a glittery picture of a breezie- or what the author thought a breezie looked like.

”Tales of Dixie Dust the Breezie: Legend of Lalaland?” Dapple read the cover with a large smirk on his face, soon snickering a bit as he looked at Onyx wondering why on earth she owned a book from such a girly and childish franchise. She was one of the last mares he’d expect that would have ever owned such a book. In fact, Izzy was one of the few ponies he knew that ever read a book from the series, along with Emerald Summer and perhaps Salt Licker.

“I-It was a present for a friend- when I was seven. I thought I lost it!” She responded, flabbergasted as she blushed slightly, making Dapple’s smile widen. Now he knew why she didn’t want him to come in.

“Where those a gift, too?” He asked, pointing at a clear plastic container with the entire series along with two plushies sitting in it. Onyx jumped up with a gasp, bumping her head on the bed.

“D-Dapple!” She whisper-yelled as he laughed as she snatched the book from his hooves and tossed it aside. She was never going to live this down.

“You like Dixie Dust! You like Dixie Dust!” He teased as he poked her, watching as she hot more and more embarrassed at her ownership of the books. It was rare to see her embarrassed, but Dapple as enjoying teasing her a little, he could see why friends playfully teased each other at times. Not much for unicorns, but earth ponies and pegasi sure liked to.

”I was seven.” She said as a shiver went down her spine, hoping he wouldn’t find anything else in this room. She was disappointed she never got rid of any of her old stuff or cleared her foalhood room out, just keeping it around… But it was hard to say goodbye to any of this stuff for some strange reason. She watched as Dapple looked around, hoping he couldn’t see her diary from this spot in the room, or her mini-pony collection.

He eyed the box nearby, seeing the latest and currently last edition to the series. “Dixie Dust and the Rescue of Dazzledust Meadow? You certainly weren’t only seven when that came out when you were fourteen.” He said, nudging Onyx, glad to have a bit of a break from the stress, just messing around and teasing his friend a little, like how friends did in the Bay or Heights when he visited.

”Okay, maybe I liked a few cute and fluffy things.” Onyx said quietly, looking away from him, hoping he wouldn’t see the other embarrassing things. He did not need to know about her plush lion toy in her bed downstairs…

“I guess this was Onyx-pected.”

”Daps!” She whisper-yelled.

”Sorry, it’s just so Onyx-pected.” He said, wondering if he could pretend he found a diary, or perhaps that’d be taking it too far. She already seemed pretty uncomfortable.

“You tell anyone and your bongos will be black. Like an onyx…” She then looked at him in the eyes, “Teasing isn’t usually what you do, anyway, what’s up?”

”Fair enough, I will stop!” He cried frantically, waving his hooves. “Just please don’t take it out on Bobo!” He begged before they heard a loud crash and thump downstairs, causing both ponies to nearly jump out their skins.

”Ready or not! Here I come!” Stripes cried out.

“Wh-what? H-how’d they find us?” Dapple whispered, his breathing was heavy as Onyx simply stared in on terror, looking like she nearly had a heart attack. She was now struggling to keep her cool. He noticed that she nearly jumped at the intruder’s voice before she ducked back under the bed. It was usually him that was the scared one and her that kept her cool, but now he just needed to be brave for her.

”Guess I’m burning this place down in-“ The voice called just before there was a loud squeak near him that made him jump. Onyx’s eyes were widened and the roots of her mane were damped with sweat as she gasped, moving her hind leg to reveal a large rubber ducky that was wearing a beret.

“Squeaky-Feather?” She questioned, her voice shaking as she moved closer to Dapple. Feeling horrified and shocked to see a toy she had completely forgotten about. She thought her father got rid of it when she was “outgrown for rubber ducks” He had seen and took it one night when he walked on on her making poetry one day when she was eight or nine, not long before his disappearance. She begged the baddie would leave as she sat there, trying to keep certain memories repressed. She had no idea how long it had been since she felt this scared before.

”Onyx!” Screamed Dapple, pulling her close, snapping her out of her thoughts.

”D-Dapples?” She questioned before the floor started to rumble, scaring both unicorns as the ground below them started to creak more and cracks started to appear, Dapple’s heart dropped as he rushed from under the bed and towards the window, noticing Onyx wasn’t behind him as the whole tree started to rumble and shake. His breathing was heavy as he looked back at her, noticing she was still under the bed. Seemingly too scared to move as she looked at him, looking as if she was hoping he wouldn’t leave her.

“Onyx!” He cried out, “She’s gonna destroy the-“ He had no time before there was an explosion on the bottom floor, causing the entire top floor to collapse, sending both unicorns falling into the room below, destroying it, hitting the ground hard and getting covered by dust and debris from above as dust flew everywhere. Dapple groaned as he got up, putting a hoof on his hind leg, soon taking it off quickly, feeling it sting. He looked at his leg in confusion as the dust settled, seeing blood dripping from it, much to his horror, but he had something else to focus on. He let out some coughing before he looked around. “O-Onyx?” He cried, hoping his friend is okay, his heart skipped a beat as she realised what room this was, her bedroom, his blood ran cold as soon as he saw the broken bed from the room above on the ground, near the damaged wall. “Onyx!” He cried, running towards it, hoping she wasn’t crushed underneath. His heart racing as she hoped she was okay, hoping for some miracle. “Onyx, can you hear me!?” He cried, seeing her laying near it on the ground, not moving, big chunks of debris just covering her. He tried his best to push it off, hoping he was alive, his heart was racing as a tear went down his face, pushing the debris with his hooves and magic until it finally budged. “Please be alive, please!” He cried, getting down near her body, trying to listen for any breathing, not noticing the room fill with smoke thanks to the dust that was formerly flying around, just thinking it was dust. Then he paused as soon as he heard her, she started coughing harshly as she laid there, slowly getting up, using her magic to push some more bits of debris from her, revealing quite a few scars and wounds on her. Her foreleg stung as she slowly up up, Dapple waving his hoof around, coughing. Soon realising the dark smoke coming in, getting mire and more concern as Onyx sat there, dazed and coughing violently, seemingly affected by the smoke. “It’s smoke?” He coughed, feeling the room get a bit hotter and harder to see due to the smoke.

“So you finally came out… Took a few explosions and bit of fire to get you down…” said a voice, soon Stripes revealed herself as she pushed aside the rubble, blazes behind her, beginning to fill the house. Dapple’s heart was racing as she looked at her and back at Onyx, window. His eyes started to sting and water as he coughed, but not as hard as Onyx, who was violently coughing, seemingly having a very hard time in the smoke, he quickly picked her up, worried as she coughed and wheezed. Hoping deeply she’d be okay, she just can’t die in his hooves, not yet, anyway. He really had to get her out here and fast, or else she could have complications, if not die from suffocation or a heart attack if that was even possible from smoke. “We gotta get you out of here-“ He said in a strained voice, getting a cut as he dragged her towards the window, he winced and kept pulling trying to ignore the stinging pain as she struggled to breath, she was counting on him, his heart raced as he felt some blood tickle from her leg onto his, she was wounded too, of course she was, it made sense, he could also feel her struggling to breath, soon jumping when a knife was flown at him, whizzing past his face and getting stuck on the wall. His heart was racing as he watched Stripes get closer and closer, throwing debris aside with ease. He looked at Onyx and towards the window, bending down under the smoke with concern, knowing standing up wasn’t a good idea as they could easily inhale more. she coughed violently as she put a hoof over her muzzle, feeling like she was suffocating. Dapple looked concern as the smoke got thicker and darker, the outline coming closer and closer. The two of them crawled towards the window before another knife shot past then, slicing Dapple on the shoulder as it flew past them, he let out a small scream and winced. His heart was racing as he heard the figure get closer and Onyx struggle to breath, the open window was so close! He quickly got an idea.

“Onyx!” Dapple cried, shaking her and coughing before getting a bunch of dust and debris in his magic. Hoping for her to get the message and move. “I’ll distract her, run!” He shouted, Onyx ignoring her pain as she went through the window as Dapple threw sand into Stripes’ face, getting her to exclaim in pain before Dapple bucked her heard enough to fall down, just before more debris fell down. Wasting no time, he went out the window. Noticing Onyx make a rainstorm above her flaming house before running into the forest, Dapple looking back at it with concern, hoping it wasn’t in as much as a bad shape as he thought. But the top floor was completely collapsed and the lower floor was ablaze… He’s hate for his friend to be left without a home. After a quick look, he ran into the forest, nearing and seeing her trip over, coughing violently from all the smoke she inhaled, he coughed a little too, but immediately went to her side. Her lips were blue and she looked like she was really struggling. “Deep breathes, we gotta get fresh air in your lungs!” “He said, feeling sweaty as he held onto her as she breathed deeply, not knowing what to say. He was glad the smoke wasn’t reaching them now, it was quick and smart thinking to make a raincloud above it, but he noticed that it appeared to be growing, but that was a worry for later. “Feeling better?” He asked Onyx as her breathing went close to normal and her coughing stopped. She took in a few more breaths of air, she had never felt so trapped before, at least not fir a while. She never felt like she was suffocating before she actually thought she was going to die.

“Y-yeah…” She said coughing one more time before getting ip, a little dizzy but ready to run.

“Let's go!” He exclaimed, running with her, hearing another explosion, getting the two of them run faster, ignoring the pain they had. He tried his best to keep an eye on her as they ran through the woods, further and further away, hearts racing as they ran for their lives, so that’s what it felt like. Onyx was tired of running, but it was too risky to fight back, besides, she wasn’t a fighter. She was the last pony With the weird superstar powers, so she couldn’t risk them being taken either. She was tired, but had to keep going, not noticing Dapple trip over, losing sight of her as she kept running. She didn’t know how far she got before she stopped at a tree, sitting down on the slightly damp dirt, catching her breath and resting before realising someone was gone.

“D-dapple?” She questioned, eyes widening as she looked around. She was worried as she started looking around for any signs of her friend, “Where are you, Daps?” She questioned quietly, heart racing as she sat there, feeling alone, again. She was used to feeling alone, but this time was different, she was being hunted down, far off from home, no idea when to get back or if she can. Will she even succeed and stay hidden or will she be found? So many questions had entered her mind as she sat there, feeling lonely. She wanted to cry, it was a lot to take in, but she wasn't going to cry. Her heart kept racing at the thought that he went on without her, he wouldn’t do that, would he? She tried to convince herself he wouldn’t, but the thought of him doing it just kept coming. She tried to take deep breathes in and out, trying to get these dizzy thoughts out of her head and plan her next move. But all she did was sit there, in the loneliness, a bitter feeling bubbling up as she looked down. She felt nothing but helpless at this point as she gazed at the trees, thoughts entering her mind on what would happen next, she was confused and felt lost.

“Hey there…” A voice said, making her ears perk up at it, her eyes widened as she looked to the source, her heart skipping a beat as her blood ran cold. Not knowing what to do now as she eyed ip at Stripes, who somehow found her. “You thought I couldn’t follow hoof prints, did you?” She asked, a shiver running down Onyx’s spine, a rare occasion where she felt so much fear, she gulped as she stepped back. She was tempted to use her powers somehow, but felt that would be a bad idea, she was a terrible fighter. but she had another idea at something she was good at.

“I think you need is a poem.” She said, hoping she could make up one on the spot to try and convince, confuse or do anything to Stripes to try and get her to not take them.

“The powers you think you want are not to be taken away

If one were to be reckless, then they may have a price to pay

The powers the ponies had when they were born

Each one being harnessed by earth, pegasus and unicorn

Harnessed to defeat the dark, foreboding dark matter

Saved the world together from what was a deadly attacker

But when one of their shares were taken away

Dark nightmares appeared, trauma leading her astray

Panic among the land about the griffon who took them

Would have been stripped, no matter how much she wanted to defend

The superstar powers come with a lot of dangerous abilities

Storms, water, speed and powerful blasts that one would want for hostility

The griffon only seems to want them for more power hungry greed

To take over the world, that’s what a power hungry villain needs”

Onyx stopped there and gazed at Stripes confusion expression, slowly she looked around and back at her, looking like she was thinking about her actions. Possibly thinking on how Gumdrop wanted them for bad and she was on the wrong side, or rethinking her plan and hopefully wanting to help her. Her poetry has confused or made ponies feel emotions before, so one causing a jerk to change her mind would not be too, unlikely, right?

”So how was it?” Onyx asked, hoping for an answer she waited to hear. “Made you think about hunting us, didn’t you?” She asked, noticing Stripes was looking a little guilty just seconds before she raised a hoof.

“You think I want a stupid poem?” Shouted Stripes, slamming a fist right at Onyx who narrowly dodged and scurried away, the punch that Stripes was about to do managed to buy her a little time, thanks to her fist getting stuck in the tree. “You can run, but you can’t hide!” She shouted. Onyx whispered slightly, heart racing. It didn't work…. Did Stripes have no empathy for this whole situation? The panic, the trauma and what else!? What was wrong with her? Or maybe, she wasn’t actually good at poetry like she had originally thought…