The light of the setting sun made the grand hall of the crystal castle shimmer.
"Who are you?" Starlight questioned to the pony whose black cloak hung to their side.
"It's too late now," the cloaked mare sighed while glancing out the window.
"Too late for what?" She could feel her face frown. Who was this pony? Better yet, how did they suddenly just show up in her home?
The cloaked pony growled and stamped her front hooves in frustration.
Every passing moment just confused Starlight further. She'd not heard anyone enter, nor had she felt the tingle in the air from a teleport. Though now when she thought back... what had she been doing today?
Their eyes bore into Starlight's.
She shook her head a few times; it wasn't important. What was, on the other hoof, important was the stranger before her. They were clearly a mare, from the sound of their voice. Yet all of their features were mysteriously veiled, as if she couldn't quite make out their form or colours. Even the horn sticking up from under the hood remained veiled.
"You'll need to do better than me," the mare said, their tears staining the floor.
"Better, better at what?"
They shook their head while tiny sparks crackled around their horn.
A scroll materialized before her, on it were some complex patterns for a spell she'd never seen before. She opened her mouth to ask only to get interrupted.
The stranger's horn flashed as they crumbled towards the ground. "It's a spell... it's probably too late, but you need to try and cast it." After taking a deep breath or two they eventually got up again.
Starlight glanced between the scroll and the stranger, considering just what to do.
Their horn shone like a second sun.
It was a clear invitation for her to join in, yet it was highly suspect that a stranger suddenly showed up only to demand her to help out with some wild spell.
Despite how bright their horn glowed, their face still remained veiled within the cloak. "Please," their voice trembled.
The desperation in their tone was clear, she was suspicious, yes, but could she with good conscience refuse? Briefly going over the spell it reminded her stylistically of something she'd make. It was rough, unrefined, yet there was passion for magic hidden behind the ink strokes.
It didn't seem that whatever effect this spell would have would cause her harm, not from a quick glance. Yet the meaning and purpose behind it all eluded her; ignorance was her most powerful enemy. Still, she lit her horn to join in.
The glow of the stranger's horn shifted and joined Starlight's own. A frustrated groan escaped their mouth.
The two of them stood there powering the spell for what felt like hours, but was at most just a couple of minutes. And then... it was over. She could feel a subtle magic effect running over her; the scroll, consumed by fire in the process.
The other mare's horn flashed for a few moments.
"It has to work!" They exclaimed.
Starlight frowned once more. "Has to work?" She took a couple of steps closer towards the cloaked mare. "Do you mind explaining what it was supposed to do?"
They flinched back. "I don't have the time-"
"Yeah no, that's not gonna work," she could feel herself getting frustrated. In a quick motion she levied her horn at them.
"It should have arrived... but if so why didn't it stop...?" The mare mumbled.
Starlight let out a tsk. She tried being friendly but her patience was running thin.
"I think I got the alignment right," they glanced towards the window.
It was as if she wasn't even there; just an observer.
Seemingly caught up in their own devices, the mare turned around flashing her horn. Several objects sounded as they landed on the floor. A couple of moments later they flashed their horn twice, sending the objects away in waves.
"I need to get some answers now or I'm going to respectfully have to ask you to leave," and send a notice to the guard, she added mentally.
"We're stuck here unless we can break the curse that led to me being here," the stranger shook their head. "I don't truthfully know how this all started, but I'm working on a solution."
"A curse?" Starlight snorted."Likely story." Frankly whatever it was this pony was going on about made little sense. "You've invaded my home, as well as the Castle of Friendship. This is your final chance to walk away."
The pony glanced between her and the window a couple of times.
Starlight sighed. "So be it."
"Listen, if we want to get out of this mess then we need to work together."
Starlight humphed. "Yeah no, I don't think so." In a flash her horn lit up as she launched a beam towards the intruder.
The magic beam reflected off of the cloak harmlessly, causing the mare to sigh. "Yep, should have seen that one coming," the sarcasm in her voice clear.
Starlight clenched her teeth. Some sort of magical cloak then? They came prepared.
"If both of us are here then..." With a snap of her head she turned to the window. "I should have noticed that earlier," she mumbled.
She wouldn't fall for such an obvious diversion.
"Are you sure you wish to do that? We're both quite stuck here," the cloaked mare lifted her hoof to her chin while pondering.
At this point Starlight had had more than enough and rushed up to cloaked pony to rip off their their disguise. To her surprise the stranger offered it freely.
The cloaked pony was not who she thought she'd been. The mantle ripped away by the truth revealed nothing but a new burden that caused her to gulp.
As she accepted the cloak she realised-
Something was wrong.
The sun hung high in the sky over Ponyville, another perfect day passing by.
Author's Note
At the sun's rising and setting; fate chose poorly.
