The Final Test

Sunburst's shock from the visitors still coursed through his veins. Starlight Glimmer, his old friend from foalhood, responsible for murdering all the elements of harmony except for Rarity? He just couldn't believe it.

In fact, after dismissing his visitors, he'd used his magic to find Starlight and send a letter to invite her over for tea. She'd eagerly replied and agreed, much to his satisfaction. A few days had passed since, and Starlight was due to arrive any moment now. An uncomfortable heat filled his home. He levitated a fan with his magic and fanned himself. He hoped the open windows and fan would be enough to cool off the room for his friend.

As if hearing his thoughts, three knocks echoed through his house. Sunburst smiled and moved away from the stove, where the tea kettle hummed quietly.

The orange unicorn happily trotted to the door. When he opened it, a pretty unicorn was standing outside with a smile plastered across her face.

"Starlight!" he cried happily. "I'm so glad you could make it. Come in, come in!"

Starlight fanned herself with a hoof as she stepped inside. "It's a little warm in here."

"Please do excuse it," Sunburst said as he shut his door. "My house tends to get awfully warm during this time of year. I'm hoping the fan and open windows will be enough to make it at least a little more bearable."

Starlight smiled at him and wiped sweat from her forehead. "Oh, it's alright Sunburst. Don't worry about it, I know how it gets."

Sunburst smiled at her gratefully. "Sit, sit. I'm just making the tea."

Starlight sat as his table, resting her head on one hoof. "Your place is much tidier than it was the last time I visited," she chuckled.

"Well, with Flurry Heart being grown enough to handle herself and all, I've had plenty of time to myself to clean up," Sunburst replied as he returned to the stove. "It's a true reliever."

"I'm sure," Starlight said, grinning at him. "Thank you for inviting me, by the way. Though, I must ask, why did you?"

"Why did I what?" Sunburst asked as though he were just snapped back to reality. Starlight raised a brow. "Invite me."

"Oh." Sunburst chuckled. "Well, I saw your friend Rarity around, and it made me think of you. I figured I'd invite you over for some tea."

Starlight raised a brow. "Rarity, huh? Funny that she's here. Looking for her friends, I assume?"

"Of course," Sunburst replied, his eyes fixed on the kettle. "She's more loyal to them than a dog." He chuckled at his own comment as smoke rose from the tea kettle. He glanced at the nearby door. Smoke was beginning to pour out the bottom of the door. Panicked, Sunburst grabbed the closest towel with his magic and darted toward it. He shoved the towel under the door, covering the smoke.

Starlight raised a brow. "What was that about?"

"It's my room," he said. "I need to keep it cool. The warm air will seep in if I don't do this."

Starlight eyed him suspiciously, but she shrugged after a moment. "If you say so."

Sunburst sighed. The sound of the kettle alerted him. He rushed to it and used his magic to pull it off the stove.

"I'm sorry for being so all over the place," Sunburst apologized with a weak smile. "I haven't had anyone over since I properly settled in back home."

"It's okay," Starlight reassured him with a smile. "I'm just happy to be here."

Sunburst put the tea in the middle of the table, then took two teacups from his counter and presented one to Starlight. She smiled and took it from him.

"I'm surprised you didn't invite me over for something, well, cooler," she said. "You know, like in temperature. Giving how warm your home is, you'd think we'd be having a cooler drink."

"Ah, but tea is my specialty," Sunburst replied with a grin. "If it weren't for my magic, I think my cutie mark would be a teacup."

Starlight laughed lightly at the joke. Sunburst poured some tea into her cup. She took a drink from it, a smile instantly spreading across her face. "Mmm, minty! You've always remembered the things I like."

"What kind of friend would I be if I didn't?" Sunburst said. He poured himself some tea and rested his hooves on the table. "There’s actually more to the reason why I invited you over, Starlight."

"What's that?" she asked, setting her cup down.

"Well, when I saw Rarity, I actually saw her here," he admitted. "She came here to talk to me."

"Did she?" Starlight said, her voice a tad bitter.

"She did," Sunburst confirmed. "She came to ask about her friends. She said you were behind it. She was fully convinced."

"Me?" Starlight questioned, lifting her head a little higher. "What makes her think I did it?"

Sunburst eyed her. "She said she saw what you did."

"What?" Starlight squeaked innocently. "What did I do?" She tilted her head curiously. "Are you sure she wasn't dreaming? Did you ask?"

"Of course," Sunburst responded. "I couldn't believe she'd accuse you of such a thing. She was deadset on it, so I figured I'd ask you myself."

"You know I'd never do such a thing," Starlight said, her eyes wide. "I would never dare hurt another pony."

"I know," Sunburst reassured her. He moved his hoof, accidentally knocking over his cup in the process. It seemed almost purposeful.

Despite this, he gasped. "Oh, Celestia." He used his magic to grab the towel underneath the door. He wiped the table, then patted it down. He sighed and put the towel aside. "All this chaos has me so stressed I can hardly think straight."

"Well, I hoped I could clear at least something up," Starlight offered, unaware of the door slowly opening behind her.

"You did," Sunburst told her with a weak smile. "You cleared up a lot."

Starlight smiled sweetly at him. “Good. You did, too.”

Sunburst lifted his head up in confusion. He grew stiff when he saw Starlight’s horn light up. A pony he’d been fully aware of stood in a crouch behind Starlight, now trapped in her magic. She’d come out of the door Sunburst had tried so desperately to cover earlier. The open door behind her revealed a large, dissected metal egg, resting atop a tray of firewood. Inside the egg were coals. All too similar to the very thing Starlight had used. And the room wasn't a room at all, it was simply a small, empty closet. Sweetie Belle had a branding iron in her mouth. It was sizzling, clearly having just been heated. The young mare looked horrified.

“Honestly” Starlight spat, moving closer to Sunburst. The orange unicorn watched fearfully as she inched closer and closer to him. “You think I didn’t know what this was all about? I know you, Sunburst. I’ve known you since foalhood. And you honestly thought I wouldn’t know that Rarity came to you? Do you really think I’m that stupid?”

“No.”

A look of confusion crossed Starlight’s face before she let out an ear-piercing shriek. Through teary-eyed vision, she turned back to look at her flank. A white unicorn stood there; her teeth clamped around the end of the branding iron. Her once pretty mane was messy and not neatly curled like it normally was.

Starlight released Sweetie Belle and attempted to use her magic to fight her off, but it was cut off by Sunburst blasting her and paralyzing her. She was unable to do anything, including use magic. All she could do was endure the pain. She silently wailed. Being unable to do it aloud somehow made it all the more worse.

Rarity kept the branding iron on her flank, pressing hard. Pain seared through her entire body. She prayed for it to end, even as her vision blurred. It seemed like hours that she sat completely still in agony before the world began to grow dark. Within a few minutes of the darkening beginning, she passed out.

Rarity held the branding iron in place a little longer, then tossed it aside. "Did she get the potion?"

"I put in on the inside of her cup before she arrived," Sunburst reassured her.

"Good," Rarity huffed, glaring at the still pony. An equal sign was now burnt into her right flank. It made Rarity feel a little relieved. She'd gotten revenge for the burn scar on her own flank. Now it was time to get revenge for the rest.

"Come on," she said to Sunburst, hoisting Starlight's body up onto her back. "The others will be waiting. We need to move."