Twilight glided above the scarred landscape, her sharp eyes scanning the ground below. Amid the chaos of Tirek’s reign, a small town stood out—a peculiar haven untouched by destruction. Against her better judgment, she descended, landing softly on the outskirts.

The village was eerily quiet. Its crude houses were arranged in a neat grid, no larger than a single city block in Manehattan. The air was still, but something about the scene gnawed at Twilight’s instincts. At the far end of the village stood a single structure that broke the uniformity—a slightly larger building, likely belonging to the mayor or a leader.

Twilight hesitated, then made her way to the door. For the first time in what felt like forever, she knocked, the sound echoing unnaturally in the still air.

After a moment, the door creaked open, revealing a unicorn with a lavender coat strikingly similar to her own.

“Can I help you?” the unicorn asked without glancing up, her horn glowing as she levitated a quill and parchment.

Twilight straightened her posture, her voice firm. “Yes. Who are you?”

The unicorn paused, her eyes flicking up—and widening. “You… you’re the last princess!” she gasped. “Rumor has it you’re going to save Equestria!”

Twilight winced. The word save felt heavy, like a chain pulling her down. “Save is… a bit of an exaggeration,” she replied coldly. “I’d call it liberation.”

The unicorn tilted her head, her lips curling into a faint, amused smile. “Not exactly the attitude of a hero. But I guess we can’t be picky these days.” She extended a hoof. “I’m Starlight. Starlight Glimmer. Welcome to my humble little village. How can we be of service to you today—uh, tonight?” She glanced skyward. “It’s hard to tell anymore, isn’t it?”

Twilight noted the name. Starlight Glimmer. It was strikingly similar to her own, as if fate had a cruel sense of humor.

“This village,” Twilight began, gesturing to the untouched homes, “it’s in remarkable condition. How? Has Tirek not reached you yet?”

Starlight’s smile grew. “Oh, he’s tried. But I set up a protective barrier that’s kept us safe. Tirek’s brute force isn’t much use against carefully crafted magic.”

Twilight’s gaze hardened as she stared down the unicorn. She hadn’t realized how much her stature had changed, but now she towered over most ponies, including Starlight. She weighed the implications of what she had just heard.

A barrier strong enough to repel Tirek? That kind of magic could tip the scales in her favor.

Starlight’s smile faltered. “What’s that look for? You’re planning something, aren’t you?”

Twilight’s mind raced. She needed that magic, but she couldn’t afford a drawn-out confrontation. Feigning curiosity, she pointed toward a distant mountain. “Hey, what’s that over there?”

Starlight turned instinctively, her eyes narrowing at the horizon.

The Bewitching Bell emerged from behind Twilight’s wing, its ominous chime already charging with her magic. Twilight fired the spell in a swift, calculated motion.

Starlight spun around, her horn igniting in reflex. She launched a beam of magic to intercept the attack, but the effort was futile. The bell absorbed the retaliation, amplifying its pull. Starlight’s legs buckled as her magic drained away, her once-bright aura dimming to nothing.

Twilight watched dispassionately as Starlight groaned, her body trembling from the strain.

“No hard feelings,” Twilight said, her voice cold and detached. “But this is just the boost I need to stop Tirek. I’ll see you around, Glimmer.”

Without waiting for a response, Twilight spread her wings and took off into the crimson sky.

Starlight lay motionless on the floor, her chest rising and falling in shallow breaths. Her body felt hollow, her magic stripped away like a piece of her soul.

She dragged herself to her hooves, swaying unsteadily, and stumbled toward her bed. Collapsing onto the mattress, she buried her face in the pillow, tears stinging her eyes.

What just happened?

She replayed the encounter in her mind, trying to make sense of it. Twilight Sparkle—the Princess of Friendship, the supposed savior of Equestria—had tricked her. Stolen from her.

Her vision blurred as exhaustion overtook her, but one thought lingered as she drifted into fitful sleep:

If this is the pony who’s supposed to save us, what hope do we have left?

Author's Note

Boom, chapter 6. Might as well include a new character, might tap back into her story in later chapters. It was a little difficult trying to remember the order she meets each character in the series, because I would rather not have her now a character that appears in like season 8 be at the season finale knowing Twilight.