Corruption of Harmony

Chapter 3

Avarice

Three Months Earlier

The gates that stand outside Tartarus are imposing behemoths of twisted metal, contorted and bent into vicious spikes that jut out in all directions. They are set into steep cliffs of black stone that stretch to the clouds, sharp crags and deep gouges in the rock ensuring the faces are insurmountable. The doorway to hell is not designed to be welcoming.

And yet it was up to those gates that the pony walked, slowly and deliberately. Alone. Standing at their feet, he admired the craftsmanship in the wrought iron. The barbs stabbed into the sky, impressive but mostly aesthetic; if spears were enough to stop a demon, this place wouldn’t need to exist. Embedded into the cliff wall was a slab of smooth stone, a narrow slit carved into it. The pony drew a scroll from his bags and pressed it through the gap. After a brief pause, the gates shuddered open and he stepped lightly between them.

Starbright found himself inside a small chamber, hewn out of the rock centuries ago. Flaming torches mounted on the walls provided little light and even less warmth. The old pony across from him muttered under his breath, rereading the note Star had passed through.

“Been a while since we had anyone out this way,” said the gatekeeper. “You must have pissed someone off real good.”

“Clearly. Though not as much as you did, I wager.”

The old pony cackled. “You’re damn right.” He passed the scroll back to Starbright. “Well, I have no idea what the Princess wants him for, but I guess I don’t have much choice in it.” He pulled a key from his jacket and unlocked a side door, ushering Starbright through it into an even smaller room, with a rickety elevator in the centre. It was little more than a platform held up by four rusted chains, and when Starbright nudged it with a foot the whole thing clanked alarmingly.

“Surely this can’t be safe?” he asked.

The other pony shrugged. “It’s the only way down.”

After some mental preparation, Star stepped onto the platform, which swayed horribly. It felt as if it would fall apart if he so much as looked at it the wrong way.

“Hold on to something,” the old pony recommended.

“There’s nothing to hold on to.”

“Oh, in that case just stand really still.” The gatekeeper grinned with a mouth missing most of its teeth. “Play nice now. He won’t.”

He pulled a lever, and the elevator plummeted into the abyss below.

***

Starbright could remember little of the descent. Part of that was the pure, unbridled terror associated with dropping at near terminal velocity via an unstable platform. As the elevator rocketed its violent way down the chute, the floors of Tartarus whisked past him, each revealing some new horror, barely glimpsed in a fraction of a second. Shrieks and screams met with the whistling of the wind in a roaring cacophony of sound. Flames, ice and lightning; darkness and light; oppression and seduction. Nothing was beyond the denizens of Tartarus, and Starbright witnessed them all in equal measure as he plunged. Flying past one floor, a huge bat-like monstrosity screeched at him loud enough to make him cover his ears in pain. Another sent tendrils of crystal lancing towards him, only for them to shatter a second before impaling him, crashing against some imperceptible barrier. But the memory of all of them sought frantically to escape once they were out of sight, scratching their existence from the surface of his mind. When the elevator finally rattled to a stop, his ears were ringing, and he stumbled forward, half blind, onto a long marble bridge suspended above a fiery pit.

The sheer scale was incredible; the chamber was so wide Starbright could barely make out the edges from the end of the walkway.

“What’s this? A pony, so far from home, so deep under this world? Did you fall between the cracks, little one? Or are you some sacrificial lamb, roasting in the bowels of the inferno?”

As his vision adjusted to the bright light, Star could make out the gargantuan figure in front of him. An enormous Minotaur, formed from lava and wreathed in flames. White hot spheres burned in his face, regarding Star with a cruel gaze. His torso was submerged in the fires beneath him, wrists bound by manacles chained to the walls of the cavern, blue runes glowing on their surface. Starbright leant forward in an extravagant bow.

“Irdu.”

“You know who I am? Well well, this just got a lot more interesting. Why are you here, little pony? Surely you know what I’m capable of? What I could do to you?”

“With those on?” Star motioned at the demon’s chains. “Absolutely nothing.”

Unexpectedly, Irdu burst into raucous laughter.

“My, my. Brave and clever. You are a rarity… What is your name, pony?”

“Starbright.”

“I asked for your name, not what you’re calling yourself. Clever you may be, but I cannot abide arrogance. If you hide from me, we have nothing to discuss.”

Starbright told him. The demon’s eyes narrowed, seeing the truth in Star’s face.

“I thought you were dead.”

“And yet here I am.”

“And yet here you are,” concurred the demon. He contemplated for a second, and then bowed his head. “It has been too long.”

“Indeed it has,” agreed Star.

“That disguise of yours is uncanny, but why the need for deception? Am I untrustworthy in my incarceration?”

“Sparing you the details, it takes a great deal of work to assume this form. I’d rather not have to go through it all again.”

The demon nodded. “Understood. Still, you would not be here if it wasn’t for some ulterior goal. That, at least, is something we have in common.”

“Insightful as always. The aeons have failed to dull your senses, it seems.”

“I wouldn’t give Celestia the satisfaction.”

“In that case, I think you can help me.”

Irdu raised an eyebrow.

“I need your gift,” said Starbright.

Once again, the demon laughed, shaking the cavern with his bellows. Huge rocks crumbled from the walls and fell into the all-consuming heat below.

“You presumptuous bastard.”

“That’s not the first time you’ve called me that.”

“And knowing you, it won’t be the last. I don’t suppose you’d enlighten me as to why you need my help?”

“I intend to retake Equestria.”

“How bold. But even with an incubus’ gift, you’ll never get close enough to Celestia. She’ll strike you down, as she did with all the rest of us.”

“And therein lies the answer. Celestia no longer holds the Elements of Harmony.”

The beast’s eyes widened.

“Who are the new bearers?”

“Nobodies. Friends of Celestia’s pupil, and the student herself.”

“Celestia took on a student? How things have changed...”

“You don’t know the half of it,” said Star.

The incubus thought a while, digesting this new information.

“What are your terms?”

“Simple, you give me your power, here and now. In a couple of months, I shall return and free you.”

“Why the wait?”

“I need to grow accustomed to your gift. Your release is part of the plan, and I can’t rush that.”

The demon frowned.

“What are you keeping from me?”

“Pretty much everything.”

Irdu snorted. “To be expected. Very well, I will grant my gift to you. But break your word and I’ll tear hell apart to find you.”

“I would expect nothing less.”

The air filled with a heady scent as Irdu started a low chant, his voice reverberating through the chamber. A white orb burst free from his chest, spraying lava against the bridge which Star nimbly sidestepped. The sphere flashed brightly and darted towards Starbright, its light piercing his chest. He fell to the floor, writhing in agony. After an age, the pain subsided, leaving him shaking in a heap.

“When I am free, and the elements have fallen, this pathetic world will burn. I assure you of that. I will incinerate this abysmal excuse for a kingdom, and crush the embers that remain underfoot. Our wrath will be glorious to behold, just like old times.”

“Just like old times.”

***

I think that’s enough of that, don’t you? As (ahem) charming as Irdu can be, he does tend to become somewhat wearisome.

If there’s one thing demons are capable of, it’s holding a grudge, and that particular rancour had been festering for thousands of years. Bitterness and anger were a staple where Irdu was concerned, and as a result he’d required little convincing.

A demon’s power is not something given up lightly. If the contract is unfulfilled, they lose considerable strength, both magical and physical. Lesser demons and imps have less power to give, and much less to lose, so acquiring their help is easy. With stronger demons, the risks and rewards involved are far greater, and Irdu was very powerful indeed.

But for now, let’s return to Ponyville. My second visit to Tartarus can wait.

***

Applejack stirred, dark dreams fading beyond memory, slipping away as consciousness returned. The stars still shone outside the barn; she hadn’t been out for long. Starbright sat in the doorway, looking out at the sky, standing a vigil against the night. He barely reacted to Applejack wrapping herself around him, affectionately kissing his neck.

“How are you feeling?” he asked, without turning.

“Mighty fine, sugarcube.”

He smiled. “Thousands of years I’ve waited for this. That’s probably an inconceivable amount of time to you. There’s a commonly held view that for those of us living that long, like the princesses, years fly past in the blink of an eye. It’s not true. I had to bear every second.”

“Ain’t much longer to wait now,” she purred, stroking his chest. Her hooves traced their way down towards his groin, but he pushed them firmly away.

“Aw, you’re no fun,” she teased.

“What will you tell them? When you get back to the farm?”

“Clearin’ those Wolves took longer than we expected.”

“Nothing about the barn?”

“You think ah’m stupid?”

“Quite the contrary.” He finally faced her. Deep within her eyes, nearly impossible to see if you weren’t looking for it, was a tiny red glow. He stroked her cheek softly. “Do behave yourself, now.”

Applejack stuck her tongue out at him. “No promises.”

***

“They’re safe.”

“How was I supposed to know that!?” shouted Spike. “You disappear and then I find the elements are missing!”

“They’re not missing,” said Star. “I told you, I simply moved them to a securer location. Everypony knows that the elements are meant to be kept here. Isn’t that a little dangerous? Now they’re kept under lock and key, don’t worry about it.”

Spike laughed incredulously. “Don’t worry about it? Don’t WORRY about it!? There’s a demon rampaging through Ponyville. Twilight’s in what’s basically a coma, which I’m not even allowed to talk about. The princesses have no idea. I barely know who you are, and I’m meant to trust you blindly. And you tell me ‘don’t worry about it’?”

“I understand your frustration, but we can’t rush this. The elements are safe, and if you don’t know where they are, then you can’t give up their location.”

“You don’t trust me?”

“You think whether I trust you or not will matter if this thing comes after you, wanting answers? As strong as you are Spike, it will find ways to make you talk.”

Spike frowned. He wanted to protest, to believe it wasn’t true, but just what was this demon capable of? He dreaded to think.

“How was Twilight today?” asked Star, changing topic. “Same as usual?”

“Uh… yeah. Same as usual.” Don’t trust him. The one with holes for eyes.

“Disappointing. Hopefully we’ll see some improvement tomorrow.”

“Yeah… Hopefully…”

***

“Pssh, I don’t need your… Your permish… Permi… Perma… Whatever it is.” Rainbow Dash staggered slightly.

“I told you, you’re cut off. It’s the middle of the afternoon, and you can barely stand straight. Come back when you can remember what day of the week it is.”

Dash batted her eyelids in a pitiful attempt at seduction. “Come on, big guy. I could make it worth your… Your… Um… While. Worth your while.”

The barkeep shook his head before shutting the door in her face.

“Yeah!?” she yelled. “I didn’t want any anyway! So… joke’s on you!”

She stumbled into the road, swaying uneasily from side to side. She didn’t even see the passing unicorn until crashing into her, nearly knocking them over.

“Hey, watch where you’re going! I’m walking here!” shouted Dash, fluttering her wings indignantly. She was drawing a lot of attention, none of it good. The unicorn was glaring daggers at her, horn glowing threateningly, and the situation was very quickly starting to turn sour. If Starbright hadn’t chosen that moment to jump in, Rainbow Dash might have regretted that day even more than she did. As it was, he swooped through the gathering crowd, quickly hooking one of Dash’s hooves over his shoulders.

“Forgive me Madam,” said Star, with his usual charm. “My friend here has had rather a lot to drink, and isn’t herself at the moment. Please accept our humblest apologies.”

The unicorn, bewildered by Star’s complete sincerity, mumbled something and blushed, her horn’s glow winking out.

“Hey Starbright!” exclaimed Dash. “Slay any… any demons lately?”

Starbright grimaced. With a courteous nod to the thoroughly bemused Unicorn, he half-led, half-dragged Dash out of the crowd and came to a horrible realisation: he had no idea where he was going to take her. Not the library, not with Twilight. Or Spike, come to mention it. The dragon was suspicious enough already, this would just make things even worse. Sweet Apple Acres? Possibly. He could definitely count on Applejack’s compliance, but it was a long way out, and he wasn’t sure he could physically move Dash that far. Scanning the town skyline, Star spotted a familiar ornate roof. Rarity.

***

Rarity was less surprised than Starbright expected at the pair showing up on her doorstep. She quickly ushered them inside, flipped the sign to “closed”, and guided them to a sofa, which Dash promptly collapsed onto. Leaving her there, barely conscious, Starbright followed Rarity into the kitchen.

“I do hope she didn’t give you much trouble,” said Rarity.

“This is a regular thing, then?”

“Oh, I wouldn’t say regular. Occasional, perhaps? But it’s not completely unusual.”

“Why does she do it?” asked Star.

“I wish I knew. She’s hardly capable of holding conversation when she’s like this, and afterwards she refuses to acknowledge it even happened. Where did you find her?”

“Staggering around town, picking fights with Unicorns.”

Rarity laughed. “Still tenacious, even when she’s like this. Get me drunk and I’d rather curl up and go to sleep than get into a street brawl. I suppose that’s just the way she is.”

“Surely you must have some idea why, though? It’s not exactly common behaviour.”

“Really? Most ponies enjoy a drink every now and then.”

“Most ponies don’t do it in the middle of the day,” countered Star. “Or drink themselves into a stupor on their own.”

“If you’re implying she has a problem, I wouldn’t worry about it. As I said, it only happens on occasion.”

Starbright frowned. Rarity’s apathy towards Rainbow Dash’s actions was unusual to say the least.

“But I absolutely must make it up to you, putting you through all this,” she said. “Tell me, have you ever been to the spa here?”

“I can’t say I have.”

Rarity squeaked and clopped her hooves together excitedly. “Wonderful! How does tomorrow sound?”

“Tomorrow?”

“Of course! I’ll make the appointment right away; I have an arrangement with the management there, and naturally I’ll be paying for you.”

“I-” Star struggled to get a word in edgeways.

“Oh this is fantastic! I haven’t been for far too long; my shoulders are positively solid with stress!” And then, as if suddenly realising he was there: “So, tomorrow then?”

Star took a deep breath. “Tomorrow sounds fine.”

***

After Starbright had left, leaving Dash asleep on the couch, Rarity sat for a while, thinking. Rainbow’s hooves twitched occasionally, but other than those minute movements, the pegasus was utterly still. Rarity supposed she’d be staying the night again; there was no chance Dash would be able to fly straight before nightfall.

It wasn’t that she disliked the pegasus, Rarity considered her a very close friend, but she did hate being the “go to” where this was concerned. She hadn’t lied when she told Star it wasn’t a regular occurrence, but whenever Dash did do it, Rarity was always the one left picking up the pieces.

Was it too much to ask why? Why she’d get hell-bent on drinking to self-destruction every couple of months, and then act like it never happened? Any direct questions would either be dismissed or outright ignored, and god knew Rarity had asked enough times. But no, even the pony that always took care of Dash afterwards didn’t deserve an explanation, apparently.

Sometimes Rarity thought she was the only one of her friends who had any semblance of control over her life, with the possible exception of Applejack. Fluttershy had her incapacitating nervousness, Pinkie was, well… Pinkie, Twilight had had some kind of nervous breakdown a while back and turned into a recluse, and then there was Rainbow Dash, currently lying drunk out of her mind on Rarity’s couch.

Perhaps she should visit Applejack. Even with the farm pony’s often insufferable attitude, a talk with her might be worthwhile. Either way, it would have to wait; she had a spa treatment to book.

***

“We were right, it’s here.”

“Don’t trust him. The one with holes for eyes.”

“Something got out.”

“Spiiiiiike…”

Spike groaned. This was all too much. Too much to think about, too much of a burden to bear. Fragments of the past few days flashed through his head, through every waking moment. Twilight was a huddled mass under the covers, their soft rise and fall the only indication of life. A deep ache ran down his back as Spike levered himself from his seat. His every limb was stiff: the price for his brief snatches of restless sleep.

His eyes wandered about the room he had consigned himself to. Tucked away, down in the corner, was his old bed, the one he’d slept in until he’d outgrown it and Twilight gave him his own room. At the time he’d been overjoyed. A room all to himself? What wasn’t to love?

He’d spent the whole day methodically moving all his belongings down the hall, packing them into cupboards. The space had felt enormous after having to fit everything in Twilight’s already cramped room. As the moon rose that evening, Spike had lain awake, trying to ignore the creaks and rattles he couldn’t remember ever hearing before. Was that just the floorboards, or was something outside his door, waiting for him to go to sleep before creeping in? Was that the sound of branches scratching against the window, or hooves tapping and scraping? The wind, or a hushed voice whispering his name? The following morning Twilight had found him fast asleep at the foot of her bed.

In time, as everyone does, he’d adjusted to his new lodgings, but on seeing that old moth-eaten bed stashed almost out of sight, Spike found his vision beginning to blur with tears. He remembered Twilight’s understanding, how she’d comforted him, and gradually helped him overcome his childish fear. He wondered if he’d ever see that side of her again.

Guilt began to settle thickly in his stomach. She’d been so supportive of him, had got him through so much, but when she’d started to be overcome by her isolation, Spike hadn’t been able to save her. He had hidden away from it in the naive hope that everything would sort itself out in the end. He should have been there for her, and instead he’d pretended nothing had changed. And now it seemed he may not get the chance to set that right.

Spike did something he’d never done before. He climbed onto the bed and hugged himself tightly against Twilight. She shifted slightly, some tiny recognition of his presence deep in her subconscious. Spike stayed there for a long time, the tears drying slowly against his face. As long as he kept holding her, feeling her warmth against his scales, her heartbeat against his, he could pretend that this wasn’t happening. He could pretend that everything was okay.

***

Rainbow Dash’s head hurt. That was the first thing she noticed. The second was that she wasn’t in her bed. Her legs ached from her cramped position on the couch.

The couch… Shit. Rarity’s again.

She should really have some plan that stopped her ending up here. It’s not like she did it on purpose, and she couldn’t actually remember quite how she’d gotten here in the end. Her intention had been to crash at Pinkie’s place, but she must have got side-tracked somehow. Hopefully Rarity wasn’t as angry with her as she had been last time, though that was probably too much to ask for. It seemed like she wasn’t even here at the moment, and that struck Dash as the perfect time to make a discreet exit. She’d deal with the backlash when her head had stopped pounding.

With the confined space of the room, and her sight still a little fuzzy, Dash opted to stick at ground level until she got outside. She dropped quietly to the floor, in case Rarity was still around. Straining to hear the slightest stair creak, Dash tiptoed as silently as possible towards the front door, carefully avoiding scissors and rolls of fabric. Success! She allowed herself a triumphant grin as she pulled the door open, only for it to be replaced by an expression of instant regret. The bell above the door that she’d completely forgotten about rang out loudly, and Rainbow Dash winced as she heard a cough behind her.

“Er… Hey Rarity! How’s it going?”

“We need to talk.”

“Why does everyone keep saying that? And it’s never anything good, either. No one ever says: ‘Dash, we need to talk,’ and then goes on to chat about what they did last weekend. The last time someone said it to me they ended up talking about invasions from hell.”

“I... What?”

Way to keep that secret Rainbow, good job, thought Dash. “It’s nothing. Look, thanks for letting me stay the night, but I really gotta jet.”

“Dash, you’re never going to fix this, whatever it is, if you keep running whenever I or anyone else tries to help you.”

Rainbow let out an exasperated sigh. “You’re overreacting. Sometimes I like to party, that’s all. Maybe you should get Pinkie to give you a few tips; you could do with letting loose every once in a while. And now I mention it, I was meant to stay round her place last night… How’d I get here?”

Rarity rolled her eyes. “That pony staying with Twilight brought you here. Starbright?”

“The Canterlot egghead? Gotcha. Wait, what was he doing out so late?”

“Late? He brought you here last afternoon.”

“Last afternoon? I don’t…” Realisation dawned. “Oh man, I must’ve stayed out all night. Crap, I really have to go; the weather team’s gonna kick my ass over this.”

Before Rarity could so much as voice her disapproval, the pegasus launched through the door and up into the sky, rainbow trailing behind her.

“Thanks again!” Dash called back over her shoulder, as the Carousel Boutique rapidly dwindled into the distance.

With the wind running across her feathers, Rainbow Dash finally began to relax. It was nearly impossible to feel upset in the air; it was what she lived for. Except there was still the regret at the back of her mind.

It wasn’t like she’d outright lied to Rarity, it was just something the unicorn didn’t need to know about. It… it had to look like she was in control. For her own benefit as much as theirs.

She just wished she could forget the look on Rarity’s face as she’d flown off.

***

You’re probably starting to realise just how dire the situation was for the bearers. Disharmony and malcontent are catalysts for revolution, and naturally this could only work in my favour. The elements of harmony rely on strong bonds between the bearers. Previously that bond was shared by the sister princesses, broken irreversibly after Luna’s banishment.

With Nightmare Moon no longer a danger, the loss of the elements was no great disaster, especially as Celestia never revealed her newfound weakness. Nothing would be so bold, or stupid, as to attack Equestria whilst it was believed she still held that power.

And so the kingdom balanced on that false promise, that empty threat. It wasn’t until the new bearers were revealed that Celestia’s deception was uncovered, and by that point the window of opportunity had firmly closed.

It’s important to note that the new bearers were no weaker than Celestia and Luna had been. Not at first. If anything, they were even stronger. The attempts by Nightmare Moon and various other undesirables were proof enough of that, but the power of the elements of harmony reside in… well, harmony. And it was clear enough that their friendship was starting to break apart.

I suppose there should be a moral in that. “Rely on your friends for strength,” or some such rubbish. I think I serve as a reminder that standing alone can be far more rewarding.

***

“Isn’t it simply divine?”

Starbright grunted in response, the spa pony’s talented hooves digging deep into his shoulder blades.

“Honestly, I don’t know why I put it off so long this time; it’s just what I needed,” said Rarity, before addressing her own masseuse. “A little lower darling, if you’d be so kind.”

Lying face down on the massage tables made conversation a little strange, for Starbright at least. Rarity seemed unfazed.

“These visits used to be pretty regular then?” he asked.

“But of course! You don’t get VIP treatment from merely dropping in now and again. Fluttershy and I used to take a weekly trip here.”

“Used to? What changed?”

Rarity paused. “Oh, work mostly. I’ve been so busy lately I couldn’t really find time for it.”

And yet you’re able to invite me out at a moment’s notice, thought Star.

“And how was Rainbow Dash this morning?” he asked.

“As you’d expect. Woke up with a splitting headache and took off as soon as she could see straight. Again, I hope she didn’t trouble you too much.”

Starbright waved her concerns away with a hoof, forgetting she couldn’t see him. Conversation died as the masseuse’s hooves slid across his back, drawing him further into his own thoughts and away from the world around him. The tension bunched in his muscles slowly evaporated beneath her touch, and time passed unnoticed. All too soon, the hooves were lifted away. Star pushed himself upright to find Rarity smiling at him understandingly.

“Now you can see why I came here so much, hm?” she joked.

“I can indeed. It’s a shame you’ve been so busy.”

“Yes,” she said, looking away. “It is.”

***

He had been so close. So close to Rarity telling him everything. And then that bloody pegasus had ruined it. Starbright was still fuming, sleep evading him. The bed had never seemed less comfortable, although that was probably just a side-effect of his anger.

Obviously she hadn’t meant to screw up his plans. There was no way she could have known that he and Rarity were at the spa, or why, but she’d been there nonetheless. Star had taken it as the perfect opportunity to probe Rarity, to find possible avenues for his potions, and it had been going swimmingly. She had finally started opening up to him, midway through getting their hooves done (Starbright had no idea why that was so important, they’d only get messed up again minutes after leaving, but he had to play along) and then she had come sauntering in.

He shouldn’t get so angry; it would make it harder when Fluttershy’s time came around. He knew that, but it was still difficult. Mostly because it seemed that now it would be near impossible to coax that information out of Rarity, and possibly Fluttershy as well.

Apparently, the pegasus had decided that today had been the perfect day to visit the spa, for old time’s sake. And who did she happen to run into there? None other than Rarity, the pony who had been protesting that she was simply unimaginably busy, and had no time to spare. In the company of a stallion, no less. The implication was obvious, no matter how wrong.

Fluttershy was hardly the sort to blow up over that (Starbright doubted she’d ever even raised her voice in her entire life), but she’d converted into such scathing passive-aggressiveness that the poor spa attendants had been forced to cover the blushes on their faces.

“It’s fine, I completely understand that a pony that only came to town a couple of weeks ago is sooo important to you.”

“Oh no, naturally you were busy. I can see that.”

Rarity’s truthful denials of her relationship with Starbright were entirely ignored, and in a lot of ways Star didn’t blame Fluttershy for it. It was clear that there was at least some level of dishonesty on Rarity’s part, which didn’t make the situation any easier. It was unlikely either of the pair would want to see Star again, though Rarity had apologised to him after Fluttershy’s departure. Now he had to find another way to justify seeing her again. Fluttershy was a whole other story, and Starbright was not looking forward to reconciling with her (though arguably he was innocent of her particular accusations). One step at a time, though. He still had to deal with Rarity first, and he was now no closer than he had been days ago.

“Howdy, Sugarcube.”

Despite it being a low whisper in his ear, the voice took Starbright by surprise, and Applejack took advantage of that to hop up onto the bed, standing over him.

“Did ya miss me?” she asked, giving him a playful wink.

“Applejack!?” he hissed, wary of waking the dragon in the next room. “What are you doing here? How did you even get in?”

“Through the front door. Ain’t nothin’ to it, when ya know what yer doing.” She began to lightly stroke his chest, her weight holding him down.

“You can’t be here. What if Spike came in and saw us?”

“Aw, don’t be so quick to throw me out. You don’t know why ah’m here yet.”

“I fail to see what could be so important it warrants this risk.”

Applejack bent low and nuzzled against his ear.

“What about Rarity’s weakness? That worth it?” she whispered, almost too quietly to hear.

Starbright stared at her in surprise. “How in Equestria did you find that out?”

“She came to the farm, just after leavin’ the spa as far as ah could tell.”

“For what? What did she say?”

“Not so fast sugarcube. Ya gotta earn it.”

Starbright rubbed a hoof against his temple. “You know I could just command you to tell me? You’re mine, after all.”

“Well sure ya could.” She grinned. “But ya won’t, because where’s the fun in that?”

“Fine, what do you want?”

Her grin widened. “Ah reckon you can work it out.”

She pressed her mouth against his, lust-filled gaze never leaving his face, holding him down as her kisses grew more intense. He thrust against her, hardening beneath the bedsheets.

“Not so fast there,” she chided. “Yer trying to please me, remember?”

With that she slid slowly upwards, moving above him until her entrance rested in front of his face. Obediently, Starbright began to caress her with his tongue, long strokes running against her that made Applejack shudder. She ran a forehoof through his mane before pressing him into her, gasping under his ministrations. As Star drove his tongue further inside her, Applejack stifled a moan, clenching her teeth in an effort to supress the noise. Confident though she was, Spike bursting in on them would have serious consequences.

Still in control (if only by Starbright’s permission), she turned atop him, leaving her rear end by his head as he tended to her. In return, she drew the covers off his body. Without hesitation she began to suck in gentle, teasing motions, her tongue lightly flicking against him. Starbright breathed out deeply at the contact. Her lips around him, his against her, the pair toyed with each other, as they had done in the barn. A competition with no loser. And once again, Applejack came first, hot wetness splattering onto Starbright’s face as he slowed to a halt. Applejack redoubled her efforts and soon enough Star followed suit, spurting deep into her as she happily swallowed.

“Now,” said Star, hugging Applejack in the warm afterglow. “I think you owe me a story.”

***

For once Rarity didn’t mind the dust slowly gathering around her recently-tended hooves. She had far more pressing matters on her mind. The apple trees either side of the dirt road grew thicker as she continued towards the farmhouse, and towards the pony she’d come to see. She’d screwed up. She knew that, Starbright knew that, and Fluttershy certainly knew that. And Rarity had only herself to blame.

It started with the truth, at least. She really had been that caught up in her work to start with. There was a brief while where she hadn’t had time for anything else. And when that passed, Rarity had simply… continued to act as though she was swamped under. Fluttershy had called quite a few times, and each time Rarity had given the same response. “Not now darling, I’m frightfully behind.” She’d always offered to pay for Fluttershy to visit without her, but the pegasus wasn’t the sort to accept. It seemed Rarity had dug herself into a deeper and deeper hole with each passing day, and now the cat was well and truly out of the bag. She probably should have talked to Applejack sooner. The loud thump of hooves against bark swept Rarity out of her thoughts, and she looked up to find Applejack’s brother regarding her indifferently.

“Ah, Big Macintosh! I was looking for Applejack, you wouldn’t happen to know where she is, would you?”

Wordlessly, Big Mac lifted a hoof and pointed in the direction of the barn, where a small orange dot was moving back and forth.

Rarity gave a thankful smile. “Much obliged.”

Big Mac didn’t react, though that was to be expected. Applejack’s brother seemed to view speech as something to be avoided unless entirely necessary (and even then it was a stretch to get more than three words out of him).

Applejack was dragging unmarked sacks from a wagon into the barn. When she noticed Rarity coming over the crest of the hill, she dropped the bag she was carrying and wiped the sweat off her brow.

“Howdy there, Rarity! What brings ya out this way?”

“Oh, I was actually hoping I could have a word with you.”

“Sure thing, so long as ya don’t mind me workin’. What’s up?” asked Applejack, slightly puzzled. She wouldn’t have expected Rarity to come to her with a problem, even if she didn’t live a good way out of town.

“It’s about… It’s about our friends.”

“Yeah?” Applejack’s voice was slightly muffled through the burlap she had gripped between her teeth. “What about ‘em?”

Rarity grimaced. This was difficult. It was as if she hadn’t spent the entire journey over here mulling over what to say without sounding absolutely terrible, and Applejack’s nonchalance, speaking through the bags, wasn’t helping. Her horn glowed as she lifted the sack Applejack was carrying. She may not have quite the aptitude for magic that Twilight had, but what unicorn did? She was still more than competent, though her strengths with levitation normally resided in dexterity over brute force. These bags were easy for her at least, and Applejack could tell.

“Damn, sometimes ah forget y’all can do that. Would make my job a whole lot easier.” She smiled cheerily at Rarity, but the unicorn’s troubled expression made her falter. “Alright sugarcube, something’s clearly eatin’ ya. What’s the matter?”

“How do you do it?”

“Beggin’ yer pardon?”

“Well, you’re like me.”

Applejack raised an eyebrow, watching the glowing sacks float effortlessly through the air. “Ah wouldn’t say that…”

“No, not like that. You and me both, we... keep to ourselves. We don’t run out with our problems, shoving them into everypony’s face.”

“Ah’m afraid ah don’t really know where yer going with this.”

Rarity groaned and sat heavily on one of the sacks, likely filled with some sort of grain.

“Rainbow Dash stayed at my house again last night. Impromptu, of course. She’d been, out on the town, shall we say?”

Applejack nodded understandingly. Dash’s binges were nothing new.

“And then I ended up going to the spa with Starbright, that scholar from Canterlot.” Applejack’s ears perked up at the mention of Star’s name, which Rarity, lost in her outpouring, didn’t notice.

“…so who should walk in but Fluttershy of all ponies, purely by coincidence. And then there was a truly horrible moment where I tried my best to explain the situation to her, and understandably she was terribly offended, I would be too in that situation…”

Rarity was rambling, and Applejack laid a hoof on her shoulder, quieting her.

“Now hold on a minute, ‘cause ah’m struggling to keep up here. Why were ya avoiding Fluttershy in the first place?”

“That’s the whole point. I’m… I like helping ponies. But I feel like, I don’t know, like I’m being taken advantage of. Like the second anypony feels the slightest bit of unhappiness they come running to me. ‘Rarity will know how to help, let’s all visit Rarity. She never has any problems of her own, she never worries about anything, she’ll always drop everything at a moment’s notice.’ Every time Rainbow goes out on a drinking spree, it’s my job to clear everything up. Every time Pinkie has an emotional crisis, I’m the one calming her down. When Fluttershy loses her nerve, it’s me building up her confidence. And I’m. So. Sick of it.” Rarity spat out the last few words, tears already welling in her eyes. “Please don’t think I’m a monster or anything, I just wish someone else could be there for them sometimes. Or that they’d go to someone else themselves. So no, you are like me. Not once have you come to me, overreacting over the tiniest thing. It’s not you that’s making me feel so used.”

Applejack didn’t know what to say, or indeed if there was anything she could. She simply hugged her crying friend and wondered how quickly she’d be able to relay all this to Starbright.

***

“And then?” asked Star, tracing lazy circles on Applejack’s shoulders.

“Honestly, ah couldn’t think of what ah could say to help, so that’s what ah told her. She waved me off, something about just needin’ someone to listen, and that ah shouldn’t really worry about her. She didn’t stay much longer.”

“You didn’t try and give her advice? Help her out?”

“Ah thought that was better left to you.”

“Well done.” Star kissed her forehead before climbing briskly out of bed and dragging his satchel out from under it. He started pulling the flasks out one by one, checking the label, shaking his head and then passing it to Applejack, who eyed each container curiously before piling them next to her. Eventually he drew out the bottle he was looking for.

“I’ll go see her tomorrow.”

Star passed it to Applejack for her appraisal. She turned the flask in her hooves, translucent green liquid rolling around the bottom.

“Resentment”

***

One Month Earlier

Starbright stepped out of the elevator and into Irdu’s chamber. The ride had been somewhat less of an ordeal this time, but not by much.

“And so he returns… I was beginning to believe you’d gone back on your word.”

Star pressed a hoof to his heart in a pantomime of anguish.

“Your cruel words wound me, Irdu.”

The incubus grinned. “You still have a terrible sense of humour.”

“Apparently that’s something even time can’t fix.” Starbright breathed an exaggerated sigh. “Still, the wheels of change are turning, and I need an escaped demon to hunt.”

“It’s about time. I think these manacles are starting to chafe, and it’s only been a few millennia.”

“Let’s remedy that then, shall we?”

“And how exactly do you intend to release me? I assume you have a plan, though I’d feel a lot more comfortable knowing what it was.”

“Ah, yes. The idea is that Celestia discovers your manacles hanging empty, and sends me to solve the mystery.”

“And why would she trust you to do that?”

"She still doesn’t trust me entirely. She’ll probably consider this a test, and unfortunately I think I’m going to fail it.”

“What a pity. Alright, get me out of these things; it’ll be glorious to taste freedom again. Equestria won’t know what hit it.”

“About that… I need a less destructive distraction. A demon that goes into hiding, justifying a long search.”

“Me? Hide? Surely you understand that’s not quite what I have in mind? No, I’m going to rip the earth out from under those ponies’ feet. THAT’S a distraction.”

“I know, and I couldn’t ask you to go against your fundamental urges.”

A cloaked figure stepped out of the elevator behind Starbright, horn glowing.

“Which is why this is my only solution,” continued Star. “I’m sorry.”

“Who’s thi-”

A beam of energy blasted out of the pony’s horn, piercing Irdu’s manacles. His question broke into a scream of agony, shaking the entire cave, as the blue runes on surface of his shackles turned red. Large chunks of lava began sloughing off the demon’s form, falling into the roiling inferno below. Irdu’s scream grew thick as he began to collapse, inside and out. The white-hot orbs forming his eyes were quickly covered as his face lost its definition, and with a final pained roar, the demon’s arms disintegrated, sending his remains deep into the fires beneath him.

Starbright spared a glance into the flames, as if ensuring Irdu wasn’t about to burst out of them. With a shake of his head, he and his companion retreated back into the lift, which began its long and arduous ascent out of Tartarus. In the now empty chamber, Irdu’s empty manacles slowly swung back and forth, the runes nothing more than dead scratches on their metal surface.

***

He never really fit the bill of an incubus, did he? I promise he wasn’t always quite as formidable in appearance. That was his true form, what he was behind all the smoke and mirrors. When having his way with ponies, he used to appear far more presentable.

Naturally, an incubus’ power follows suit in that regard. When ponies make love, they reach a certain level of trust that’s normally unreachable without years of work. But in sex, there lies a shortcut. The mind’s defences are all but dropped, and that’s where I can get in.

I digress, where were we? Ah yes, Rarity’s. We’ll skip the rest of the evening at the library, nothing much happened. Applejack was able to sneak out without rousing Spike, and everything went beautifully to plan. It wasn’t until I was at Rarity’s that things started to go wrong, but we’ll deal with that once we get there. I don’t want to spoil it.

***

“You didn’t have to come, really,” said Rarity. She sniffed and took a sip from her mug (Starbright had declined the offer of hot chocolate). The room was surprisingly dark; Rarity had closed the blinds and was sitting in the dim light, mane frazzled and still wearing pyjamas. “I mean, honestly, what must you think of me, acting like this?”

“Not at all, I just wanted to make sure you’re okay. The spa was quite eventful, huh?” Star was gratified to see a flicker of a smile on Rarity’s face.

“That’s certainly one word for it. I’m sorry; it was hardly an appropriate thank you.”

Starbright shook his head. “Don’t be ridiculous, you can’t blame yourself for that.”

Rarity sighed. “I can, though. I just… needed some time away from them. Maybe I should have told them that.”

“You can mope in self-pity forever if you want, but you’re better than that.”

Rarity stared at Star in astonishment. His tone was so matter-of-fact, so sure of himself, she couldn’t help but believe it, even if only a little. With her stunned into silence, Starbright continued:

“There’s nothing you can do to change the past, so stop concerning yourself with what you should have done or could have said. Instead you should start thinking about what you can do now.”

“Yes… yes, you’re right, of course.” She sighed deeply. “Are you sure you don’t want a drink?”

Starbright certainly didn’t, not after pouring the entire potion he’d brought with him into it when Rarity’s back was turned. The empty bottle was now resting with all the others in his saddlebag, hung up on the hat stand by the door.

Rarity swirled the mixture in her cup around glumly, before downing it.

“I suppose you get a lot of attention at Canterlot?” she asked.

“Attention?” he asked, bemused.

“Of the female variety, I mean. Stallion like you, I imagine you have to fend off the mares.”

“Oh, I see.” He laughed. “Hardly, I tend to keep to myself.”

“You don’t… spend much alone time with them, then?” Rarity shot Starbright a sultry look.

“Um... Rarity, I’m flattered, but I’m not sure we should…”

That’s right, thought Starbright. One final faked resistance before “giving in”, and then everything will fall into pla-

“No, I guess we shouldn’t.”

Wait, what? Shit, I’ve blown it. This was the perfect opportunity, and I’ve-

“But we’re going to,” stated Rarity with an assured finality. “Wait for me upstairs, first room on your left. I have to get ready.” And with that she sauntered out of the room, fully aware of Star’s eyes on her. Starbright sat there for a good twenty seconds before managing to process what had just transpired. Upon the realisation that things were not in fact completely ruined, he headed upstairs, with some trepidation as to what she had in store.

***

You’re moving too fast, Rarity, you’re going to scare him off... But she couldn’t help it. She clopped her hooves together in excitement, levitating over a brush to deal with the mess on her head that had absolutely no right to call itself a mane, not in that state.

It seemed that all she really needed had been a change of scene. A change of friends. Nothing permanent, obviously, but with Starbright she was being treated as an actual pony, with needs and wants and desires, rather than the mare to shove all your problems onto without a minute’s thought.

It occurred to her that Starbright was virtually the only pony in months that had actually visited just to see if she was okay. And now she was far more than okay, and about to be even better.

The sliding door to her wardrobe opened, and she grinned at the contents.

Things were definitely more than okay.

***

“What do you think?”

Star looked up to see Rarity posing seductively in the doorframe. Stockings ran up her legs, falling just short of the lace underwear hugging her luscious curves. Around her abdomen was a tight-fitting corset, and her neck was adorned with a simple collar. All of these were jet black, contrasting beautifully with her pristine white fur.

“It’s such a shame more ponies don’t try these,” she mused. “Though I still do fairly well out of this particular line.”

Rarity slowly crossed the room, hips swaying with each step, the dark fabric accentuating her every movement.

“Don’t be shy,” she whispered, reaching Star. “Surely you want to see how it feels?”

She gently bit his ear and pushed him firmly down against the bed. His hooves came up against her waist, running down her corset and towards her rear, pressing against her through the thin material. As Star moved tantalisingly close to the skimpy clothing covering her, Rarity suddenly shifted to sit on his chest.

“If you’re so desperate to take them off, why don’t you?” she teased. When Star raised a hoof, a little confused, she sighed and pushed it away. “Surely you can be a little more inventive than that?”

Realisation struck, and he began to tease his way along the edge of the waistband, pulling it away with his teeth before letting it snap back against her. The little sting each time the elastic whipped back only increased Rarity’s growing anticipation.
Snap.
Against her hip.
Snap.
Moving inwards.
Snap.
Her leg now, Starbright eyeing her mischievously.
Snap.
The inside of her thigh. He was drawing them out intentionally, waiting longer each time before moving just a little closer.
Snap.
Closer.
Snap.
Closer.
Snap.
Oh so close.

Rarity waited for the final snap that never arrived. Instead Star began to pull slowly downwards, savouring every second of the build-up, the fabric whispering against her as it slid lower. His hot breath running over her skin, Star dragged the lace down, down, exposing her, wet and waiting. He pressed a hoof against her entrance, probing her, making her gasp in pleasure. She pushed back against his touch with a low moan, rubbing up against him with closed eyes. It was clear she was close to the edge, her excitement threatening to get the better of her. Instead of riding it out, Rarity pulled away, moving backwards until she was above his erection. She rubbed herself along his length, gyrating faster and faster, more and more insistently. Finally she could bear it no longer. She positioned herself above his cock and dropped. Starbright’s length slid easily into her depths, slick from her previous endeavours. Rarity kept going in one smooth movement, taking Star to the hilt, gently squeezing around him.

And like that, she began to fuck him, starting slowly. Little movements at first, a taste of what was to come. As the passion built, so did Rarity’s movements, until she was bouncing atop him, moving as far off him as she dared before dropping back down.

Star groaned, head tilting back as the beautiful mare above him maintained her quick, steady rhythm. Her weight pressed down on him, entirely in control, and Starbright couldn’t care less. For once someone else could do the hard work. He lay there and let Rarity ride him, taking as much pleasure from him as he was from her.

Rarity fully gave herself to the act. An escape from the trivialities of her life, nothing but Starbright and her, and the pleasure they shared. Each time she dropped, he seemed to reach a little further into her, rubbing her deeper and deeper. She was soaring above the clouds, but she could hold on. If there was one thing Rarity knew, it was sex, and she had learned to fly along the edge without crossing it. To enjoy and to wait, wait for that perfect moment of release, of pure intensity. Starbright had good stamina, but he was still fairly young, and already he was close. She could feel it, and that only made her speed up.

The smell of sweat and lust permeated the air, the couple’s moans of enjoyment echoing in the empty building. Starbright felt the rising pressure of his mounting orgasm, rushing through him.

“Rarity, I…”

That was all he could manage. He gripped her hips and drove her down onto him, pushing as deeply as possible into her before he came, pouring inside her. Rarity gasped at his sudden forcefulness, and as his seed filled her, she let her orgasm break free, mind blanking as she tensed around him, a final blissful cry bursting from between her lips. Shaking slightly, she fell on top of him, kissing him lovingly on the cheek.

***

Rarity was out of it for some time. The pleasure and exertion had taken a lot out of her, and she just wanted to lie against Starbright’s chest, listening to his heartbeat. She wondered what her friends would make of their tryst, if their relationship became anything more than just this afternoon. Twilight might feel a little put out, she supposed. The princess must have spent quite a bit of time with Star, and probably had eyes for him already. And Fluttershy would no doubt treat it as confirmation of her suspicions, but Rarity found she didn’t really care.

Something started to nag at her, but she couldn’t work out what. Something she wasn’t noticing, something important. Was it to do with Twilight? She didn’t see how that could be it, Rarity hadn’t seen her for weeks. In fact, she should probably ask Star how the alicorn was doing. She looked up to see empty eyes in front of her. The nightmarish pools stared at her, threatening to drag her into them, and all too late she knew what had been worrying her. She was lying on Starbright’s chest, and had been listening to his heart. She’d been so wrapped up in her thoughts she hadn’t noticed it had stopped beating.

“Rarity…” the thing whispered.

“Star...?” Her voice cracked in fear, a scream that she couldn’t, didn’t dare, to voice. To do so would give this thing credibility, make it real.

“You are mine,” it said.

And she was.

***

Spike wasn’t quite sure what he’d heard to start with. The snapping sound was so faint that if he hadn’t been walking past Star’s door he wouldn’t have heard it at all. Spike knew Starbright had gone out, probably to watch one of the bearers, so a noise coming from his room was ringing alarm bells. Spike tried the door handle half-heartedly, but for once Starbright had left the room unlocked. He’d seemed to be in a rush this morning, leaving almost immediately after breakfast, bag around his shoulders.

The room was almost unbearably warm; hot, stagnant air hanging thickly. The windows had been shut all day. Spike couldn’t see what had caused the cracking sound, not immediately. Star had barely changed anything about the place. Other than the pile of his belongings in the corner, it was virtually the same as it had been when Spike last stayed there. He was grateful for that. It felt normal.

Without any obvious cause of the sound, Spike turned to leave, which was when he noticed the small glint of metal, sticking out from underneath the bed frame. Curious, Spike reached underneath and pulled out the heavy object. Upon recognising it, he dropped it in shock, and it hit the floorboards with a heavy thunk. It was Twilight’s crown.

Frantically, Spike scrabbled around underneath the bed, pulling out anything he could find. Sure enough, the remaining elements were stashed away, out of sight.

No… no no no no no.

Applejack’s necklace had joined Twilight’s crown, the black, apple-shaped gem seeming to absorb surrounding light. The sound he heard must have been her gem breaking. That was his first thought, before he spotted Rarity’s element; dark mist creeping into the gem, seeping out of the new crack running down the centre.

Dread washed over him with the sickening revelation. It was Starbright, the whole time. Manipulating him, and his friends, and Spike was the one that had introduced them to him. He was almost as much to blame as Starbright. The demon had been living with him, here in this house, and Spike had let him get away with everything. Had let him get away with doing that to Twilight.

His claws bunched into fists, the sharp points digging deep into his flesh. Twilight, Rarity, Applejack, and the rest of his friends too if Spike didn’t stop him. Spike was the only one who could end this, and he had every intention of doing just that.