Chapter Text
Starlight Glimmer made her way from Princess Twilight Sparkle's castle to the edge of Ponyville, where her friends were having a picnic. She strolled towards the hill, and trotted down. Twilight waved towards her.
"Hey Starlight!"
Starlight smiled, a glimmer of happiness overtaking her face, as she waved back.
"Hi," She twirled her mane with her hoof as she approached the group.
Pinkie Pie jumped towards her.
"You're here!" She squealed.
"Yes, I am," Starlight said, taking a step back.
Pinkie Pie looked around, a flutter of suspicion crawling onto her face.
"Someone's not here…"
Her eyes bounced.
"Twilight, Rarity, Applejack, Rainbow Dash, Fluttershy, Starlight, Pinkie Pie…"
She turned her head side to side.
"Where's Spike?"
"I saw him before I left the castle; he said that he'd catch up in a couple minutes. Probably on his way here now." Starlight shrugged.
She turned to Twilight,
"Hey Twilight, look what I bought!"
Twilight looked towards her.
"What?" She asked.
Starlight used her magic to pull a box out of her bag, levitating it in front of Twilight, nodding towards her. Twilight used her magic to open the box, and saw seven hayburgers.
"Starlight, you're amazing!" She hugged her.
Starlight laughed at the comment, "I know," She said, gleaming. "But I do have something special for you,"
"Huh?" Twilight asked,
Starlight took out another box, and held it in front of Twilight, she opened it herself to reveal a quesadilla.
Twilight jumped back. With a grim face, she closed the box, and placed it to the side with her magic. "Hilarious." She sighed while a smile crawled onto Starlight's face.
"I have to say, this picnic is a nice change of pace, especially since we just saved the Pillars and the Pony of Shadows." Twilight said, "I still can't believe that I met the Star Swirl the Bearded!" She squealed.
"Yeah, Star Swirl, what a great guy," Starlight muttered, moving her hoof around the floor.
"What was that, Starlight?" Twilight questioned.
Starlight's eyes went wide, "Nothing!"
A dark storm swirled in the skies, and shadows consumed the area above.
"Hey! There's not meant to be another storm until next week," Rainbow Dash said as she looked towards the sky, "Especially not one this strong," She said as she raced to the skies. She attempted to break up the storm, but only found darkness, not clouds. As she dashed back to the ground, she yelled "It's a storm of shadows!"
Starlight turned to look up "That's impossible, isn't it?"
"Nothing's impossible…" Twilight told her, gazing at the darkness churning above them.
Twilight looked around, "Spike's still not here."
All of a sudden, somepony screamed from the direction of Twilight's castle.
"Twilight!" Spike yelled, as he ran down the hill. Twilight rushed towards him.
"What happened?" She asked.
Spike caught his breath, still tired from the sprint.
"It's this letter from Princess Celestia"
Dear Twilight,
Your presence is required in Canterlot immediately for a dire matter. Please bring Starlight Glimmer, as her magical knowledge shall prove useful.
Yours,
Princess Celestia
Twilight read it out loud, and turned to Starlight. "Come on!" She urged, taking off into the sky and zooming towards Canterlot.
A bubble formed around Starlight as her horn was enveloped by a blue glow, and she flew after Twilight.
"We're here!" Twilight yelped, shoving the doors of the throne room open, catching her breath, as she waltzed into the room with Starlight trailing behind her.
Starlight looked around, the entirety of Equestrian Royalty was gathered in the room.
"This must be serious. Princess Celestia, Princess Luna, Princess Cadence, Prince Shining Armor, Princess Flurry Heart and Princess Twilight, all six Alicorns… not to mention Sunburst and I." She gulped.
"Yes Starlight Glimmer, the situation is dire, for soon, Equestria shall be shrouded in darkness" Princess Celestia said.
"Do we know what's happening?" Twilight asked.
Princess Luna shook her head. "We have no idea what is happening, which is why we are all gathered here."
Starlight's eyes went wide in fear.
"Starlight? What's wrong?" Twilight asked her.
"A long time ago, when I was looking for a spell powerful enough to take away somepony's cutie mark," She winced, "I found books on dark magic, and in the same book where there was a spell to replace a cutie mark, there was a spell that allowed Equestria to be shrouded in darkness and shadows."
"Do you know where the book is?" Sunburst inquired.
Starlight looked down and sighed. "It's in Twilight's castle, more specifically, in my bedroom."
Twilight's eyes shined. "Well then, what are we waiting for? Let's go," She turned to the rest of the group, "We'll be back soon,"
"Good luck," Shining Armor told them.
With that, Twilight and Starlight took off, flying towards Ponyville.
They reach the castle from one of the balconies and race to Starlight's room.
"Where is it?" Twilight posed as they walked into her bedroom.
Starlight stalked towards a hung image of an equal sign with a line through it.
"Behind this." She used her magic to levitate the picture off the wall, and placed it on her desk. Starlight turned it over, took out a small book, and she blew the dust off it.
"This is it." She held the book in front of Twilight. "Well, it's not it. It's a copy."
Twilight hummed. "The original?"
"Lands far from here that no pony should go to." Starlight sighed.
"Well, let's get back to Canterlot." Twilight said, and began to spread her wings.
"Twilight, wait!" Starlight stopped her.
"What is it?" She asked,
"When I told you, and everypony else, that I kept the book that had the spell to steal cutie marks, you weren't mad or angry. I expected that you wouldn't be happy about it." Starlight teared up.
"Oh Starlight," Twilight said, wrapping her in a hug with her wing, "I knew that the only reason you'd keep such a thing is to remind you of who you used to be, and how far you've come. Just like the sign on your bed right now."
Starlight wiped the tears from her eyes. "Thanks Twilight," She hugged her back.
"Now come on! We need to get back to Canterlot!"
"We have the book!" Twilight announced as she entered the throne room.
Starlight followed behind.
Twilight gave the book to Sunburst, who flicked through the pages of the book. "This is amazing, there's so much untapped magical potential in here!" His eyes went wide in amazement.
Starlight slammed the book closed. "Don't." She warned, as she levitated the book over to herself. Flipping through the pages, she winced, and stop abruptly. "This." Starlight said.
"The spell of Eternal Darkness, to trap Equestria in the night, and whoever performs it shall rule the lands." She read. Starlight handed the book to Twilight.
"There's a spell here but half the page has been ripped out." Twilight told everypony.
Starlight looked at the book. "That seems like an extremely powerful spell. Only somepony with Alicorn magic could pull that off, and I'm saying that based on half the spell alone!" She noted.
"Good thing we're all here then," Shining Armor said,
"So, Shining Armor, up for your first outing as an Alicorn?" Twilight nudged him, as Cadance smirked.
"Sure thing."
"Flurry Heart may not be of much help," Cadance mentioned
She handed the stroller holding Flurry Heart to Sunburst, and Celestia, Luna, Twilight, Cadance, and Shining Armor stood in a circle facing each other.
Starlight and Sunburst, carrying Flurry Heart, stepped away.
"We all need to amplify Twilight's magic." Celestia ordered.
She turned to Twilight, who nodded at her. The Alicorns blasted their magic into a beam, as Twilight attempted to cast the spell.
Outside, a cloaked figure walked up to the throne room.
"Halt!" A guard commanded, as she and another guard stepped closer to the figure, and in front of the door.
"I will do no such thing." The figure said.
A white glow consumed the guards as they were tossed to the side.
Twilight stopped. "We can't do this. It's not powerful enough, and we're only casting half a spell."
"Sunburst and I could help," Starlight suggested.
"Your magical talent would probably work with all of ours', " Twilight noted.
The doors flew open, as the hooded figure stood in the doorway. They shrugged their cloak off themselves, to reveal their identity.
Twilight's eyes went wide in joy!
"Star Swirl the Bearded!" She exclaimed, flying up in joy.
Starlight sighed.
"With you, we can fix this." Twilight said in joy.
Star Swirl's eyes were dark. "Oh why, my little pony, would we need to fix this?" He asked.
"Equestria is being shrouded in darkness!" Twilight gasped.
"All part of my plan," Star Swirl said, as he froze everpony in place.
"What plan?" Starlight asked, trying to move.
Star Swirl sighed, "Twilight, I never thought that your pupil would be so clueless,"
Twilight's eyes watered,
"With the darkness now encroaching Equestria , I, Star Swirl the Bearded, will finally rule."