Stardust Balance

Ow my [BEEP]!

Thanks Starswirl! Couldn't give me time to even react from my fall before the sudden duffle bag and Nightshade followed above, landing critically below my waist, could you? I hissed irritably and painfully, shoving the bag of essentials to the side and clutching my private junk with tightly closed eyes, oblivious to my next surroundings. Hey as long as no one took advantage in my temporarily pained state.

My [BEEP]s and my [BEEP]. How utterly charming. I grumbled in disoriented annoyance, moving from my back and placing one palm on soft ground, pleased to find I had landed on something like grass, so long as it wasn't wet. Kneeling now, I took great care in lifting myself upwards, grimacing repeatedly.

"[BEEEEEEEEEEEEEP]..." Came my sharp drawn out response, as if I couldn't emphasize how exactly painful it was for a man to be hit in the lower area. Hey Twilight, if you ever thought losing a friend was the worst experience to have. than won't I be disagreeing with you? Heheheheh...

God I needed to sit down... Oh, how convenient. A bench just right there. Where the Hell was I anyway-?

...Oh...

God [BEEP]ing dammit...

Only then did I finally see that I was being observed by flabbergasted colourful pasty humans, some with sheer disapproval and covering their children's ears my way. The reality of where I precisely was this time brought on even more annoyance than getting a bag dropped on my [BEEP]s. Starswirl clearly has a sick twisted sense of humour, as always.

The EQG world.

You mean to tell me Zagreus was HERE? AGAIN?!

Sadly indeed. Though Starswirl sounded far more amused than apologetic over the circumstances. At least, another measure of imbalance caused from the fiend's twisted magic.

Wonderful... [BEEP]ing wonderful... And from my surroundings, looks to be a park. Funny, t'was where I fought Mane-iac and Nightmare Rarity on my last unwilling visit to this forsaken universe. Alright, Starswirl, where's the Goddamn imbalance? Want to get this over with quickly as possible.

I'll need some time before gaining a precise estimate, Jack. For now it appears to be all over the place. Likely Zagreus intends to keep us stalled for a certain amount of-

So no clue then? [BEEP] it!

Practically throwing the bag onto the bench, keeping Nightshade on my shoulder, I winced and flared through nostrils at every step I took, refraining the urge to swear loudly for nearby citizens to hear. If there was one thing I did take immense pleasure in this world other than Equestria, it was that these people could at least hear what exactly I said instead of obnoxious beeping noises. It was great.

Alright, strategy time... Wait until this pain to my testicles wears off, then look around town and ignore the curious and whispering gazes of people who have never seen a proper human being before. Find Zagreus, kick his arse to next week, get rid of the imbalance and leave with my dignity and what remains of my sanity intact. Done and done, nothing needed revising there.

One hand clutched the armrest of the bench tightly as I hovered over the bench with Nigthshade now perched atop the wood, my other hand rubbing below my waist to make some effort of soothing the pain. Wasn't working too well. Man, it's as if Zagreus knew how much I despised this world and everything about it, coming here and endangering its people again out os sheer spite. Because he knew I couldn't just leave these victimized people to their doomed fate-

[BEEP]'s sake. "Take a picture, it'll last longer!" And they all scattered like chickens, aiming to get away from the little human whom looked ready to bite their heads off the moment they lingered around.

Tempted, believe me-

"Stardust...?"

A voice I've grown accustomed to, so familiar and welcome, gentle and entirely disbelieving resonating from behind that it caused my whole body to freeze, just for a moment. No... It couldn't be...!

Not Twilight...

Not Sunset...

But...!

Nightshade let out an elated "Hoo!" in evident recognition, and I slowly turned around, part of me deeply afraid I wasn't just simply hearing things and hoping for naught. A teenager girl, frozen in shock, in green and black with ripped pale dark blue jeans, tiny shoes and long flowing purple hair with strands of light blue. As if that wasn't enough of an indication as to who she was, the light purple eyes were enough of a giveaway.

"Starlight...?" The SAME Starlight from Equestria, not simply this world's version of her? Why else would she call out my name and was currently looking at me as though I was expected to have never been seen again- "...Are you wearing a beanie-?"

I think the incredulous disapproval was enough to provoke the teen forward, thoroughly tackling my unprepared state and knocking uf both roughly to the ground. Ow.

"I knew it! I knew you wouldn't give up on us!" Starlight's voice sung in utter relief and happiness, eyes tightly shut with slender pink arms wrapped around my neck, burying the side of her head on my chest. Jesus. Tentatively I returned the hug... Before my own grip tightened as well, because by God I missed her too. "Spike was right, it was too soon to consider the worst, regardless what the rumours said!"

Despite my own feelings of pure content and peace at seeing an old friend again, hugging her this way in a very suggestive position, I had to smile and gently brush through her hair. "Don't know why you're so surprised my dear... Discord should've confirmed I was still alive and kicking since our last encounter."

Starlight looked up then, beginning to lean upwards with leaked tears and eye makeup starting to become ruined, moving back one hand and-

"Ow!"

"If you think that hurts, just wait until what Twilight may have planned for making us think you were gone!" Followed with another harsh slap to my arm. Jesus. Her pink features frowned in exasperated disapproval. A very Twilight-like trait. Like teacher like pupil. "When we heard what happened in the mountains, we assumed the worst. We thought... We thought...!" A choke sob, followed with a bitter sigh and Starlight shaking her head and grinning tiredly. "And now I find you here... You always had a skill for taking people by complete surprise, Stardust."

"I'm sorry." And I truly meant that, because the last thing I needed was everyone believing me dead. The severe consequences there would rip my heart apart. "Please, let them know as soon as possible that I'm alive and kicking." Let her know.

Starlight shook her head again. "You will be sorry soon enough." But the threat barely sounded convincing enough, the pink mare-turned-teenager now grinning more positively in utter relief. "I'd ask just what you're even doing here, but right now I'm just relieved you're okay and... You know."

"Yeah..." I nodded with a slight smile. "And what are YOU doing here, Starlight? Twilight send you here to handle a friendship situation with Sunset?"

The young woman grinned sheepishly. "Actually, something similar happened a few days ago. Now I'm sorta sticking around to learn a little more about this world Sunset chooses to live in." Starlight shrugged with a light smile. "And I don't know why you've complained so much about it, Stardust. This world is amazing!"

"Debatable."

Starlight smirked at the immediate dry response, still sitting atop me before shaking her head and proceeding to hug my chest and neck yet again, finding my own face being buried into her long hair. "I'm so happy to see you again..." Came the sheepish yet utterly thrilled whisper.

"As am I... Sister..." I quietly mumbled in response, happily returning the embrace to a very good friend to me, Twilight and everyone else. I could practically feel Starlight's emotions pouring out of her from the elated cuddle, softly stroking her back. "I'm glad to see you're safe and unharmed..." Though where Sunset and the others were was a big question; why was she wandering around the park on her own?

"...Stardust..."

"Hm...?"

"You can let go of me now if you want..."

"...I kinda don't want to." Came my honest reply, the pleasure and joy of seeing a good old friend again after months and months of uncertainty. Starlight being in my presence again was bringing back some old happiness, protection and relief to my starved heart.

"Oh..." Starlight quietly responded sheepishly, then proceeding to bury her face further to my clothed chest. "That's good, because neither do I..." And the moment lasted for a good matter of minutes, utterly ignoring the curious and fond looks of passerbys.