Stardust Balance

"Jack, wait!"

No time to wait. Must hurry!

Why not indulge them? It appears this time certain events cannot be prevented. Perhaps time was always meant to be toyed around, as that foolish unicorn will soon demonstrate.

Not on my watch!

Without delay, I sped through the corridors, uncaring whether or not my friends pursue me. This was a matter needed to be dealt with before all goes to [BEEP]. Because, truthfully, it wasn't just of preventing the episode finale in the first place. But it's moreso how the different distortions of time will affect my friends.

And affect me.

Hm. Truly I doubt such a thing. You exist outside the laws of time which govern this world Jack. Any changes, regardless how significant, should have no effect on you.

But I'm not taking that chance...

"Jack! Slow down, please!"

Aha! The doors to the throne room. And stopping just before them, I reached out, and detected a hostile presence waiting for us inside. She's already here.

Alright then, strategy time. Knock the parchment from her hoofs quickly as possible. Easy.

Despite your common misfortune in things never typically going your way.

...[BEEP].

Beside me, from the corner of my eye, Twilight was panting heavily, Spike sliding off her back to join me. But I was moreso focused on the doors and the pony waiting for us than my concerned friends at the present time.

"Geez, and I thought Twilight was the stressful one." Spike stated upon examining my posture. "You look like you're ready for battle!"

"Yeah..." Finally regaining her breath, Twilight inquired worriedly, "What did you mean by danger earlier, Jack? What are we facing this time?"

"The pony behind these doors."

"Huh?" They exchanged confused looks. "Who's inside?"

Ignoring that question, I glanced over to them. "When you get the chance, grab the parchment she carries, alright? The fate of Equestria, once more, relies on it."

Spike continued to look baffled as all [BEEP], but Twilight, seeing how serious I was regarding this new threat, shifted her look from puzzlement to understanding resolve, nodding. "We're with you." Knew I could count on you love. I nodded back, relieved and faithful in my special somepony.

The young dragon chuckled nervously. "What, are we dealing with a vengeful Starlight or something?" As Twilight proceeding opening the doors, cautiously, through magic.

"Ask her yourself."

"Huh? ...Oh."

"Welcome home, Twilight!" The pink unicorn, in all her arrogant glory with light purple eyes, magenta mane with a blue streak, having made herself comfortable, greeted Twilight with a smug disposition. Automatically I stepped forward, waiting for the right oppotunity. Introductions can wait afterwards, once I grab that paper detailing the spell out of Starlight's hoofs.

Didn't have to wait too long. With an aura of blue magic, the jealous mare proceeded to lift the open parchment into the air, preparing to utilize the time spell for her own misdeeds.

Now's your chance.

Amen!

Starlight couldn't react fast enough as, through Balance's aided power, I sped forward and leapt from the floor harshly, pushing myself through the air that would make Rainbow proud. The pink unicorn dropped her jaw in disbelief and bafflement upon my swift grabbing the floating parchment above the table, rolling across the far side of the room a few feet from the enraged unicorn.

That, was simple!

Spike cheered loudly from the doorway. "You go bro!"

Starlight, however, wasn't as amazed by the spectacle, pink horn lighting up threateningly. "Give that back!" Followed by her rage creating a blue beam headed my way, responded with a raised free limb shielding myself from the assault, albeit the magic forcing me back considerably.

Ugh... Strong magic.

But nothing your own strength cannot endure. Sombra practically barked. Use this oppotunity. Destroy the parchment.

Good idea.

"Oh no you don't!" Oof! The unicorn attempted to grab the paper back next through instantly teleporting and ramming into my underbelly, the parchment flying into the air from the assault. But my panicked look quickly shifted to relief, before Starlight could grab it, the paper was encased by a purple hue, teleporting right to Twilight's side.

See? Hasn't let me down yet!

"It's over Starlight," Twilight claimed calmly, unfazed by the other mare's seething look. Together, we stood between the enraged unicorn from a safe distance, keeping her trapped temporarily. "Whatever you were intending to do has been foiled."

Scoffing, the mare's expression changed once again to apparent smugness. "Oh dear, Twilight, once again you underestimate the depths of my ambition. I won't be leaving until my retribution is complete!" Followed with her horn lighting up again, and we tensed, ready for whatever Starlight had in store.

Although, now seemed a great time to talk some sense into her-

...Hm?

But my attempt of persuasion hadn't escaped my muzzle due to a sudden crackling in the air. The four of us looked upwards at which, having all heard it. And, mentally, Balance was yelling into my ears in full warning.

No, scratch that, Balance was screaming, the intensity of which prompted my pained wince at such volume. What was that...? I sensed something... Amassing. Something more powerful than anything I've detected yet.

An imbalance, but nothing I've sensed to this scale.

That was... Growing!

"Everyone, grab something!" Without questioning further, Twilight and Spike trusted me enough to hold onto two thrones in preparation, one having encountered this growing power before. Yet despite the wind picking up, all senses detecting a danger more sinister than Starlight's ambitions, whereas we felt under threat.

Starlight felt oppotunity.

And my eyes could only widen. "Twilight!" As the alicorn was knocked backwards by a certain pink unicorn. "Starlight, you idiot!" But the foolish mare paid no heeds, swiftly attempting to grab the parchment in the alicorn's spot.

Unless, had a certain dragon not caught the flying paper first with his tail, bringing it over to him.

And that, for some reason, gave imbalance the perfect time to react.

And it suddenly hit me this might have happened just because of me.

Starlight's advances towards the clinging Spike halted by a powerful gust of wind, all collectively gasping at the sudden blackened hole emerging from the ceiling. "What is that?!" Starlight called out, in both fear and puzzlement, her smugness slowly falling off. "That wasn't suppose to happen!"

You don't know how right you are!

"It's the imbalance!" Twilight called out. "It's trying to pull us through!" Starlight wasn't fond of this idea, and attempted to straight-up fire a blue energy beam right into the heart of the pulling hole. And the mare was rewarded by a cackle of lightning almost frying her pink fur.

Hadn't Twilight pushed them both out of the way and onto the center of the table... And the center of the storm.

Oh [BEEP]. NO!

"TWILIGHT! STARLIGHT!"

My own grip on my throne loosened, one limb extending to grab the two mares, mostly Twilight - before the gigantic wormhole growing in the middle of the room sucked them both to hell knows where. While Starlight looked momentarily baffled by Twilight's selfless act of saving her, the alicorn reached out to meet my hoof halfway, thankfully grabbing one another as she tried to hold on and keep the other mare safe.

And any moment of respite was, unfortunately and horrificly, interruped by Spike's scream.

"Guys help!"

NO! "SPIKE!" We yelled out over the crackling storms, with little effect, and my hoof quickly released Twilight's, reaching upwards towards the center of the storm. I won't let it take my girlfriend NOR my little bro! With Balance, I made an effort to strike back against the storm, while Twilight kept Spike at bay through her magic.

But my own stupidity failed to warn me before it was too late. As Twilight's released grip from me prompted she and Starlight to begin rising. Panicking, the unicorn began lighting her horn again... Which cancelled out in sparks. "My magic isn't working!"

I wasn't having much luck as well; whatever force was behind this storm wasn't letting up any freebies this time, adding to my already exhausted state from training today making me work to stopping this imbalance indefinitely.

Do something!

I'm trying-!

Wait... If Starlight's magic wasn't working... Then-!

"ARRRRRRRRRRR! HEEEEEELP!"

"NOOO!"

"SPIKEEEE!"

Something akin to bile began rising in my throat, time seeming to slow down. Horrified sharp breaths escaping my throat at witnessing this horrifying, dreadening event. I was afraid of this ever happening, since the imbalances started long ago. And I, the idiot I was, couldn't stop it in time before it... It sucked the helpless Spike right in. And not a trace of him sticking out as the storm took him for itself.

...No...

NO!

But things only worsened from there. From what followed by this terrible, AWFUL tragedy was Twilight's expression of horror to sudden resolve, glancing back at me with a certain look, meeting my terrfied gaze intently. Through our bond, the alicorn tried to relay what she was planning next, before I could stop her.

Stop her from going in after-

"NO! DON'T YOU [BEEP]ING DARE TWILIGHT!" Not you too! I won't let that happen!

It seem you won't have much choice...

And Sombra's prediction only came true. Twilight smiled, a small tender smile emerging on her muzzle, as the pull only became stronger. My own yells fell on deaf ears as her wings expanded majestically, whipping along with her mane, and eyes closing determinedly.

It was... Almost angelic to look at.

"TWILIGHT!"

And my hoarse scream of despair and horror died out once the mare flew upwards, disappearing from sight, Starlight soon to follow. But my attention focused briefly on the fact my girlfriend... The one who guided me from the dark. Who showed me friendship deserved another chance. Who kept constant faith in me, knowing she'd see me again one day. Who fought beside and against me in verbal spars. Who grew exasperated and amused by my own idiotic antics.

The Princess that I... I...

...And now, because of me...

Oh for the love of- She's not dead boy! Snap out of it! Don't you have one equine you can spare from the imbalance?

...Oh... Right.

Starlight's own sheer yells of terror as she was bring pulled upwards were rather comical by contrast, comparing to Twilight's own firm resolve once she flew through the wormhole just then. "Don't just stand there! Help me!"

I would blame Starlight for all this... But still, I could never, ever, let someone endure this fate.

Giving up on trying to halt the imbalance altogether, my own grip released, and with Balance, my slow ascendance quickened from a mighty leap upwards, reaching out to grasp the flailing pink hoof as the storm cackled around us. My vision, upon entering the wormhole along with Starlight, was greeted by a pure, inky darkness.

And a sound resembling that of a raspy old chuckle...?

https://www.fimfiction.net/story/243194/a-journey-beyond-sanity

https://www.fanfiction.net/s/10959457/1/A-Journey-Beyond-Sanity