BlueFlame

"Whoa, we're...*cough* in the everfree forest." Star said coughing, nasueus from the sudden teleport. "We're pretty close to the castle, about two miles I believe." She continued catching up to Rift. "Why did you come to me? why not my mother? I'm plenty sure she could cast this spell, at the same capacity if not better. Speaking of which, what is this spell anyway?" Star asked

"yes, I can. Although, I need to find a relic in the ancient ruins of the princess sisters' castle, in the ever free forest." Star said fearing her words had set more in motion than she'd planned. "But only I can go, The traps in the castle only deactivate to those of royal blood, I will not risk my friends life, but I'll need a guide, Rift can you take me there?" Star asked turning to Rift.

'Eyuck!' Star thought, breathing in the the sterile hospital smell. She hated this smell, so unnatural; made by ponies, not nature. Star was wheeled into an operating room and then she went black, obviously under the influence of anesthesia. She dreamed of the library, all the books she could ever read, the peace the serenity, everything so...bliss. Then she was ripped away from it, torn back to reality unwillingly by the lessening effects of the medicine. Star sighed softly as she began to regain feeling in her hooves, she thanked the doctors, dropped a couple gold coins-brought from the castle when she fled-in their hooves and left the hospital. She headed down the street and into the inn, where Ace stood next to the Rift pony from the battle at the Crystal Empire. 'Strange' Star thought as she walked up to the two colts.

(OOC: No big deal, secretly I wanted to make her an alicorn anyway, not for the op just cause I'd like to fly, although I love magic...now I can implement that...yay ) Star giggled at the Pegasus's stumble, though she couldn't help but feeling he was just trying to make her feel better. The pegasi began to descend quickly and Star Flare was weightless for a moment–much to her dismay–and she quickly fell back to the pegasi's back. Below was the Hoofington hospital, the wooden building kept to the rustic forest look of the town. With a log frame and tree decor all over the building. Star Flare sighed with relief and sat her head down to rest as the pegasi descended. As soon as they were on the ground, Star was rushed off to a doctor. Passing other patients who looked like they'd suffered from mercenaries as well. Those Timber-Riders must have occupied this town for a while. Star then felt she wasn't very important any more, her people were.

(OOC: Don't know if this is breaking the "Alicorn rule" but I guess she sort of has to be an alicorn, but if anyone has a problem with this post I'll change it, I just got confused bye Ace's post...I'm not a Pegasus... ) "N-no, my wings haven't fully developed, y-y-yet." Star said through her shaking "I'm still only just a bit shy of being a filly, like 15, I lose track of time in the castle." Star explained starting to calm down now, realizing these pegasi weren't going to drop her. She decided it would be best to just lay down on their backs to rest. Too much movement isn't good for her wound.

Weightless, that was what Star Felt when she awoke. She looked down and saw she was on the backs of two Pegasi, one blue and one light green; to the left was Ace keeping pace with them. "What? where am I?" Star asked Ace cringing at the sight of how high they were. Star Flare was not a fan of heights, she fell from her balcony in the castle when she was a filly her mother caught her before she hit the ground, but ever since she'd been deathly afraid of high places, falling, and worst of all, flying. "G-g-g-get...me d-d-down!" Star said panicking.

"Ow. Ow, careful." Star said as she was lifted onto Ace's back. She had removed the arrow, but she'd lost a lot of blood; Star was feeling very queasy, her vision was blurry and her head felt like someone hit it with a hammer. She could make out Swish standing next to Ace talking to someone, but who? A Hoofington guard maybe? Star hoped they hadn't come back for her and gotten captured. "uhh...hate to cut this visit short....but, I need...to rest."

"Ugh..." Star struggled. She looked down at the arrow sticking out of her chest. She then felt the pain, she winced and tried to control her shaking, not wanting to move the arrow head around. She then focused on where the wound was and how she could heal it, she could slowly open the wound more and remove the arrow, but that would cause the most pain, unbearable even. She realized with remorse that she had to do. She used her magic to slowly open the wound and lift the arrow out on onto the ground. After the bloody arrow was out, she sealed the wound with an advanced healing spell. She looked past her hazy vision and saw that Ace was fighting what looked to be the leader, and Swish was riding... a Timber Wolf? that was a bit...un-orthodox. Star then slipped out a few words weakly "Ace...help...please..."

Star was running, running as fast as she can. She was regularly firing bolts back at their pursuers as they retorted with arrows in the hundreds. An arrow zipped by Ace's face and knocked off his glasses. 'This is too close for comfort' Star thought. She then made a decision, a decision hard for even a pony of great will. She stopped and turned to face the attackers, she looked and saw the others slow, "Don't Stop! I'll handle this! I'll see you in Hoofing-" Star yelled to them as an arrow buried itself just below her neck.

"Uhhhh....Uh.." Star started panicking. "Hoffington is only about half a mile away, maybe we could get help there! RUN!" Star dashed in the opposite direction from the timber wolves. She stopped, did a 360 and shot a bolt of fire through Ace and Swish. One timber wolf exploded, crashing into another, tumbling into the forest. There was still another Timber Wolf to deal with though, and it was closing in. Star turned and kept running, and thought to herself "We can make it."

(OOC: Sorry I went inactive for awhile, Family, Christmas, traveling and stuff. I'm back now though. Let's do this ) "No...there's more than three...I'd say about 5 ponies, armored by the sound of it, and coming fast, into the forest. Now." Star said pushing them off the road. "Stay down. They're close...there." Star pointed to a group of ponies that just galloped up, stopped, and looked around. Star told the other two to stay here and she crept closer through the bushes, minding every step; one noise and she could give away the whole group. She realized there were actually 6 ponies, 3 mares and 3 colts. An orange colt at the head of the group growled and said "GRAWWR! You said they were taking this road! they can't be moving that fast!" He yelled. A light blue mare-who didn't look like she would be part of a mercenary group- went to the leaders side and soothed his rage. "Sweetie they have a day's lead on us, we'll find them when they stop to rest or in Hoofington." She said, Star realized though she looked sweet, she was the most dangerous of the group. Then the mercenaries trotted off down the road. Star then crept back to the group, she looked to all of them and said "We'll have to be careful from here on out, but let's move." (OOC: I hope you don't count this as God-modding, since the mercs aren't anyone's characters, if so I'll change it somehow.)

(OOC: Geez Ace, All these questions...) "Umm... I don't remember him much. I remember he was a pegasus....Flying something....you kinda remind me of him..." Star said rambling onto a conclusion. "Wait...I remember his name now! it was..." Star said stopping mid way out of shock. "My grandfather's name was...Flying Ace."

"hmmm...you're right, only Skye and Ace have wings. Although, there are multiple spells that I know that would allow us to walk on clouds, or I could give us all wings...no, too much magic too soon, I could die..." Star said more passively then most would. Star began to compile all of the possible ways to get to Cloudsdale in her head, to realizing that she was disregarding Ace. She looked to her left and heard Ace's question. "Oh, sorry Ace, I didn't here you. Well, She brought forth the first Industrial age, canons, steam power, magic powered machines as well. She also created thousands of Spells for thousands of uses, teleporting long distance, she made the device we used to get here, and even simultaneously defeat a mass of enemies, like the spell I used--note I didn't kill the guards, just knocked them out;Twilight didn't believe in killing needlessly-- and hundreds more. She lived her full life and died in her sleep with my mother at her side. I still miss her, it was nice to see her again, in my dream, I mean." Star Flare felt a single warm tear slide it's way down her face. "And to answer your question Swish, we'll cross that bridge when we get there, I have to think more about it, as for Hoofington, I have friends there, they'll help us." Star finished confidently, though she felt it wasn't going to be that easy.

"Alright, if we're all in agreement, then let's be off.We'll head to Hoofington for now, we can rest there, it's far enough from the crystal palace and it's small enough to go unnoticed. After we are rested we'll head to Cloudsdale" Star finished. Then she turned and walked down the main road out of the city and looked into the sky and wondered if Twilight Sparkle was looking down watching her progress to redeem the place she used to call home. Suddenly, a wave of happiness overcame Star Flare and she couldn't stop smiling.

"I'm sorry, you all deserve an explanation. Although, I'll explain on the way, we're headed for The Luna mountain range." Star said as she slid off of Ace's back and began to head west. "My name is Princess Star Flare, the year is 2105, Ace I believe your from 2089, The Golden Age of Equestria, also know as 'The Sisters' Reign'. My ancestor-I believe you knew her, Ace-Twilight Sparkle, took over when the sister's reign ended." Star continued. "Ponyville was lost in the war with someone I think you two have gotten well acquainted with" She said to QuickJet and Skye. "Silmor, heir to King Sombra, he attacked Equestria 20 years after the defeat of his father at the hands of my great grandmother, Twilight." Star noticed Ace's eyes lit up every time she mentioned Twilight Sparkle. "After the war, Equestria fell, only a few places under the reign of my mother still exist. Silmor's grasp ever expands, still his minions scout our borders." Star explained "As for the moment, my mother has been possessed by an unseen darkness, whom was responsible for all the challenges 'The Mane 6' faced. This darkness sought to destroy the whole of Equestria, why? that I don't know, but I do know we need to stop it. We're going to sneak back into the Canterlot Castle and find the spell I need in the 'Twilight Sparkle' section of the library." She finished, then she put her hoof in the center of their 'group' and said cornily "Whose with me?"

Star sighed from exhaustion, "I'm...fine, I think." Star said tiredly "Just need...to breath." Star looked to the remaining ponies surrounding her, there were 3 colts, Ace, Swish, and Skye's unnamed spouse. Although, Star noticed a few ponies were missing, that 'Rift' colt, and the smallest dragon, the remaining dragon, Aura, seemed to be looking for the small one. Star looked over to Skye the only other mare present, she still had an endearing look on her face, a look of caring and concern for her well being; it might have been because Star was only a filly. Skye would make a good mother someday, Star hoped in her mind that she'd find a way to save her mother. "We need to move...away from the...crystal...emp...empire-" Star stumbled "Need to find...somewhere...safe...to rest" Star muttered as she fell onto Ace's side.

The midst of battle confused Star Flare, she couldn't see anything and all she could hear was a ringing. Star kicked a guard behind her, ducked under a blade and shot a blast of fire into a dozen soldiers Star Flare turned towards Ace as he said "Princess, got any ideas on how to get back to Canterlot?" as Skye being handed off to somepony, Star was weighing her options. "I'm...I'm not sure, maybe we could stop in Cloudsdale, if it's not fallen to Silmor's rule, that is." Star Offered. Star didn't really know what to do, she'd never left the castle, except with her mother. She couldn't think straight, the fighting didn't help, it had to stop. Star reared up and used her most powerful spell. From her horn, dozens of fire whips spread all over the field where they fought and badly burned every guard's body, not lethal flame, but they'd be bed ridden for a few...years. "Finally....it's over." Star said sinking to her knees. "Now I can think..."

"I'm fine, let's go!" Star said as she stood and started galloping next to Ace. "We need to get back to Canterlot!" Star yelled over the sound of exploding homes "I can stop Silmor and this darkness if we get to the Canterlot library, I can find the spell that can dispell darkness." She said dodging the blade of a solider who stabbed at her. "But I can't exactly use the pentagram again, I'm burnt out on magic...sorry" she half-smiled, trying to lighten the situation, "Also, what's that pony's name" she said gesturing towards the mare laid across Ace's back. Star saw an opening in the city's wall and yelled "There!" and the small group of ponies jumped through the gap and into the frozen landscape. Once through, Star stopped and noticed the small colt behind them and lit her horn with flame and pointed it towards him, "Who's he Ace?"

"I was talking to my great grandmother, Twilight Sparkle." Star explained "And talking to her helped me figure out what, I'm supposed to do. Although, I'd rather eat and figure out who you ponies are" Star said "I didn't get to fully introduce myself, my name is Star Flare, Princess of Equestria, or at least what's left of it." Star said awkwardly. She looked over to the Pegasus that had nursed her wound and smiled. "Thank you, and please tell me, what's your name?"