MLP: Darkness Rising

Chapter 4 - Questions, Part 1

Disclaimer:"My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic" belongs to DHX Media and Hasbro, while Stardust Balance is owned by the Warrior of Twilight, and FanficFan920 is the one who created Beck.

"... and that's pretty much everything that has happened so far."

After Starlight had finished her sentence, Stardust blinked his eyes a few times, and looked over at Twilight.

"I only have… one question to ask, princess," said the gold Earth pony.

"Go ahead, you can ask anything that you want." replied the purple alicorn.

Nodding his head, Stardust moved his pupils in an upward direction, and he asked, "How in the hell are you still in my head if Twilight freed you and those others from limbo?"

Well, technically, Jack, only my 'voice' is in your head...

"That doesn't really answer my question, though," said a frowning Stardust. "And is that why I didn't hear from you all those days?"

Starlight looked at Casey in confusion, and her friend said, "He's talking to Starswirl… who is, I guess, talking to Stardust telepathically."

Knock-knock-knock!

"It's always open!" shouted the both of them, and they turned their heads to see who was entering the castle. "Um… Twilight?"

Before Twilight could ask what they wanted, she and Stardust saw who the visitor was, and the young alicorn's face brightened up while Stardust became speechless.

"Good to see you three again," said Starswirl, and he gave a small nod towards Casey. "And apologies for my late congrats on your recovery."

Stardust was still trying to figure out what exactly to say, and he couldn't ask Starswirl for help like usual because the bearded unicorn was standing in the same room as him.

"Hiya, Starswirl," greeted Pinkie, who had now put away the chair and table that contained several cakes. "I'm guessing you're here because I brought Stardust to the castle?"

Starswirl gave a small nod, and he replied, "More or less, Pinkie… anything else you would like for me to answer, Jack?"

After blinking quietly a few more times, Stardust finally got some words out of his mouth. "I… uh… so I won't hear you in my head anymore?"

"You won't be rid of me that easily," replied an amused Starswirl. "Also, quick question, Casey - how is that one alternate version of our golden friend here doing?"

"Anti-Stardust?" said Casey, while Stardust was still trying to process everything. "I think he's okay… can't imagine him being in a situation worse than this."

After giving his greeting to the young princess, the scarred pony took one small step forward. "Just hear me out, prin - whoa, ho, okay...

With the tip of her horn glowing with magic, a frowning Twilight said, "If you're here to get some kind of 'revenge' on Jack, or do more worse stuff to me-"

Anti-Stardust held up a forehoof, and he waved what she said to the side. "I'm not here to do anything like that, princess, I can assure you."

Twilight raised an eyebrow at him.

"Look, if I'd wanted to, I could have already-" The scarred pony began to say, but after quickly realizing what he was about to tell Twilight, he changed up his sentence. "I just really need your help with something very important."

"And what would that be exactly?" questioned the suspicious purple alicorn.

Before Anti-Stardust could answer her, Spike pointed at the eye-patch that he was wearing. "That's actually kind of neat. How'd you get it?"

Stardust's alternate self let out a chuckle, and began to speak in a rough tone. "Arrrgghhh, that'd be a tale too frightenin' for a youngin' such as yerself, my boy."

He took another step forward, but Twilight's horn glowed just a little bit brighter. "You sure that your special somepony would approve of you attacking a defenseless pony like me, princess?"

"He certainly would have done something to you at this point in time, if I'm being honest," pointed out Stardust's girlfriend.

"Eh, fair point," said the scarred pony, giving a small shrug. "Okay, I need your help in finding-"

Just as Anti-Stardust was about to finish his sentence, one of Twilight's friends had walked into the throne room. "Hey, Twilight, I was wonder - oh, how's it going, EG Stardust?"

"Um… this is actually Anti-Stardust," corrected Spike, causing said pony to glare at him. "What? It's not like - oh…"

Wham!

Anti-Stardust flew across the room after receiving a headbutt from an angered Rainbow Dash, who then grinned as she heard him groan in pain. "Man, I've been waiting forever to do that."

Twilight gave her a look, and the pegasus replied, "What? He deserves that, Twilight! You saw what happened to my house because of him."

As Anti-Stardust began to stand back up, Twilight tried to calm her friend down. "Yes, I remember, Rainbow, but let him explain the reason for why he is here in the first place."

"Well, it better be a real good reason, Twilight," said a frowning Rainbow, not forgetting what the pony in front of her had done to them in the past.

Once it seemed like he was able to speak, Anti-Stardust let out a sigh, and showed them what was currently on his left wrist.

"Isn't that, uh, the one watch Casey made?" wondered Rainbow, and the scarred pony gave her a quick nod.

"This is what I used to come here after I was unable to... well, okay, this is what happened."

Several Hours Earlier

Two of Xenos' guards were currently standing in front of a cell door, and as time passed, it didn't look like anything would happen… until an amused voice caught their attention.

"Do I really have to take care of you two again?"

Making his way out from the shadows was a smirking Anti-Stardust, who had an eyebrow raised up. "Ah, you must be the new guys, then… shall I show you what happened to the ones you replaced?"

BZZZZZTTT!

The two guards fired up their electric probes, and Anti-Stardust sighed before shaking his head. "Tell you what…"

In just under a few seconds, the scarred pony knocked the probes out of their hands, whacked the side of their heads against each other, and as they fell down to the ground, he said, "I'll go easy on you two [BEEP]s for today… and I will take that, thank you very much."

Once he had obtained the key, Anti-Stardust opened up the cell door, and quickly hurried inside to kneel down beside the pony that was now in front of him.

"Twilight…"

"... Jack?"

Hearing the voice of the young alicorn that he had believed to be dead, Anti-Stardust gently brushed one of his forehoofs through Anti-Twilight's mane, and he was about to kiss the top of her head when her entire body suddenly glitched from out of nowhere.

"What… no…" Anti-Stardust became horrified after Anti-Twilight's body vanished into thin air a few seconds later, and then, the entire cell was filled the sounds of a villainous laugh.

Hahahahahahaha!

"You… son of a…" growled the angered pony.

Did you honestly think it would be that easy for you to save her, Jack?

Anti-Stardust slammed his right forehoof into the ground, and gritted his teeth in frustration. "I swear, Xenos, once I get my damn hooves on you-"

You are no longer a threat to me, you foolish creature. Instead, you're just someone that I enjoy playing these kind of games with.

The young pony glared upwards, and he growled, "Why the hell don't you [BEEP]-ing show yourself, then, instead of hiding out like a little [BEEP]?"

I don't need to answer myself to you. Have fun continuing to be alone, with no one that can possibly ever help you find your dear princess.

Silence had returned to the darkened cell, and an upset Anti-Stardust continued to slam his hoof into the ground repeatedly.

Present

"I obviously know and remember everything that I have done to all of you," said Anti-Stardust, once he had finished up with his story. "But I also remember what both you and my other self did for the human version of Stardust before we were seperated… so I ask if you can please do the same by helping me find out where my Twilight is at."

Stardust's girlfriend didn't know how to respond just yet, but Rainbow already had something to say. "How do we know this isn't some sorta evil scheme that ends with us being captured or somethin?"

Anti-Stardust sighed, and he replied, "I don't blame you for thinking that, and nor do I plan on asking for your forgiveness, but if you can all help me find out where my Twilight is at, I promise to never show my face again."

He the young and hesitant princess a hoofshake, hoping that she would accept his attempt at a truce. "Please, Twilight… I need your help."