My Little Pony: Playing With Fire

Chapter 3 - Stardust's Goodbye, Part 2

Disclaimer: Hasbro and DHX Media are the owners of "MLP: FiM", while I own the story, and Stardust Balance belongs to the Warrior of Twilight.

takes place sometime after the ending to "Seeds of the Past"

"So, you basically… created your own world of Pokémon?"

"Yeah, pretty much… why, you jealous that you didn't come up with it yourself?"

After taking a sip from his bottle of Coke, Stardust smirked at his friend, and replied, "Far from it, Casey. I'm more curious about how in the hell you found the time to do all that."

Night had fallen in the world of the light-orange Earth Pony, and because the day was not yet over, he was spending the remaining hours just having a conversation with one of his closest friends.

"Well, uh, you remember that time when we weren't allowed to sleep in our bedrooms, or anywhere in the castle, to be specific?"

Stardust nodded his head. "Yep… had to sleep on a couch in Sunset's apartment that night, but I didn't really mind it that much, to be honest. Does this mean you got sent to-"

"Yup, I got sent to virtual limbo," replied a smiling Casey. "Spent almost an entire day just thinking about a place I would go to do whatever I want, whenever I want… even conjured up a temporary bed for that night, but it sounds like you were fine with just layin' on the couch."

The young Earth Pony rolled his eyes, and said, "Alright, let's move on to something else - what did your Twilight get you for your birthday?"

To his amusement, Casey's face started to turn a little red before giving the answer. "It, uh, wasn't much, to be honest… we just, ah, had a long, heartfelt conversation… followed by, er… us trying to make-out for the time."

"Trying?" repeated Stardust, who was trying his best not to laugh. "What, did you mess up or… something?"

"No, of course not," Casey quickly answered, shaking his head, and was now feeling a little embarassed. "We just… it was our first time, okay? I'm sure you must've felt the same way when you and your Twilight made out for the first time, right?"

Remembering when said event occured back in Anti-Equestria, Stardust just gave a small chuckle. "It's different for everyone, man, that's all I'm going to say."

Casey sighed, and he replied, "Why am I not surprised? Oh, before I forget, I've got to introduce you sometime to this new friend I made that lives in another world… actually, he kinda reminds me of you."

"How so?"

The young pony took a moment to think about it. "Well, he looks a little bit like the way you did when we all got sent to London, but more, um, older, I guess… and he had something called a, uh… oh, what was it…"

"What are you two talking about?" asked Twilight, as she made her way into the library, along with her counterpart, whom Stardust gave a curious look at.

"I feel like I should be asking you the same question… you two were talking longer than us."

His girlfriend simply gave him a smile, and she said, "Just some stuff you'd find rather uninteresting, Jack."

Then, turning her head over to look at Casey, the alicorn asked, "Did you enjoy your birthday today?"

Casey happily nodded his head. "Yup… well, aside from being in a wheelchair, getting my tongue stung by a bee, and Kronos showing up to say that there would be no traveling whatsoever between our worlds starting tomorrow… but other than that, I haven't had a birthday this memorable in a long time."

Twilight's other self smiled at Casey, and said, "Good… which, as always, now brings us…"

"... to the part where we talk about…" added Casey's special somepony.

"... what happens next… probably for the last time," muttered Stardust, with a hint of sadness in his voice, and Casey gave him a confused look.

"Well, it's not like it'll be the last time, right? I mean, the last two times we didn't end up seeing each other resulted in Rowan almost wiping out all of the worlds that had another version of you, and Elixir pretty much being this close to ruling Equestria in your world while-"

Noticing Casey's Omega mask lying on the desk nearby, Stardust nodded his head, and said, "Yeah, I remember…"

"It's just that, for some reason, time works differently between our worlds," added Twilight's counterpart, seeing that he still looked confused. "So, for example, a month here for you could be half a year for us."

"Half of a…" replied Casey, sounding surprised, and he also realized what this meant exactly. "So, like what happened the first time… except now you're here to- gah!"

Suddenly, a certain draconequs appeared in between the two friends, and he had an automatic time recorder next to him.

"I'm sorry to intrude on whatever was going on in here, but I would just like to let you know, Twilight, that my shift is over for tonight," said Discord, clocking out as he talked to Casey's girlfriend. "Let me know if I ever need to scare - I mean, watch over your sole prisoner again."

Then, he disappeared in the blink of an eye, and a concerned Twilight said, "Oh, no, I better go check on him…"

"I'm right behind you," replied Stardust's girlfriend, who followed after her counterpart, and that left the two Earth Ponies to just themselves once again.

After letting out a sigh, Casey said, "I know Twilight made her decision on Beck's fate, but sometimes I just…"

"Trust me, I get what you're saying," replied Stardust. "I've felt the same way towards… others that I prefer not to mention at the moment."

Rubbing the back of his neck with a front-hoof, Casey started to chuckle, and said, "I think I can guess who they might be… also, um, I never got to thank you for what you did back when Rowan…"

He gestured to his bandaged hind legs, and a small smile appeared on Stardust's face. "Like I told that a-hole, I'm not a killer… but I decided to make an exception just this once."

"And nobody appreciates that more than I do," replied a sheepish Casey. "Well, along with my Twilight, I'm sure… but, um…"

Taking a look at the time on his wristwatch, Casey was reminded of the fact that Stardust (and his Twilight) had to return to their world before midnight arrived, or else something bad was probably going to happen.

"Do we… or… uh…" said the young pony, who was unsure as to whether or not to embrace Stardust or offer him a hoof-shake, but to his surprise, Stardust provided the answer by giving Casey a hug.

"You take…. take care of yourself, okay?"

Even though Casey couldn't sense the emotions of others like how Stardust could, the light-orange pony could tell by his friend's voice, as well as his own feelings, that this wasn't exactly easy for him to do.

"I will… and, uh, can you make sure that he does the same, Starswirl?"

Despite past occurences, I will do the best that I can, replied the voice of Stardust's mentor, and his pupil rolled his eyes while moving away from Casey.

"Yeah, yeah, we get it, I practically die almost every other Tuesday…"

Well, you've only actually died just a few times, Jack… it's mostly being on the verge of death until something happens to prevent it.

As Stardust activated the Crystal Mirror, a chuckling Casey shook his head, and said, "I'm gonna miss seeing you too, Starswirl… I mean, uh, hearing you."

And the same from me to you, as well, Casey… you're certainly not the same pony that you once were on the day you first arrived back in our world so long ago.

Stardust nodded, in agreement, and said, "You know I was this close to probably tossing that necklace of yours into the portal you flew into?"

Casey began to laugh, and once he was done, the young pony said, "Good bye, Stardust… untill we meet again?"

"Oh, don't worry about that," replied a smirking Stardust. "You got me into all this that day you showed up in my world… so you aren't getting rid of me that easily."

The two of them shared a quick moment of laughing together until Casey watched his best "guy" friend step through the Crystal Mirror, and a few seconds later, Stardust was gone.

"I wonder if I should've told him about the pil - oh, hey, Princess Twilight."

Making her way into the library, Stardust's girlfriend said, "You don't always have to call me that, Casey… just 'Twilight' is fine."

Casey sheepishly shrugged his shoulders, and replied, "Also, uh… since you don't seem to be that angry or irritated… I wanted to tell you again that I'm sorry for, um… thinking you were my Twilight during that whole mess with Elixir…"

To his surprise, Twilight's counterpart just blushed a tiny bit as she said, "It's alright, Casey, I know now what you were going through at the time… and I'm glad that this world's version of me is with someone like you."

"Well… I mean, I'm not like perfect, or… heh, heh…" replied Casey, feeling the same way he used to back when he had first met his Twilight.

Then, his surprise grew when Twilight's other self gave him a hug, as well a quick kiss on the cheek. "Take care, Casey… and happy birthday."

"Uh… t-thanks, Twilight," said a blushing and sheepish Casey, and he watched her go through the mirror, as well, so that she could return to her world.

A few moments later, having again realized that it would be a long time before he would see either of them again, an emotional Casey muttered, "Why can't I cry on the inside like AJ does?"

Wiping away the small tears that were around his eyelids, the young pony began to leave the library when he suddenly let out a small cry of pain.

"Ow! What the…" gasped Casey, placing a hoof on his chest, but the pain only lasted for a few seconds before going away, much to his confusion. "That was… strange…"