Downstream (MLP Fanfiction)

Chapter 4

The sounds of angry talons scratching the floor sent Luster dashing out the window just before Natyla's parents banged down the door.

She barely managed to cling onto the edge of a nearby roof and began roof-hopping before she remembered her bookbag was still in the guest bedroom. With a flash, it was on her back again.

With Canterlot Train Station in sight, Luster could see a train just about to leave. Way too late to get on, but still enough time to try something else.

Luster reached for a scroll in her bag and skimmed through it for a second before readying her horn.

"Ok. Focus, and..." began Luster, "Teleport!"

With a flash, Luster was on the train tracks, the train she meant to get on fast approaching.

"Shoot, shoot!" exclaimed Luster, frantically preparing the spell again. This time, she appeared inside the train, just like she meant to.

She let out a quiet sigh of relief as she found herself a seat on the rather barren train. Nopony ever gets on the morning train to Ponyville, so it was easy to find a table seat to herself.

Luster checked she had her bookbag on hand and began to think back to the dream last night. Nothing in the dream was particularly sad. If anything, it was just a bit scary. "It's just a nightmare," Luster thought to herself.

Luster stuck her hoof in the bag and fished out the bookmark. Luster stared at it, studying the symbol above the script. It felt like some kind of metal. Whoever made it clearly put a lot of care into it.

Later on, the train stopped at Ponyville and Luster got off. The second she got onto the platform, her name was being called quite angrily. "Luster Dawn! Where in Equestria have you been?!" A very sleep-deprived Starlight marched up to her.

"Mother! I-I was just staying overnight at the library!"

"You knew we were going to talk last night. You didn't have to pull a stunt like that!" Sunburst harshly whispered, walking Luster back home. "Your mother was awake all night wondering where you were. We searched all over Ponyville for you!"

Starlight looked over her shoulder. "Nonetheless, we are going to talk about this and what happened yesterday."

Luster's ears dropped, bowing her head in shame as they climbed the steps and opened the door, with a big sign stating 'We're closed today! Come back tomorrow!'.

Starlight and Sunburst guided Luster to a room they rarely ever used, the old Command Room.

Luster took a step inside. Even though she's grown up in this castle, this room had always found a way to leave her with a sense of wonder. Starlight and Sunburst took a seat, and Luster went to sit at the chair with Twilight's star on top.

"You realise who sat there before you, right?" asked Starlight, unimpressed.

"Princess Twilight would never do what you did. In the time that we've known her, she never disrespected her parents like this," added Sunburst.

Luster bit her tongue.

Starlight took a long breath. "OK, let's take this one step at a time. Where did the idea of rune spells come from?"

Luster spoke quietly, seething. "You're the one who should be answering questions, you know."

"Luster!" Sunburst raised his voice

"No!" yelled Luster, slamming a hoof into the table. "My own mother practises dark magic? How in Equestria have you not been thrown in Tartarus already?!"

Starlight had that face again. She was too shocked to speak, then she started crying.

Sunburst immediately hugged her and looked at Luster. "There are things we never wanted to tell you, Luster. Things we've put behind us."

"I'm your own daughter, for pony's sake! I would never keep a secret like that from you!" Luster was tearing up at this point.

Starlight was quiet for a moment, then spoke clearly. "I've been to some dark places in my life, Luster. I was so... angry and bitter when I was your age."

Luster was quiet now.

"When I was your age, cutiemarks were the bane of my existence. I lived to get rid of them." Starlight hung her head in shame. "When Twilight tried to show me I was wrong, I went into hiding and swore revenge."

Luster was careful with her tact at this point. "What does this have to do with you knowing about dark magic?"

"When I was planning to get back at Twilight, I wanted to exact revenge like nopony had ever seen before or since. I found spells that King Sombra created himself. Rune spells, to be precise. Runes that could steal a pony's magic on contact, runes that could turn anything that touches it to stone or crystal."

Luster was horrified at this. Her own mother sounded like a villain.

"Eventually, I decided to modify Starswirl's time-travel spell and stop Twilight's friends from ever meeting. I thought it was a much better plan than just turning her to stone or stealing her magic. It meant I could take back what I thought was mine." Starlight was barely speaking towards the end of her last sentence.

"...But that was a long time ago. Long before Twilight was given the crown," added Sunburst, then Starlight stopped him.

"Don't minimise it, Sunburst. It doesn't matter how long ago it was." She then stopped and looked to Luster. "Twilight showed me forgiveness, Luster. That forgiveness allowed me to become her school's Headmare, for your father and I to meet again, for you to be here right now."
Starlight went to reach for her daughter, but stopped herself. "I know my past actions are awful, and I do not expect to be forgiven. But I can only ask you to consider what a second chance can lead to," as she looked to Sunburst.

She didn't expect Luster to come rushing to her side and giving her the biggest hug she's ever had.

Luster buried her face into her mother. "I love you, no matter who you used to be. All that matters to me is who you are now."

Starlight hugged her daughter back, and even Sunburst joined in, all three of them crying, to a certain degree.

"Thank you for giving me a second chance, Luster. I'll make sure I deserve it."