Starlight's Struggleby adorablesmilesChaptersBeginningSad reminders from the pastA quiet placeFriendlinessThe Confrontation (part 2)The discoveryThe trip to CanterlotThe Confrontation (part one)Beginning"I don't want to go in there, Twilight!" Rainbow Dash moaned. "Rainbow Dash, you've gotta do it! You already said you would. You can't be getting cold hooves now!" Twilight was practically screaming at her right now. Then I heard more grunting coming from in the hall. "Maybe, but that was then, and this is now!" And apparently Rainbow Dash didn't want to stop. "It ain't you Twi. Dash is just bein' hard to get along with, as usual." Applejack said. "What the hay are you talking about?! I'm not hard headed, I'm awesome! Other ponies wish they could be half as awesome as me!" Rainbow mocked. "Dash, you're really getting on my last nerve. Just get in there and do it. It's not going to be the end of Equestria if you do." Applejack said. I was going to have to remember to ask Twilight if them bickering was a normal thing. And then more grunting. By this point, I was starting to think that after what I did, what with trying to change the pasts of Twilight and her friends because of my own selfish desires, that they didn't want to help me. And I couldn't blame them for holding back. I know what I did, and I saw the awful consequences that came with it. And Equestria practically fell apart without that one Rainboom. Honestly, I was still surprised that something like that could have had such an effect on the way that things turned out in the present day. Meanwhile, Twilight and Applejack were still struggling with Rainbow Dash. I really wasn't paying attention anymore though. The only one out of all them that really wanted to reform me was Twilight. And now here they were, forcing Rainbow Dash to do something she didn't want to. "Rainbow Dash, we're not going to stop until you give in!" "Applejack! You obviously don't know me very well! I'm never going in there with Starlight for as long as I live!" I sighed quietly. Things were much worse than I thought they were. "Dash! You're being immature!" I said. My hat had already fallen off when I started pushing Dash in the direction of the room that Starlight was now waiting in. And Dash was resisting going inside there to help. And that was when a thought popped in my head. "Rainbow Dash, if you don't go in there, I'm going to tell Pinkie that you broke a Pinkie Promise. And I know that you don't like her when she's angry at somepony for breaking a Pinkie Promise." And then, without even knowing what she would do or even how she would react, I let her go, and just as quickly as I did that, she fell to the floor. "You know, on second thought, maybe it wouldn't be so bad if I went in there." She said, as she got back up on her hooves. "That's what I thought." I said, as she childishly trotted into the room. And then she turned around to face me once more. And before she shut the door, she rolled her eyes at me. "I can tell that she doesn't want to be around Starlight." I said. "I wouldn't worry about those two." Twilight started. "Eventually Starlight will grow on her. I'm just sure of it." "I hope you're right, Twi." I said. Sad reminders from the pastAuthor's Note I watched the premiere of the fifth season this morning, so that'll explain the reference to it. Sad reminders from the past I closed the door in front of me. I didn't really understand what had just happened, but all I knew was that Applejack had completely blackmailed me into coming in here. I know I'm the element of loyalty and all, but even so, I wasn't looking forward to doing this. Don't get me wrong. I did befriend Starlight, but that didn't necessarily mean that I trusted her now. From what I can understand, Equestria almost perished because of what she did. Because of the mistake she made. I had a feeling that it was going to be really hard for me to just get over all that. She almost drastically changed my past. I sighed. Let's just get this over with, Rainbow Dash. Maybe it won't be as bad as you think. I slowly turned towards Starlight and walked towards her. I think we both knew that I wasn't in a hurry to get in front of her. "Okay, look. I'm not going to be rude to you, but I don't know why Twilight wanted me to do this." I said, trying to be as nice as possible. "Yeah." She said sadly. And then there was silence. No one said anything either. And it felt like that silence lasted for hours. "I'm just gonna get this out there. I know you don't like me." She finally spoke up. I glanced at her. "How?" "Well, I know all too well how you were resisting coming in here when Twilight and Applejack were trying their hardest to get you to do it. The door wasn't exactly fully shut, you know." I thought back. She was right. It was cracked open. I suppose that was just enough for a pony to be able to hear through. "And I hope you know that you know that I'm not going to hurt or yell at you, and I just want to be a friend." I didn't feel the need to keep my distance from her so much anymore. And I wasn't talking to the same pony that took away my cutie mark several months ago either. To me, it felt like she had completely changed. "I understand that." I said. Maybe things have a way of working out after all. "I'm so sorry for being late, but I-" Rarity shouted as she ran in as fast as possible. But then we all shushed her. "Geez. You all are a tough crowd this morning, aren't you?" She asked. I then pulled Rarity over to me with my magic, to which she panicked at. She was acting like she hadn't been around Alicorn magic before now. "Twilight! Why did you-" She shouted. "Shhhhhh! Rarity! Rainbow Dash is in there!" I don't know how to describe how I said that, but it was in between whispering and shouting. "Ohhh.... I almost forgot. Today was the day for Rainbow to talk to Starlight, no?" She asked. I nodded. "Thought so. I remember you saying that it would be best to save Rainbow for last. I'm just surprised she didn't put up a struggle." She said. Applejack scoffed. "You don't know the half of it, Rarity." She cringed. "Was it really that bad?" "It was." I said. And then there was a long stretch of silence. I mean, other than the conversation that was going on in the other room. But it was muffled at best because the door was closed. And then Pinkie fell off her chair and started laughing. She did this a lot, so I was pretty used to it by now. But there was still times when I wondered what goes on in that pony's head when she does stuff like that. And then she stopped laughing. I had a feeling that whatever she had been laughing about just now wasn't very funny anymore. And then Pinkie proceeded to crawl over to me and climbed up onto my chair and literally plopped down in the open space behind me, almost making me fall out of the chair myself. "Pinkie, why did you do that?!" I tried not to shout. But my patience was really being tested today. "I'm exhausted Twilight! It was a hard day yesterday! And now I'm bored!" Then she fell asleep. Guess I'm staying on the floor now. "Are they still out there?" I asked. Right now, Rainbow had her ear to the door trying to see if she could hear them. "A bit." She said. "Well I don't think that we have to be in here anymore. We've pretty much worked this out like she wanted us to." Rainbow Dash nodded, and then she knocked on the door with her hoof. "Are you two done yet?" I heard Twilight ask. "Yes, Twilight." Rainbow insisted. "Well if you're sure. I suppose I could open the door." Twilight still sounded unsure. "Just do it Twi. There's not enough space in here for me to fly around. Believe me, I tried." Rainbow said. I didn't think anything of it now. "Rainbow Dash, you really shouldn't be so careless with yourself. You could-" Rainbow just slammed herself again the door. "I don't have time for one of your lectures right now. Just let me outside right now!" That brought back memories. Bad memories. It made me remember my time back in the village, when I locked them up in that little room to force them into accepting equallity. And Rainbow Dash was pounding at the door like she just did. "Fine Rainbow. You're free." Twilight said, as she used ger magic to open the door. And the second that she did, Rainbow flew out of the Castle as fast as her wings could carry her. "She was really eager to get out of here, wasn't she?" I said, looking down at the floor. "There's no real reason to worry about Rainbow Dash. She's just being difficult. But I'm sure she'll come around real soon." Applejack said. I nodded. I didn't really feel like talking about this anymore. In fact, I thought I would have been much better off being alone. A quiet placeIt wasn't very long until I realized that I had never left the spot on the floor. I guess it was because I was really caught up in this book I was reading. I don't know how that happens, but whenever I'm reading a book that I really like, I always drift off into my own little world. But this book was really interesting. It talked about how, in the early days of Equestria, the magic became unstable and there was only one Unicorn that could balance it out again. Huh... Celestia never told me anything about that. And it never happened before I became an Alicorn. And all this made no sense because it seemed like it should have happened sooner or later. Well, it looks like I'm going to be stuck on this for the next few months. The walk through Ponyville was very uncomfortable to say the least. I know that I thought it would be best for me to be alone right now, but right now I was trying to find a good place. Although the search just had to lead to other ponies that were trying to avoid me. Not to mention that a few of them were definitely talking about me. I didn't know what they were saying, but I knew they were. Even though they weren't around when this little incident happened, they knew what I did. I had no idea how, but I knew somepony had told them. Although, I didn't know what it would take to get them to stop seeing me as a bad pony. I believed that I had changed, but they didn't. And I was probably going to have to put in a lot of effort to prove myself. Finally, I reached a quiet spot. I was relieved that I did, because I really needed to think things through. Having to pass by all those ponies that apparently hate me now really took a toll on my mood. "I'm really concerned about this. I mean, I know that my choice almost ruined Equestria. But that was before I knew better. And now I've seen the error of my ways, but nopony would believe it." I layed my head down and sighed. I didn't want to start crying because I knew that it wouldn't help me any. But if I did, no one would care because I was all alone anyway. "S-Starlight?" I heard. Naturally, that did startle me. "Um... yes?" I said. When I turned around, I saw Fluttershy standing by a tree, and she had a worried look on her face. "Um... I'm sorry." I said, turning away from her again. And then I felt a gentle hoof find it's way around my side. "That makes no sense. You really don't have anything to be sorry for." She said in that shy little voice of hers. I knew that she was trying to be comforting, but I didn't think that I deserved it. "Well I would be lying if I said that I wasn't feeling guilty about what happened. And the fact that everyone in Ponyville hates me isn't exactly making things any better for me." She only got closer after I said that. "Oh Starlight, you shouldn't beat yourself up over that." I still didn't want to look at her. "Why not?" She shrugged. "It may have been an error in judgment, but that was before Twilight took you in." I nodded half heartedly. "Maybe. But I don't even understand what happened. All I know is that I was mad at Twilight and I did crazy things. And now they seem pretty pointless to me now." I was still avoiding all eye contact. She didn't say anything after that. All she did was hug me. I guess that was a silent way of saying "Everything's going to be just fine." But something inside me didn't know what to believe anymore. Author's Note I rewrote this several hundred times, mainly because of typos and bad ideas. I'm still not very sure about this one, but still I hope everyone likes it! Friendliness"Twilight, I think you should hear what just happened!" I shouted as loudly as I could manage. "Fluttershy, I'm reading." She said. "Oh, I know. But... Can I still tell you what happened?" She used her magic to put a piece of paper in between the pages, and then she shut the book. "Alright, Fluttershy. You have my full, undivided attention." I nodded. "Well, I had a little chat with Starlight before I came here." "Did you?" "Yes, and she was really upset." She looked at me like she was confused. "Did she tell you what it was about?" "Well, yes. It was about what happened." I said. "I take it that she hasn't gotten over it yet?" I sighed. "No. She hasn't. I'm worried about her." She gave me a faint smile. "I'm sure she'll be fine." "How do you know?" I asked. "I know because if she really wants to change, she'll pull through." "How are you so smart when it comes to this stuff, Twilight?" I asked. "Because I've done this before. I know how to handle it." "Well I was definitely here for one of those times." She nodded. "But are you going to help her?" "Honestly, I think the only one that can really help Starlight is herself." "What does that mean?" I asked. "It means that if she really wants to make things better, then she'll find a way to do it." "You really are smart, aren't you?" I said. "Oh... it's nothing. I've been learning all my life." Believe it or not, I had actually gotten tired of being alone. It might have been because I was being too hard on myself. I mean, I thought that I deserved it, but apparently Fluttershy didn't think so. She was being nice to me, even after everything I've done to her. The way I saw it, I almost ruined her life. I was surprised that she wanted to have anything to do with me after that. I'm not saying that I'm ungrateful for her forgiving me so easily, because I am. I just don't understand how she can do it for somepony like me. But I'm getting thrown off here. I had finally decided to leave my hiding place. Although, I did really have anywhere else to go unless I wanted to visit Twilight again. And I couldn't exactly go home either. For one, it's miles and miles away from Ponyville. Also, there's just too many bad memories there. And I really don't need to be more upset about my current situation than I already am. It's weird, but I didn't think it would have been fair of me to bother Twilight. I really wasn't thinking straight right now, because I didn't know if she wanted my company or not. You're being silly, Starlight. She wouldn't mind having your company. She did befriend you after all. Why wouldn't she want to spend time with you? Even though I thought that, I still wasn't very sure about this whole thing. But I was desperate to do anything just so I wouldn't have to be alone anymore. It was making me miserable all on it's own. I had finally started reading again after Fluttershy left, which hadn't been that long ago. I know that it probably seems weird for the Princess of Friendship to be without her friends, but even I enjoyed these quiet moments to myself where it was just me and my books. But even that moment by myself couldn't have lasted forever. I heard a noise coming from the hallway outside. It sounded like somepony tapping on the door with a hoof. So I closed the book again. I guess that I could have continued my learning later. Besides, it would be rude if I ignored whoever it was on the other side of the door. That definitely wouldn't have been very friendly of me. I walked over to the door. And I had a blank moment when I actually tried to open the door, because I tried to open it by pushing on it. Twilight, get your head out of your books. It's distracting you too much. And I did so. I used my horn to open up the door. And there was Starlight. "Um... Hi, Twilight." She said. And she sounded like she was upset, just like Fluttershy had told me earlier. "Hi. I was wondering where you were. In fact, Fluttershy was just telling me about you." I said. "She was?" I nodded. "Yeah. She told me that you were upset." "Well, I can't deny it, mainly because it's true." I looked over at her. I admit that I was worried about her too. "Would you be able to tell me about it?" Starlight hesitated for a minute or two, but she finally spoke up. "I guess I could, if it wouldn't be too big of a burden on you." "That's silly. You couldn't be a burden to me." She looked shocked. "Are you sure?" I nodded again. She sighed. I couldn't tell if she was anxious to get it over with or what. I knew that she already told Fluttershy, but that didn't necessarily mean that she was up for telling me. "Fine. It's depressing how everypony in Ponyville hates me. I don't like the way it feels." "Are you saying that you didn't expect this to happen?" I asked. "Well... no." She said. "Listen, I'm going to tell you exactly what I told Fluttershy. Reforming villains isn't anything new for me. I've done it twice before you." "You- You have?" "Yeah. This probably won't be that hard for me." She finally smiled. "Thanks, Twilight. I feel much better now." The Confrontation (part 2)I was walking around Ponyville, minind my own business, when I saw a Unicorn standing next to a fruit stand. And it definitely looked like she was over loaded. Now's probably a good time to help someone out. It certainly wouldn't hurt anything. I didn't even hesitate with this. I knew I wanted to help, and that overpowered all the doubt that I had. "Here, you look like your carrying more than you can handle. I could help you carry some of this stuff to your house if you want." I offered. The Unicorn shook her head. "I got it, I don't need help." She said, as she picked up the basket that I had been carrying with my magic, but this time she picked it up with her magic instead of putting it on her back. And then, just like that, she was out of sight. I know that I've been trying really hard to be nice to others, but the fact that they keep refusing my offers to help, that really hurts. But then again, I get it. I wouldn't trust me either if I was in somepony else's hooves. I sighed. I was starting to think that trying to be nice wasn't worth all the heartache that came with it. I continued to stand there for a few more minutes, but that was when something out of the corner of my eye caught my attention. It was shiny. I slowly walked to it, but I have to admit I was cautious. When I finally got over to where I could see it, it almost looked like the ground was cracked. And I couldn't really see what was under it, but it didn't look natural. Although, I suppose I should have seen that coming, because there really isn't a "natural" in a world without magic. But what happened next was what really got me scared. The crack slowly got bigger. And because I was standing near it, I really thought that the crack would go far enough and then the ground would give out from under my hooves, and then... I slowly, and carefully, backed away from the hole. There was no way I was going to take a chance with this. What am I doing? If anyone knows about this, it's Twilight! She can help me figure this out! I thought. And then I ran down the road, in the direction of Twilight's castle. "Alright. Now that you're all here, there's something I want to ask you." I said. "Is it about... COOKIES?!" Pinkie Pie asked. "No, Pinkie Pie. It's not about cookies." I said. "Darn it! I really wanted cookies!" She said. "This is about something more important than baked goods." I started. "This is about all of you." They all looked confused upon hearing that. "Us? Why us?" Applejack asked. "It's about you because of something I've noticed lately." I said. "I guess it's just the fact that everypony seems to be so panicked. But I'm not. I've had experience with helping people and ponies. It feels strange that even my friends don't have much faith in me." I said. "Now sugarcube, we never said that." Applejack said, as she hopped out of her throne and walked over to me. "You didn't have to." I said. "We never meant to make you feel that way." Rarity said. "I know." I said. "Well is there anythin' we can do?" Applejack asked. "I'm not-" I started, but I heard hooves slamming against the floor. And then an aura surrounded the door. "Twilight! I need your help!" Starlight shouted as she ran in. "Um... unless I'm interrupting something." "It's fine, Starlight." Applejack said. "We can continue this later. C'mon, girls." And all of them did walk out. Except for Pinkie Pie. "Pinkie, you're still in here." I said. She wasn't saying anything at this point, I mean, she was leaning on the table staring at us, but that was it. "Pinkie Pie?" I asked again. Still nothing. And then Applejack walked into the room again, grabbed Pinkie by the tail, and then walked out. "Well... what is it you wanted to talk about?" I asked as soon as the door shut. "It's about something I saw while I was walking around town today. I didn't know what it was, but I thought you would, so I came here to talk to you." She said. "Can you tell me what it looked like?" I asked. "Well... I can't really. It was... really really strange. It didn't look natural." She said. It's more than obvious now. I have to see what this thing is. "Do you remember where you saw it?" I asked. "I... think so." She said. "Can you please take me to it?" I asked. And then we ran off. "This is definitely where I saw it." Starlight started. "I know because I was trying to help somepony, but that didn't go very well. I probably would have stood around moping, but that's when I spotted something shiny. And it was right... here!" I walked over to where she was standing, and what I saw there practically made my eyes pop out of my head. There was a large crack in the ground, and from where I was standing, it looked like it was getting bigger. "I guess you were right. It doesn't look natural." I said. "Well is there anything we can do?" She asked. I had to really think about that for a while. I knew that the crack that I had seen just now looked exactly like the book described. And I had a suspicion that I was going to need that very book right away. "I have something that can help. It's at my castle. Come on!" I said, as I ran back the way I came. "It's a book, isn't it?" Starlight asked, as she ran behind me. The discovery"Okay. We're here now." I said. "Where did I put that book?" "I sure wouldn't know." Starlight said. I nodded as I continued to search. "Well, you weren't there when I did something with it, so that makes sense." I said. I was having a hard time understanding why I was so unorganized lately. I did have a booksort-cation not too long ago, and my library was already a mess. "Do you want any help with this? I could help you look for it if you wanted." Starlight asked. "Yeah, sure." I said. I kept using my hooves to dig through the books. But then I realized I do have a horn. And then I facehoofed. "Twilight? Is something wrong?" I heard Starlight ask. "No." I said. I kept trying to dig through the books with my hooves, but then I remembered that I do have a magical horn. Then I facehoofed. "Twilight, are you alright?" Starlight asked. "Yeah, I'm fine." I said. "You don't sound fine." She said. "I just can't find this book I need. It's like it disappeared from existence!" I said. "I'm sure it's around here somewhere. I'll keep looking if you will." She said. "I'm not gonna stop." I started. "My finding this book is crucial." "Crucial? Like how?" Starlight asked. I sighed. "I... I can't explain it until I find the book. It had all the answers!" I wasn't looking at Starlight anymore, but if I were, she probably would have looked confused. And I probably would have too, if I was in her shoes, and had a Alicorn digging in a pile of books in front of me. "What... Oh! I found it!" I said. "You did?" Starlight asked. I nodded. "Yep!" I then got out of the book pile and sat down on the floor, all the while not letting the book out of my sight. Starlight was still standing there. "Do you mind if I sit next to you?" She asked. "Sure, go ahead." I said. Then we both started reading. Ancient Equestrian History. Chapter One. The night of- "I read through this already Starlight, and that has nothing to do with what we saw." I said, as I turned back to the book to find the right page. "There!" I said, pointing at the page with my hoof. Chapter thirty-eight When the magic got a mind of it's own. 500 years ago, when Equestria was very young, the magic started going out of control. There wasn't a cause discovered for it, but a solution was found. One unicorn, and one unicorn only, was able to get the magic back on track. This unicorn has to have an immense amount of power in order for the spell, which can be found below, to work. "Does that mean something?" Starlight asked. "It means that somepony can stop this. I don't know any unicorn with lots of magic, not including myself even though I was born a unicorn. But the book did say unicorn, so I couldn't do it." I said. "Wait... could I see that spell real quick?" She asked. I had no idea what she was thinking, but I still gave her the book. "It's worth a try." She said. And then her horn started to glow. I literally can't believe that anything like this is even possible. I mean, a few days ago I was completely oblivious, and then I find a book about it and it's all I think about. "Twilight?" Starlight asked. "I did the spell and nothing happened." "Really? Nothing?" I asked. "Nope. Not unless there's some strange unforeseen circumstances that I don't know about yet." She said. "Well, there might be. But the only way we could know for sure is if we go back to the hole and check if it was still there." I said. "Okay." Starlight said. "Let's go." "I'm still having a hard time understandin' what she meant." I said. "It's not that hard to comprehend, Applejack." Rarity said. "It is for me." I said. "Listen closely." Rarity started. "Twilight thinks we're doubting her. But we aren't. And she doesn't know that." She said. "Well I already knew that part. But I don't understand why." I said. "I'll explain it later." Fluttershy said. "That still doesn't make things any better." Rarity said. "Twilight is probably still upset with us." "She never said that, silly!" Pinkie Pie said. "No, but she implied it. With her actions. And actions speak much louder than words ever could." Rarity said. "Well, what can we do?" Fluttershy asked. "There's only one thing we can do, Fluttershy." Rarity said. "We have to make it up to her. Somehow." "Are ya sure we need to?" I asked. "I have an idea!" Pinkie said. "Tell us, darling." Rarity said. Pinkie nodded. "Alright! This is what we need to do..." "It should be here." I said. I knew that Twilight didn't need me to tell her where the hole was. And unfortunately, the hole was still there. "It didn't work." I said. "That's okay... we can just find some other-" Twilight said, but she stopped mid sentence. "Some other what?" I asked. "Starlight... Your horn..." She said. "What about my horn?" I asked. "It's glowing!" She said. I looked up at my horn, and sure enough, she was right. It was glowing, but I wasn't focusing on using it. "This isn't right..." I said. "What do you mean "not right?" You are making it do that right?" Twilight asked. I shook my head. "No. It's like it's doing this all on it's own!" "We definitely need some help." Twilight said. "But who can help with this?" I asked. "I only know one pony who can possibly help out." She said. "But we're going to have to take a trip to Canterlot." The trip to Canterlot"He or she's in Canterlot?" I asked. Twilight looked at me. "It's a she." She said. "Alright... but, why do we have to go all the way there?" I asked. "Because, I don't think she'll come here if she's busy." Twilight said. I still wasn't any wiser. "Is this pony that important?" I asked. Twilight started to run towards her castle again. "I'll explain it on the way, but right now we gotta pack." And I ran after her. "This is the best idea anypony has ever come up with!" Pinkie Pie shouted. "I'm not sure about this." Applejack said. "Not sure about what?" Pinkie Pie asked. "About everythin'." I said. "I have a feeling that we don't have to do anythin'." Pinkie Pie slowly rose up next to me. "It's a good idea, Applejack." "But I-" I started. "Don't be unhappy, cousin!" She said. "Pinkie, don't you remember that we don't know if we-" I started. "Don't spoil the moment either!" Pinkie said. "Alright." I said. I still felt the same way I did before, but it was obviously pointless to argue with Pinkie Pie. Are they right about all this? Maybe they're right and I'm just worried about nothin'. I sighed. I really wasn't sure what to believe. "Have you packed yet?" I asked. "Well... not yet. I don't exactly have much with me." Starlight said. I looked at my saddle bags. They were already stuffed with books. "That's fine." I said. "Do you consider yourself done or do you have more packing to do?" "I'd say I'm pretty much done." She said. "Alright. Shall we go to the train station and wait for a train to come?" I asked. "Uh... Twilight?" Starlight asked. "Did you forget that you have wings?" "Oh... Yeah. Sorry." I said. I could feel myself blushing. "I can do my flying spell again." She said. "Yeah. That'd probably be best. I don't think you would be able to hold onto me while I'm flying." I said, as I walked out onto the balcony. "This is a good take off place?" Starlight asked. "Well, yeah. Rainbow Dash gave me flying lessons when I got my wings. I've got much better control over them now. Besides, the floor of this balcony is made out of some pretty solid stuff." I said. Starlight nodded. And then neither of us talked, even as we got up into the air. And after too. "So... you still haven't told me who we're going to see." Starlight finally spoke up. I looked over at her briefly. "The only reason why I haven't told you yet is because I don't want you to freak out. I know you're probably curious, but it'll have to wait until we get to her home, then you'll understand." I said. "They aren't evil, are they?" Starlight asked. "Evil?" I asked. "No! She isn't evil! She's the purest pony I know." "You're making her sound like some sort of goddess." Starlight said. I shrugged. "I wouldn't call her that. But I can say that I've looked up to her for a really long time. I still do, in a way. I admire how smart she is." I said. "Oh... look at me. I'm just blabbing on and on about my fillyhood." "I don't mind." Starlight said. I was too busy looking in front of me to do anything else. But if we were on the ground, I would have been looking at Starlight right about now. "Yeah, well. If I keep going on like this, I'm going to ruin the surprise." I said. "Surprise?" Starlight asked. "You didn't say anything about a surprise." I laughed. "I didn't have to. But a surprise is a surprise." I said. "I'm having a hard time figuring out which is longer. A train ride to Canterlot, or flying to Canterlot." Starlight said. I had to think about that for a minute or two. "I don't know about that. It would be more appropriate to say that flying takes longer. The train can go pretty fast." I said. "I'd say that makes the most sense." Starlight said. I have to admit, I enjoyed this flight I was having, even if I was the only one who has flying with wings. Besides, traveling this way is a lot more scenic then a train could ever be. "This is really nice." I said. "Are you noticing the beautiful landscape as much as I am?" Starlight shook her head around like she was distracted. "Sorry... I had other things on my mind. What did you say?" "I asked if you're enjoying the view, but if not, that's fine." I said. "Well, it's like I said. I wasn't paying attention to it." Starlight said. "But now that I'm really looking at it... You're right. It's gorgeous." "I know." I said. "That only makes me wonder why such beauty could get torn up by magic." Starlight said. "I can't even begin to understand it." I nodded. "Me too." "But... I'm sure it's fine. There has to be somepony that can get the magic back to where it was before this started." Starlight assured. "I have a sneaking suspicion that the pony is you." I said. Her eyes grew wide when I said that. "I... Me?! It can't be me!" "Yes, you." I said. "I know you have a lot of power in that horn of yours." "But... it really isn't that much." Starlight insisted. "You can't be serious. I saw you using your magic. And I know you have potential." I said. "Look at yourself now. You're using your horn to fly in the air! I don't know any other pony with as much power as you have." I said. "I don't know..." Starlight said. I glanced at her again. "Well I do. I've been around you long enough to see the power you have. And it would be a sin not to use it." I said. "I'm not sure, Twilight." Starlight said. And then there was nothing but silence until we reached Canterlot. I was sitting in my throne, reading a whole bunch of scrolls from who knows how many different ponies. I do know that whenever there's a problem, I am the first to know. "Princess Celestia! Twilight has come with a guest!" One of my guards said. I nodded. "Send her in." Then the guard left the room once more. At least something exciting is finally happening. It was a while until they actually came inside though. I suppose that was because I do live in a huge castle. And chances are, they could have easily gotten lost. Then came the purple that I had become familiar with so long ago. And it was accompanied by some colors that I hadn't seen before. "Princess," the pony next to Twilight said. "It is an honor to be in your presence." I looked over at Twilight, hoping she could tell me who this pony was or why she was here. "Princess," Twilight finally said. "This is Starlight Glimmer. She's a new friend of mine. Long story short, there was an accident that I will explain to you later, but for right now, we really need your help if you can give some." I looked at Starlight for a long time. She looked like she was innocent, but at the same time, I saw a little bit of hurt in her eyes. I don't know why, but there was something about her that said she had been through heartache at a young age. "I will try to help you out the best I can, but if I can't, I might need to call in some higher power." I said. "What do you want to do?" Twilight asked. I thought about it for a few minutes. "I know where we should go. Come, you two." "Where are we going, you're highness?" Starlight asked. I turned to face her. "You don't have to refer to me in the same way as my guards do. You can call me Princess Celestia." She sighed. "I know. I'm just trying to make a good impression." I smiled faintly. "It's fine, my little pony." And then I went back to walking down the hallway. "Excuse me, Princess?" Twilight asked. "Yes, Twilight?" I asked. "Where are we going?" She asked. "The meeting room." I said. "You've been near there before. And in there as well, I believe." Twilight nodded. "Also, the thing that makes the room even more ideal is that the guards aren't allowed to go in there. The room was originally made for royalty to have meetings with other royalty." I said. Twilight nodded again, but she didn't say anything until we got to the room. The Confrontation (part one)I hadn't had much time to read that book about the magic going crazy, but I wanted to learn more about that happening. Especially since it could happen again at anytime, or so the book said. Although I would be lying if I said that this book was the only thing on my mind right now. In fact, I was just as concerned about Starlight. Maybe it was because she seemed really upset. Although, unlike her, I expected something like this to happen when she decided to turn good. But apparently she didn't. Although I wasn't worried about this whole process not going well. It's like I told both Fluttershy and Starlight herself. I have done this before. And now it's not a challenge for me. But it did feel weird to have all these ponies freaking out while I was completely calm. It was almost like they didn't have any faith in my abilities. I suppose I was having a hard time figuring out why they doubted me. They are my friends, and besides Starlight, they were all around for the first time it happened. And then, of course, they weren't around the second time. But they were specifically told they couldn't come. And under the circumstances, I understood it. But even so, they shouldn't have had to doubt the fact that I could hold my own with this. And that was when the idea popped into my head. When I get a chance, and get all of my friends together, I'll ask them if they don't think I can do it. I was just walking along, minding my own business, when Rainbow Dash came flying by so fast before I even knew she was there. "Whoops! Sorry AJ!" She said. "Rainbow Dash! You do realize that I could've gotten hurt, don't ya?" "Yeah, I do. But I'm in a hurry to get to Twilight's. Apparently, she's having some sort of important thing, and she wants all of us there." "Alright, fine. But I'm gonna get you back one day for almost tripping me back there." I was patiently waiting for all my friends to get here. Pinkie was hopping up and down in her chair. I really didn't think it was a very good time for her to be behaving like this. "Pinkie, can you relax please?" "Twilight, I was cramming my mouth with candy and cookies before I came here. And they had lots of sugar in them. Do you think I can calm down? I sure don't think so! I'M HYPED UP ON SUGARRRRR!!!!" I didn't say anything after that. I already knew that it was going to be way too hard to get her to calm down if she had been stuffing her face like she implied. "Are we all here yet?" I asked. "Uh, Twilight. The only one who isn't here is Rainbow Dash." "Well she was here a minute ago. Where could she have flown off to?" "She said she was going to tale a quick fly before you started." I sighed. "Can you please get her back in here please, Applejack?" "Sure will." She said, as she ran out of the castle. I was flying as fast as my wings could carry me. I was flying in circles all around Twilight's castle. And something only an awesome pony like me can do. I swear, you should've seen me! And I probably would have done it all day too, if Applejack hadn't come outside and interrupted my awesomeness. "Rainbow Dash, Twilight needs you in her castle ASAP." "Ugh. Can it wait? I'm giving my wings their daily workout." "Rainbow Dash, you know that's a lie. Your just stalling, as usual." "Stalling? You call my keeping my body in prime condition stalling? Because if you do, you're dead wrong." And then I kept flying. I wasn't going to stop my strict training regimen just because Twilight needed me. But that was when Applejack started flinging her lasso at me. I scoffed. "Do you really think you're going to get me like that?! I'm going way too fast for you to get your lasso around my waist!" She spit out her lasso. "Are you doubting my lasso skills?" I kept flying in circles as fast as I could possibly go. "No, I'm just raving about my awesome flying skills." She sighed. "Rainbow Dash, I don't have time to argue with you about this. I think you should just come inside with me, and we'll see what Twilight needs from us." I still didn't want to stop flying yet. I guess I had done it so much now that it just feels natural. "I can't right now. I'm very busy." "Y'all are not too busy to come inside. I think you're just being stubborn." I heard her growl. I admit that I like messing with Applejack from time to time, but I can honestly say, that doesn't mean I don't care about her. I do, but I just have my own little way of showing it. But she hasn't said anything about not liking it, so I guess that she's okay with it. "Rainbow Dash, if you know what's good for you, you'll come in with me or else." She threatened. "Or else?! Please! What could you do to me? Stare at me till I scream? Please! I don't think that's anywhere near enough to scare the one, the only, RAINBOW DASH! WOAH!" I shouted, as I felt a sharp pull on my spine. And naturally, I did fall down to the ground. If there's one thing that anypony knows about Applejack, it's that when it comes to her and lasso, she doesn't kid around.
Beginning"I don't want to go in there, Twilight!" Rainbow Dash moaned. "Rainbow Dash, you've gotta do it! You already said you would. You can't be getting cold hooves now!" Twilight was practically screaming at her right now. Then I heard more grunting coming from in the hall. "Maybe, but that was then, and this is now!" And apparently Rainbow Dash didn't want to stop. "It ain't you Twi. Dash is just bein' hard to get along with, as usual." Applejack said. "What the hay are you talking about?! I'm not hard headed, I'm awesome! Other ponies wish they could be half as awesome as me!" Rainbow mocked. "Dash, you're really getting on my last nerve. Just get in there and do it. It's not going to be the end of Equestria if you do." Applejack said. I was going to have to remember to ask Twilight if them bickering was a normal thing. And then more grunting. By this point, I was starting to think that after what I did, what with trying to change the pasts of Twilight and her friends because of my own selfish desires, that they didn't want to help me. And I couldn't blame them for holding back. I know what I did, and I saw the awful consequences that came with it. And Equestria practically fell apart without that one Rainboom. Honestly, I was still surprised that something like that could have had such an effect on the way that things turned out in the present day. Meanwhile, Twilight and Applejack were still struggling with Rainbow Dash. I really wasn't paying attention anymore though. The only one out of all them that really wanted to reform me was Twilight. And now here they were, forcing Rainbow Dash to do something she didn't want to. "Rainbow Dash, we're not going to stop until you give in!" "Applejack! You obviously don't know me very well! I'm never going in there with Starlight for as long as I live!" I sighed quietly. Things were much worse than I thought they were. "Dash! You're being immature!" I said. My hat had already fallen off when I started pushing Dash in the direction of the room that Starlight was now waiting in. And Dash was resisting going inside there to help. And that was when a thought popped in my head. "Rainbow Dash, if you don't go in there, I'm going to tell Pinkie that you broke a Pinkie Promise. And I know that you don't like her when she's angry at somepony for breaking a Pinkie Promise." And then, without even knowing what she would do or even how she would react, I let her go, and just as quickly as I did that, she fell to the floor. "You know, on second thought, maybe it wouldn't be so bad if I went in there." She said, as she got back up on her hooves. "That's what I thought." I said, as she childishly trotted into the room. And then she turned around to face me once more. And before she shut the door, she rolled her eyes at me. "I can tell that she doesn't want to be around Starlight." I said. "I wouldn't worry about those two." Twilight started. "Eventually Starlight will grow on her. I'm just sure of it." "I hope you're right, Twi." I said.
Sad reminders from the pastAuthor's Note I watched the premiere of the fifth season this morning, so that'll explain the reference to it. Sad reminders from the past I closed the door in front of me. I didn't really understand what had just happened, but all I knew was that Applejack had completely blackmailed me into coming in here. I know I'm the element of loyalty and all, but even so, I wasn't looking forward to doing this. Don't get me wrong. I did befriend Starlight, but that didn't necessarily mean that I trusted her now. From what I can understand, Equestria almost perished because of what she did. Because of the mistake she made. I had a feeling that it was going to be really hard for me to just get over all that. She almost drastically changed my past. I sighed. Let's just get this over with, Rainbow Dash. Maybe it won't be as bad as you think. I slowly turned towards Starlight and walked towards her. I think we both knew that I wasn't in a hurry to get in front of her. "Okay, look. I'm not going to be rude to you, but I don't know why Twilight wanted me to do this." I said, trying to be as nice as possible. "Yeah." She said sadly. And then there was silence. No one said anything either. And it felt like that silence lasted for hours. "I'm just gonna get this out there. I know you don't like me." She finally spoke up. I glanced at her. "How?" "Well, I know all too well how you were resisting coming in here when Twilight and Applejack were trying their hardest to get you to do it. The door wasn't exactly fully shut, you know." I thought back. She was right. It was cracked open. I suppose that was just enough for a pony to be able to hear through. "And I hope you know that you know that I'm not going to hurt or yell at you, and I just want to be a friend." I didn't feel the need to keep my distance from her so much anymore. And I wasn't talking to the same pony that took away my cutie mark several months ago either. To me, it felt like she had completely changed. "I understand that." I said. Maybe things have a way of working out after all. "I'm so sorry for being late, but I-" Rarity shouted as she ran in as fast as possible. But then we all shushed her. "Geez. You all are a tough crowd this morning, aren't you?" She asked. I then pulled Rarity over to me with my magic, to which she panicked at. She was acting like she hadn't been around Alicorn magic before now. "Twilight! Why did you-" She shouted. "Shhhhhh! Rarity! Rainbow Dash is in there!" I don't know how to describe how I said that, but it was in between whispering and shouting. "Ohhh.... I almost forgot. Today was the day for Rainbow to talk to Starlight, no?" She asked. I nodded. "Thought so. I remember you saying that it would be best to save Rainbow for last. I'm just surprised she didn't put up a struggle." She said. Applejack scoffed. "You don't know the half of it, Rarity." She cringed. "Was it really that bad?" "It was." I said. And then there was a long stretch of silence. I mean, other than the conversation that was going on in the other room. But it was muffled at best because the door was closed. And then Pinkie fell off her chair and started laughing. She did this a lot, so I was pretty used to it by now. But there was still times when I wondered what goes on in that pony's head when she does stuff like that. And then she stopped laughing. I had a feeling that whatever she had been laughing about just now wasn't very funny anymore. And then Pinkie proceeded to crawl over to me and climbed up onto my chair and literally plopped down in the open space behind me, almost making me fall out of the chair myself. "Pinkie, why did you do that?!" I tried not to shout. But my patience was really being tested today. "I'm exhausted Twilight! It was a hard day yesterday! And now I'm bored!" Then she fell asleep. Guess I'm staying on the floor now. "Are they still out there?" I asked. Right now, Rainbow had her ear to the door trying to see if she could hear them. "A bit." She said. "Well I don't think that we have to be in here anymore. We've pretty much worked this out like she wanted us to." Rainbow Dash nodded, and then she knocked on the door with her hoof. "Are you two done yet?" I heard Twilight ask. "Yes, Twilight." Rainbow insisted. "Well if you're sure. I suppose I could open the door." Twilight still sounded unsure. "Just do it Twi. There's not enough space in here for me to fly around. Believe me, I tried." Rainbow said. I didn't think anything of it now. "Rainbow Dash, you really shouldn't be so careless with yourself. You could-" Rainbow just slammed herself again the door. "I don't have time for one of your lectures right now. Just let me outside right now!" That brought back memories. Bad memories. It made me remember my time back in the village, when I locked them up in that little room to force them into accepting equallity. And Rainbow Dash was pounding at the door like she just did. "Fine Rainbow. You're free." Twilight said, as she used ger magic to open the door. And the second that she did, Rainbow flew out of the Castle as fast as her wings could carry her. "She was really eager to get out of here, wasn't she?" I said, looking down at the floor. "There's no real reason to worry about Rainbow Dash. She's just being difficult. But I'm sure she'll come around real soon." Applejack said. I nodded. I didn't really feel like talking about this anymore. In fact, I thought I would have been much better off being alone.
A quiet placeIt wasn't very long until I realized that I had never left the spot on the floor. I guess it was because I was really caught up in this book I was reading. I don't know how that happens, but whenever I'm reading a book that I really like, I always drift off into my own little world. But this book was really interesting. It talked about how, in the early days of Equestria, the magic became unstable and there was only one Unicorn that could balance it out again. Huh... Celestia never told me anything about that. And it never happened before I became an Alicorn. And all this made no sense because it seemed like it should have happened sooner or later. Well, it looks like I'm going to be stuck on this for the next few months. The walk through Ponyville was very uncomfortable to say the least. I know that I thought it would be best for me to be alone right now, but right now I was trying to find a good place. Although the search just had to lead to other ponies that were trying to avoid me. Not to mention that a few of them were definitely talking about me. I didn't know what they were saying, but I knew they were. Even though they weren't around when this little incident happened, they knew what I did. I had no idea how, but I knew somepony had told them. Although, I didn't know what it would take to get them to stop seeing me as a bad pony. I believed that I had changed, but they didn't. And I was probably going to have to put in a lot of effort to prove myself. Finally, I reached a quiet spot. I was relieved that I did, because I really needed to think things through. Having to pass by all those ponies that apparently hate me now really took a toll on my mood. "I'm really concerned about this. I mean, I know that my choice almost ruined Equestria. But that was before I knew better. And now I've seen the error of my ways, but nopony would believe it." I layed my head down and sighed. I didn't want to start crying because I knew that it wouldn't help me any. But if I did, no one would care because I was all alone anyway. "S-Starlight?" I heard. Naturally, that did startle me. "Um... yes?" I said. When I turned around, I saw Fluttershy standing by a tree, and she had a worried look on her face. "Um... I'm sorry." I said, turning away from her again. And then I felt a gentle hoof find it's way around my side. "That makes no sense. You really don't have anything to be sorry for." She said in that shy little voice of hers. I knew that she was trying to be comforting, but I didn't think that I deserved it. "Well I would be lying if I said that I wasn't feeling guilty about what happened. And the fact that everyone in Ponyville hates me isn't exactly making things any better for me." She only got closer after I said that. "Oh Starlight, you shouldn't beat yourself up over that." I still didn't want to look at her. "Why not?" She shrugged. "It may have been an error in judgment, but that was before Twilight took you in." I nodded half heartedly. "Maybe. But I don't even understand what happened. All I know is that I was mad at Twilight and I did crazy things. And now they seem pretty pointless to me now." I was still avoiding all eye contact. She didn't say anything after that. All she did was hug me. I guess that was a silent way of saying "Everything's going to be just fine." But something inside me didn't know what to believe anymore. Author's Note I rewrote this several hundred times, mainly because of typos and bad ideas. I'm still not very sure about this one, but still I hope everyone likes it!
Friendliness"Twilight, I think you should hear what just happened!" I shouted as loudly as I could manage. "Fluttershy, I'm reading." She said. "Oh, I know. But... Can I still tell you what happened?" She used her magic to put a piece of paper in between the pages, and then she shut the book. "Alright, Fluttershy. You have my full, undivided attention." I nodded. "Well, I had a little chat with Starlight before I came here." "Did you?" "Yes, and she was really upset." She looked at me like she was confused. "Did she tell you what it was about?" "Well, yes. It was about what happened." I said. "I take it that she hasn't gotten over it yet?" I sighed. "No. She hasn't. I'm worried about her." She gave me a faint smile. "I'm sure she'll be fine." "How do you know?" I asked. "I know because if she really wants to change, she'll pull through." "How are you so smart when it comes to this stuff, Twilight?" I asked. "Because I've done this before. I know how to handle it." "Well I was definitely here for one of those times." She nodded. "But are you going to help her?" "Honestly, I think the only one that can really help Starlight is herself." "What does that mean?" I asked. "It means that if she really wants to make things better, then she'll find a way to do it." "You really are smart, aren't you?" I said. "Oh... it's nothing. I've been learning all my life." Believe it or not, I had actually gotten tired of being alone. It might have been because I was being too hard on myself. I mean, I thought that I deserved it, but apparently Fluttershy didn't think so. She was being nice to me, even after everything I've done to her. The way I saw it, I almost ruined her life. I was surprised that she wanted to have anything to do with me after that. I'm not saying that I'm ungrateful for her forgiving me so easily, because I am. I just don't understand how she can do it for somepony like me. But I'm getting thrown off here. I had finally decided to leave my hiding place. Although, I did really have anywhere else to go unless I wanted to visit Twilight again. And I couldn't exactly go home either. For one, it's miles and miles away from Ponyville. Also, there's just too many bad memories there. And I really don't need to be more upset about my current situation than I already am. It's weird, but I didn't think it would have been fair of me to bother Twilight. I really wasn't thinking straight right now, because I didn't know if she wanted my company or not. You're being silly, Starlight. She wouldn't mind having your company. She did befriend you after all. Why wouldn't she want to spend time with you? Even though I thought that, I still wasn't very sure about this whole thing. But I was desperate to do anything just so I wouldn't have to be alone anymore. It was making me miserable all on it's own. I had finally started reading again after Fluttershy left, which hadn't been that long ago. I know that it probably seems weird for the Princess of Friendship to be without her friends, but even I enjoyed these quiet moments to myself where it was just me and my books. But even that moment by myself couldn't have lasted forever. I heard a noise coming from the hallway outside. It sounded like somepony tapping on the door with a hoof. So I closed the book again. I guess that I could have continued my learning later. Besides, it would be rude if I ignored whoever it was on the other side of the door. That definitely wouldn't have been very friendly of me. I walked over to the door. And I had a blank moment when I actually tried to open the door, because I tried to open it by pushing on it. Twilight, get your head out of your books. It's distracting you too much. And I did so. I used my horn to open up the door. And there was Starlight. "Um... Hi, Twilight." She said. And she sounded like she was upset, just like Fluttershy had told me earlier. "Hi. I was wondering where you were. In fact, Fluttershy was just telling me about you." I said. "She was?" I nodded. "Yeah. She told me that you were upset." "Well, I can't deny it, mainly because it's true." I looked over at her. I admit that I was worried about her too. "Would you be able to tell me about it?" Starlight hesitated for a minute or two, but she finally spoke up. "I guess I could, if it wouldn't be too big of a burden on you." "That's silly. You couldn't be a burden to me." She looked shocked. "Are you sure?" I nodded again. She sighed. I couldn't tell if she was anxious to get it over with or what. I knew that she already told Fluttershy, but that didn't necessarily mean that she was up for telling me. "Fine. It's depressing how everypony in Ponyville hates me. I don't like the way it feels." "Are you saying that you didn't expect this to happen?" I asked. "Well... no." She said. "Listen, I'm going to tell you exactly what I told Fluttershy. Reforming villains isn't anything new for me. I've done it twice before you." "You- You have?" "Yeah. This probably won't be that hard for me." She finally smiled. "Thanks, Twilight. I feel much better now."
The Confrontation (part 2)I was walking around Ponyville, minind my own business, when I saw a Unicorn standing next to a fruit stand. And it definitely looked like she was over loaded. Now's probably a good time to help someone out. It certainly wouldn't hurt anything. I didn't even hesitate with this. I knew I wanted to help, and that overpowered all the doubt that I had. "Here, you look like your carrying more than you can handle. I could help you carry some of this stuff to your house if you want." I offered. The Unicorn shook her head. "I got it, I don't need help." She said, as she picked up the basket that I had been carrying with my magic, but this time she picked it up with her magic instead of putting it on her back. And then, just like that, she was out of sight. I know that I've been trying really hard to be nice to others, but the fact that they keep refusing my offers to help, that really hurts. But then again, I get it. I wouldn't trust me either if I was in somepony else's hooves. I sighed. I was starting to think that trying to be nice wasn't worth all the heartache that came with it. I continued to stand there for a few more minutes, but that was when something out of the corner of my eye caught my attention. It was shiny. I slowly walked to it, but I have to admit I was cautious. When I finally got over to where I could see it, it almost looked like the ground was cracked. And I couldn't really see what was under it, but it didn't look natural. Although, I suppose I should have seen that coming, because there really isn't a "natural" in a world without magic. But what happened next was what really got me scared. The crack slowly got bigger. And because I was standing near it, I really thought that the crack would go far enough and then the ground would give out from under my hooves, and then... I slowly, and carefully, backed away from the hole. There was no way I was going to take a chance with this. What am I doing? If anyone knows about this, it's Twilight! She can help me figure this out! I thought. And then I ran down the road, in the direction of Twilight's castle. "Alright. Now that you're all here, there's something I want to ask you." I said. "Is it about... COOKIES?!" Pinkie Pie asked. "No, Pinkie Pie. It's not about cookies." I said. "Darn it! I really wanted cookies!" She said. "This is about something more important than baked goods." I started. "This is about all of you." They all looked confused upon hearing that. "Us? Why us?" Applejack asked. "It's about you because of something I've noticed lately." I said. "I guess it's just the fact that everypony seems to be so panicked. But I'm not. I've had experience with helping people and ponies. It feels strange that even my friends don't have much faith in me." I said. "Now sugarcube, we never said that." Applejack said, as she hopped out of her throne and walked over to me. "You didn't have to." I said. "We never meant to make you feel that way." Rarity said. "I know." I said. "Well is there anythin' we can do?" Applejack asked. "I'm not-" I started, but I heard hooves slamming against the floor. And then an aura surrounded the door. "Twilight! I need your help!" Starlight shouted as she ran in. "Um... unless I'm interrupting something." "It's fine, Starlight." Applejack said. "We can continue this later. C'mon, girls." And all of them did walk out. Except for Pinkie Pie. "Pinkie, you're still in here." I said. She wasn't saying anything at this point, I mean, she was leaning on the table staring at us, but that was it. "Pinkie Pie?" I asked again. Still nothing. And then Applejack walked into the room again, grabbed Pinkie by the tail, and then walked out. "Well... what is it you wanted to talk about?" I asked as soon as the door shut. "It's about something I saw while I was walking around town today. I didn't know what it was, but I thought you would, so I came here to talk to you." She said. "Can you tell me what it looked like?" I asked. "Well... I can't really. It was... really really strange. It didn't look natural." She said. It's more than obvious now. I have to see what this thing is. "Do you remember where you saw it?" I asked. "I... think so." She said. "Can you please take me to it?" I asked. And then we ran off. "This is definitely where I saw it." Starlight started. "I know because I was trying to help somepony, but that didn't go very well. I probably would have stood around moping, but that's when I spotted something shiny. And it was right... here!" I walked over to where she was standing, and what I saw there practically made my eyes pop out of my head. There was a large crack in the ground, and from where I was standing, it looked like it was getting bigger. "I guess you were right. It doesn't look natural." I said. "Well is there anything we can do?" She asked. I had to really think about that for a while. I knew that the crack that I had seen just now looked exactly like the book described. And I had a suspicion that I was going to need that very book right away. "I have something that can help. It's at my castle. Come on!" I said, as I ran back the way I came. "It's a book, isn't it?" Starlight asked, as she ran behind me.
The discovery"Okay. We're here now." I said. "Where did I put that book?" "I sure wouldn't know." Starlight said. I nodded as I continued to search. "Well, you weren't there when I did something with it, so that makes sense." I said. I was having a hard time understanding why I was so unorganized lately. I did have a booksort-cation not too long ago, and my library was already a mess. "Do you want any help with this? I could help you look for it if you wanted." Starlight asked. "Yeah, sure." I said. I kept using my hooves to dig through the books. But then I realized I do have a horn. And then I facehoofed. "Twilight? Is something wrong?" I heard Starlight ask. "No." I said. I kept trying to dig through the books with my hooves, but then I remembered that I do have a magical horn. Then I facehoofed. "Twilight, are you alright?" Starlight asked. "Yeah, I'm fine." I said. "You don't sound fine." She said. "I just can't find this book I need. It's like it disappeared from existence!" I said. "I'm sure it's around here somewhere. I'll keep looking if you will." She said. "I'm not gonna stop." I started. "My finding this book is crucial." "Crucial? Like how?" Starlight asked. I sighed. "I... I can't explain it until I find the book. It had all the answers!" I wasn't looking at Starlight anymore, but if I were, she probably would have looked confused. And I probably would have too, if I was in her shoes, and had a Alicorn digging in a pile of books in front of me. "What... Oh! I found it!" I said. "You did?" Starlight asked. I nodded. "Yep!" I then got out of the book pile and sat down on the floor, all the while not letting the book out of my sight. Starlight was still standing there. "Do you mind if I sit next to you?" She asked. "Sure, go ahead." I said. Then we both started reading. Ancient Equestrian History. Chapter One. The night of- "I read through this already Starlight, and that has nothing to do with what we saw." I said, as I turned back to the book to find the right page. "There!" I said, pointing at the page with my hoof. Chapter thirty-eight When the magic got a mind of it's own. 500 years ago, when Equestria was very young, the magic started going out of control. There wasn't a cause discovered for it, but a solution was found. One unicorn, and one unicorn only, was able to get the magic back on track. This unicorn has to have an immense amount of power in order for the spell, which can be found below, to work. "Does that mean something?" Starlight asked. "It means that somepony can stop this. I don't know any unicorn with lots of magic, not including myself even though I was born a unicorn. But the book did say unicorn, so I couldn't do it." I said. "Wait... could I see that spell real quick?" She asked. I had no idea what she was thinking, but I still gave her the book. "It's worth a try." She said. And then her horn started to glow. I literally can't believe that anything like this is even possible. I mean, a few days ago I was completely oblivious, and then I find a book about it and it's all I think about. "Twilight?" Starlight asked. "I did the spell and nothing happened." "Really? Nothing?" I asked. "Nope. Not unless there's some strange unforeseen circumstances that I don't know about yet." She said. "Well, there might be. But the only way we could know for sure is if we go back to the hole and check if it was still there." I said. "Okay." Starlight said. "Let's go." "I'm still having a hard time understandin' what she meant." I said. "It's not that hard to comprehend, Applejack." Rarity said. "It is for me." I said. "Listen closely." Rarity started. "Twilight thinks we're doubting her. But we aren't. And she doesn't know that." She said. "Well I already knew that part. But I don't understand why." I said. "I'll explain it later." Fluttershy said. "That still doesn't make things any better." Rarity said. "Twilight is probably still upset with us." "She never said that, silly!" Pinkie Pie said. "No, but she implied it. With her actions. And actions speak much louder than words ever could." Rarity said. "Well, what can we do?" Fluttershy asked. "There's only one thing we can do, Fluttershy." Rarity said. "We have to make it up to her. Somehow." "Are ya sure we need to?" I asked. "I have an idea!" Pinkie said. "Tell us, darling." Rarity said. Pinkie nodded. "Alright! This is what we need to do..." "It should be here." I said. I knew that Twilight didn't need me to tell her where the hole was. And unfortunately, the hole was still there. "It didn't work." I said. "That's okay... we can just find some other-" Twilight said, but she stopped mid sentence. "Some other what?" I asked. "Starlight... Your horn..." She said. "What about my horn?" I asked. "It's glowing!" She said. I looked up at my horn, and sure enough, she was right. It was glowing, but I wasn't focusing on using it. "This isn't right..." I said. "What do you mean "not right?" You are making it do that right?" Twilight asked. I shook my head. "No. It's like it's doing this all on it's own!" "We definitely need some help." Twilight said. "But who can help with this?" I asked. "I only know one pony who can possibly help out." She said. "But we're going to have to take a trip to Canterlot."
The trip to Canterlot"He or she's in Canterlot?" I asked. Twilight looked at me. "It's a she." She said. "Alright... but, why do we have to go all the way there?" I asked. "Because, I don't think she'll come here if she's busy." Twilight said. I still wasn't any wiser. "Is this pony that important?" I asked. Twilight started to run towards her castle again. "I'll explain it on the way, but right now we gotta pack." And I ran after her. "This is the best idea anypony has ever come up with!" Pinkie Pie shouted. "I'm not sure about this." Applejack said. "Not sure about what?" Pinkie Pie asked. "About everythin'." I said. "I have a feeling that we don't have to do anythin'." Pinkie Pie slowly rose up next to me. "It's a good idea, Applejack." "But I-" I started. "Don't be unhappy, cousin!" She said. "Pinkie, don't you remember that we don't know if we-" I started. "Don't spoil the moment either!" Pinkie said. "Alright." I said. I still felt the same way I did before, but it was obviously pointless to argue with Pinkie Pie. Are they right about all this? Maybe they're right and I'm just worried about nothin'. I sighed. I really wasn't sure what to believe. "Have you packed yet?" I asked. "Well... not yet. I don't exactly have much with me." Starlight said. I looked at my saddle bags. They were already stuffed with books. "That's fine." I said. "Do you consider yourself done or do you have more packing to do?" "I'd say I'm pretty much done." She said. "Alright. Shall we go to the train station and wait for a train to come?" I asked. "Uh... Twilight?" Starlight asked. "Did you forget that you have wings?" "Oh... Yeah. Sorry." I said. I could feel myself blushing. "I can do my flying spell again." She said. "Yeah. That'd probably be best. I don't think you would be able to hold onto me while I'm flying." I said, as I walked out onto the balcony. "This is a good take off place?" Starlight asked. "Well, yeah. Rainbow Dash gave me flying lessons when I got my wings. I've got much better control over them now. Besides, the floor of this balcony is made out of some pretty solid stuff." I said. Starlight nodded. And then neither of us talked, even as we got up into the air. And after too. "So... you still haven't told me who we're going to see." Starlight finally spoke up. I looked over at her briefly. "The only reason why I haven't told you yet is because I don't want you to freak out. I know you're probably curious, but it'll have to wait until we get to her home, then you'll understand." I said. "They aren't evil, are they?" Starlight asked. "Evil?" I asked. "No! She isn't evil! She's the purest pony I know." "You're making her sound like some sort of goddess." Starlight said. I shrugged. "I wouldn't call her that. But I can say that I've looked up to her for a really long time. I still do, in a way. I admire how smart she is." I said. "Oh... look at me. I'm just blabbing on and on about my fillyhood." "I don't mind." Starlight said. I was too busy looking in front of me to do anything else. But if we were on the ground, I would have been looking at Starlight right about now. "Yeah, well. If I keep going on like this, I'm going to ruin the surprise." I said. "Surprise?" Starlight asked. "You didn't say anything about a surprise." I laughed. "I didn't have to. But a surprise is a surprise." I said. "I'm having a hard time figuring out which is longer. A train ride to Canterlot, or flying to Canterlot." Starlight said. I had to think about that for a minute or two. "I don't know about that. It would be more appropriate to say that flying takes longer. The train can go pretty fast." I said. "I'd say that makes the most sense." Starlight said. I have to admit, I enjoyed this flight I was having, even if I was the only one who has flying with wings. Besides, traveling this way is a lot more scenic then a train could ever be. "This is really nice." I said. "Are you noticing the beautiful landscape as much as I am?" Starlight shook her head around like she was distracted. "Sorry... I had other things on my mind. What did you say?" "I asked if you're enjoying the view, but if not, that's fine." I said. "Well, it's like I said. I wasn't paying attention to it." Starlight said. "But now that I'm really looking at it... You're right. It's gorgeous." "I know." I said. "That only makes me wonder why such beauty could get torn up by magic." Starlight said. "I can't even begin to understand it." I nodded. "Me too." "But... I'm sure it's fine. There has to be somepony that can get the magic back to where it was before this started." Starlight assured. "I have a sneaking suspicion that the pony is you." I said. Her eyes grew wide when I said that. "I... Me?! It can't be me!" "Yes, you." I said. "I know you have a lot of power in that horn of yours." "But... it really isn't that much." Starlight insisted. "You can't be serious. I saw you using your magic. And I know you have potential." I said. "Look at yourself now. You're using your horn to fly in the air! I don't know any other pony with as much power as you have." I said. "I don't know..." Starlight said. I glanced at her again. "Well I do. I've been around you long enough to see the power you have. And it would be a sin not to use it." I said. "I'm not sure, Twilight." Starlight said. And then there was nothing but silence until we reached Canterlot. I was sitting in my throne, reading a whole bunch of scrolls from who knows how many different ponies. I do know that whenever there's a problem, I am the first to know. "Princess Celestia! Twilight has come with a guest!" One of my guards said. I nodded. "Send her in." Then the guard left the room once more. At least something exciting is finally happening. It was a while until they actually came inside though. I suppose that was because I do live in a huge castle. And chances are, they could have easily gotten lost. Then came the purple that I had become familiar with so long ago. And it was accompanied by some colors that I hadn't seen before. "Princess," the pony next to Twilight said. "It is an honor to be in your presence." I looked over at Twilight, hoping she could tell me who this pony was or why she was here. "Princess," Twilight finally said. "This is Starlight Glimmer. She's a new friend of mine. Long story short, there was an accident that I will explain to you later, but for right now, we really need your help if you can give some." I looked at Starlight for a long time. She looked like she was innocent, but at the same time, I saw a little bit of hurt in her eyes. I don't know why, but there was something about her that said she had been through heartache at a young age. "I will try to help you out the best I can, but if I can't, I might need to call in some higher power." I said. "What do you want to do?" Twilight asked. I thought about it for a few minutes. "I know where we should go. Come, you two." "Where are we going, you're highness?" Starlight asked. I turned to face her. "You don't have to refer to me in the same way as my guards do. You can call me Princess Celestia." She sighed. "I know. I'm just trying to make a good impression." I smiled faintly. "It's fine, my little pony." And then I went back to walking down the hallway. "Excuse me, Princess?" Twilight asked. "Yes, Twilight?" I asked. "Where are we going?" She asked. "The meeting room." I said. "You've been near there before. And in there as well, I believe." Twilight nodded. "Also, the thing that makes the room even more ideal is that the guards aren't allowed to go in there. The room was originally made for royalty to have meetings with other royalty." I said. Twilight nodded again, but she didn't say anything until we got to the room.
The Confrontation (part one)I hadn't had much time to read that book about the magic going crazy, but I wanted to learn more about that happening. Especially since it could happen again at anytime, or so the book said. Although I would be lying if I said that this book was the only thing on my mind right now. In fact, I was just as concerned about Starlight. Maybe it was because she seemed really upset. Although, unlike her, I expected something like this to happen when she decided to turn good. But apparently she didn't. Although I wasn't worried about this whole process not going well. It's like I told both Fluttershy and Starlight herself. I have done this before. And now it's not a challenge for me. But it did feel weird to have all these ponies freaking out while I was completely calm. It was almost like they didn't have any faith in my abilities. I suppose I was having a hard time figuring out why they doubted me. They are my friends, and besides Starlight, they were all around for the first time it happened. And then, of course, they weren't around the second time. But they were specifically told they couldn't come. And under the circumstances, I understood it. But even so, they shouldn't have had to doubt the fact that I could hold my own with this. And that was when the idea popped into my head. When I get a chance, and get all of my friends together, I'll ask them if they don't think I can do it. I was just walking along, minding my own business, when Rainbow Dash came flying by so fast before I even knew she was there. "Whoops! Sorry AJ!" She said. "Rainbow Dash! You do realize that I could've gotten hurt, don't ya?" "Yeah, I do. But I'm in a hurry to get to Twilight's. Apparently, she's having some sort of important thing, and she wants all of us there." "Alright, fine. But I'm gonna get you back one day for almost tripping me back there." I was patiently waiting for all my friends to get here. Pinkie was hopping up and down in her chair. I really didn't think it was a very good time for her to be behaving like this. "Pinkie, can you relax please?" "Twilight, I was cramming my mouth with candy and cookies before I came here. And they had lots of sugar in them. Do you think I can calm down? I sure don't think so! I'M HYPED UP ON SUGARRRRR!!!!" I didn't say anything after that. I already knew that it was going to be way too hard to get her to calm down if she had been stuffing her face like she implied. "Are we all here yet?" I asked. "Uh, Twilight. The only one who isn't here is Rainbow Dash." "Well she was here a minute ago. Where could she have flown off to?" "She said she was going to tale a quick fly before you started." I sighed. "Can you please get her back in here please, Applejack?" "Sure will." She said, as she ran out of the castle. I was flying as fast as my wings could carry me. I was flying in circles all around Twilight's castle. And something only an awesome pony like me can do. I swear, you should've seen me! And I probably would have done it all day too, if Applejack hadn't come outside and interrupted my awesomeness. "Rainbow Dash, Twilight needs you in her castle ASAP." "Ugh. Can it wait? I'm giving my wings their daily workout." "Rainbow Dash, you know that's a lie. Your just stalling, as usual." "Stalling? You call my keeping my body in prime condition stalling? Because if you do, you're dead wrong." And then I kept flying. I wasn't going to stop my strict training regimen just because Twilight needed me. But that was when Applejack started flinging her lasso at me. I scoffed. "Do you really think you're going to get me like that?! I'm going way too fast for you to get your lasso around my waist!" She spit out her lasso. "Are you doubting my lasso skills?" I kept flying in circles as fast as I could possibly go. "No, I'm just raving about my awesome flying skills." She sighed. "Rainbow Dash, I don't have time to argue with you about this. I think you should just come inside with me, and we'll see what Twilight needs from us." I still didn't want to stop flying yet. I guess I had done it so much now that it just feels natural. "I can't right now. I'm very busy." "Y'all are not too busy to come inside. I think you're just being stubborn." I heard her growl. I admit that I like messing with Applejack from time to time, but I can honestly say, that doesn't mean I don't care about her. I do, but I just have my own little way of showing it. But she hasn't said anything about not liking it, so I guess that she's okay with it. "Rainbow Dash, if you know what's good for you, you'll come in with me or else." She threatened. "Or else?! Please! What could you do to me? Stare at me till I scream? Please! I don't think that's anywhere near enough to scare the one, the only, RAINBOW DASH! WOAH!" I shouted, as I felt a sharp pull on my spine. And naturally, I did fall down to the ground. If there's one thing that anypony knows about Applejack, it's that when it comes to her and lasso, she doesn't kid around.
