Chapters “Burn it! Burn it to the ground!” Twilight yelled, as she blasted at the big black roots coming for her, writhing like thorny tentacles.
“It got me!” Rarity screamed, as she got lifted in the air by one of them.
“I’ll bust ya out!” Applejack jumped to her rescue.
“Fluttershy, look out for the...!” Rainbow Dash tried to warn Fluttershy, but she stopped mid sentence.
“Don’t you dare hurt angel!” Fluttershy screamed at a root grabbing Angel bunny.
“...Nevermind then.” Rainbow finished her previous thought.
“Rainbow, look out for the clouds!” Pinkie shouted.
“Pinkie, look out for the grabbers!” Shouted Rarity, now free from the roots’ grasp.
Pinkie just casually hopped out of their way.
“I knew about that.” She bragged.
“Discord !” Twilight roared, angrier than she ever was.
Discord was just laughing.
“If we ever survive this I’m going to destroy you!” Twilight continued her angry yelling.
Discord just kept laughing. “Now, now! Is that a way for the princess of friendship to talk?”
“It is, when she’s about to pummel someone into the ground!”
Discord laughed. “We both know, that it wasn’t me!”
“Then who?! Who was it?!”
Right as Twilight finished that sentence, the roots stopped abruptly and just lifelessly flopped onto the ground.
“Why don’t you ask her?” Said Discord, as he pointed at Starlight emerging from behind the castle.
“Starlight you did it!” Twilight flew at her happily.
“Oh, it was nothing.” Said Starlight.
“How? What did you do?” Twilight asked her.
“I... uh... I... found its source.” Starlight replied nervously. “It was behind the castle.”
“It’s so good that you’re here!” Said Twilight. “You could help us taking it out on a certain draconequus.”
“What?” Discord said indignantly. “I don’t even get a chance to prove my innocence?”
“We all know you’re not innocent!” Twilight scolded him.
“I think one of us here is aware of the truth.” He said, while looking at Starlight.
“Wait !” Starlight exclaimed. “I think you’re being too hasty with your judgement.”
“Yes, Starlight tell them the truth!” Discord cheered her on.
“Too hasty?” Twilight yelled. “You weren’t here the last time he did this. He planted the plunderseed the last time, he planted it now.”
Starlight paused for a moment. “It... it wasn’t him.”
“Oh, thank you Starlight! You are my hero!” Discord cheered her on with a funny voice.
“How can you possibly be so sure about that?” Twilight asked.
“I... I...” Starlight struggled to give an explanation.
“Yes, Starlight! Give them the story, let them know the truth!” Discord egged her on.
“Because... I... I saw who it was.” Starlight said nervously.
Discord stared for a second, then burst into laughter.
“You saw?” Twilight said in surprise. “Who was it? Tell us!”
“Yes, tell us Starlight!” Said Discord, now really getting all up in Starlight’s face.
“I don’t know.” Starlight replied.
Discord just laughed.
“You don’t know?” Twilight asked, with a bit of frustration.
“I don’t know who she was.”
“She? So we’re looking for a mare!”
Starlight started sweating visibly.
“Well whoever SHE was,” Discord chimed in, hugging Starlight with one hand, “she’s the STAR of my eyes!” He said, looking very closely into Twilight’s face. Then he burst into laughter.
“Alright, what else can you tell us about her?” Twilight continued.
“I told you, I don’t know who she was.” Starlight kept getting more and more nervous.
“Come on, Starlight!” Twilight tried to pry the answer out of her. “What did she look like?”
“Yes, Starlight!” Discord kept teasing her. “Shed some LIGHT on the subject!”
Starlight just kept getting more and more nervous. “Well... uh...” She had to quickly come up with an answer. “...She had a...” She looked at her mane, “...a purple... coat!”
“A purple coat?” Twilight thought for a moment.
“And what was her mane like!” Discord continued the interrogation, while putting a bright lamp into Starlight's face.
“Her mane?” Starlight was now sweating profusely. “Uh... her mane... was...” she looked at Rarity, “...white !”
“A purple pony, with a white mane? ” Twilight thought for a moment, while Starlight was hyperventilating. And Discord just laughed at her.
“Do we know anypony with a purple coat and a white mane?”
The other ponies looked at each other. Pinkie was thinking.
“Oh, I know one !” She exclaimed. “She lives out of town though .”
“Great! Let’s get her then!” Said Twilight and they ran outside Ponyville.
“Good luck girls!” Starlight waved after them. She was now soaking in her own sweat.
Discord giggled at her for a moment, then slapped a towel in her face. “You look a bit nervous.”
“You did that on purpose, didn’t you?” Said Starlight with frustration.
“Did what on purpose?” Discord asked.
“You know it was me.”
Discord just laughed. “Well of course I do!”
“Then why didn’t you help me? Or hay, why didn’t you just tell them straight up?”
“Oh, this is way more hilarious this way! Besides, would you have preferred them to punish, poor innocent Discord?”
“Well, after that display, I wouldn’t have minded.”
“Pfff, good thing the truth will reveal itself to them anyway. And then the real culprit will be found.” He poked Starlight on the nose, then disappeared.
Starlight was anxiously pacing around inside the library, looking for whatever spell she can use to save herself. A few books were already lying around. They weren’t of use for her dilemma. Suddenly, Discord burst through the door.
“I found her! She’s in the library.”
Starlight dropped all books she was levitating, as all of the ponies were now pouring into the room. They were carrying a hapless mare. And she had a purple coat and a white mane, of course.
“Alright, Starlight. Was it this pony?” Twilight asked.
“Please, I don’t know what’s going on!” Cried the innocent pony.
“No!” Starlight exclaimed.
“No?” Twilight replied.
“That wasn’t the mare I saw.”
“Oh...” They released the scared pony. They didn’t even have the time to apologize, as she fled outside. “Well, that was a letdown.” Twilight commented.
“You have to admit,” said Discord, “There might be thousands of purple mares with white manes in Equestria.”
“True. This might be a hopeless search.” Twilight said in disappointment.
“Now, now, there’s still a GLIMMER of hope.” Said Discord then turned to Starlight. “Starlight says she saw her, I bet she can tell us more.”
“No!” Starlight objected.
“Come on, Starlight! Tell us more!” Said Discord, as he got into Starlight’s face. “Tell us the truth!” He said with much more sinister voice.
Starlight started sweating again. “I... uh...” She tried to come up with some more false information.
“Come now Discord, she told us everything she knew.” Said Twilight, as they headed outside. “Whoever it was, she’ll probably show up again.”
Discord looked at Starlight with an angry expression, then he shouted after the leaving ponies. “Twilight, maybe you should drink Zecora’s potion of truth. You know, so you can see exactly what happened.”
“That’s actually not a bad idea, Discord.”
“It was a unicorn!” Starlight blurted out, trying to save herself. She stood there with a blank expression. “The mare I saw was a unicorn!”
Discord, upon hearing that, ripped his mouth off, teleported it away and began rolling on the floor, in silent laughter.
“Oh, Razzaroo!” Rarity exclaimed.
“Gesundheit.” Replied Rainbow.
“No, that’s a mare I know.” She continued. “She’s got a purple coat and white mane! Well, there’s a bit of green and cyan streaks too... And she’s a unicorn!”
“Do you think it was her?” Asked Twilight.
“We might as well ask her.” Replied Rarity.
“Sure. Let’s go!” And with that they were right outside the castle.
Discord slithered next to Starlight and, with his mouth back in its place, began taunting her.
“You know, it might be a bit easier if you just told them.”
“No way, Twilight’s going to kill me!”
Discord laughed. “I know a few people, who’d love to see that.”
“Why are you doing this to me anyway? Why can’t you just let it all slide?”
“And miss out on you being hilarious again? No way!”
“What do you mean again?”
“Remember when you brainwashed your friends because you didn’t know how to bake a cake? Or the time you switched Celestia’s and Luna’s cutie-marks? I could have stepped in easily and fix everything. But I was too busy laughing my bits off.”
“Is this what it’s all about? You have some sort of grudge against me?”
“Well, outside of you messing with Fluttershy’s mind twice so far, no. I just think you’re hilarious!”
“Is this just a big joke to you? Is the fate of ponies just a big joke to you!”
“Yes! Don’t you know me? I’ve been messing with ponies for thousands of years now! Funnily enough, I didn’t have to lift a claw this time. A certain ex-villain, just had to be herself.”
“I’m not an ex-villain. I’m Princess Twilight’s apprentice. The student of the princess of friendship! I even graduated! “
Discord just made a mouth with his hand, opening and closing it as Starlight talked.
“I’m not gonna let my past define me!”
“Oh, but the past does define you! You and I aren’t too different you see. We both have personal flaws that made us do terrible things. We were both punished, we both plotted revenge. And we both failed. Then we were both brought back by the power of forgiveness and now we’re both trying to become better friends.”
“You are?”
“Of course, I’ve been having a lovely time with Fluttershy and I don’t want to disappoint her, by not being a good enough friend.”
“How sweet of you.”
“You don’t want to disappoint Twilight either, do you?”
“No!”
Discord laughed. “Then why do you keep lying to her?”
“Because I don’t want to disappoint her.”
“But you’ll be found out! You know that! And the later that happens, the worse it’ll be.”
Starlight fell silent.
“The choice is yours, Starlight Glimmer! You confess, or you'll show your dear mentor, that you were a mistake.” And with that, he disappeared again.
Chapter 4 - The Confession
Starlight was leaning on her table, staring outside her window, thinking of what to do. Discord’s voice was echoing in her head.
“You’re right Discord,” She said to herself, “I really am just an ex-villain. I’ve been making plunders constantly, since I was in Ponyville. Maybe the problem was always with me... And still is.
She turned around to face her room. She looked into the mirror and then all the pictures of her memories around it. She saw all the new friends she's made after becoming Twilight’s student, all the progress she's gone through.
“I’ve come a long way. I am far from the pony I used to be! I used to be horrible. And now look at me...” She said proudly.
She then flopped down onto her bed.
“Ugh! Stupid seeds!”
The door opened slowly, as Twilight walked in.
“Starlight? Are you in here?” She asked.
“Yes, I’m here.” She got out of bed. “How did it go?” Then she saw the rest of the gang and their less then pleased expressions.
“Well, it wasn’t her.” Twilight answered. “Which surprised none of us, to be perfectly honest.”
“Oh ...” Starlight didn’t know what answer she expected.
“But she did say something interesting.”
“Oh?”
“Starlight, do you want to tell us something?”
Starlight began sweating again. Loud crunching could be heard, because Discord was suddenly there, munching on a bag of popcorn.
“I... I... I don’t know...” Starlight said nervously.
“Come on, Starlight. I’m going to drink Zecora’s magic potion and find out what happened. If you know anything, it’s better to tell us now.”
“I... I...” Starlight tried to pry the words out of her own mouth. She covered her face with her hoof. “It was me...” She finally confessed.
Everyone gasped, they didn’t actually think she’d say that.
“What?! That’s so out of character!” Discord threw his bag of popcorn in the air.
“Starlight...” Said Twilight.
“It was an accident, I swear!” Starlight continued. “I didn’t want anything bad to happen! I didn’t know anything bad could happen!”
“Starlight...”
“I just found this bag of seeds and wanted to see what it was, I...” She burst into tears and kneeled down before Twilight. “I didn’t want to disappoint you! I didn’t want you to think I’m just an ex-villain!”
“Oh, Starlight,” said Twilight, “you should have confessed at the beginning.”
“I know, I’m sorry!”
“Come on now,” Twilight lifted Starlight off the ground, “we forgive you.”
“You do?”
“Of course!” Pinkie chimed in. “We forgave you for much worse things!”
“Sure, why not.” Commented Rainbow, with much less enthusiasm.
“You graduated for a reason Starlight.” Twilight continued. “You’re not just an ex-villain anymore.”
“Well, technically she is.” Said Pinkie.
“Pinkie Pie,” said Rarity, “they’re trying to have a moment together.”
“Oh, sorry.” Pinkie apologized.
“I think we should just leave them.” Proposed Fluttershy and everyone followed her advice.
“That pony ain’t right in the head, I tell ya.” Whispered Applejack and everyone just nodded.
“Did you know about this Discord?” Rainbow accused him.
“Don’t try to put this on me! It’s not my fault you didn’t understand my subtle hints.”
“Subtle hints?” Pinkie questioned him, accusingly. “Like what?”
“Come on now.” Discord replied. “STAR in my eyes. Shed some LIGHT on the subject.”
Pinkie thought for a bit.
“GLIMMER of hope!” Discord continued.
The realization came to Pinkie. “Oooooohhhh! I see what you did there.” Then she burst into laughter. “Glimmer of hope!”
Twilight and Starlight were the last ones to come out of the room.
“You’ve changed a lot, Starlight.” Twilight continued. “When I first met you, you were enslaving a town. Now you’re going out of your way to not disappoint someone. There’s a very good reason you graduated so quickly, don’t let anyone tell you otherwise.”
Then they hugged. And all was forgiven.
A bag of seeds was lying outside Twilight’s castle. It was tied up neatly and only a couple seeds were in it. But it was just sitting there, with nobody around. Starlight Glimmer walked outside and through either a strange fluke or something more mysterious, she happened to spot this little bag. She walked up to it, she looked inside it and saw the tiny black seeds.
“Hmm, I wonder what kind of seeds are these.” she thought out loud.
“I should plant these and...” she looked around, “...maybe I shouldn’t mess with someone else’s stuff. ”
She looked around again, curiosity taking over her more and more. Then she looked back at the strange seeds.
“Oh, they were probably going to plant them anyway, I’m sure they won’t mind.”
So she dug a small hole with her hooves and put the seeds into it, then buried them. She looked at the tiny dirt mound she just made.
“This is going to take a while .” She said. “Maybe I could... ” she lighted up her horn, preparing a spell. Then in the same breath, she stopped.
“I should probably not use a spell this time. I learned my lesson!” She proclaimed proudly.
She kept looking at the tiny dirt hill, the curiosity in her growing ever so overwhelming.
“Oh please, this is just some plant. What’s the worst that could happen?”
And so, she prepared a powerful spell and enchanted the seeds in the ground.
“And she said it was me?” Asked Razzaroo.
“Not exactly ,” replied Rarity, “She said she saw a purple unicorn mare with a white mane and I thought of you.”
Razzaroo paused. “Well it wasn’t me. I’ve never even been in Ponyville and I didn’t know there were seeds, that could make savage roots come out the ground.”
The ponies expected that answer, but they were still disappointed. Not by Razzaroo’s innocence, but by not getting to the bottom of it.
“Well, thanks anyway.” Rarity thanked her and they began to leave.
Razzaroo thought for a moment. “Don’t you think it’s a bit strange?”
“What’s strange?” Asked Rarity.
“Well I mean, she’s the one who fixed the problem very quickly, wasn’t she? Then she just tells you such a vague description.”
“It did take a while for her to say anything specific.” Wondered Applejack out loud.
“Do you really think it was my student?” Twilight asked.
“Well, I can’t be certain, but it probably would be a good idea to question her.” Said Razzaroo.
“Come to think of it,” thought Rainbow out loud, “Discord was pushing her a bit. It was like he wanted to pry something out of her.”
“And Starlight did seem a bit nervous.” Added Pinkie.
“And Discord did find it very amusing.” Fluttershy commented.
Twilight thought for a bit. “Star of my eyes. Shed some light. Glimmer of hope.”
“What was that, darling?” Rarity asked.
“I just remembered Discord’s puns. Do you think he was trying to tell us something?”
“Yes, yes, yes,” Razzaroo interjected, “it does seem to me you’ve got some important clues.”
“Come on girls, Starlight and I need to have a few words.” Said Twilight and they went back to Ponyville.
