Forgotten

Starlight finished her story and sat back with a grim look on her face. She noticed, though her vision was rather bleary, that Twilight had been crying rather excessively. Her coat was matted underneath her eyes and her face was twisted in a manner that betrayed her previous deluge. She didn't say anything, but got up and wrapped Starlight in a tight embrace, which her guidance counselor gladly returned. Both of them were relieved and so utterly thankful to be in the presence of somepony who remembered them and cared about them.

"I'm so sorry, Starlight," Twilight said through a voice thickened with sadness, "I should never have left you alone that day. If I hadn't, then maybe I would've been able to stop this."

"You couldn't have stopped it, Twilight," Starlight said as she offered a small smile, "this was inevitable. We couldn't have jumped up and erased the wave. Even with our magic combined, it still would've impacted Equestria in a huge way. We weren't meant to stop this."

"But our friendship could have!"

"No, Twilight, it couldn't. Friendship can't solve every problem. You taught me that once, remember?"

Twilight stiffened a bit and nodded as memories of her time as Starlight's teacher came flooding back into her mind. She saw all the lessons that she had taught her faithful pupil, and even some that she had learned herself. Her eyes practically danced as she thought of the wonderful experiences she and Starlight had shared over the years they had known each other. From enemies to friends, she thought, what an incredible concept!

"Oh, Starlight," she said, "I just wish that this all went differently."

"I know," her friend responded, "but it is what it is and now we have to find a way to stop it…to stop him."

"Him?"

Starlight nodded. "Sombra. I think he might have had something to do with the wave itself, but I'm not sure. By the way, who's the new pony?"

Flame Mane had stood in complete silence this entire time. He didn't want to interrupt the joyous reunion happening in front of him, but in his quest to make and keep new friends, this new pony seemed like a prime candidate. So he figured he would wait quietly for Twilight and Starlight to finish, and then he would introduce himself. But now, the tables had been turned, and he found himself in a rather nerve wracking spot. He didn't like to be thrown into the middle of something like that, and he shrank away from the light purple mare.

"This is Flame Mane," Twilight said as she trotted over and nudged him towards Starlight, "Flame Mane, this is Starlight Glimmer, the finest guidance counselor a pony could ask for."

"Hi, Starlight," Flame said nervously, "it's…good to meet you."

"It's nice to meet you, too," Starlight responded politely, "how did you and Twilight happen to come across each other?"

"It's a long story," Twilight said, "but suffice it to say we met in a camp and then met again in Canterlot. He told me all about how he was the one responsible for the wave's appearance and this whole mess, but now I'm not so sure. You said you thought Sombra was responsible for it?"

"I'm sure of it," Starlight said, "he visited here once and spoke rather pompously to his guards about how he would kill Celestia and take the throne of Equestria for himself."

Twilight wanted to gasp in shock, but in all truthfulness, she wasn't surprised at all. She figured Sombra would try and win the throne of Equestria one day. But she couldn't believe his method. After all, Remembrance was her spell, and unless he had read her book, he wouldn't have known about it.

"Flame Mane," she said, turning to her new friend, "did anypony egg you on to try the spell? You said you tried Remembrance in a futile attempt to impress me, but I'm not so sure about that now. I mean, no offense, but you aren't exactly a pony wizard. I just don't know how you pulled off even the antonymous spell."

"I don't know either," Flame said. He looked around nervously. He was trying to avoid telling the young princess what had really happened, for fear of losing her friendship forever. He wanted to take the blame himself and just leave the past in the past.

But Twilight was smarter than that and she looked him over with a rather hard stare. Her purple eyes buried into his soul, and he felt as if she were chastising him without saying a word. His heart thudded against his chest as he fell under the weight of her traumatizing, yet mesmerizing glare. His rapidly growing love for her felt put to the test, as he realized he may be in real trouble.

"Alright, alright!" He said as he finally gave in, "something else did happen on that day!"

"What was it?" Twilight asked with grave seriousness.

"I was walking home from the store with my food for the week floating above my head when I was suddenly attacked by two ponies. They drug me into an alley where a third pony was. His head was covered, but he spoke viciously and arrogantly. He stuck his horn into my back and forced me into a small room where he had one of your books, Twilight. I don't know how, but he knew of my obsession with you. He had it open to the Remembrance spell I had been working with and he ordered me to cast it over all Equestria. If I didn't…then he would kill me. So I did, and I thought I had cast it correctly. I followed the steps in the book to a T, but then this hooded pony cast another spell at the same time and tampered with mine. Before I knew it, the wave had flooded Equestria, I had been knocked out and left in the woods to die…and then Dr. Greyhoof rescued me. He told me all about Queen Celestia and the new Equestria, and I wanted to kill myself. I actually tried to on several occasions, but Apple Bloom stopped me every time. Then I met you, Princess Twilight."

Twilight realized that she had been incredibly harsh on somepony who didn't deserve it and she felt her heart sink. She looked at the floor and thought about the time on the train when she had mistreated him. She felt so horrible and guilty that she wanted to fling herself into a pit and never return. Her coat felt clammy, and her tail sagged severely.

"I…I'm sorry, Flame Mane," she said sincerely, "I didn't mean to be so harsh with you. I haven't been a very good friend at all, and that's a tarnish, not only on my reputation as the Princess of Friendship, but on my very existence as a whole. I live to make friends, and I've been an awful one to you. I should be the one cast into prison forever."

"I don't blame you, Princess," he said, "and I don't want to lose you. You're my best friend." He smiled at her and she walked up and embraced him. Starlight quickly joined, and the three friends stayed bound together for quite some time. For Starlight, it was the joy of holding an old friend and the thrill of embracing a new one for the first time. But for Twilight and Flame Mane, the hug was something a little bit more. It was warm, not only physically, but emotionally as well. They didn't want to let each other go. It caused Twilight a bit of alarm. Am I…falling in love? She asked herself.