Starlight looked out the train window. The Crystal Empire was coming into view.
She was still surprised she’d been able to get a ticket and have bits left over for a room overnight. She didn’t have any luggage, plan, company, or... anything. All she had was herself and her memories.
All things considered, Starlight was terrified. She had been since she’d been kicked from Our Town. She’d never been so alone since...
Life had gotten a little easier for her after she’d made peace with her village, or at least with Double Diamond. And considering how she treated him, that was more than enough for her.
Still though, she wished she could apologize to everypony she’d wronged, that princess and her friends as well. But she knew she’d never get that chance. She’d be long arrested before she ever got the chance to speak to her. Maybe if-
“Last stop, the Crystal Empire,” the conductor’s voice sounded throughout the train.
Leaving her thoughts behind, Starlight stepped off the train and onto the crystal ground. Everywhere she looked, she saw crystals. The ground was crystal, the walls were crystal, the homes and the giant castle were crystal... even the ponies themselves had crystal-like eyes!
She was stunned. Growing up in a village didn’t give one much opportunity to see the wonders of the world, save for nature. An environment like this would surprise anypony from Sire’s Hollow, and Starlight was no exception.
Shaking her head, Starlight began thinking of her next move.
Get to know the locals? Look for a room for the night? Find work to better afford a room?
“I’d need a decent lay of the land for work,” she whispered to herself.
“What’s that, lass?” asked a stallion who’d walked by her.
“O-O-Oh, n-nothing,” she said, caught a bit by surprise.
“Y’okay? I’ve seen a few mares around here become a bit too mesmerized by everything. If you wanted, I could give you a bit of a tour of the kingdom,” he offered. “I just gotta deliver these last few letters. You’re free to join me if you wish.”
She was hesitant. This could very well have been a sting operation to capture her. “W-Why?”
“Pardon?” he asked, looking confused.
“You don’t know me... right? We’ve n-never met have we?” she asked sincerely.
“Well, it’s obvious you’re having a bit of a culture shock and could use a little, er... assistance. Besides, what’s the harm in doing a good deed?” he replied.
“S-Sure.”
The stallion, whom Starlight had assumed was a mail pony, had delivered most of his letters, with just one left.
“Now, something to know about this stallion who lives here. He likes to uh... keep to himself. So, I’m just gonna slip the letter onto his porch, and when I knock, you and me are gonna take off behind them there bushes. Once we know he’s got the letter, we can get on with the tour,” he told her.
Starlight was a little confused. She may not know much about... anything social, but she couldn’t really imagine such an off-putting stallion. Still though, the mail pony knew the stallion better than her, so she simply nodded.
The mail pony slowly stepped up to the stallion’s porch, set down the letter, knocked on the door, and bolted toward the bushes, Starlight in tow.
When the stallion opened his door to pick up the letter, everything, time especially, stopped. The stallion had an orange coat and an orange and white mane. He was the spitting image.
When he closed his door, Starlight asked, “What’s that stallion’s name?”
The mail pony tilted his head in thought. “Now, I don’t know nothing about him, but I believe his name is, uh... Sunburst, or something like that.”
That was all Starlight needed to hear. She stepped out of the bushes and started toward Sunburst’s door.
“Uh, little lady? Don’t you wanna get started on the tour?” the mail pony called.
Starlight turned around. “Umm, I’m gonna need to take a rain check on that. Thanks for the offer though...”
“That’s fine. Name’s Jet. I’ll be seein’ you around in that case. Take me up on that tour anytime that strikes you fancy,” Jet replied.
Starlight nodded as Jet walked away. She turned back to the door, unable to believe the chances.
He was here. After so long, after so much time wondering why he left, after so much time wondering why he would never write back, Sunburst was here.
Starlight froze, realizing just what was at risk. What if he didn’t recognize her? What if he didn’t want to see her? What if... What if he knew about Our Town?
Starlight flinched away from the door. The princess has probably already sent out some kind of warrant for her arrest. What was she thinking, coming into a public place like this?
She started turning around, her mind racing, her legs wobbling. She couldn’t see any guards coming after her.
They had to be in disguise. They didn’t want it to reach the public, so they’re doing it so that nopony passing by will notice. And there were ponies everywhere. She just couldn’t go to prison, even if she deserved to. She’d just found Sun-
Starlight was taken out of her thoughts when she felt one of her hooves on Sunburst’s door.
She backed away and held her breath. Sunburst had to have heard her from inside. There was no going back now.
Starlight backed away from the door and stood as still as she could to hide her distress. A million thoughts ran through her head as the door opened, finally giving her a close look at a fully grown Sunburst. He looked pretty similar to when they were children, but his mane was a bit more...frazzled. He also wore small glasses and a blue cloak.
“Umm, can I help you?” he asked.
Starlight basked in his voice. It was older, but still the same lovable, dorkish voice as before.
“Are you alright? You look like you’re a little... out of it,” he said, snapping her out of her daze.
Starlight blinked. ’Well,’ she thought, ’Here goes... everything’
“It’s, uh... me, Starlight Glimmer?” she said nervously.
He tilted his head. “I don’t believe I know anypony named... ‘Starlight Glimmer’. You must have me mistaken for somepony else,” he said, turning to close the door. “Unless you have crucial business with me, come back later.”
“Wait!” Starlight shouted in a panic, holding the door open. “We used to be friends. Back in...” she gulped, “Sire’s Hollow.”
“Sire’s Hollow? You’ll have to refresh my memory; I haven’t been in Sire’s Hollow in twenty years,” Sunburst replied.
’Sweet Celestia, has it really been that long?’
“Remember? We used to play Dragon Pit all day and practice new spells in your parents’ living room. I used to have two small pigtails,” she recalled. “And you... left... after you got your Cutie Mark.”
“Dragon Pit, two pigtails,” he repeated. “Oh my Celestia, Starlight Glimmer! It really is you!” He moved out of the way of his door. “Don’t just stand there, come in!”
Starlight’s heart flipped as she practically bounded into Sunburst’s... home.
There were books all over the place, most of which opened and face down. Ink was also splattered all across the room, having ruined nearly all present.
“Sorry about the mess, I had no clue you’d be here. It’s been so long, after all,” Sunburst said as he walked past her. After a moment of silence, he suddenly hugged her. “Well, how are you?”
Starlight couldn’t find it in herself to reply. Sunburst pulled away and walked up to a table. Starlight hesitantly sat across from him, careful not to get ink on her fur.
“I’ve been... better, lately. How about you?” she replied.
Sunburst looked nervous as he waved his hoof. “Oh... what’s that matter? How were things after I left? I’m surprised I never saw you in Canterlot. You always did have astonishing magical talent.”
Starlight became nervous as well, started to think this was a bad idea.
“I... I didn’t stay in Sire’s Hollow much longer after that. I, uh, went to the mountains and tried to strengthen my magic. But what about you?! Surely, you’re some... big and important wizard, right? You did get your... Cutie Mark in magic, after all,” she said, trying to change the subject before she blurted out everything.
Sunburst shifted in his seat. “N-Not exactly-“
“E-Especially at such a young age!” she continued to praise. “I didn’t even earn my Cutie Mark until I was at least... two or three years later.”
“S-Starlight, I-I, umm...” he stuttered.
“On second thought, let’s stop talking about Cutie Marks!” Starlight shouted, stress beginning to overtake her. “S-Surely, you-“
“My, uh, my Cutie Mark wasn’t-“
“I stole a village worth of Cutie Marks!” Starlight shouted suddenly. As soon as she finished, both hooves instinctively shot to her mouth.
“What?” Sunburst asked.
Instead of answering, Starlight jumped out of her seat and bolted for the door. She didn’t make it far before she tripped over a book.
“What are you talking about? How do you... steal a Cutie Mark?” Sunburst asked again.
Starlight thought about trying to teleport away, but she couldn’t bring herself to do so. She knew that if she did, she would never see Sunburst again.
“You leaving... was too much... and I thought it was your Cutie Mark’s fault. I thought Cutie Marks... tore friendships apart... l-like i-it tore ours apart,” Starlight answered, tears quickly filling her eyes.
Sunburst slowly moved toward her. “Starlight... I‘m so sorry.”
“You never answered any of the letters I sent you... I thought you didn’t care about me anymore. I thought that if I could get rid of Cutie Marks... everypony would be the same, their friendships unending. I... I even stole a princess’s Cutie Mark. But even then... I was just abandoned again,” she sobbed.
“Well,” Sunburst said, placing a hoof on her, “if it makes you feel any better... I’m not exactly a big wizard like you thought.”
Starlight looked at him with confusion. “W-What? B-But... you were so good, a-and y-you got your Cutie Mark s-so... e-early.”
“That’s the thing. Since I got my Cutie Mark in magic so young, everypony thought I was capable of things I... wasn’t,” Sunburst replied, rubbing the back of his head. “I... kinda flunked out within a month.”
Starlight was too confused for words.
’He left prematurely? But then... why didn’t he ever answer any of my letters?’
As if he’d read her mind, Sunburst added, “And I didn’t get any of your letters because I got away from Canterlot immediately after.”
Starlight wanted to speak, but she didn’t know what to say. She’d long realized what she did in Our Town was... wrong, but... now it felt as if it were all for nothing.
“Why don’t we just start over. Would you like to join me for dinner?” Sunburst asked, getting her attention.
Starlight couldn’t have refused even if she wanted to.
“And... that’s how you take a pony’s Cutie Mark,” Starlight finished sheepishly.
“Astounding,” Sunburst replied, writing something on his napkin.
“P-Pardon?” Starlight asked.
“Well, not taking away specifically Cutie Marks,” he corrected himself. “But taking something so fundamental. Perhaps if you made proper adjustments to your spell, you could remove harmful attachments, such as disease or injury.”
Starlight tiled her head in thought. “I’d... never thought of that before.” She smiled. “Thank you, Sunburst, for bringing me here, and... not thinking I was crazy.”
“Well, to be fair, it was kind of my fault. In retrospect, I guess I could’ve at least said goodbye,” Sunburst replied. “I’ve, uh, read a few books on psychology...”
Sunburst’s voice slowly tuned out as a new one tuned in. A voice Starlight had heard before, a voice she hoped to never hear again, a voice surely coming after her.
Starlight’s chest began to heave, her hooves began to shake, her ears began to ring. She tried to focus on Sunburst, but the voice grew ever so louder and closer. She didn’t want to look, but she did anyhow.
And there she was. Her lavender coat, her dark purple mane, Princess Twilight Sparkle.
Intermission time to give huge shout-outs to the kindest, sweetest person on the site, Peni Parker for writing this next section
Starlight could feel her heart skip a beat before beating so quickly , she thought it was going to burst out of her chest. She was horrified. Twilight had come for her, what other reason could there be for her being in the Crystal Empire right now? She had come for her, she had found her, and now she was going to send her to prison.
’No, no, no!’ she frantically thought to herself as she felt a cold sweat come over her. ’I can’t go to prison, not now! Not after I just reunited with Sunburst!’
Time seemed to slow down for Starlight as a million and one possible escape plans ran through her head. There had to be a way out of this, there just had to be. She just needed to think of one… and quick. Maybe she could teleport away? No, she couldn’t do that. What would Sunburst think if she just suddenly disappeared like that? Cause a distraction? No, that wouldn’t work either. What distraction could she cause that wouldn’t draw attention to herself in the process?
Every escape plan Starlight eliminated only caused her to panic more, eventually to the point where her vision began to slightly blur, and she started to hear a ringing in her ears.
“Are you okay, Starlight?” shed’ faintly heard Sunburst’s voice distortedly say.
“Huh?” Starlight startlingly replied as she snapped out of her forlorn state.
Upon returning to reality, Starlight noticed Sunburst staring at her with a concerned look on his face. She also noticed a few nearby ponies staring at her as well, though with more mixed expressions on their faces.
“S-Sorry about that,” she apologized to Sunburst as she continued to scan the crowd. “I-I just felt a little-“
And then it happened. Starlight locked eyes with Princess Twilight Sparkle, who was staring back at her with a shocked expression on her face.
“I have to go to the bathroom,” she then hastily said as she moved as quickly as she could away from the princess and towards the exit
As Starlight got closer to the exit, she noticed that the doors were blocked by a large group of ponies coming in. Rather than try and maneuver through the group and risk Princess Twilight catching up to her, she swiftly turned around and headed for the restroom. Once inside, she quickly entered the stall farthest from the entrance and locked the door. It wasn’t long, though before she heard the doors to the bathroom open, followed by the sound of hoofsteps slowly advancing inward. Fearing it was Twilight, she held her breath and covered her mouth to keep from revealing her position.
“I know you’re in here, Starlight Glimmer,” Twilight Sparkle’s voice echoed through the room.
Despite Starlight’s best efforts to hold her breath, her panicked state caused her breathing to involuntarily become more rapid as she contemplated what she should do, what she could do. Her first instinct was to use magic to fight her way out, but she quickly suppressed the urge to do that. As talented as she was at magic, she knew she didn’t stand a chance against an alicorn like Twilight Sparkle.
“Please, come out,” she heard Twilight gingerly implore. “I’m not here to hurt you. I just want to talk.”
Not surprisingly, Starlight soon began to feel lightheaded from restricting her breathing, and she was forced to let herself go. The resulting gasp for air was so loud that there was no doubt that Princess Twilight now knew exactly where she was, and it only made her panic even more. She could feel her stomach churn and twist, her strength slowly fade away, and what little hope she’d had left of escaping disappear completely.
This was it; game over. There was no way in Tartarus that Twilight was going to let her get away again. She knew she’d gotten lucky back at Our Town, but she also knew that now her luck had run out. It was time for her to face the consequences for her actions. She’d have to say goodbye to Sunburst… and be alone all over again.
Accepting her fate, Starlight unlocked the stall door, gently opened it, and stepped out into the open. She looked to her left to see Twilight standing at the other end of the stalls, about fifteen feet away from her. However, as soon as the princess locked eyes with her again, she slowly started to approach her.
“I’m ready,” she defeatedly said as she plopped her rump down on the ground. “I’m ready for whatever punishment you see fit for me.”
Just then, Twilight stopped right in front of her and sat down as well. Fearing whatever the princess had in mind for her, Starlight swiftly shut her eyes tight and prepared for the worst. But what happened next was the last thing she’d ever expected to happen.
She felt Twilight throw her hooves around her. Not in a restraining fashion, but in a fashion that could only be described as a hug.
“Thank goodness you’re all right,” Princess Twilight genially said to her.
Starlight was stunned, bewildered, flabbergasted. Was this really happening?
“W-What?” was all she could manage to say in her befuddled state.
“After we lost you in the mountains, I was afraid something bad was going to happen to you,” Twilight explained as she broke the hug but still kept her hooves on her shoulders. “Like you’d get crushed under some falling rocks or end up lost within the caves. I’m just so glad to see that you’re okay.”
As Starlight looked into Twilight’s eyes as she spoke, she could see just how serious the princess was being right now. There were no traces of deceit or trickery within them, only sincerity and compassion. Twilight really had been worried about her, and she truly was happy to see her.
“Y-You aren’t still mad about what I did?” she confusedly asked. “You… aren’t here to take me to prison?”
A look of surprise crossed Twilight’s face after Starlight had said this. The princess opened removed her hooves from Starlight’s shoulders and opened her mouth to answer, but before she could say anything she was interrupted by the sound of the bathroom door opening. Both Starlight and Twilight turned their attention to the door to see a group of three mare entering the bathroom, gossiping like a band of school fillies.
“Maybe we should talk somewhere else,” Twilight discreetly suggested as she turned back to Starlight.
Despite the sincerity Starlight had sensed from Twilight thus far about only wanting to talk, she was still leery of the princess’s true intentions. It was entirely possible to her that she was simply faking all this to lure her into a false sense of security, and then she’d strike when she least expected it. Of course, even if that was the case, did she really have any other options than to go along with it?
“Y-Yeah, okay,” she apprehensively agreed.
And with that, Starlight and Twilight got back up and made their way out of the bathroom.
Only to find Sunburst waiting right outside.
“Starlight, are you- P-Princess Twilight Sparkle?!” he started to say before he realized who Starlight was walking out of the bathroom with.
“Oh, um, hello,” Twilight politely, but somewhat awkwardly, greeted him. “Are you a friend of Starlight’s?”
“Y-Yes, yes I am! I’m, uh... I’m Sunburst!” Sunburst introduced himself in a very star-struck manner before turning his attention back to Starlight. “You didn’t tell me you knew the Princess of Friendship, Starlight!”
“I… didn’t think to mention it earlier,” Starlight delicately replied before closing the gap between herself and Sunburst. “Listen, Sunburst, the princess and I need to talk about some things, so I’m afraid I need to cut our dinner short. I’ll meet you back at your place later, okay?”
It was difficult for Starlight not to notice the look of confusion and disappointment on Sunburst’s face as she broke this news to him. But what else could she do? She couldn’t very well invite him along with her… for a number of reasons.
“Y-Yeah, okay,” Sunburst apprehensively agreed, feeling like he was missing a piece of puzzle here.
“Thanks,” Starlight whispered as she gave Sunburst a quick hug, just in case her suspicions about Twilight’s true intentions turned out to be correct.
Sunburst didn’t return the hug though, as Starlight broke it before he’d even had a chance to.
“Let’s go,” Starlight placidly said to Twilight just before she turned and slowly started walking over to the exit.
“It was nice meeting you, Sunburst,” Twilight said before following right behind her.
As Starlight walked, she silently hoped and prayed that things would go well with Twilight. She really didn’t want to have to leave Sunburst again, especially after she’d just told him she’d see him later. She desperately wanted to believe that Twilight was being truthful about simply wanting to talk to her, but it was hard for her to believe that. After all, if there roles had been reversed she’d want whoever stole her Cutie Mark to rot alone in prison for the rest of their life. But Twilight wasn’t like that… hopefully.
Still though, even if this talk didn’t end with her being imprisoned, Starlight knew that it was most likely going to be an incredibly unpleasant experience for her.
After a few minutes of walking around, Starlight and Twilight came across a small park, and Twilight decided that it was as good a place as any to have their talk. They quickly found an open bench across from a playground and each took a seat on it; Starlight on the left side and Twilight on the right side.
Neither mare said anything right away though. Starlight had expected Twilight to start things off, but the princess didn’t say a word. She just looked on at the playground and the happy foals with their parents playing there, like she was watching a living memory book.
“I used to come to a park like this a lot when I was a filly back in Canterlot,” she eventually, and very serenely, spoke up. “I always loved the swings. My foalsitter, Cadance, used to push me on them for hours.”
“Cadance?” Starlight inquired in an astonished fashion. “As in Princess Cadance, Ruler of the Crystal Empire?”
“Uh-huh,” Twilight confirmed. “She’s actually the reason I came here today. She sent me a letter saying she wanted to catch up.”
Starlight couldn’t believe it. The Princess of Love used to be Twilight’s foalsitter? She was so surprised by this little fact that she momentarily forgot why she was currently in the park with Twilight in the first place.
“Wow, that must have been some foalhood,” she casually remarked.
“It was. Cadance was practically my best friend growing up,” Twilight answered as she turned to face Starlight. “What about you, Starlight? Did you have a best friend growing up?”
It was in this moment that Starlight realized she’d inadvertently let her guard down. It was only for a brief instant and only a tiny bit, to be sure, but it had been enough for Twilight to be able to ask her such a personal question. She contemplated ways of trying to dodge the question, but couldn’t come up with any. And she knew that telling a lie was out of the question. Twilight would undoubtably see right through one of those in a heartbeat.
No, despite how much she wished it weren’t so, Starlight knew that the truth was her only option.
“Y-Yeah, I did,” she somberly said as she looked down at the ground. “It was Sunburst.”
“The stallion from earlier?” Twilight inquired.
Starlight simply nodded in response.
“That’s nice,” Twilight pleasantly replied. “I’m glad that you two managed to stay friends after so many years.”
All of a sudden, Starlight felt a single tear drop run down her right cheek. She didn’t know how she hadn’t notice it form in the corner of her eye earlier, or even why it’d suddenly formed in the first place, but as she felt it slowly descend down her face she felt the emotions it carried with it. Sadness, fear, and regret.
“We didn’t stay friends,” she softly retorted, sounding a tad choked up.
“You didn’t?” Twilight gingerly asked as she scooched ever-so-slightly closer to Starlight, sensing her distress. “But then why were together earlier?”
“Because I showed up at his doorstep after I learned he lived here,” Starlight clarified as a tear now fell down her left cheek as well. “But long ago, he left our hometown after getting his Cutie Mark, and we stopped being friends.”
“I’m sorry to hear that,” Twilight sympathetically replied.
Starlight hated what was happening right know. She hated the fact she was on the verge of bawling her eyes out, in a public place no less, as she confided within Twilight Sparkle of all ponies. Twilight-freaking-Sparkle, the pony who’d taken everything from her back in Our Town. How had this happened? How had she allowed it to happen? But most importantly, what was she going to do now?
The way Starlight saw it, she had two options; continue confiding within Twilight, or put her walls back up and shut her out. There were pros and cons to both options, and as she weighed them all within her mind, the best choice became clear to her.
“I just couldn’t believe it,” she dolefully confessed. “In the blink of an eye my best friend was gone. Shipped off to Canterlot without even saying goodbye first. It was like…everything we’d been through together had meant nothing. I felt so abandoned, so picayune, so… so alone.”
The more Starlight confessed, the more emotional she became. The few tears running down her cheeks had now multiplied tenfold and were like two mighty rivers flowing from her eyes. Her entire body began to shake and feel weak, even though she was seated. And she felt something rising up inside her, something that was boiling and growing stronger by the second.
“And all because of a Cutie Mark,” she continued, a hint of anger now evident in her voice. “I lost my best friend, my only friend, because of a stupid Cutie Mark.”
All of a sudden, Starlight felt a hoof gently take hold of her own. She looked over to see Twilight practically sitting right nest to her with her hoof lightly wrapped around hers.
“That’s why you hated Cutie Marks so much, wasn’t it?” she solemnly asked.
It took Starlight a few seconds to respond because of how choked up she now felt.
“Sunburst got his Cutie Mark, a-and I didn’t!” she eventually said, and as vehemently as she could. “He moved on without me! I stayed in Sire’s Hollow and never made another friend because I was too afraid that another Cutie Mark would take them away too!”
There was a brief pause in Starlight’s rant as she caught her breath.
“But eventually the loneliness became too much for me to bear,” she continued, sounding a bit calmer now. “That’s why I did all the things I did with Our Town. So that I could have friends but never lose them on account of Cutie Marks. So that… so that I wouldn’t be alone ever again.”
And then it happened. Starlight started bawling her eyes out. She quickly brought both her fore hooves up to her face in an attempt to hide her distress as her emotions overwhelmed her. Everything was coming out all at once; the heartbreak when Sunburst had left, the loneliness that had followed, the loss of Our Town and the regret for what she’d done to the ponies there, all of it.
The worst part of it all though, was how alone it made Starlight feel. Despite everything good that had happened to her recently with Double Diamond, Jet, and Sunburst, she felt like she was all alone in the world again. Like there wasn’t anypony in all of Equestria who cared about her, and there never would be because of all that she’d done. Which only made her feel even worse.
Starlight lowered her hooves from her face and was about to run away in embarrassment when she suddenly felt two hooves and a pair of wings wrap around her. She turned her head as best she could to see Twilight crying sympathetic tears as she, for the second time that night, held her in a hug. But this hug wasn’t like the one from earlier. No, it was tighter and warmer, like she was trying to protect her from all the pain she was feeling right now.
“It’s okay,” the princess spoke softly to her. “You’re not alone anymore.”
As confused as Starlight already was by Twilight’s hug, the princess’s words only filled her with more confusion. What did she mean by that? Was she referring to Sunburst when she’d said that? No, that couldn’t be it. The way she’d said it was too personal for that to be the case. So did that mean that Twilight was telling her she was here for her? Like… a friend?
“W-Why are you d-doing this?” she inquired through her tears. “I stole your Cutie M-Mark, and all y-your friend’s Cutie Marks t-too. W-Why a-are you n-not still mad at m-me?”
Before Twilight answered, she slightly broke her hug with Starlight so that the two of them were looking each other right in the eyes.
“Because I forgive you, Starlight,” the princess earnestly told her with an amicable smile on her face.
Starlight didn’t say anything in response, but the astonished expression she dawned conveyed exactly what it was she was feeling at that moment.
“I’m not going to lie, when you took my Cutie Mark it was one of the worst experience’s of my life,” Twilight continued, never ceasing to break eye contact with her. “But I forgive you for that, because I can tell that you’re truly sorry for it.”
Despite Twilight’s explanation, Starlight still didn’t understand how the princess could forgive her so easily.
“B-But I-“ she started to say before Twilight interrupted her.
“Starlight, just listen to me,” the princess began to say. “I could’ve stayed mad at you if I’d wanted to. In fact, there have been times I looked back on what happened in Our Town and I wish that I had. But do you know why I didn’t?”
Starlight just shook her head in response.
“It’s because I don’t believe in holding onto grudges,” Twilight said. “When you hold onto a grudge, it doesn’t help anypony, especially yourself. All it does is make it easier for you to feel angry, and I don’t want to feel angry. I always try to forgive and forget if I feel that the pony who hurt me is truly sorry, and from what I’ve seen and heard from you tonight, Starlight, I know that you are truly sorry. And if you’d have me, I’d be honored to be your friend.”
There was no doubt in Starlight’s mind now about Twilight’s true intentions. The princess hadn’t been faking any of this or trying lure her into a false sense of security, she’d been a hundred percent sincere this whole time, and was still being a hundred percent sincere now.
Once again, Starlight felt her emotions beginning to overwhelm her. But unlike last time, the emotions she now felt were more positive ones like relief, gratitude, and even happiness. Unable to hold them back, she quickly threw her hooves around Twilight in a hug as she cried into her chest.
“I’m s-sorry, I’m so sorry!” she profusely apologized. “I’m s-so, so s-sorry!”
“I know, Starlight,” Twilight genially replied as she wrapped her hooves and wings around Starlight once more, allowing her to cry into her chest. “I know.”
The simultaneous heartbreaking and heartwarming scene between the two mares went on for some time. At one point, Starlight wondered how long she’d been crying into Twilight’s chest, figuring it had to have been for a while now given how drenched with tears the princess’s coat was. She didn’t know the exact amount of time though, she only knew that the Twilight hadn’t let go of her the whole time.
Eventually, Starlight found that she’d run out of tears to cry, and she gently removed herself from Twilight’s hug.
“I-I’m sorry for all that just now,” she apologized as she wiped a few remaining tears from her face.
“It’s all right,” Twilight tenderly assured her.
“So…what now?” Starlight apprehensively asked, having no idea what was supposed to follow a scene like that.
“That’s up to you, Starlight,” Twilight answered. “This is your journey, only you can decide where things go from here. But just know this; I’ll be there for you during any part of your journey if you want me to be.”
Starlight couldn’t help but dawn a small smile upon hearing Twilight’s kind and supportive words. It was still hard for her to believe that Twilight could be so forgiving and supporting towards her, but she no longer doubted that what she said was anything but the truth.
Still though, Twilight’s answer to her question only filled Starlight with more questions. Mainly, where was it she should go from here? She knew from her encounter with Double Diamond a while back and her encounter with Twilight now that there was still so much she needed to do. But what was the next step?
“I… I think I want to apologize to your friends as well,” she soberly replied. “But not right now, there are still some things I need to take care of here first.”
“Okay,” Twilight understandably said. “I’ll be in the Crystal Empire for another few days if you need anything. Just come by the palace and ask for me. Also, if you finish what you need to here before I leave, you’re more than welcome to come with me back to Ponyville to apologize then if you want.”
Despite having felt that she didn’t have anymore tears to cry only moments ago, Starlight could feel one single new tear of happiness quickly run down her cheek as Twilight made her offer to her.
“I think I’d like that,” she earnestly replied before quickly throwing her hooves around the princess in a light hug. “Thank you, Twilight.”
“You’re welcome, Starlight,” Twilight just as earnestly replied as she returned the hug.
Feeling herself starting to get emotional again, Starlight quickly broke the hug and got down off the bench.
“I should probably get going now,” she somewhat awkwardly said. “Sunburst might be getting a little worried about what happened to me.”
Picking up on her current embarrassed state, Twilight gave a small giggle.
“I understand,” the princess replied with a hint of merriment in her voice. “You know where to find me when you’re ready to go.”
“Yeah, I do,” Starlight placidly before slowly starting to walk away. “Until then.”
“Until then,” she heard Twilight say back as she left.
As Starlight walked through the park heading back to Sunburst’s house, she began to wonder if everything that had just happened had, well, actually happened. When she’d first spotted Twilight earlier she was sure she was going to end up in prison, but instead she ended up becoming friends with the alicorn princess.
“Life can be pretty crazy sometimes,” she told herself as she continued walking, eager to get back to Sunburst. “All you can do is just roll with it.”
Author's Note
This has been a Donnnnn and Peni Parker collaboration; I hope you all enjoyed it
It’s pretty safe to say this is done way better than the prequel
And for the love of God, LEAVE A COMMENT IF YOU LIKED THE STORY
