MLP: The Second Chapter

Twilight and Starlight picked their way through the Everfree Forest on the way to Zecora's hut. Starlight had been incredibly anxious the entire time they had been walking, and it didn't help that Twilight refused to speak with her. Maybe I was a little too blunt, Starlight thought, but all the same, this prophecy will come true! When Celestia and Luna say something's gonna happen, then it's gonna happen!

"Twilight, please talk to me," Starlight said desperately, "I thought we were friends."

Twilight turned sharply and Starlight nearly ran into her. "So did I," Twilight said with pain in her voice, "but somepony who would so readily insult my daughter…"

"I'm not trying to insult Midnight! I'm trying to warn you!"

"Just shut up!" Twilight growled, "until we get to Zecora's and figure this all out, you can consider yourself friendless!"

She turned tail and stalked off, leaving a shocked Starlight in tears. Was the fate of Equestria really worth losing her best friend over? She shook her head and wiped the liquid from her eyes. No, she told herself, I have to remain strong. Twilight will always be my best friend, but whether she believes it or not, I'm doing this for her own good and for the good of all our friends. If Midnight truly is the monster Zecora, Celestia, and Luna claim her to be, then Twilight needs to hear this.

After that little internal pep talk, Starlight tried once again to speak with Twilight. But the purple Princess of Friendship, who ironically wasn't being a very good friend at the time, simply grunted and continued walking. Every time she grunted, a stabbing pain shot through Starlight's heart. This was the mare that had so unselfishly taken the time to teach her how to be a friend to ponies. Twilight had restored her faith in cutie marks and the belief that each individual pony had a talent and a means to share it with others. Twilight was her best friend in all of Equestria, and now a dark prophecy threatened to tear them apart just as it was threatening to tear Equestria apart.

They finally arrived on Zecora's doorstep, and Twilight rapped on the door with a hoof. "Zecora?" She asked, "come out, please. It's Twilight and I have a question for you." The door opened and out stepped the wise and friendly zebra. She smiled at Twilight. "Greetings, Twilight, and Starlight too. Come on in, I've just finished a batch of stew."

So the two ponies silently accepted her invitation and followed her inside. The smell was intoxicating. Starlight thought she had never smelled a more delicious aroma in her entire life. She looked and saw that there was a bubbling pot over an open flame. Inside appeared to be some type of golden liquid, mixed with chunks of carrots, potatoes, and other various vegetables that ponies enjoy.

"Come, sit, be my guest. Don't be alarmed, for here, there are no pests."

Starlight suppressed a laugh. She always loved visiting Zecora, because the zebra rhymed everything she said. She was Ponyville's greatest poet, yet probably its most unknown. She worked quietly behind the scenes, making sure that everypony felt well and was healthy and strong. She was well known for her work with the local hospital, making poultices and other various herbal medicines for them to use.

She poured each of the three of them a bowl of stew and sat down beside them. Starlight and Twilight used their horns to pick up the spoon Zecora provided and slurp down gulps of the delicious concoction. Starlight beamed at the taste. "MM…this is amazing, Zecora!" Twilight nodded as well, "I don't think I've ever tasted a stew quite this delicious," the princess raved. This positive review made Starlight excited. She agreed with me…maybe that means she's open to rekindling our friendship!

She turned and opened her mouth to say something, but Twilight turned her shoulder away from her. Zecora noticed this rift between them and said, "Princess Twilight, I see a problem between you and Starlight. I would like to ask what the trouble is, if it's alright."

"Oh, of course it's alright, Zecora," Twilight said before scoffing at Starlight, "this MARE dared to insult my precious little Midnight! She talked about some dark prophecy that you gave her and she had the absolute NERVE to bring Celestia and Luna into the mix!" By the time she was done with her rant, she was standing nose to nose with Starlight. The guidance counselor gulped but stood her ground.

"Nothing I said was a lie"

"Not much it wasn't!" The princess responded furiously, "I can't believe I was ever friends with you! You haven't changed at all! You're still the same HORRIBLE PONY FROM THAT VILLAGE!"

Starlight gasped as the tears came. Every hurtful barb had nailed its intended target. Her confidence collapsed, and she followed suit. She cried at Twilight's hooves. "There," Twilight said satisfactorily, "how does it feel to be insulted? HM? Because not only did you insult my daughter, but you insulted me, too!"

"TWILIGHT!" Zecora suddenly said harshly. Twilight turned with her mouth agape. She had never heard the zebra yell at anypony before. Normally, she was so kind and soothing and wise. "Starlight has not lied to you. Everything she's said is true. Your daughter shall become most savage, and our beloved land, she shall ravage. I've seen it in my dreams at night, and I see now that I was right. If Princesses Celestia and Luna agree with me, then you must take it as a certainty. If our words, you do not heed, you are helping to plant death's seed. Now, I believe you owe Starlight an apology that will help make things right."

As Zecora finished her rhyming rebuke of the princess, Twilight's eyes filled with tears. She turned and saw Starlight lying there, a river beginning to form on the downslope of her cheeks. She stepped forward, her lip quivering. "Starlight, I…" she began and then stopped. How could she apologize to Starlight? She had said some terrible things to her in the past few hours. But she was only defending her daughter's honor. Wasn't that what a mother was supposed to do?

But then she remembered Celestia's words about being a mother and being a friend, and she realized that now was the time for the latter. So, she bent down and gently helped Starlight back to her hooves. She embraced her and cried into her shoulder. "I'm so sorry, Starlight!" She said softly, "I've been a horrible friend to you. I don't even know what I was saying! You are a changed pony. You aren't the same dictator. You're my friend, and nothing will ever change that!"

"I know, Twilight," Starlight said as she buried her face into Twilight's shoulder. The two mares broke apart and smiled. "Let's never let anything come between us again," Twilight said, "you're the best guidance counselor a head mare could ask for. I was just defending my daughter."

"I know," Starlight said, "and that's a very important role for you to play as a mother. But as my best friend, you needed to hear this. The fate of Equestria rests on you believing in this prophecy. It's going to happen, Twilight. As much as you might hate to accept it, unless we do something to change the course of the future, little Midnight is going to turn into a raging monster."

Twilight looked down. She couldn't imagine the small foal that she cradled in her forelegs every day becoming that. She didn't want to imagine that. But yet, some part of her felt as though she had to. She had to accept that her daughter's destiny was to become the evil ruler of Equestria and, unless they did something to change that, they would all be dead within a short time.