A Glimmer of Hopeby Nature PastelChaptersPrologueChapter 1Chapter 2Chapter 3ECHO, ECHO, echo, echo, echo...PrologueFizzlepop Berrytwist trotted along the mountain path. She wanted to get out of Equestria as soon as possible. Over the many weeks she had spent travelling, she had grown bigger and stronger, allowing her to cover more distance. She was still unable to do much with her horn, but it was better than nothing. One day, she would be able to control the white lightning it cast whenever she tried to use it. That lightning had helped her invent her new name: Tempest Shadow. Fizzlepop Berrytwist just didn't suit the strong mare she was trying to become. Neither did her cutie mark - a bottle of cherryade. A lightning bolt would suit her so much better. For now, she had just covered it in the make-up powder she had brought with her to make her look like a blank-flank. It matched her coat perfectly. Suddenly, something crashed into her. A glimmer of light pink and dark purple and cyan was all she saw before the filly tumbled over the edge of the cliff. "HELP!" the pink unicorn filly cried. Tempest looked over at her. She had her dark purple and cyan mane tied in two buns. Those big cyan eyes, filled with cold, hard fear, stared back. There was no ignoring her. "I - I can try," stammered Tempest. Why was she doing this? Nopony had helped when things became tough for her! She had never even met this filly! Yet she reached out a hoof and scooped her up. "Thanks," the filly panted. She looked curious. "What brings you this far away from everypony?" "Lack of trust," Tempest grunted. "I have nopony to help me when I'm in trouble. And you?" "The same. My best friend practically abandoned me. They're not much of a best friend now. Who are you?" "Tempest Shadow, the ex unicorn. An Ursa broke my horn." She tapped the stump on her head where her horn once was. "Ouch. I'm so sorry. My name is Starlight Glimmer," said the filly. She looked up. "It's getting dark. We should find somewhere to stay. If you want to join me." Tempest smiled. Ten minutes later, they found a cave that was too small for an Ursa to inhabit, but perfect for them. Starlight gathered a few branches with her magic and made a small campfire while Tempest looked on with envy. "Why'd you run away?" asked Tempest. She thought she was the only one who would do something so drastic. "I'm lonely. Jealous, too. The friend who left me, we both tried to go to Princess Celestia's School for Gifted Unicorns. He got in. I didn't. My magic wasn't strong enough, the judges said. I begged him again and again to stay. You know what he told me? He said, "just because you don't have a future it doesn't mean I can't." I couldn't bear being stuck without a friend. I left. Friendship backfired on me. I was naïve." "Similar problem. My friends and I were playing in the woods, and we accidentally knocked our ball into an Ursa's cave. I was brave enough to go in there and rescue it. It swiped its paw and I lost my horn. The day I got out of hospital, I went to see them. They would not speak to me. They had a new friend. I couldn't stay. Friendship has failed me, too." They sat in silence, eating some daisies that Tempest had brought with her. Princess Celestia was lowering the sun. "Screw you Celestia," muttered Starlight, glancing at the horizon. Tempest burst out laughing. "I've never known somepony to dislike Celestia that much," she giggled. "Of course I do! She let my friend enroll in her school but didn't allow me in. She separated us. Princess Luna wouldn't do that, surely? Well, if she wasn't stuck on the moon, that is." "I agree with what Luna did. If nopony's going to help you, you might as well go rouge and have a fresh start elsewhere." "A fresh start elsewhere," echoed Starlight. "I blame destiny and cutie marks. He was always going to go off on his own. If he had no cutie mark, though, he would have no powerful magic. If nopony had separate destinies, everypony would be equal." This confused Tempest. "What's this got to do with anything?" "Well," said Starlight, grinning smugly, "cutie marks can change. My aim is to take cutie marks and replace them all with the same symbol so that everypony is equal. That way, their friends can't leave them." "I don't buy that. I think ponies should be allowed to go their separate ways, just like I'm going my own way." "Hmm." "What are you going to do once we go our separate ways? All I know is that I'm leaving Equestria and never returning. No offence, but I hate ponies in general. Maybe other creatures like dragons are more reliable." "I wouldn't bank on dragons personally. I might make myself a house, live all the way out here. Work out how to do magic with cutie marks. Invite other ponies to live without their cutie marks. With me. Maybe somepony will listen once their are enough ponies to back my ideas up." "Your ambitions impress me." She wasn't lying. Tempest could tell that this filly was destined to be powerful. "I try to please. All I want is a place in life. That place is somewhere that I am in charge of. My own village." They slept side by side. They had followed similar paths so far and were so alike in personality, and despite the fact that their opinions differed greatly, they liked and trusted each other. Tempest knew that she could rely on this pony if she ever needed help. Tempest woke before Starlight and reapplied the dark purple powder to each flank. Starlight woke up and saw, her eyes growing wide. Before Tempest could become angry, she whispered sneakily, "I can keep a secret. That is so cool. Your cutie mark just... Disappears! How do you even do that without magic?!" "With difficulty," answered Tempest, grinning. Starlight didn't want Tempest to leave. A small part of Tempest didn't want to leave, either. She swooped down and dismissed that as her old, naïve way of thinking. She was a ruthless mare to be feared now, not a filly who lets everypony walk over her. "I'm sorry, Starlight," she told her new friend, "but I have to go." "I will always be here for you," Starlight replied as Tempest galloped into the distance, not wanting the unicorn to see her cry. Chapter 1Tempest Shadow woke and grunted. Another day of trying to fit in. Another day of the snide glances and hurtful comments. It wouldn't have hurt so much - she had done some horrible things to other ponies, after all - if she didn't want to fit in. She was trying so hard and felt so guilty over what she did when she helped the Storm King. If only somepony else who knew her pain, somepony who had been mistreated and done things that they shouldn't have, somepony who shared her struggles, could help her! "I WILL ALWAYS BE HERE FOR YOU, I WILL ALWAYS BE HERE FOR YOU, I will always be here for you... Tempest heard the voice. Something stirred in her memory, telling her what the voice was and calming the fear that she was turning insane. It was an Echo of the Past. A voice reminding her of an event in her life allowing her to follow the right path. They were uncommon, but persistent, and would continue to echo at random until the pony followed its advice. She had heard this particular echo before. Not long ago, as she held onto the balcony of Canterlot Castle, trying not to let the Storm King's magic whip her away and send her falling to her death. She had heard the echo just as Princess Twilight reached out a hoof, reminding her to accept the princess's help. It was reminding her to accept help again. Somehow, though, Twilight did not fit the bill. She hadn't struggled through her childhood in the same way that Fizzlepop had. The echo repeated, and she remembered who owned the voice. A light pink filly with cyan eyes and a dark purple mane and tail with cyan stripes. She was called Starlight Glimmer. She remembered that night that they stayed together with relish: how they spoke of their private battles as though they had known each other for years; how they had supported each other; how neither of them cared that the other had a different opinion. To find that pony - oh, it would bring so much relief! It would be amazing! But a small, gnarled part of her doubted that Starlight Glimmer would even remember. She shook the thought away, but it still plagued her as she headed to Sugarcube Corner. She didn't fancy asking Twilight straight away if she knew Starlight, and she needed to head to work and earn a few bits. She met Pinkie Pie on the way to the popular bakery and sweet shop. Pinkie was bounding along as usual, chatting ten to they dozen. "Oh my, Tempest, isn't it a lovely day! Cloudsdale have been trying really hard to keep the skies clear! You know, my family wrote a letter saying that they might be visiting Ponyville soon. Isn't that great! Remember when you told me that your name is Fizzlepop Berrytwist and not Tempest Shadow like you tell everypony? Pinkie Pie isn't my real name either. My name is still Pinkie Pie, but my full name is actually Pinkamena Diane Pie. It's soooooo long! I guess Fizzlepop Berrytwist is quite long, but Pinkamena Diane Pie is really really really long! Hey Tempest, did you know that the Storm King's still alive and was threatening to come back to Equestria just to come after you? And did you know that Rarity and Spike went on a real actual date?" Tempest said, "What?" Pinkie stopped bouncing and smiled. "I knew you weren't listening. Don't worry, I'm not upset. Something on your mind?" "Yes. I mean, no. Umm..." "You mean yes." "Yes." "You fancy soda when we get to Sugarcube Corner?" "Soda. Yes please. I could drink twenty glasses of soda right now." "That's not healthy. Even I don't drink that much soda because I need nice sparkling teeth when I smile. But why? Bad morning?" Two mares walked past, glaring at Tempest. A stallion came not far behind them and yelled, "TURNCOAT!" at her. He said to the mares, "You know, that Tempest Shadow is just weird. I reckon she still has it in her to be a turncoat. Next thing we know, she'll be working with Queen Chrysalis or King Sombra. Maybe she'll find some comfort working with other ponies with deformed horns. Imagine that!" Fizzlepop slumped on the road where she stood, disheartened. She said to Pinkie, "I don't know why I bother trying to fit in. This is why I ran away in the first place." Pinkie lifted Tempest's chin. "The bakery won't miss you this morning. Business doesn't start until nine and we aren't even that busy before twelve. You should do something that you enjoy, maybe make some fizzy pop at home. You could even go talk to Twilight. Her former student Starlight Glimmer is away on a friendship mission, but-" "Did you say Starlight Glimmer?!" "Uh huh. You met her before? Maybe you could have a reunion! You should go talk to Twilight! Oh, oh, we could have a party! I need to prepare! Don't worry, last-minute party preparations are what I do! I even have a cutie mark to say it!" "I don't think I'll have a party-" Tempest said in a serious tone. "Oh," said Pinkie, disappointed. The smile left her face. "But I might surprise her with a cake and a few balloons." Pinkie grinned again. "We have a deal." Tempest did not hesitate in meeting Twilight. She dashed to the Castle of Friendship nearly as fast as Rainbow Dash could fly there. She knocked on the door and Spike opened it. "Tempest! How can I help you?" asked the dragon. "I would like to talk to Twilight." "Come in. She's upstairs. I'll get her." She waited for a few minutes, kicking at the floor with her front left hoof. She was unsure of what to say, but she knew that she had to talk to somepony about how she felt. Now that she knew that there was no way she couldn't do this. Now that she knew that Starlight Glimmer lived in Ponyville, she had to speak to her. "Hey Tempest," said Twilight. "I heard that you wanted to speak to me." She looked at the alicorn. "Actually, I would like to talk to Starlight. This might be news to you, but I used to know her." Chapter 2Starlight was on the train home from Canterlot when the letter materialised in front of her, engulfed in emerald green flames. Twilight wanted her to know something. She read, her curiosity increasing with every word. Dear Starlight Glimmer, I am writing to you about a pony who has approached me this morning. This mare, who wishes to keep her name hidden, says that she used to know you and wishes to meet up with you again. She met you a long time ago, and isn't sure if you will remember her. However, she thinks that you and her would enjoy some quality time together if you got to know each other again. Don't come into the castle before one o'clock. There's another surprise that needs to be prepared! Your friend and mentor, Twilight Sparkle. A pony? A mare from her past? Presumably, Twilight meant her dodgy past, when she was dictator of her village and made everypony equal by stealing their cutie marks. She frowned. No mare with any sense would want to meet her again. Then an impossible thought occurred to her. What if it was somepony from BEFORE I started the village? No. That was impossible. It was so long ago, even she had trouble remembering her life as a filly. Her best friend had always been Sunburst, then he went off to Celestia's School for Gifted Unicorns. She had run away to a far corner of Equestria and started the mountain village. No. She was missing something. I WILL ALWAYS BE HERE FOR YOU, I WILL ALWAYS BE HERE FOR YOU, I will always be here for you... She heard the Echo of the Past. She had studied them. That voice, it was her voice, when she was a filly. She couldn't remember the details, but somepony obviously had gone to Twilight asking for Starlight's help. The train wasn't far from Ponyville Station. She would find out at one o'clock who needed her. She had no idea what would be thrown at her. She knew it was a mare, but that was all. Presumably, the other surprise was a reunion party. The train slowed as it pulled into the station. Starlight left, showed her ticket to a pony at the desk near the exit, and headed to the first place she could think of that she wouldn't bump into her friends: the cottage that Maud Pie rented. Maud was in the back garden, which had had all of the rocks piled on the crazy paving and app the grass dug up. She was absorbed in her work, yet she wasn't startled when Starlight said, "Hey, Maud, how are you?" "I am good, thanks," Maud replied in her monotonous voice. "And you?" "I'm okay, I just fancied popping over for a chat. Do you need any help with this garden?" "I would like to make something different," the grey Earth pony mused. She held up a few carefully drawn pictures. "I want to have some grass, with a cobblestone path and a fountain in the middle. I've had all the grass dug up so that I can rearrange it all but I don't know what to do next. I'm quite good at identifying rocks, but I can't do rock gardening that well." "I have a couple of hours until I'm needed for any friendship problems, so I could help." Maud smiled gratefully. "Thank you." Starlight had a few ideas. Back when she had been dictator of her village, she used magic to make sure that everything was symmetrical and even. Here, though, fence panels were slightly out, so a symmetrical look was hard to achieve. Plants could stop that from being a problem and she had an idea how to make that work. "Have you ever thought of growing ivy on the fences?" Starlight asked Maud. "Ivy. That sounds nice. Does it need a lot of work?" "All it needs once it's planted is a little water and a trim every so often." "I could get some nice varieties. Then we could make something really pretty. If I use some string, I can get something sorted." Three hours later, the ivy was planted and most of the cobblestone path was laid. Starlight checked the time. Half past one. Her friends and they mysterious mare were probably ready. She didn't want to leave Maud, but felt that her other friends wanted her. "Maud, I need to go now," she told her friend gently. "I need to go see your sister Pinkamena and her friends. I'll come round with her later, depending on how long they keep me at the Castle of Friendship." Maud smiled. "Don't worry, I'm not upset. You have really helped me today. See you later. If you can't get here today, come tomorrow. I'm not fussed." The friends hugged and Starlight left for Twilight's castle. As she trotted there, she became nervous. She was unsure of what was in store for her that afternoon. She was also excited, though, because this had never happened before, and it was unlikely to happen again. She had butterflies in her stomach. This could easily be one of the biggest friendship tests she had ever faced, or one of the most enjoyable. Pot luck. Usually, pot luck did not work out how she wanted it to, but Rainbow Dash was flying around and clearing the clouds near the castle, so she expected it was the enjoyable kind. She knocked on the door. Spike answered it and told Starlight, "Go through to the throne room. They're waiting." Rainbow Dash chose that moment to fly through the open door and disappear. She followed the stream of rainbow coloured clouds that had been left behind. Thr throne room was dark, as she expected. "Everypony, I know you're throwing me a surprise party," Starlight told the ponies hiding in the dark, "now tell me who the mystery mare is." The lights came on. From left to right, Applejack, Fluttershy, Rarity, Rainbow Dash, Pinkie Pie and Twilight Sparkle stood. No unknown mare. "You promised," said a voice from behind Starlight, "that you would always be here for me. Here you are, Starlight." The mare walked around Starlight. Her coat was plum purple and she had a light red mane and tail. Her eyes were a very light blue. There was a severed stump where her horn should have been, and her right eye was scarred. "Tempest Shadow," breathed Starlight before embracing the grown-up version of the filly she had met for one night and promised to help. I WILL ALWAYS BE HERE FOR YOU, I WILL ALWAYS BE HERE FOR YOU, I will always be here for you... Chapter 3The Mane Six watched the two friends hug each other. It was such an emotional moment. It was nearly as emotional as watching foals opening their presents on Hearth's Warming Day. Pinkie had tears in her eyes. Not a usual sight, but neither was Maud Pie when she smiled, as she had done earlier that day. "Oh, Starlight!" cried Tempest. "I can't believe that you remember me!" "Do you think that I would forget the unicorn with the scar and the broken horn who made my day?! You even supported my ideas! Not the best thing to do, considering that I was an evil genius, but I appreciated it," Starlight laughed. "Did you hear that I was the ex right hand claw of the Storm King?" "I heard. I didn't want to believe it, having been reformed for a while now, but the old me was saying, "that's your old friend Tempest," and I knew it was. I didn't want to talk because I was scared of how you would react." "Scared of hugs, huh?" "Yep. I don't think an Ursa could hug me harder! No offence, of course." "None taken." "So is this a party?" "Yep. I told Pinkie not to go overkill, but she likes doing this." "Girls, we're still here," said Twilight. The two unicorns looked at their six friends and giggled, rubbing the backs of their heads with their front hooves due to embarrassment. Twilight watched them and realised that they treated each other as if they had only left each other yesterday. "So, you two, how did you meet?" questioned Twilight. "Should we spill?" Tempest asked Starlight. "If you say so," Starlight answered. Tempest spoke first. "We had both run away for separate reasons. They were difficult times for both of us. We met at the mountains near where Starlight's old village is. Starlight accidentally charged into me and she almost fell down the mountain..." "But Tempest saved me..." "And we stayed in an Ursa-free cave." "We spoke about why we had run off..." "And shared our ideas." "We had different opinions but... "Neither of us minded, and we were a lot..." "Closer because of that." "TWINSIES!!!" yelled Pinkie Pie to everyone's amusement. "You two really are like twins," Rarity commented. "If you were twins, you'd obviously be non-identical, but still really cool," said Rainbow Dash. She added, "You can even finish each other's sentences!" "Starlight and Tempest, the extraordinary twins," said Applejack. She received a round of applause from everypony else. She took off her hat and bowed to them all. From that moment on, Starlight and Tempest were always referred to as "The Twins" when they were together. *** Later that week, Tempest and Starlight were in Ponyville Library. They were supposed to be helping Twilight do some research on a spell, but had grown bored. They ran off and found themselves in an unfamiliar part of the library. Starlight levitated a book off the shelves and looked at it. "The Ancestral Records of Canterlot, correct as of the year 2000," Tempest read aloud. They sat together, pretending to be interested in the records stating the name, date of birth and sometimes the date of death of ponies that they had never met. Eventually, they found Tempest by her old name: Fizzlepop Berrytwist. She recognised what was written there: adopted daughter of Sugar Berrytwist and Liquorice Bootlace, the famous sweet shop owners. "Adopted?" asked Starlight. "Uh huh. I don't usually tell anypony, but I know that you can keep a secret. I was adopted just before Berrytwist and Bootlace moved out of Canterlot to continue their sweet shop chain in Manehattan. You're from Canterlot, right?" "Yes. I'm probably in here." They flipped the pages until they found the name Glimmer. Under Starlight's name, the words "Adopted daughter" were printed. "I had no idea," said Tempest in disbelief. I WILL ALWAYS BE HERE FOR YOU, I WILL ALWAYS BE HERE FOR YOU, I will always be here for you, I will always be here for you, I will always be here for you... They both heard the Echo of the Past. "There's the Echo again. That's you, as a filly," said Tempest. "No," Starlight told her. "I thought that it was, but every time I hear it, it's less familiar. My voice was a lot higher than that. I don't know who it was." Their eyes locked. A memory stirred. It was so long ago, that they did not recall the event consciously, and only and Echo of the Past could allow them to remember their true heritage. ECHO, ECHO, echo, echo, echo...A unicorn mare sat on the steps leading to the front door of the orphanage. She did not want to do this, but she had no choice. She held her two babies in her forelegs, hoping that they would live happy lives. As hoof steps approached the door, she took a last look at her foals. One was a pale pink with a purple mane. Her green eyes were so calm, so unaware of what was happening to her. The other had a dark purple coat, a messy reddish-pink mane and blue eyes. Both were unicorns. They were non-identical twins, and very sweet both alone and as a pair. The front door opened and an ancient Earth pony mare looked down at the mother and her fillies. The mother explained tearfully, "I can't take care of them." "It's fine, love," the mare answered, taking the babies. The mare got up to look at them. Her voice sounded like a filly's as she told them both, "I will always be here for you."
PrologueFizzlepop Berrytwist trotted along the mountain path. She wanted to get out of Equestria as soon as possible. Over the many weeks she had spent travelling, she had grown bigger and stronger, allowing her to cover more distance. She was still unable to do much with her horn, but it was better than nothing. One day, she would be able to control the white lightning it cast whenever she tried to use it. That lightning had helped her invent her new name: Tempest Shadow. Fizzlepop Berrytwist just didn't suit the strong mare she was trying to become. Neither did her cutie mark - a bottle of cherryade. A lightning bolt would suit her so much better. For now, she had just covered it in the make-up powder she had brought with her to make her look like a blank-flank. It matched her coat perfectly. Suddenly, something crashed into her. A glimmer of light pink and dark purple and cyan was all she saw before the filly tumbled over the edge of the cliff. "HELP!" the pink unicorn filly cried. Tempest looked over at her. She had her dark purple and cyan mane tied in two buns. Those big cyan eyes, filled with cold, hard fear, stared back. There was no ignoring her. "I - I can try," stammered Tempest. Why was she doing this? Nopony had helped when things became tough for her! She had never even met this filly! Yet she reached out a hoof and scooped her up. "Thanks," the filly panted. She looked curious. "What brings you this far away from everypony?" "Lack of trust," Tempest grunted. "I have nopony to help me when I'm in trouble. And you?" "The same. My best friend practically abandoned me. They're not much of a best friend now. Who are you?" "Tempest Shadow, the ex unicorn. An Ursa broke my horn." She tapped the stump on her head where her horn once was. "Ouch. I'm so sorry. My name is Starlight Glimmer," said the filly. She looked up. "It's getting dark. We should find somewhere to stay. If you want to join me." Tempest smiled. Ten minutes later, they found a cave that was too small for an Ursa to inhabit, but perfect for them. Starlight gathered a few branches with her magic and made a small campfire while Tempest looked on with envy. "Why'd you run away?" asked Tempest. She thought she was the only one who would do something so drastic. "I'm lonely. Jealous, too. The friend who left me, we both tried to go to Princess Celestia's School for Gifted Unicorns. He got in. I didn't. My magic wasn't strong enough, the judges said. I begged him again and again to stay. You know what he told me? He said, "just because you don't have a future it doesn't mean I can't." I couldn't bear being stuck without a friend. I left. Friendship backfired on me. I was naïve." "Similar problem. My friends and I were playing in the woods, and we accidentally knocked our ball into an Ursa's cave. I was brave enough to go in there and rescue it. It swiped its paw and I lost my horn. The day I got out of hospital, I went to see them. They would not speak to me. They had a new friend. I couldn't stay. Friendship has failed me, too." They sat in silence, eating some daisies that Tempest had brought with her. Princess Celestia was lowering the sun. "Screw you Celestia," muttered Starlight, glancing at the horizon. Tempest burst out laughing. "I've never known somepony to dislike Celestia that much," she giggled. "Of course I do! She let my friend enroll in her school but didn't allow me in. She separated us. Princess Luna wouldn't do that, surely? Well, if she wasn't stuck on the moon, that is." "I agree with what Luna did. If nopony's going to help you, you might as well go rouge and have a fresh start elsewhere." "A fresh start elsewhere," echoed Starlight. "I blame destiny and cutie marks. He was always going to go off on his own. If he had no cutie mark, though, he would have no powerful magic. If nopony had separate destinies, everypony would be equal." This confused Tempest. "What's this got to do with anything?" "Well," said Starlight, grinning smugly, "cutie marks can change. My aim is to take cutie marks and replace them all with the same symbol so that everypony is equal. That way, their friends can't leave them." "I don't buy that. I think ponies should be allowed to go their separate ways, just like I'm going my own way." "Hmm." "What are you going to do once we go our separate ways? All I know is that I'm leaving Equestria and never returning. No offence, but I hate ponies in general. Maybe other creatures like dragons are more reliable." "I wouldn't bank on dragons personally. I might make myself a house, live all the way out here. Work out how to do magic with cutie marks. Invite other ponies to live without their cutie marks. With me. Maybe somepony will listen once their are enough ponies to back my ideas up." "Your ambitions impress me." She wasn't lying. Tempest could tell that this filly was destined to be powerful. "I try to please. All I want is a place in life. That place is somewhere that I am in charge of. My own village." They slept side by side. They had followed similar paths so far and were so alike in personality, and despite the fact that their opinions differed greatly, they liked and trusted each other. Tempest knew that she could rely on this pony if she ever needed help. Tempest woke before Starlight and reapplied the dark purple powder to each flank. Starlight woke up and saw, her eyes growing wide. Before Tempest could become angry, she whispered sneakily, "I can keep a secret. That is so cool. Your cutie mark just... Disappears! How do you even do that without magic?!" "With difficulty," answered Tempest, grinning. Starlight didn't want Tempest to leave. A small part of Tempest didn't want to leave, either. She swooped down and dismissed that as her old, naïve way of thinking. She was a ruthless mare to be feared now, not a filly who lets everypony walk over her. "I'm sorry, Starlight," she told her new friend, "but I have to go." "I will always be here for you," Starlight replied as Tempest galloped into the distance, not wanting the unicorn to see her cry.
Chapter 1Tempest Shadow woke and grunted. Another day of trying to fit in. Another day of the snide glances and hurtful comments. It wouldn't have hurt so much - she had done some horrible things to other ponies, after all - if she didn't want to fit in. She was trying so hard and felt so guilty over what she did when she helped the Storm King. If only somepony else who knew her pain, somepony who had been mistreated and done things that they shouldn't have, somepony who shared her struggles, could help her! "I WILL ALWAYS BE HERE FOR YOU, I WILL ALWAYS BE HERE FOR YOU, I will always be here for you... Tempest heard the voice. Something stirred in her memory, telling her what the voice was and calming the fear that she was turning insane. It was an Echo of the Past. A voice reminding her of an event in her life allowing her to follow the right path. They were uncommon, but persistent, and would continue to echo at random until the pony followed its advice. She had heard this particular echo before. Not long ago, as she held onto the balcony of Canterlot Castle, trying not to let the Storm King's magic whip her away and send her falling to her death. She had heard the echo just as Princess Twilight reached out a hoof, reminding her to accept the princess's help. It was reminding her to accept help again. Somehow, though, Twilight did not fit the bill. She hadn't struggled through her childhood in the same way that Fizzlepop had. The echo repeated, and she remembered who owned the voice. A light pink filly with cyan eyes and a dark purple mane and tail with cyan stripes. She was called Starlight Glimmer. She remembered that night that they stayed together with relish: how they spoke of their private battles as though they had known each other for years; how they had supported each other; how neither of them cared that the other had a different opinion. To find that pony - oh, it would bring so much relief! It would be amazing! But a small, gnarled part of her doubted that Starlight Glimmer would even remember. She shook the thought away, but it still plagued her as she headed to Sugarcube Corner. She didn't fancy asking Twilight straight away if she knew Starlight, and she needed to head to work and earn a few bits. She met Pinkie Pie on the way to the popular bakery and sweet shop. Pinkie was bounding along as usual, chatting ten to they dozen. "Oh my, Tempest, isn't it a lovely day! Cloudsdale have been trying really hard to keep the skies clear! You know, my family wrote a letter saying that they might be visiting Ponyville soon. Isn't that great! Remember when you told me that your name is Fizzlepop Berrytwist and not Tempest Shadow like you tell everypony? Pinkie Pie isn't my real name either. My name is still Pinkie Pie, but my full name is actually Pinkamena Diane Pie. It's soooooo long! I guess Fizzlepop Berrytwist is quite long, but Pinkamena Diane Pie is really really really long! Hey Tempest, did you know that the Storm King's still alive and was threatening to come back to Equestria just to come after you? And did you know that Rarity and Spike went on a real actual date?" Tempest said, "What?" Pinkie stopped bouncing and smiled. "I knew you weren't listening. Don't worry, I'm not upset. Something on your mind?" "Yes. I mean, no. Umm..." "You mean yes." "Yes." "You fancy soda when we get to Sugarcube Corner?" "Soda. Yes please. I could drink twenty glasses of soda right now." "That's not healthy. Even I don't drink that much soda because I need nice sparkling teeth when I smile. But why? Bad morning?" Two mares walked past, glaring at Tempest. A stallion came not far behind them and yelled, "TURNCOAT!" at her. He said to the mares, "You know, that Tempest Shadow is just weird. I reckon she still has it in her to be a turncoat. Next thing we know, she'll be working with Queen Chrysalis or King Sombra. Maybe she'll find some comfort working with other ponies with deformed horns. Imagine that!" Fizzlepop slumped on the road where she stood, disheartened. She said to Pinkie, "I don't know why I bother trying to fit in. This is why I ran away in the first place." Pinkie lifted Tempest's chin. "The bakery won't miss you this morning. Business doesn't start until nine and we aren't even that busy before twelve. You should do something that you enjoy, maybe make some fizzy pop at home. You could even go talk to Twilight. Her former student Starlight Glimmer is away on a friendship mission, but-" "Did you say Starlight Glimmer?!" "Uh huh. You met her before? Maybe you could have a reunion! You should go talk to Twilight! Oh, oh, we could have a party! I need to prepare! Don't worry, last-minute party preparations are what I do! I even have a cutie mark to say it!" "I don't think I'll have a party-" Tempest said in a serious tone. "Oh," said Pinkie, disappointed. The smile left her face. "But I might surprise her with a cake and a few balloons." Pinkie grinned again. "We have a deal." Tempest did not hesitate in meeting Twilight. She dashed to the Castle of Friendship nearly as fast as Rainbow Dash could fly there. She knocked on the door and Spike opened it. "Tempest! How can I help you?" asked the dragon. "I would like to talk to Twilight." "Come in. She's upstairs. I'll get her." She waited for a few minutes, kicking at the floor with her front left hoof. She was unsure of what to say, but she knew that she had to talk to somepony about how she felt. Now that she knew that there was no way she couldn't do this. Now that she knew that Starlight Glimmer lived in Ponyville, she had to speak to her. "Hey Tempest," said Twilight. "I heard that you wanted to speak to me." She looked at the alicorn. "Actually, I would like to talk to Starlight. This might be news to you, but I used to know her."
Chapter 2Starlight was on the train home from Canterlot when the letter materialised in front of her, engulfed in emerald green flames. Twilight wanted her to know something. She read, her curiosity increasing with every word. Dear Starlight Glimmer, I am writing to you about a pony who has approached me this morning. This mare, who wishes to keep her name hidden, says that she used to know you and wishes to meet up with you again. She met you a long time ago, and isn't sure if you will remember her. However, she thinks that you and her would enjoy some quality time together if you got to know each other again. Don't come into the castle before one o'clock. There's another surprise that needs to be prepared! Your friend and mentor, Twilight Sparkle. A pony? A mare from her past? Presumably, Twilight meant her dodgy past, when she was dictator of her village and made everypony equal by stealing their cutie marks. She frowned. No mare with any sense would want to meet her again. Then an impossible thought occurred to her. What if it was somepony from BEFORE I started the village? No. That was impossible. It was so long ago, even she had trouble remembering her life as a filly. Her best friend had always been Sunburst, then he went off to Celestia's School for Gifted Unicorns. She had run away to a far corner of Equestria and started the mountain village. No. She was missing something. I WILL ALWAYS BE HERE FOR YOU, I WILL ALWAYS BE HERE FOR YOU, I will always be here for you... She heard the Echo of the Past. She had studied them. That voice, it was her voice, when she was a filly. She couldn't remember the details, but somepony obviously had gone to Twilight asking for Starlight's help. The train wasn't far from Ponyville Station. She would find out at one o'clock who needed her. She had no idea what would be thrown at her. She knew it was a mare, but that was all. Presumably, the other surprise was a reunion party. The train slowed as it pulled into the station. Starlight left, showed her ticket to a pony at the desk near the exit, and headed to the first place she could think of that she wouldn't bump into her friends: the cottage that Maud Pie rented. Maud was in the back garden, which had had all of the rocks piled on the crazy paving and app the grass dug up. She was absorbed in her work, yet she wasn't startled when Starlight said, "Hey, Maud, how are you?" "I am good, thanks," Maud replied in her monotonous voice. "And you?" "I'm okay, I just fancied popping over for a chat. Do you need any help with this garden?" "I would like to make something different," the grey Earth pony mused. She held up a few carefully drawn pictures. "I want to have some grass, with a cobblestone path and a fountain in the middle. I've had all the grass dug up so that I can rearrange it all but I don't know what to do next. I'm quite good at identifying rocks, but I can't do rock gardening that well." "I have a couple of hours until I'm needed for any friendship problems, so I could help." Maud smiled gratefully. "Thank you." Starlight had a few ideas. Back when she had been dictator of her village, she used magic to make sure that everything was symmetrical and even. Here, though, fence panels were slightly out, so a symmetrical look was hard to achieve. Plants could stop that from being a problem and she had an idea how to make that work. "Have you ever thought of growing ivy on the fences?" Starlight asked Maud. "Ivy. That sounds nice. Does it need a lot of work?" "All it needs once it's planted is a little water and a trim every so often." "I could get some nice varieties. Then we could make something really pretty. If I use some string, I can get something sorted." Three hours later, the ivy was planted and most of the cobblestone path was laid. Starlight checked the time. Half past one. Her friends and they mysterious mare were probably ready. She didn't want to leave Maud, but felt that her other friends wanted her. "Maud, I need to go now," she told her friend gently. "I need to go see your sister Pinkamena and her friends. I'll come round with her later, depending on how long they keep me at the Castle of Friendship." Maud smiled. "Don't worry, I'm not upset. You have really helped me today. See you later. If you can't get here today, come tomorrow. I'm not fussed." The friends hugged and Starlight left for Twilight's castle. As she trotted there, she became nervous. She was unsure of what was in store for her that afternoon. She was also excited, though, because this had never happened before, and it was unlikely to happen again. She had butterflies in her stomach. This could easily be one of the biggest friendship tests she had ever faced, or one of the most enjoyable. Pot luck. Usually, pot luck did not work out how she wanted it to, but Rainbow Dash was flying around and clearing the clouds near the castle, so she expected it was the enjoyable kind. She knocked on the door. Spike answered it and told Starlight, "Go through to the throne room. They're waiting." Rainbow Dash chose that moment to fly through the open door and disappear. She followed the stream of rainbow coloured clouds that had been left behind. Thr throne room was dark, as she expected. "Everypony, I know you're throwing me a surprise party," Starlight told the ponies hiding in the dark, "now tell me who the mystery mare is." The lights came on. From left to right, Applejack, Fluttershy, Rarity, Rainbow Dash, Pinkie Pie and Twilight Sparkle stood. No unknown mare. "You promised," said a voice from behind Starlight, "that you would always be here for me. Here you are, Starlight." The mare walked around Starlight. Her coat was plum purple and she had a light red mane and tail. Her eyes were a very light blue. There was a severed stump where her horn should have been, and her right eye was scarred. "Tempest Shadow," breathed Starlight before embracing the grown-up version of the filly she had met for one night and promised to help. I WILL ALWAYS BE HERE FOR YOU, I WILL ALWAYS BE HERE FOR YOU, I will always be here for you...
Chapter 3The Mane Six watched the two friends hug each other. It was such an emotional moment. It was nearly as emotional as watching foals opening their presents on Hearth's Warming Day. Pinkie had tears in her eyes. Not a usual sight, but neither was Maud Pie when she smiled, as she had done earlier that day. "Oh, Starlight!" cried Tempest. "I can't believe that you remember me!" "Do you think that I would forget the unicorn with the scar and the broken horn who made my day?! You even supported my ideas! Not the best thing to do, considering that I was an evil genius, but I appreciated it," Starlight laughed. "Did you hear that I was the ex right hand claw of the Storm King?" "I heard. I didn't want to believe it, having been reformed for a while now, but the old me was saying, "that's your old friend Tempest," and I knew it was. I didn't want to talk because I was scared of how you would react." "Scared of hugs, huh?" "Yep. I don't think an Ursa could hug me harder! No offence, of course." "None taken." "So is this a party?" "Yep. I told Pinkie not to go overkill, but she likes doing this." "Girls, we're still here," said Twilight. The two unicorns looked at their six friends and giggled, rubbing the backs of their heads with their front hooves due to embarrassment. Twilight watched them and realised that they treated each other as if they had only left each other yesterday. "So, you two, how did you meet?" questioned Twilight. "Should we spill?" Tempest asked Starlight. "If you say so," Starlight answered. Tempest spoke first. "We had both run away for separate reasons. They were difficult times for both of us. We met at the mountains near where Starlight's old village is. Starlight accidentally charged into me and she almost fell down the mountain..." "But Tempest saved me..." "And we stayed in an Ursa-free cave." "We spoke about why we had run off..." "And shared our ideas." "We had different opinions but... "Neither of us minded, and we were a lot..." "Closer because of that." "TWINSIES!!!" yelled Pinkie Pie to everyone's amusement. "You two really are like twins," Rarity commented. "If you were twins, you'd obviously be non-identical, but still really cool," said Rainbow Dash. She added, "You can even finish each other's sentences!" "Starlight and Tempest, the extraordinary twins," said Applejack. She received a round of applause from everypony else. She took off her hat and bowed to them all. From that moment on, Starlight and Tempest were always referred to as "The Twins" when they were together. *** Later that week, Tempest and Starlight were in Ponyville Library. They were supposed to be helping Twilight do some research on a spell, but had grown bored. They ran off and found themselves in an unfamiliar part of the library. Starlight levitated a book off the shelves and looked at it. "The Ancestral Records of Canterlot, correct as of the year 2000," Tempest read aloud. They sat together, pretending to be interested in the records stating the name, date of birth and sometimes the date of death of ponies that they had never met. Eventually, they found Tempest by her old name: Fizzlepop Berrytwist. She recognised what was written there: adopted daughter of Sugar Berrytwist and Liquorice Bootlace, the famous sweet shop owners. "Adopted?" asked Starlight. "Uh huh. I don't usually tell anypony, but I know that you can keep a secret. I was adopted just before Berrytwist and Bootlace moved out of Canterlot to continue their sweet shop chain in Manehattan. You're from Canterlot, right?" "Yes. I'm probably in here." They flipped the pages until they found the name Glimmer. Under Starlight's name, the words "Adopted daughter" were printed. "I had no idea," said Tempest in disbelief. I WILL ALWAYS BE HERE FOR YOU, I WILL ALWAYS BE HERE FOR YOU, I will always be here for you, I will always be here for you, I will always be here for you... They both heard the Echo of the Past. "There's the Echo again. That's you, as a filly," said Tempest. "No," Starlight told her. "I thought that it was, but every time I hear it, it's less familiar. My voice was a lot higher than that. I don't know who it was." Their eyes locked. A memory stirred. It was so long ago, that they did not recall the event consciously, and only and Echo of the Past could allow them to remember their true heritage.
ECHO, ECHO, echo, echo, echo...A unicorn mare sat on the steps leading to the front door of the orphanage. She did not want to do this, but she had no choice. She held her two babies in her forelegs, hoping that they would live happy lives. As hoof steps approached the door, she took a last look at her foals. One was a pale pink with a purple mane. Her green eyes were so calm, so unaware of what was happening to her. The other had a dark purple coat, a messy reddish-pink mane and blue eyes. Both were unicorns. They were non-identical twins, and very sweet both alone and as a pair. The front door opened and an ancient Earth pony mare looked down at the mother and her fillies. The mother explained tearfully, "I can't take care of them." "It's fine, love," the mare answered, taking the babies. The mare got up to look at them. Her voice sounded like a filly's as she told them both, "I will always be here for you."
