Chapters Fizzlepop 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.her! She had never even met this filly! Yet she reached out a hoof and scooped her up.If you want to join me."
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.
They sat in silence, eating some daisies that Tempest had brought with her. Princess Celestia was lowering the sun.that much," she giggled.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."
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?!"
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.
Tempest 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.that much soda because I need nice sparkling teeth when I smile. But why? Bad morning?"Starlight Glimmer?!"
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.
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.
Starlight 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...
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?"
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.
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.
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.
I WILL ALWAYS BE HERE FOR YOU, I WILL ALWAYS BE HERE FOR YOU, I will always be here for you...
The 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!"
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.are like twins," Rarity commented.
***
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.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.
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."