Revenge

With a smirk, she watched as everyone stepped back from her. Including Starlight. The real one. Chrysalis had just revealed herself and changed her appearance so she looked like Starlight Glimmer. She put on an authentic-looking face of fear.

Her attention shifted to Twilight, whose horn was glowing. She was biting her lip, clearly struggling to remember the spell she was casting. And with a disguised changeling—Chrysalis—right by them, she was guessing Twilight was going to cast an identity spell. She released the magic she had been holding in, aiming it first at Chrysalis, who jumped closer to the actual Starlight, dodging the beam.

Twilight gritted her teeth, her horn glowing. She looked at both Starlight and Chrysalis, who were right next to each other. She seized the opportunity and aimed the beam at both of them at once. One Starlight, out of instinct and reflex, created a magic barrier and sheilded herself, shaking.

The other Starlight jumped and cowered behind the barrier her duplicate, or vice versa, had created. Twilight raised an eyebrow, suspicious of both Starlights, but mostly the one who had hid. Then, she'd gotten an idea. She and her friends put their heads together, literally, and Twilight whispered to them her plan.

Meanwhile, Chrysalis tried to slip away, but Starlight noticed and caught her tail with her magic, pulling her back. She lowered her forcefield, but was still on-edge. Chrysalis secretely glared at Starlight.

They turned back to face Chrysalis and Starlight, and Twilight nodded. She closed her eyes, lit up her horn, and stayed in that still stance. From the outside, they could only see her standing there. But from the inside, Twilight could see a lot. And Starlight—the real one, that is—knew that stance, since it was an after effect of a spell she had cast before. She braced herself for what she knew came next.

Twilight, in her mind, opened her eyes. She saw sweet memories, dark memories, and sad ones, too. She saw visions and dreams, too. It was everything Starlight had remembered and thought of. It was incredible.

She walked over to one screen, which displayed a memory, thinking to herself that a world in somepony else's mind was incredibly alike to being in the area of the sky in which she had earned her alicorn wings. In the screen was an image of pitch black. But then, the world showed itself. Twilight saw a big stack of books floating in the air, surrounded by a yellow magic aura. The books arranged themself to orbit and float around an already floating orange-yellow colt, glowing alongside him. The books were placed on the shelf, and the colt stood back down on the ground, a mark appearing on his flank. Then, he whizzed past the host of the memory, who had walked closer to the doorway. The world blurred.

Twilight lowered her ears. This was the moment Sunburst had left Starlight. Meaning the mind she was in was Starlight's, not Chrysalis's. Twilight knew whose mind she had chosen to inspect, but she wanted to see more of Starlight's memories. She heard a familiar voice and turned in the direction of the sound. Walking closer, she looked at the image of herself, knowing that she was hearing her own voice.

"...changes things, work through it together! That's what friendship is!" Twilight said while flying. "And it's not just my friendships that are important to Equestria, everypony's are," she continued, becoming out of sight. Now all she saw were foggy swirls of white and blue, and blurred lavender hooves. "When yours ended, it led us hear, but imagine all the other friendships that are out there waiting for you if you just give them a chance!"

Twilight came into view again, though the mist was worse than before. A new voice jumped in, "How do I know they won't all end the same way?"

"I guess it's up to you to make sure they don't," Twilight assured, extending her hoof. The screen turned, allowing Twilight to see a filly Rainbow Dash racing with the boys. The host looked back and forth, tears fading away, then eventually her eyes closed. Opening them, a smiling Twilight and Spike greeted her. A hoof placed itself on Twilight's, and a rainbow-colored boom filled the sky, blowing Twilight's hair around. A rainbow arc formed above them, a portal opening up right through it. The host moved closer to Twilight, and the world blacked out.

Twilight smiled; looking back at one of her most precious memories, even through another pony's eyes, was sweet and comforting. She cast the spell and faded out of Starlight's mind, opening her eyes to the real world again.

Twilight opened her eyes, and everypony watched as she walked up to the two Starlights, giving one a silent hug that she returned. Releasing the embrace, Twilight, along with everyone else, turned to Chrysalis and got ready for a fight.

Chrysalis didn't know what Twilight had done to reveal her true identity, but she knew that she was exposed and could no longer hide. She took her original form and fled the scene, shouting "Revenge on you, Starlight Glimmer, is something I've wanted for a while. And it still is." She left everyone else to run to the edge of the cliff she had flew off to watch her as she flew away. Starlight remembered defeating Chrysalis like this a while back. She sank her ears, wishing it had turned out better. Twilight pulled her wing around Starlight, similar to how she had last time, somehow knowing what she felt.

"You did what you had to," Twilight consoled softly.

Starlight pulled away, quietly retorting, "But I could've done even more." Everyone stood in silence for a while, even when Thorax decided to return to his hive. He didn't even say anything, afraid to break the silence or wound Starlight's spirits even further.

After a while, Twilight put her hoof on Starlight, saying, "Let's go home." Everyone else nodded in agreement and they walked home quietly.