The pink unicorn flipped her bangs away from her eyes, gazing into the quaint, little town below. I shouldn’t be here. She looked back at the way she had come. The sun was already high in the sky and there wasn’t a cloud to be seen. What will they say? The unicorn took a step back. They can’t help me. She could go nowhere, though. Anywhere the pink unicorn went, she couldn’t help but feel like she didn’t belong. She took a deep breath and began to walk to the town below, hoping for the best and preparing for the worst.
The citizens of Ponyville carried about their daily business, barely noticing the newcomer exploring the streets. The occasional “hello” was spoken, but no one stopped the unicorn from her destination: the large, crystalline castle situated at the edge of the town. She looked around at the ponies, all of them smiling. And these were real smiles; not the fake ones the unicorn was once familiar with. When the pink unicorn finally reached the crystal doors of the castle, she hesitated, her hoof hovering. Sighing, she knocked on the door twice and stepped back.
“Coming!” A muffled voice spoke from behind the double doors. The doors opened magically and the alicorn princess, Twilight Sparkle, gasped when she saw the pony in front of her. “St-starlight Glimmer?” Twilight Sparkle’s eyes narrowed and her horn began to fizzle with magic. “What are you doing here, you fiend!”
Starlight Glimmer jumped back and kneeled down. “I come with no ill intentions, Princess Twilight.” She sighed, “I ask for your assistance.”
The purple alicorn’s horn lost its light and her eyes widened slightly. “You need my assistance? You do realize you have a lot of nerve to come here just to ask for my help?”
The pink unicorn rose slowly and took a step closer to the alicorn. “I realized the consequences a long time ago.” Twilight Sparkle looked over the unicorn, judging her truthfulness. “I have changed, “ muttered Starlight. A tear slid down her cheek and splattered on the shiny floor below. “I’m sorry.”
Twilight Sparkle was shocked. This was a different mare than the one she knew. The one she knew was a manipulative mare who had lied to a town of innocent ponies. Now, her once proud state had melted away to reveal the shell of the pony she once was. “I-I…” What if she’s lying again? Twilight shaked the thought from her head. She did not want to banish a pony that looked as weak and helpless as Starlight did now.She looked into the interior of the castle and sighed, “Please, come in.” Starlight Glimmer’s eyes sparked with gratefulness and she followed the princess into the castle.
“Thank you so much, princess.” Starlight Glimmer trotted after Twilight. “I have been traveling far and wide to find your castle.” Twilight trudged ahead through the castle and into the throne room. Starlight took the chance to examine the crystal map in the middle of the room while Twilight paced on the crystal floor. She flinched when she saw the town she once controlled. So many bad memories…
“So…” Twilight started. She had seen the way Starlight flinched when spotting the town on the map, urging Twilight to believe that the pink unicorn had really changed.
Starlight Glimmer looked up to Twilight and spoke slowly and carefully, “I-I want to learn how to be different.” She hesitated. “And not the kind of ‘different’ I was before, um, everything,” she quickly added. “I just don’t know what makes a pony special anymore.”
Twilight Sparkle froze and gazed into the pink unicorn’s purple eyes. “You want to be different?” she asked.
“Yes.”
Twilight Sparkle searched for the right words. “Well, everypony is different in their own way and your cutie mark-”
“Don’t you dare bring up my cutie mark! I HATE THE THING!” Starlight Glimmer shouted at the now stunned princess. Starlight quickly realized what she had done and looked down at the floor, downcast. “I’m sorry.”
She’s a mess! I must help her. The alicorn princess thought as she loosened up her rigid state and walked over to Starlight Glimmer, hoping to sooth her.
Not moving a bit, Starlight Glimmer continued, “It was my cutie mark that caused the pain of so many innocent ponies. If it wasn’t for my special talent, magic, none of this would have happened.” This was a bad idea. How can she believe me after the way I had snapped at her? “I’ll go now. I’m sorry for wasting your time.” Starlight Glimmer began to walk out the throne room.
“Wait!” Twilight’s voice called out. Starlight Glimmer continued to trudge down the hallway. “Starlight Glimmer. Please! I can help you.”
“No one can help me. It’s probably for the best.” Starlight muttered, opening to front doors with her magic. Suddenly, she was blasted backwards from the impact of confetti and balloons.
A giggle echoed into the hallway. “Oops! Sorry Twilight! I didn’t know how much power that cannon had.” The energetic earth pony zipped over to the fallen unicorn and dusted the confetti off with her mane. “Hey! Wait a minute! You’re not Twilight Sparkle.” Pinkie Pie gasped, “You’re the meanie, Starlight Glimmer!”
“Is everything okay in there, Pinkie darling?” A white unicorn entered the castle with a dignified trot. “I told you that igniting party cannons in front of another pony’s door was dangerous. Somepony could get hurt.” Rarity finally noticed the still dazed Starlight Glimmer on the floor. “Oh my! Twilight! Twilight!” She screeched toward the running alicorn. Rarity narrowed her eyes at the pink unicorn. “You are not going to get our cutie marks this time, you scoundrel.”
“Rarity! Pinkie! It’s not as it looks!” Twilight slowed down to a trot until she had joined the trio.
“Humph! Not as it looks? It looks pretty clear to me.” Rarity pointed her hoof at Starlight Glimmer. “This villain entered your castle in secret to discover all your weakness Twilight. Not that you have many, of course.”
“Why would she do that?” Twilight asked.
“Why? To steal your cutie mark! She was probably going to commit a similar stunt like she had the last time,” Rarity explained. “She can’t be trusted,” she whined.
Twilight Sparkle helped Starlight Glimmer get back on her hooves. “Starlight wanted to see me for some help. She didn’t sneak inside. I let her in.”
Starlight Glimmer nodded in agreement. “That’s right and I was just leaving.”
“Please Starlight. Let me help you, “ Twilight pleaded.
Starlight Glimmer hesitated and felt three sets of eyes drilling into her soul. The pressure quickly got the best of her. She sighed, “Okay.”
Twilight Sparkle’s face lit up. “Great! We’ll get started right away.”
Rarity studied her friend carefully. “Do you need my help, Twilight?” she asked, eyeing Starlight Glimmer.
Twilight shook her head. “I think I’ve got it under control, Rarity.” She gave an encouraging smile to Starlight. “Follow me.”
Starlight Glimmer began to follow Twilight Sparkle back into the castle before she was stopped by Pinkie Pie. “I’m watching you!” she exclaimed. It was hard to take the pink earth pony seriously, but Starlight Glimmer couldn’t help feel like she was being watched and judged the whole time she followed Twilight.
The purple alicorn led her to a massive library with shelves stocked with books. Starlight Glimmer’s eyes were full of wonder. “These are all yours?” There were books on any and every matter she would ever wanted to know about and more.
“Yes,” Twilight Sparkle said. “This is my favorite place to be in the castle.” She relished the smell of books and the thought of what was to be learned from them. “Now, please, take a seat and-”
“Twilight!” Spike interrupted, sliding across the crystal floor. He was wearing a chef’s hat and an apron. He started jumping and yelling a bunch of jumbled words. “In the kitchen! It exploded! Help!” He grabbed Twilight’s hooves and began to lead her to the kitchen.
“I’ll be right back,” Twilight exclaimed over her shoulder as she was being dragged away.
Starlight Glimmer watched as the purple alicorn disappeared and then directed her attention to the books surrounding her. “I don’t recall the last time a read a book,” she spoke to herself. The pink unicorn walked over to the closest shelf. Just one book…
Twilight Sparkle rushed down the hallways, a tray of cookies levitating beside her. I hope Starlight Glimmer didn’t think I abandoned her, Twilight thought. It was already evening. I am definitely going to be asking for a refund on that “new” oven! Twilight entered the library and exclaimed with short breaths, “I’m back!” Then she yelped. A quarter of library looked very different from the rest. In the section, each book was organized by color and size, from warm colored and short books to cold colored and tall books. It was like looking at a rainbow with various widths. Twilight’s eyes finally saw Starlight Glimmer, laying on the floor with her muzzle in a book. “Starlight Glimmer! What happened?” Twilight rushed over to the pink unicorn.
“Huh?” Starlight Glimmer looked up the book, shocked to see Twilight Sparkle next to her with a levitating tray of cookies. She looked up at the shelves. “Oh!” Starlight Glimmer stood up in surprise. “Did I do that?” she asked.
Twilight Sparkle nodded. “They are all organized based on how they looked. You didn’t do this on purpose?”
“Oh no! I would have never done this on purpose.” She looked down in shame. “I guess old habits die hard.”
Twilight glanced at the open book on the floor. “Were you reading this whole time?”
Starlight Glimmer nodded. “Oh yes. There are so many great ideas in these books and each author had a writing style unique to them. I hope you don’t mind that I wrote some of my favorite authors down.” Starlight showed Twilight a scroll with names scribbled on. Starlight beamed with excitement. “I think I know what to do to in order to become different!”
Twilight Sparkle was confused and excited. She was confused by the unicorn’s interest with books and their writers and, at the same time, she was thrilled. “And what’s that?” she asked.
“I would like to become a writer!”
Twilight Sparkle guessed correctly about how she would reply but, all the same, it surprised her. “Why?”
Starlight Glimmer spoke with passion, “While reading, I was in awe as to how each author could mold words into adventures and fantasies. After reading, I had the urge to write something to call my own and make others look up to me in a positive way, so I thought of my best qualities and realized that I have a way for words from my past negative experiences.” She didn’t even flinch when recalling her past. “I could make my past negatives into future positives!”
With every word Starlight Glimmer spoke, Twilight’s smile grew and her eyes widened. Twilight imagined ponies reading Starlight Glimmer’s books and Starlight Glimmer becoming a unicorn reborned. She had even chosen a career in literature! “That’s great! You didn’t even need my help!” Twilight Sparkle exclaimed.
“Don’t you see? You have helped me. Your library was a source of inspiration! Without it, I would’ve still been in the dark.” Starlight Glimmer was beginning to tear up. “I can’t thank you enough.”
Twilight’s heart was all warm and fuzzy. “I know you are going to be a huge success.” She brought up the tray of cookies. “Want some?”
“Ooh! Oatmeal raisin!” Starlight Glimmer took a cookie. “So, would you like to hear some of my ideas?” she asked.
“Oh, yes!” Twilight Sparkle replied.
“Okay! So, imagine this…”
Five months had passed and Twilight Sparkle waited anxiously for the parcel to arrive. She ran to the crystal doors when she heard a knock. Opening the doors, she say a grey pegasus flying away and a cardboard box on the steps. Twilight brought the box into the castle and opened it. She picked up the parcel like it was a priceless artifact. In her hooves was a book. The purple alicorn was holding the first edition of what would become a best-seller and put the author in the spotlight for years to come. Twilight Sparkle smiled when she read the author’s name. “By Starlight Glimmer.”