The night was young at another sleepover at Pinkie Pie's house. Everyone was in mutual agreement that when it came to hosting a party of any kind, Pinkie Pie was your girl. Whether she was a pony or human for that matter. Twilight Sparkle, princess of Equestria, was taking a well deserved break- after a little coaxing from Sunset. Many things had changed for her over the course of her time as royalty. The most recent change was her new pupil, Starlight Glimmer. The misguided unicorn, who had tried and failed to tear apart her friendships, was now learning friendship under her tutelage. Funny how those things seemed to happen to her. Not long ago, she had helped another powerful unicorn find her way.
Sunset Shimmer had lived in Equestria and had been Celestia's star pupil before Twilight. Ambition and pride had driven her away from the solar princess, all the way to another world. This world as it happened. Several years of tyranny had ended when Twilight Sparkle had come into her life. The details were, unflattering for Sunset to say the least but the results had been life changing. Now she had a great group of friends and a new purpose- to protect this world from the magic she had brought into it.
Twilight chuckled as she watched Sunset help Starlight adjust to her new body. She could sympathise with just how difficult it was; every time Starlight misjudged the length of her new limbs, Twilight winced with her. Despite Sunset being a very good teacher, it was a very battered and exhausted Starlight who flopped down onto the bed.
Like Twilight and Sunset, her human appearance was reminiscent of her pony self. In Starlight's opinion it was...acceptable. Her lilac skin lacked fur of any description, what hair their was barely made any difference. Ironically her 'mane' was a lot fuller, not to mention heavier. It tumbled down her back in a flowing cascade, still keeping the three colours of her pony mane. One long bang fell down in front. She was glad that the mirror had decided to keep her altered manestyle, rather than the one which she had grown up with. It had even decided to give her a set of clothes, which according to Sunset were a lot more necessary in this world than her own. A simple black dress, over a set of very restricting things that everyone called underwear.
“So, when is Rainbow Dash getting here?” she asked, unable to bear the absence of the rainbow haired girl any longer. Even in this world, any member of the group being absent in a large gathering just felt...wrong.
“She just sent me a text,” Sunset replied, sitting down on the bed. “Apparently she's got a special thing she wants Twilight to try.”
“Me?” Twilight asked, her curiosity now thoroughly piqued.
“Yep,” came a raspy, yet distinctly feminine voice from the door.
Carrying two large bags, Rainbow Dash sidled into the room. After closing the door with her hip, she plopped the bags down on the bed. Curious, Starlight sat up. Whatever this Rainbow Dash had in store for her teacher, it was probably going to be interesting. Her attention became fixed on the objects Rainbow was pulling out of the two sturdy sports bags.
“Uh... isn't this what laptops are for?” Sunet asked, when Rainbow had extracted her entire desktop computer from the mess of wires.
“Well yeah, but my laptop just isn't strong enough to play the game I want to show Twilight properly.”
“You mean that game?” Applejack snorted, folding her arms. “Rainbow you've been obsessed with that since it came out! Don't tell me you dragged Twilight all the way from Equestria just to try it.”
“No. Sunset said she needed a vacation! I just decided to make her vacation even more awesome!”
“Game?” Twilight asked, preventing Applejack from coming up with a retort. She blinked once, twice and stared dumbly at the mess of technology for a few moments. Composing herself, she pointed a finger at Pinkie Pie's own games console. “I thought that was for games?”
“Yeah, but computers can play games too,” Rainbow said with a grin. “A lot better too for the most part.”
“Fascinating!” Twilight said, immediately looking around for her notebook. This had to be documented. The notebook was soon waved under her nose by Starlight. Smiling, Twilight plucked the book from her student's hand. “Thanks!”
“No problem, but I'm...confused. What is all that stuff?” she asked, glaring at the offending object for being completely out with the realms of her understanding. “There's more wires than there is anything else.”
“That's...a common problem in this world,” Sunset admitted with a sheepish shrug. “You get used to it but...sometimes spending all your time untangling wires makes you wish for magic again.”
“Just trying to walk makes me wish for magic again!” Starlight snorted, which elicited a hearty laugh from the group.
“Anyway, before you three ponies start to get all homesick we still have a sleepover to enjoy,” Rainbow grinned, pulling all eyes back to her. “Just give me a bit to set up and then I'll show you all what I mean. Don't worry. It'll be worth it.”
“It is a decent game, though a little rough for my tastes.” Rarity said, putting the finishing touches on Fluttershy's nails. “Now, just keep them completely still until they dry. Shouldn't be more than a few minutes darling.”
“Of course,” the pale skinned girl said with a nod, as Rarity looked for any unpainted nails. Her eyes fell on Starlight, who immediately clasped her hands to her chest. A quick nudge and a reassuring nod from Sunset got her to relent. She trusted the fiery headed girl; they had connected over their similar pasts and grown into fast friends over just a few weeks. It had been Sunset's suggestion that she tag along with Twilight on this venture. Slowly, Starlight unclasped her hands and held them out for Rarity.
“I promise darling, it's not as bad as Rainbow Dash or Applejack will have you believe. Just relax.”
“Okay,” Starlight said, wishing she could pinch her nose when the bottle was opened. Things that foul smelling should not be put on ones hooves, or hands. The thought of Twilight and Sunset strengthened her resolve. This trip was supposed to help her enjoy life outside of her comfort zone, so she was going to try and do just that.
A few minutes later and her hands were dry. She had to admit that her nails did look nice, Rarity had chosen a nice light blue to compliment her skin tone. Even the foul smell had lifted now that the paint was dry and the bottle closed. Pinkie had also opened a window, having some sort of weird sixth sense to a friend's discomfort even in this world. Twilight opened her mouth to congratulate her still nervous student, but a cyan hand grabbed her shoulder and yanked her away.
“It's ready!” Rainbow yelled excitedly, almost blowing out Twilight's ear drums with her enthusiasm.
Twilight soon found herself firmly planted onto a seat in front of Rainbow's computer monitor. The entire screen was taken up by the silver dragon symbol emblazoned on a black background. Wisps of grey smoke billowed from the corner of the screen. Rainbow then quickly guided Twilight to hit the continue option.
“I already made a character for you and saved right at the start of the tutorial,” Rainbow chuckled. “This game can take... a long time to get a character right. I decided to just skip that since we only have one night.”
“Rainbow thinking ahead for once?” Applejack teased, unable to resist the jibe at her friend. Rivalry between them may have been friendly but was no less fierce because of that.
“Yeah yeah. Anyway, just go through the tutorial. It's pretty straight forward,” Rainbow instructed, pulling up a beanbag to sit on as she watched.
Everyone paused their activities to watch Twilight play through the game. It told of a prisoner who had been wrapped up in a civil war. It seemed that the character Twilight was playing was on the road to the chopping block. Apparently the punishment was as archaic in this world as it was in their own but Twilight and Starlight could not help but wince as a beheading played out on the screen. Sunset sympathised, having been taken aback by the violent side of entertainment herself when Rainbow Dash had introduced her to it.
Twilight almost wanted to turn the game back to Rainbow Dash at that point, but curiosity kept her hands firmly on the keyboard. Something about this game had gotten Rainbow excited, and she would not be a good friend if she did not at least try to enjoy it. Especially after Rainbow had hauled her computer all the way over just for her benefit.
Soon she found herself completely absorbed in the game. The tutorial was done and she now had a whole world to explore. According to Rainbow it would be better for her to just ignore the story elementand follow whatever path she wanted, due to limited time. Eager to start, Twilight set off. She had kept herself in first person view, in order to improve immersion. Another little tip from Rainbow.
An hour later, and Twilight was still hooked in the game. Only Rainbow was still watching her religiously; the others more interested in their other activities. In the process of getting her hair brushed by Fluttershy, Starlight turned to Sunset.
“I've never seen Twilight get hooked on anything other than a book. Is it really that good?”
With a shrug, the fiery haired girl replied. “I enjoy it, and you can certainly get lost in it. I'm not sure I quite understand the massive amount of attention it's gotten though. Maybe it's just a human thing but this happens a lot. Something new comes out and everyone raves about it for a few months, then it calms down.”
“I see...” Starlight muttered, deciding to scribble a note down in Twilight's book since the princess was currently occupied.
“How are you doing anyway?” Sunset asked, taking note that her fellow unicorn's shoulders had relaxed considerably.
“Better, though I don't think I could live in this world permanently. Magic is... kind of the only thing I have to be proud of.”
“Magic exists here,” Sunset said gently, sidling up against Starlight's shoulder. “We just don't quite understand it all yet.”
“Sci-Twi's still working on it though right?” Pinkie Pie asked, her head popping in between the pair and forcing them to part.
“Who?” Starlight asked, reeling slightly from having a pink bush of hair literally shoved into her face.
“Sci-Twi,” Sunset answered, seemingly not fazed by Pinkie's antics. “The Twilight from this world. Pinkie Pie came up with the nickname in order to distinguish the two. She would have been here tonight but she's spending the night with her parents.”
“Oh,” was the only reply Starlight could think of. Hugging her knees to her chest, she started to hum thoughtfully. “I wonder if I have a counterpart in this world.”
“Probably,” Sunset shrugged. “I haven't bumped into the me from this world, but I can't imagine any reason why she wouldn't exist.”
“That would certainly be an interesting conversation,” Starlight mused, an amused twinkle in her eye.
This caused Sunset to laugh lightly. “You should have seen the reaction when both Twilight's met, and the conversation afterwards.”
Turning slightly solemn, Starlight let the smile fall from her face. Twilight had told her all about it, and just when it had occurred. Seeing her friends reaction, Sunset immediately wished she could take back her words. “Sorry... I... I didn't-”
“It's fine,” Starlight said quickly, cutting off any apologies. “It happened and that's that... I'm...coming to terms with it. Slowly.”
Nodding, Sunset pulled her fellow unicorn into a quick hug. Never one to pass up the opportunity, Pinkie Pie joined in. Fluttershy and Rarity followed suite, . Soon only Rainbow and Twilight were absent from the multi-coloured group hug as Applejack wrapped her strong arms around them all. No matter what world they happened one happened to be in, friendship always remained the same. Suddenly feeling the weight on her shoulders lift, Starlight let out a contented sigh and sagged against the bed. Sadly, this only lasted a second as a yell from Pinkie Pie had her taut once more.
“Hey! I should order pizza!” the girl shouted, before becoming a cotton candy coloured blur racing away to the downstairs phone.
“One day...I'll get used to Pinkie Pie,” Starlight grumbled, pouting darkly. A small smirk then played at her lips. “One of them anyway.”
“That'd be something to be proud of,” Sunset teased, wrapping an arm around Starlight's shoulder.
Before she was able to reply, a hand tapped Starlight's head. Tilting her head upwards, her sapphire eyes met Rainbow's dark red ones. The sports star grinned and put her finger to her lips, before gesturing towards Twilight. The princess was still enthralled by the game, which made the green monster of jealousy stir within Starlight. Forcing the beast back down into her gut, she turned back to Rainbow.
“Be quiet and come over here, if you want to see something funny. Just let me do my thing.”
Curious, Starlight did as she was bidden. The others just rolled her eyes, already seeing a Rainbow prank incoming. Nonetheless they all decided to see what was going to happen. Once they were all gathered around the oblivious Twilight, Rainbow whispered.
“She hasn't died yet, but I'm gonna suggest she try something that will more than likely earn her a death. It'll be priceless. Just, say nothing and watch.”
Raising her voice so that Twilight would be able to hear through her gaming haze, Rainbow said, “You know, there is a way you can fly in this game. Want me to help?”
“Sure.” Twilight nodded, briefly pausing to flash Rainbow a smile. “You know a lot more about this game than me.”
Muffled snickers rose within the group, stifled behind many hands. Raising an eyebrow, Starlight fixed Sunset with a stare. The fiery haired girl just smiled and mouthed. "Wait and see."
“Okay. You know that giant you had to beat earlier?” Rainbow asked, which earned her a nod. “You need to find one of those. It has an... item that lets you fly. Only place to get it. You up for it.”
“Sure. It wasn't actually that hard the first time. Though would I not have the item already?” Twilight asked, punching a hole right through Rainbow's story.
Luckily, Rainbow was not new to the art of pranking. She knew just how to smooth things over. “Oh, it only appears on a specific giant. I'll lead you to him.”
So saying, Rainbow carefully guided Twilight up to the in game monster. It looked no different from the one she had fought earlier, though Twilight had absolutely no way of knowing that her previous encountered had been specifically programmed. Now that she was in the game, all bets were off. With confidence, Twilight commanded her character to surge forward, hands readied and ablaze with magic.
All that confidence was shattered as her spells did nothing to the red bar that visualised the giant's health. For a few seconds Twilight was helplessly stunned by her own shock as the thundering footfalls of the angry enemy crunched towards her. Just as she was starting to back pedal away from what was now obviously Rainbow's idea of a joke, the giant slammed its club down. Suddenly all control was wrenched from her as Twilight watched her character fly straight into the air. The model rag-dolled through the air, rising impossibly high.
The snickering rose in volume, while Rainbow Dash, and Pinkie Pie, who had just appeared, descended into fits of uproarious laughter.
“Ha! The look on your face!” Rainbow managed to wheeze out between guffaws. “It's priceless.”
Face frozen in a wide-eyed state of shock, Twilight barely even registered that after one quick loading screen she was now back in control. Quickly clicking the pause button, she whirled around in her chair and fixed Rainbow with a stare. In her flattest most deadpan voice she snorted.
“Ha ha.”
“Sorry Twi,” Rainbow continued to laugh. “It was just too good to pass up.”
Rolling her eyes, Twilight gently gave her friend a nudge. “Be that as it may. I think I'm done with the g- wait... When did it become 9 o'clock?! Have I... really been playing that long?”
“Yep,” Applejack said with a grin. “It does that to ya.”
“I'm so sorry! I didn't me-” the princess started, only to be instantly cut off.
“Nonsense darling. Did you have fun?” Rarity asked, already knowing the answer but wanting Twilight to answer for herself.
“Y-yes... I did.”
“Then that's all there is to it. We still have plenty of time to do other things.”
“Like eat pizza?” came a bored sounding monotone voice from the doorway.
“Oh thanks Maud!” Pinkie Pie yelled, quickly relieving her sister of the huge stack of pizzas. “You are the best big sister ever!”
“Wait... That's Pinkie's sister?” Starlight asked incredulously. The disparity between their personalities was staggering.
“Yep,” Sunset chuckled. “That was my reaction when I first saw Maud.”
“And I thought Zephyr was...different compared to Fluttershy. This is just on a whole new level,” Starlight murmured, rubbing her eyes to try and wake herself up. Nope, apparently she was not dreaming.
Pushing herself away from the game, Twilight joined the others for pizza. Still chuckling to herself, Rainbow switched off her computer and stored it away. It's purpose was served, for now.
“So humans actually are omnivorous then,” Starlight commented, eyeing the meat topped pizzas with disdain.
“For the most part,” Fluttershy said gently, handing Starlight a plate loaded with vegetarian pizza. “Though it is common for us to choose not to eat meat. We get by.”
“Somehow I'm not surprised you would make that choice,” the unicorn chuckled.
Fluttershy blushed, but said nothing as she started to nibble on the cheesy delight that was pizza.
“Speaking of diet... what did Spike eat when he was here?” Starlight asked, the question striking her suddenly. She giggled softly. “I...can't imagine you have gemstone pizza.”
“Nope, that would probably break our teeth,” Applejack smirked. “He just ate whatever Twilight ate mostly. Plus some dog biscuits that Rarity kept giving him.”
“Dog biscuits?” Starlight queried, pulling a disgusted face. “Humans eat dog biscuits?”
Pricking her ears, Twilight had to struggle to hold in her amusement. She had completely forgotten the little white lie that Spike had told Starlight about this world. Specifically, what the portal transformed him into. He was going to have a lot of teasing on his plate when they returned.
“No, course not,” Applejack bristled. “Spike's a dog when he comes through here.”
“A dog?!” Starlight exclaimed, struggling to hold a straight face. Scrunching up her nose only helped for so long before she was clutching her sides, laughing hysterically.
“I'm guessing he didn't tell you?” Sunset asked, shaking her head.
“N-no!” Starlight choked out, struggling to breathe in the wake of her merriment. “Oh this is absolutely hilarious!”
“Just don't go too hard on the poor dear,” Rarity pleaded. “He really is a good do-err... dragon.”
Now calmer, Starlight waved her hand in a placating gesture. “Don't worry I'll be mild. Unless he tries to bring up the time I tried to bake a cake...again.”
Catching the shadow that passed over Starlight, Twilight knew that she was not talking about any cake incident. Usually, she and Spike got on swimmingly but occasionally the dragon was a little too liberal with his jibes against her troubled background. She had made a point to talk with him about it several times but something always came up. Also, she was not exactly sure how to approach the situation. Teaching and handling a student, particularly one like Starlight, was taxing and stressful. Mistakes had been made on all sides. Shoving the thought to the back of her mind, Twilight sighed. It could wait until they were back in Equestria. Her human friends had their own problems without any more...Equestrian insanity.
While Starlight and Pinkie were discussing just how much of a mess one could make while baking a cake, Sunset had pulled Twilight aside. The golden skinned girl knew when something was eating her friend and whatever this was, it was practically devouring her.
“Something the matter?” Sunset asked softly, using the commotion of the slumber party to shroud their conversation from prying ears.
“That obvious?” Twilight murmured, feeling a smile tug her her lips. Sunset, had definitely come a long way. Princess Celestia would be proud.
“Sort of. I did kind of learn from the best though,” chuckled Sunset. Becoming pensive again, she asked. “So... what's up?”
Twilight's hands balled into fists and drew up to her chest. Swallowing nervously, she sighed. “Taking on a student has been... harder than I ever imagined.”
“Did something happen?” Sunset pressed, placing a hand on Twilight's shoulder, mentally kicking herself. She had wanted them both to enjoy themselves here; if there was any tension then... being in a new world would only aggravate it. Oh, why had she not considered that before forcing this vacation.
“What? No! Just a small incident. It was cleared up, but it was an eye opener. No matter how supportive I am, Starlight is different. She's...well...”
“I know what you mean...” Sunset sighed. “Starlight doesn't see things the way a lot of ponies do.
“She thought mind control was a suitable solution,” Twilight snapped, only to cringe away when she realised who she had barked at. Sunset just gave her a wry smile.
“It wasn't too long ago when I thought the same thing. In a different way. Anyway... if it's bothering you then we could sit down and talk to her about it. After all this is over.”
“I'm not sure I'd know what to say... Mind control is bad. Don't do it. She's learned that. I'm just... worried that the next time she tries to do things... her... way, it'll get worse.”
This made Sunset sigh. She knew exactly where Twilight was coming from. Starlight had her own way of interacting with her situation, which often escalated problems exponentially. She became fixated on her own ideals, often losing any sense of perspective or empathy. Other times she would be completely reasonable, able to evaluate a situation properly and provide a logical viewpoint. Reigning her in was easy, but only if there was someone around to do it. Which there would not be one hundred percent of the time. “Have you considered getting help? As in therapy help, for her?”
“Therapy? Why? She's not sick,” Twilight snorted, immediately discounting the idea. However, Sunset's next words made her reconsider.
“You're protecting her again,” Sunset countered, folding her arms and glaring at the princess. Softening her gaze, she continued. “Look, Twilight...I know you care about her. I do too, but there are some things you just can't do on your own. It's driving you crazy! Tell me, if I hadn't suggested bringing her along, would you have still come? You can't live your life worried about her all the time... Starlight is... difficult. I wouldn't say sick but... she does need the help... I'm sorry...but she does. Everything that happens scars her deeply. Even the smallest little thing. Her response is to control everything, with no regard for how ponies around her would feel. It isn't out of malice, it's out of fear. A fear that neither you or I can help her with...”
Deep in her heart, Twilight knew that her friend was right. That made it no less easy to admit. Warm hands enveloped her own. She looked down to see Sunset gently grasping her hands. The contact did little to soothe her, but it did help her remember that she was not alone in this.
“Just think about it... okay. If you want I can be there when you talk to her about it. I wouldn't suggest doing it now. Wait til you're back in Equestria. Being somewhere unfamiliar will only make the talk harder.”
“I'll consider it...” Twilight promised. “I just don't know any more. Sometimes she's doing so well and then the next minute I'm cleaning up a mess. Will this really help? Or will it just cause another mess down the line?”
“I... I can't answer that. If worst comes to worst we can... go higher than therapy...but hopefully it won't come to that.”
A lump formed in Twilight's throat, forcing her to swallow. Right now, she would rather not think about that. Despite their past altercations, Starlight had become her friend. Maybe that fact had blinded her to the mare's faults. If it had, then she was just as at fault for any of Starlight's misdeeds. “As soon as I leave tomorrow... I'll... talk to her about it. The quicker I get it done... The less chance I have of buckling.”
“Do you want me to be there?” Sunset asked. When she received a silent nod, the girl gave a reassuring smile. “Okay. I'll come and I'll stay as long as needed. I'm sure the others will understand.”
“Thank you...” Twilight muttered, roughly rubbing her arm across her eyes. “Let's... Let's go rejoin the others before they get worried.”
“Okay,” Sunset nodded, gently taking Twilight's hand and guiding her back into the bedroom.
The next day, everyone was gathered around the portal to see their equestrian friends off. Sunset had gathered the girls, and explained that she would be going through the portal. While she had not explained exactly why, her friends had gotten the idea. Fluttershy had offered her help, but Sunset had declined. This was something she, Twilight and Starlight had to do. Anyone else and Starlight would most likely clam up and refuse the suggestion outright.
After waving everyone goodbye, the three ponies walked through the mirror. As always, the journey was a disorientating one. Feeling one's whole self be shifted to suit the needs of their destination certainly left an impression. Starlight, for the most part, had enjoyed herself. After the initial shock of being in a strange body in a strange world, she had appreciated the joviality around her. Even so, she could not help but notice the sombre looks on both Twilight's and Sunset's faces as they had crossed the threshold between worlds. Almost as if they were gearing up for some difficult task. She should have been elated that Sunset was coming to the castle for a visit, but instead all she felt was a sense of foreboding.
On the other side of the mirror, Starlight felt their gazes piercing her. Taking a moment to collect herself, she rounded on them. Of course this was something to do with her... Had she offended their friends? Was this going to be some sort of punishment. Unable to take it any longer, she opened her mouth to utter a single word.
“Y-Yes?”
Hearing the tremble in her voice, both Sunset and Twilight flinched. Clearly, their own trepidation had not gone unnoticed. Preferably Starlight should be calm for this, not already nervous. However, now that it had started the only way forward was to see it through. Seeing Twilight start to falter, Sunset stepped up to the plate.
“Starlight... we... we need to talk.”
“About?” Starlight responded, struggling to keep herself level. As she bit her lip, she noticed Twilight steeling herself out of the corner of her eye. Whatever was coming, it was bad.
“Starlight...” Twilight murmured, moving forward. “We need to talk...about, well about me teaching you.”
This made Starlight's heart sink, dropping into her stomach like a lead weight. Many worries had been jostling for a place in her mind since her reformation...with this being the chief amongst them. Twilight finally giving up on her and casting her out. Tears sprang to her eyes, burning the sapphire orbs. Logic and reasoning fell to the wayside and all that could speak was her despair.
“Y-You're casting me out?” she choked, “I-I.-bu-why-how...”
“No...Starlight, I'm not,” Twilight tried to say, but froze when she realised that her student was not listening. The lilac mare had collapsed into a sobbing heap, lost in her own grief. Heart breaking, Twilight moved forward to try, try and convince Starlight that everything was okay. Sunset beat her to it.
Gently, the golden unicorn wrapped her hooves around her wailing friend. “Ssssh... That's not it at all. No one's casting you out. It's just... been a little more difficult for Twilight than she imagined.”
“W-What?” Starlight whimpered, raising her head slightly. The pained look on Twilight's face made her heart violently skip a beat.
“It's... been hard... You're my friend. You always will be...” Twilight whispered, trying to make her point as clearly and painlessly as possible. “But I don't think I can give you all the help you need. Starlight...it's difficult. You seem to be doing so well and then something comes up, something I didn't pick up on until it was already a mess...”
“What are you saying?” Starlight whined, her whole body trembling as she tried to contain the racking sobs threatening to overwhelm her.
“She's saying...” Sunset took over. She could feel Starlight quiver against her. The reaction reminded her of a child, worrying about everything and feeling powerless to fix it. The problem was, Starlight had power, a lot of it. She could fix the world, in her own way. Which was not always the best way. “That you might need more professional help. You... you take things to extremes. I know you don't mean to, but you do... When something goes wrong... you become unreasonable. It- It has to be said. You always go to the worst possible scenario and stick there... Look at you now...” She paused for a moment to let her point sink in. “Almost immediately you...you burst thinking that Twilight was just going to give up on you. She'd never do that, ever. You're afraid she will though...aren't you...” A small nod. Sunset continued. “You can't keep feeling that way...”
“We want you to consider therapy...” Twilight said gently, laying down to come to Starlight's eye level.
“Therapy?” Starlight coughed, a loud sniff punctuating her statement. Tears still streamed down her cheeks.
“Yes...” Twilight said softly. “To help you cope with yourself. Your... need to go to extremes... we think it's born out of fear. The last time... your fear of failing to bake a cake caused a catastrophe... This... this can't keep happening. I'm...I'm sorry. I can't keep up with it any more.”
Starlight gulped as she chewed on the words. Her freak outs were that bad? How could she have not noticed? She was too wrapped up in herself, that's why. A numbness washed over Starlight and Sunset felt her sag. Taking the reigns once more, Sunset said gently.
“It'll help you. Once you can overcome this you'll be stronger. Twilight wants to help you, she really does. So do I...but, this just isn't something either of us are equipped to deal with. There are ponies that can help you however. We'll still be here, and so will everyone else. You'll still be our friend and you'll still be Twilight's student...but, something needs to happen before...before we lose you to this fear.”
Sunset's voice became husky towards the end. The heavy tone crashed down on Starlight's ears. Now she had a choice to make, though it was not much of one. In this instance, there really only was one option. If she truly cared about her friends, which she did, then this was something she simply had to do. Lifting her head once more, she murmured,
“I'll do it... I'll...get help. I'm, sorry for everything I've caused. I... I'll do all I can to make sure it doesn't happen again.”
Unable to restrain herself any longer, Twilight launched herself forwards and smothered the lilac unicorn in a hug. Sunset backed away, allowing the two a moment in each other's embrace. Starlight was crying again, but hopefully she would not be for long. This would be a long road but with the right help, it would be a fruitful one. When Twilight finally pulled away, Sunset pulled Starlight into a hug of her own. She could tell that her friend was terrified and vowed to do anything to help her succeed in this trial.
“I'll... I'll go wash up,” Starlight said softly, fully aware that her face was a mess.
Sunset nodded slowly. “Okay. Take your time. Twilight and I can start looking out therapy options for you. I'm not saying it's going to be easy...but I'll, make sure it's as easy as I can possibly make it. Okay?”
“Okay... t-thank you...” Starlight whispered. Before she could break down into tears once again, she turned and left the room.
Once her footsteps had faded from their hearing, Sunset and Twilight got to work. Thanks to both of their tutelage under Celestia, their speed allowed them to have several contacts lined up by the time Starlight returned. She was still shaky, but joined in the search with zeal. Eventually, they came across one that looked promising. He was local and had experience with a variety of cases. Several positive reviews sealed the deal. With Starlight's approval, Twilight set the whole thing up.
The next day, Starlight stood in front of the door. She was alone, at her own insistence. Sunset and Twilight were back at the castle, eagerly awaiting her news. While she would have loved to have them both with her, the first step was hers alone to take. Swallowing her nerves, she knocked on the door with a hoof. Her ears flicked at the deafening sound of hoof on wood. Taking a deep breath to still her nerves, she waited.
“Come in,” a gentle, inviting voice called.
Steeling herself, Starlight pushed open the door and walked inside. Her friends believed in her, and that was all she needed. Despite the anxiety seeping into her heart, she felt ready. Ready to cast off her fear and move forward with her life. Ready to face her demons, and defeat them so that they would never drag her down ever again. With a trembling voice but a burning heart, Starlight began her journey to recovery.
“Hello Dr Lupus-”