Starlight Glimmer sat alone in the great hall of the Crystal Castle, feeling thoroughly depressed. She gazed sadly at herself in the reflective wall, contemplating her past regrets... and not just the most obvious ones.
It was true that she'd long since made amends with those unsuspecting ponies back in Our Town she'd ruled with a tyrannical hoof when she was still of the opinion that Cutie Marks were something to be reviled, and her performance since agreeing to take on the role of Princess Twilight's apprentice had been nothing short of exemplary. She was well on the path to redemption after her countless previous missteps. In fact, some might argue she'd earned it already.
But there were more secrets about herself that Starlight hadn't even told her mentor yet, or Spike during their numerous cozy chats after dark over a mug of hot chocolate. Some she could just about deal with, like being a terrible swimmer for one, or that she often felt alone even in a crowded room. Others on the other hoof, she'd managed to push to the back of her mind during her zealous quest (now abandoned) for all ponies to achieve parity by dispensing themselves of their unique talents.
Now however, that her thoughts were far less cluttered and she was trying to come to terms with her old life, a few unwelcome old memories were beginning to stir below the surface. Such as the one now, that gave her no end of sleepless nights and wasted hours spent staring dreamily out of the window, wondering what could have been. If only I'd been in a better place back then... maybe we could've been happy... I was so young, so foolish... If I could only relive those moments again... I'd make sure you were raised properly... You wouldn't repeat my mistakes...
Alas, time-travel for the once autocratic unicorn was strictly off the menu, especially after Twilight's dire warning as to the deadly futures that awaited anypony that dared to interfere with history, during her unwitting little jaunt together with Starlight throughout yesteryear. Starswirl the Bearded's old spell was now safely under lock and key, not that Twilight didn't trust her reformed student with utilising it again, but now the Princess had seen the kind of devastating effect such powerful magic could have in the wrong hooves, better to be safe than sorry, no?
Speaking of the alicorn in question, Starlight's reminiscing was abruptly cut short by the sound of raucous laughter heading up the corridor, and into the great chamber came Twilight herself, flanked on each side by one of her five friends... actually six if you count the baby dragon almost missed in the middle of this equine throng. The reason for their levity was known to Starlight, as they'd all just returned from being the lucky beneficiaries of an all-expenses-paid trip to the spa, organised by Princess Celestia as a reward for their recent sterling Cutie Map work.
Starlight, even though she'd contributed nothing to this particular map endeavor, (the unicorn was still waiting for her symbol to appear as part of the summoning process, Twilight having strenuously assured her one day she'd 'Play Her Part' in the future, whatever that meant) had still been invited along to enjoy the rest of the girls during their special day of pampering. The unicorn was unhesitating in her refusal though, as she'd felt another one of her recent mood swings begin to materialise, and she certainly didn't want to spoil the day for anypony else with her dour demeanor.
Noticing her student give the old thousand-mile stare over Equestria upon her return, Twilight's mood abruptly turned from ebullience to one of concern. Starlight had made so much progress both socially and behaviorally since turning her back on her old ways and settling in Ponyville, to the extent she just appeared to be another friendly face in the crowd now.
The fact she actually seemed to be going backwards now by retreating into her shell and declining to tell her new companions what had been plaguing her thoughts of late was a major worry to the alicorn. After all, how was she supposed to help her pupil out if she wouldn't open up? Unsure how responsive she'd be to being approached at this time, Twilight nevertheless attempted to interact with Starlight, hoping that a bit of cordial attention would help lift some of the grey clouds that seemed to be following her friend constantly these days.
"Hey there, Starlight..." Twilight smiled, noticing her student staring out emotionlessly out of the window from their high vantage point. "Great view from up here, isn't it? You can see all over Ponyville, from Mayor Mare's office, to the local elementary. I had no idea how tall this castle was going to be when it first sprung up, or even that it was going to appear at at all. But I have to say, I certainly love living up here, even though I do miss my little library sometimes. I wish you could've seen Golden Oaks... we lost so many irreplaceable books when it burnt down... and the memories... sigh."
Noticing she was beginning to wax lyrical about past events, Twilight immediately went to check herself. Of course, the significance and sentimentality attached to her old home would mean nothing to the relatively new-in-town Starlight, and would almost certainly not be much help in cheering her up, as the unicorn's sudden elongated sigh just showed. Deciding to switch tact, the princess turned to her other friends to help her in this persistent quest to pull the unicorn out of her ongoing funk.
"E-Er, we had a great time at the spa, didn't we girls?" Twilight subtly signaled behind her, indicating she'd appreciate a bit of input. "You should've joined us, it was so relaxing and fun, wasn't it? We had the works in terms of treatment, from hoof to muzzle, and came out feeling like freshly squeezed fillies! It was so nice to take a break from the day-to-day routine of solving friendship problems, am I right?"
"A-Absolutely, darling..." Taking the baton from Twilight, Rarity was the first to try and raise spirits in the room. "Much as I enjoy dealing with fabrics and designing trendsetting fashions for my customers, it is good to get away from it all for a bit. Also, who wouldn't miss the chance of seeing 'big, brave' Rainbow Dash get not one, but two hooficures?"
"Hey, wait a second..." The multi-coloured pegasus turned to chastise the chortling fashionista at this juncture. "I only agreed to that because it was a special offer! While we're on the subject, who was it that practically insisted on having a private sauna, all to herself? Those other ponies who were kept waiting gave us such evil looks when we left. I bet they thought we were abusing our celebrity..."
"Oh dear, I hope not..." Fluttershy put her hoof to her mouth upon hearing this distressing news. "Do you think we should go back and apologise? I don't want bad things to be spread about us around town again. Do you remember what happened with those newspaper stories? I cried so much, I nearly flooded my entire house. I hope Angel doesn't have to build another lifeboat..."
"Tch, a few complainers ain't nothin' to be afraid of." Applejack was as matter-of-fact as usual. "They've hung on for much longer than that before. 'Member when the heating broke down, and I managed to fix it? Least they have more space now, after that extension that was opened up last month."
"Size doesn't always matter you know, girls. Being small can have certain other... advantages." Spike chuckled cryptically to himself, while suddenly making eyes at a certain boutique owner. What the drake meant was: Rarity wasn't as alone in her smoke-filled room as she'd previously thought, for he'd been sitting nearby all this time... admiring her beauty, taking in her body warmth, it had been absolute bliss.
"Oh, definitely!" Pinkie Pie, as usual, immediately jumped to the wrong conclusion regarding Spike's not-so-innocuous remark. "It was so great, seeing all those colts and fillies there! They should run more promotions like Free Foals Day at the spa, because everypony needs a dose of relaxation from time to time! ...Well, maybe Pound Cake and Pumpkin cake are a bit too young, I don't think they do anything for babies there just yet."
That did it. The mere mention of the word 'foal' elicited a surprise response in Starlight, although not the one everypony was hoping for. The purplish unicorn just sat despondently on the floor and wept, small rivulets of moisture cascading through her hooves where she tried, and failed, to stop the flow.
Looking shocked at each other at her sudden outbreak of crying, the rest of those in attendance quickly rushed up to comfort their friend, with Twilight summing up everypony's feelings with two simple words. "What's wrong?!"
Realising that it would kill her inside if she bottled up her secret any longer, Starlight Glimmer decided at that very moment to reveal all. After all, as her teacher had taught her, if you can't rely on your closest friends, who can you trust?
"L-Listen, girls..." She swallowed deeply, while wiping away a few stray tears. "I-I've got something to tell you all..."
.....................................................................................................
"You're a mother?" exclaimed Rainbow Dash, on hearing Starlight's sorry story.
"...And Double Diamond is the father?" Spike also found this very difficult to process.
"She was born about nine years ago?" Rarity wasn't used to blurting things out so uncouthly, but under the circumstances...
"...And you have to idea where she is now?" Applejack shook her head in exasperation.
"Oh no, that's terrible..." Fluttershy's ears drooped, until she looked almost as sad as Starlight.
"...Wow, that's amazing! Seeing you now, I didn't think you were that old!" You could always rely on Pinkie to say something wildly inappropriate in a tense situation.
Taking a minute to glare at her party-loving friend, Twilight marched in front of Starlight protectively with a stern look on her face. "Now look here, everypony..." She addressed them in a strict voice. "Our friend here has been through quite the ordeal, and shouting rapid-fire questions at her isn't going to help matters one iota. She was brave enough to confide in us today, so the least we can do in return is give her a bit of time and space to calm her nerves, before we decide what to do next. Are we agreed?"
Judging by the amount of guilty faces present, and the mumbled "We're sorry's" that were spread around the room, the message had apparently gotten through. Smiling at their attempts at atonement, Twilight turned back to her student, who was still shaking like a leaf but watched proceedings through a small gap between her hooves.
"Now, I get that you don't want to relive certain moments of who you used to be..." Twilight said sympathetically, as she put a comforting wing around the distressed mare. "But, you do understand, we can't just ignore what you just told us, don't you? Do you think you're ready to talk about it some more, or do you want a little time to settle yourself before we carry on?"
Starlight took a little while to compose herself, as she gazed at everypony through reddened eyes. "I-I'm ready. I've been holding this back for so long, it just feels such a relief to get it off my chest. I suppose I should tell you the events leading up to my now filly's birth, and her eventual removal from my custody..."
"A girl, was it?" Twilight mentioned, not that it really mattered at this stage. "Oh, I'm sorry. I'm interrupting you. Please, if you feel you have the strength, continue."
"Thank you." Starlight nodded, before clearing her throat. "It was soon after I left my small village to seek out pastures new, eager to begin my new mission to wipe out all trace of those dreaded cutie marks, after having my best friend Sunburst wrenched away from me. After a few unsuccessful attempts at stirring things up in other provincials, I finally hit paydirt when I discovered a tiny hamlet far away from civilisation as we know it, and that's where everything began."
"Wow. Go on..." Rainbow Dash spoke through a mouthful of popcorn, which Pinkie had randomly bought in.
"At first, none of the locals took an interest in me or my teachings..." Starlight grimaced, not believing how wrongheaded she was. "But then, I noticed a young stallion following me around town, hiding round corners and generally blushing every time he saw me..."
"Aw, it sounds like he was in love, darling..." Rarity gushed at the slightest notion of romance.
"Actually, from another point of view, it sounds kinda creepy." Pinkie offered her unique perspective on things.
"I think if anypony isn't in a position to comment on stalking others, it's you. Remember Cranky Doodle?" Applejack scolded her friend, while taking away her loud, distracting popcorn. "Sorry, Starlight. Please carry on."
"Well, even if I had no interest in Double Diamond's affections, I must say I was flattered. Nopony had ever demonstrated that kind of care for me before..." Starlight then looked down at the ground in guilt. "But then, I started looking at his crush from another perspective, a more devious one. You see, if I really wanted to integrate myself with the locals so I could espouse my beliefs, it would help if they felt I was part of their little group, and this stallion could be my key to achieving all of that. So, that's when we started..."
"Yes, I think we get the picture..." Twilight had her hooves in a mollified Spike's ears at this point, unsure if he was old enough to hear the saucier details.
"Oh, you poor thing. You must have been so desperate to do such a thing, at such a young age too..." Fluttershy's wing ended up being the second one shrouded around Starlight.
"Hey, don't feel bad for me..." Starlight insisted, looking horrified all of a sudden. "I was a nightmare of a mare in those days. All of my actions were entirely self-centred, and I played with Double Diamond's emotions like a harpsichord. After I'd finally established myself on the scene and ponies were actually starting to listen to my spiel, that's when I noticed the unforeseen consequence to my plan, when I started gaining weight and feeling nauseous during my newly-scheduled town meetings..."
Having never experienced the 'wonders' of pregnancy before, all the other mares winced at each other in alarm at such an unexpected development. Meanwhile, Starlight continued her tale.
"Even if I do say myself, I hid my state of being quite well. I told the others my incessant girth was because I was eating so many of their 'delicious' muffins, and I had a very poor constitution. Of course, at this point I had to end things with Double Diamond, if anypony was going to get suspicious about my new appearance, it had to be him. So I just said I had no room in my life for both him and my movement, and considering the latter's importance, it was obvious which I was going to choose. He totally understood and left me alone, poor thing. Sometimes, I wonder if we could've made a go of it, if I hadn't been such a..."
Twilight shook her head sternly at a ready-to-comment Pinkie Pie, wisely noting that this was most definitely not the right time for one of her patented 'observations'. As fit to burst as she was, the pink pony reluctantly complied.
Oblivious to the tension, Starlight carried on with this tragic chapter in her life. "...I won't go into much detail with what happened during the private birth, but let's just say it wasn't a very pleasant experience. After my foal was born, I only saw her as a major obstacle to my plans, and besides I had absolutely no idea how to take care of her. I didn't even have any interest in naming her. I wasn't totally heartless though, I at least wanted to give her to a good home. And that's where my benefactor came in..."
The other ponies (and dragon) looked at each other in unison at this point, asking as one: "Benefactor?!"
"Oh yes, a lovely mare who I met in a nearby city, during one of my rare forays outside the boundaries of Our Town..." Starlight recounted the meeting wistfully, with a single tear in her eye. "She said she'd just had a miscarriage, and was desperate for something to love to fill the missing gap in her life. She also told me she often goes on long trips abroad with her wealthy husband, so she could put as much distance between myself and this 'burden' as possible. She even offered to pay me for my 'gift', which I resoundingly rejected. At that time, I had no interest in material goods... my entire life was on my message, and it's implementation."
"So... that was it? You just let her take off with your child?!" Applejack rose a disapproving eyebrow at hearing, from her point of view, this irresponsible account of events.
"Hey, hey. I was a different pony, back then..." Starlight protested, trying to fight her corner. "Also, I thought she was going to a good family. This mare seemed polite, well-spoken, obviously with a classy upbringing. Believe me, at that stage in my life, the foal was much better off without me, anyway..."
"Yes Applejack, we shouldn't be so quick to judge anypony until we've trotted a mile in their horseshoes..." Twilight remarked to her friend, who only humphed in response. "Anyway Starlight, what's done is done, and you can't change that. What I want to know now is... what will you do next? Would you like to see your child again, or are you happy to move on, now that you've told us what's been weighing on your mind?"
Starlight pondered this question with a great deal of thought. Well as settled as my filly might be in her new life, I'd still like to see how she's getting on. Plus, I think she deserves to know the truth about her real mother, and I am trying to make restitution for my past indiscretions, so...
"Y-yes, I think I'd like to meet her..." Starlight started hesitantly, before adding a little more forcibly... "Yes, I'm sure I would."
As soon as those words left her mouth, Starlight's friends leapt into action. "Right then, I'll go and make some posters..." Spike announced energetically.
"I'll hang some in my boutique..." Rarity generously offered to help out.
"I'll put them up all over Sugarcube Corner..." Pinkie was eager to make up for being a bit flippant that afternoon.
"...And I'll drop them all over town. I better not be prosecuted for littering this time, though." Rainbow Dash fumed to everypony.
"I'll spread the word among the other Apples nationwide. You never know, one of them might've seen something..." Applejack thought her familial connections might prove useful.
"...And I'll tell my feathered friends, to tell their feathered friends to, you know, keep a look-out..." Fluttershy remembered it was migration season, so her regular bird visitors would be roaming far and wide.
"Hold your horses, everypony..." Twilight, ever the pragmatist, caused all present who were about to flee in earnest to stop in their tracks. "First of all, shouldn't we take things a little slower? Maybe, the filly doesn't want to be found. Also, don't you think it would help if we had a few extra important details? For instance... what the mare looked like who adopted the foal, which city the 'arrangement' was made in, what the youngster looked like when she was born..."
"Oh, yeah..." Suddenly, everypony in that room apart from Twilight and her student felt a little foolish, and went back to consider the matter further and also hear of any useful descriptions Starlight might be able to give them.
"Well, as I said..." Starlight tapped the base of her chin, trying to recall the all-too-brief time she spent with her child. "She was a girl, and she'd be about nine years old by now. Let me think: She was a pink earth pony, the 'transaction' took place in Manehattan, and I'll always remember the way the mare who helped me had her nose in the air, and that strange ring cutie mark on her flan... what?"
Suddenly, all the other ponies (and Spike) had lost their expressions of curiosity, to be replaced by ones of mostly frowns. Starlight couldn't help but be perturbed by this abrupt change in mood.
"H-huh?" Her eyes flitted from one of her aloof friends, to another. "Did I do something wrong? Are you still going to help me?!"
Finally snapping out of her trance, Twilight was quick to reassure her pupil. "No, Starlight. You're fine. You haven't done anything wrong. It's just..."
She glanced back at her companions, who stared back at her, until they realised they were all thinking the same thing.
"We need to get down to Rich Mansion. Now."
......................................................................................................................
It had been a rough morning already for Diamond Tiara. Being chewed out for daring to wash her own plate, put it away in the drawer and saying 'thank you' to the cook was more than her mother Spoiled Rich could bear. "You're not supposed to be polite to the hired help, darling. They're just doing their job, after all."
Now, she could expect an even bigger ear-bashing later on, having unapologetically skipped the fitting of a new dress for the upcoming Grand Galloping Gala to hang out with her new friends, the Cutie Mark Crusaders. She could just hear that foghorn of a voice following her as she galloped away. "Come back, darling! Whatever will Prince Blueblood think?!"
Rolling her eyes en route to the club treehouse, she nevertheless managed to spot Princess Twilight and all her friends, including the weird unicorn newcomer, saunter in the opposite direction. Must be something pretty important for them to all travel together like that... she pondered while speeding past, shame I haven't got enough time to stop. Scootaloo's going to try and make the big jump again, and I want to see how many times she falls off before giving up...
What however, Diamond didn't see was the sad look Twilight gave the pink filly as she rushed by... after all, what reason would the little filly have to be worried? It couldn't be about her, right?
DING DONG! Went the doorbell of Rich Mansion. With Randolph having a much-needed week off through exhaustion (although, with the amount of toil he did every week at his age, it was amazing he hadn't dropped dead by now) it was left up to Filthy Rich to answer his own door for a change, as he got up from calculating his weekly bills (which always seemed to leave him in the red, no surprises when you consider who he was married to).
In a bit of an irritable mood due to his increasingly precarious state of affairs financially, Filthy unlocked it with noticeable brusqueness and almost shouted at his unidentified callers. "Wha..." before he realised who they were.
"P-Princess T-Twilight, a-and c-company!!" He almost kicked himself when he realised his almost-rudeness in the presence of royalty and heroes. "W-What brings you around here?!"
It wasn't Twilight who took the lead of the group however, their spokespony having already been selected based on her thorough knowledge of the family in question.
"Hello, Filthy Rich..." Applejack addressed him in a friendly manner. "We need to talk to you..."
At this point, the farm pony shot a look upstairs, with considerably more disdain.
"And your wife..."