The mall’s hallways were spacious yet crowded, full of stands, shops, and especially people - all of which proved too much for an already stressed Starlight Glimmer as she paced around. She wasn’t looking for anything in particular, but she figured the monotonous walking would help straighten her thoughts -- something she definitely needed.
However, despite already being in this mall twice within the last few days, she couldn’t help but feel like a complete outsider in such an alien environment. The sights themselves didn’t bother her, since she gained a general idea on how the mall functioned. Nor did the crowds make her uneasy, thanks to her experience with the movie theater. Before, no matter how anxious or unsure she could get, Sunset Shimmer was always there for support or reassurance. This time, she was all alone.
Sure, her talk with Juniper Montage was encouraging and all, but nothing could remove the ever-present hint of doubt inside. What if I end up saying the wrong thing again? What if I tear us apart even further? What if Sunset’s reaction only makes me feel worse? ...No, I can’t take that risk!
But at the same time… she was such a sweet, considerate friend before. Maybe she would find it in her heart to forgive her? After all, my old village not only did that but also wanted me to lead their festival! Then again… they did look up to me for the longest time, so it would be like them to see the best in me...
As she turned a corner for the thirtieth time, she realized her emotions didn’t seem to be calming down as well as she had hoped. She looked down at her black, strappy shoes, which suddenly made her feet uncomfortable. How do people put up walking in these awkward, wobbly things so well anyway? Hooves never required this much protective wear. Should she do something about this sudden discomfort? If Sunset was here, she’d know how to help… But considering how upset they got at each other… how could they fully mend their friendship?
***
All Sunset could do upon arrival at her apartment was to lie on her bed, staring up at the bland ceiling with her hands wrapped under her chin. Her anxiety had somewhat retreated since a little bit ago, but her mind was still full of fear – all of her worries boiled down to one thing: Starlight Glimmer.
Given what she had already known about Starlight before they even met, she should’ve known how reckless she previously had been with her magic. She obviously shouldn’t have blown up at her like she did, but… as much as she hated to admit it, it was not something she’d be able to forget easily next time they met.
What hurt her the most, was not just that it was any friendship, but this one felt… special to her. She had an unconditional love for the group of six that could never be replaced, but Starlight was a different kind of friend entirely. The kind who was a native of her own former land, and thus she was able to relate with her in ways she previously thought unimaginable. She loved being able to show an Equestrian unicorn the sights and wonders of this ever-fascinating world, and having Starlight around made her feel better about herself overall.
She knew she wanted to mend the friendship more than anything else right now, but all she could think about were all the questions flying around her head in whether or not it even could still work.
Her phone on the table next to the bed rang one of the Rainbooms’ songs, signifying a text from one of her band mates. However, after a quick, somber glance, she decided she was too wrapped in her own thoughts to read it.
But it did leave her thinking about something else… her friends. It never occurred to her until now just how amazing it was how quick they were to forgive her. Not only did they do so before anyone else in the school, but… how in the world could they even see good in some bully who not five minutes prior tried to do away with them with a fiery blast? To this day, Sunset had still yet to get the full answer, and up until now she preferred not to ask. But in this instance, Sunset knew the topic shouldn’t be avoided. As far as she was concerned, if they didn’t know how she could make up with Starlight, no one could.
The sun’s light suddenly shone through the window shades to her left, the rather convenient symbolism helping to lift her spirits. Finally having regained her motivation, she grabbed her phone from their lamp table to her right, looked carefully at the text from Rainbow Dash, and enthusiastically texted her as well as a couple of the others.
***
Sitting on the base of the fountain in the center of the mall, Starlight kept studying the strangeness of her body. The more she did, the more she wished she was dreaming it all up, as she was now left trying to make sense of her alternate form all on her own. The constant splashing of the fountain’s water was at least pretty therapeutic, but her feelings were too strong for that to really help at all.
The amount she’d traveled by foot, along with her internal qualms and the rhythmic noises of the fountain, tired her to the point where she wanted to close her eyes and attempt to rest, making no noise beyond the occasional slow breath.
But just when she was finally comfortable, she felt a kick to her leg followed by a distinctly raspy, confident voice: “Hey, there ya are, Starlight!” She knew for sure it was Rainbow Dash even before she opened her eyes, and once this was confirmed she quickly stood up with a grin. Sure, this Rainbow wasn’t the one she had really gotten to know, but it was at least someone familiar and, despite the slight difference between them, they were both pretty much still the same… right?
“Hey, Rainbow Dash,” she said, her voice slightly trembling. “What are you doing here?”
“Well, after you ran off like that I had to make sure things were still cool.” Rainbow replied, leaving out how she had followed her as she walked.
This made Starlight feel bad. “…Yeah, I hope you know I’m sorry for that. And I don’t know what I can even do to make up for…”
“Nah, you don’t have to make up for anything!” Rainbow put her shoulder on Starlight’s. “We understand.”
“But… I just ran away, with no warning! I made Sunset feel uncomfortable. And… ‘we’?”
“Yeah, all of us are willing to forgive you!” Rainbow enjoyed seeing Starlight’s dumbfounded look. “It’s not like we’ve never seen anyone lose their own tempers. Even Sunset Shimmer feels sorry for what she did!”
Starlight’s eyebrows raised upon the mentioning of Sunset, only for them to slowly drop. “…But… and I would like to forgive her too… I just don’t know if I actually will.”
“C’mon, it’s easy!” Rainbow gave a playful shove on the side. “You just have to go for it. I mean, what’s the worst that could happen?”
“…I feel even worse about myself and Sunset hates me even more? Not to mention it’s really hard for me to look at her the same way, after at how much we’ve yelled at each other.” She began to sob again, but a touch of a hand on her shoulder reminded her to fight the tears back.
“Well, believe me, you have nothing to worry about with someone as reliable and awesome as me.” Rainbow boasted. Immediately after, she felt a vibration come from her left pocket, leading to her pulling out her phone. After a quick read and subsequent clatter of keys, she beamed at Starlight only to take it back.
“How’s about a quick visit to Twilight’s, huh? I’m sure you’ll love just how amazing her place is!”
Starlight thought for a second, wondering why this came up. Maybe it was because she was the student of her pony equivalent, or is it just another surprise for her? In fact, she had been somewhat curious over how different this Twilight seemed to actually be compared to the princess. So, she calmly agreed.
***
The house managed to leave Starlight Glimmer amazed yet again with all the weird little contrasts and similarities compared to the princess’s crystal castle. It was nowhere near as overly shiny and spacious (thank Celestia), but the house still looked just as dim overall , not at all helped by the ubiquitous heavy purples. This atmosphere would have made Starlight feel slightly intimidated, but as if to help make up for it, the furnishings seemed a lot more attractive and aesthetically pleasing than most other houses she had seen in her lifetime, let alone this world. Somehow, no matter which kind of life Twilight had led, she still always ended up with the fanciest living quarters.
Rainbow led Starlight to Twilight’s bedroom, definitely the nicest of the rooms she had seen. Everything was (rather predictably) perfectly tidy and organized, forcing an eye roll out of Starlight, even if it was a little overly stuffed with astronomy-related things in the corner.
At the center of the room, near the edge of the bed, sat Twilight Sparkle. She welcomed the two visitors as she brushed the fur of a purple dog. Right at first glance, the dog looked very familiar to Starlight – and not in the same ways as everything else in this world. Starlight approached the bed and leaned on the shiny wooden paneling in front of Twilight. No, that just can’t be, she thought at her first instinct, but upon closer analysis… The purple body, the chartreuse ears, the round, green tuft at the top… Sweet Celestia, it was!
“Is… something wrong?” Twilight said, looking up at her newest friend, completely unsure of how to respond.
“…THAT’S Spike?!?” Starlight spluttered, throwing her arms out toward the puppy.
“The one and only!” Spike said out loud. “So, you’ve heard of me?”
Starlight didn’t think it was physically possible, but her bewilderment grew even higher. Her mind thoroughly blown, all she could do was nod.
Rainbow Dash quickly put the pieces together, and stepped up next to Starlight to explain as best she could. “Oh yeah… Twi, in case you don’t remember, the Spike that your pony self has is this fierce, fire breathing dragon! I guess Starlight has known him, too.”
“Known him?!” Starlight shouted, finally able to sputter some words out. “He was the first truly honest friend I’ve had! How could someone so loyal and faithful be a… dog in this reality?”
“Well,” Twilight responded kindly, “he may not breathe fire, but he sure is a helpful little scamp!” She began rubbing his belly. “Isn’t he, isn’t he…”
“And… dogs talk in this world?”
“Nah, just me,” Spike said, pointing with a paw. “It’s a long story.”
Starlight, not wanting to overload her brain yet again, left it at that. Before she fully recomposed, the sound of slamming doors caught everyone’s attention. It turned out to be from Fluttershy and Rarity, who gave a light wave as they entered the room, followed by Sunset Shimmer, quick to notice the nervous, beanie-wearing, light lavender girl sitting on the opposite end.
At first, neither of them said a word. Sunset stood in the doorway, surprised to see her guest again so soon, especially without notice. It only took Sunset a couple seconds to realize… “This was all your plan, wasn’t it?” she said, more confused than accusing.
She scanned the room, and the overly innocent expressions on each of the four faces told her all she needed to know. She sighed, and sat against the closet door. Sunset finally looked directly at Starlight, finding her expression almost entirely mirrored her own -- that of concern and nervousness, and a touch hope.
For a full minute, the only audible noise was the ticking of a nearby clock and scraping of the brush against Spike’s fur. In the end, he was the one to speak up first: “So, is anyone going to break the ice or what?”
“Yeah, you two can totally do it!” Rainbow added on. “Just talk things out and it’ll be fine.”
Starlight opened her mouth to say something but paused to avoid accidentally spewing something hurtful again. She looked at Fluttershy sitting right next to her, with a hand on her shoulder. The girl squeezed her shoulder gently and nodded towards Sunset, urging Starlight to speak.
Starlight took a breath, and grasped the right words to say. “Sunset, you’ve been unbelievably kind to me in the time I’ve been here, and I appreciate you showing me around this world and always staying by my side whenever I got confused or overwhelmed. It… wasn’t right of me to call you out for what you used to do. I can obviously see now that you’re no longer like that, and thus I really wasn’t being fair when I said what I did. For that, I am deeply ashamed. I hope you could forgive me, I’m… I’m sorry.”
Starlight was expecting Sunset to either be grateful or upset, but instead her eyes shot open with surprise. “…You’re sorry? I’m the one who drove you to tears and out of the house, not to mention letting my temper get the better of me! I should be apologizing to you!”
“You just had what was for the best in Equestria in mind,” Starlight retorted. “And now that you know about the whole time loop thing… I’m not even sure how you could forgive me.”
“Allow me to explain,” Twilight said, waiting for a brief nod from Starlight before continuing. Sunset raised her eyebrows; she knew where the story was going, but couldn’t quite figure out what point it would end on.
“Well, when I first met Sunset Shimmer in the Friendship Games, I wanted to explore the magic surrounding the school. And I ended up becoming reckless to the point where I turned into a demon, just like she did. That’s why Midnight Sparkle gave me so much trouble at camp.”
“Don’t be too hard on yourself, darling,” said Rarity. “I’m sure this would’ve happened to anyone who encountered something that mysterious.”
Twilight paid no attention. “Anyway, what I was getting at is… Sunset also got more than a little upset at what I was doing, but when I almost destroyed the fabric of both worlds… not only did she forgive me, but she actively offered to lead me on the right path.”
“I still can’t believe how amazing you looked there!” Rainbow complimented.
Sunset looked back up at Rainbow. “Yeah, I’m pretty surprised how well that worked myself.” She turned back to Starlight. “But even with that mind… I really want to forgive you, but what you did runs so deep into who you were that… I don’t know if I’ll be able to look past it. And… who knows if I won’t ever blow up at you again?”
Starlight awkwardly fidgeted in her body. “I kind of feel the same way. I just really didn’t want to see someone so caring and sympathetic suddenly erupt like that; it honestly makes me feel beyond horrible. Not because of you, but because it’s at those moments that I know I’ve done something especially bad, even when I don’t want to admit it.” She pulled her legs in closer to her chest. “I guess I just don’t want to be reminded of what I used to be like.”
“Girls,” Fluttershy spoke up, inducing all eyes to her. “You don’t have to be afraid of your differences and flaws if you want to maintain your friendship. Sometimes, acknowledging these flaws can actually help one.
"When Sunset Shimmer admitted she knew nothing about friendship; we all knew that, deep in her heart, she really wanted to change. We all seem to agree that anyone who makes a clear effort to make up for their mistakes deserves a second chance."
“I mean, you girls did befriend me after you found out how easily I can fall to curiosity and peer pressure.” Twilight added on.
So that's why they forgave me so easily, a reassured Sunset thought.
"And didn't you, Starlight Glimmer, do the same with Juniper Montage?" Rainbow brought up.
It only took Starlight a second to properly recollect how she had handled that. "Yeah... so I did," she muttered. "I guess all of Princess Twilight's lessons really have been rubbing off of me."
“What we’re saying is,” Rarity finished. “That sometimes… acknowledging or possibly arguing over your flaws with your friends may feel bad at first, but sometimes doing so will actually enhance your friendship in the long run.”
Starlight and Sunset once again looked at each other eye to eye, both scooting closer until they were a few feet apart of each other.
“You think you could forgive me for being so harsh and hurtful to you?” Sunset asked, still with a tinge of concern in her inflection.
“Forgive you? I am the one who should be sorry here; you just had the best interests in Equestria in mind. Plus, I did overstep my boundaries when it came to the topics…”
“No, I’m sorry.” Sunset insisted.
“Girls, does it really matter who is sorry?” Fluttershy groaned.
Starlight chuckled at Fluttershy’s sudden attitude before turning her head back. “Well… friends?” she asked.
“Best friends.” Sunset smiled, suddenly pulling in Starlight for a hug.
Both relished each other’s embrace for half a minute, which only grew more tight and serene as they each gave huge sighs of relief.
Interrupting the tender moment, Rainbow blurted out, “Hey, I think I hear Pinkie and A.J.!”
Sure enough, within the next few seconds there they came, respectively carrying a fresh batch of cupcakes and a dozen bottles of apple cider within a crate. They both could easily fill in the blanks of what exactly had happened simply from the looks on both Sunset Shimmer and Starlight Glimmer.
“Looks like ya learned yerself a pretty special friendship lesson, haven’t ya?” Applejack winked.
“Yep!” Starlight agreed.
“We both did!” Sunset beamed.
“Well, in that case… free cupcakes for everyone!” Pinkie announced.