Starlight waited outside the throne room doors, feeling anxiety building higher and higher the longer she waited. Spike kept a close eye on her, giving her a skeptical look as he was on guard duty. After no sign of Sora or Twilight since the alicorn's return from her lecture, things went a little crazy in the human world, but at least it was solved without too many repercussions. Twilight panicked when she heard her Canterlot High friends were in trouble and ran through the portal before dealing with Starlight, only to come back later as she experienced the second craziest thing on the other side, which she remained silent on.
What was worse was what happened to Riku when he came back to Ponyville, who was with Twilight in Canterlot before she gave her lecture to future unicorn wizards. It turned out who they thought was Aqua warning them of Heartless activity turned out to be false, Starlight using a spell to voice her thoughts as Aqua, temporarily silencing their crystal communicators so the others wouldn't get suspicious, then knocked Riku out before he even made it out of the building, stuffing him inside a broom closet until he woke up when she went back in time.
She could hear Twilight talking with her friends, explaining what had happened to them and what they experienced. It felt like it was taking forever for the story to end, but there was so much to tell, and they needed to hear everything. Starlight let out a sigh, nervously tapping her hooves as her heart threatened to beat out of her chest. And speaking of heart, she looked down at her hooves when she realized she had actually used the power of darkness by complete accident, something she didn't want to resort using when she overpowered Maleficent. Looking up at Spike, she winced at the glare the baby dragon gave her.
"You know you're in a lot of trouble, right?" he said, his question clearly rhetorical as the mare grunted in shame. "If Twilight was that upset after she saw me again, you clearly messed up with whatever you did."
"I get it," Starlight said in annoyance. "You don't need to remind me when I know I'm going to be punished in some way...I just don't know what it is, and it scares me." She looked back at the doors, groaning in anticipation and fear. "I just wish they'd get it over with before I die of a heart attack..."
Inside the throne room, Twilight had finally finished her story, Sora unable to talk as he cuddled with Kairi in his throne. The others let it all sink in, shocked by how desperate Starlight had gone just to get her revenge, only to bring Equestria to ruin on several occasions. Not only that, but with there being no sign of any of the alternate mares in those timelines, and learning that Sora was killed in some gruesome fashion in each one, they realized just how important Rainbow Dash's sonic rainboom really was. As much as the pegasus wanted to gloat about how her sonic rainboom as a filly defined not only her friends' destinies, but also Sora's life and the fate of all worlds in the universe, she couldn't with how upset Sora was.
The changeling timeline was what really shocked everyone, especially Kairi. Her alternate self's depression, mistrust toward others after being manipulated by Chrysalis, and her broken spirit and heart could have been a reality if Sora never came back. And Twilight didn't leave out the part where Sora kissed that Kairi, either, trying to spark some hope in her when she thought it was long gone. Sora didn't even look at her, fearing that she wouldn't forgive him for what seemed like cheating, but Kairi reassured him with a loving kiss, promising him she wasn't hurt by what he did to another version of herself, only as long as it actually was an alternate Kairi and not a changeling disguised as her. She understood why he did it, and if she were in the same situation as her alternate self from that timeline, she wouldn't have minded.
After a moment of silence, Pinkie finally broke it. "Wow...Starlight Glimmer must be really magical."
"But all of this because she lost her friend over a cutie mark," Aqua summarized, shaking her head in disappointment. "Unbelievable. Starlight kept that thought running through her head and never gave making friends a chance. She acted like a child, and kept that mindset throughout her whole life."
"Well, she was a filly when it happened," Applejack said. "Fillies can overreact to anythin' if somethin' bothers them. Just ask Apple Bloom when she was desperate gettin' her cutie mark. Dead set on findin' her special talent and worryin' about how other ponies thought of her."
Ventus looked over at Rainbow Dash, surprised to not hear a peep out of her when she would have been excited to know her sonic rainboom was so important to everyone. "Rainbow, you aren't gonna shout to the heavens how awesome you are for being a crucial part for everyone's life?"
"...I really want to, but...knowing I was responsible for keeping Sora alive?" Rainbow Dash shuddered, unable to imagine what would have happened if she failed and got Sora killed in the process. "I don't know why, but it felt like I did end up killing him in those timelines."
"But what about when those three were in the Realm of Darkness?" Riku asked. "Those Heartless they faced sounded a lot worse than the Dark Hide."
All eyes soon fell on Aqua, having had enough experience in the Realm of Darkness for a lifetime to know the dangers in there. She let out a sigh, recalling facing those powerful Shadows, though they were less significant than the Dark Hide since she fought that thing more than the Shadows.
"...I gave it the name 'Demon Tower'," Aqua said. "Those were not normal Shadows, and they were fearsome in such a massive group. They're...practically demons with their glowing red eyes, shifting into a tower of thousands upon thousands of them." She summoned her Keyblade and aimed it in front of her, unleashing the same chains Sora had used to trap the Demon Tower. "These chains were something Master Eraqus once taught me, but his way of using them were different, copying the abilities of his opponent while mixing them to match his style...The data for his fight is also in the Mirage Arena, fully powered in his Keyblade armor.
"Back in the Realm of Darkness, while I was lost, I encountered the Demon Tower multiple times, and its stronger form, Demon Tide." She looked at Riku, recalling how such a Heartless almost got him when she found him in the Realm of Darkness as well, trying to close the Door to Darkness with Sora, Donald, and Goofy on the other side. "I don't know if King Mickey told you, but he managed to find me while searching for the Keyblade forged in the Realm of Darkness; the gold Keyblade he now wields. If I didn't stop the Demon Tide, you would have been killed while trying to seal the door."
"Really?" Riku asked in surprise.
"So, does that mean Mickey's Keyblade is known as...the Keyblade of Darkness?" Kairi asked.
"Yes, but it's not dangerous as long as the wielder uses it properly," Aqua explained. "Mickey said it was the counterpart to Sora's Keyblade, which was how the Door to Darkness was able to be sealed away. Just be glad we don't have to see that Heartless again." She let out a sigh as she looked at the Cutie Map, glowering at the map as its power was greatly drained keeping Sora and Twilight around while traveling back and forth through time. No thanks to Starlight's revenge plan, the map was no longer functioning, but the Galactic Map was still working fine. "Now, onto the matter of Starlight Glimmer and her actions.
"She is going to face severe consequences on several thousand counts for manipulating time and creating these alternate universes. She should be facing a death sentence, or a life imprisonment with her horn cut off so something like this doesn't happen again." Twilight gasped in shock at Aqua's decision for Starlight's punishment.
"But the spell is lost in time! Sora threw it back in the portal, so no one can travel back in time anymore!" the princess quickly said, hoping to change the blue unicorn's mind.
"Maybe, but because of her meddling with time, the Cutie Map is busted," Aqua reminded the alicorn, leaping out of her throne and tried to activate it. "The map kept you and Sora around in these changed timelines, preventing you from fading from existence to stop her and keep the timeline from changing. How exactly are we going to know the exact location where the Heartless are in every world, or even what locations in Equestria are in need of a friendship problem needing resolved?"
"B-But...Starlight was just lonely," Twilight continued to argue, though she didn't seem to win the Keyblade Master over. "She thought she could never have friends if they got their cutie marks and left her." Aqua raised a brow at Twilight, her skeptical gaze making her remember who kidnapped them, stole their cutie marks and abilities, and thought that changing the past was a good revenge scheme. "...Look, I know she was bad at first, but Sora scared her straight. Right, Sora?" Sora remained silent, giving Twilight a look that explained how he thought: mistrust toward the unicorn who successfully got him killed in each timeline they wound up in. Twilight let out a nervous grunt, her arguments only backfiring on her. "She doesn't deserve to be punished that severely, though. She can redeem herself, like Discord!"
"There's a big difference in redemption between him and Starlight," Ventus voiced out. "Discord lashed out at everyone with his chaotic magic because of his appearance. He was forced to be alone because no one gave him a chance back then. Times were different back then, but now, with Fluttershy giving him that chance, he had the opportunity to use his magic for good."
"Are you counting the moment where he betrayed us and joined Tirek?" Rarity asked. "Because I think he deserved to be a living statue again after he backstabbed us."
"Ok, but now he's fully on-board with being friendly, and he's still learning about friendship, even after the incident at the Gala," Ventus continued. "But...Starlight doesn't seem to be close to being forgiven."
"But she wants to apologize!" Twilight exclaimed in defense to the unicorn.
"An apology can't fix the damage she already made the first time we met her," Aqua said strictly. "Nor can it fix what trauma had affected you and Sora as you saw those potential futures. He hasn't spoken a single word to any of us, except Kairi, and I know this whole time travel thing should be bothering you as much as it is to him right now."
"It is...but, Starlight-" Aqua slammed her hooves down on the Cutie Map, silencing anymore arguments from her pupil.
"Stop trying to defend her!" she shouted. "Because of her, Equestria, and all other worlds, would have been in grave danger for taking away our powers! And if she succeeded in changing the past, there would have been no survivors, or someone could be seriously damaged, mentally and/or physically!" Aqua took in a deep breath after silencing Twilight's defense, breathing out heavily as she calmed down a little. "I know you mean well, Twilight...but you, the girls, and even Celestia...You all can be way too forgiving to your enemies."
"Hey, that's not true!" Rainbow argued. "We don't forgive Chrysalis after her changeling invasion, or Tirek!"
"Definitely not Tirek!" Pinkie added. "He deserves to be stuck in Tarterus in a tiny cage!"
"And what about Sora?" Applejack questioned. "He saw the sonic rainboom like we did, or what seemed like it from what Twilight was told, which makes him a part of our friendship connection. So, are ya gonna scold him for forgivin' his enemies?"
Aqua balked, forgetting about Sora's heart of gold. "W-Well...S-Sora kind of...That is-"
"Well, he did let Maleficent go when she was attacked by the dragons during that migration," Kairi mentioned. "He said it made them even after she helped him when Organization XIII began controlling Heartless and tricked him into killing them to gather more hearts for Kingdom Hearts, even making him freeze up when they told him I was captured by them."
"He even forgave me after I attacked him when Maleficent spouted all those lies to me...which I stupidly believed," Riku added. "Sora knows when someone deserves a second chance, even if some of them don't deserve it at all. And actually seeing what happened to Starlight, he probably couldn't help himself and let his heart make the tough decision."
Seeing how Aqua lead herself into a stalemate over who was too forgiving for their own good, she let out a frustrated sigh. "...Be that as it may, Starlight is not getting off easy, Twilight. You may be the Princess of Friendship, but you can't befriend everyone."
"I can teach her," Twilight offered. "She'll be my student, just like Celestia was for me. She wants friends, but she went about making them the wrong way because of her fears and losing her first and only friend she ever had." Aqua grumbled in irritation, slamming her head down on the disabled Cutie Map. Twilight let out a sigh as her master's response meant that wasn't enough. "And, if it'll make you feel better...place her under house arrest?"
"What do you mean by 'house arrest'?" Terra asked. "Keeping her contained in the castle?"
"Maybe, but also to keep a close eye on her if she uses her magic to hurt anyone," Twilight added. "If she acts out...then...we can throw her in prison. But if she's able to be fully reformed, we let bygones be bygones and gain a new friend?"
The room was silent as Twilight waited for a response. Aqua looked up from her faceplant, baffled by the alicorn's idea, Sora remained neutral, not caring if Starlight gets a life sentence as long as she stayed far away from him, and the others mulled over Twilight's decision.
"...Well, Starlight's going to play an important role in the next season anyway," Pinkie said. "And she's apparently rivaling best pony, but not me, because I'm the bestestest! I go with Twilight's plan!"
"Me too," Fluttershy said after being quiet throughout the whole tale and their earlier discussion. "I feel bad for her for not having any friends as a filly."
Slowly, Rarity, Applejack, and Rainbow began agreeing with Twilight's choice in Starlight's punishment, provided they all kept tabs on the unicorn. So far, the decision was six-to-two, Aqua praying that the more sensible Keyblade wielders would choose the immediate imprisonment over placing Starlight under a strict house arrest. She glanced at Terra, who seemed to be undecided.
"I think we'll see if Starlight's serious about making a change first," Terra said. "I'll base my decision after judging her."
"Same here," Riku agreed.
Aqua growled, then let out a huff before leaping back up in her throne. "Fine. I'm assuming you're all going to go with Twilight's 'punishment', but, whatever the princess decides, it's all on her."
Using her magic, she opened the doors to let Starlight in, the unicorn falling over as she tried to lean against the door to hear their conversation. She quickly stood back up, embarrassed by the fall, only to feel intimidated by the six taller thrones towering the smaller ones. All eyes were on her as she approached the table, swallowing the nervous lump in her throat as she faced the persecution.
"Well, these thrones are all new," Starlight said, trying to break the tension with some humor, but it failed to impress the circle of ponies and the baby dragon sitting down in his throne or make her worries ease in the slightest. "How'd they even get there, anyway?"
"They appear when we walk in this room," Aqua explained, glaring daggers at the mare. She lifted her Keyblade with her magic, tapping it against her chair. "Our Keyblades are connected to this very castle, which makes this building a base for us along with it being Twilight's castle, creating a council of both friendship and light."
"Oh...neat." Starlight was met with utter silence. She let out a sigh, getting down to what they wanted to get over with, and she was willing to accept whatever they had planned for her. "I know there's no excuse for what I've done. I'm ready to accept whatever punishment you think is fair."
"Define the term 'fair' with the crimes you committed," Aqua said rhetorically as she leaned forward, looking down at the unicorn as one of the several judges surrounding her. "You created a village where you took ponies' cutie marks, some by force, which included ours, endangering this world from the Heartless and every other world as well. And your recent attempts to alter the past to change the future could have resulted in catastrophic scenarios that not only put Sora and Twilight through a lot, but you could have killed billions upon trillions of lives if any of them managed to be a reality. There's a reason why it's always a bad idea to mess around with time and space; disasters will always happen, no matter how many times you right the wrongs you wanted to fix. You're right to say you have no excuse for your actions; all for a colt you were friends with who moved away, and you didn't bother checking in on him from time to time."
Starlight gulped again, already on the chopping block for being banished or thrown in jail for the rest of her life. "W-Well, Sora and Twilight stopped me...so, everything's back to normal at least?"
"Do you even have any idea what kinds of futures you could have made when you manipulated the past?" Aqua questioned.
"...Just one," Starlight admitted. "That...Realm of Darkness place Sora and Twilight talked about while we were there..."
"Yet that wasn't enough to convince you to quit while you're already ahead?" Starlight shook her head. Aqua lit up her horn, taking one of the enchanted ornaments hanging from the tree root chandelier and giving it to Twilight. "Twilight, play back all the futures you and Sora have gone through. We should ALL see exactly what could have been if you selfishly continued."
Twilight nervously fiddled with the ornament, looking over at Sora, knowing he had gone through the worst of it with his alternate selves being deceased in different ways. He gave her a slight nod, letting her know it was fine for her to show them and give Starlight and their friends a better look at what she told them. Sighing, Twilight lit up her horn, projecting the image of her memories for them all to see in the center of the room.
As they watched the Sombra timeline play through, they saw the new types of Heartless that were born in this desolate Equestria, shocking the mares in the shorter thrones at the state of Ponyville, even making them pale when they saw Lyra's heart get taken by a Heartless. Starlight gawked in shock at how brutal the Heartless were, the tame ones she saw Maleficent summon and command paling in comparison to seeing what they could really do. It was a still a shock to the other Keyblade wielders when they saw Xehanort "helping" Equestria, fighting alongside Sora and Twilight and helping them escape when Sombra appeared. It didn't change Aqua's mind about the traitorous old man, even if this was an alternate version of him.
The next timeline involving the changelings' takeover made Sora cringe, holding Kairi tightly as soon as they could see from the darkness when Twilight was blindfolded by the alternate Kairi. The scars on her body were horrifying to look at, the unicorn's cold and broken spirit and heart made her out to be the lone survivor in a harsh environment of distrust and manipulation. Starlight looked at the alternate Kairi, then to the real Kairi rubbing Sora's back, whispering in his ear to calm him and reassure him once again that she still loves him when they saw him kiss the broken mare from the alternate timeline twice, the first to mend her broken heart and the last a final farewell before he left her. After seeing this alternate future, Starlight actually felt bad for Kairi, wincing at the fact that she ended up causing her the suffering she experienced while trapped in Equestria, not wishing this for anyone to take even if they were her enemy.
Nightmare Moon's rule over Equestria in the next timeline surprised most of the group when Maleficent and Pete were involved, the former a prisoner while the latter betrayed the sorceress and became the Mare in the Moon's lackey. Starlight had heard about Nightmare Moon's return, but thought it was just some sort of fake story the press came up with when the dark alicorn was just an old pony tale. Unfortunately, by seeing the villains that had once tried to take over Equestria in these times, she realized just how wrong she was about them while living in her peaceful village of equality.
After going through the rest of the timelines Sora and Twilight briefly saw, Twilight ceased her spell, making the large aura projection disappear. Now that Starlight had seen what possible outcomes could have happened from all the times she intentionally changed the past and Sora and Twilight's unintentional actions she planned them to do, she began to regret ever trying to get revenge with this plan of hers.
"...Ok...Uhh, I really did mess up, didn't I?" Starlight asked timidly.
"You were going to cause one of these timelines to happen," Aqua reiterated. "And as far as we know, you ended up killing Twilight and her friends, and Sora. In. Each. One. Just look at him!" She pointed her hoof at Sora, the pegasus remaining mute as he seemed to stare off into space. "Sora's already been through a lot just from dealing with the darkness in his Anti Form, fearing everyone would look at him differently because of something he couldn't control, and now he hasn't said a single word to anyone except Kairi because, after knowing he was killed in those timelines, he's going to panic about how everyone will fare if he dies at any point from now! You have no idea just how important he is, or even Twilight and her friends!"
"I got it after I saw what could have happened," Starlight said. "I'm sorry."
"Apologies aren't going to fix the psychological damage you've already done!" Aqua yelled, slamming her hoof down on the arm of her throne as the air began to get slightly colder.
"Aqua, relax," Terra calmly said. "You're going to turn this room into a snowstorm if your blood pressure keeps boiling over." Aqua growled, letting out an annoyed huff and began counting in her head to calm down, though it was difficult with Starlight in the same room as her. The earth pony stallion looked down at Starlight, pressing his hooves together as he judged the mare looking up at him frightfully. "Starlight, I may not have been a part of this group for long, but I know that Twilight and her friends couldn't have possibly been the saviors they were as the Elements of Harmony without Sora. Without him, Nightmare Moon could have killed them, or Luna wouldn't be around if her heart was too far gone from her darkness."
"And your revenge to take their cutie marks and destroy their friendship makes no sense with your problem involving this Sunburst colt leaving you after getting his," Riku said, turning Starlight's attention toward him. "Rainbow's sonic rainboom may have simultaneously given them their cutie marks at the same time, but they didn't immediately become friends right then and there. They were in separate locations, and became friends when they found the Elements of Harmony when Nightmare Moon returned after a thousand years from the moon. So, your theory is moot anyway because it was just an unfortunate coincidence for you that you lost your friend, but you were blinded by sorrow to even think rationally and still stay in contact with Sunburst in some way."
"And don't forget about Apple Bloom, Sweetie Belle, and Scootaloo getting their cutie marks together," Ventus added. "It was just pure coincidence that through all their time crusading, they were so focused on finding what their true talents were to see that they were good at something they never expected. Even surprising us when we thought they would be something they subconsciously were great at, but were too blind to notice as it was something they commonly did."
Starlight mulled over her ideals and what Riku, Ventus, and Terra had explained to her with what she never knew. She did hear some of the lecture Twilight gave to the students up in Canterlot, though she only seemed to focus on how their cutie mark connection came to be through Rainbow's sonic rainboom. The futures she just saw made her realize how important the Elements of Harmony were to Equestria, the Mane Six's importance as the bearers of those mystical gems, and Sora's importance with his heroics assisting them, or taking matters in his own hooves. She hung her head, her sentence already worsening by the minute as she ended up killing Equestria's saviors. Several times. And with no sign of them still alive in the alternate timelines along with Sora's deaths.
The others could see the regret on the unicorn's face, knowing she wished she could go back in time and stop herself, though that would be impossible now without Star Swirl's spell lost in time for all eternity. The others looked to Twilight, Aqua letting out a sigh as the ruling was obvious. The alicorn stood up from her throne, making Starlight anxious and sweat nervously as she was expecting the death sentence.
"Starlight, your previous actions in your former village and your manipulation of time must be met with consequences," Twilight said. "We've...discussed what would be a suitable punishment for you, and we've decided to place you under house arrest."
Starlight's ears twitched as she looked at Twilight in confusion. "...Umm...'house arrest'?"
"Yes. You will be confined within Ponyville, and kept a close eye on if you travel anywhere outside the castle," Twilight explained. "If you wish to go anywhere, you'll have to be escorted by one of us, or come along with us if all of us need to go somewhere together, like a friendship problem."
"That's going to be a problem considering her time traveling scheme drained all the power out of the Cutie Map," Aqua interjected. "This is the kind of problem the world gets when someone abuses power they shouldn't be messing with."
"...Right," Twilight mumbled, Starlight wincing more as they chalked up another reason for them to hate her. "But, while you are going to be placed under strict surveillance, you will also be my pupil and learn about the true meanings of friendship...if you're willing to learn and change for the better."
Starlight was speechless, looking at the others' reactions to what Twilight had proposed as her punishment. The mares were ok with it, but the Keyblade wielders were a bit skeptical, except for Aqua who seemed to not approve. Looking back at Twilight, she was serious about teaching Starlight how much better it was making friends instead of letting her fears keep her from getting any.
"...So, that's it?" Starlight asked after the long moment of silence. "Nothing else? Because...I was expecting a lot worse."
"Oh, like having your horn cut off, throwing you in a prison cell that's 1.5 times your size, constantly torturing you for a lifetime until your physically and mentally broken to the point where you beg for mercy, but we don't give it to you as you realize how it feels to be completely powerless and locked away until the day you die?" Aqua said, shocking the others and making Starlight gulp audibly, her ears pressed against her head as she shivered in fright at the worst idea of a punishment she had heard.
"...What the hell, Aqua???" Terra questioned. "Where did that amount of brutality come from?"
"I've been trapped in the Realm of Darkness for a decade and a half," Aqua argued. "A lot of things run through my head over what I wanted to do to Xehanort if I got my hands on that old bastard. So forgive me if I have some dark thoughts I'd like to voice out...even if I wished they happened." The blue unicorn let out a heavy sigh, slumping in her seat as she rubbed her forehead. "But even if I make myself the volunteering leader of this group, this castle truly belongs to Twilight. Her word, her rules, her sentences...So, be lucky you're getting off with this. But, that doesn't mean we trust you."
Aqua teleported away, then returned a moment later with a black choker with a silver emblem in her magical aura, the emblem similar to the one she wore on her chest. She the levitated the accessory down to Starlight, clasping it around her neck without the mare's consent. Starlight looked down at the odd emblem, which looked almost similar to the one the Heartless had when Maleficent showed her what they were.
"What's this?" she asked.
"Cast that spell you used to take away our cutie marks," Aqua demanded, confusing everyone at her request.
"You want me to what?" Starlight asked.
"You heard me..." Starlight was nervous hitting Aqua with her spell, but if that was what she wanted and it didn't get her into more trouble without reason, she complied. She lit up her horn and aimed at the Keyblade Master, but as soon as the spell was fully charged, her horn suddenly fizzled out as the silver emblem around her neck shined, absorbing the magic she tried to use. Satisfied with the results, Aqua hopped down from her throne and approached the confused unicorn, lifting up the emblem for her to see. "Any spell that is highly-leveled and considered dangerous, this emblem will react and absorb your mana, returning it back to you. So, the only thing you can do is basic levitation. And I've also placed a tracking spell on it so it'll know if you're by yourself outside this castle and Ponyville, so don't think about running away, otherwise I'll catch you and really put you in a jail cell."
"...You...really don't trust me to follow the rules of my punishment?" Starlight asked, already upset that she couldn't be trusted, even with her second chance to redeem herself.
"I have trouble trusting someone who hurts those I care about," Aqua growled. "That old stallion in that first alternate timeline? His name is Xehanort. You may have seen him help Twilight and Sora, but the one we know is ruthless. He killed my master, tricked Terra into using the power of darkness and take his heart and body as a vessel, and he used Ven by stealing the darkness in his heart and creating his Heartless, Vanitas, erased so much of his memories, and made him sacrifice himself and scatter the light in his heart to Sora's, keeping him in a coma for so many years." Starlight gulped again, fearing she would drown herself in her own saliva if she kept doing that several times in the next hour. She ended up erasing only a short moment of Ventus's memories when he caught her in Canterlot that one evening, and with how irritated and furious Aqua sounded, she was afraid of what she would do to her if she admitted yet another crime that would put her one step closer to be given the death penalty. "Is that good enough of a reason as to why I don't trust you of all things?"
"Y-Yes ma'am!" Starlight quickly said, nodding her head rapidly with a nervous grin. "All good reasons! Heheheh! Not trustworthy, that's me!"
"Good." Aqua walked past Starlight, the heliotrope unicorn shivering as she felt a chill from the Keylade wielder walking by her. "Now, if this madness is over, I'm going outside to meditate."
As Aqua left the room, the others slowly followed suit as their council ended and Starlight's judgement was decided. Pinkie suddenly paused as she passed Starlight Glimmer, then looked at her before smacking her forehead.
"Oh! Now I figured out why my Pinkie Sense went off so strangely!" she said. "Starlight was the new pony to arrive in Ponyville! I wish I didn't eat that 'Welcome to Ponyville' cake, but I can make new one!"
"Uhh, actually, I don't feel like eating any cake," Starlight said. "I'm...not hungry."
"Okie dokie loki!" Pinkie said. "I'll leave a rain check for that cake, then!"
Pinkie bounced away, making her way back to Sugarcube Corner to bake some stuff with the Cakes. As the others left, Twilight asked Ventus to escort Starlight to her room, needing some time to rest after all she'd been through. She leaned her head against Riku's shoulder as he lead her to her royal chambers for some much needed R&R, Kairi doing the same for Sora as she lead him to their bedroom. Now alone with the young pegasus, Starlight wondered if she should tell them what she did to Ventus as he guided her through the halls to her assigned room.
"How exactly do you find your way around this place?" Starlight asked curiously.
"You get used to where everything is," Ventus said. "And we've made maps in case we do get lost. Twilight's made several copies for everyone, including any guests wanting a tour of the Castle of Friendship." Starlight was already lost as most of the halls looked the same. It was a miracle she found the throne room with the Cutie Map, but it was just straight ahead from the entrance to the castle, so it wasn't that hard to find. After a bit of navigating, Ventus finally stopped at the door to the room where Starlight will be staying, which unfortunately were hard to tell with all the similar doors in the hall. "This is where you'll be staying. Everything you'll need is inside: a bed, dressers for any clothes if you wear any, a mirror, a personal bathroom, et cetera."
Starlight opened the door to look at her new room, which was designed as simply as a hotel room, even with a window that looked out toward Ponyville. "Well, at least it's a lot better than my old room in the village...Only a lot more shinier because of the crystal structure of this castle..." Ventus was about to leave to let Starlight get settled in, but she stopped him, needing to get what she did to him earlier off her chest. If she was going to try to win everyone's trust and be forgiven, if only a little, she wasn't going to hide anything else she did. "Wait, Ventus...I need to tell you something, but don't tell anyone else."
"Ok. What is it?" Ventus asked.
"...Well...Aqua mentioned something about you and memory loss a moment ago," Starlight began, her nerves starting to get to her as she feared how to go about this. "...How bad was it?"
Ventus sighed sadly, looking down at the floor as the events of what happened to him came back to him. "...I lost most of my memories, but I got some of them back. Mostly the ones where I learned how I lost them. Xehanort tricked me into becoming his apprentice; not to train me, but to become a vessel for the X-blade."
"But, you all have those...Keyblades," Starlight interrupted. "Why does he need more?"
"The X stands for 'ki', or 'chi'," the pegasus explained. "It's a far more powerful Keyblade forged by twenty seeds: thirteen dark and seven light. Legends say that it has the power to open something called Kingdom Hearts, the heart of all worlds, and its power extraordinary. There was even a war between Keyblade wielders many years ago involved with Kingdom Hearts, which ended in thousands upon thousands of wielders dying in a massive genocide." Starlight went pale, now knowing that there were other worlds out there aside from Equestria, unable to imagine so many people killing over something so powerful. "Just be glad you didn't travel that far in time to see that. But don't bother asking much about it; most of the records we used to have in the Land of Departure were lost about the Keyblade War, and there wasn't much detail about who started it and who was involved. Just the Keyblades of the fallen in a world where the war took place: the Keyblade Graveyard.
"Anyway, back to what happened to my memories," Ventus continued. "Xehanort tried to train me, but I wasn't good enough. So, he extracted the darkness from my heart, creating my other half, Vanitas, where I was supposed to grow stronger, fight him, and forge the X-blade during our battle. In the process of losing my darkness, most of my memories had vanished, and I reacted strangely when I first met Aqua and Terra. I did get better in the end and made myself new memories with them, but when Xehanort began his plan to trick the three of us, I began remembering what he did to me, who Vanitas was, and why I was so important to Xehanort.
"I did take on Vanitas, and I won, even if he had the incomplete form of the X-blade in his hands. But, in destroying him, I also shattered my own heart." Ventus brought his hoof to his chest, recalling the mind-numbing feeling of his heart shattering, his light fading away before he found Sora's heart, who helped him recover his own. "I was in a heartless coma, my light lost in darkness...That is, until I found my way to Sora, who let me into his heart, his light healing my own. While inside Sora's heart, I have his memories and experiences along with my own, but Aqua took my body and hid me away in what used to be our old home. It's now a place called Castle Oblivion, where it was transformed to preserve what history of the Keyblade wielders there were from anyone else, and if anyone tried to explore the castle, they would only find nothing except losing their way."
"...Oooooh...That's...actually worse than...what I went through," Starlight uttered.
"Try nearly using your friends over so many misunderstandings when Xehanort's the one tricking us," Ventus said. "Losing one friend may be bad for you, but we've been through far worse. So you have no excuse saying your life was hard when you have no idea what the rest of us have been in." Starlight bit her lip, her life story paling in comparison to Ventus's alone. The teen let out a sigh and shook his head. "So, what does your question about my memory loss have to do with what you wanted to tell me?"
"Right...Umm...Did you...experience something like that again recently?" Starlight asked nervously.
Ventus raised a brow skeptically at her question. "...Yeah...While I was in Canterlot with Twilight to help amend her friendship with Moon Dancer, we were at a restaurant with the rest of her old friends. I...don't know what happened after that. One minute, I was at the table with them, and the next thing I knew when I looked around at another table, I passed out and woke up in the middle of the park for some-" Ventus paused and stared at Starlight. It began to click in his head with her question, her nervous expression, trying to look away from him, fidgeting her hooves, and wanting to tell only him something he should know. His shock soon turned to anger, scowling at the unicorn as he figured out who was responsible for hitting him with that spell. "...You...?"
"Y-Yeah," Starlight timidly said, feeling small despite being taller than the young pegasus. "I...erased your memory of that night." Ventus began stomping toward her angrily, making her backpedal away in fear of getting beaten by the Keyblade wielder. "But only when you found me there in the restaurant spying on you two and confronting me in the park! I didn't want you knowing I was there and telling Twilight or anypony else so I wouldn't get caught and have my plan ruined, and I didn't erase too much!...Did I?"
She yelped as her escape backed her into a wall, suddenly feeling a sense of déjà vu as Ventus slammed her into the wall, his Keyblade pressed against her neck as he glared at her. "You are so lucky you didn't make me lose anymore of my memories!" He growled, suddenly getting small flashes of a moment that had this exact scene take place. As angry as he was with the unicorn, Ventus took in a deep breath and exhaled, dismissing his Keyblade and dropping the startled mare. "...Just be glad I can't tell Aqua about this at all anyway. I don't want her to worry about me all the time...She's already been through enough."
As Ventus made his leave, Starlight quickly got up and ran to him. "Wait!" she said, grabbing his shoulder, only to flinch and back away slightly from the icy glare he gave her. "...I-I'm really sorry. I'm not going to do stuff like that again. I swear." Her ears drooped when he didn't respond, silently leering at her in spite as her hopes of being honest with Ventus would help. "...I'm...back to square one with your trust toward me, aren't I?"
"You barely began to step forward, and you just moved ten steps back." Turning back around, Ventus left Starlight's room and made his way down the hall, the unicorn poking her head out from the doorway as she watched him leave. "You have a long, LONG way to go before any of us can trust you. If at all."
Starlight sadly ducked back into her room, closing the door behind her. She looked at her room, which was now her prison; slightly furbished for it to be considered a cell, but all in all, she was considered a prisoner.
"I think a death penalty sounds better right about now," Starlight muttered to herself. "Or banishment to that Realm of Darkness..."
Twilight laid on her side in her bed, holding her Moogle doll tightly to her chest. Riku laid beside her, rubbing her back and wings to help her relax. He wasn't sure if Twilight's idea of a punishment for Starlight was a good idea, but he was willing to go along with it if she was sure it would work. She was lucky to have Sora with her in these alternate timelines Starlight ended up creating, otherwise she wouldn't have survived in any of the dangerous futures. She may be a Keyblade wielder, and she has improved in her training, but there is still so much for her to learn and face, and she isn't ready to do these tasks on her own. She couldn't when she relied on her friends to help save the day and keep each other safe.
"Riku?" Twilight asked after the long silence. "Did I...make the right choice for Starlight?"
"Maybe. Maybe not. But you and Sora spared Starlight, even though Sora doesn't seem like he accepted the choice he made." Riku moved closer, wrapping his forelegs around her and pulled her into his embrace. "You second guessing yourself because of what Aqua thought was the right decision?"
"I guess, but not doing something that cruel to Starlight. I can't imagine my life without my horn. Magic is my life, and Starlight has a lot of potential she's squandered because of the loss of her friend." Twilight squirmed, turning herself around to meet Riku's gaze, her Moogle plushie squeeze between their chests. "I just felt so bad for her when she showed us why she was so bitter toward cutie marks, and I know she could have made better choices if she didn't lose Sunburst. Sora felt the same way, even comparing how the filly she was turned into the mare she used to be." She sighed and nuzzled her cheek against Riku's neck, worrying about how Sora was feeling after what they experienced. "I just hope Sora will be ok."
"He'll bounce back on his feet and be his dumb, goofy self again...though, that might take a lot longer than when his Anti Form attacked us and his mom or blaming himself for not saving Sombra," Riku said. He held her tighter, unable to imagine a future where his best friend was gone, a little thankful that those timelines never came to be. "You really think Sora saw the sonic rainboom back when Rainbow first pulled it off? Is he that important in yours and the girls' connection back then to decide the fate of all our worlds?"
"He has to be if we never saw an alternate me or Applejack, Pinkie Pie, Rarity, Fluttershy, or Rainbow Dash," Twilight said. "If only I could test how powerful the sonic rainboom's explosion is to see if its light can be seen from your world..." She moved her head and looked at Riku again curiously. "Did he ever tell you about a rainbow star when you were little?"
"Yeah. He told me about it the next day after he saw it," Riku said, scoffing with a roll of his eyes. "I told him stars can't shine like a rainbow, then we got into an argument...which turned into a duel to see who was right. I won, by the way." Twilight rolled her eyes, finding it typical that he and Sora would pick a fight with each other, and Riku was gloating about it. She was about to berate him when his nostalgia went from pleasant to sad as he frowned. "...A few days after that, though...that was when his dad...Well, you know."
"Mhmm." She didn't need to hear what happened next as Sora already told her when flying through the timestream.
"But I know Sora's going to be fine," Riku reassured the alicorn. "I'm more worried about you, though."
"I'll be ok, Riku," Twilight said, leaning toward Riku and gave him a soft kiss. "I thought I would spend an eternity trying to stop Starlight and never see you again."
"I'm more important than the rest of your friends?" Riku teased. "And you're supposed to be the Princess of Friendship."
"I missed the others just as much, you doofus," Twilight lightly scolded, gently slapping his muzzle with the Moogle doll's pom pom. "I said that because Sora kissing alternate Kairi made me jealous and miss you a whole lot, but I couldn't kiss the alternate Riku I met in the Nightmare Moon timeline because he didn't know me, he was different in appearance despite his voice, and it would have been awkward in front of Maleficent. Imagine how he would have reacted to a pony kissing him out of the blue while escaping from a dungeon."
"Hmm...Yeah, that would be awkward, indeed," Riku agreed, taking the doll out of Twilight's hooves, then dove down and nipped her neck, making her yelp in surprise. "But, now that you're back, what are you gonna do about it?"
Twilight stifled a moan, desperately squirming away as Riku continued assaulting her neck. "Ngh. R-Riku, wait, hold on," she begged, gently pushing the stallion away. "Before we do anything, I want to have a little talk with Starlight first."
"Seriously?" Riku groaned, giving Twilight a dirty look. "You tease."
"I just want to be sure she's comfortable and capable of getting around the castle with the detailed maps kept in every room," Twilight said, climbing out of bed and making her way out the door. "And don't give me that look, Riku. If you want any fun, you're going to have to be patient. So don't whine or complain."
Riku grunted, obeying his "princess" as he pouted. "Fine," he grumbled. Twilight left to meet with Starlight, leaving Riku alone on the bed with the Moogle doll. He looked at it, almost like it was mocking him. "What are you looking at, squinty eyes?"
Sora stared at the ceiling as he laid in his bed, his tattered clothing taken off as Kairi took it to Rarity for her to stitch back up. He couldn't let the alternate futures go, each scenario playing through his head as the ones who told him his fate in each one kept bothering him. His destiny was linked to so many things, and everyone around him is connected to him. If he dies, then things go wrong for his friends, the worlds would fall in darkness, everything would be destroyed. Somehow, in some way, the worlds depended on him over his other companions, especially those with Keyblades.
He began to wonder if that rainbow star he saw really was the sonic rainboom. Looking back to his Harmony Form, the rainbow-colored drive orb he earned from within the book Celestia sent him a couple years back that explained how the Mane Six got their cutie marks, helping the mares when they were corrupted by Discord to unlock his new form, and earning their faith when facing Vanitas, there was no way those all couldn't be a coincidence. Even if it wasn't true, there was no doubt his fate depended on that sonic rainboom, and he really was connected with Twilight her friends.
Without him during the Summer Sun Celebration upon Nightmare Moon's return, the Elements of Harmony wouldn't have been enough to save Luna, or even show Twilight how strong she could be with friends by her side. He knew she couldn't take Nightmare Moon on her own, and without discovering the magic of friendship, she would have never been able to find the spark to retrieve the Element of Magic and reawaken the powers of the Elements of Harmony. Despite the rules of not meddling as a Keyblade wielder, lectured by an irate King Triton many years ago in Atlantica as he seemed to know he didn't belong by first glance, he couldn't help but intervene, knowing how much trouble Equestria was in. In fact, every world was in danger from the Heartless, and it was his job to keep those worlds safe, even if it meant stopping a villain who lived in that world who wanted to take it over or destroy it.
After a lot of thought, and a chance to relax after the near endless fight to fix time back to normal, Sora realized he needed to train a lot harder. If the worlds relied on him, then he was going to keep fighting and protect his friends and family. He sat up and looked at the dresser, where both his wayfinders were placed when Kairi took them out to get his clothes patched up. Taking them both in his hooves, he stared at them, determined not to let anyone down, and keeping his promise to alternate Kairi to protect his Kairi with everything he had.
His ears perked up when the door opened, Kairi walking in after dropping off his clothes. She was surprised to see he moved after laying him down in bed, too lost in his thoughts to pay attention to her.
"...Sora?" she called out.
He turned his head to look at her, greeting her with a small smile. "Hey."
"...You feeling ok?" Kairi asked.
"A little," he said. Placing the wayfinders from Kairi and Aqua back on the dresser, he got up and approached the unicorn. "I think I needed to relax a bit." He then rubbed the back of his head, looking down at the floor. "I'm still a little troubled, but my head's cleared up a little."
"That's good," Kairi said. "...So, what about Starlight Glimmer? How do you feel about Twilight's decision keeping her here?"
Sora let out a sigh, thinking back on what Starlight showed him and Twilight; why she detested cutie marks that caused her to create so many paradoxes. Part of him feels bad for the filly who lost her friend, but the other didn't appreciate how that became a reason of hers to create a village where no one has unique talents, forcefully take others' cutie marks, and change the past to make her future perfect and leave everyone else miserable in an alternate future.
"...Starlight...deserves a second chance," he said. "Honestly, she reminded me of me when I was little...when my dad passed away. I didn't know what to do, and I just shut myself away from everyone." Sora looked up at Kairi, taking her hoof in his. "I'm glad you and Riku were there to help me...But Starlight had no one.
"Any kid can have an overactive imagination with something they think is tragic, and it can linger for a long time. Starlight really thought that friends would abandon her if she didn't get a cutie mark the same time as they did...She gave up too soon and never gave friendship a real chance." Sora let go of Kairi's hoof, looking out the window in his room. "She's been given this one chance to redeem herself. It's going to take a long while for her to gain everyone's trust, even the ponies from Our Town who she tricked because of her misery, but if she can prove herself, there might be a chance for her. Maybe not today, or tomorrow...but eventually, she'll get what she wanted." He then looked back at Kairi, wondering what her thoughts were during their judgement. "What do you think Starlight should have been given?"
"I'm...not sure," Kairi said. "But, I do know she was scared straight after seeing those timelines for herself. I mean, I was startled by how I looked in the changeling timeline. And...she gave those scars herself by accident?" Sora nodded his head, surprised by how Chrysalis was able to reflect alternate Kairi's attack, which also worried him since she absorbed love from him, though not as long as the alternate changeling queen had to her if she could use similar magic she steals. Kairi shuddered, unable to imagine how much power she could unleash if she lost control of her anger. "Let's hope I don't get too mad and lose myself."
"Don't worry. If you do, just focus on my light to bring you back to your senses." Sora gave Kairi a cheeky grin, the mare rolling her eyes first, then gave him a hard punch in the shoulder. "Ow! I was already feeling better, and you're hurting me again. Now I'm gonna be miserable again."
Kairi giggled, happy to see Sora back to his normal self again, giving him a peck on the cheek. "Better, you big baby?"
"A little, but I'll live," Sora said. His stomach began growling, almost forgetting how much time had passed with all the time traveling. He grinned sheepishly as Kairi heard it too. "Uhh, I'm not sure how long Twi and I have been gone, but I'm starving."
"I'll make something for you," Kairi said. "Why don't you take a shower and get cleaned up? I'll be right back."
"Is there gonna be dessert?" Sora asked.
"If you wash behind your ears really well, I'll consider it," she answered before leaving the room, swishing her tail teasingly, sensing his eyes following it like a metronome.
Sora snapped out of Kairi's trance as she rounded the corner. He grinned, glad to know things are back to normal, but he still felt bad for the other Kairi trapped in the changeling timeline. He hoped she made it out ok and beat Chrysalis, or maybe Riku finally came to her rescue. He shook his head, letting those thoughts go as he focused on the here and now; protecting his friends, Kairi most of all, and defending the worlds from darkness and those who wish to do harm unto others. He'll remember the timelines of what could have been as a reminder to grow stronger so nothing like those futures would never happen. As he made his way to the bathroom to get showered off, his only concern was Starlight: will she accept friendship without her ideals of cutie marks being a root cause for destroying them, or will she still fear that possibility and cause herself to suffer more as a result?
Starlight leaned against the wall in her bathroom tub, letting the shower head spray water down on her. It was a relief to finally get cleaned after several months on the run without a bath, but it felt bittersweet as she mulled over her actions over and over again. Her memories playing with Sunburst plagued her mind after she showed Sora and Twilight what happened, and it scared her to imagine if she saw him again and he found out what she had done. She was in Canterlot before to steal the time travel spell, yet she was so focused on revenge that trying to find out if he was still there never came to mind because she thought he wouldn't remember her. He probably wouldn't want to see her if he thought she didn't like him anymore after he moved.
She let out a heavy sigh, moving her wet mane out of her face as her tears were masked by the water running down her head. Starlight turned off the water, finished rinsing herself off and stepped out of the tub, grabbing a towel and dried herself off. As she moved the towel down to her flanks, she looked at her cutie mark. That one mistake she made spilling water on herself back in her town and drying herself, wiping off the makeup that concealed it in front of Ventus when she didn't notice him and Fluttershy try to sneak out, she was reminded just how cynical she became. She turned into a psychotic dictator, kidnapping the Elements of Harmony and the Keyblade wielders while also taking away their cutie marks, all because she wanted to show everyone how much pain it brought everyone when being different can cause a lot of conflicts. It was like the three pony tribes in the Hearth's Warming story, fighting against each other because of their race, and Equestria would have never existed if they kept fighting, letting the Windigoes cover the land in an endless blizzard.
Starlight continued toweling herself off after a moment of reflection, hating herself for turning into such a despicable pony. Running the towel through her mane, she grabbed a brush, thankful that the rooms were stocked with toiletries as well, and brushed her hair down. When she looked at herself in the mirror, she had her bangs run between her horn like usual, but she began to hate it, seeing herself as the unicorn with equalist ideals who runs a village of ponies who believed her when she said cutie marks were evil. Her brush still held in her aura, she changed her hairstyle, figuring a new start meant a new look, and she vowed never to turn back into that unicorn again.
After a bit of fussing, she finally found the right look, changing her bangs to run and curl down one side. It was different, she did admit, but at least she wouldn't look as intimidating as she seemed with her old look. Running a hoof down her curls, she approved with a slight nod, placing the brush back down on the sink, and left the bathroom. Before deciding to turn in, there was a knock on her door, and before she could deny them entry, Twilight opened the door, carrying a couple Sea-Salt ice cream sticks with her.
"Starlight, are you settling-?" Twilight paused, gawking at the unicorn's new hairstyle. "...Uhh, wow. New look?"
"Yeah...I figured a new me, a new look, you know?" Starlight tried to smile, but ended up sighing and stared at her hooves. "I don't think it would matter, though."
"...Well, it's a start at least. You're committed to changing, and I think that curl suits you more." Twilight levitated one of the popsicles to Starlight. "Here. I thought you'd like a little snack. I was kind of hungry on my way to your room, what with all the time traveling and not finding the time to eat."
Starlight's stomach began to rumble, although it wasn't anything new since she was always hungry when avoiding getting caught. "...I guess I could use a snack." She took the stick, staring at the light blue coloring curiously before taking a bite. Her eyes widened as her taste buds were hit by the strangest mixture of flavors she's ever had for ice cream. "I-Is this...salty? And sweet?"
"Yeah. It's Sea-Salt Ice Cream," Twilight explained, taking a bite from her own as she savored the salty-sweet treat. "It's something from another world Sora got it from. It sounds weird, and also tastes strange at first, but it's delicious."
"You're right about that." Starlight bit another chunk of her ice cream, unable to deny how delicious the ice cream was. Her hunger was soon distracted by what she just said to Twilight, looking down at her half-eaten treat sadly. "...You were right about everything."
"Hmm?" Twilight mumbled in the middle of taking another bite.
"What I did wrong in the village I created, what I said about what I thought true friendship was, constantly changing the timeline over and over...I made so many mistakes, and I can never undo them..." More tears welled up in Starlight's eyes, but she tried to wipe them away as she sniffled, unable to stop them from forming. "Everypony I tricked in the village hates me, the others hate me, but you and Sora spared me when you knew you shouldn't...Why?"
"Because we both understood why you were so upset," Twilight answered without hesitation. Looking down at her own ice cream, Twilight recalled her own mistakes. "I'm not perfect either. I was so new to friendship, I wanted to keep shoving ponies away so I didn't have to be bothered by anypony. Sora broke me out of my shell, and I ended up getting infatuated with him: his heroics, his silly, upbeat attitude, and how chivalrous and kindhearted he is. I lost myself to the darkness of my jealousy when Kairi arrived, and almost killed the both of them with it." She looked at Starlight, slightly shocked that she once had stronger feelings for Sora than she thought. "You lost yourself to your own darkness earlier, but Sora saved you before you gave into its power...Did you want to use something like that to try to win?"
"...No...I-I...didn't even mean to," Starlight uttered. "...I swore I wouldn't resort to using that to Maleficent when I first met her...but..." She wrapped her hooves around herself, shivering with fear at what power the darkness could give her. It was worse than using her own magic to take ponies' cutie marks. "I don't want to ever use it again."
"You're not the only one," Twilight said. "We all have darkness within our hearts, but it's up to us to choose which side we really want to be on. Sora's no stranger to it, or Riku, Aqua, Terra, or Ventus."
"What about Kairi?" Starlight asked.
"...I...I don't think Kairi can ever experience confronting her own darkness," Twilight said, unsure if Kairi really could with her heart purely light. "She's one of seven special princesses with a heart filled with pure light. I don't think she has any darkness in her."
"Kairi's a princess???" Starlight asked in shock, only making her more anxious and terrified of her untrustworthy new start at the new information. "S-She...she doesn't even behave like one! Or dress like one!"
"It's hard to believe, but it's true," Twilight said.
"Great," Starlight groaned. "I'm going to need a chalkboard and scratch down how many times I keep screwing things up, because I have a thousand counts against me for killing important ponies."
"Uhh, let's try to steer clear of thoughts like that before you have a panic attack," Twilight suggested. Starlight continued groaning in misery, subconsciously eating her ice cream until there was nothing left, hoping there was enough to give her a brain freeze. Sadly, there wasn't as she held the stick in her aura, staring at something that was written on it. "Uhh, Starlight?"
"Why does it say 'Winner' on the stick?" the unicorn asked.
"Huh?" Starlight showed Twilight the popsicle stick, where there was the word "Winner" written in bold letters at the end where the ice cream was. Looking down at her own, Twilight saw words too, but after munching away the rest of her ice cream, hers said "Try Again". "That's odd...I wonder if Pinkie knows. She's been making these a lot lately at Sugarcube Corner, and they're pretty popular during the summer."
"Well, I sure don't feel like a winner," Starlight grumbled, giving her stick to Twilight. "Thanks for the ice cream...I think I'm going to turn in early."
"Ok. If you need anything to eat, the kitchen's downstairs. You'll find it on the map." Twilight took the two sticks and walked toward the doorway. "I'm probably going to be a little busy tonight with Riku, but I'm going to create a lesson plan and get you started on learning about friendship as soon as I can. Provided I don't get distracted with my royal duties, Riku, Keyblade training, Riku, food, Riku-"
"You said Riku three times," Starlight interrupted.
"It felt like forever since I last saw him, and I missed him a whole lot," Twilight reasoned. She noticed Starlight looked a bit envious as she looked at the bedsheets with a scowl, wondering if Sunburst ended up becoming more than just a friend for the unicorn. "...Wait...Starlight, did you...have feelings for Sunburst?"
"What!? N-No!" Starlight said, looking around nervously with a giggle. "Of course not! He was just a friend! Nothing more! It's not like I had a crush on him when I was a filly and didn't tell him how I felt because I was afraid it would ruin our friendship, but it was already ruined because he left, I got upset, and got myself in this situation because I was a stupid little filly!"
She ended her argument with a very wide and nervous grin. Twilight raised a brow at her behavior, but decided not to ask if it was too personal.
"Ok. Well, good night, Starlight," the alicorn said before taking her leave, closing the bedroom door behind her.
As soon as she was left alone, Starlight's grin faded into a depressed frown, her tears flowing down her face again. She didn't want to admit it, but she once had a crush on Sunburst back then, and she was afraid of ruining her friendship if she told him. Now it wouldn't matter trying to tell him anymore, her crush still lingering to this day as it hurt more remembering him every night. He's probably already found somepony else who he loves, one who isn't a cutie mark-stealing, time manipulating murderer. Feeling more miserable than ever, Starlight climbed into bed, plopped her head down on her pillow, and stared at the wall. Her hoof brushed against her choker, reminding her she was a prisoner in this luxurious castle, making her tear up more.
"What's wrong with me?" she asked herself, choking back a sob. "Why didn't I just write a letter to you?" Her memories of the fond moments she had with Sunburst came back to her, which only hurt her more now that she might never get the chance to see him or tell him how she felt. She grabbed her pillow and buried her face in it, her crying muffled as the emotional dam crumbled and tore apart, just like her broken heart. "W-Why...did you leave me?...Sunny...Why...?"