//------------------------------//
// Chapter 140: The Star and The Moon 
// Story: My Little Pony, Friendship is Magic: Stallion Edition 
// by SuperPinkBrony12 
//------------------------------//

Against her better judgement, Starlight ended up going to the festival. Despite all the time that had passed, she still felt uncomfortable setting hoof in the same village she'd once ruled with an iron grip. The ponies there had said they forgave her, but had they really meant it or were they just trying to save face?

The unicorn didn't need to wait long for an answer. Almost immediately, her presence was noticed and the villagers all stopped what they were doing to look at her. "Uh, h-hey there, everypony." Starlight nervously exhaled.

"Oh... hey, Starlight," Party Favor coldly replied. "What are you doing here?"

Starlight stammered. "I-I... I was invited. To the Sunset Festival? I brought my invitation."

Double Diamond spoke next, glaring at Starlight. "Yeah, but we didn't think you'd actually show up."

"You didn't really think we wanted you here, did you?" Party Favor hissed, ripping up the invitation with his hooves. "After everything you did to us, we're just supposed to forgive and forget? Well if you think so, you've got another thing coming."

"You trampled on our lives for the sake of your own vendetta, lied to us daily," Sugar Belle chimed in. "And now you come crawling back, expecting us to just forgive and forget because you say you've changed?"

"I don't care what Prince Shining Armor sees in you," Night Glider remarked, swooping down next to Starlight. "Far as I'm concerned, I never want to see your face around these parts ever again, or anywhere for that matter. You should be rotting in jail, not roaming free."

"But... I... apologized, you accepted my apology!" Starlight pleaded to the villagers. "I thought everything was fine, all peachy keen like."

All the villagers started to laugh. "Really? You actually thought you'd be forgiven so easily after all you've done?" Double Diamond hissed, smacking Starlight with his tail. "Fat chance!"

The villagers laughs and jeers grew louder as they surrounded Starlight, causing the unicorn to tremble and throw her hooves over her face as she started to shake. "Please... Stop! Stop...!" She pleaded to no avail.

"What's the matter, Starlight? Not so tough without that puny stick of yours, are you?" Night Glider taunted. "I don't know what we ever saw in you, inviting you here was a mistake.

"Stop!" Starlight cried out, as her voice suddenly echoed! It took her but a moment to realize what was going on. It all had been a dream, a really horrible dream.

Sure enough, Princess Luna appeared but a second later. Starlight was still in a state of shock though. "P-Princess Luna?" She nervously trembled.

The princess of the night nodded, approaching the troubled unicorn slowly. "Dreams are my domain, Starlight Glimmer. I am here now because you need me to be. That is how it works."

"Oh, good, it's only a dream." Starlight sighed in relief.

Luna was quick to warn Starlight. "It may only be a dream, but the feelings in it are very much real. Your dreams are a reflection of your thoughts, your desires, and your concerns. And right now, it would seem your concerns are what hold power."

"Great," Starlight sarcastically remarked. "So I guess I'm more afraid to go back to that village than I previously thought. What am I supposed to do about that?"

"Take my advice, Starlight," Luna suggested. "I see much of myself in you, I too once struggled to overcome my guilt for the actions of my past. But when the whole ordeal eventually ended, I learned a valueable lesson that I now pass on to you. You can't run from your troubles forever, they will catch up to you eventually. But you're not alone, you have many good friends, ponies who would gladly listen to what you have to say. If you talk to them, I'm sure they'll understand, and then things will indeed get better." She then flapped her wings, and the night princess started to depart from the dream.

"W-wait, Luna, there's so much more I want to discuss! So many more concerns I need to get off my back!" Starlight pleaded to no avail.

"My help is needed in many dreams, Starlight, I cannot long stay here just because you want me to," Luna replied. "You must confront these fears in the waking world, and you can start by talking to your friends. Otherwise, the nightmares will continue, and they will only get worse." And then, in a zap of magic, Luna was gone.

Starlight woke with a start! "Luna's right," She murmured to herself. "I have to tell somepony about this. Otherwise, I'll never get a good night's sleep again!"





Starlight did so the very next morning. As luck would have it, all of Shining Armor's friends were present to hear her out. The unicorn went on in detail about her nightmare, and her brief chat with Princess Luna. "...and Princess Luna said I should tell you all how I was feeling. So... there it is. I'm afraid to go back to the village for the celebration," She told them in no uncertain terms. "So, go ahead, have your laugh now about how pathetic that is."

But nopony laughed. Fancy Pants was the first to speak up. "Why would we laugh at such a thing, Starlight Glimmer? You said it yourself, Princess Luna recommended you talk to us. And I for one consider her opinion to be that of an expert in dream related subjects."

"But what if the ponies there really haven't forgiven me after all?" Starlight nervously asked. "The sad thing is, a part of me wants that to be the case. A part of me still says I don't deserve forgiveness."

"But look at how far you've come in such a short amount of time," Soarin commented to Starlight. "You're a totally different pony now compared to how you were when we first met you."

Big Macintosh nodded. "Nopony forced them to forgive you, Starlight. They did so of their own free will. That is, unless you've been secretly usin' some of your spells on them."

"That was only the one time, I said I was sorry!" Starlight whined, and changed the subject. "I've never even set hoof in that village since they chased me away. And a letter is hardly the best way for them to know the new me."

"You don't have to go if you don't want to, Starlight. Gettin' an invitation doesn't mean you're obligated to attend whatever you've been invited to," Braeburn suggested. "Though at the least you should write 'em a response lettin' 'em know you won't be comin'. I'm sure they'll understand your reasons."

Starlight shook her head. "Princess Luna told me I can't run from my troubles forever. Sooner or later I have to go back to that village, as much as I may not want to."

"You really think they'd be so cruel as to send you an invitation, just to mock and tease you, or heckle you?" Thunderlane remarked. "Even if they haven't fully forgiven you, I highly doubt they're still holding a grudge."

"If you're really so worried about going back to that village, Starlight, I have a suggestion," Shining spoke up, looking at his student. "Maybe it would help if you brought a friend along. Somepony you can trust to look out for you and be by your side."

"You mean, like you?" Starlight suggested, pointing a hoof.

Shining sighed, his expression changing from one of happiness to one of concern. "As much as I'd like to, I'm afraid I can't do that. I was hoping to break the news to you at a better time, but we've got changeling trouble."

"What do you mean? Is it about Thorax? I thought he was a good guy." Starlight asked.

"No, it's not him," Shining explained. "A threat was made against Canterlot, and now we've gotten reports of two changeling armies. One is headed for Canterlot, and the other the Crystal Empire. Chrysalis has been spotted with them. Cadence has already left to aid Celestia and Luna in defending Canterlot, but my help's gonna be needed to hold the line near the Crystal Empire."

"Why didn't you just say so? You say the word and we'll put that no good queen in her place!" Soarin remarked, smashing his hooves together in delight.

"No, no, no, that's too dangerous. If any of you were caught or injured, Chrysalis might use that as leverage against me, and I can't risk that," Shining replied with a shake of his head. "It won't be pretty, but I'm confident that the Crystal Guard will hold the line! If worse does come to worse, hopefully the princessses will have driven back the force heading for Canterlot, and we can retreat and regroup there. Even as we speak, the invasion forces on their way. I'm sorry, but it's best for all of you if you stay out of the line of fire and wait for things to blow over. I couldn't live with myself if any of you got captured or hurt."

"Great," Starlight frowned. "Now who am I gonna ask?" Then, suddenly, a light bulb went off in her head. "Wait a minute, what am I doing?! Why didn't I think of it before?!" She exclaimed, and dashed away! "I hope I'm making the right call here." She thought to herself.





Sometime later, Starlight was waiting at the train station, just as a locomotive came puffing in. When the car doors opened, there on the platform, stood none other than Sunburst. "Hey, Starlight." He greeted.

Starlight barely resisted the urge to rush up and hug the stallion. "Shining said to bring somepony I trust along, and when he said he wasn't available, you were the next pony that came to my mind." She told him.

"Well, not that I don't appreciate the thought, but why me? I'm an important Crystaller for Flurry Heart," Sunburst inquired. "I mean, what about that magician friend of yours? Trixie, was it?"

"Oh, she's a good friend, there's no denying that," Starlight commented. "But it's kind of hard to get in touch with her when she's on the road all the time. I knew for sure I could reach you, and the festival's this evening, so I didn't wanna chance it in case Trixie didn't get my letter in time."

Sunburst smiled. "I see. Well, I'm flattered, Starlight, really. I've actually been really curious about that village ever since you mentioned it. You can tell me all about on the train ride there," Then he motioned to his friend. "Now come on, climb aboard or the train's going to leave without us!"

"What about Flurry Heart?" Starlight asked. "I don't see her with you."

"Relax, I left her in capable hooves. There's plenty of nurses and nannies back at the Crystal Empire to take care of her, and I made sure to double up on all the spells needed to keep her magic under control," Sunburst reassured his friend. "I needed a break from being her foalsitter anyways. She's an adorable bundle of joy, but boy is she is a hoofful." The two unicorns then stepped into their assigned car, and the train left the station a moment later with a puff of steam.

Starlight was finally on her way.