//------------------------------// // 328. The Cutie Re-Mark - Part 5 // Story: Blaze the Pony Tale // by Wolven5 //------------------------------// "No..." Starlight couldn't believe this. She'd seen it before, Twilight and Spike had warned her. But in her rage and hubris and heartache, she'd refused to listen. "...what have you done?" Those words uttered behind her suddenly filled her with chilling dread as she turned around and suddenly feared for her life to see Midnight, his eyes red with rage and green with disgust and flowing with a purplish miasma from the corners of his eyes as he roared, "WHAT HAVE YOU DONE?!?!" Faster than she'd seen anypony cast a spell, Starlight felt a painful pulse of magical power strike her in the horn from Midnight, and concentrated to cast a shield spel- "AUGH!!" She held her head, feeling it spike with pain before she felt something on her horn and reached up to feel something hard and sharp growing all over it like blemishes, and then cried out in alarm as something seized her by the throat and lift her clear off the ground. Struggling to breathe and unable to grasp whatever had her in a choke hold, she saw it was Midnight, a shadow extending from one of his wings while the other held up a blade of solidified shadow and angled it towards her throat as he snarled, "IS THIS WHAT YOU WANTED?! WAS THE RUIN OF EQUESTRIA WORTH YOUR PATHETIC REVENGE?!" "MIDNIGHT, STOP!!" Twilight rushed over, placing her hooves on her husband's cheeks, looking into those dark magic-filled eyes of rage as they shifted between Starlight and Twilight, twitching and beginning to tear up as her own were, Spike hiding behind the Map, terrified of what was happening. "Midnight, please! Let her go!" "Let her go...?! LOOK AT WHAT SHE'S DONE!!" snarled Midnight. "Midnight, please! It's not worth it," pleaded Twilight, her tears beginning to flow, and the sight them finally made Midnight pause. "Punishing her won't help... it's over." That did it. The hopelessness in his beloved's face, in her voice, her eyes... it hurt his heart worse than anything before ever had. It hurt like when Flash had been killed right in front of him, when his mother had been cursed, when his father had abandoned him, when he'd had to give up his little brother. Worse than having to avoid his friends and family and watch them from afar while pulling the strings to make sure his past self fulfilled his role before his own time-traveling journey. It hurt... so much that he let go of the rage, his eyes returning to normal, his shadowy grip releasing Starlight, who fell to her knees, coughing and gasping for breath, and his shadow blade dissolved as he held his Twily in his wings, giving comfort and much as he sought it, feeling her press her face to his chest while he rested his muzzled on top of her head, his tears flowing as the cold and terrible reality set in. They'd failed Equestria. They'd let everypony down. All they ever loved and cared about was gone. "Are you proud of yourself...?" They turned to look at Spike as he glared tearfully at Starlight, who shrank in shame at his condemning stare. "You think you're so special because one friend let you down?!" Spike teared up as he stomped closer towards Starlight. "LOOK AROUND YOU, STARLIGHT GLIMMER!!! YOU did this!! We tried to warn you, we tried to understand you! We tried to convince you that you could still experience true friendship, but NOW LOOK WHERE WE ARE!!!! "Y'know what?! Maybe your friend left you behind, but YOU LET THE FRIENDSHIP YOU SHARED FAIL. Why didn't you go out there and congratulate him when he got his cutie-mark?! Why didn't you try staying in touch with him when he left for magic school? Is it that hard to write and send a letter?! Well, I hope you're proud of yourself! YOU WON. You've ruined friendship- No... you've ruined everything FOR EVERYPONY!!! INCLUDING HIM!!" Spike finally fell to his knees and began to cry his heart out, as Starlight laid there, a stupefied look on her face, tears flowing down her cheeks, unable to utter a single word in response. Spike was gently picked up in Twilight's aura and taken into hers and Midnight's embrace, as they cried together. Starlight cried alone, unable to look at them as she took in what her vendetta had led her to destroy. A crushing weight of guilt and despair washed over her. It wasn't supposed to end like this... it was supposed to end with her revenge destroying the friendships Twilight held so dear and ruining her life as payback for ruining everything she herself had worked for and built. No one else was supposed to- No... I didn't care about anypony else, Starlight thought in self-disgust. I didn't spare a thought on how my revenge would affect anypony else but Twilight... Looking back, Starlight thought of that day that began her path, when her foalhood friend had gotten his cutie-mark and left their hometown, and her, behind. How she'd relieved that pain to illustrate her point to Twilight, that a cutie-mark, that differences, ruined her friendship. Then she wondered, what would life had been like had she not decided that a cutie-mark ruined a bond she had held so dear? She couldn't imagine it, but in this awful, gut-wrenching moment after all those things Spike had said to her, anything else would most likely have been better. Did she really let the friendship she once had fail? She hadn't gone out there after her friend got his cutie-mark, to celebrate with him what he had achieved. She hadn't even tried to say goodbye when he left for Canterlot the next day to study at Princess Celestia's School for Gifted Unicorns. To her, it was as if life had suddenly moved on and there was no point trying to think or do otherwise. That's when it truly clicked and she realized, Spike is right...! Sunburst getting his cutie-mark didn't ruin our friendship, I let our friendship fall apart... The wind blew a bitter cold upon them all, and they didn't know how long that sat there, wallowing in their failure... until finally, Twilight broke the hug, wiped her tears and forced herself to say, "Come on, everypony... maybe we can find someone out there." She levitated Spike onto her back and started to walk away, passing Starlight, who was too ashamed to look Twilight in the eye. A part of Twilight felt like telling Starlight to stand up and come with them, but another was bitter to her very presence. Just because she'd stopped Midnight from killing her, it didn't mean Twilight was now in a forgiving mood. She'd tried. She'd tried to convince Starlight to change, to give friendship another chance without ulterior motive or biased views. She didn't blame Midnight for suddenly showing up right when she was getting through to Starlight, he'd had no idea what was going on and had only been trying to stop Starlight. No... As far as Twilight was concerned, Starlight was on her own. She looked back to Midnight, who was looking off into the distance and yet his eyes were empty. "Midnight, come on," Twilight called to him. "There's nothing left for us here." Sighing, Midnight stood, glared at Starlight, and began to follow Twilight before he peered back one last time to look at the Map. The Map. The Map... Something suddenly nagged at his mind as Midnight looked at the Map, which was now as flat and lifeless-looking as the land around them, and yet that something spurred him to give the Map a closer look. Then, for some reason, weird thoughts filled his mind. The Map... time-travel... the present... changing the past... ... ... ... !!! Something began to dawn in Midnight's mind as he suddenly realized... He looked at the Map. He looked at himself. He looked at Twilight, Spike, and even Starlight- "Midnight, let's go!" Twilight urged almost irritably. "There's nothing more to do. Let's just... see if we can find shelter before it gets dark." Twilight was becoming a little concerned by her husband's strange behavior right now, the way he was looking at her, at Starlight, at himself, the Map- "There's still a chance...!" "Midnight, what are you-" Twilight tried to say. "There's still a chance to set things right!" Midnight declared, which roused Spike from his moping on Twilight's back, and even Starlight from her guilt trip. "Midnight... the spell is gone," sighed Twilight before she reminded him, "we can't use it to go back." "Yes, but we're still here. The Map is still here! I mean think about it," Midnight elaborated with just a slightly manic look in his eyes, "If history really was changed with no hope of setting everything back on the proper course, then we shouldn't be here! Because...?" He let the question hang in the air, smiling at them expectantly while giving them a look that welcomed an answer, to come to the same conclusion. But then, the pieces slowly came together in Twilight's mind as she began to see what Midnight was saying, "Because..." "Because each of us is the result of an exact series of events that didn't happen in this timeline!" Spike declared triumphantly, giving him odd looks from Twilight and Midnight and even Starlight. "What? Some of my comics involved time travel!" "Wait, then... since we are the products of a history that didn't happen..." Twilight realized, "then we shouldn't exist! Except we're still here." "Exactly, and so is the Map!" Midnight pointed out, "Which can only mean one thing - We must have done, or will do, something that will allow us to restore the timeline to the way it's supposed to be! If we can just figure out what that is..." The three of them thought and pondered and tried to figure out what in the name of Faust whatever the solution to this chronological conundrum could be the answer, when... "Um, excuse me?" Their eyes turned to Starlight, each of them bitter and distrusting, causing Starlight to shrink back a bit, but guilt spurred her to say, "I know I have no right to... what I mean is... I have no excuse. I didn't even consider what my revenge would do other than getting back at you all, but... I would do anything to make up for what I've done, and that's the honest truth." Twilight, Midnight, and Spike shared looks, taking Starlight's words with a grain of salt, but then they all nodded as Midnight stepped forward and gave Starlight a hard look. "However this turns out, you will answer for what you've done. Not only here, but what you did to the ponies of your old village, and what you did to Twilight and our friends." "I understand, and I will accept the consequences of my actions," Starlight nodded solemnly before taking a deep breath. "In my... well, in the time I took preparing for... What I mean is, I did a lot of research into Star Swirl the Bearded's work involving magic over time. What I put together, it was only possible by the Map, along with my own knowledge in magic. "But nothing I managed to find can undo what I've done, and even though I reworked the spell I can't recreate it. I know this isn't exactly helping, but-" "Hold on..." Midnight raised a hoof as something made itself known in his mind and he remembered something. "I think... I think I have the answer!" He lit up his horn, calling upon an object he had stashed away in his Alicorn Dimension, and summoned a scroll to his hoof. Twilight, Spike, and even Starlight leaned in for a closer look and saw that this scroll had the seal of Star Swirl on it! "This isn't the first time I've been in a mess involving time travel." "That's right!" Spike remembered, "When you got blasted into the past!" "Feels like a lifetime ago," Midnight nodded while giving Twilight a wink, which actually managed to crack a smile on her face, "And I actually met Star Swirl." "You met Star Swirl the Bearded?!" Starlight couldn't resist. "Wait- That's- How did you get sent so far into the past that you actually met the Star Swirl the Bearded?!" "Long story, but the point is, I met Star Swirl, convinced him that I was from modern day Equestria, and he helped me figure out a way to get back to my proper time," Midnight went on, "by leapfrogging through history using a magical object I created, that was imbued with temporal magic. Basically, it kept me in a bubble of slow time while time flowed past me like a river, allowing me to bypass years, decades, even centuries of time, depending on how long I maintained the spell. During my journey through history, I visited Celestia at a time a while after Star Swirl had passed away, and she gave me this scroll, along with a message from Star Swirl. "He'd done some research and managed to make this unique time-travel spell just for me. He mentioned destroying all records of his research into the making of this spell, and left it to me to decide whether or not to use the spell to get back to my own time. Ultimately, I chose not to use it, which turned out to be the right choice. But anyhoo, I think this spell might be the answer we're looking for!" "So then, what did Star Swirl design for this spell to do?" asked Twilight. "In the message he left me, Star Swirl explained that this particular time-travel spell isn't for time-traveling to any when you want to go," Midnight explained, "but rather... it's to send a subject or even a person who is out of their proper place in time back to their proper place in time." Spike didn't get it, "Meaning...?" "Meaning that this spell might be able to send us back our proper time!" Midnight answered. "Think of it like... one of your comic books being out of chronological order until you put it in its right place among your collection." "Oh...!" That Spike got. "So, it's like if somepony put my Power Ponies seventh issue between the second and third issues!" "But, Midnight... technically, we already are in our proper place in time," Twilight pointed out. "Not necessarily," Midnight responded, "True, this is the point in time we should exist in, if we were the Midnight, Twilight, Spike and Starlight that resulted from this history. Except we're not. We all know where we came from, when and where we all were born, how we lived our lives. Our personal histories didn't occur before the present of this timeline. "Which leads me to my theory - The past we remember and lived through, somehow, someway, somewhere, some-when! It's still out there, wherever or whenever you wanna call it, existing in some cosmic plane we can't access. But maybe, just maybe, with this spell, we can transport ourselves back to the present as we know it, before all of this began!" "I... suppose that it's possible," Twilight conceded, "even if logic and science might argue otherwise." "C'mon, Twilight, if there's even the slimmest chance that this spell could work, I say it's worth taking!" Spike urged. "Now, considering our situation, I think we're gonna need all the mana we can muster," Midnight undid the seal and unrolled the scroll, revealing the spell and its arcane formula, letting Twilight, Spike, and even Starlight look at it. "This is a long shot, at best. But you know what? Faith is all about long shots." He reached out to Twilight with his left hoof, and Twilight thought a moment before giving the pony she loved her smile, "You've always been there for me, and you've always come through for me. How can I not do the same for you?" She gladly took his hoof, Midnight smiling gratefully before he held out his right hoof to Spike. "Now, hold on, Midnight," Spike hesitated, "I'm no unicorn wizard." "I need someone who believes that anything is possible," Midnight stated before asking hopefully, "Do you believe in that?" "As long as you guys are there... absolutely!" Spike grinned with determination, taking Midnight's hoof in his claw, when he and Twilight noticed the look Midnight was now giving Starlight. Starlight held Midnight's gaze, but her own was no longer of the brazen contempt she used to sneer with, but rather a newfound sense of humility. "You said that you would do anything to make up for what you've done," Midnight stated in a as-a-matter-of-fact tone. "I did, and as I said before, it's the honest truth," Starlight nodded. Midnight narrowed his eyes... and his horn bubbled with dark magic that quickly dispelled the black crystals he'd inflicted upon Starlight's horn to disable her magic. He nodded to Twilight and Spike, and they got the idea before holding out their free hoof and claw respectively. Taking a deep breath, Starlight approached, and met them the rest of the way in each of her own hooves. Once the circle was complete, all eyes turned to Midnight. "Okay then, I'll start us off. I'll speak slowly and clearly. One by one, each of you join in. Are you ready?" "Not really," Spike was starting to feel the pressure. "As I'll ever be," added Twilight. "No, but let's do this," Starlight responded. Midnight nodded, took a deep breath, and closed his eyes, the rest doing the same as they cleared their minds and began to focus before Midnight began. A Time for Everything and Everything in its Time To where and when we belong I send us with this rhyme Midnight's magic began to fill the air, mana collecting around the four of them in the form of shimmering streaks of light as they concentrated... A Time for Everything and Everything in its Time To where and when we belong I send us with this rhyme Twilight's magic began to contribute, the streaks of mana becoming intense and faster... A Time for Everything and Everything in its Time To when and where we belong I send us with this rhyme Even Spike's inner magic began to heat things up as the air began to intensify... A Time for Everything and Everything in its Time To where and when we belong I send us with this rhyme Starlight's magic contributed greatly to the sheer combined magical might building up towards this spell, as the four of them began to rise from the ground, maintaining their connection as they gave it one more big push! A Time for Everything and Everything in its Time To where and when we belong I send us with this rhyme The power ignited, and launched skyward like a firework before it exploded into... a time portal! The four of them smiled in excitement and near-disbelief that they'd done it... and then they rose, slowly but surely, until they ventured through. But just before she entered the portal, Starlight had a thought. I failed you, Sunburst... but I can still make things right! The time portal opened, and the four fell out in an alarmed yelp of a pony pile. Groaning and pulling themselves apart before getting back on their hooves, they took in their surroundings... and were astounded. Nice sunny day in an open blue sky, fresh air with a faint scent of some baked goods, the sounds of distant laughter and day-to-day chattering of pony passerby, cozy homes and business stands, Sugarcube Corner, Town Hall down the street, and the Castle of Friendship standing tall and inspirational for all of Ponyville to see. They were back! "We're... we're home!" Twilight couldn't believe her eyes, which were on the verge of becoming tearful with joy. "The spell worked..." whispered Midnight, his look of disbelief turning into a happy smile. "Does this mean we-" Starlight tried to say, but- "Get down!" Spike hissed as he pushed them all into a nearby bush. "Spike, what are you-" Twilight tried to say, only to get a sharp 'SSHH' from Spike before the little dragon pointed down the street that led to the castle... and they all gasped! Coming up the street, the four of them stifled their gasps to see... Midnight! The other Midnight looked to be in a bit of a hurry as he trotted at a quick pace through town, clearly with a destination in mind. They ducked when he got too close, and poked their heads out of the bushes a few seconds after he passed them by, and watched him carry on down the way. "What th- Was that...?!" Twilight wasn't certain what was going on. "That was me!" Midnight whispered in confused shock, "But... that must mean-" "We must have arrived before the whole time-travel mess began!" Spike nodded. "Wait, so then... Midnight where are you off to, right now? The other you, I mean," asked Starlight. "Let's see, uh... I remember! I- Er, I guess my Past Self is on his way to the train station to greet Past Twilight and Past Spike after their return from Canterlot," Midnight figured. "Which means... that by now, my Past Self is in the castle," Starlight brought up. "Was this how the spell was supposed to work?" asked Spike in a lame way. "Never mind that, what do we do?!" Twilight fretted. "We need to get to the castle and stop Past Starlight," Midnight responded, "Otherwise, we start this whole thing all over again!" "But what about your past selves?" asked Starlight. "What if they show up and- I don't know, I'm so confused right now!" "Time, Travel, am I right?" "AUGH!!!" The four jumped to see everypony's favorite pink party pony as they shouted, "PINKIE PIE?!?" "Hi guys, and I see Starlight's here too," Pinkie smiled, "She's not here to be a meanie-mac-meansterpants again, is she? If not, then I gotta throw her the customary 'Welcome to Ponyville' Party!" "Pinkie! We- Uh... I..." Midnight flummoxed, trying to find the right words, "We... got us a really serious situation, and-" "The four of you are all actually future versions of the Midnight, Twilight, Spike, and Starlight of this present, and you all just got here after a huge timey-wimy mess that nearly doomed all of Equestria, and you used a special time-travel spell to arrive at this moment, but you didn't mean to show up while your past selves are still here, and so you gotta get somewhere to make sure this timey-wimy mess doesn't start all over again, and you need somepony to keep your past selves busy for a little bit?" asked Pinkie Pie right off the bat. ... ... ... "How do you know all that?!" Starlight gaped stupidly at Pinkie Pie. "Just a hunch!" Pinkie gave a big smile. "So... can you keep our past selves preoccupied for a while, Pinkie Pie?" asked Twilight. "Yupper-doodles, but ya better hurry and do what ya gotta do," Pinkie replied before she merrily hopped off down the same street Past Midnight had taken. The four of them watched her go, and Spike commented, "Fillies and gentlecolts, I give you the living mystery that is Pinkie Pie." "Let's go!" Midnight urged, and they all galloped off to the castle, Twilight lifting Spike onto her back. Reaching it didn't take long, but just before they were about to open the doors, Starlight called, "Wait! Just a moment." They paused and looked at her, "Listen, my Past Self is in there right now, expecting you three to walk through those doors into the Map Room." "What's your point?" asked Spike. "My point is, if you all go in there, Past Starlight is just going to think you're all your past selves," Starlight explained, "Nothing you say or do will convince her otherwise. She'll activate the spell, and like you said, Midnight, we'll have to start this all over again." "I take it you have an idea?" asked Twilight. "Yes. Let me go in there and talk my Past Self down," Starlight asked. "Excuse me...?!" Midnight gave Starlight such a stink eye, "Just because you helped us cast my time-travel spell, doesn't mean you're off the hook!" "I'm not trying to trick you or get out of facing the consequences of my actions," Starlight swore, holding up her hooves in a begging gesture, "Like I said, my Past Self won't believe any of you. But if she sees me, her own self, she'll hesitate, she'll pause and listen, and I will do my very best to get through to... to my self, and convince her to give me the spell and make sure it's never used. "I know now what I did was wrong and selfish and horrible, and the reasons why were self-righteous and in no way worth it. I accept that I have a long way to go to make up for my misdeeds or even earning your trust. But please, let my start by stopping my Past Self from making this horrible mistake." There was no hint of deception in Starlight's voice or in her face, but that didn't mean anything. She'd spent years hiding her true self from all the ponies she'd lured into her "equality" sham and manipulating them whenever they stepped out of line. She had charisma, skills in leadership, an eye for detail, a head for organization. These skills alone made her a worthy adversary... or perhaps she could be an ally. Midnight had no intention of letting Starlight get off scot free, whatever Twilight or Spike might say. But her words had merit - If they went in there, horns a'blazing, there was too great a risk that Past Starlight would quickly activate the time-travel spell and they would be right back where they started. But if Starlight saw herself... "Midnight?" He looked to his Twily, and saw an encouraging look, "Give her a chance. I know you meant well and that you were only trying to stop her, but just before you appeared, I was getting through to her. The Starlight of this present moment is absolutely resolute in her scheme, so she won't listen to us if we go in there. "But she might listen to her self!" "I can't believe I'm saying this," Spike added, "But come on, Midnight, let Starlight try! After all, if she hadn't helped with your time-travel spell, we wouldn't have this second chance." Taking a deep breath and letting it out in a less-than-enthusiastic sigh, Midnight gave Starlight a hard look, "You have five minutes to get your Past Self to fork over the time-travel spell. After that? No promises..." "I understand, and thank you," Starlight nodded, "Now let's go in, but hang back so my Past Self doesn't see you when I go into the Map Room." Very quietly, they entered the castle, making their way to the entry hall before they looked to their right to see the doors that led into the Map Room. Gulping, Starlight looked a little anxiously to the others, Twilight whispering, "Good luck, Starlight." Spike gave a thumb's up while Midnight gave her a curt nod. Taking a deep breath, Starlight approached the doors, Midnight hiding on one side, Twilight and Spike on the other, close enough to listen but out of the doorway so as to not be seen. Starlight gazed up at the doors, thinking about who she was going to meet on the other side. It felt a little... psychological. Deciding there was no putting it off any further, Starlight lit up her horn and eased the doors open as she stepped forward. "Welcome home, Your- !?!?" She gaped in shock at who had just walked in. She'd been expecting those egotistical alicorns and their little dragon, but... It was like looking at a mirror! "Wha- What is th- Who are you?!" Past Starlight demanded, lighting up her horn. "What do you think, Starlight?" Future Starlight responded coolly, "I'm you!" "But that's-" "Impossible?" interrupted Future Starlight. "You're holding a time-travel spell invented by Star Swirl the Bearded, which you modified and keyed to the Map in front of you, and you're saying it's impossible to be meeting yourself from another time?" "..." Past Starlight had raised her hoof and opened her mouth... but found she couldn't argue with that. Before long, she found her voice, "Prove it! Prove you're me from another time. Just because you know what I'm planning, isn't enough!" "...When I was a filly, I lived in a town called Sire's Hollow," Future Starlight began, "I lived with my parents, but my dad always embarrassed me the way he kept treating me like a baby. Then.... I made a friend. We had so much in common, we enjoyed magic, we loved playing Dragon Pit, we talked about how our parents got on our nerves, and we spent practically every day together." From the doorway, Midnight, Twilight, and Spike listened in but didn't dare to take a peek for risk of Past Starlight seeing them. "I thought we'd be together always... until that day, when we were stacking books and it nearly fell over onto me. He was there and quickly used his magic to stop the books from hurting me, and that was when he got his cutie-mark, a talent for magic. He was so happy and excited, that immediately he ran outside to show his parents. But me? ...I just stood there, standing in the doorway as my best friend celebrated that literal symbol on his flank that meant he was growing up, surrounded by his family. "It was as if suddenly he was far away and I couldn't catch up with him. The next day, he was gone, sent off by his parents to Princess Celestia's School for Gifted Unicorns. At the time, I was so hurt and angry that he didn't even say goodbye... and from that day onward, I blamed his cutie-mark- No, I blamed Cutie-Marks in general for ruining the friendship I shared with Sunburst!" Midnight felt his blood turn to ice when he heard that name but kept quiet. Past Starlight was awestruck. She'd never shared that with anyone ever since she'd left Sire's Hollow. Not even her parents. "...you're really me?" "I am, and Starlight..." Future Starlight slowly approached her Past Self, stopping until she stood before the Map and looked at her from across it. "I'm from the future. I'm here to tell you something, something you absolutely need to hear." "What is it? Did I fail? Did Twilight stop me from my plan to prevent the Sonic Rainboom from happening?" Past Starlight furrowed her brows. "Tell me, so I can be prepared!" "No, Starlight, that's just it," Future Starlight shook her head. "You win. You succeed in your revenge. I prevented the Sonic Rainboom. Twilight and the rest of her friends never got their cutie-marks as a result, and so their friendship never came to be." "So then what's the problem?!" Past Starlight demanded. "Why are you here if I win?!" "Starlight, you won't want to hear this, but it's the truth," Future Starlight took a deep breath, "It's not worth it." "What...?!" Past Starlight leaned back, incredulous. "It's. Not. Worth it," Future Starlight repeated slowly and deliberate, "Listen to me, this act of revenge won't just hurt Twilight. It hurts everypony!" She gestured to the Map and lit up her horn to activate its magic, causing the holographic display of Equestria to appear, "What I did, what you're planning to do, it hurts everypony all across Equestria. Including Sunburst!" Hearing that name again, Past Starlight suddenly felt a twinge of doubt and regret, but she quickly buried it under her bitterness, "So what?! Sunburst abandoned me! He got his cutie-mark and all of a sudden I wasn't good enough for him! And why should I care what my revenge does to Equestria? It's a place where every pony struts about, showing off their precious cutie-marks, acting like they're better than everyone else! Differences tear friendships apart, just as it did with me and Sunburst the moment he got his cutie-mark before me!" "No, Starlight, a cutie-mark didn't cause our friendship with Sunburst to fall apart," Future Starlight said gently, "We did!" "What?!" "Don't you remember?" Future Starlight reminded her younger self, "I know you do. You just stood there! You didn't say a thing. Sunburst was so happy, and I regret that I didn't celebrate his accomplishment with him. The next day, Dad told you that Sunburst was leaving, but you refused to go see him off at the train station. "And even after he left, I just assumed that he wasn't my friend anymore. I didn't even try to get in touch with him. I let Sunburst go, his cutie-mark didn't take him from us. Yes, it's what started the whole thing, but you- I could have done better. I let the friendship I shared with Sunburst fail, Starlight. I just sat there, acting like the world had moved on and that there was nothing I could do about it. "And in case you forget, Sunburst got his cutie-mark because he was protecting me! If that isn't proof that he cared about you, what is?" Past Starlight found herself at a loss for words, hearing what her future self was saying, as it began to reach past the bitterness and the spite. "Give me the spell, Starlight," Future Starlight bade in a gentle voice. "Give friendship another chance. Just like someone else did for us." "But..." Past Starlight began to tear up, levitating the instrument of her revenge, suddenly holding it as though it were a security blanket, "I thought Sunburst and I were the same, but we turned out different and it tore our friendship apart!" "Then try again," encouraged Future Starlight with an understanding smile, recalling the words a certain princess had said to her, "and if something happens beyond your control, work through it with the friends you make, because that is what true friendship is. Not lying to others or manipulating them, but honest and sincere compromise and understanding. Everypony's friendships are important, not just Princess Twilight's! "We gave up on Sunburst's friendship and look where it's brought us. But just imagine all the other friends out there, waiting for our discovery!" "How do I know they won't all end the same way?" Past Starlight questioned, finding herself afraid at the prospect. She didn't want to go through that pain again. "I guess, it's up to you to make sure that they don't," Future Starlight answered, giving her other self a warm smile before she held out her hoof. This time, Midnight and Twilight and Spike dared to peek just a little bit, as they watched in growing anticipation. Past Starlight looked to her future self, the emotional turmoil in her eyes as clear as day, and then at her future self's extended hoof. She looked at the spell she had worked so hard to create for the purpose of her revenge, and the guilt and regret stirred up again, only this time... there was now a longing. For so long, she'd lived by the belief that friendship was not possible because of differences and inequality, and that cutie-marks were the obvious example as to why. It's why she dedicated her life to creating equality through meticulous control and removing cutie-marks to enforce her beliefs. She'd sought validation, is why she founded her little village, but looking back, she remembered how she'd started her little utopia in a place isolated and out of the way because she didn't think everypony would agree with her. That simple reflecting back caused her to realize that even then there was indeed a part of her telling her that what she'd been planning was wrong. She'd "welcomed" travelers to her village and "taught" them her point of view. Some had taken "encouragement" to agree with her, but over the years, she slowly but surely populated her village with ponies from all walks of life. She'd removed their cutie-marks, stored them in a vault while replacing them with her "equal" marks, and reminded them day after day after day that only through equality and being the same could their way of life and friendships be possible. She was happy, surrounded by all these ponies she'd swayed into her way of thinking, even though she hadn't been honest and sincere about it. But looking back, with all these new thoughts and self-reflections and realizations... she now understood how wrong she'd been, about so many things! Once more, she looked at the spell, and then up at her future self, and in her own eyes, she saw something. Something better. She smiled back at her future self... and accepted her hoof- *SHWOOOOOMMMM...* Midnight, Twilight, and Spike shielded their eyes as both Starlights suddenly shined a blinding light, a vibration in the air, and then there was a pulse that spanned the world with a subtle yet powerful touch. Then, almost immediately afterwards, the light dimmed, and they looked into the Map Room... and saw only one Starlight. She was sitting on the side of the Map where the Past Starlight had been, but now the Future Starlight had disappeared! For a moment, the three of them feared something had gone so horribly wrong, when Starlight called out to them, "It's alright! Please come in." The three of them entered as Starlight came around the Map and the thrones, and levitated the spell to them, smiling as she said, "Everything is okay now." "Wha- What just happened?" asked Twilight, but before Starlight could answer... "That's what we'd all like to know!" The four of them turned to the doorway... and there stood the Past versions of Midnight, Twilight, and Spike, along with the rest of the Council of Friendship. "Sorry, guys, I tried to keep them away, but then there was some big weird light and funny feeling that everypony in Ponyville felt," Pinkie Pie apologized the Future versions of Midnight, Twilight, and Spike, and the lone Starlight. "What is going on here?" asked Past Twilight, "What is Starlight doing here, or these other... us's for that matter?" Starlight shrank back at all their glares and looks of apprehension, when Future Midnight, Future Twilight, and Future Spike all stepped forward. "It is a long story, but we can most assuredly say, that all is as it should be," Future Twilight replied. "Well... maybe not everything," Future Spike pointed out as his Past Self approached him. "Say, have I always been this good looking?" Past Spike smirked. "Like you even need to ask... Up high!" Future Spike held up his claw and Past Spike did the same, and when they came together- *SHWOOOOOMMMM...* The same thing happened again! A blinding light, a strange feeling in the air, and the same force that spanned the globe, and when the light dimmed, Future Spike had vanished, leaving only one Spike. "Okay, this is getting trippy," commented the lone Spike as everypony gaped at him. "It happened again!" Future Midnight realized, "First the two Starlights touched each other, and then there was that strange phenomenon and when it was over, it left only one Starlight, and when the two Spikes made physical contact-" "-the Future Spike vanished and left the other Spike behind!" added Past Midnight. "So... does that mean we're going to cease to exist?" asked Future Twilight, looking afraid. "I don't think so," said Starlight, and all eyes turned to her, "Because if that were the case, I wouldn't remember all that just happened. I remember casting the spell, doing the things I did in the past... I think when my future self and my past self touched each other after my past self chose not to go through with my plans for revenge, the two Starlights... came together as one Starlight - Me!" "Hey, I remember that whole crazy mess too!" Spike realized. "Maybe since the whole time-traveling mess has been prevented from happening, the future versions of us that came from that whole... experience have combined with our past selves as a way of time fixing itself." Future Twilight and Future Midnight shared a look and then looked to their Past Selves, seeing some hesitation... until Past Midnight came forward and held his hoof out to his Future Self. Future Midnight smiled and approached his Past Self and said, "Faith is good to have..." "...but Friendship is even better." agreed Past Midnight, smiling in response as his future self bro-hoofed him- *SHWOOOOOMMM...* -and yet again, the same phenomenon occurred, temporarily blinding everypony, and then they saw there was once again only one Midnight. Midnight looked to the Past and Future versions of his wife and chuckled, recalling a certain fantasy of his, before he assured, "It's okay, Twily." Both Twilights nodded before they approached each other, finding themselves most curious about this most miraculous of circumstances literally standing before them. It was as if a reflection had come to life, and while that was both interesting it was honestly just a little... very much disturbing. Finally, they both mustered their courage and held up their hooves before they met each other halfway- *SHWOOOOOMMM...* -and the phenomenon completed its work. The timeline was whole again, and then... a spark of magic ignited in front of Twilight, then Midnight, Spike, and finally Starlight! Everypony watched in wonder as those sparks flew about like bees zipping about to and fro, before they all converged upon the time-travel spell. They watched as it was engulfed in a strange magic that suspended it directly above the Map, and from the Map came a pale turquoise mana matching Starlight's own magic, and that mana seemed to get sucked up into the spell's paper... before a time portal opened above, just below the root chandelier, and they watched as the spell vanished into it in a blink of light, taking it away to be lost forever in time where it could never do harm, like it did in a timeline that would never happen. "Could somepony explain to us what in the heck is going on around here?!" Rainbow Dash cried out in impatience, and the others all nodded and murmured in agreement. "You're all gonna want to sit down," Twilight smiled as she gave Starlight an assuring pat on the shoulder, "It's kind of a long story." Then Midnight looked to Starlight and said, "Wait outside, and I shouldn't have to say that you'd better not leave..." "I won't," Starlight promised and she nervously walked past the others to wait outside the Map Room while the Council of Friendship went into session. "I mean, I knew my Rainboom was awesome," Rainbow Dash exclaimed after they'd heard the whole story from Midnight, Twilight, and Spike, "but I never thought all of Equestria depended on it!" "Or on us!" added Pinkie Pie. "I think it's more than that," Twilight spoke up as she gestured to the Map displaying their nation, "Friendship connects all of Equestria, and undoing one group of friends made its magic less powerful." "I can't believe you were able to travel through time as you all did," Blueblood brought up. "Surely Starlight Glimmer is an uncommonly powerful wielder of magic!" "She obviously has more talent for magic than almost any pony I've seen," agreed Twilight, "My magic couldn't stop her. It took Starlight seeing the consequences her revenge would have on everypony that she finally understood and convince her past self to let go of her vendetta." "Your magic couldn't stop her...?" Midnight asked in a tone that caught everypony's ear. "Or perhaps you weren't willing to do whatever it took to stop her." "What are you saying, Midnight?" asked Twilight, finding her husband's manner standoffish. Knowing Twilight wasn't going to like what he had to say, Midnight took a deep breath. "You tried to stop her using methods to incapacitate her or at the very least waylay her long enough so that Rainbow Dash would be able to complete the Rainboom, none of them worked. Did it ever occur to you that you were holding back?" "Holding back?" echoed Twilight. "The way I see it, Twilight," Midnight lectured, "is that you saw a threat to the ponies of Equestria, perhaps the entire world, but you didn't go far enough to stop this threat and prevent catastrophe." "Midnight, what are you saying I should have done?" Twilight furrowed her brows. "That I should have hurt Starlight?" "If that was what it took, then yes," Midnight nodded, getting some reactions from some of his friends around him. "We are not simple everyday ponies who can make easy decisions to solve extraordinarily complicated problems. Particularly you and me, Twilight. We are alicorn royalty, sworn to guide, to lead, and to protect our little ponies and Equestria from all manner of threats that would jeopardize the peace and harmony we work so hard to maintain. "I have led the Brotherhood of the Evening Hoods for nearly ten years, and though I am not proud of some of the things I've done, everything I did was to protect Equestria from her enemies whether they come from outside our borders or lurk within. Starlight presented a clear and deliberate threat. Not just to us, to ponykind, to Equestria, but to the entire world! ...And while she has come to understand the wrongness of her actions and her motivations and even aided us in preventing a doomed Equestria, that doesn't change the fact she is still dangerous, that she still has many other misdeeds to answer for, and that is why we cannot overlook those misdeed and permit her to just walk away." For a long moment, there was a pregnant pause, the air becoming tense, and nopony was certain what to say in lieu of Midnight's words. He'd made some very good points, even though he'd implied what Twilight should have been willing to do was... In any case, Applejack was finally the one to break the silence, as she said, "...Ah'm afraid Ah gotta agree with Midnight. We cain't jus' send her on her way. She's got a lot o' stuff t' answer for, an' while Ah'm glad t' hear she's honestly sorry an' wants t' make amends, there has t' be some kind o' consequence." "I actually have something in mind about that," Twilight replied, though she looked over to Midnight. "I won't argue with you on the matter that Starlight needs to make amends, but I don't believe locking her up will really resolve anything." "...One of the things I love most about you, Twilight, is your kind and forgiving heart," Midnight sighed, "Still, forgiveness can't always be given so easily... I'll go along with what you want to do with Starlight, but I will have conditions of my own. Nothing harsh, but all the same. Can you agree with that?" "I can agree with that," Twilight nodded before gesturing to Spike. The little dragon hurried over to the door and opened it, peering through. He then quickly hurried back to his throne, and they weren't kept waiting long as Starlight entered, looking nervous as she approached the Council, all eyes on her. "I know that there is no excuse for what I did," she spoke, sounding calm, guilt behind her tone, "but I want you all to know that I'm ready for whatever punishment you think is fair." "I've been thinking a lot about how badly Equestria fared without just one group of friends," Twilight replied, "Because even when one friendship dies, the results can be disastrous." "I know, firsthoof, how true that can be," Starlight sighed with guilt. "And that's why I've asked you here," Twilight stood up and walked over to Starlight, "If you're willing to learn, I'm willing to teach you what I know. You'll come to learn of a greater power that can help you change Equestria for the better." Starlight looked around at them all, and she saw smiles, smiles of encouragement, acceptance, and even excitement. Like everypony here was eager to get started helping to teach her all they could about friendship. "How do I do that?" asked Starlight. "Getting started is easy, all you have to do is make a friend," Twilight smiled encouragingly, "And you have thirteen friends right here." Starlight felt touched as everypony came to her sides, and for the first time in a long-long time, she truly felt hopeful. "However..." Midnight's voice cut through the positive atmosphere like a crack of thunder interrupting a sunny day, and all eyes turned to him as he approached Starlight, a stony look on his face. "That does not change the fact that this is only the latest example of how you have abused magic and used it to cause harm. Making up for your mistakes is noble, but on a scale as what you put us all through, there has to be consequences. Do you accept the judgement that the laws of Equestria demand?" "...I accept your judgement, Your Majesty," Starlight bowed respectfully with a solemn tone, and everypony became nervous for what Midnight might have in store. "Very well... Starlight Glimmer, for the crimes of high treason and malevolent use of magic against the ponies of Equestria, I sentence you... to probation," Midnight declared, which was honestly a bit of a surprise to everypony. They'd almost expected something worse, but then Midnight continued. "You are henceforth forbidden from leaving Ponyville, unless you are accompanied by a member of the Council of Friendship. If, at any time, you attempt to leave Ponyville without permission or supervision, you will lose your probationary status and be branded a fugitive, to be tracked down with extreme prejudice and charged to the fullest extent of the law. The same condition applies if you attempt harm upon anypony. "Furthermore..." Midnight lit up his horn and conjured a ring of dark metal with a dark blue jewel on it, "you have shown yourself to be a dangerous wielder of magic, and your previous usage of magic would entail a far worse punishment. Instead, along with your probationary status, you will wear this Inhibitor Ring, which will limit your magic to basic Levitation and Illumination. No spells of any kind will be permitted. If you attempt to cast a spell or remove the ring, you will have your magic nullified completely and your probationary status will be extended even further." Twilight found herself wanting to speak up on Starlight's behalf, but she had given her word to her husband. His conditions in exchange for her decision to take Starlight under her wing. "...How long would I have to wear the ring?" asked Starlight, hoping this wasn't the wrong question. "Until I am convinced that you will not misuse your magic or use it to cause harm to anypony without just cause," Midnight replied coldly, "Which leads to my last condition... Your Cutie-Mark Removal Spell. "You will share that spell with us, explain to us every single detail about it, how it works, how you created it, and afterwards it will be declared Forbidden Magic. If in the future you have proven to me that you can be trusted not to misuse your magic, it goes without saying that you are forbidden to ever cast that spell again, or to share it with anyone else. "Do you accept and understand your probationary status as I have explained it to you, Starlight Glimmer?" Taking a deep breath, Starlight stepped forward and lowered her head, "I do, Your Majesty." "So be it..." Midnight slid the Inhibitor Ring onto Starlight, and cast the lock spell onto it, insuring that it would not be removed by physical force or otherwise. For a long dreary moment, nopony said anything, until Midnight suggested, "Now we've got the unpleasantries out of the way, how about we have our resident party ponies throw you your customary 'Welcome to Ponyville' party?" Pinkie Pie and Cheese Sandwich gasped with delight, and Starlight felt herself cheer up as everypony cheered and they herded Starlight out of the castle. That afternoon and into the night, Starlight partied like she'd never partied before. It blew her mind how quickly Pinkie Pie and Cheese Sandwich threw a party together so fast, but it began with an extremely awkward and nervous reunion with several of her old "friends", chiefly Double Diamond, Night Glider, Party Favor, and Sugar Belle. At Twilight and Midnight's encouragement, she faced them, as hard as it was, and gave the most heartfelt apology she could. It absolutely stunned her when they accepted her apology and gave her a hug, honestly happy to see her again and now able to get to know the real Starlight and she them. Double Diamond actually invited Starlight to come with him on a skiing trip he was planning, Night Glider asked Starlight to come watch her participate in the next Young Fliers Competition in Cloudsdale, she was absolutely blown to find out that Party Favor and Pinkie Pie were brother and sister, and was deeply touched by the delicious cake Sugar Belle made for her party. Besides the party, the Harmonic Twelve and Spike took her out on the town to do all sorts of things together. At Carousel Boutique, Starlight modeled a dress for Rarity, who told her it was hers to keep once they were done. Blueblood took Starlight for a ride on The Break of Dawn. Fluttershy introduced Starlight to several of her animal friends, with Harry the Bear welcoming their new friend with a bonecrushing hug. Even with her magic inhibited, Starlight was able to levitate herself to join Rainbow Dash, Soarin, and Thunderlane for a flight. Then she enjoyed some backbreaking labor with Applejack and Big Mac at Sweet Apple Acres, where she learned how to applebuck to harvest apples. She was invited by Pinkie Pie and Sugar Belle to make cupcakes together, and got into a brief prank war with Cheese Sandwich and Party Favor (didn't end favorably for her, given their use of itching powder), and she took some time with her new mentor, Twilight, to talk magic. The only one who didn't really hang out with Starlight was Midnight, who had barely spoken to her during her party. She didn't question it, or really mind. She knew that Midnight was going to take time to win over, and she respected his decision. It could have been a lot worse for her. As the day drew to a close, Twilight, Midnight, and Spike got Starlight settled by giving her a room in their castle. She was free to set it up however, as long as she was comfortable, and would be given payment based on how much she helped around Ponyville. It wasn't Midnight's idea, but Twilight, Applejack, and even Fluttershy thought it would help Starlight learn and connect with the ponies of Ponyville. Though he did suggest Starlight see his mother, Faerie Tail, for psychiatric guidance. For what it was worth, despite all that had transpired, all that had been avoided, all that had been experienced... all was well that had ended well.