//------------------------------// // Special: Starlight's Apology, Part 2 // Story: Unpleasant Correspondence 2 (My Little Pony: Reign of the Goddess-Queens) // by StormLuna //------------------------------// "Good evening Equestria, this is Hard News of the Equestria News Channel and we are preempting tonight's regular programming because today we received a notice from our beloved leader, Goddess-Queen Starlight Glimmer that she is going to be addressing the nation. Our corporate leaders said she didn't go into much detail but it does sound rather important so with no further adieu, here is our beloved leader, Goddess-Queen Starlight Glimmer." "Good evening Equestria, there are some things that I really need to get off of my chest and with it being not long until I will be marrying Princess Cadence, I figured that this would be the right time to do this." "About this upcoming wedding, has there been any opposition to it?" "There has been but let me say what I was going to say, alright?" "Very well." "Citizens of Equestria, while I know many of you love and worship me, I think the time has come for you to know about the real me, the me that does not deserve any love or worship. You see, at one time I was a pony who would be classified as a villain. At one time I stole the cutie marks of many ponies and pretty much enslaved them in a small and very remote village out in the middle of nowhere where I thought I could get away with it. I did get away with it until then Princess Twilight Sparkle and her friends discovered what I was doing. They went out to my village, helped everypony see that what I was doing was wrong and in the end, they got their cutie marks back and I was chased into this system of caves, where I plotted my revenge against Twilight and her friends. To all of you who I enslaved in that village, I am sorry. I know I apologized before but I am apologizing again, hoping that I can truly earn your forgiveness and hopefully, maybe become true friends. After that I wound up breaking into libraries that I shouldn't have and figured out how to perfect Starswirl the Bearded's time travel spell to where I could go back as far as I wanted, stay as long as I wanted and go anywhere. It was after doing that when I stopped Rainbow Dash from performing a sonic rainboom, the rainboom that caused six heroines of Equestria from ever getting their marks and subsequently, the six of them meeting and that altered the timeline multiple times. Given how things wound up ending when Twilight, who I was unaware was my sister at the time, nopony except for her and I even remember those timelines and trust me, those timelines were terrible. I want to apologize to everypony in the country for that because had I succeeded, none of us may even be here given one of those alternate timelines involved Equestria being a dead, desolate wasteland. I also did something bad after my reformation as well. Pinkie Pie, Applejack, Fluttershy, Rarity and Rainbow Dash, I want to apologize for casting spells on you so that I could try and impress Twilight by finishing five friendship lessons at once back when I was Twilight's pupil. I know casting spells on you was incredibly selfish on my part and I do hope you can forgive me for that. I wanted to impress Twilight back then but don't worry, I did learn the lesson to not cast spells on my friends. I also want to apologize to those close to me for what I did right after my coronation. Princess Trixie, I know what I did was unforgivable. I could have had commitment and true love right after I was ascended but I allowed the lust that existed between my sister and I to destroy that. I know I was unfaithful when we were a couple prior to then and I know undoing the ascension spell on you and wiping out parts of your memory was horrible and very unethical. Yes the hostilities between us have diminished since your ascension and receiving of royal status but still, I feel like the nation needs to know what its leader has done in her past. Rainbow Dash, while I was not solely responsible for it, I know I have caused you a great amount of heartache and problems. I know when my sister and I did away with that spell that forced us ponies to handle nature that put you out of a job for a while. I am glad that you and most other pegasi involved in weather control were able to get new jobs and in the case of you, a much higher paying one. I will however hold true to my word regarding severance pay. For all of you pegasi that I was responsible for putting out of work, each of you shall receive 200,000 bits in severance pay. I will do my best to get those checks issued and sent out prior to my wedding. Applejack, I know that my part in doing away with pegasi controlled weather harmed you as well, not just you but all of the farm ponies in this country. Now I'm certain that Bright Beam will aid you in keeping the weather good down there and for the farmers across the country, I will cast a spell to keep your weather stable through the end of the year. I am also opening an academy for unicorn weather mages. Once they graduate, they will become government employees and will provide you services free of charge. You farmers often times have it hard enough, you don't need things to be worse. Pinkie Pie, I know that I took advantage of our friendship and wasn't exactly all that good to you. Yes my changes didn't affect you in the same ways that it did others but still, I could have been nicer. I don't blame you for calling me a meany-mean hooves, I deserve the title because when it comes down to it, especially after my sister and I became Goddess-Queens, I was. Rarity and Fluttershy, I feel as though I hurt you the most. I am so sorry for being partially responsible for your lives being terrible for several years. I know that going along with my sister in creating titles for you and giving you to Dr. Colgate and her friends was wrong. I wouldn't blame you one bit if neither of you ever wanted anything to do with me again. I am glad that both of you are free now and Discord is the one to thank. For those of you in Equestria who look down upon the Lord of Chaos, don't. He has done a lot of great things and making sure those two fine mares were freed is likely the most noble thing he has done. Luster Dawn, I too am sorry for how you have been treated by both myself and my sister. For too long you have been treated as if you are inferior and I know Bright Beam has always benefited financially from being my protégé and you never received as much as a thank you for doing what Twilight wanted you to do. Because of this, I am going to issue you a check in the sum of one million bits since that is roughly what Bright Beam received from being my protégé. Your parents too will be compensated for the amount of money that they were fined. Spike, I feel as though you have suffered tremendously during your time of being either Twilight's assistant or being Luster Dawn's assistant. You have done so much work without any thanks at all. I know what Twilight put you through and I feel as though you should be compensated for years worth of what some would consider enslavement. You shall also receive a check in the sum of one million bits. I have also decided to free you from being Luster Dawn's assistant and because of all the problems you've dealt with over the years, I am hereby bestowing royal status upon you. From this point forward, you shall be known as Prince Spike. Being free of being anypony's assistant, your fate is your own to decide now. If you wish to come up to Canterlot and be a royal advisor, that would be great. If you choose to relocate to the Crystal Empire given how much they love you up there, that is great too. Whatever path you choose in life, may you be happy. King Shining Armor of the Crystal Empire, I too want to apologize for all the problems Equestria has caused you. Yes a majority of it came from my sister and my mother but still, I feel as though I am somewhat to blame. If you choose to distance your Empire from Equestria, I understand. I don't know what your thoughts are on Princess Cadence and I marrying but I do hope that her and I being married will not put a strain on diplomatic relations between our nations. Princess Cadence, I am looking forward to our wedding in a few days but I do need to apologize to you too. I know giving you to Colgate and her friends back in the day was wrong and allowing them to do to you the things they did, that was a horrible move on my part. I do love you and I am happy that you love me too but still, I felt like the nation needs to know about all my wrongs. I feel as though the royal family needs to be far more transparent with the populous from this point forward. I look forward to our marriage and you becoming Queen Cadence very soon! Again Equestria, I am sorry for any and all heartache I have caused anypony but from this point forward, I will be transparent with all of you and if I do something I think may not be right, I will let you know. You deserve to know everything about me, not just the good parts that have been exposed up through now." "Very well Starlight. I never expected you to do this but if it is what you feel is best, then that is good." "Thanks Hard News and Equestria, may many blessings be bestowed upon you and good night!"