Starlight shot out of bed as she breathed heavily, inhaling and exhaling rapidly as her eyes frantically scanned the… bedroom. The lavender curtains… the deep blue bed sheets that covered her. She looked down at her tiny hooves.
"Whhhhhooooose ready for pancakes and freshly squeezed orange juice!?" chimed Firelight as the stallion trotted into the room, "Hey there, my Pumpkin-Wumpkin!"
Starlight slowly forced herself out of bed as she rubbed her aching temple; her pigtails were matted and stiff from sleeping on them. Firelight tsk'd, "Now what did I tell you about sleeping with your pigtails, Starlight Glimmer?"
Starlight grumbled, "I just thought it'd be easier than doing them every day."
The stallion sighed as he used his magic to quickly undo Starlight's mane before promptly adjusting her mane again into pigtails.
"There we go see? Not too bad, now let's have breakfast!"
Pancakes with a fresh bowl of fruit and squeezed orange juice…? She had this specific meal before… oh Celestia…
"You know your friend Sunburst is coming over." Firelight smiled.
No…
"To think you two are having the whole afternoon all to yourselves! Gosh, I wonder what you two have in mind?"
"Dad, I… I don't feel very good." Starlight frowned, coughing loudly into her hoof.
Firefly stood numb, his smile never leaving his lips as he stared blankly at Starlight.
"Starlight." He said firmly, "Today is the day Sunburst visits… it'd be rude to cancel your plans."
"No! No! I don't want him to visit!" snapped Starlight, "I know what today is; I know what this day is!"
Starlight felt herself shrink as a tower of books stood before her as they began to cascade toward the young filly. Starlight braced herself to be crushed as the books were engulfed with a golden aura of magic.
There stood the proud foal she knew once as her friend, standing tall as he moved the books away, with a pristine cutie mark adorning his flank. Starlight stared coldly at Sunburt's mark as she slowly rose to her hooves.
"Sunburst…?"
The foal said nothing as he began to trot away, provoking Starlight to chase after him, "Sunburst! Sunburst, come back! Sunburst! Don't leave me again!"
"Starlight Glimmer," a cold voice echoed, and at that moment, the unicorn realized she was no longer running through her home but in an empty void. Now an adult once again.
But then it wasn't empty. It was suddenly full of light where stars surrounded them, so bright and beautiful, twinkling around her. It was then she was aware she was standing on something... sandy. Looking down at the white powdery dust-like substance that got everywhere. Except for the tall peaks revealing bedrock. Impact craters could be seen in the distance, but aside from that, it was a barren wasteland devoid of life.
Starlight felt that somepony behind her.
Princess Luna stood before Starlight, her expression unreadable as she slowly approached the mare. Looking away, the alicorn studied their surroundings almost wistfully.
"I have nightmares almost every night about this place." She said quietly, "Dreaming that I am back on the moon, my redemption never took place. When I wake up, it feels like it's almost been another thousand years..."
Looking back at Glimmer, Luna paused and sighed, "We have been sent word of the avalanche the recovery and excavation team should be by within the hour. Send this message along to Twilight Sparkle."
"I am also aware of your crimes, Glimmer. We may not be able to take you from the Yak Kingdom, but we urge you to turn yourself in. Your punishment may not be as harsh."
Starlight gasped as she looked around the starry, dreamlike world surrounding her before focusing on the alicorn princess. A smile curled up on her lips before she erupted into a fit of laughter.
"That's rich coming from you! 'Redemption' please… you got...a pity party. The only reason you're not rotting on the moon's surface is that your sister took pity on you." snarled Starlight.
A seething rage boiled over as she erupted into a tirade, "I don't need saving! Not from the excavation team, not from Twilight Sparkle, and not to somepony who can't even see she's being… used! A second fiddle to somepony else!"
"I won't be relegated to that! I won't be an object of pity, and unlike you, I won't throw away my ambitions to placate anypony else!"
Princess Luna didn't respond to Starlight's outburst. Taking a deep breath, she slowly blinked before looking off into the distance again.
"Follow me," she said cooly. Although it didn't seem to matter if the unicorn agreed or not, the moon began to rotate. Princess Luna trotted along at a walking pace, unbothered by the unicorn's outburst and irritation.
They stopped at an exceptionally shallow crater beside a rocky cliff. There were signs somepony had been here and had stayed for a very, very long time. Scratches were etched into bedrock to keep track of the cycles of the sun, the lines going up the cliff. There were too many to count. Some stones had been made into crude art, while other areas showed a path of destruction. The sand heated up and turned to glass, and the stone beneath scorched asunder.
Stepping into the crater, Luna kneeled at a spot where the rock had been perfectly shaped to fit her hooves. After she was settled, she looked up. The unicorn did as well.
Above them, the planet turned slowly. The landmasses of Equus, Zebrica, and Griffionia were visible to the sun's light. While half of the world was cloaked in darkness on one side.
For a long moment, there was silence, simply looking up at the simplicity and beauty of their planet. Luna slowly looked over, giving Starlight a sigh.
"I lived here for a thousand years, watching the world go by without me. A thousand years of not seeing my sister, of not experiencing life. I admit I was angry. Angry that ponies didn't glorify me as much as my sister. But my anger solved nothing and caused my ponies to fear and hate me even more. Up here, I tortured myself for a plan to take over Equestria and destroy my sister. But..."
"Do you know how long a thousand years is? You appear to be a young adult with your life ahead of you. Imagine, hundreds of your lifetimes, toiling away in madness for something that would only harm others."
"I do not pity you, Starlight Glimmer. I am you in many ways, and I understand your anger. I know what path you are heading toward, and it will only harm you in the end. I did not reunite with my sister because of her pity for me; I *chose* to come back because I love my sister, and I missed her so very dearly."
"And I'm sure there are ponies who miss you, Starlight. The real you."
Starlight stared at the world, marveling at its beauty, admiring the continents and many islands that made up the planet she knew.
She took a moment before considering her words… before shaking her head, "...Tell me, honestly, did you consider what you lost. You lost the power to rule Equestria… Equus… the entire world even. You traded everything, all the power, and prestige that was rightfully yours because you wanted to be with the very person that SENT you to rot up here?"
Starlight shook her head, "Why in the world would I want that…? Did you think it was JUST Sunburst getting his cutie mark that sent me down this path?"
She hissed," No… it was the fact he was idolized for his magical talents even though he was born with them. He didn't slave away and earn his stripes as I did! He went to Celestia's school while I toiled away in my father's 'cultural center,' but do you know what?... I can forgive all of that… ALL OF IT. If it weren't for one thing."
Starlight slowly turned to the alicorn, "Twilight Sparkle took away everything I worked for. All the work I put into building that village, all the work I had done to create my own little utopia SWEPT AWAY IN A FEW DAYS!"
Starlight lamented as she pressed her hooves against the sides of her head, "I spent years building, managing, and handling the worst winters, flu, and harvests we had ever seen! And all of that was taken away by this… this… false idol! This spoiled fuddy-duddy from Canterlot, hand-picked by Celestia herself, just tears it all down and chases me out of my own town!"
"You might not have had the fortitude or grit to bring the eternal night, but I have the determination, the dedication of restoring what is mine and taking what's mine back!"
Luna once again allowed Starlight to rant, exercising a surprising amount of patience for the somepony once known as Nightmare Moon.
"The simple answer, Starlight Glimmer? Yes. I did throw away an opportunity to have everything I wanted when I chose to be with Celestia. But what you think you want and what you really need are two different things."
"What made you into the pony you are today will never be just one little incident. It will take time for you to blossom and bloom into the pony you're meant to be. To live right by you and what you choose to become Starlight Glimmer may not be what truly makes you happy."
"I didn't want to rule Equestria in an eternal night. I was simply throwing a temper tantrum. I didn't want Equestria's attention. I wanted my sister's attention; I wanted her to recognize me for what I did for Equestria... to spend time with me. We were both young... and foalish."
"Starlight Glimmer, I am not here to stop you or torture you. I am simply here to send a message and... talk to you. I rarely have an opportunity to speak so freely. I hope you understand, and besides, if it makes you feel any better. I was defeated in one night... twice."
Starlight huffed, "But even if I turned the other cheek and brushed aside what Twilight did to me, she'll just stop me again if I tried to create another community! What am I supposed to do? Give up? Be imprisoned for the rest of my life because it's the 'right thing to do?'"
Luna gazed back up at the planet, her mane flowing like it was blending into the stars around them.
"I'm not going to tell you what to do, Starlight Glimmer. You may attempt another village, and Twilight may attempt to stop you again. Perhaps you might find happiness in another village, or perhaps you will find it elsewhere. We had a saying when I was young. Ye will never find joy if thee does not gallop through new fields."
Looking back over at Starlight Glimmer, the dream seemed to flicker for a moment, "It appears you are waking up. Please, send my message along to Twilight Sparkle. Good luck, Starlight Glimmer," The moon began to swirl around Starlight, her vision growing cloudy.
Starlight quickly shot up as she smacked her head against a stone above her head. Groaning loudly as she began rubbing her temple. It was pitch black and impossible to see her surroundings. But with a spark of her horn, a lilac orb would start to float around the girls glowing brightly.
She looked around the sprawling cave system presented to her as she turned to check on Twilight. The alicorn was a few meters away, lying on the ground. Looking more closely, the unicorn could tell that her right hindleg was trapped underneath snow and ice, pinned to the ground.
"You're finally awake!" Twilight grunted, trying to move away from the ice and snow, "I tried to wake you and teleport us out of here, but my magic is on the fritz," the princess looked genuinely fearful, "I hope everypo– everycreature is okay up there... are you injured?"
Starlight quickly got up on her hooves as she examined Twilight in her vulnerable state. The fear in her gaze caused Starlight to twitch. As she stared at the alicorn, dark ideas began to overtake her thoughts; this was an excellent chance to do it. To be rid of her arch nemesis once and for all.
She could've covered it up as an accident, too, just a horrible accident. The yaks would see her as a hero. While her enemies would mourn the loss of their greatest asset. These fleeting moments felt like a lifetime as dark thoughts swirled inside Starlight's skull like a whirlwind.
The look in her eyes was stiff and cold as the ice that surrounded them; Twilight could recognize that something awful had crossed the unicorn's mind's eye as she slowly approached.
The hair on Twilight's back rose up, doing her best to sit up and not look relatively as weak.
"I realize this is an opportunity for you, but my friends know me better, and they would never believe I died in this avalanche. Besides, right now, we need to focus on BOTH of our survival now. Who knows how long until we're dug out?" Twilight spoke carefully, wary of the unicorn before her.
Starlight stopped as she stood over the alicorn before finally speaking, "... why did you do it," she asked, the words practically tumbling out of her. Her tone was not nearly as confident or commanding as Twilight had known.
"Do what?" Twilight blinked, confused, before catching on quickly, "Why did I do it?! Starlight, you were convincing ponies that they didn't need their talents and PURPOSELY keeping them away from their cutie marks! YOU ATTEMPTED TO BRAINWASH US!"
"And you somehow think you're in the right? Did you forget that Sugar Belle, Night Glider, and Party Favor all came to US first?! We were just trying to help ponies, and they chose to take their talents back! Why can't you accept that?!"
Starlight snapped, "BECAUSE THEY ORIGINALLY CAME TO ME TWILIGHT. WHERE WERE YOU WHEN WE WERE STARVING AND SICK WITH THE FLU? WHERE WERE YOU WHEN WE FOUNDED OUR TOWN?"
"They were FAMILY; I didn't foalnap them and brainwash them! I found these down-on-their-luck mares and colts on the streets of Manehatten and Baltimare, in the desolate towns out west! And despite our differences, we built that town! For nopony else but ourselves and you came in and took it away!"
"Do you realize how much blood, sweat, and tears I put into that village!? How much I personally sacrificed for those ponies!? And you just came in and ripped that away from me because YOU couldn't play by OUR rules!"
"We didn't brainwash them EITHER!" Twilight shouted back, "We found your town how it was, Starlight. You attempted to indoctrinate us BY FORCE instead of just asking us to leave! You had a choice, but you decided to do something unforgivable."
"They may have been your family, BUT YOU WERE LYING TO THEM FOR YEARS! Why should YOU keep your talent while your citizens have to sacrifice theirs? For YOUR comfort? So YOU'D feel like the special one? You preyed on the weak, the desperate, all for your own gain!"
"What if my friends and I had never arrived? Do you honestly think that none of your ponies would have attempted to regain their talents? Or did somepony try, and did you punish them for it? That's not true friendship; a friend doesn't hold a friend to their standards of what a pony should be! A friend should accept a pony for who they are, for their faults, and for their talents. Because that makes who somepony is!"
Starlight groaned as she snapped her hoof at her accusingly, "It would've been impossible to keep the village functioning! Their differences were just too much! Do you think I just woke up one day and said, 'everypony lineup and turn in your cutie marks!'"
Starlight shook her head, "No! It was incident after incident of senseless arguing and bickering, so I had to stop it! I had to prevent everything we worked for from crumbling! It was a bad winter, and we were low on food. I had to take control; I had to make sure my ponies could make it. Their pride and ego were holding them back from basic survival!"
"So I lied! I admit it; I lied to them so we could survive! It was one lie that could keep the peace! I didn't want to be a leader! I was FORCED to be a leader during these desperate hard times! I didn't prey upon the weak; I did what I had to do to keep my village up on its hooves!"
"And don't give me that CRAP. You grew up in the richest cities in Equestria with a silver spoon in your muzzle! You had everything GIVEN to you from the start! The finest of schools, the apprenticeship of a LIFETIME by Princess Celestia, and you became infinitely powerful compared to everypony else!"
"Why should I explain myself to somepony who can't even understand a fraction of what I went through!"
"Gee, it seems like the rest of society functions just fine!" Twilight waved a hoof in the air in exasperation, "I'd imagine things would turn out just fine; in fact, the village STILL EXISTS TO THIS DAY! We get letters from them all the time! I'd suspect you might, too, if you APOLOGIZED!"
"Do you think that maybe, just maybe, PONIES DON'T ALWAYS GET ALONG?! That's natural, Starlight, even though I don't get along with my friends all the time! It doesn't mean I'm going to take away their agency and natural abilities just because we're not working together perfectly like some sort of... machine! You could have reached out for help. There are plenty of food donation services that would've been capable of sending you food and supplies! You had options; you either didn't know or didn't care to see them!"
"Starlight, I was self-taught for most of my fillyhood. Yes, I had teachers, but I was determined to learn by myself and for myself. I had no friends growing up because I didn't care to have any. I thought they were a distraction. I won't say that I wasn't sheltered; I was in a nice little shell where I could curl up and read all day to my heart's content. That's why Princess Celestia sent me to Ponyville, so I could experience REAL LIFE, ponies who thought differently than me, and that I could appreciate who they are! Life is full of imperfections; not everything will be easy!"
"I might not fully understand you, Starlight Glimmer, but I know you're a talented pony... and I can tell you care for others. Otherwise, you would have just teleported away without your comrades..." Twilight looked away, sighing.
There was a long pause.
"... They send letters…? The village writes to you?" Starlight said as her anger dissipated for a moment.
Twilight looked up at Starlight in subtle surprise before nodding, "Yes, quite frequently, although it takes a while to get the mail, so sometimes it comes in bulk... they're flourishing, starting up a few farms, establishing a school. It's becoming a real community. DJ PON3 might play there in the summer, I heard."
"... they do talk about you sometimes. It's not always... negative. A lot of ponies even miss you. Double Diamond hopes you're okay; he's asked about you a few times," Twilight smiled softly.
Starlight scoffed, ".....glad they followed the few plans I left behind in my absence…" she sighed, rubbing her temple with a hoof. The reality was beginning to set in as the haze of hatred and malice that had been clouding her judgment finally cleared.
"... I'm at the end of my rope Twilight Sparkle…." Starlight admitted finally, "You beat me at my own game without even trying, I mean, you turned my community against me, and they're now thriving, right?"
"You didn't even have to TRY, and you won! All of this is because of dumb luck! You would've never found me or my village if that map of yours didn't pinpoint my direct location, I would've had the drop on all of you in the mountains if it wasn't for Trixie robbing that bartender, and all of us having to run around the royal guard and you!"
Starlight rubbed her temple, "And because you didn't turn tail at a literal army staring you down… just my luck… none of this wouldn't have happened if my luck was just a bit better…."
Twilight scowled at the 'game' bit, "This isn't a game, Starlight. These are ponies– and yak's lives at stake. I'm not doing this because it makes me more powerful or something like that. My intent isn't to one-up you or hurt you. I just want... well, I want creatures to be happy."
Twilight gently smiled, "I... think that's my purpose in life, to bring harmony to others. And I think... maybe you were trying to do that all along, in your own way. I feel pretty lucky to be here. I count myself lucky every day that I didn't refuse to go to Ponyville and make friends. I hated it at first, but... I discovered something far better than just reading alone in my room all the time. Maybe your luck will turn, Starlight Glimmer."
"...." Starlight stifled a laugh, "Harmony, huh…? My equalism to your harmony… what a concept..." Starlight stared down at Twilight as she took a deep breath lifting the ice and rock off Twilight's hindleg, grunting as she strained herself, burning the last of her magic before it sparked out. Twilight quickly squirmed away as the stone and ice crunched as it fell back in place.
"The extraction team will be here in an hour… Princess Luna wanted me to tell you that…." Starlight slowly began trotting toward the caves ahead of her.
Twilight looked surprised, but a grateful smile soon came to her lips, "Thank you-Princess Luna talked to you?!" Twilight squawked in surprise, blinking, "Well, I guess that means Spike sent a letter to the Princess... I hope the Prince is okay with that..." she gulped nervously.
Twilight winced as she put pressure on her hindleg, getting on her hooves, doing her best to limp after Starlight.
Starlight looked over Twilight with a tired expression, "Oh… we're still talking…? What could you possibly want from me? You took everything I could hope for; the village doesn't need me anymore, and my latest attempt to destroy you failed.
"Well, you did just save me..." Twilight replied awkwardly.
Starlight sighed, "I just… don't care anymore… there's nothing left… just let me have this…."
"Have what?" Twilight seemed confused, shifting to keep the weight off her injured leg.
Starlight said nothing as she gave Twilight an empty stare before turning to the dark abyss in front of her, staring at the open caves.
Twilight's ears flattened to her mane, "Starlight... tell me what you're thinking about doing. You know we can fix this, right? You might have to pay fines and help rebuild what you destroyed in the Crystal Empire, but... we could do it. I'd put in a good word for you."
"Twilight… I only did all of this because of my village. I only pushed this hard because I wanted vengeance for what you did to my ponies. But it's obvious that my pursuit was unnecessary… and that I am no longer needed."
"That's not true..." Twilight paused, gathering her thoughts, "Starlight, plenty of ponies miss you back at the village. Sometimes they send stories about you; sometimes, they admit they miss you. Sometimes they just want to know if I've seen you and if you are okay... I'm sure they'd forgive you if you returned and apologized."
"Look, I know that most ponies wouldn't forgive me for what I've done. I've heard the stories Trixie told me. I'd have to move to Zebrica or Griffionia to get a new start… but I think I'm just… tired now…." the unicorn murmured.
Starlight stared at the seeping darkness as the lilac orb around them flickered for a moment.
"... I helped save Yakyakistan, and I gave Thorax a friend at least… he and Trixie are getting on together nicely… so at least I wasn't truly deplorable… oh, heh… and I did save your life."
The mare stood firm as she stared at the shadows of the cave's interior, "You think I can make it to the other side?"
Recognizing what Starlight was saying, Twilight quickly limped to her side, setting a hoof on her shoulder.
"Starlight, we'll make it together. I'm not leaving you down here or letting you wander off on your own," Twilight smiled. Looking into the darkness, something familiar whispered in the back of her mind.
"When I was a little filly, and the sun was going down... the darkness and the shadows they would always make me frown..." Twilight sang softly, "I'd hide under my pillow from what I thought I saw, but Granny Pie said that wasn't the way to deal with fears at all...."
Twilight coughed, remembering where she was, "Sorry... just reminded me of something, is all."
Starlight slowly looked at Twilight and sighed, "... Why are you helping me? After everything, I did to you and your friends. You still want to help me? Twilight, EVERYPONY would understand if you just dragged me back to Equestria and threw me into the darkest pit you can find."
Twilight paused and considered for a moment. Yes, Starlight had done many horrible things, all in the name of something as selfish as revenge. Yet somehow, Twilight couldn't help but feel there was hope for her. She knew that the mare could be a good pony. She just needed some guidance, and if Princess Luna spoke to her... she had a good idea what that conversation probably entailed. Starlight was out far longer for just a simple message.
"Because Starlight, nopony... nocreature is wholly evil, and while you have done some bad things, you can still make up for it. Some ponies might not forgive you, but that doesn't mean you have to give up. I think you have the potential to do great things, Starlight Glimmer." Twilight smiled gently.
Starlight slowly sat down, letting out a huff, "Give it to me straight, Princess; if I go back with you, what's going to happen to Thorax or me or Trixie?"
Twilight took the opportunity to sit down and rest her hooves, "Well, you might have to pay a hefty fine and help with the reconstruction of a few buildings... normally, yes, you would have to do some sort of jail time, but... I might be able to put in a good word for you and I think Princess Luna might be able to as well."
"As for Trixie and Thorax...? They would technically be considered accessories to your crime, reducing their sentences. Trixie would definitely have to pay for... you said she robbed somepony, and Thorax... well, that might be tricky. Ponies don't have any particularly warm feelings for changelings, but if he's a good creature, I don't see why we would send him back to Chrysalis. I'm not even sure how we'd accomplish that."
Starlight tapped her hooves together as she considered her options, "I'm not liking my chances here if I'm going to be completely honest; I'll just stay here with the yaks… there's this one named Yona that I'm teaching potions to…."
"I heard about that; the children must really like you." Twilight chuckled, "I think you'd be a great teacher."
Starlight paused as she thought for a moment of Trixie and Thorax's fate, "But I'm not sure about those two, though. Trixie might want to go back, and Thorax… well, I'm not sure about him or how'd we react if we split up. He's pretty adamant about our teamwork."
"Well, whatever your friends choose, I'll be here to help as much as possible... so long as you're willing to accept it," Twilight said firmly
"We'll see… I'll have to see what Trixie and Thorax say. I guess…" Starlight slowly flopped to the ground as she deflated, "To be honest, I don't have anything left in me. I didn't expect to lose… or at least not like this. I wanted to either be trapped in stone or sent to Tartarus… something… impactful, I guess."
"But it's not interesting to read about Starlight Glimmer, the pony who did community service to atone for her crimes. Unlike Nightmare Moon, Discord, or Tirek, I'm a nobody…."
She slowly shifted as she turned to Twilight, "I know it sounds crazy, but I wanted to be remembered for something more than just… some crazy pony who sought revenge. Maybe I could've been something legendary or at least somepony with a good story to tell."
"Well, you still have that opportunity. It might just not be what you first expected it to be." Twilight struggled to stand up before offering the mare her hoof, "You're not a nobody. It's not over for you yet, Starlight."
Starlight sighed as she took Twilight's hoof and climbed to her hooves, "......Now what?"