//------------------------------// // Chapter 2: Shifting // Story: Forgotten Bygones // by Catpaw616 //------------------------------// After a good night's sleep, Trixie stepped out of her wagon and breathed in the fresh air. Today is going to be another beautiful day. She went to get breakfast at the hayburger place. Not only do they serve delicious lunch, they also have breakfast items too! But as she headed to the place, she noticed that ponies nearby started giving her weird looks. The looks they gave were either a mix of suspicion, or worry. Perhaps even both. What's up with them? Trixie thought, but she shrugged it off. They probably woke up cranky. But she perked up her ears to listen to what the ponies said about her. Normally, Trixie doesn't eavesdrop, or at least do it often, but she felt that it was important to do so. "What is she doing here?" A pony whispered. "I don't know, but when it comes to Trixie, nothing is good." A pony replied, while giving Trixie a hostile stare. What did I do wrong? Trixie now asked them in her mind. I just woke up, and now I'm getting these weird looks. She hoped that these ponies were just cranky... She arrived at the hayburger place, but when she got there, the ponies screamed. "It's Trixie!" A unicorn said in shock. They immediately dropped the hayburger with their magic. "A fan of mine?" Trixie asked, but by the look that the unicorn gave her, it was out of fear instead of respect. An expression that she never thought she would experience in a long while. "How can anyone be a fan of you?" A nearby earth pony asked her in pure anger. "You have forgotten about what you have done?" "D-Done?" Trixie stammered. She was now getting confused. Why were they talking about her past now? Especially since it's been a long time. "Playing dumb, huh?" Another earth pony interrogated her. Trixie's ears went downward out of confusion and anger. "Ok, what has gotten into all of you?" she asked the ponies who were, for some reason, questioning her. "I just came here to get a burger, not be scolded for what I did." "If its a burger you want, that you won't get." A pony stepped out of the kitchen. It was a big, bulky light green unicorn wearing a chef's costume. Trixie couldn't believe her ears. "Excuse me?" "I'm Thatchery, and I'm the owner of this restaurant." The unicorn introduced himself to Trixie, although while giving her a cold expression. "And you heard what I said, you are not welcome here." "Are you kidding me?" Trixie looked aghast, and felt anger rising in her body. "And what exactly did Trixie do that I deserve a ban from this restaurant?" He couldn't believe her words. "What did you do? Are you seriously asking me that? You forgotten about what you did to Twilight? To Ponyville? To all of us?" Trixie scoffed. "Seriously? That's what this is all about? Some very stupid things I did in the past? That was a long time ago. I've changed for the better. I've even saved Equestria for Celestia's sake!" Trixie protested. Seriously, how have they forgotten about the fact that she sacrificed herself so Starlight and Thorax would save them from Queen Chrysalis? "Saved Equestria?" Another random unicorn dismissed her words. "I'll believe that once pigs fly. Naturally." Trixie kept rubbing her head with her hoof. She was now getting annoyed by this sudden dismissal. "Ok, I've had enough of this game you guys are pulling on me. Or is this one of Rainbow Dash's stupid pranks that she likes to pull on all of us? Did she put you up to this?" "What you're saying makes no sense, but my decision is final." Thatchery stomped his hoof, as if its a sign of superiority. "Leave. After all your criminal actions you have put onto Ponyville, and us, you are no longer welcome." "But that was a long time ago!" Trixie repeated. "I have changed, I can show you!" But it was too late. Thatchery lifted Trixie from his aura, and forcefully threw her out of the restaurant. She hit the ground hard and had a tiny bruise on her hoof for landing it weird. "That's payback for what you did to us!" Thatchery called out, trying to voice himself above the cheering that rose inside the place. Trixie looked at the place in horror. Why would they do this to her? So suddenly? So... unfairly. She stook her tongue out. "Fine! Act like childish idiots for kicking Trixie out for a crime that I have redeemed from." She turned back, refusing to acknowledge the place that she used to love. They were traitors. All of them. She would find a restaurant that would actually forgive Trixie for her mistakes, instead of throwing her out like trash. But then again... they did forgive her and let her eat there. It makes no sense why they suddenly have a change of heart now. Friendship is magic? Well, tell it to them, and they'll discard it like they discarded me. Sadness slowly creeped into her when the ponies kept staring at her with cold faces. She even heard laughter come from them when she heard that she was kicked out of the hayburger place. And the worst part was that she had no idea why they were acting like this, and she assumed that even if they did try to reason with them, they would shun her away. Hopefully, not everyone. Trixie thought with a spark of hope. She prayed that Starlight, and even Twilight and her friends would support her and acknowledge the residents of Ponyville by telling them that she was a good pony now, and that she deserves another chance, even though everyone was totally fine with that yesterday. Please don't forget me, Starlight. Trixie begged in her mind. She could not bear the fact of Starlight, her closest friend, treating her as coldly and roughly as the others. The thought of that even started to make her cry. Please. Trixie arrived at Twilight's castle, and was about to enter inside, but she heard hoofsteps beside her. She quickly turned her head towards the direction. A pony appeared from the shadows of the castle. Trixie let out a sigh of relief. "Starlight!" she screamed her friend's name in delight, but she noticed that the mare's hairstyle looked... different. And to Trixie's surprise, she sighed in relief too. "Trixie!" The two both hugged each other. "I was worried that you would forget me." Trixie quickly admitted. After the hug, Starlight looked down in shame, for some reason. Her ears lowered sideways. "So would you." Trixie raised an eyebrow. She thought the same thing? "What makes you think that?" Trixie asked in shock. "Because..." Starlight's voice started to quiver. "Twilight herself had forgotten about me." "What?!" Trixie couldn't suppress the scream. How in Equestria would Twilight, the Princess of Friendship herself, would forget about Starlight? Her own former pupil? Starlight quickly covered her mouth. "Not so loud! At least, not here." With a flash of turquoise, the two quickly appeared on the outskirts of Ponyville. Trixie couldn't help but feel free. She was getting extremely uncomfortable with the weird gazes that rested on her the whole time. Trixie looked and saw Starlight stare off at Ponyville. Sadness started to fill her eyes as she closed them in shame. "Starlight?" Trixie asked her friend. "What happened between you and Twilight?" She was silent for a few minutes, as if trying to process the words. Until she finally started to speak, although still looking at Ponyville. "The day began like any other day." Starlight began. "But then I noticed my... old hairstyle." she said as she pointed her hoof at her forehead. "And that was when..." Starlight turned her head to face Trixie. Trixie saw the pure sadness in her eyes. "When she changed." Blinking the sleep out of her eyes, Starlight slowly got out of her bed. She yawned as she looked out the window. Another pretty day, it seems. However, she noticed that her hair felt... different. She touched the side of her head. Her side bang was gone. She rushed over to the mirror to see that her hairstyle was back to the way it was when she first started out. The style she used when she... was evil. Weird that I returned to my old style. Starlight thought, while being a little creeped out. But she just shrugged. Not to worry, I can just brush it back to my other style. She opened a chest to where her brush usually is, but it suddenly disappeared. She checked all the drawers in her room and a brush was no where to be found. But this was still not a big deal. With the power of transfiguration, she quickly turned a nearby object into a purple brush. Easy, peasy. She looked into the mirror and trying to copy what Rarity did to her hair before, she brushed it to the side, and when the bang was finally there, it would change back into her old style. She kept doing it until she realized that the bang won't stay on. Odd... this never happened before. Starlight thought. She really didn't like using this hair style for long periods of time. She made herself look intimidating, which was the last thing that Starlight wished to be seen as. Her ears suddenly perked up when she heard racing hoofsteps outside her door. She jumped in surprise when Twilight immediately slammed the door open without knocking. "Twilight!" Starlight greeted her. "Uh, good morning! What's going-" "Oh my..." Twilight gasped when her gaze rested on Starlight. "Twilight?" Starlight asked, confused by her friend's behavior. "Why are you-" "See? I told you I wasn't lying." Spike called out when he finally caught up to Twilight at the doorway. "It seems that you woke me up for a good reason, finally." Twilight replied to the dragon, still not taking her eyes off her. "Lying? About what?" Starlight was now utterly confused. "What's going on?" "What do you think?" Starlight was taken aback by Twilight's sudden hostile tone. "Yeah," Spike added, sharing the same hostility as her. "What are you doing here, Starlight Glimmer?" he asked, but his voice was quivering at the end when he said her full name. "You can always call me Starlight..." Starlight corrected the dragon. What was going on with these two? "Enough talk." Twilight silenced her. "Why are you here? In my own castle?" "Twilight, I live here." Starlight said, unamused. Twilight almost laughed at her remark. "Since when?" "Forever ago." Starlight took a step closer at her former mentor, but when she did, Twilight folded out her wings, and her horn started to glow. "Don't try anything on me." Twilight warned her. "If you even attempt to steal my cutie mark again, you'll be sorry." Starlight looked at her dumbfounded. She looked at Spike for any clues, but he just hid behind Twilight, while still giving her a gaze as sharp as knifes. "I've had enough. Twilight, whatever game you are playing, I want you to stop. This isn't funny anymore." Starlight was now starting to get scared. Twilight acted like she was the enemy, and that she thinks that she would even think of hurting her. Never again would I ever harm a single hair on Twilight after what I did to her and her friends. Starlight promised herself the moment that Twilight offered her a position as her pupil, but Twilight was strangely starting to act like she never made that promise before. "What do you want? What do you want me to do to get you to not be so angry at me?" For whatever reason. Starlight wanted to add the last words, but she kept them silent. "To leave, without attempting any more tricks up on your sleeve." Twilight answered her, starting to get a little calmer. "Leave?" Starlight repeated her request. "For how long?" "Forever." Twilight finished. "Forever? Wait, I had a rent this whole time? And you never even told me?" Starlight's confusion now raised higher. "Enough of your games!" Twilight suddenly started to walk towards her slowly. "I have no idea what you are saying, but make this perfectly clear. I don't trust you to live where me and Spike live. I don't believe that you changed one bit. You are not fooling me or Spike at all." Starlight's back was against the wall now. "You... don't remember the times we spent together?" she whispered. "What times? The times that you ran a cult? The time that you stole me and my friend's cutie marks? I remember those times perfectly well." Starlight sighed. She remembered them perfectly well too, but those were not the memories that she meant. "No, I mean, the time where you asked me to be my pupil. The time that I saved Equestria from Queen Chrysalis. All those moments we shared together." It was Twilight's turn to be confused. "I... don't remember that." "Me either." Spike added. For the first time since this morning, sympathy showed in Spike's eyes. Starlight couldn't believe what she was hearing and seeing. She couldn't help but feel only anger. How could she not? "Wow." Starlight started. It was now her turn to have an icy cold tone. "All the times we shared together, and you only remember the times where I became evil? Is that how it is?" Twilight just nodded. Starlight gazed at her, still trying to process what she just witnessed at this very moment. She knew that there was no point in persuading her anymore. She got backed into the corner, and now only has one choice. One that would devastate her, but she did not want to push Twilight's anger further. "Fine, I'll leave." Starlight said finally. "Good." Twilight moved out of the way and showed her the door. "Normally I would take you to Princess Celestia and punish you for what you did, but I'm giving you a chance to redeem your actions, now. And of you ever attempt to destroy me and my friends, remember that I gave you a warning to freedom. Starlight just rolled her eyes. "Yeah, whatever." Starlight exited outside her castle, and before she left, trying to decide what to do next, Twilight gave her one last warning. "Unless you finally apologize for your actions, and prove that you repented, don't come to me." she said, then she finally slammed the door shut. "The princess of friendship!" Starlight's anger continued to boil. "Won't even give me a chance to explain! Some princess she is." I thought I knew her, but clearly I was wrong. After thinking it through, she started to realize something. If she had forgotten about our friendship, did that mean others forgot about mine too? She now felt tears go down from her eyes. She needed help. She needed a help from a friend. Immediately. Starlight quickly teleported outside Trixie's wagon, wiping the tears off of her face. When she was about to knock on the door, she heard hoofsteps that were near her. Cautiously peeking her head behind a bush, she sighed in relief when she saw a familiar blue pony. Please remember, please remember. With a deep breath, she stepped out of the shadows. "You too, huh?" Trixie said after Starlight's story finally finished. Starlight slowly nodded. Tears formed in her eyes. "I'm so sorry, Starlight." Trixie comforted her. She couldn't imagine the pain she felt when Twilight, her closest friend after Sunburst, would quickly disown her that quickly, and ruthlessly too. "Twilight may be a princess, but she no longer has my respect after what she did to you." After crying for at least three minutes, she started to calm down. "It's not her." She said in realization. Trixie was confused. "What you you mean? According to you, its obviously her. In the flesh." "Come on, Trixie." Starlight slowly got to her feet and stared at Twilight's castle. "Twilight never acts that way towards anyone. Even towards me when I actually did my revenge." "I guess..." Trixie was still uncertain. "But I still don't understand. Why would everyone hate us now when yesterday everything was fine? And why are we the only ones who still remember each other and our heroic deeds?" Starlight looked at Trixie with determination. "I don't know, but something fishy is definitely gong on." Starlight continued to stare down at Twilight's castle with narrowed eyes. "I'm going go find out the truth about 'Twilight's' actions. If you think that I'm letting this slide," Starlight turned her head to Trixie. "You're dead wrong." "Of course we are not letting this slide." Trixie got up and joined Starlight by standing side by side. "They kicked me put of my favorite restaurant without reason. No way the Great and Powerful Trixie is going to let that go." Starlight smiled for the first time since their interaction today. The two mares stared down at Ponyville. They were now outcasts, hated, and when it came to heroic standards, forgotten. "Ponyville is no longer our home." Starlight said finally. "But even so, we have each other." Trixie nodded in agreement. "And that's what matters. No matter what."