While the majority of Ponyville hadn't really noticed Starlight's presence, Canterlot was a whole other story. Twilight had cooked up a teleportation for all of them instead of taking the train. Mostly doing so for Starlight's comfort as the alicorn clearly wasn't a fan of the ride.
Once having arrived however, everypony in the area locked eyes on the ground making their way to the castle.
First they looked to Twilight, gossiping amongst themselves and waving to get her attention. Then they'd let their gazes travel over her friends and eventually land on the tall imposing figure in the back.
Their eyes would widen and the gossip would increase tenfold. More and more obvious until it became obnoxious.
Applejack muttering the entire time about how no one around here seemed to have manners.
Starlight herself seemed almost resigned to this. Her ears laid back and her posture tense but she didn't protest or complain. Just kept her gaze forward as the girls guided her up to the castle.
And once at the entrance, they were met by several guards.
"Sorry about this, Starlight Glimmer." Twilight had apologized immediately. "But it is a policy to be escorted by guards for every newcomer to meet the princesses."
"Tis a useless venture." Starlight huffed but followed with the guards surrounding her. Not giving them any glances and keeping her head held high. "Starlight could instantly kill all of those around Starlight."
The guards tensed, some of them looking nervous and almost ill at her words. Twilight and her friends cringing.
"Maaaaaaaaaaaybe don't say stuff like that."
"The truth." The alicorn simply said back to Rainbow and it was awkward silence after that all the way into the palace and down the winding halls towards the throne room.
Two of the guards stationed outside the large doors opened them for the group and there they were in all of their glory.
Princess Celestia was sitting down in her throne, Princess Luna having been pacing beside her. Yet when the doors opened, the moon raiser quickly stopped. Turning to face the group with almost a scowl on her features.
Clearly untrusting of the new guest.
Princess Celestia stood a moment later and Twilight quickly raced forward to bow at the throne's steps. Her friends echoing the sentiment after her. Starlight however, remained standing still, her eyes trained on the princesses.
No, not both of them.
Just Luna.
"Ah, so it would seem that your letter was not a practical joke."
Twilight immediately snapped her head back up. "What?! You thought my letter was a joke?! Princess, I would never!"
Celestia heaved a soft snort, slowly making her way down the steps. "Forgive me Twilight, I know you take such things very seriously but you must agree your claim about another alicorn was..." She trailed off, her eyes roaming over Starlight's form. "...unheard of."
Starlight's eyes briefly looked over at Celestia only then before turning back to Luna. The latter of which was glaring back at her. Eyes narrowing and wings flared slightly. A silent promise that she was ready to fight at a moment's notice.
Starlight's posture held zero aggression in return but her eyes burrowed deep into Luna. As if trying to see inside of her.
"Allow me to introduce myself," Princess Celestia continued then. One hoof raised up and a smile on her face. She wasn't oblivious to the looks the two alicorns were exchanging but she had a job to do first. "I am Princess Celestia. It is a...pleasure...to make your acquaintance, Starlight Glimmer."
Then she extended a wing in the direction of her sister. "And this is-"
"Nightmare Moon." Starlight interrupted her and the room seemed to drop several degrees in temperature at her words. Her ears laying back now in the most emotion she's shown since entering.
Luna flinched back as if she had been slapped, eyes widening.
It became so silent you could hear a piece of hay hit the floor.
At least until Rainbow let out a scream of frustration.
"OH COME ON!" The pegasus threw her hooves up, hovering in the air above everypony. "HOW OLD ARE YOU?! YOU DON'T KNOW WHAT A TRAIN IS BUT YOU KNOW WHO NIGHTMARE MOON IS?!"
Twilight quickly jumped in front of Starlight. Putting herself between her and the princesses. "Wait! Starlight, this isn't who you think it is!"
Luna, having finally recovered from her shock, took a step forward. Raising her chin up with a soft sigh. "Tis true, we are no longer a creature of nightmares. What I may have once been I am freed from its shackles."
She looked to her sister and Celestia gave a sad smile. Quickly flying up to stand beside her and wrap a wing around her in comfort. The younger sister leaning into the embrace.
"Now...we are simply, Princess Luna."
"Yes, yes!" Twilight waved her hooves. "Luna is our friend! She's no longer Nightmare Moon and is of no danger! You have nothing to fear, Starlight!"
Starlight finally tore her gaze away from Luna, glancing down at Twilight. "Fear?" She questioned and now several of the mane 6 looked to her in confusion. "What fear dost thou speak of?"
Instead of waiting for an answer, she looked back at Luna. The blue alicorn looking at her with her own mixture of concern and confusion. "Starlight care not for yours name. Who thou is now means nothing."
Then her eyes narrowed and her wings fluttered. "But thou has made thy mark!" She barked her words and Luna flinched again. The princess hanging her head in shame.
"Enough." Celestia stepped in front of her sister. "I will not have you speak this way to my sister any longer. She has served her punishment and has lived life to the fullest since. Starlight Glimmer, whatever may have happened to have resent my sister I ask you to please reconsider and seek forgiveness!"
"Forgiveness?" Starlight tilted her head slightly.
She took a step back, nearly trampling over Fluttershy who quickly dove out of the way. Then another, before she turned her back to the princesses and started to leave the room. Her voice echoing across the chambers. "Tis unforgiveable."
Her magic burst the doors open with such force that they cracked as they slammed against the walls. The guards crying out in alarm and prepared for an attack but she simply walked past them. Slamming them behind her once more soon after.
She left the ponies stunned into silence.
It took Twilight a moment to recover and she leapt forward. "I'll go after her and-"
"Now wait a minute!" Aj cut her off, putting out a hoof to stop her. "You leave that to us, Twilight." She drew that hoof back to adjust her hat. "We'll talk her down and see if she's willing to return and you just focus on everything with the Princesses ya hear?"
"Yes darling, there is the whole matter of what to do with her and her history!" Rarity nodded. "We've handled plenty of friendship problems, we can certainly help a pony out with their complicated emotions!"
"We better hurry before she teleports to Manehattan or something!" Pinkie was already bouncing towards the door, quickly followed by the rest. Twilight smiling after her friends.
Resisting a chuckle when they struggled to get the broken doors open even with a few guards helping. They managed and left and she turned to face the princesses once more.
"I'm so sorry about that Luna..."
Luna looked aside. The barely there start of tears in her eyes that she wiped away with a wing. "It...it is not unreasonable but...we had gotten used to the lack of distrust in many ponies." She sighed softly, lifting her head again. "...surely I will weather it."
"There are more important matters to attend to."
"Yes, about that." Twilight began and folded her wings to her sides. Spike nervously rocking on his feet beside her. "Is there any record of Starlight? At all?"
Celestia and Luna exchanged looks.
"Wait up!" Rainbow called out but Starlight didn't slow at all. Not showing any sign that she had heard the ponies that were racing to catch up to her long strides. She zoomed in front of the alicorn and was nearly headbutted in the process.
"We need to talk!"
Starlight huffed, rolling her eyes. "Starlight does not wish to!"
"Well tough luck!" Aj called out, the next to come to her side. Pinkie bouncing along on the other. "You were real rude to the Princess, and I think ya owe us an explanation as to why!"
Starlight suddenly stopped and poor Rarity crashed into her back legs. Her gaze turning sour as she glared down at the Earth pony. Applejack audibly and nervously swallowed a lump in her throat at that look.
"Starlight does not!" The alicorn snapped, stomping one hoof. "Starlight does not owe thee anything! Starlight did not wish to leave! Starlight did not wish to seek that which tortures Starlight so!"
Rarity, who was rubbing her sore nose, looked upward. "Whatever do you mean, Starlight? Torture? Good heavens, I hope you aren't being literal!"
"Thou should not pretend to care!"
"But...we aren't pretending." Fluttershy pointed out. "Starlight, we do care about why you're upset! We care about you."
"Thou not knows of Starlight!"
"We know enough." Rainbow huffed, crossing her hooves over her chest. "We've been friends with ponies for less reasons! Look, you clearly got it all messed up in your head-"
"Rainbow! Don't say such things!"
"-that everypony hates you! Well we don't! We wouldn't have brought you all the way to Canterlot if we did!"
Starlight gave the pegasus a deadpan look. "Thou specifically says of Starlight that Starlight is exhausting."
Rainbow's face flushed a little, her friends giving her a look. Drawing back before letting out a big dramatic sigh. "Okay look, you are!"
"Rainbow!" Several voices chorused at once.
"I'm not going to lie to her! Applejack come on! Agree with me on that at least! Look Starlight, you aren't a great conversationalist but you're still new to all of this!" The pegasus gestured outward with her hooves. "You'll get better! And then I bet you'll be really fun to talk to!"
Rainbow then dropped to the floor beside her friends. Half-smiling in an awkward way as she shrugged. "Just because somepony doesn't think you're perfect doesn't mean you're hated! I bet you don't like every bit of me! Do you hate me?"
Starlight stared down at her, seemingly thinking on it. The silence stretching on for too long and Rainbow's ears flattened. Opening her mouth to protest but then the alicorn sighed. "No, Starlight does not."
"See?! So uh-y'know! Stop putting words in our mouths! We care! We want to listen!"
The other ponies nodded and Starlight looked around at them. Studying each of them for a moment and then sighing, starting to walk again. Slow enough for them to keep up. "Starlight will...speaketh of some trials. Not all."
"That's all we ask, darling."
"I can't believe it." Twilight muttered, staring at the scroll in front of her. Every alicorn in history was written on it. Even her own name scrawled at the bottom in what looked to be Luna's hornwriting.
It was very impressive cursive but it was a little hard to read.
It marked Twilight as the most recent addition however and before her was Cadence and before her was Luna and then Celestia. Even in the small list that came before them, no pony by the name of Starlight Glimmer or anything close to that name was on this scroll.
The oldest alicorn ever recorded was simply known as Queen Mother Harmony.
"How does an alicorn go unnoticed?!" Spike asked, looking to the sisters for the answer.
Celestia started to roll the scroll back up with her magic, sighing softly before tucking it away back in the archive. "I'm afraid I don't have an answer to that." She said, turning back to face the group. "Aside from Queen Mother, every alicorn ever recorded in history has been made."
"We do not fully understand the process." Luna admitted from where she sat in a nearby chair. "But it is a magic as old as time itself. In our lifetimes, we've seen only the creation of Cadence and of course, you, Twilight Sparkle."
"You forget us as well, Luna."
Luna brought a hoof to her mouth, chuckling. "Ah yes, we were there too." Her and her sister shared a laugh.
"In all those instances, however," Celestia continued on, moving to leave the archive and the other three followed, "the future alicorns were sought out by teachers. Luna and I were raised with the concept. We were told from the very beginning of who we would one day become."
"Our teachers were alicorns before Starswirl and were the ones to give us our wings."
"You were both unicorns before this?" Twilight asked, always curious to learn more about history.
"Indeed, it is rare for an alicorn to start off as another type of pony."
"Why's that?"
"A unicorn, being born with magic, can handle the transfer of power that comes with the transformation better than an Earth pony or Pegasus."
"I do recall Cadence's illness lasted quite a few days after she received her magic."
"What makes a pony qualify for being an alicorn?"
Celestia looked down at her student with a smile. "Usually, we look into ponies with tremendous potential. Such as you." Twilight blushed, ducking her head. "Cadence without magic was able to perform incredible tasks with ease as well."
Luna nodded. "Her cutiemark also was the symbol for the Crystal Empire. We knew to keep an eye on her right away and what we saw impressed us."
Twilight seemed to think on it, gently plucking up Spike from the ground to put on her back when his walking slowed. Then she tilted her head up. "Princess Celestia, is it possible that one of the older alicorns sought Starlight out?"
"I too had this theory but I'm afraid that's impossible."
"Why's that?"
"Simply, there are no other alicorns aside from us." Celestia opened up the door to the throne room. Newly repaired thanks to some simple spells. "The only alicorns that remain are Myself, my sister, Cadence, Queen Mother, and you."
She paused. "And now Starlight."
"Queen Mother then perhaps?" Twilight asked and Celestia shook her head.
"Queen Mother Harmony has been retired for quite some time." Luna explained, making her way to her chair. "She would not come out of retirement simply to make a successor and then abandon her."
"So unless Princess Cadence got really bored..." Spike muttered.
"...then we have no clue where Starlight Glimmer came from." Twilight concluded with a sigh.
"Can you not simply ask?" Luna sat down. "While I do find this Starlight Glimmer rather..." She made a face, not finishing her thought. "Surely she must have the answers to her own existence."
Twilight cringed, her wings fluttering. "Weeeeeeeeeeeeeelll..."
Spike huffed a laugh. "Talking to her is like talking to a brick wall, you aren't getting any answers out of her!"
Just then, the door burst open and Twilight's friends rushed in. "Twilight!" They yelled in unison and she lifted her head to smile at them. Pinkie skidded to a halt right in front her, almost crashing.
"We got some answers!" She sang and Spike immediately facepalmed.
"Wait, really?!" Twilight jumped to her hooves, dancing in place. "That's amazing! How did you do it?!"
"Friendship!" They all sang together and Twilight couldn't help the radiant smile on her face. Drawing everypony closest to her in a hug. They all giggled and smiled, hugging her back.
Then Rarity cleared her throat, "But I am afraid there is some bad news, darling."
Twilight let them go, concern returning to her features. "Oh no."
"Oh yes." Rainbow replied, shaking her head. "Turns out uh-there's a big reason why Starlight isn't too happy with Princess Luna. A big big big reason!"
Twilight glanced back at the princess, who slowly got to her feet. The sisters on the edge of their throne as they waited with baited breath. Twilight looked back to her friends. "We're ready to hear it."
Only to pause and tilt her head, "Uh...where is Starlight?"
"We gave her time to cool off. She was pretty upset and talking brought up a lot of bad memories." Aj explained. "Not to worry though, Fluttershy asked some of the palace birds to keep an eye on her."
Then the Earth pony took off her hat, holding it close to her chest. "Y'all might wanna sit down for this."
Spike put his hands on his hips. "It can't be that bad right? We faced worse! We can take it."
Aj cringed, glancing to the other ponies before she spoke.
"Well, ya see...Nightmare Moon is the reason why Starlight's whole village is gone."
Everypony's gaze immediately snapped to Luna, who stood frozen in place. Her eyes wide and horrified.
"W-what?"