A Brush with Fame
When it comes to reformed villains, Starlight Glimmer tops the list. Former mayor of a small town, stealer of cutie marks, lover of kites, and a powerful mage in her own right.
Fizzlepop Berrytwist, AKA Tempest Shadow should have been at the top of the list, but that’s just your opinion. Who knows what she’s doing these days? The last time she was seen, she was sipping coffee in a cafe.
Reformed changelings are just weird, and the almost-reformed Cozy Glow is now a statue commemorating ‘whoops, we shouldn’t have let her out of Tartarus so quick.’
Starlight Glimmer can be found in Ponyville, or so you’ve been told. There’s regular train service if you don’t want to hoof it, and you don’t.
Lots of things can be found in Ponyville, if you’re being honest. The bearers of the Elements of Harmony, Equestria’s youngest Princess and second-newest alicorn; and regularly-scheduled monster attacks.
It’s also got the small-town vibe going; while there is a Hayburgers, most of the restaurants are family-owned; while it has a Barnyard Bargains, most trade is still done at an open-air market.
Canterlot might be the seat of the empire, but it seems that practically every important pony winds up in Ponyville, one way or another.
The train’s slow and superannuated, and you’re sitting beside an enthusiastic pegasus mare who has an unhealthy obsession with Siput slugs, whatever those are. Despite an hours-long journey learning more slug facts than you ever cared to know, you’re still not sure what makes them special.
Unless Ponyville is scheduled to be attacked by giant slugs, that’d be an interesting—if slow-moving—disaster.
She leaves you at the Ponyville platform, opting to take a direct flight into the town center.
There’s a taxi stand, and a note on it says “on a run, back in twenty minutes.” Off in the distance you can see a town clock. You have no way of knowing when the taxi left, but you can watch the sweep of the minute hand and once it’s hit the twenty minute mark . . . the taxi would be late, and what are you gonna do, complain to the train station manager? Ponyville’s a small town, it’s not that far to just walk.
You do ask the stationmaster for directions to Starlight. In a big city, she’d be no help; in a small town like Ponyville, an older mare like herself is sure to know everypony. She informs you that Starlight lives at the embassy which is near the statue of the mare with the ball and if you cross the stream a second time you’ve gone too far.
Nice, vague small-town directions.
It only takes a little bit of back-tracking and you do find the embassy. As proof of the uniqueness of the place, you see a not-quite minotaur out front, as well as a brace of guards in their shiny golden armor. One’s got his attention on the almost-a-minotaur, while the other focuses on you.
On the one hoof, you can’t just go asking to meet a celebrity, that’s not how it works. On another hoof, what have you got to lose by trying?
You’ve never brushed muzzles with celebrities before; maybe turning around and shouting into the Embassy is the way it’s done.
A moment later, a pink mare comes to the door.
While you’ve never met Starlight Glimmer—that’s the whole reason behind this little weekend trip—you do know that this isn’t her. Starlight’s more lavender than pink; Starlight’s got a not-easily-described cutie mark, and most importantly, Starlight’s a unicorn.
She isn’t.
“Sorry, I was looking for Starlight,” you say.
“I am Star Light,” she says.
[CHOICE]
>Maybe so, but you’re not the one I was hoping for. (villain)
>Oh, really? Since when? (chaos)
[CHOICE A: Villain]
“Really, ‘cause I heard that Starlight is a unicorn.”
“Her.” The mare wrinkles her muzzle. “She’s at the palace doing unicorn stuff or hanging with her bestie, Trixie. A Johnny-come-lately, a stealer of a name.” She steps forward, anger flashing in her eyes. “Some ponies decided I ought to be re-named Lucky Star, did you know that? Just to ‘avoid confusion.’” She makes air-quotes with a forehoof. “I get up every morning and cook breakfast for everypony in the embassy, and lunch, and dinner, and half the ponies I meet call me ‘wrong Starlight.’ You’re looking for the kite-loving mare, ain’t ya?”
“Yes,” you admit.
“Castle.” She points a hoof to the towering edifice on the other side of town, then slams the door in your face.
“I guess a letter of recommendation is out, then.”
The guard pokes you with the blunt end of his spear.
[CHOICE B: Chaos]
“One of those name things, isn’t it?”
She snorts. “You know it. If it wasn’t for Princess Bookworm letting her and her marefriend live in the castle, I’d have the guards here sort her out, run her out of town.”
“Doesn’t that seem a little extreme?”
“How would you feel if you’d lived in a town your whole life, worked your way up, got a moment of recognition—really started to be somepony—and then a reformed villain who uses her first name as a nickname comes and takes yours, so everypony starts calling you something else? If she was called ‘Glimmer,’ I wouldn’t hate her as much.” Star Light spits on the road right at your feet. “And the few who do remember I’m the original Star Light and direct somepony to me, well, they’re just looking for her.
“Ought to have changed my name to Unlucky Star.”
“Well . . . “ You don’t really have a suggestion that would cheer her up.
“Listen, if you’re going to the castle to find her, tell her that she stole my name and I want it back.”
“I can’t—”
“Do it.” Star Light nods, and the two guards fall in line beside you. “Tell her I’ll fight her for it,” she says as they start marching you off.