222. A-Dressing Memories
Starlight took a look at the Friendship journal in her Counsellor office. She flipped through and was shocked to find SIX problems left on the list. “Whoa! I have six more problems? How did I miss those?” She wondered.
Nevertheless, she readied her time-travel spell. “Well, no matter! These problems won’t solve themselves.” She said as she jumped through the portal, heading to the past.
Meanwhile, Starlight and Spike in the past made their way inside Rarity’s boutique where she was making Twilight’s coronation gown. “Darling, we're all putting together something for the coronation.” The fashionista said blithely. “Be thankful you're not doing the gown. This is my fourteenth version!” She was already putting together said version of the gown as it already was.
“This is different. It's from all of us.” Spike said as he got out a blank scrapbook, which was later taken in Starlight’s magic. “And it's kind of about all of us, too.”
“I combined some ancient spells to make a magical scrapbook, and now all we need is some memories to go inside.” Starlight informed the fashionista.
“That way, Twilight can have a collection of memories to look at any time she wants.” Spike agreed. “All we need you to do is—“ suddenly, his sentence was cut off when they heard Twilight knocking on the door, wondering if her friend was there.
“Rarity? It's Twilight. Are you sure we need to do another fitting?” She asked from outside. “I don't think—GAH!” She screamed as she was teleported off-screen, which caught everyone inside off guard.
“Aah!” Starlight said in shock. “Did we mention we want it to be a surprise?!”
“Well...at least, we’ll be able to get some memories in the book right now.” Spike told his friends as he looked out the window and didn’t see Twilight anywhere.
Starlight looked out, and didn’t see her either. She sighed with relief. “You’re right, Spike.” Starlight said in agreement. “Rarity, got some pictures?”
Rarity went to her room, and came back with a few pictures. “Try these!” She suggested happily. “You’re good with magic, by the way!”
Starlight took a look at them and smiled. “These are perfect!” She beamed. “Well done, Rarity!” And cast a spell to activate the memories in the book.
Once that was taken care of, the two left the boutique, and were shocked to find Twilight hanging on a tree, and frightened.
“Twilight!” Starlight asked in shock. “How did you get up there?!”
“I don’t know!” Twilight shouted, as she was hanging on a tree branch that was about to break off. “Somepony get me down from there!” Starlight used her magic to carefully levitate her down safely.
“If I didn’t know better, I’d say that was your future self’s work.” Twilight guessed because of how she was teleported to that tree.
“I’m so sorry, Twilight!” Starlight confessed. “I would never even do such a thing!”
“I know you wouldn’t.” Twilight smiled at her friend. “I’m just wondering how your future self knew I was going to be there.”
“Me neither.” Starlight said.
“Well, we better go see Pinkie Pie.” Spike said. “See you later, Twi.”
“Okay!” Twilight said as she headed for Rarity’s store. As she saw her friends going to Sugarcube Corner, she couldn’t help but wonder how Future Starlight got there and how she was teleported to a tree.
223. Cakes For The Memories
“So let me get this straight...” Pinkie said, taking in a long exasperated breath. “You and Spike are putting together a magical book of memories that you plan to give to Twilight as a surprise at her coronation and you need me to get her to talk about her favourite memories of me so you can record them in your book?”
“Pretty much.” Spike said as he and Starlight stared at her for a little bit.
“Twilight is headed over to taste the cupcakes I made for her coronation...Ooh!” The party mare shouted with glee. “I know just how I can use that to get her memory muscles moving! Don’t worry!” She reassured them. “I totally got this!”
Starlight looked around and saw that there wasn’t any place for them to hide in the bakery. “That’s good.” She said, starting to feel worried. “...because there isn’t any place to hide while you—“ She was suddenly cut off as she and Spike were mysteriously teleported to her bedroom inside.
The two were both confused and then saw the closet in her bedroom. They looked at each other. “Want to get in there first, or should I?” She asked Spike as they started to whip out the memory book while going inside the closet.
While Pinkie was trying to get ready for Twilight’s visit, the memory book, alongside the memories were suddenly teleported to her, and they glowed pink. Pinkie was shocked and confused at first that they suddenly showed up before her.
Just then, she heard a scream, and looked out the window and was shocked to see Twilight hanging from a tree...again! The alicorn was just struggling to hold on for dear life. “Oh, not again!” Twilight shouted in shock. “Pinkie! Help me!”
“I’m coming, Twilight!” The party mare shouted, as she raced out of Sugarcube Corner, and that’s when the tree branch broke, causing Twilight to scream as she fell and landed on Pinkie! Luckily, SHE was there to cushion her fall! “Owie...” she said, as she was trying to recover.
“Thanks for being my cushion, Pinkie!” Twilight thanked her as she got up.
“Oh, waiter!” Pinkie said a little dizzy. “There’s some Sparkle in my soup!” Twilight just giggled and left, as she knew it was just Pinkie being Pinkie.
224. Memnagerie
“I’m already nervous about the performance and this isn’t helping.” Fluttershy said worriedly as she saw her animal friends not cooperating on how the coronation choreography was supposed to go. “I just don’t understand why no one will listen.”
“Do you think the animals might be picking up on your stage fright?” Twilight asked her friend. Just then without warning, Future Starlight appeared before the two!
“GAH!” Twilight said, as she was shocked at the sight of Starlight’s future self. “What are you going to do?” She asked scaredy. “Please don’t put me up in a tree again!”
“I’m not.” Future Starlight told her. “I’m gonna go easy on you this time! I have some advice...for her!” She pointed to Fluttershy, who was shocked when the future pony addressed her.
“Me?” Fluttershy asked confused.
“Yes, you.” The future pony told her, as she cast a spell on the animals.
“Oh, be careful!” Fluttershy said all panicky. However, Future Starlight’s spell made the animals dance in a perfect choreographic rhythm. The kind Pegasus was surprised and amazed by what she just saw.
“Think nothing of it!” The future pony told her. “Now, I’ve gotta get outta here! My past self’s gonna see me, and—“ she heard some rustling in the bushes and jumped back in shock. “I gotta go! See ya!” She readied her spell, and teleported away like there was no tomorrow.
At that moment, Present Starlight and Spike both climbed out of the bushes as they saw what happened. “Fluttershy!” Starlight cried out. “What happened?”
“Oh, I don’t know one way or the other.” Fluttershy told her friends. “But suddenly, now all my animals are dancing perfectly! Isn’t that great?” She smiled with warm content while the memory book duo was surprised at what they saw.
“Okay, seriously, who was that?" Spike asked in shock.
“I don’t know.” Starlight told him. “But, I do hope we never see her again.” And they didn’t see her again. At least, not until the next problem was waiting to be fixed so technically it all worked out fine.
225. Deep Tissue Memories
Starlight and Spike were walking to the Ponyville spa to find Rainbow Dash, even though it wasn’t something she’d usually go to! They went inside and were greeted by Aloe and Lotus, the Spa ponies
“Ah! Starlight Glimmer!” Lotus said to them. “So good to see you again!”
“Would you and your dragon friend like the usual suite of treatments?” Aloe asked them. The two shared a look of confusion. Nevertheless, they decided to take it.
“We’ll take the usual.” Starlight nodded, and the two spa ponies escorted them to the room. When the two got there, they were shocked to see Rainbow Dash there, all excited to see her friends. Starlight and Spike both didn’t know that the most awesome Pegasus was excited to see them. They both walked up to her as their friend was just finishing up a little treatment with the staff.
“And, a little off the top! Thank you!” Rainbow Dash said, as the spa staff nodded and went to take her request. “Hi, Starlight! Hi, Spike!” She said, waving to her friends. “How you guys doing?”
“Uh...great!” Starlight said a little sheepishly.
“We need your help.” Spike told her.
Starlight got out her memory book. “The magic I used to make this book will record whatever memories you two come up and we want the pages filled.” She reluctantly told her friend.
“Oh, I already got that all down!” Rainbow said, getting a bunch of motion pictures of her memories with Twilight and handing them to Starlight. “Thanks for helping out!”
Starlight was shocked. How did she even get all the memories if they hadn’t shown up yet?! “Wha—?” She asked. “Twilight’s not even here yet! How in Equestria could you have gotten those memories gathered up already?”
“Oh, did I forget to mention that I saw someone who looked like you and said you needed help with Twilight wanting to have some memories before her big day?” Rainbow Dash asked smugly. “She already helped me get all the memories I needed and BAM! Here they are!”
Starlight was surprised at all this...then, her mind clicked and put 2 and 2 together, and she figured out who showed up and helped her. “It’s my darn future self again!” Starlight cried, ready to almost pull her mane out. “She’s driving me crazy!”
Rainbow was confused. “Why do you get upset when she already came to fix this even though you should be happy?” She asked her.
“Because, she fascinates me with her time travel like I used to do!” Starlight said in pure shock. The wonderbolt and dragon were a little surprised that she somehow knew all this even though she didn’t see the future pony yet today and already, she was already having a stress fest on her mind.
226. Harvesting Memories
As the memory duo were heading up to Sweet Apple Acres to meet up with Applejack about getting memories for the memory book, Starlight felt a little uneasy about her future self showing up and already solving the problem before they got there.
“I just hope I don’t run into my future self today.” Starlight said, both worried and frustrated.
“Aw don’t worry, Starlight.” Spike reassured her. “I bet she’ll realize that you’re in charge of this problem and she’ll go away. All you need to do is to get memories of Applejack and Twilight in the book and we’ll be all set.”
Starlight sighed with relief, knowing that Spike was right. “You’re right, Spike.” She said, smiling at him. “We just have to go see Applejack, get her to talk up some memories and—“ just then, they saw Future Starlight already there talking with the farm mare. “ARE YOU KIDDING ME?!” She and her assistant marched up furiously to the two ponies about to wrap things up with their discussion. “ALRIGHT!” She shouted. “I HAVE—!” Suddenly, they froze up as if time stood still.
Applejack took notice of her friends and walked up to them. “Howdy, Starlight! Hey, Spike!” She said cheerfully. “What brings y’all here?” Starlight and Spike’s faces remained unchanged.
“Uh, guys? Are y’all okay?” She waved her hooves around at their faces, yet still there was no response. Her two friends were frozen in time. She yelped in shock as a voice behind her answered instead.
“Oh, come on. I know how to solve this.” the farm mare twisted to see a future version of a pale fuschia mare with a silky violet and aqua mane trotting towards her, an air of insistence in every step.
“Who the hay are you, and what in tarnation have you done to my friends?” Applejack enquired instantly, righteous anger and fear for the well-being of her anger rising with her.
“Just a friend on a friendship mission, AJ,” she offered cheerfully. “You do the math- no! Don’t, instead harvest some apples and make some apple pies for me for Twilight.”
“And why should I do that for you?” The farm mare threw her hat down angrily and gave a determined attempt at an intimidating stare at the stranger.
“Full of questions, aren’t you? How about this; if you bake a few apple pies and make some apple cider for me, Aunty Starlight won’t have to unlock my past self from the petrificus charm to tell her all about how her number one wonderbolt friend pilfers the trashy romance novels from the Castle of Friendship for some late night reading, hm?” The result was instantaneous. Eyes widened, hooves rose and waved urgently, the cowgirl taking a nervous step backwards.
“No! Anything but that!” She looked into her pointed gaze and relented, deciding to give in. “Very well, “Aunty Starlight,” what would you like me to buck?” Future Starlight grinned encouragingly, took a nice, deep breath, and told her.
“Just buck all those trees and get some down-to-earth treats ready for Twilight’s coronation, and you’ll be all set.” She said, pointing at all the trees that weren’t bucked yet.
The lilac mare gave a pleased smile at the farm mare and a swirl of her hoof. “Do it!”
“Really?” Applejack began to counter, brow quirked, “you know this sounds nothing like-“
“Trashy. Daring Do. Novels,” said Starlight smugly. A few bucks later, the deed was done. The unicorn smiled excessively to herself and petted her friend’s head one more time, before summoning a fresh purple circle of light to exit from.
“Catch you around, Best Friend.” she bid her with a farewell salute, before hopping backwards through the swirling portal. A flash and a crackle, all trace of her was gone, leaving Applejack to wonder what in the name of Celestia just happened.
The static pony and dragon reanimated as though the last thirty seconds had not occurred, and Starlight was the first to notice. “...A THING OR TWO ABOUT... wait, what?” Starlight said as she saw that Future Starlight was gone. “What the hay...? When we came here, I could have sworn I saw my future self here.”
“Ah think you’ve been feeling overtired, Starlight.” Applejack told her. “It explains a lot about where you're at.”
Starlight sighed as she rubbed her head and shared a little laugh with Spike. “Yeah...” she said a little tiredly. “I guess we were overtired.”
“I was hoping you’d say that.” The farm mare said, as she got out some bottles of apple cider with straws in it to share with her friends. “So, who wants some cider?”
Both Starlight and Spike exchanged some looks as they took the cider and shared it with their friend.
227. Memories And More
“It wasn’t easy getting Twilight’s memories of all her friends in there without her realizing it, but we did it!” Starlight said as Celestia and Luna were both flipping through the book and looking at the memories of their successor and her friends.
“I’m not so sure you did.” Luna said with a smirk as she closed the book.
This made Starlight and Spike’s expressions drop. “What do you mean?” Spike asked concerned.
The two regal princesses shared a smile. “You are both so thoughtful, clearly Twilight is important to you.” Celestia spoke up to them. “Don’t you think YOU might be important to her as well?”
Realization dawned as Starlight as she now knew what Celestia had said to her. “Right!” She turned to Spike. “We forgot to add ourselves!” She said to him worriedly.
Just then, a portal opened and sucked the memory book inside it. “Hey!” Starlight said angry upon seeing this, only for the book to drop BACK to the two. They picked it up, opened it and saw that there were some memories of themselves in there.
The two both exchanged looks of surprise, shock and excitement as they now had all the memories they needed for the book. “I guess that’s been fixed for us!” Spike said calm with excitement.
“I think my future self did us a favor!” Starlight said in relief as their problem was easily solved. “Now, all we need to do is go talk to Twilight!” Spike nodded as the two started to head back to Ponyville to see their friend.
They both entered the library and saw Twilight dejected upon looking at her empty library. Spike picked up his Power Ponies comic. “I think you're right, Twilight.” He said, trying to help her feel better. “I should take my comics to Canterlot. We can't leave the Power Ponies behind.”
“I don't think the Power Ponies care, Spike.” Twilight said, her emotion remaining unchanged. “Just like all of our friends.”
“Why would you think that?” Starlight asked. “Your friends DO care! They’re just trying to help you take your mind off the bad things about moving to Canterlot!” She carefully moved Twilight close to her, so that their eyes met. “It may seem like they’re worried about the coronation, but deep down inside, they DO care. You ARE going to rule together with your friends...and even me! It may not feel like it at first, but we promise it’ll be okay!”
Twilight’s sad face started to turn in a happy grin, knowing that her friends were right. “Thanks, you two.” She said. “I will admit I was a little worried about how the future would turn out, with me moving to Canterlot and you guys trying to find your new role for the new rule.”
“Speaking of which, we want to give this to you before you leave Ponyville.” Spike said, handing the memory book to Twilight.
“Since you're moving away, we thought if you missed any of us or Ponyville, this might help.” Starlight said as Twilight looked through the book and saw her favourite memories of all her friends, including Spike and Starlight.
Her heart warmed up and melted. “Awwwwww.” She said sweetly. “I love it. Thank you so much. But I don't want to only look back. Obviously the coronation might not be perfect, but that doesn't matter. It's our relationships that really count, and we have to maintain them.”
“That’s the spirit, Twilight!” Starlight said with pure confidence. “You got this! We got this!”
“Together!” Spike said, which Twilight smile more as she pulled her friends into a strong embracing hug.
Just then, the rest of the Mane six came to the library room in the Castle of Friendship. “All right, Twilight.” Applejack asked with the others smiling in agreement. “Are you ready?”
Twilight just smiled as she, Starlight and Spike all went up the the others, knowing that they got this under control and that they would always be together, even to form a council of Friendship later on to share how important their friendship is. This moment would be a perfect moment for all of her friends to remember.
228. The Last Problem
Starlight traveled 20 years into the future, and arrived at Canterlot Castle. She looked through the window and saw a pink unicorn with a peach-coloured mane talking to a Now Celestia-looking Twilight and a now grown-up Spike. “Bingo!” She thought. She made her way inside.
“But that’s just it!”, the student told Twilight. “I don’t want to make friends!”
“What?!” Spike blurted out.
Twilight gave him a reassuring glance. “So, you’d rather leave the School of Magic than make friends?” She asked her.
“I was hoping to start an independent course of study,” the student responded. “I want to accomplish as much as you have someday.”
“It’ll be hard to do without friends.”, Spike warned her.
The student had to disagree. “I’m not so sure. Friendship seems more like a distraction than anything else, and ultimately...a waste of time.”
“What?!”, Spike shouted.
“I know you and your friends accomplished A LOT to me,” the student continued. “But, that was so long ago. And as far as I can see, you rule by yourself now.”
“Uh, hello? Royal advisor right here!”, Spike pointed out.
“I don’t think there’s anything wrong with that.”, the student agreed. “In fact, I think it’s better! Plus, if friendships ultimately fade, why make them in the first place?”
“You know what, Luster Dawn?” Twilight never quite got a chance to finish her sentence, because without warning, Starlight Glimmer (from 20 years ago) appeared right before the ruler’s new student.
“Oh, please!”, the time traveler said after arriving before the student. “That’s an easy one!” She got out a stopwatch and handed it to Luster, who held it right to her chest.
“Hit the button on the top, when I say ‘Go!’”, Starlight told her, nodding first at the stopwatch and then at the student. "Ready... go!"
Luster hit the button.
“So, Twilight didn’t want to make friends and focus on books until Princess Celestia sent her to Ponyville where she not only made friends, but defeated Nightmare Moon who, Big surprise, was Princess Luna. Also, Twilight stayed in Ponyville to learn the magic of friendship. She and her friends even managed to fight off Discord, whom Fluttershy, the element of kindness reformed later on. Then, Queen Chrysalis took control of Twilight’s foalsitter, Cadence, whom she found in time and she used her love with Shining Armor to defeat her. King Sombra returned...TWICE and Cadence and the Mane Six defeated her with the crystal heart and friendship. Twilight then became an alicorn after mastering a spell by Star Swirl the Bearded. She then lost the Golden Oaks library after defeating Lord Tirek, And got the castle of Friendship. She met me on her first friendship problem while I was robbing ponies of their cutie marks in the past, I even tried to kill her and Spike twice but became her pupil later on! I even managed to stop a changeling hive, got defeated by a little filly, but the friendship school students stopped her. And we saved the pillars from the Pony of Shadows in limbo, and opened a School of Friendship.”
Starlight took a deep, shuddering breath.
“And in the present, you’re a lot like Twilight before she moved to Ponyville because she didn’t want to make friends at first, which is what YOU’RE like right now. And if you give friendship a chance, you might meet Twilight’s friends, and they might tell you that their friendship is still standing as you may know. And one day, you might move to Ponyville and make some new friends of your own, and have the same adventures just like Twilight herself was having. So, that makes your stress and your friendship problem fly out the window! Time! How long was that?”
Luster Dawn was taken aback at all the information she just took in all at once. After a moment's pause, the mare's still-ticking stopwatch slipped out of her outstretched hooves and clunked down onto the palace floor.
"Hmm," Glimbutt hummed. "All right, if I just call that thirty seconds, are you gonna say anything?"
Luster was still standing agape. "Awesome. Good talk. See you in 20 years." She left the castle in a hurry.
“Who was that?, she managed to ask.
“Long story.”, was all the Celestia-looking Twilight could say.
Starlight got to the garden and was proud of herself, nevertheless. “Well done, Starlight.”, she thought out loud to herself. She was just about to teleport back to the present, only to realize that she still had yet one more problem to solve.
BONUS. Rainbow Roadtrip
Mayor Sunny Skies was at the stage front-and-center as he was just about to get the rainbow generator. He was a little nervous. The townsponies were drifting apart, and he wasn’t so sure how he could get them all together.
“What’s wrong, Sunny?”, a single, yet worried mare with a frilled mane named Petunia Pettles asked.
“I’m just not sure that the ponies of Hope Hollow are going to have their hope with them in time.”, the mayor fretted. “I mean, I know I added more power to the rainbow generator to give it a more powerful aura, but I don’t know if that will help get their hopes high enough.” He was staring to get even more nervous by the minute. But just then, a lavender unicorn with a cyan hairline happened to show up. The ponies of the hollow looked at her and were quite surprised. Even the mayor and Petunia were shocked as well!
“Who are you?”, Mayor Skies questioned.
“Who I am isn’t important.”, the mare known as Starlight Glimmer answered. “Right now, your town is in a funk! Your town is losing its hope!” She was a little urgent in responding.
“You noticed that just now?” Sunny asked.
“Yes, I did!”, Starlight answered in alarm. “Ponies are losing their hope because they don’t feel like they are able to trust one another!” She then took a look at the rainbow generator, and right then, she instantly figured out what the problem was. “You’re trying too hard, Mayor Skies. You’re giving the generator too much power! And what happens when you add too much power to anything? Anything at all??”
The ponies wondered what would happen if he did add too much power. To which Starlight replied, “You get a big colourless drought with no happiness!” Sunny And Petunia both gasped. They didn’t want the end of the rainbow to come to this! Not at all!
“You need to have faith in your community!” Starlight had rallied all of Hope Hollow into one pep talk. “You need to show your true colours! You need to show them that you can still be friends! You just gotta believe in yourself and others, and never give up! And if by chance you do, tell them you’re made of something else!” The confident mare’s pep talk knocked some sense into the citizens, that they realized she was onto something.
“You know, she’s right!”, an old stallion named Moody Root said. “We need to believe in ourselves! And each other!”
“I agree with her too!” A Manehattan pony and his wife answered. “And me too!”
“We can’t give up hope, even if things get tough in the darkest times!”, a colt named Barley yelled out. His sister, Pickle Barrel seemed to agree as well! “If What he says is true, then I believe him!”
“We came all this way to have hope to build Hope Hollow.”, a mechanic named Torque added. “And we’re not about to lose hope just yet!”
“I’m with her as well!”, a designer named Kerfluffle chimed in as well! “If that mare has faith in our little town, and our mayor, then so do we!”
“Me too!”
“I agree too!”
“And us too!”
Everyone in Hope Hollow all shouted that they agree that they decided to continue to cheer up, and never give up home. Their cheers went up really loud. So loud, that it even caught the attention of the Mayor and his assistant.
Mayor Skies couldn’t believe his eyes or ears! Everyone in town was cheering for him. They were really cheering for him! And it seemed like he wasn’t about to give up hope either.
“You see, Mayor Skies?” Starlight Glimmer reassured him. “Everypony is cheering for you, believe they all believe in you. The only pony you need to believe in...” she pointed her hoof toward him. “...is yourself!”
The mayor heard the cheers and cries from everyone in the crowd, and once he heard those cheers, he knew what must be done. “You’re right.” He said. “I’m not giving up! We just have to believe in every one of us, and that gives us hope! That’s how you’ll truly give hope and faith to everypony!” Everyone went up in a big cheer of approval. Sunny Skies decreased the power added to the rainbow generator, and it was all set. He then turned the machine on, and made his confident announcement, “Let the great annual Rainbow Festival begin!” And with that, the rainbow flew out of the generator, Shining colors like never before! Everyone cheered. Starlight was especially proud of the mayor, because not only didn’t he lose faith, but showed everyone to not give up. The time traveler checked her watch, and saw that time was almost up, so she made one more important announcement for all the community to hear. “Who wants some rainbow pizza?” She shouted. And teleported dozens of rainbow pizza over to the crowd, which they just started eating and having a good time!
Petunia Pettles, Who was very proud of the Mayor hugged him. “Oh, I knew you could do it, Sunny!”, she said with joy! “I just knew you could!”
Mayor Skies was very proud to have joy, hope and trust still in the town of Hope Hollow, and he couldn’t have been more prouder. He then turned to thank Starlight Glimmer, but she was gone.