//------------------------------//
// Scars of the Past 
// Story: Sunset's Student 
// by Manaphy 
//------------------------------//

	Of all the catastrophes that befell Sweetie, this ranked among the worst.

Any hopes of her special lessons being conducted tomorrow were dashed. Sunset postponing or canceling her next session was now possible, and finding Trixie became more of a dream if anything. Dinky could've been anywhere, and even though she had no direct role in what happened, her heart nevertheless sank into the abyss.

No matter how she approached the problem, Sweetie figured it'd end up with her to blame. Her magic lessons would've definitely come to a screeching halt.

However, making sure Dinky was unharmed outweighed everything else.

If Sweetie knew some kind of tracking spell to find Dinky and bring her home safely, things probably would've ended without conflict. But she was still an amateur, just learning the ropes of magic, and whether such a spell even existed crossed her mind. 

Her hooves ached as she galloped across the roads, weaving around any obstacles in her way. Some passersby glanced at her for a moment, shrugging and returning to whatever it was they were doing beforehoof. A few familiar faces waved at her as she pranced past them. Some of them, Bon Bon and Fleur de Lis in particular, all wore bright faces as though they yearned to share some stories. Sweetie only had the time for a quick apology as she barreled past, all amounting to one or two words, but their nods loosened her chest.

Twilight's castle was closer to where Sweetie was than Carousel Boutique. Glancing up at the castle, Sweetie couldn't help herself from scrutinizing the gleaming details and how the surface seemingly glowed in the sunset. It took her breath away.

However, gawking at marvelous lights was something that could wait.

"I just gotta tell Twilight what happened," Sweetie muttered under her breath. Her lungs burned like overheating furnaces. "Sunset should know, too. And maybe I'll—"

Without warning, Sweetie crashed into something in front of her, a loud grunt reaching her ears. She slid across the dirt as clouds of light brown smoke rose into the air. Upon coming to rest, Sweetie clenched her teeth and slowly propped herself up, the entire right side of her body covered in twangs.

"What happened?" Sweetie whispered to herself, rubbing her right shoulder. "There wasn't anything there last I checked."

As the dust cleared, however, Sweetie gasped upon realizing a figure before her got the worst of it.

Before her was a seemingly motionless mare, her silver mane flapping with the wind. It was the same story for her stylized hat and cape. Sweetie swallowed a lump, cheeks pale. She hoped the mare wasn't unconscious. And at the same time, the mare was eerily familiar as well. Sweetie's blood froze as she pieced the puzzle together.

By some sheer coincidence, she had knocked over Trixie, groans leaving the wizard's mouth. At this rate, Sweetie figured she'd end up accidentally summoning Queen Chrysalis over to Ponyville due to a botched spell or be forced to listen to Miss Harshwhinny lecture about professionalism for three hours straight.

Trixie opened her eyes, then blinked. She pushed herself upright and adjusted her hat. Sweetie cringed at the dirt covering her, but much to her relief, no bruises or wounds covered the mare.

"I-I'm so sorry!" Sweetie blurted out. She caught her breath. "I was running because a friend of mine got lost, but I wasn't looking where I was going, and then I—"

Trixie placed the tip of her hoof on her lips and then shushed Sweetie. "It's fine," she said. "I'm a little sore, but Trixie will recover soon enough. Just watch where you're going next time." She paused for a moment, making eye contact with Sweetie before cracking a slight smile. "Say, aren't you Rarity's sister? Sweetie Belle, right?"

Sweetie nodded. "Yep!" A moment later, she arched an eyebrow. "But how do you know my name? We've barely even met, let alone interacted with each other outside of me watching one of your shows."

"Princess Twilight told me about you once. We caught up after I made sure some of my friends staying in Ponyville were okay after the whole Tirek incident. Luckily, they were unharmed, though I'd rather forget that day ever happened." Rubbing the back of her neck, Trixie gently motioned to Sweetie. "When Trixie mingled with Twilight, she told me about how she and her friends were doing."

"Yeah, we've gotten ourselves into all sorts of crazy things." Sweetie faintly chuckled, then trotted over to where Trixie was. "Ever since Twilight's new castle came up, we've all been involved in some strange and exciting stories. I got my cutie mark, Rarity helped solve a mystery, and so much more!"

"Trixie has dabbled in mysteries before." Taking a deep breath, Trixie sped up and made a beeline to where Twilight's castle was. "And you don't have to worry about your accident. I forgive you, but our little discussion can wait." She took a quick breath, picking up the pace while Sweetie galloped right beside her. "Your friend is in danger, yes?"

Sweetie quickly nodded.

"Then there's no time to waste. As brilliant as Trixie is, we'll need all the help we can get."

Both Sweetie and Trixie arrived at the front door to Twilight's castle, the gold plates shining as brightly as ever. Sweetie leaped at the door like a frog and pounded away at it. Loud clacks rang into her ears, Sweetie wincing a little. And after several knocks on the door, it finally crept open. A sigh left Sweetie's lips, hooves aching.

Standing before her were Twilight and Sunset, both of them with concerned expressions across their faces.

Twilight's eyes swiveled around as she scanned the world before her. A few seconds later, she then cocked her head. "Sweetie Belle, Trixie, what are you doing here?" she asked. "I know Sweetie and Sunset were going to ask you, Trixie, about teaching certain spells, but is there something I can help you with?"

"Yes!" Sweetie shouted at the top of her lungs. "Dinky has gone missing!"

Twilight gasped and stepped back, wings unfurled. "What? We need to find her!"

Sunset made her way up to Sweetie and pursed her lips. "What exactly happened? Are you okay?"

"I'm fine." Glancing over to where Trixie stood, Sweetie blushed. Her cheeks tautened. "Though I kinda crashed into Trixie on the way over here." She feigned a smile and nervously giggled. "She's okay, too." Sweetie brought her attention back to Sunset. The lack of emotion adorning Sunset's visage sent chills down her spine. "Anyway, my friends and I were playing hide-and-seek, and we all did everything we could to ensure it went by safely."

"And Dinky somehow got lost?"

"Yep."

"Do we have any clues to where she may have gone?" Sunset rubbed her muzzle. "We can't all just search around blindly. Otherwise, we'll never find her quickly."

"No clues." Sulking, Sweetie donned a sagging frown. "All we know is that she's gone off somewhere."

"In that case, we'll need to form multiple search parties. Pegasi can patrol the skies and get a good view of where she may have gone, while everypony else can cover the ground and any dense forests or residential areas. If we spread the word during our search, we can get more ponies to join in and it might be easier and faster. We'll cover more ground that way as well."

Sweetie raised her head and made eye contact with Sunset. She then nodded. "Okay, that sounds like a good idea. Since we don't have any clues, it's our best bet."

"I'd like to help, too," Trixie added, crossing her forelegs. "I never got a chance to repay everypony for saving me from the Alicorn Amulet a while ago, so while it can't make up for any of the bad things I've done, I'd be honored to assist you in finding Dinky. I could light the way in darker places."

"You're more than welcome to join us," Twilight said. "We'll need all the help we can get."

"Thank you." Trixie bowed to Twilight, maintaining eye contact. "Trixie—I will do my best."

"There's no need to bow. And you're welcome." Twilight took a deep breath and placed a hoof on her chest. Upon exhaling, she extended her foreleg out and closed her eyes for a moment. "Come on, everypony. Let's go find Dinky."

Sunset and Twilight trotted out of the castle, the latter swiftly closing the door and checking thrice to make sure it was locked. Once everything was in place, she nodded and galloped away from the crystal structure, only looking back once to finally ensure nothing was opened. Sweetie, Sunset, and Trixie all followed close behind.

Normally, the mere fact that she was working together with three of the most talented unicorns in Equestria would've plastered a beaming grin on Sweetie's face.

The context was anything but normal.

It didn't take too long for Sweetie's hooves to ache a tad. Then again, dashing across the dirt roads and not even pausing for a second to catch her breath worked out the muscles in her body. As before, she and the others all passed by residents of Ponyville; most of them were watching the group's journey.

"Does anypony know where Dinky is?" Twilight bellowed. "We need to find her as soon as possible! Any information on her whereabouts is appreciated!"

And as Sweetie sped past the residents, most of them shook their heads and formed their own search parties. Bon Bon was where she last stood the last time Sweetie spotted her, the mare waving her forelegs, gathering some of her friends, and then instructing them on where to search. Even the normally frightened Roseluck donned a serious expression, brow sagging, and set up plans on where to search. Three Wonderbolts visiting the town on behalf of Cloudsdale also sprang into action and joined the search.

Soon enough, most of the town was a part of the investigation. Sweetie's party had already reached Carousel Boutique; not a scrap of evidence was discovered, though with everypony's help, they'd likely find something soon enough.

Making a beeline toward the front door, Sweetie pounded on the wooden frame.

"Rarity!" Sweetie called out at the top of her lungs. "Rarity! We need your help!"

The door opened in a flash. Before Sweetie was none other than her sister, cheeks pale and pupils shrunk. "What's wrong, dear?" she asked.

"Dinky's missing!"

"What?" Rarity gasped, legs wiggling as she almost toppled over. "What are we waiting for? We need to hurry!" Biting her lip, she hurriedly tapped the ground. "But where shall we go? We don't have any leads, right? We'd probably end up tiring ourselves out before we find a scrap of evidence."

"The Everfree Forest?" Sweetie meekly suggested. Her shoulders sagged.

Rarity shuddered for a moment. She glanced back at Carousel Boutique and then back to Sweetie. "Okay, but we'll need to be careful. The Everfree Forest is a ghastly place. And I guess—" she cleared her throat "—I guess I can wash up when we get back. Dinky needs us, dear."

"Alright, let's head on over to the Everfree Forest," Twilight said. She ruffled her wings. "Stick close and don't stray too far, okay?"

Everypony else nodded.

Sweetie pursed her lips for a moment. The Everfree Forest was infamous for the perils and mysteries residing in it, though if Dinky was ever going to be found, courage had to ride alongside her for now. Besides, with all of the calamities Equestria had survived, a dark forest was nothing. As everypony trotted toward the cluster of trees, Sweetie kept her head up high.

Maybe the search wouldn't take too long after all.



Sweetie gulped as the group arrived at the forest's entrance. Incurring Rarity's wrath whenever Sweetie accidentally messed up one of her dresses was the only thing comparable to the nightmarish world that was the Everfree Forest. And with much of it already shrouded in shadows, maybe the search would take more time than she'd thought.

An uneven path went into one of the few open areas of the forest. Owls hooted and fluttered about, even though the sun had yet to fall below the horizon. Heartbeats filled Sweetie's ears as her throat tightened. Ever since her previous escapades into the Everfree Forest, Sweetie wished she'd never have to set hoof in such a place ever again. The putrid stenches which came from some of the region's flowers returned to her, Sweetie's nose scrunching up in an instant.

If Dinky was stuck in there, however, Sweetie knew she'd storm in without a second thought.

However, the uncertainty of her location was just enough for apprehension to kick in. But at least she had Sunset, Twilight, and Trixie with her.

"Okay, we'll stay on the path at first," Twilight said. She glanced over to the other ponies, all of them nodding in unison. "If we don't find anything, we'll diverge onto the unpaved areas, but we'll have to stick close to each other no matter what. Splitting up is dangerous, and even if it may cover more ground, the risks just aren't worth it."

"And exactly how far does the path go?" Sunset asked.

Trixie raised her hoof. "A couple of miles," she said. "The path is mostly straight and there are few forks in the road, so getting lost is unlikely as long as we don't get distracted. Should the path split into two directions, we'll need to agree on a direction. Even if Trixie is certain—" Trixie paused. She blushed. "I mean, we'll scan the area and decide what to do from there."

"Sounds like a plan," Sweetie said. She slowly trotted forward, everypony else in the group lumped together. "Let's do this."

Twilight, Sunset, Rarity, and Trixie all lit their horns, illuminating the pathway. The forest itself wasn't too troublesome at first. The sky was still visible, if mostly covered by the treetops, and the whistling birds coupled with the soothing song of a nearby river added some aural beauty to it all. The dark green leaves and shrubs also had their own sense of awe, though sweat dripped down Sweetie's forehead nonetheless. If the stern visages everypony else wore were anything to go by, it was that she couldn't let her guard down.

And despite spending at least fifteen minutes or so swiveling their heads around and studying every square inch of the forest, nothing indicating Dinky's presence was found. No hoofprints, no strands of her coat or mane, and not even whimpers revealed themselves. It was just some plants.

"Have you found anything yet?" a voice hollered.

For some reason, the voice came from above. Sweetie raised her head and noticed the three Wonderbolts from before flying above the group. Misty Fly, Blaze, and Soarin were the ones present; Sweetie easily recognized their distinct manes, Rainbow Dash describing them to her and the other Cutie Mark Crusaders in great detail after returning from Canterlot one day.

"Nothing yet!" Twilight orated. "Just a bunch of trees!"

"We've only covered about a third of the forest, but we've found nothing," Misty continued. She paused and focused on Rarity. "Hey, Rarity."

"Good evening, Misty Fly," Rarity said. "And good evening to your friends as well, but there's no time to gossip."

"Obviously. And if you're here as well, but nothing has been found, then—" Misty paused for a second "—then maybe Dinky ran off somewhere else. We've tried seeing if any light purple or blond strands have fallen anywhere in Ponyville, but nothing came up. And somepony told us she ran off toward the Everfree Forest, only to realize later that was where she went."

"Who told you, dear?"

"Minuette," Soarin answered. "She and her friends made their own group and headed off into the forest as well. Dinky could be anywhere now, though she's likely still somewhere in the forest."

"At least we're in the right place," Sweetie muttered to herself. She glanced down at the ground, sulking. Checking on Dinky's health was most important, but something prodding her urged Sweetie to slap some common sense into Dinky's brain. Sure, she was the epitome of a brilliant mind with the occasionally awful decisions and sense of direction, but she got into trouble a little too often. "Please be okay."

"We'll keep on searching!" Blaze announced. She glanced to the left, then to the right. "If you need us, just fire off a signal of some sort. It shouldn't take us too long to catch up."

"Sounds good!" Twilight hollered back. She then cocked her head. "Good luck!"

"I wish the same for you!" Misty responded.

And just like that, the three Wonderbolts turned left and resumed their search. Sweetie couldn't help but crack the faintest of smiles, her heart ticklish and warm. Something about the whole town helping out, even visiting ponies who were stuck doing some sort of assignment, comforted her like a fluffy blanket. While not all ponies lent a helping hoof or were even nice, reflecting on this community effort loosened her muscles.

Such reasons were why Ponyville was a wonderful town, even with the occasional disaster or awkwardness.

Tension still constricted her chest, but at least a glimmer of hope was along for the ride.

Dinky was okay; that was almost certainly the case in Sweetie's eyes.

Sweetie took a deep breath.

"Everypony!" Trixie cried out. "Look what I've found!"

Upon escaping her trance, Sweetie glanced over to where Trixie was. Twilight, Rarity, and Sunset focused on their partner as well.

"What is it?" Twilight asked. "Did you find a clue?"

Trixie nodded and then trotted over to a seemingly ordinary shrub. "It might be hard to see, but if you look closely, I think I see a strand of Dinky's mane caught in this little shrub. There are some hoofprints, too!" She motioned toward Sweetie and company, cheeks stretched. "I think she crossed it and went straight ahead."

The rest of the group all made a beeline toward the shrub in question. Leaning closer toward the prickly leaves, Sweetie scrutinized the plant, noticing some of the aforementioned leaves and some nearby twigs bent or broken off. Nothing seemed out of the ordinary, however, as no signs of Dinky or anypony else made themselves known. She rubbed her muzzle; perhaps she was going about this the wrong way.

The lack of brightness may have played a role.

"Sunset Shimmer, how do you cast a light spell?" Sweetie asked, turning her head toward Sunset. "I'm having a bit of trouble seeing it."

"Illumination spells are rather simple," Sunset said. "For starters, take a deep breath. Once you're feeling a little calmer, try imagining your horn is like a flashlight, a lighthouse, or anything similar. If done correctly, your horn will glow a bright aura, but it won't mess with anything surrounding you." Pausing for a second, Sunset then trotted closer to Sweetie. She knelt down and placed a hoof on Sweetie's shoulder. "And that's all there is to it."

"It's that simple?"

Sunset nodded. "Yep. And unlike the teleportation spell we practiced last time, this spell is one of the few that requires hardly any practice to master."

"Got it." Sweetie took a quick breath, imagining a beacon of light enveloping her horn. And in the blink of an eye, her horn radiated a green light. Sweetie donned a slight smirk. Something about picking up a spell and getting it right away, even if it was one of the simplest ones in the book, tickled her coat. "There we go!"

"You've got it! Now, let's see if we can spot what Trixie found."

Much of what Sweetie spotted before was the same, however. The same leaves, twigs, and patches of soil were in front of her.

However, a glowing speck appeared in the corner of Sweetie's eye. She shifted her attention to the part in question. A blond strand of what must've been Dinky's tail swung on one of the branches. Just below it was a small indentation in the soil; the circular divot had to have been Dinky's hoof. Yet there was another hoofprint beside it, only larger.

Sweetie gulped, throat tightened. Either one of the rescue parties had already made their way toward Dinky, or something ferocious was chasing her. Shivering, Sweetie pursed her lips. "Please be okay," she whispered under her breath. "I hope that other hoofprint is from a rescue party."

"Those hoofprints were what I first noticed," Trixie said. She patted herself on the back, adorning a glum expression in the blink of an eye. It was as though she could flip between overly boastful and serious in a flash. Sweetie couldn't help herself from arching an eyebrow at such whiplash. "So we can say for certain that Dinky was here at some point." Trixie tapped the soil and clenched her teeth. "But where?"

"Let's look at the facts," Rarity said. "We've had the Wonderbolts and Minuette confirm Dinky was somewhere within the forest during their search. Next, we have this shrub, the strand from her tail, and the hoofprints next to it." She leaned closer to the hoofprints, scrunching her muzzle and gently measuring them with her hoof. "These hoofprints have a similar depth, so it's fair to assume that these were planted minutes apart."

"So somepony must've witnessed her entering the forest," Sweetie added. "Either that or this pony was following her to begin with."

"Correct, dear. This mysterious pony must've followed Dinky, but was just far away enough to where this witness couldn't stop her from entering the forest. The next question then becomes whether this figure warned Dinky ahead of time or said nothing. Furthermore, is the figure friend or foe?"

Twilight shivered as if a blizzard swirled past. "Please be a friend."

"Hold on a second," Sunset muttered. Parting the shrub, she gazed at the hoofsteps printed into the soil. Sunset quickly glanced at her hooves. "I see it. Dinky must've trotted straight ahead. The figure followed her as well." She pursed her lips for a moment and took a deep breath. "If we hurry, we'll catch up to Dinky. We'll also possibly find out who followed her and why."

"What are we waiting for?" Trixie blurted out. She hopped over the shrub, the rest of the group either following suit or merely trotting around it. Sweetie merely elected to make her way around the plant; her small stature wasn't exactly the best for leaping to new heights. "Let's go!"

Meandering across the forest, especially with no road to guide her and give her somewhere to catch her breath, had to have been one of Sweetie's greatest challenges. Sweat cascaded down her forehead like a rainstorm only a few minutes into the adventure. Her hooves ached as though she'd stepped over a field of sewing needles. The cracking of fallen twigs and the rustling of leaves prodded her ears, Sweetie yearning for the cacophonous tune to end soon. And while no wild animals and feral beasts leaped out of the shadows, the hooting of owls and the distant howls froze her blood.

At least she knew Dinky was somewhere up ahead.

"I know where I am!" a familiar voice cried out from afar. "Stop saying I'm lost already!"

Sweetie's ears twitched. Ceasing her trotting, she swiveled her head toward the voice's source and licked her lips. "Did anypony hear that?" she asked.

"I did," Sunset replied, nodding. "Was that Dinky?"

"That's definitely her." Sweetie trudged forward and rolled her eyes. "And it's typical of her to argue she's not lost."

A sigh left Sweetie's lips. Dinky getting lost wasn't anything new, though this was the first time where search parties got involved regarding her whereabouts. It made little sense that her mother was Derpy Hooves, the esteemed mailmare theorized as having a compass planted in her head. She was a little clumsy at times and made mistakes, but if mail needed to be sent, she was the one to ask. The last time Dinky took a few wrong turns, Derpy had to pull her in the right direction. But even with her among the search parties, Sweetie counted herself lucky in being close to finding Dinky.

After all, even the most astute of explorers had trouble scanning the Everfree Forest.

No shouting matches followed, the forest quiet enough to where Sweetie heard her own breathing. With burning lungs, she noticed a pair of colorful dots up ahead. One was a light purple, the same color as Dinky's coat; the other was a bright pink, but the purple and aquamarine colors atop it ruled out Pinkie Pie as being the one who followed Dinky.

Instead, it was that strange mare from before.

"Who's that?" Sweetie asked.

Twilight squinted at the pair. Her cheeks tautened as she glanced over to Sweetie. "It's Starlight Glimmer."

"What?" Sweetie's heart skipped a beat. "You mean the one I was supposed to avoid?"

"So that mare's name was Starlight Glimmer?" Sunset asked. She bit her lip.

"Yes to both. Starlight's nicer now, but she's supposed to avoid getting too involved with the town until I know she's changed for the better, hence why I cautioned everypony who asked about her. We agreed to this, but it's a long story." Twilight turned toward Sunset, then raised an eyebrow. "Also, I thought you didn't know who Starlight Glimmer was?"

Sunset's shoulders sagged. "Sort of. The truth is that the name was faintly familiar. I just forgot it was that pony's name." Adopting a downcast expression, Sunset released a soft sigh. "We went to Celestia's School for Gifted Unicorns together. Starlight was always an overachiever and not one for talking. Whenever somepony tried talking to her, she'd mention something about this Sunburst character and shut us off. And as for me, I—" Sunset swallowed a lump "—I'd rather not talk about it."

"Maybe you can both become friends," Sweetie suggested.

"I doubt that. Starlight might be the kind of mare who holds a grudge."

"But you couldn't have done something bad to her, right?"

Sunset pursed her lips. Not a word left her mouth.

"Oh."

Arching an eyebrow, Sweetie brought her attention back to Dinky and Starlight, their conversation becoming clearer the closer she got. Sunset seemed nice enough as far as Sweetie knew, and Twilight wasn't one to spend time with anypony cruel. Perhaps Sunset merely made a mistake that poked Starlight's nerves back then. And if it was long ago, chances were that Starlight had forgotten about what occurred. But Sunset's behavior only further twisted Sweetie's mind into a corkscrew.

She needed to figure out what happened. Once again, curiosity was nagging her to find out the truth.

Sweetie just wished the truth wasn't harsh.

"Dinky!" Sweetie called out, waving a hoof across. "We're here!"

As the five ponies approached the scene, Dinky raised her head and stared at them, a slight smile across her face. Starlight followed suit a second later, quickly donning a slight frown instead.

Sweetie's cheeks tautened. As she glanced over to where Sunset was, she noticed her face also turning pale at the mere sight of Starlight's expression. Tension crushed Sweetie's bones; her breathing quickened as she slowly approached the pair. If Starlight was as dangerous as Twilight alluded to, the thought of getting a spell to the face churned Sweetie's stomach. After all, Equestria still had trouble getting Discord to behave at times, the most recent Grand Galloping Gala one example.

"You seriously had to bring her along?" Starlight asked. She ruffled her brow and approached the group. "Honestly, Sunset Shimmer was the last pony I wanted to see again." Sighing, Starlight then shifted her focus to Twilight. "I know you're the Princess of Friendship, but is this all some sort of plot so that I have to make amends with that snake?"

Sweetie shuddered. "Snake? What are you talking about? Sunset is one of the nicest ponies I've ever met. What could she have done to you that would make you feel this way?" A quick breath left her lips. "And secondly, we've been searching for Dinky, not some grand scheme to force you into making friends with everypony who wronged you."

"I'm sorry." Starlight placed a hoof to her chest, then gazed at Dinky for a moment. The filly wore a perplexed expression, brow raised and mouth slightly open. "First, you're probably wondering why I'm here. I saw Dinky trotting into this forest. I tried shouting, but Dinky was too far away to hear me." She paused for a moment. "At that point, I had no choice but to follow her into the forest, and that's how we ended up here."

"Yeah, that's pretty much what happened," Dinky added, shrugging.

"I believe you, Starlight," Twilight said as she approached the mare. "You were trying to do the right thing, and for that, I'm proud of you." She sighed, ruffling her wings. "But whatever happened between you and Sunset shouldn't make you this angry now. You never told me about your past with her. All I knew was where your plans originated—after Sunburst abandoned you."

"You honestly think that my whole story was just that one event?" Starlight rolled her shoulders. "And besides, you never asked. Sunburst ditching me only planted the seeds of my—" Starlight gulped "—foolish ideas."

"And what does Sunset have to do with all of this?" Sweetie asked. "There's no way she could've been so mean to you, right?"

"I don't know what happened to you, Sunset." Starlight shot a glare at Sunset, the latter recoiling a bit. "You were the brattiest pony I ever dealt with." Sticking her tongue out, Starlight pretended to hack something up. "You always bragged about how much better you were than everypony else and that you were destined to become the next Princess of Equestria."

"Trixie is boastful as well," Trixie confessed. With a faint chuckle leaving her lips, she blushed. "However, I became a kinder and more generous mare during my troubled experiences. I'm making an honest effort. From what it sounds like, you also had a troubled past and made mistakes, but shouldn't that mean you should give ponies another chance?"

Starlight crossed her forelegs, pouting. "You wish it was that simple. My relationship with her isn't exactly simple." Pausing for a moment, she took a deep breath and placed a hoof on her chest. "See, Sunset also bullied me back then. While she was far from the only one to tease me, her words had to have been the worst." Starlight cringed. "It was one of the worst parts about growing up."

"What?" Sweetie shrieked. Swiveling her head to face Sunset, Sweetie's mouth hung agape. Her heart sank as Sunset's head hung low, a frown across her face. "You couldn't have been so mean to others, right?"

A deep sigh left Sunset's mouth. She wiped her eyes and sniffled. "Sweetie, it's true. I understand why you'd be upset, but Twilight can back me up a bit." She took another deep breath. "I once thought I was Celestia's gift to the world. My ego also carried a bullying streak. The moment I got my cutie mark, I thought I was destined for greatness. It—may have hurt Starlight much more than I thought back then." She sighed, gently kicking the air. "Also, remember when I asked who Starlight Glimmer was back at Sugarcube Corner?"

Sweetie nodded, as did Twilight and Rarity.

"I recognized something about it, but I tried to hide it." She sighed. "I was embarrassed."

"But why did you hide it?" Sweetie asked. "You honestly looked like you didn't know, too."

"I kinda shouted it, remember?" Sunset wiggled her forelegs, the sounds of her breaths reaching Sweetie's ears. "Anyway, what happened back then was that Starlight was among what most deemed as one of the stranger foals. She always said that cutie marks were bad and that we were doing things the wrong way. With how I saw my cutie mark and my attitude back then, the results were messy."

Starlight bobbed her head. "And the results were messy," she said. Starlight trudged up to Sunset with a glum expression. "The mean nicknames and how you and a few others sometimes threw gum at me or stuffed me into lockers were among the worst of it." With a quick breath, Starlight pursed her lips. "You can all call me crazy, but that's part of how it all went down."

"If I had bumped into you again, I'd have apologized for everything I did." Sunset's eyes twinkled. "I should never have bullied you like that. You may have been lonely back then, and with your friend moving away, you must've looked for anything to place the blame on. I understand where you're coming from, but let's just put aside our past for once and move on, okay?"

Starlight shook her head. "You'll have to prove that you're a better pony first."

"But she is a better pony," Twilight said, raising her hoof. "And just like you and Trixie, Sunset has changed and matured for the better. She's no longer the bully from the past. She's a much better pony now. Can you please let this grudge go?"

Starlight brought her gaze to Twilight, then shrugged. "Maybe." Trotting past the four and not looking back, Starlight's horn shone a light blue aura, illuminating the path before her. "Anyway, Dinky's unharmed. She just took a wrong turn." Freezing in place, she then tapped the ground. "And Sunset Shimmer, just leave me alone for a little while." She then resumed trudging forward and taking short steps. "That's all I ask. And sorry for stepping outside a little too much, Twilight." Starlight glanced back at the princess. "I just didn't want anypony to get hurt."

"You did the right thing. However, please consider what I said about forgiving Sunset Shimmer, okay?"

Starlight turned away and said nothing. As the ponies all watched her trotting into the shadows, not a peep left their mouths. Sweetie, however, spent most of her time gazing into Sunset's eyes. Tears rolled down her cheeks as she wiped her eyes, struggling to avoid shedding any more of them. The picture before Sweetie was simple to decipher. Sunset feared she'd be ordered to abandon teaching Sweetie; their first lessons were filled with laughter, cheers, and smiles for a reason. And while Sunset's actions were terrible, Sweetie couldn't help but think of Trixie and Diamond Tiara.

Both of them were rotten in the past. Yet they all grew into better ponies in the end.

Chances were that it was the same for Sunset, at least according to Sweetie.

And before she even had a chance to speak up, a group of six ponies emerged from the cluster of trees. It was the Wonderbolts with Minuette's group along for the ride, Twinkleshine and Lemon Hearts making up the latter party. The trio of unicorns were all panting as beads of sweat dripped from their manes, dirt clinging onto their coats. Lemon's cheeks puffed out as though she was sick while Twinkleshine was inches away from toppling over. As for Misty, Soarin, and Blaze, the three of them all donned bright smiles upon spotting Dinky.

Such expressions vanished in an instant when they noticed the others' glum expressions.

"Is everypony okay?" Twinkleshine asked. "We heard some noises and got here as soon as we could."

"I'm fine," Dinky whined, pouting. "How many times am I gonna have to answer that question?"

Misty trotted over to where Sunset stood, lips curled into a slight frown. "What happened to your friend? Is she okay?"

"She'll be okay," Twilight answered. "But I think she just needs some rest and time to herself."

Blaze nodded. "Sounds fair to me," she muttered. "We should be able to get back in about half an hour if no obstacles show up."

"We might even get back earlier," Rarity said, trotting ahead. "But let's stick together for safety on the return trip home, but we shouldn't waste too much time. This place is atrocious when night arrives." Taking a quick breath, she then patted Sunset's shoulder. "We'll get some hot chocolate prepared for everypony when we get back. You're welcome to join in as well, darling."

Sunset slowly nodded, but no words left her mouth.

"Okay, let's head on home," Twilight said.

Everypony huddled up together and trotted toward where Ponyville was, Twilight leading the way as the groups all mingled with each other. However, Sweetie and Sunset kept to themselves. Sweetie wished that she could've helped out Sunset right there and cheered her up, even if it only amounted to a faint smile or a few chuckles. However, all she drew were blanks. If Rarity was inviting everypony for some hot chocolate, perhaps that was when she could lift Sunset's spirits. Twangs covered Sweetie's chest seeing Sunset like this.

She knew it wouldn't be straightforward. Life was never a clear path, after all.

But this time around, the student had to help out the teacher.