Sunset Shimmer had so much racing through her mind that it was almost impossible to slow down and really take in what was going on. She had faced her former mentor, Princess Celestia, after so many years and could see the pain that was in Celestia's eyes. Her tears were a sign of the consequences that Sunset had caused, and now she needed to atone for her actions and there was no better time to start.
"I hope Celestia can forgive me after I told her how sorry I was," said Sunset nervously to Twilight as they walked in the gardens after their meeting. "Do you think she will?"
"I think she’ll be more than willing to give you a chance," Twilight replied. "In fact, Princess Luna knows very well about trying to hide your guilt from others. She created a creature called the Tantabus to give herself nightmares to punish herself for what she did as Nightmare Moon. And what’s interesting is that Celestia blamed herself for Nightmare Moon. It seems both sisters feel there is more they could’ve done to prevent the tragedy. And I suspect the same will hold true for you and Princess Celestia, in time.”
"Celestia said it herself that she may have put too much pressure on you," added Twilight. "Everypony makes mistakes, Sunset. Even Princess Celestia, the ruler of Equestria could make mistakes."
Sunset's eyes widened in that remark that was made by Twilight. Up until that moment, she thought of Celestia as a supernatural being that could never make a mistake. That was exactly what Sunset wanted to be: a pony that would never make a mistake and make it seem like she would always be the one with all the answers.
"I know firsthoof how that feels," sighed Sunset. "All I wanted was to prove something to Celestia, that I could be a princess. But, I guess it blew up in my face, didn't it?"
It was then that Twilight began to think back to that moment when Sunset turned into the she-demon at the fall formal. Sunset revealed that she wanted to bring her teenage army back to Equestria and conquer this entire land with them. But, Twilight knew that Sunset had something else in mind.
"Actually, Sunset," said Twilight as they walked into a corner of the gardens. "While you were talking with Celestia, I couldn't help but think of when you were planning to re-enter Equestria as a demon."
"What do you mean?" wondered Sunset as they sat down on a bench. "What were you thinking?"
"I don't think you were planning to conquer Equestria with all your teenage demons," replied Twilight. "I think that you wanted to send a message to her."
Now, Sunset knew at that moment she wasn't going to keep this a secret for very long. In fact, she was a pony that never wanted to hurt anyone. Yet, she realized, she had been more than willing to hurt Spike to get to Twilight at the fall formal. And her actions as a human before she was redeemed had hurt a lot of people.
"My intent wasn’t hurt anypony,” Sunset Shimmer told Twilight “What I wanted to do, was use the teen army as a cover. If Princess Celestia threatened to oppose me, I would let slip that the ponies accompanying me were actually brainwashed teeangers from another world, and that she would have to hurt them to get to me.”
Sunset stopped before she could conitune her sentence, her brain froze with the thought that something could’ve gone wrong and she would’ve caused even more pain than she’d already inflicted. What if Celestia had called her on what could reasonably be interpreted as a bluff? Plus, Sunset Shimmer knew that as a she-demon, she had not been thinking clearly.
"Perhaps I might have done something to her," sighed Sunset. "When I was a demon, it seemed like nothing else would come into my mind and I would stop at nothing to get at my goal, Twilight. Do you think that maybe...?"
Twilight stopped Sunset from saying another word by using her magic to bring Sunset Shimmer close for a hug. She knew very well that Sunset could have done more harm than good. But what's done was done and that is all there was to it. Right now, Sunset Shimmer needed to remember that she was not the same pony she was when she had left Equestria.
"What you were trying to do didn't happen and there’s no use in thinking about it,” Twilight said, ending the hugh “It's time to focus on the future and not on the past. I don’t think it’s possilbe for you to create something like the Tantabus, but self guilt can manifest itself in other ways that can be just as destructive."
Sunset tried her best, but she knew that it would be impossible for her to move on from her past in a day. Sure, back in the human world she’d all but forgotten about the way she used to be. But now that she was back in Equestria, the bad decisions and destructive deeds she had committed in the sake of power were coming back to her mind.
Meanwhile, with Spike on her back, Starlight Glimmer floated towards Canterlot castle as far as her magic could take her. Of course, she didn't know how to get to Canterlot, but Spike was there to at least direct her.
"Is this Canterlot?" she asked Spike as they floated over the castle.
"Yes, this is it,"Spike answered. "We might want to land at the front gate, just so nopony mistakes us for an enemy or something."
Taking an enormous gulp, Starlight floated down to the drawbridge and once she was on the ground, she carefully trotted towards the gates, only to be met by a pair of guardsponies armed with spears.
"Halt!" one of them cried, looking down icily at Starlight with a cold stare.
"Who goes there? State your name and intentions at once!" barked the other guard.
The intimidation that the guards had in their eyes was a lot for Starlight to take in. But, she knew that Twilight was waiting for her, and that she needed to get by. But the guards did not seem likely to budge until she answered their question.
"I am Starlight Glimmer, a friend of Princess Twilight Sparkle," she said. Almost immediately, the guards pointed their spears at her throat. Starlight didn't realize the events with Tirek had caused the guards to be more alert than ever. "Please, I am a student of hers."
"Since when?" hissed the guards. "Answer us, or you will leave us no choice but to take you in for further questioning!”
Starlight gulped, how was she supposed to explain to the guards everything she had done, and how she had ended up under Twilight’s tutelge? For the record, would they actually believe her?
“This is your last warning!” The guards commanded “Answer our question, or you WILL be arrested!”
Starlight attempted to speak up, but suddenly found that no words would come out of her mouth, it was as if she’d lost the ability to talk. “I… I…. I….” she stuttered, unable to say anything.
“Very well then, since you refuse to answer you have left us no choice!” The guards said angrily, and one of them turned to the gate and whistled. Seconds later, more guards arrived and they quickly surrounded Starlight.
"Hey!" cried Spike, storming over to the guards. "Leave her alone! She means no harm in any way!"
However, the guards merely used their magic on the baby dragon, lifting him into the air and tossing him into the moat with a full force. Once Spike had been disposed of, the guards then refocused back on Starlight.
“Come with us peacefully, or you will be thrown in the dungeon!” One of the other guards hissed, as Starlight was led sadly away, not wanting to fight these ponies. In her mind, she had hurt enough ponies to last her a lifetime.
After Starlight was led away, Spike climbed out of the moat and knew that Twilight needed to be told what was happening. So, he ran through the gates in search of Twilight as far as his little legs would carry him.