Running as fast as his little legs would carry him, Spike ran in search of Twilight There had to have been a reason for why Starlight would be treated like a criminal. She came in peace, and although she had made some bad decisions in the past, she had seemed willing to atone for them.
Soon, Spike ran into the gardens and found Twilight and Sunset in their private spot. Twilight was shocked at seeing her number one assistant trying to catch his breath.
“What’s wrong? Where’s Starlight?” Twilight asked.
“She…” panted Spike. “Was arrested by a pair of guards. They offered a chance to speak, but it’s like she suddenly went mute or something. I tried to defend her, but they used their magic to throw me into the moat! I’m sorry, I know I should’ve spoken up sooner!”
Twilight’s eyes widened in shock once she had heard this bit of development. She knew that Starlight was not well loved throughout Equestria because of her actions, but she didn’t deserve this.
“That can’t be right,” remarked Twilight, turning over to Sunset. “They didn’t do that to you, Sunset!”
“That was because you were with me,” Sunset replied. “We’d better find out what is going on here. I don’t know much about this ‘Starlight Glimmer’ but if what you told me about her earlier was true, she doesn’t deserve to be arrested just on the spot.”
Twilight opened up her wings and placed Spike on her back. “Come on! Let’s go find somepony, and get this all straightened out!” She said seriously. Then, she turned over to Spike.
"You did what needed to be done, Spike," Twilight remarked. "These guards need to know who they are messing with!"
Twilight and Sunset, along with Spike, headed out of the gardens and back towards the tower where Starlight had been taken by the two guards. Twilight suddenly remembered that security around Canterlot had been heightened greatly since Tirek’s escape from Tartarus.
“Perhaps they overreacted?” She thought.
As soon as Twilight landed, Spike pointed to the guards and said. “They’re the ones that took Starlight away and threw me into the moat when I tried to defend her!”
“Where is Starlight Glimmer?” asked Twilight to the guards outside of the tower. “I demand her release!”
“We’re sorry, Princess Twilight,” one of them replied. “Our orders were to keep Starlight Glimmer here until further notice.”
“Who ordered you to arrest her?” demanded Twilight, her voice slightly rising in anger. “No such order was given!”
Sunset recoiled at Twilight’s rising tone, it sounded not unlike the stern lecturing voice Princess Celestia had used on Sunset Shimmer many times in the past.
“I will have you both know that she is my student, and is my responsibility unless I say otherwise,” Twilight added, she hated having to use her princess title to pull strings, but she wasn’t about to let Starlight Glimmer go to jail when she hadn’t done anything in Canterlot to justify it. “Now release her at once, by order of the Princess of Friendship! Furthermore, you owe my assistant an apology for throwing him into the moat”
Doing as they were told, the two guards went into the tower to free Starlight. A few moments later, Starlight was led out of the tower and set free while the two guards at the tower apologized to Spike for throwing him into the moat.
“I’m sorry you had to deal with that, Starlight,” said Twilight as they left the tower. “I forgot to warn you that security’s been tightened ever since Tirek escaped from Tartarus about a year ago..”
“But, I don’t understand, Twilight,” cried Starlight. “I didn’t even do anything to them, all I did was approach them. Do more ponies know about my past misdeeds than you let on?”
“No, the guards here were never informed. And it doesn’t matter now, Starlight,” said Twilight. “What matters is that you are safe with us. From now on though, it’s probably best if you stay with Sunset Shimmer and I. That way, we can hopefully avoid any more misunderstandings.”
“And I’m sorry I didn’t stick my neck out for you when you were in trouble,” Spike apologized, practically throwing himself at Starlight’s knees. “I could’ve prevented this whole ordeal, but instead I let you get arrested.”
“It’s alright, Spike,” Starlight replied, sighing in relief. “Even if you had said something, who knows if the guards would’ve believed you? At least you told Twilight what happened, so she could clear things up. Still, they didn't deserve to toss you into the moat.”
Then, Starlight looked across to the pony standing next to Twilight.
“Could she this ‘Sunset Shimmer’ I’ve been hearing about?” She thought to herself.
“You know, I can’t help but wonder,” said Starlight, directing her attention over to Sunset. “I feel as if I know you, but yet, I’ve never met you before.”
“I’m feeling the same way too,” remarked Sunset as they sat down on the ground. “I suppose you must be Starlight Glimmer.”
“Indeed, I am Starlight Glimmer,” said the ex-cult leader, extending her hoof out to Sunset. “Former leader of a cult where everypony’s cutie mark was the same. And the mare who tried to travel back in time and stop the rainboom. Now, I’m the student of Equestria’s newest princess.”
“I’m Sunset Shimmer,” replied the ex-student of Princess Celestia as they shook hooves with one another. “Student at Canterlot High School from another world where everyone walks on two legs.”
“Indeed,” chuckled Starlight. “A world where everyone walks on two legs? I’d like to try that someday. Though the two legs thing would take some getting used to.”
Knowing that they needed private time, Twilight and Spike left Sunset and Starlight alone while she returned to Canterlot castle to deal with the guards. Once Twilight and Spike were gone, the two troubled mares were left to air their problems.
“So, how exactly did you end up abandoning your studies as Princess Celestia’s student?” Starlight Glimmer asked “If I had been in your position, I would’ve done anything to hold onto it.”
“Well, I once wished that I had magic beyond my years,” sighed Sunset. “But, it led to nothing but trouble for me. I was once a selfish mare who gave up so much to find something I thought I wanted. And when I couldn’t get it, I ran away. I became a bully in another world, and for a long time I thought I had it made.”
“Until Princess Twilight showed up and defeated you?” Starlight Glimmer asked, to which Sunset Shimmer nodded. “And the rest I suppose is history. You redeemed yourself in that world, and everyone admired you.”
Sunset Shimmer frowned “Well, not everyone, At least, not everyone I once knew. And that is why I have returned to Equestria, to atone for my actions to all those I affected.”
“Kind of like what I am doing now,” remarked Starlight, looking down at the ground and fidgeting with the grass. “Going around Equestria and starting anew with those I had harmed, beginning with my own village of ponies of whose cutie marks I had taken away. I expected them to be mad, to be upset, and I wouldn’t have blamed them. I ruined their lives to make myself feel better, and yet they saw it in their hearts to forgive me. The thing is, I know I should be grateful, but I feel like I don’t deserve to be forgiven. What I did should be unforgivable.”
“I know how that feels,” Sunset Shimmer replied. “I thought I would never live down the fact that I became a raging she-demon, and even my friends kept reminding me of it. But even when things looked bleak, they never gave up on me.”
As they spoke, it was becoming clear to Sunset that Starlight and her were going to become fast friends and there was no better time than now to start.