Starlight Glimmer found herself at a crossroads and her mind raced with emotions. She simply couldn’t decide what she was going to do, maybe it wouldn’t be the end of the world, but she had never quite faced a more difficult decision in her life.
Blueberry or strawberry?
She stood looking over the basket of muffins. The smell had wafted through the air and persuaded her off course from several stalls away and she stood awkwardly hovering over the basket of beautifully browned muffins stuffed with brightly colored blueberries and strawberries. It was a sight she hadn’t seen in years and nothing had ever looked quite so appetizing.
“Go ahead dear, take one,” Mrs. Cake spoke up, breaking the silence and causing Starlight to snap back into reality. She embarrassingly wondered how long the baker had watched her practically drool over the basket of treats.
“Oh, I can’t just take one,” Starlight sheepishly admitted. She still felt strange from all of the special treatment she received from other ponies who were only too happy to make her feel welcome.
“Of course you can, you’re new to this town, and not to mention, a friend of Pinkie’s,” Mrs. Cake said from behind her bakery’s stall.
“Thanks, but it just wouldn’t feel right,” she told Mrs. Cake as she opened the flap on her saddle bag using her magic and lifted a few bits out, floating them onto the counter before lifting one of the blueberry muffins up.
“Well thanks dear, I hope you enjoy it.”
Starlight Glimmer smiled to the baker as she walked back into the crowd of ponies that filled the plaza. It had been the first nice day all week, after a scheduling conflict forced the pegasi to have an exceptionally rain filled week, and no pony wanted to continue to be stuck inside. Starlight had joked earlier that under her leadership this would’ve never happened. After all, under her rule, everypony knew their place and everything was organized.
Starlight raised the muffin in a light glow and took a large bite out of the top, savoring the blueberry explosion which let her know that she had made the right choice, before she spotted Rarity over at one of the stands and began walking over to her.
“Oh, there you are darling, looking over some of the finer pieces the market has to offer?” the white unicorn asked.
“I gotta muhfin,” Starlight boldly spat with her mouthful as crumbles launched outwards.
Rarity laughed before directing her to the fabric samples in front of them. “I need to know which one you like better.”
Starlight and Rarity had become close friends since Starlight had stopped being evil. They got along together easily, both being unicorns and having a similar refined taste, so when Rarity had asked Starlight to accompany her as she went to buy new fabric, she jumped on the opportunity, even though she knew nothing about the stuff.
“Okay well, the aqua-marine would contrast beautifully against my client’s eyes, but I don’t want it to look too obnoxious. Than again, the marine-aqua would be almost be too safe, too passé.” Rarity held up the two options and Starlight looked at them both intensely, finding no difference between the two. She wondered if Rarity was playing a prank on her at this point.
“Uh… this one.” Starlight pointed to one of the fabrics at random.
Rarity brought the piece back and gave it another quick examination before looking back to Starlight. “Bold… I like that.”
Starlight chuckled internally, not sure which one she even picked.
“I gotta be honest Rarity, I’m surprised you invited me out here to look over fabrics with you.”
“Oh, nonsense,” Rarity dismissed with a hoof wave. “You have great taste, just look at all these beautiful fabrics you helped me pick out.” She displayed all of the different brilliant fabrics which Starlight knew she barely had a role in picking out.
“But I don’t exactly know the first thing about fashion. I mean, don’t you remember though ugly cloaks back in my old town?”
Rarity shuddered at the memory of those horrid crimes against humanity.
Starlight continued. “Exactly. Well, I thought they were just fine.”
Rarity again dismissed the notion without a second thought. “Well, no bother, we've done great things here today and I’m sure Silver Mane will love her dress which you helped me design,” she gleefully responded as she lifted the fabrics in a familiar blue glow over to the stall’s owner.
Rarity paid for her materials and stuffed them in her bag, then the two began walking back to Rarity’s Boutique.
“So,” Rarity began. “Out of curiosity, has their fashion sense begun to take on a new life or are they still walking around in those…” Rarity cleared her throat, carefully looking a response that wouldn’t offend her new friend. “charmingly rustic…potato sacks?” Starlight was unfazed by Rarity’s comment.
“How the hay should I know?” Starlight admitted looking over to the unicorn.
Rarity stopped in her tracks, surprising her new friend who spun around to face her.
“You mean you haven’t been back there?”
“Well no, of course not,” Starlight admitted casually.
“Darling, why wouldn’t you have gone back?”
Starlight looked down at the ground, circling her hoof in the dirt. “I can’t go back and face those ponies, I did such horrible things to them.”
“But they deserve to see you again, just as you deserve to see them as well.”
Starlight continued to look away. “There’s no way they’d want to see me.”
“Of course they would, I’m sure they’ll be happy to see you once again now that you won’t try and brainwash them,” Rarity offered a chuckle, which went ignored by Starlight.
“I don’t know Rarity.”
“Oh come on, I’m sure if Twilight weren’t off in Canterlot she’d tell you how good it would be.”
“I mean I’ve thought about going back and apologizing for everything that I’ve done, don’t get me wrong. It’s just, it’s one thing to fantasize about revisiting them and another thing to actually do it. I’m sure they all still hate me.”
“But they’ll forgive you, I promise.” Rarity laid her hoof on Starlight’s shoulder. “And I’ll go with you, I’ll be there every step of the way.”
“I’m sorry Rarity, I just don’t think I can do it.” Starlight dismissed the idea and slowly walked back towards Carousel Boutique with the bags full of fabrics.
Rarity stood defeated as her friend walked ahead of her with her head hung low, she knew if she could convince Starlight to go back to her old town she would be forgiven.
Suddenly, Rarity sparked up and skipped up to Starlight, walking alongside her. “I’m sorry Starlight, you don’t have to go back if you don’t want to. It was wrong of me to try and pressure you like that.”
Starlight failed to notice the sudden change in her friend’s demeanor. “It’s okay Rarity.”
“Yeah, I’m sure you can just wait a few weeks or months until you’re ready.”
“Or years maybe,” Starlight joked as Rarity gave an overcompensating laugh.
“Who knows, maybe you’ll never go back there.”
——————————
The door to Carousel Boutique burst open and Rarity practically skipped through her shop allowing her bags to fall carelessly on the floor as she made her way into the kitchen.
Starlight followed her in, closing the door behind her. It took her a moment to realize that her friend wasn’t in the main room.
“Rarity?” she called out.
The unicorn poked her head out from the kitchen and looked to Starlight. “Sorry dear, I’ll just be a moment.”
“Oh, okay. Where do you want me to put your bags?” Starlight asked.
“Anywhere’s fine,” Rarity immediately responded with little interest.
Starlight set down the bags next to one of Rarity’s dress racks and began walking around the main room. She was always so fascinated with her friend’s shop. The beauty and almost opulence of the boutique spoke volumes about Rarity’s sense of elegance which she clearly took pride in.
She always felt like she had transported into a high-class boutique nestled in Manehattan every time she stepped through the door to the shop, something Starlight was sure Rarity worked hard to achieve.
She walked around the shop for bit, observing some of the dresses that had been on display long term, until she came across one of Rarity’s new dresses. It was a beautiful and radiant dress which stood out from the crowd. It was a light shade of blue with a vitreous front piece while the haunch was covered in brilliant azure feathers.
While Starlight wasn’t the biggest fan of fashion, or even dresses, she was simply awestruck by the magnificent work of a clear master in their field.
“Say dear, would you like some tea?” Rarity called from the kitchen.
It took Starlight a moment to register what Rarity had said. “Oh, uh…sure,” she said shaking herself back into reality.
A moment later, Rarity came trotting back into the main room levitating a silver platter with a similarly matched silver tea kettle and two cups.
Starlight tore herself away from the dress and walked over to sit on one of the couches as Rarity poured two cups of tea. Starlight lifted the hot cup with her magic and began to blow on the beverage to cool it before nothing a letter sticking out from under the platter.
“What’s that?” Starlight asked pointing a hoof to the letter.
Rarity practically blushed at the simple oversight. “Oh nothing, it’s just some outgoing mail for the mail pony.” She said tucking the letter further under the platter.
Starlight shrugged, returning her focus to the piping hot tea.
They sat for the next several minutes and spoke about the shopping the had just finished as Starlight took several regretful tastes of the still scalding hot tea, which she found too bland to truly enjoy.
Suddenly Rarity, who was in the middle of a story about Spike, got up and raced out the front door, levitating the letter with her. Starlight was left speechless and stunned as the unicorn sprinted out the door as if the building were on fire.
She turned over her shoulder to see Rarity gallop to the mail pony, who was several houses away, with the letter.
Starlight disregarded the sight and turned back to tea. With a moment alone, she quickly dropped several extra sugar cubes in her tea, something she was too embarrassed to do in front of such a refined and graceful pony. She took another sip and found the drink to be a euphoric and sugary mess that barely tasted like tea, just the way she liked it.
A moment later, Rarity came trotting back into the boutique and Starlight glanced over to her.
“Sorry, I wanted to make sure he got that letter,” she said while catching her breath and returning to her seat.
The two chatted for another minute before a knock was heard at the door. Rarity got up and magically swung the door open revealing the young fresh-faced mail pony.
“Uhhh… Starlight Glimmer?” he asked.
Starlight stood up. “That’s me,” she said with a look a confusion.
“Uh…I have a letter for you,” he said almost anxiously. He looked over to Rarity who shot a glance back to him. “Oh, it’s an urgent letter from the Princess.”
“The Princess?” Starlight asked, confused as to why the princess would send an urgent message.
“Oh darling, I’m sure he just means Twilight,” she suggested sweetly. “…Don’t you?” She shot over to the mail pony while biting her lip.
“Ye…Yes, Princess Sparkle, right.”
Starlight levitated the letter and opened it, reading it over for a moment as Rarity gave the nastiest look to the mail pony for his poor performance, convinced the earth pony must not want a Hearth’s Warming tip that year.
Starlight reread the letter before lowering it and looking to Rarity. “Uhm…it says we’re needed in Canterlot.”
Both Rarity and the mail pony gave the biggest sigh of relief. “Well than, we best head out.”
Rarity packed a small bag and the pair made their way to the train station. She managed to distract her friend while she bought tickets and they hoped on the train.
Starlight was worried what awaited them in Canterlot, but Rarity assured her that whatever lay ahead, they would be able to handle it.
She assured her friend that everything would be just fine as the train left the station, not for Canterlot, but for Starlight Glimmer’s old town.