Forgiveness
The next day, things went back to normal for the most part for Apple Bloom. She didn't tell anyone about Applejack being Proto Mare simply because she wasn't one hundred percent sure. It definitely seemed like Applejack, but why would she ally herself with King Sombra?
And why didn't she ever stay?
At school, Apple Bloom didn't pay too much attention. She looked over at Diamond Tiara, who also seemed to be in a daze of some sort, twirling her mane in her fingers. Both Sweetie Belle and Scootaloo looked at them in confusion, and once school let out they immediately went over to Apple Bloom.
“Alright, spill it,” Scootaloo said slamming her hands on Apple Bloom's desk, “What's going on with you and Diamond Tiara?”
“Please don't tell me Diamond Tiara wants to marry Mega Mare now,” Sweetie Belle groaned, “That would just be taking this whole thing way too far.”
“If you ask me, it's already gone too far,” Luna said.
Apple Bloom sighed, “That's part of it, but that's not the only thing that's wrong. Girls, I was attacked by a pony usin a Mana Stone yesterday.”
“What?!” Sweetie Belle cried looking Apple Bloom over, “Are you hurt?! Is Luna alright?!”
“Calm down,” Apple Bloom said pushing Sweetie Belle away softly, “We're both fine. The fight was jus… odd though.”
“Odd how?” Scootaloo asked as they walked out of the classroom to their lockers.
“Well, for one thing, the pony that attacked us wasn't bein controlled,” Apple Bloom explained, “Accordin ta Luna, she was in complete control of her actions.”
“That is correct,” Luna said, “Mistress Onyx was somehow able to utilize the power of the Mana Stone Onyx without it consuming her will.”
“Maybe she's using a Neutralizer like Apple Bloom,” Scootaloo said.
“I doubt it. Her powers were too great and specialized. Even in our fight I doubt she was using her full power.”
“Sides, I saw it in her eyes,” Apple Bloom leaned against her locker as Sweetie Belle opened hers and got packed, “When Pip an' Miss Shores were infected, they seemed more manic. Mistress Onyx though, she knew what she was doin. She jus' wanted ta fight an' torture Mega Mare.”
“Oh my God, Apple Bloom,” Sweetie Belle hugged Apple Bloom tightly, “This is getting too dangerous. I really don't think you should-”
“I have ta keep goin,” Apple Bloom said, “Sweetie Belle, Scootaloo, durin the fight Proto Mare showed up, an' right before she did, I… I heard a harmonica playin.”
“A harmonica?” Scootaloo asked, “What does that mean?”
Apple Bloom let go of Sweetie Belle and looked down somberly, “It means that… Proto Mare is… Applejack.”
“Whoa! Hold on, what?!” Sweetie Belle asked slamming her locker closed, “Apple Bloom, that's not-”
“But she played the same song Applejack always played!” Apple Bloom said, “Also, she's super protective of me, an' every time I'm near her, I feel funny.”
“Well this is great news then!” Scootaloo cheered, “Sweetie Belle, if Proto Mare is Applejack, she'll look out for Apple Bloom, and even help her take on Mistress Onyx.”
“I'm afraid that it is more complicated than that,” Luna said gravely, “Proto Mare is still allied with King Sombra, and being so close to her while she fought I could feel his magic from her attacks.”
“So… Proto Mare is Mega-Linked with King Sombra?” Sweetie Belle asked.
“It seems to be the case, yes.”
“So that's why I have ta keep goin,” Apple Bloom said, “I need ta know what's goin on with Applejack, an' if she's in over her head, I need ta help her,” she turned to Sweetie Belle, “Did y'all finish lookin over the Mana Stone?”
Sweetie Belle sighed, “I did, but I don't know enough about machinery to make anything to help track them down. The magic properties of those stones are something else, but…” Sweetie Belle turned to Luna in the Sapphire, “Luna, why did the Mana Stone have you're magical signature?”
“Hold on, is that what had you so shocked yesterday?” Scootaloo asked. Instead of answering Scootaloo, Sweetie Belle pulled the Aquamarine out of her bag.
“This think had a magical signature based around control of the sun and moon, and the only ponies able to do that are you and Princess Celestia, but the Sapphire called you. I don't want to suspect you, Luna, but if you know anything-”
“Believe me, I wish I knew what was going on myself,” Luna said with a sigh, “I know that this paints me in a suspicious light, but I assure you that I have nothing to do with the Mana Stones attacking. I wish to discover what is going on myself.”
“But don't you have any theories or leads?” Sweetie Belle pressed, “Anything at all?”
“Sweetie Belle, stop,” Scootaloo urged.
“No! I'm not going to stop! Apple Bloom's life is on the line here!” Sweetie Belle shouted, shocking Apple Bloom, Scootaloo, and Luna, “I hate that Apple Bloom has to fight, but you keep saying that it has to be her! Why is this happening to my friend, Luna?!”
Luna looked away pained, and actually started crying a bit, “I wish I had something I could tell you, Sweetie Belle. Something to put your heart at ease. Unfortunately, as I said, I know not enough to say anything. If I speak out, I would be accusing ponies that I do not wish to accuse. Forgive me, Sweetie Belle, but this is all I can offer right now.”
“Sweetie Belle, it's fine,” Apple Bloom said putting a hand on her friend's shoulder, “I appreciate how concerned ya are for me, but I've made my decision. I need answers too after all. Sides,” she looked down the hall at Diamond Tiara, who was leaving the school building, “Somepony is dependin on me ta protect her.”
“Oh Apple Bloom…” Sweetie Belle said with a sigh. She clearly still hated this with a burning passion.
“Look, isn't this why we're trying to build a Mana Stone tracker?” Scootaloo asked, “So we can do our part and help Apple Bloom, as opposed to just sitting on the sidelines as Mega Mare does all the work.”
Sweetie Belle groaned in defeat, “I get it, alright. I'm sorry I snapped at you, Princess.”
“You have nothing to apologize for, Sweetie Belle,” Luna said, “It is I who must apologize for being so enigmatic. I do hope this does not tarnish our friendship.”
“It won't,” Sweetie Belle said, “I'm just frustrated is all. It doesn't help that I hit a dead end. I don't understand alicorn magic as well as I understand unicorn magic.”
“Then might I suggest we go somewhere with information on alicorn magic?” Luna said.
“Where's that though?” Apple Bloom asked, “The new library doesn't have any books on that stuff.”
“No, but I imagine Twilight has books on that subject,” Luna said, “As you three are related to Twilight's friends, you should have special privileges.”
“No,” Apple Bloom said adamantly, “Absolutely not.”
“I know you are not comfortable with this, but I see no other-”
“I don't care. I don't wanna go to the castle. I ain't gonna see Twilight.”
“Come on Apple Bloom, this is getting silly,” Scootaloo said, “We now know Applejack is still alive. Why can't you just let it go?”
“Cause if it weren't for her dumb experiment Applejack would be here now!” Apple Bloom shouted, “Sides, how do we know it ain't her magic that's causin all of this?! For all we know, it could be her fault!”
“That's all the more reason to go there,” Sweetie Belle said, “If she is the cause, we might be able to stop it at the source, or at least learn more about what we're up against.”
“Either way, it's been a whole year now,” Scootaloo said, “You're entitled to feel grief about losing Applejack, but you can't keep taking it out on Twilight. Whether or not her magic is making the Mana Stones go crazy, what happened last year was an accident.”
“Y'all can go if you wanna,” Apple Bloom said pushing past Scootaloo, “I ain't settin foot anywhere near that castle.”
“Apple Bloom!” Sweetie Belle called out as Apple Bloom walked out of the school. Between the craziness of her sister working for the king of darkness, and a mysterious mare trying to kill her, the last thing she needed to hear was “forgive Twilight”.
Apple Bloom needed to clear her head, so she decided to go to the park. She hated blowing Sweetie Belle and Scootaloo off like that, but meant what she said. She wasn't ready to forgive Twilight yet.
When she arrived at the park, she heard a soft and comforting melody playing by the fountain. She walked over to there and saw Octavia Melody playing a violin, naturally a bit of a crowd surrounding her. The song was somber, almost like it was crying. It felt like the song was saying to Apple Bloom “I understand your pain”.
As she played, Apple Bloom felt a lump in her throat, and before long actually started crying a bit.
When the song ended, everyone applauded Octavia, who gave an elegant bow. As the crowd dispersed, Octavia saw Apple Bloom in the distance and waved to her. Apple Bloom smiled and walked over to her.
“It's lovely to see you again, Apple Bloom,” Octavia said, “Did you like my song?”
“I did,” Apple Bloom said, “I knew you played the cello, but I didn't know ya played violin too.”
Octavia giggled, “Most ponies are shocked to know that the cello wasn't my first instrument. It was actually the violin, hence why my cutie mark is a treble cleft instead of a base cleft.”
“I guess that does make more sense,” Apple Bloom said, suddenly finding small talk to be difficult. Octavia must have caught on, because she folded her arms.
“Something wrong?” she asked.
“It's nothin,” Apple Bloom said, “You wouldn't wanna listen to my problems anyway.”
“Actually, talking about it might help,” Octavia said, sitting on the fountain and patting the spot next to her. Apple Bloom sighed and sat down next to Octavia.
“I had a bit of a fight with my friends,” Apple Bloom said, “It was about… the Princess of Friendship.”
“Hm, Princess Twilight?” Octavia asked, “What about her?”
“My friends keep tellin me that I need ta forgive her,” Apple Bloom said, “I guess ya wouldn't know all the details, but last year, Applejack vanished because of an experiment that she started.”
“Oooh, I see…” Octavia said in understnading, “I guess that put a bit of a damper on your relationship.”
“Puttin it mildly, eeyup,” Apple Bloom sighed, “I've sorta been hatin her ever since. But today, my friends were sayin that we need ta see her help with somethin, but… I can't set foot in that castle.”
“Because of your anger at Twilight?” Octavia asked.
“Exactly! Every time I see her, I see red! Knowin that she took my sister away from me, it…”
“So, do you have an alternative?” Octavia asked, “Since you “can't” go to Twilight for help, who can you ask for help? Or can you do it alone?”
“We tried doin it alone,” Apple Bloom stated, “That's how we hit this dead end.”
“So then, what's your alternative?” Octavia asked, “Clearly you have one, right? Otherwise you wouldn't be so okay not turning to Twilight.”
Apple Bloom wanted to say something, but she couldn't. Actually, they didn't have an alternative. Even Princess Luna was stumped on this.
“We… haven't found an alternative solution…” Apple Bloom said in shame. Octavia crossed her legs and folded her arms thoughtfully.
“Hmm, so Twilight could help you and your friends, but you're not willing to turn to her because of your anger?” Octavia asked, “That… doesn't sound very reasonable.”
“But Twilight's experiment took Applejack!” Apple Bloom fussed, “Why should I forgive her?!”
“Well, for one thing, it's holding you and your friends back,” Octavia said, “Tell me, how important is this thing you're trying to do?”
“It's… pretty important,” Apple Bloom admitted, “Like, extremely important.”
“Okay, and if you don't get help soon, will you be able to proceed?” Octavia pressed.
“Not… easily,” Apple Bloom sighed, “We're searchin for somethin, an' without help, it's jus' gonna be a wild goose chase.”
“And finally, assuming Applejack were here, how would she feel about you holding onto this grudge, against a mare I'm assuming was a close friend of hers?”
Apple Bloom sighed, “She'd… be upset. She wouldn't want me ta hate Twilight, not even for this.”
“Apple Bloom, you're a good kid,” Octavia said taking Apple Bloom's hand, “Too good to harbor such negative feelings for somepony for so long. It's understandable that you'd feel hurt for what happened last year, but if you continue to hold onto that pain, you're just standing still.”
“But how can I let go of it?” Apple Bloom asked, “It ain't as easy as it sounds.”
“No one said it was easy,” Octavia said, “It might take time, and you may never have the relationship you had before the incident, but the first step to recovery is to forgive her. Take it from me, you don't have to like someone to forgive them.”
Apple Bloom thought about what Octavia was saying. She did have a point, at least when it came to her holding them back. Twilight could probably help them immensely in terms of find the Mana Stones, especially with her being the mare who made them.
“I hear what you're sayin,” Apple Bloom said, “but… I don't know if I can just say right now that I'm okay with Twilight.”
“That's perfectly fine,” Octavia said, “Just think about what I said, alright?”
“Yeah, I will,” Apple Bloom said. She and Octavia hugged, which oddly felt comforting.
“You have a phone, right?” Octavia asked, “I imagine those are hard to get a hold of unless you're super wealthy, but-”
“Oh, I have one,” Apple Bloom said pulling out her red and yellow cell phone, “I never have ta use it, cause I don't call anyone, but I have one.”
“In that case,” Octavia reached into her jacket and pulled out a card, “Take my card. If you ever need anyone to talk to, or just need that maternal presence, give me a call, alright?”
“S-sure. Thank you,” Apple Bloom said, shocked by how far Octavia went for her. It felt nice to have someone who genuinely cared about her.
“You're not alone in this, Apple Bloom. Never forget that,” Octavia said. She kissed Apple Bloom on the forehead and then got up, “I'll see you again soon, Apple Bloom.”
With that, Octavia packed up her violin and sauntered off, as usual swishing her tail and hips with each step. Once again, Apple Bloom found herself slightly mesmerized with her tail as it moved.
“She's right, you know.”
Apple Bloom screamed in shock at the sound of Luna's voice. She actually forgot she was even there for a second.
“Ya think so, huh?” Apple Bloom asked.
“I remember when I returned from my banishment of one thousand years. During the time of my banishment, I resented Celestia, believing that she banished me so she could rule Equestria on her own. Once I was released and returned to my original self by Twilight and her friends, my resentment didn't disappear. In fact, it was just as strong, and I openly avoided Celestia for a while after that.
“Eventually though, she and I talked, and she told me how much she still missed me. I realized then that I wasn't just punishing her for the past, I was torturing her. What happened was in the past, yet here I was unable to move on and let my sister back into my heart. I did not know how lonely she was before, but that day, I saw my sister cry genuine tears, begging me to let her in.”
“Luna…”
“The point I wanted to make here Apple Bloom, is that at times when we are in pain, we can hurt those around us even more than we realize. I do not know what Twilight was trying to do last year, but I do know that she values her friends even more than her own life, and knowing that she from her perspective killed one of those friends tortures her immensely. With that knowledge Apple Bloom, are you so cruel to torture her even more?”
Before Apple Bloom could answer Luna, she looked ahead and saw Starlight Glimmer walking back to the castle. She was carrying with her a bunch of bags, more than one pony could naturally carry. Apple Bloom could see this ending in disaster, so she jumped up and ran over to her, catching one of the bags just as it fell.
“Oh! Thank you so much,” Starlight said, “Trying to carry these groceries along with the documents is too much.”
“Can't you jus' use yer magic ta carry the others?” Apple Bloom asked.
“My magic isn't good for precise movement and grabbing things for long periods of time,” Starlight explained. When she realized who she was talking to, her eyes went wide, “Oh! You're the maiden of honesty's sister! Apple Bloom, right?”
“Y-yeah, that's me,” Apple Bloom said, thinking about her next move carefully, “Hey… need a hand with these? I can… carry a few for you.”
“Would you? I appreciate it,” Starlight said. Apple Bloom took all the bags of groceries and walked with Starlight to the castle.
“Hey, Miss Glimmer? Why are you so submissive to my sister's friends?” Apple Bloom asked.
“You… think it's strange?” Starlight asked, a little embarrassed.
“Well, I wouldn't say strange, but maybe a little off,” Apple Bloom said, trying to defend her statement.
“You don't have to pretend,” Starlight sighed in sadness, “I guess when I think about it, I don't deserve to be their equal.”
“Don't… deserve it?” Apple Bloom asked.
“Come on, I know Appleja- er, the maiden of honesty told you about me,” Starlight fussed, “How I enslaved an entire village by stealing ponies cutie marks. How I stalked Twilight for three whole months. How I damn near destroyed the time space continuum, and all because my best friend got his cutie mark and left me. They gave me a second chance, but we all know I don't deserve it.”
“So what? You jus' punish yourself for the rest of your life, denyin the chance ta make true friends when they're handed to ya?” Apple Bloom asked.
“I don't deserve to be their friend!” Starlight said, tears in her eyes, “I do want to be their friend, but I can't. Not after I almost destroyed their friendships with each other.”
“But that's silly,” Apple Bloom said immediately, “Sure, ya almost destroyed their friendships, but ya didn't. Ya can't punish yourself for-” she stopped once she realized what she was saying, “for… somethin that happened so far in the past.”
Apple Bloom set the bags down, took the bags Starlight was carrying, and then took her hands.
“Miss Glimmer, I don't know what sorta pony ya were before this, but I know that right this second, ya don't seem like a bad pony ta me. My sister an' her friends all forgave ya, so they want ta be yer friend. But by avoidin that friendship, yer hurtin them more than yerself. If ya wanna make it up ta them, then be friends with them.”
Starlight looked at Apple Bloom intently, taking in what she said, “You're young, but you're truly wise beyond your years.”
Apple Bloom smiled sadly, “Naw, I jus' got the same advice from two close friends, an' realized what they meant.”
Inside the Sapphire, Luna smiled warmly.
Apple Bloom and Starlight continued to the castle, talking about various things. It turned out that the one person she couldn't get along with was Spike, which Apple Bloom thought was odd since Spike was very easy to get along with usually. Also, it was painfully obvious, but Starlight had a massive crush on Twilight, which Apple Bloom found really cute, especially with her being a few years older than Twilight.
“Well, here we are,” Apple Bloom said once they stood at the front entrance of the castle.
“Thank you so much Apple Bloom,” Starlight Glimmer said, “Not just for your help here, but with your advice. I think, no, I am. Tonight, I'm going to talk to the Princess and tell her my feelings.”
“Good,” Apple Bloom said, “I'm rootin fer ya.”
Starlight smiled brightly, “You can leave the bags here. I'll just bring them in a few at a time. It was wonderful talking to you.”
“Yeah, same here,” Apple Bloom said, “If nothin else, you can say ya made one more friend here in Ponyville.”
“I'd like that a lot,” Starlight said. As she moved to take the bags inside, Apple Bloom thought about something else.
“Hey, could you tell… T-Twilight that me an' my friends will be stoppin by tomorrow after school?” Apple Bloom asked. Starlight turned to Apple Bloom with a smile.
“Certainly. I'm sure my Princess would love to know that,” Starlight said, “I'll see you tomorrow, Apple Bloom.”
With that, Starlight walked inside and closed the door to the castle. Apple Bloom looked up at the castle, bracing herself for what she planned for tomorrow.
“Does this mean what I believe it does?” Luna asked.
“It does,” Apple Bloom said, “Tomorrow, I'm gonna talk to Twilight. She an' I… need ta talk about last year, an' hopefully come ta terms with it.”
Luna closed her eyes and smiled, “Wonderful. Let us go to the clubhouse and tell Sweetie Belle and Scootaloo about tomorrow.”
Apple Bloom nodded and ran to the clubhouse. All of a sudden, she felt a little lighter.
After putting everything away to where she needed it to go, Starlight stepped out into the hallway and stretched.
“There you are.”
Starlight flinched at the sound of her beloved Princess' voice. She slowly turned to see her, one again wearing her usual keyhole sweater, skirt, leggings, and high heels.
“Princess…” Starlight said, blushing looking at her princess.
“I was looking for you,” Twilight said, “Spike told me that you've been taking care of things while I was in my room.”
Starlight closed her eyes and smiled, “It was my honor, Princess. I felt bad for bringing you outside to get hurt, so when Spike suggested that I help take care of your duties for a while, I just-” she was cut off by Twilight embracing her tightly, “Princess…”
“Thank you Starlight,” Twilight said, “Thank you so much.”
Starlight returned the embrace, “There is no need to thank me. I was just doing my duties as your assistant.”
“No Starlight, you deserve all the thanks,” Twilight said, “You made sure that the castle kept running while I was out of it,” Twilight looked into Starlight's eyes, “Let me make it up to you. Whatever you wish for, I'll give it to you. No matter what it is.”
That made Starlight blush, “Um… no matter… what it is?” Starlight asked. When Twilight nodded, Starlight closed her eyes, “W-well… perhaps for tonight… instead of my separate room… I could possibly sleep in your room… w-with… you…?”
Twilight smiled knowingly, “I think I know what you really want,” Twilight said. She pulled Starlight in close, kissing her softly on the lips. Starlight was wide eyed, and just looked at Twilight in shock.
“I thought about things while I was in my room,” Twilight said, “and I've decided that I want to give this a try. So… from now on, if you wish, you can call me by my first name if you want.”
“Um… with all due respect,” Starlight said, “I'd like… to continue calling you Princess… and to continue being your… subordinate. I feel… comfortable like this.”
Twilight smiled lovingly, “Whatever you want, Starlight. In that case, from now on, along with your other duties, you're tasked with ensuring my pleasure. Is that acceptable.”
Starlight couldn't believe this was happening. This was too good to be true. Her Princess was actually returning her affections?
“Oh yes, Princess. More than acceptable.”
Twilight then pulled Starlight in again, this time holding onto her wrists tightly as if to force Starlight against her will to kiss her. The intensity was too much for Starlight, who was at the moment happier than she ever was.
Around the corner of the hall however, Spike leaned against the wall gritting his teeth in frustration.
“Even now, she's still getting all the attention?” Spike asked tightening his fist, “Damn it. I'm the one she loves the most. Not you."