Week 2: Starlight Glimmer - A Matter Of Complete Trust
Week 2: Starlight Glimmer - A Matter of Complete Trust
For the S5 EqD Writer’s Training Ground
The battlefield was supposed to be where great victories were attained or horrible tragedies overtook whole countries. Princess Celestia much preferred her private garden as a place to resolve conflicts, without all of that untidy screaming and bloodshed that happened whenever a bunch of stallions with pointy sticks were set against another set of stallions with pointy sticks to resolve a problem that could have been solved over a pot of tea and some mint crisps. That’s not to say actual battle was never required, just that it reflected a failure in her approach to a problem, and over the course of Equestrian history, those failures were few and far between.
The problem in this case was a somewhat young mare. Celestia always had difficulties placing the age of her little ponies. They seemed to travel in a rather rapid pace from foal to adult to “Good heavens, was that your great-grandmother?” but this one blurred in her mind as to her exact age. She certainly had the audacity of youth, with the aggressive attitude on life that all of her attempts to remain compliant and defer to Celestia could not hide, but there was a certain age to her that slipped out between the cracks when she thought nopony was watching.
“You seem worried, Starlight Glimmer,” said Princess Celestia as they walked. “I assure you, there will be no harm brought upon you today on my part or others. You decided to ask me for a meeting, and I respect this decision. You may trust me.”
“I know,” said Starlight with a glance over her shoulder at the distant guards who kept an even pace with their Diarch and her guest. “I just don’t see how you can trust me. I assaulted Princess Twilight Sparkle and her friends.”
Celestia chuckled. “They have faced far worse in that regard. My former student had quite a bit to say about you when she returned, and I’m glad that you decided to make things right. After all, your experience will certainly bring great advances in our understanding of how cutie marks work. Generations to come will call this day a turning point in the treatment of medical disorders and other problems.”
“Still…” Starlight Glimmer trailed off as she walked alongside Celestia, through the colorful gardens and beside an ornate trickling stream. They matched their steps until they paused by a brilliant orange bush with lavender flowers that caused them both to inhale in appreciation and stop for a brief nibble. Finally, Starlight burst out with the question that had been bothering her.
“I’m not used to this. I keep expecting to be thrown into prison or executed for what I did. How can you be so forgiving?”
With a knowing nod, Celestia said, “My own sister turned into Nightmare Moon, and yet I forgave her actions upon her return. I was much to blame for the stress which drove her to madness, and yet she forgave me without question too. Your own intent seemed to be fair, from what Twilight has said about her time in your little village. Although I can’t condone your actions, it did seem as if you were genuinely concerned about the well-being of the citizens and their happiness.”
“Equality was best for them,” said Starlight. “Before, they fought and argued all of the time. After I took away their cutie marks, they all got along just fine.”
“They trusted each other, and they trusted you,” said Celestia. “When I received word that you wanted to meet with me, Princess Twilight Sparkle objected. She does not trust you, but I reminded her about the meaning of trust, and after considerable discussion, she agreed.”
After a gesture to follow, Celestia turned her steps to a narrow pathway through a tall entranceway overgrown with a multitude of vibrant flowers. Behind them, the guards stopped at the entrance to await their return, and Starlight Glimmer seemed to relax without their accusatory gaze on the back of her neck.
“It is,” continued Celestia, “the way I prefer to live my life. Sometimes when you don’t know how something is going to turn out no matter how much you plan and prepare, you just have to trust that things will turn out for the best.
“Trust is what keeps a society together. As ponies, we build bonds of trust between each other, from the powerful bonds of trust between a married couple to the relatively weak trust between complete strangers on the street. Trust determines how we react to each other, how much we are willing to place our lives into somepony else’s hooves. Without trust, there would be no society, no bonds permitting ponies to turn their backs on each other without expecting a knife or a blow in return.”
The stunning view of the private garden spread out before them as they passed out of the narrow walkway. All around the blooming bushes and brilliant flowers, small pathways wound their way through rare plants unseen in all of the rest of Equestria.
“The Private Royal Gardens,” gasped Starlight Glimmer. “I didn’t think anypony was allowed in here.” Her eyes continued to track around the thick flowers and bushes, but stopped at the sight of several statues.
“Very few,” admitted Celestia. “Since you seem to be interested in my statues, would you like to hear about them?”
“They signify triumphs in your rule, don’t they, Your Highness?” said Starlight Glimmer with an uncomfortable glance in Celestia’s direction.
“Quite the opposite,” said Celestia with a sigh. “At one time, before I lost my sister, I collected all of the tokens of my successes and reveled in them. Afterwards, I had them all destroyed. Since then, I’ve only kept track of my failures in order not to repeat them.”
She strode through the grass over to a pale white statue of an earth pony balancing a ball on his nose. “Bouncy Bounce, one of my first advisors, who I trusted with an important diplomatic mission to the Griffons. They saw little humor in my choice.”
A few more strides took her to a statue of a pegasus holding a spear. “Strikes Sure. A promising young soldier, but he fought a bloody duel over a mare and wound up a wanted criminal afterwards.”
Another few steps took her to a unicorn statue with a frazzled mane and crossed eyes. “Vector Thrust, an alchemist of great skill who I asked to analyze some relics that we had discovered. She found out that they were explosive.”
“I would like very much not to have a statue of you in my garden,” said Celestia, looking away from Starlight Glimmer. “If you would work with Twilight Sparkle and my school, think of the advances that could be made. Think of the lives that would be improved. You could become Professor Starlight Glimmer, healer and hero. Ponies across Equestria would look up to you.”
“And if I refuse?” asked Starlight from behind her.
With a deep sigh, Celestia bowed her head so the scent of the garden could overwhelm the stench of failure. “If you refuse my offer, you will be allowed to return to where you were. You will not be bothered unless you violate the laws of Equestria. I won’t like it, but I will abide by your wishes.”
“I think—” An explosion of magic washed over Celestia, holding her powerless as agonizing pain blazed over her flank and twisted her mane into a knot “—I want a third option.”
“Starlight,” cried Celestia as she fell to her knees. “Don’t do this.”
“Why not?” said Starlight Glimmer as the magic grew in power around a helpless Celestia. “Once I have your cutie mark in a bottle, I’ll use its power to capture your sister’s mark too.” An empty lightning bottle formed out of magic to Celestia’s side and fell to the grass, awaiting the results of Starlight’s spell. “After that, I’ll take the cutie marks of everypony in Canterlot. They’ll be helpless once I have both of their precious princesses. And after that—”
A faint gagging noise filled the garden as Starlight’s spell wavered and surged, then flared into brilliant light. Wiping away a tear, Celestia stood up and turned around to observe the effects of the second spell that she had so much not wanted to be triggered.
“Trust is a two-way street,” said Celestia as the aura of magic over her began to fade and dissipate. “Many view the ancient tale of the scorpion and the frog as a commentary on the nature of ponies, and how it cannot be changed. I disagree. Ponies are not beasts, for we decide our fate through our decisions. Trust can be simply the knowledge that somepony will make their decisions in a predictable fashion. We cannot truly trust that which we cannot predict. Had you decided to trust me and abide by my rules as I had hoped, you would have led a long and profitable life and been praised for your work.”
Celestia lit her horn and picked up the lightning bottle, using it to scoop up the floating cutie mark which had just peeled away from Starlight Glimmer’s flank. Clapping the lid on the bottle and giving it an evaluating look, she placed it to one side before continuing. “Instead, you decided to remain a scorpion, and sting me when you saw an opportunity.”
“W-what’s h-happening to me?” stammered Starlight Glimmer, trying to move her hooves only to find them stiffening and fixed to the stone she was standing on.
“Although I may be old and foolish for trusting you, my faithful student convinced me to take certain precautions. After being subjected to your spell, she devised a way to mirror the effects of it and reflect it back upon the caster. She is truly one of Equestria’s brightest minds, and although you fooled me and you fooled her once, you did not fool her a second time. She placed the spell on me this evening before we met, and is waiting back in the castle for our meeting to conclude.” Celestia tisk’ed under her breath. “She will be so disappointed. She also had high hopes for exploring the ramifications of your spell with you, but now all she will be able to do is to study the cutie mark that was the driving force behind it.”
With an evaluating glance at how rapidly the petrification spell had reached Starlight Glimmer’s chest, Celestia decided to condense the rest of her lesson. “You first saw my garden statuary as a symbol of my triumphs. It is not. Each and every one of them is a sign of my failure, although most are the work of truly talented sculptors rather than petrification. Some of those who have been confined here have been redeemed, such as Discord, so there is hope, even for you. Perhaps in a few centuries, Twilight will release you and restore your cutie mark, once she has learned how to deal with the ramifications of it and you have learned your lesson. Until then, you must decide how you will face your future. It is the only decision you will make for a very, very long time.”
* * *
Long after the moon had risen and the stars were properly put into their places, the cobblestone path leading into the private Royal Gardens was trod by an elegant dark alicorn, who drifted up behind Princess Celestia and remained silent for a long time.
“Hello, Luna,” said Celestia without turning around.
“Good evening, my sister,” said Luna. “When thou didst not return from the gardens before this eve’s Royal Duty, Twilight and I were somewhat concerned.”
“I’m old,” said Celestia. “Eventually I’m going to fail, and everypony will get hurt. I was so certain that Starlight Glimmer was going to see the light and turn from her power-hungry ways. If it were not for Twilight Sparkle, I would have unleashed a monster.”
“You did much the same long ago, and Equestria survived my folly. You yourself told me to trust in harmony and not to worry about the myriad of disasters that await in our future. We shall face them together, one night at a time, until it is our turn to pass into history and allow others to take our places, dear sister.” Luna nodded at the statue, standing cold and white in the moonlight. “Your latest failure, Celly?”
“Yes. No. I’m not certain.” A glowing jar with a cutie mark sat by Celestia’s side, and she rested a hoof on it as she talked. “So much potential, and yet she could not turn aside from her mad desire for power. Perhaps Twilight Sparkle will be able to use her magic for a good purpose, and in a few centuries…”
The two Royal Sisters regarded the statue for a long while before Luna remarked, “At least she knew how she wanted to be remembered for the rest of eternity.”
There was no response from the moonlit statue of the unicorn with an equal sign for a cutie mark, except for her motionless grin.
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Be cautious when playing games with alicorns, for they wrote the rules.
5975338
Well fine author, it seems you have confuzzled my feelings. I am sad, happy, alight with delight, and not just a bit melancholic. Well played!
5975338
Very, very true.
I happen to like Starlight Glimmer as an antagonist, in the show and how you've depicted her. I like how you have her exceeding her grasp and falling. It is gratifying that Celestia trusts Twilight. You have her wishing she could trust everyone but knowing that it is her weakness/blind spot, she trusts Twilight cover it.
Edit: Another reason I like her character so much is that she is a dark mirror to Twilight, alike in some ways but, in a way, corrupted.
I hadn't made a connection between the bottles holding cutie marks and lightning, but in hindsight, it seems obvious. Both contain a potent energy that acts out the moment it's released. Why wouldn't they be the same container?
Alas for Starlight. Maybe in a few centuries. Maybe not. If nothing else, the social landscape will be reshaped to the point where her stance will seem archaic.
And she remained in stone FOREVER. And nobody cared. Yay!
5975338
...and they hold extra cards, where you can't see them. And have you ever noticed how Celestia smiles all the time?
Amazing read. Well flow, strong feels, and I loved that ending. You defiently got some carrer on this site
I was expecting something silly and cheerful from the beginning, but man, I didn't see the twist coming for a long time. And the idea that Celestia is weary and considers herself a failure was executed so well. Maybe the change between those moments was jarring, but it was definitely exciting. Good job, and I can't wait to read the next one!
5981826
She wasn't smiling when Chrysalis was blasting her in the head. Or when Tirek broke down her doors.
Oh daaamn. Kind of saw it coming, but was hoping it wouldn't.
One of those simple ideas that can sprawl into something epic with the right execution.
I was really hoping that Starlight -wouldn't- do what she wound up doing. It'd be interesting to see an alternate take on this story where she actually didn't.
On another note, I at first assumed that the statue's in the garden were graves or memorials or something, that Celestia's failures had gotten them killed. But considering what happened to Glimmer, it may be that those other ponies were petrified as well? Bouncy Bounce for inciting a war (even if on accident), Strikes Sure for killing his dueling opponent, Vector Thrust for trying to -use- the artifacts, etc.
5975338
As the Wordsmith himself once wrote:
“God does not play dice with the universe; He plays an ineffable game of His own devising, which might be compared, from the perspective of any of the other players [i.e. everybody], to being involved in an obscure and complex variant of poker in a pitch-dark room, with blank cards, for infinite stakes, with a Dealer who won't tell you the rules, and who smiles all the time.”