A Day At The Village
The seven mares hugged, Starlight Glimmer was happy that she had friends again. Ones that she knew wouldn't leave her. “Hey, Twilight, can we talk alone for a moment?”
“Sure Starlight, is everything okay?” Twilight asked her walking inside the castle.
“Uh, it’s great having friends again but it’s been on my mind since I changed my mind about… Everything that happened today.”
Twilight nodded. “Go on.”
“And I want to gain the trust of others.” She looked at Twilight. “Do you think I’d be able to?”
“Yes, I do think you can. Where do you want to start?” Twilight asked in agreement to Starlight’s plan.
“Well, I was thinking, and I want to start at…. The village.”
“The Village? Your village?” Twilight asked.
“Yes, do you think I’d be able to?” Starlight asked.
“Of course I do! Starlight that’s a good thing and like I said before, I’d be willing to teach you a few things before we leave.” Twilight beamed “Do you want to tell the others?”
“Yes.” Starlight replied and walked outside. Twilight followed behind her. “Hey everyone, I’m going to earn the trust of others, in the village. They haven't seen me in a long time and I think this is something I need to do.”
“Great! How can we be of assistance?” AppleJack chimed in.
“Well, you could.. maybe come with me?” Starlight implied looking at all of them. Twilight put a hoof around Starlight’s neck. “Come on gang, it’ll be fun! Starlight may even be able to make a few new friends too!”
“Alright!” Applejack put in.
“We can earn the trust of a few ponies. I’m game!” Rainbow said flying upwards.
“I think that a fabulous idea darling!” Rarity said walking over to Starlight.
“Sounds good to me.” Fluttershy squeaked
“Spike? Are you going to come?”
“Of course I will Twilight, we can help our new friend gain more new friends!” Spike answered.
“Great everypony meet at the train station in a couple of minutes
Twilight and Starlight entered into the caste. “Okay, Starlight. You can use my extra saddlebag!” Twilight said going through the chest and pulling out a faded pink saddlebag. “Thanks Twilight, ah, it really is nice to have friends again.”
“It must be, here you go, we’ll both take some books.” Twilight said to her floating a bunch of books into Starlight’s saddlebag. “And I’ll take these books. Come on Spike!”
The two of them put on their saddlebags and walked to the train station.
“The others should be here momentarily. Spike, will you do the honors of checking the checklist before we go please?”
“Sure Twilight.” Spike pulled out a piece of parchment paper and began to glance at it. He walked over to Twilight and opened up the saddlebag. “Okay. Books. Check. Paper. Check.”
“Twilight!” AppleJack yelled walking up the station platform with Rarity and Rainbow Dash.
“AppleJack, Rainbow, Rarity! Great, now where are the others?”
“They should be on their way here.” Rainbow said flying over to Twilight and Glimmer.
“Well, they better get here in the next two minutes! Otherwise we’re going to miss the train!” Rainbow pointed to the train coming down the tracks.
“I’m here!” A small voice said. Twilight, AppleJack, Rarity, Rainbow, and Starlight looked over to reveal Fluttershy. “Sorry I wasn't here sooner. Angel wouldn't let me leave until I got him carrots from the garden.” Rainbow groaned in response.
“Well, you're here now, where’s——” Twilight was suddenly cut off by someone’s hoof steps.
I’m here! Pinkie Pie said exhausted.
“Okay, great! We are all here. Now we can board!” Twilight looked over at Starlight who looked really nervous. “All aboard!” The train pony called out.
They walked over and handed the pony their tickets. They got on the train and sat down. “Starlight? Everything okay?” Twilight asked looking over at the nervous pony.
“Yeah, I guess I’m just a bit nervous. That’s all.”
“It’s okay, we all have our things to be nervous over darling, but you'll do just fine! I remember when Sweetie Belle took my special one-of-a-kind gold lined fabric that I needed for a very, very important client. I thought I didn’t have enough time to do anything about it so I ended up getting really nervous. In the end I did get it to the client on time though!” Rarity told Glimmer hoping that would calm her down a bit.
“Well that’s good.” Glimmer looked over at Rarity. “I just don't know how they’re going to react. I was horrible to them.”
“Starlight, we’re here to help you. After this they wont think of you as the same pony you were before.” Twilight told her.
The seven ponies rode the train in silence for the next hour.
Pinkie Pie woke up from her nap. “GUYS!! We’re here!” Pinkie Pie startled everyone on the train, Rainbow shot a glare her way. “Come on guys.”
Twilight and Glimmer woke up side by side on the train. “Starlight? Are you ready?” Twilight nudged Starlight to wake her up.
“Hmm, oh at least it’s a bit of a walk from here, I have time to think about what I am going to say.” Starlight Glimmer begins to walk in the aisle, Twilight puts a hoof on her shoulder.
“Starlight?”
"Yes, Twilight?”
“We’re here for you.” Twilight walks off the train and into the deserted land where the village stands.
“I know you're here for me, but I’m scared of failing.” Glimmer says to herself. Glimmer walks off the train and steps onto the land before the village. The train leaves a few minutes later and Glimmer and the others are on the land above the village. “Here we are Glimmer.” Twilight says to her, Glimmer looks down upon the village and all the villagers walking around peacefully and happily. The seven of them begin to walk down the mountain and reach the beginning of the village.
Starlight looks around. Twilight and Rainbow Dash nudge her forward. “Go on, we are right behind you Starlight.” Starlight looks at them and smiles. “Thanks guys!” Starlight walks forward a bit more and stops. “Hello everypony. It is me——”
“STARLIGHT GLIMMER’S BACK! Everypony put your guard up! I told you she’d come back!” One pony screams.
‘No! No, that’s not——” Starlight looks back at Twilight and the others. Frightened, she speaks up. “I am NOT here to hurt you!”
“How do we know that Starlight?! You brainwashed us. You took our cutie marks, made us all equal and ‘happy!’’ A pony shouted at her.
Twilight begins to walk forward but Rainbow stops her and shakes her head. Twilight steps back again.
“I’m here to apologize!” Starlight says “I’m here to admit to my past mistakes, and hope I can make up for them.”
“Why are they here, did you brainwash them into coming? Did you seek revenge on them?” One pony asks.
“If you'd let me explain, I will tell you.” The others walk forward. “She really isn't here to hurt anypony. She is here asking for your forgiveness.” Twilight says walking next to her. “Please give her a chance to explain.” The ponies of the village look at each other. “Fine. She can explain herself.”
Starlight sat down. “At first I wanted revenge on them, I wanted to make them pay, because of my suffering. In my village I had a close friend, but quickly after getting her cutie mark she left me.” Starlight continued on. “When I created this village I wanted ponies to be equal because I didn’t want anything else like that to happen, and for all those years I never made another friend because I was scared the same thing would have happened.” Starlight told them. “ When Twilight and her friends came and defeated me, I swore revenge on them, but Twilight changed my mind.” Starlight looked at her. “I know you may have a bad impression of me, and I understand that, but Twilight and her friends made me see that I shouldn't have done that. My intentions were good, really. It just didn’t come out that way. And for that, now I am here trying to regain your trust because of my wrong doings. Please forgive me.”
“How do we know you're not here for revenge?” A pony asked.
“We can clarify that.” Rainbow said.
“Please forgive me.” Starlight sad to them. “I was wrong to do that to you.” Starlight looked at the ground and kicked a rock, she felt hooves wrap around her neck. “Consider this a fresh start Starlight!” All the ponies joined into the group hug. Pinkie Pie and the others joined in as well. “Pony Friends Forever!” Pinkie pie blurted out.
“So does this mean you're staying Starlight?” One pony asked breaking apart the hug.
“Unfortunately no. I will come to visit though. For now, I think I am going to stay in Ponyville.”
“Well, okay, anytime you do need to stay here we will always have your house for you.”
“Thank you, it means a lot that you've forgiven me.” Starlight walked towards her house. “I suppose it out couldn't hurt to stay here for one night. Right?” Starlight looked at them. “Come on, there should be extra sleeping bags in here.” Twilight and the others rushed inside the house. “It is getting late. Why not guys?” Twilight asked. The six ponies came to a consensus that they would stay wit hStarlight Glimmer for the night and return to Ponyville in the morning.
“I knew you could do it!” Twilight said to her.
Yeah, you were great!” Pinkie chimed in. ‘Everypony group hug!”
Everypony gathered around Starlight Glimmer. They all threw their arms around her. “Good job Starlight!” Twilight whispered in her ear.