When Starlight and Spitfire Meet
Yesterday hadn't exactly worked out for Starlight Glimmer.
Sitting on a bench and pondering over what happened wasn't helping matters, either. Mumbling about possible solutions only earned curious glances from passersby, something Starlight preferred to avoid. And with Twilight busy with Princess Celestia for today, it wasn't as though waiting for her was the best idea. It could be hours until Twilight returned home as far as Starlight knew. And as Starlight discovered, when it came to discussing her feelings, not bottling them up for long periods of time was essential.
At least no severe consequences bled into the following day. But yesterday bugged Starlight nonetheless. The thought clung to her like a parasite.
It wasn't that yesterday was particularly horrible or anything; it was actually better than most of the days she experienced while running Our Town in hindsight, but something about almost losing her temper struck one of Starlight's more sensitive nerves. As far as Twilight and even Fluttershy were concerned, Starlight hadn't erupted with groans and shouts during their walk through a garden.
Nevertheless, Starlight couldn't help herself from feeling as though she'd done something wrong, something that might've pushed her closer to becoming the unhinged mare she once was. Starlight shuddered at the thought and frantically waved her hooves. She would've rather been trapped in an endless void instead of marching down the same path that landed her in trouble. Her cheeks turned pale as she took a deep breath.
"Easy, Star," she muttered to herself. "Twilight forgave me and all I have to do is keep calm." Her breathing intensified, the beating of her heart echoing in her ears. "Just have to stay calm." As she surveyed the unusually quaint roads of Ponyville, all of the residents skipping across the grass and wearing mile-wide smiles, Starlight felt as though she was isolated. Sweat dripped down her forehead. "Well, it's not like nopony has problems of their own to go through, right?"
Silence lingered through the air.
"Right?"
A sigh left Starlight's lips; perhaps finding her place in Ponyville was an unattainable dream, but it wasn't as though other towns would've provided her with more opportunities. And as Starlight thought about it, Ponyville had metamorphosed into something much larger according to the various accounts she heard. Even when she first established it as her new home, new buildings and establishments were sprouting from the earth each day without fail. From cafes commissioned by Twilight herself to theaters promising the best orchestral music in Equestria, Ponyville was in the midst of a growth spurt.
As she momentarily rubbed her muzzle, Starlight wondered if one of those establishments held the answers she was longing for.
Starlight licked her lips, a dryness in her throat. "I could go for a drink," she murmured. Standing up, Starlight hoisted her saddlebag up and trotted away from the bench, gazing at the myriad of cottages that lined the roads. Most of them were homes from what she noticed, some of the more decorative buildings indicating shops such as Quills and Sofas or Sugarcube Corner. Starlight arched an eyebrow. "Odd that there aren't that many restaurants around here." She caught her breath. 'Even Our Town had one, even if it was—"
Freezing in place, Starlight noticed a peculiar structure standing out among the crowd. Unlike the sweet and saccharine colors that adorned most buildings, the brown cottage tucked away in the corner carried a bitter, more melancholic taste to it. Starlight couldn't quite put her tongue on why this was the case, however, though it reminded her a little of Our Town's once flimsy shacks. And as she nudged closer to the cottage in question, she noticed a small sign hanging off of the roof's edge and swaying in the breeze.
Friendship Cafe: A Place to Share Your Emotions
Opening Week!
Starlight cocked her head. "Is that the cafe Twilight commissioned?" she asked herself. She nodded a second later. "Of course it is. She's called the Princess of Friendship, so what else would she have called it?" Starlight exhaled, chest puffed out. "Maybe somepony inside might be able to help me a little. There's nothing wrong with checking it out, right?"
Quivering a little, Starlight made a beeline toward the cottage. While there were plenty of ponies trudging through the front door or leaving with their partners, she assumed that it'd all turn out smoothly in the end. The fact that the town was so forgiving despite learning about her actions loosened her chest, though the thought of offending somepony tightened it seconds later.
However, if the cafe's purpose was a locale that welcomed more emotional conversations, Starlight figured the others present would be understanding of her plight, even if the details were bound to produce unusual questions. Whether the ponies' responses constituted worried visages or gnashing teeth was Starlight's main concern. Making new foes was out of the question. But perhaps new friends were waiting for her there. Twilight would've applauded her for approaching new faces.
With a deep breath, chest puffed out, Starlight gently pushed the front door open.
Upon taking her first steps inside the cafe, Starlight's spine froze. The interior was about as serene as a cafe could've been, all of the floors clean enough to act as mirrors and a rosy aroma soothing her nostrils. A couple of ponies were situated at the small tables, each of them taking sips of tea or mingling about something alien to Starlight. And yet, none of the customers wore a stressed visage or wept.
The hairs of Starlight's coat stood up.
Maybe this was destined to be harder than she ever imagined.
Starlight nudged toward one of the front desks, raising her hoof and peering into the waitress' eyes. "Excuse me," said Starlight, biting her lip. As if by magic, Starlight noticed her confidence fading away, the mare she used to identify herself as becoming a distant mirage. Maybe it was part of getting back on her hooves again, but how Fluttershy made overcoming social anxiety appear simple was beyond Starlight; it was like trekking to Griffonstone with a thousand pounds on her back. "I'd like to request a table, please."
Nodding, the waitress' cheeks puffed up as she stretched her foreleg toward the dining area. She donned an infectious smile, Starlight responding with a faint one of her own. "Certainly," the waitress said. "Please take any open table you want. We'll get you paired up with somepony as soon as possible."
Starlight raised an eyebrow. "Um, what do you mean by 'paired up?'"
"You read our Mission Statement just outside the entrance, correct?"
In a flash, Starlight shook her head, lips pursed.
The waitress cleared her throat. "At Cafe Friendship, we do things a bit differently. Because friendship is something Princess Twilight Sparkle deems as important, we feel as though bringing ponies together can help enlighten the mind, soul, and body. We don't promise that you'll become friends with your partner, but we do hope that you learn something from your experience."
"Learn." Starlight shimmied closer to the waitress. "What do you mean by learning? Let's say that I've been having trouble controlling my emotions and needed to talk with somepony about them." Starlight's eyes darted from right to left, arriving back at the waitress seconds later. She giggled, cheeks flushed. "This is all hypothetical, of course. And if I had such a problem, I could theoretically meet up with somepony who might be able to help, right?"
The waitress merely nodded.
"Okay, so when can I expect a partner?"
Fiddling with a business card, the waitress pursed her lips for a moment. "In a couple of minutes."
Starlight trotted past the front desk, her eyes still glued to the mare. "How many minutes is a couple of minutes?"
The waitress shrugged. "A couple of minutes," she muttered. "If you're patient, I promise you that it'll turn out better."
Sensing her blood pressure rising, Starlight clenched her teeth. She wished she could've unleashed a rebuttal—something about how she needed it right away—though doing so would've spelt certain doom for her. And while Starlight benefited immensely from Twilight's lectures on friendship, getting a new lecture two days in a row would've bored her to death.
Starlight feigned a smirk. "Fine, I'll take an empty seat and wait a couple of minutes."
With the first troublesome part of her journey completed, Starlight trotted over to one of the unoccupied tables and took her seat. Her body sunk into the chair's cushion, Starlight's muscles loosening in unison. Stretching her forelegs, she picked up the menu to her left and perused its contents. The mere mention of muffins churned her stomach, if only because of Sugar Belle's efforts back when she was separated from her cutie mark, though the variety of scones and fruits caught her eye. Starlight's eyes widened upon scanning the array of teas available, struggling to recall the last time she had a scrumptious black or green tea. Licking her lips, she gently placed the menu on the floor.
A mare with a yellow coat and a fiery mane sat across from Starlight, the latter flinching in surprise.
"Sorry, I was just thinking of what to say," the mare said. Chuckles escaped her lips. "Anyway, the name's Spitfire." Stretching her foreleg out, Spitfire donned a faint smile. "You're Starlight Glimmer, right?"
Starlight nodded and shook Spitfire's hoof, though the former's head tilted. "Yes, but how do you know my name?"
"I've heard a lot about you from Princess Twilight." Spitfire rubbed the back of her neck, now smiling sheepishly. "Well, she brought you up once when we last saw each other. See, I've been in talks with her about reviving an old monster hunting agency, as they'd be better equipped and trained to deal with monsters." She shrugged. "Even if one of my teammates says I've got a whole library of strategies in my head, I've been hoping to address the issue more efficiently. I'm more nimble than strong, really. You can understand a little, right?"
"I can, though why do you bring it up?"
"Just getting a little carried away." Spitfire pressed her hooves together. Her eyes glanced down at the table and back to Starlight seconds later. "I've always enjoyed discussing subjects that fascinate me, especially when it comes to learning new things, though I'm—" Spitfire swallowed a lump "—I'm not a big fan of talking about myself. Funny, as I was a natural at it not too long ago. I'm just afraid I'll keep screwing up and push myself closer to loneliness."
"I can relate. I was excellent at influencing others and pushing my ideas for the longest time. But ever since I've learned about the importance of friendship and kindness, it has been almost impossible for me to go back." She pursed her lips, the chatter swirling around her muffled a little. "Maybe it's because what I did so long ago was truly horrifying."
"With the time travel, correct?"
Starlight nodded. "Correct."
"Yeah, I've sometimes been nasty myself." Spitfire ruffled her wings. "While our experiences probably have plenty of differences, I think we're similar in a way as well." Pausing, Spitfire mumbled a series of inaudible words. She cleared her throat and said, "Some of what I've done was my fault, others out of my control. Recently, I keep blaming myself more and more for everything that doesn't work out. No matter what others say and even if they go on about how awesome I am, I just can't let go of my recent past."
"But it can't be that bad, right?" Starlight bit her lip, shuddering for a moment. Perhaps now wasn't the best time for expressing doubt. "I understand that it must've been devastating for you, though I don't know how a few mistakes could've been this damaging." She rubbed her muzzle. "I'm sorry if I'm a little lost. It has much more to do with me than anything."
"It's fine, but let me put it this way." Spitfire leaned closer to Starlight and peered into her eyes. "If I had your time travel powers, I would've done almost anything to make sure that my mistakes never happened. Whether I said something wrong or made the wrong move, I can't help but feel as though I've forever alienated somepony I truly care for."
Starlight's shoulders sagged. Without warning, images of her time with Sunburst flooded her mind, everything from when they first met to when they were separated and everything in between. Even if Sunburst was forgiving, Starlight knew that it'd take every fiber of her being to convince him and others that she fully changed for the better. And while Spitfire was likely referring to something completely different, her wounded expression pierced Starlight's heart.
"Um, can I ask who your friend is?" muttered Starlight.
Spitfire nodded. "Rainbow Dash," she said. "She's everything I want to be and more. At first, she idolized me, but I feel as though that moment passed on during our quarrel at the Wonderbolts Academy a while ago. It only got worse from there." She took a quick breath. "And with how much Rainbow Dash has done compared to me, I can't help but feel jealous."
"I know all about jealousy." Starlight flicked her mane. "When I was a filly, jealousy made me wonder whether cutie marks were destined to destroy friendships." Twinges covered her chest, Starlight wincing ever so slightly. The less time recalling her foalhood, the better it was for her. "It's definitely painful."
"Yeah, jealousy is definitely dangerous."
Spitfire glanced over to one of the waiters, the latter making his way toward the table. The waiter pulled out a notepad and pen in the blink of an eye, Starlight's eyes glued to his thick mustache. It reminded her of the well-known Kibitz, forever immortalized in an embarrassing tabloid not long after Starlight became friends with Twilight and company. Struggling to hold back her laughter, Starlight donned a mild smirk, cheeks flushed.
Spitfire gently raised her hoof. "Can I have a pair of blueberry scones, an apple, a cup of black tea, and some water?" she asked in a soft tone. "Oh, and can I also get some cheese and crackers for us to share?"
The waiter rapidly jotted down each request, the sound of pen against paper piercing the air, before turning to Starlight. "And you, ma'am?"
"I'll have the raspberry scones with the fruit salad, some green tea, and water," said Starlight.
"Is that everything?" the waiter asked.
Both mares nodded in unison.
"Excellent! I'll be with your meals in a couple of minutes."
Starlight felt a splitting headache; her cheeks reddened. "A couple of minutes?" she blurted out unconsciously. In a flash, she covered her lips, feigning the faintest of chuckles. "I mean, please take your time. I apologize for my—" she cleared her throat "—rudeness. Today has been a long day."
"Apology accepted," said the waiter.
As the waiter trotted away from Starlight and Spitfire, the former couldn't help herself from scrunching her muzzle and gnashing her teeth. If she had a bit for every time she heard the latter phrase over the week, she'd have at least twenty or thirty bits, and that's not counting the time she attended that one restaurant in Canterlot. The words hadn't popped a blood vessel this time around. Something specific couldn't have hurt.
Starlight brought her attention back to Spitfire. Taking a deep breath, Starlight rolled her shoulders. "Okay, so I guess I should mention why I've been having trouble recently." She exhaled. "It's about how I sometimes throw tantrums whenever things don't go my way or I have a particular bout of awful luck. My little episode there showed a milder side of that."
"A lot of us have moments where we behave inappropriately," said Spitfire. "And bad luck is practically my special talent." With a downcast expression, she faked a chuckle. "Then again, I've had some positives in my life such as my victories in flight competitions and missions, though they tend to be overshadowed by the negatives. I-I think I'll let you finish." Her wings twitched. "It's only fair."
"Fair because it's the polite thing to do, right?"
Spitfire bobbed her head.
"Okay." Starlight exhaled again. "As I was saying, I've sometimes just wanted to lash out at others, even if the offense wasn't serious. Nothing bad has happened yet, but I want to keep it that way. I've been working with Twilight on that as part of my attempts to learn friendship and happiness, but it hasn't been easy." Pausing, Starlight shimmied in her chair. "And I'm afraid that if I act too rudely, I'll lose my friends because they'll think I'm bad again."
"I can relate." Spitfire placed her hooves atop the table. "I should preface this by noting that I'm the Captain of the Wonderbolts. It sounds like the best job anypony could have. But while it has plenty of perks, the position has been a burden as well." She shuddered a little. "I love flying, learning, and helping others. But at the same time, the Wonderbolts have had some attitude issues, myself being one of the ruder ones."
"What do you mean by rude?" Starlight raised an eyebrow. "If you're helping others, you couldn't be rude, right?"
"Basically, I once assumed that my friend wouldn't heal in time for an event, so I kind of coerced Rainbow Dash—the pony from before—into taking his place without checking up on him first. I hurt everypony's feelings that day, abandoning a teammate my greatest failure yet." Spitfire brought her hooves back to her chest. "That's not the end of it. The second after I found an important item, Rainbow Dash swoops in and tells me about how the other Wonderbolts assumed she committed a crime based on some evidence. She then mentioned how she was saved by her friend and that it was actually a former Wonderbolt who committed the crime. Even though I wasn't involved, I still felt like I had done something wrong."
"Sounds complicated." Starlight gulped, her veins freezing. "I formed a cult about giving up cutie marks in the name of equality and almost changed the future because of a petty grudge. Trust me, the details were ugly, and the one future I actually saw was something I knew I'd never forget."
With tautened cheeks, Spitfire pressed her hooves together. "I hope nopony got hurt."
"Nopony was hurt." Shrugging, Starlight bit her lip. "Those I've impacted have forgiven me and taught me a valuable lesson, but with everything I've done, it's still hard to forgive myself. My friends are helping me pick up the pieces, though the road to becoming a better pony won't be easy."
"I'm having trouble forgiving myself as well." A sigh left Spitfire's lips. "Just recalling the day where I wronged my teammate over some injury haunts me to this day. And despite him telling me that everything was forgiven, I still can't help but feel as though I'll never make it up to him." She paused momentarily. "I guess we both made our mistakes—that are hard for us to move on from."
Starlight nodded, the weight of the world lifting off of her shoulders. "Definitely."
Without warning, a series of plates slid onto the table, both Starlight and Spitfire receiving the food and drinks they ordered. And as Spitfire requested, a plate of cheese and crackers for both of them was included, said plate adorning the table's center. The waiter merely bowed and cracked a smile, the two mares nodding in return.
Spitfire took a sip from her glass of water. "Anyway, I've been idolizing Twilight for the past month or two now. And as much as I appreciate Rainbow, it's kind of hard for me to do the same for her because of how jealous I am. She can do a Sonic Rainboom, fly faster than anypony by far, has saved the world countless times, and all I can do is just watch and look awestruck while she does all of those things." She sighed. "I sometimes feel as though I'm just an amateur, a nasty one at that."
"Well, I was jealous of how Twilight got her friends at first." Starlight shrugged, feigning the briefest of snickers. "I may be friends with all of them now, but believe me when I say that I know exactly where you're coming from." She bit her lip for a second. "Their friendship and abilities are unlike anything else."
"I believe you." Spitfire donned a soft smile, her eyes twinkling. "And I think that if you're a little more outgoing with your friends and let them know that you may get cranky at times, things should work out well. After all, Twilight, Rainbow, and their friends are all quite different, so they'll probably understand if you tell them. Just keep trying to push yourself in the right direction. And don't do what I did and make it seem as though you're almost always rude."
"I'll keep that in mind. And while I may not know the best way to go about this, I think opening up to your fellow Wonderbolts is a good place to start. From there, maybe you could make a heartfelt apology to Rainbow Dash in the near future. I'm also guessing that you're much kinder and sweeter than you think." Starlight sipped some of her tea, the somewhat grassy flavor exciting her taste buds. "Besides, bringing back your confidence, even if you're faking it, might help a little. That's something I'd imagine Twilight saying, and I can let Rainbow know about your apology if you want."
Spitfire nodded. "Sounds like a plan to me."
"And thank you for listening to my story." Starlight's grin brightened, Spitfire's responding in kind. Warmth bundled within Starlight's chest the longer she gazed at Spitfire. It was a similar sensation Starlight felt upon meeting Twilight, only this one was slightly more intense. Maybe that was why Twilight stressed making friends so much; it felt amazing. "It made me feel welcome in this world for some reason."
"No problem. And thanks for listening to mine. I'll also admit that it made me feel more welcome, as I've been wondering if I was alone in my feelings. At least I now know that there's somepony I can work with to climb my way out of this." Grabbing her glass of water, Spitfire raised it up and gently brought it closer to Starlight. "I think we'll make a great team. To friendship?"
Starlight grabbed her glass and gently raised it, instinctively clanking it against Spitfire's a second later. "To friendship."
Upon bringing their respective glasses back to themselves, both Starlight and Spitfire took another sip before enjoying the delicacies before them. Starlight ravenously made her way through the scones and fruits decorating her plate whereas Spitfire cherished each bite of her meal. Yet when it came to the cheese and crackers, both of them were responsible in splitting it evenly among each other, analyzing the different cheeses they had with them and smiling through it all.
Friendship was a peculiar thing; fate was also something that still perplexed Starlight. But with how the day went, perhaps fate wasn't as frightening as she once thought.