Always
Twilight had to admit, she had made some mistakes in her path to friendship but honestly, she hadn’t really felt as cruddy as she did in a long time.
Twilight had been so caught up in her idol worship with Starswirl, she completely abandoned her ideologies when in all honesty, they wouldn’t have caused much harm. Starlight knew that but Twilight had disregarded that.
It took Starlight’s silent tears and Spike calling her out for her to realize she had screwed up, she may not have done anything to her, but she still let Starswirl belittle her friend like she was an idiot.
She couldn’t be too mad at Starswirl, he clearly had different beliefs due to being from a different timeline.
Twilight was more mad at herself, even if she didn’t do it on purpose, she still hurt Starlight.
She then leapt onto her bed and levitated the covers onto her, Twilight knew that once the night passed, she had to apologize to Starlight.
Starlight walked through the empty halls of the castle and looked on in confusion. Where were Twilight and Spike?
She then spotted Twilight, and the rest of her friends such as Pinkie Pie, Applejack, Rainbow Dash, Rarity, and Fluttershy at the map table, a bit strange but maybe she just woke up a bit late.
“Hey girls.” Starlight said happily but was surprised to see the cold stares of them turn to her, which slightly unnerved Starlight.
“I’m sorry… did I do something wrong?” Starlight asked with a sheepish frown.
“It’s just that… we’ve been talkin’ with Starswirl and… we realized we had to make some changes to Equestria.” Applejack began speaking.
“Yeah. We realized that you’re kind of a walking nutcase Starlight.” Rainbow Dash said sternly to the unicorn.
“Yeah. Like a ten ton bag of pecans, smothered in peanut butter, encased in a cashew the size of Equestria!” Pinkie Pie made a crazy motion with her hoof.
“Walking nutcase? I guess I can go to the extreme at times but I don’t think I’m that bad. I can be a smart and helpful friend.” Starlight told the girls with a sad frown.
“Yeaaaaaah but we still feel like you’re not really fit for society, so that’s why we’re using the Elements Of Harmony to banish you to limbo.” Rarity said with a huff.
“What?!” Starlight asked incredulously, this had to be a joke right? They wouldn’t seriously do this to her?
“Okay girls.” Starlight smiled nervously before giving out a forced laugh, “Funny prank, but can we please not pull something so hurtful.”
“Sorry Starlight, but we’re not kidding.” Fluttershy sighed before opening the chest with the Elements Of Harmony as Twilight levitated the Elements around her friends’ necks and then placed the crown on her head.
“Twilight. Please. Stop fooling around. This isn’t funny anymore.” Starlight sweated fearfully.
Twilight turned to Starlight coldly and narrows her eyes, “You think this is a joke? You’re a toxic waste field Starlight, and the sooner we get rid of you, the better.”
“B-But… I thought we were friends.” Starlight teared up from the hurtful words she was hearing.
“Friends?!” Twilight snickered, “I was just trying to tame you. That’s what you do with monsters. After all, Starswirl knows best.”
Starlight teared up heavily as those words played in her head.
The Elements began to glow until another glow beamed from the ceiling and with that, the blinding light and the Mane 6 themselves were gone.
“Wh-Wha?” Starlight stammered.
Soon Luna floated down in front of Starlight and Starlight smiled tearfully, “Oh thank goodness. It was just a dream.”
“It’s fortunate that this is not reality but that dream almost made you have a break down.” Luna told the unicorn who sniffled as she wiped the tears from her eyes.
“I-It all felt so… real.” Starlight whimpered, “I felt like I was going to actually be banished. And I actually thought Twilight was pretending to be my friend.”
“Dreams can toy with us Starlight, but clearly this is no ordinary dream. Something clearly troubles you.” Luna said as she put a comforting hoof around Starlight.
“I just feel like I’m a mess Luna. I cause a bunch of trouble by accident, and then when Starswirl showed up and I thought Twilight was going to give up on what she believed in. The worst part is that I feel if Starswirl came back a little earlier, I’d be banished to limbo too.” Starlight said softly.
“I have no idea how things would have gone should things have played differently but I do feel that you are sorely mistaken with this alleged alternate outcome. Though I’m not the one you need to hear that from.” Luna said to her fellow reformed villain and soon she lit her horn up.
And soon Starlight found herself awake, and saw from the window it was morning time.
Starlight soon thought about what Luna said and figured out what she meant. She had to talk to Twilight.
Starlight was about to open the door when Twilight opened it herself, both were shocked to see the other.
“I was just about to see you.” Starlight said in shock.
“Great minds think alike I guess.” Twilight said jokingly before speaking with concern, “Are you okay after yesterday? I know what me and Starswirl did hurt you and your little spiel about how you felt you would’ve been banished to limbo too really got me concerned.”
Starlight hated to make Twilight feel bad but she remembered what Luna said, she had to tell Twilight what was going on.
“No actually.” Starlight sighed sadly as she teared up, “I… had a nightmare. You and your friends were wearing the Elements Of Harmony and you were going to banish me to limbo, you even said that you were pretending to be my friend to tame me because I was a monster.” She vented much to Twilight’s shock.
“Starlight, I’m so sorry about that. Don’t worry, you are my friend and I would never do that to you.” Twilight told the unicorn reassuringly.
“Maybe not now.” Starlight said softly, “But what if Starswirl came back before the time travel incident? You did say that if he were here he could have stopped it.”
“I was only saying that because I thought Equestria would be safer with him around.” Twilight said reassuringly, “I did not mean it in a way where you wouldn’t reform. I didn’t even know he was so closed off at first considering his friendship with Scorpan, though now that I think about it, Scorpan never committed any crimes but I’m getting off topic.”
“Okay… but if he were around after the whole time travel incident unfolded between me and you, would you still take a chance on me?” Starlight asked hopefully.
Twilight began to contemplate that, but after a few moments, she spoke up, “Honestly, I think I would.”
“Really?” Starlight asked with a raised eyebrow.
“Honestly, I think I was just so starstruck with meeting my idol that I wasn’t thinking straight. If I had already met him, I think I’d grow used to his presence enough for me to make my own choice and I knew you were worthy of redemption when I met you, and considering how Luna and Discord are also reformed, why would that change?” Twilight explained to Starlight.
Starlight began to think about Twilight’s words, she wasn’t sure if Twilight was just trying to make Starlight feel better but every word Twilight said felt genuine. She could feel it.
Starlight immediately smiled as she tearfully embraced Twilight, “Thank you Twilight. For everything.”
“No problem Starlight. Even though things can be tough for us, just know that I’ll always choose you.” Twilight tightened her hug with Starlight.
Starlight smiled, finally feeling that things would be okay between her and Twilight.