This is definitely the dumbest thing I've ever done in my life, Maddock thought as Twilight led him back into the castle. To think that he would be forced to write a letter of apology to a unicorn who deserved every single word he had spat at her. How dare Twilight! He said, I only did what had to be done. Doesn't she know unicorns are born self-absorbed and prideful? Probably not, considering she used to be one. Her own inherent pride is what's causing her to do this to me. His hatred flared inside of him and he knocked over a vase that was nearby. It crashed to the floor and Twilight turned.

"Maddock!" She said sharply, "I don't know what's gotten into you, but pick that up right now."

"No!" Maddock said in a voice that would make a brattish foal sound intelligent

"I said, 'pick that up,' NOW!" Twilight said even more firmly.

But Maddock stood against her. The two ponies huffed and puffed in each other's faces for a moment. It was at this time that Maddock realized, with some form of shock, that Twilight had really pretty eyes. Unfortunately, those eyes were blazing with anger and it was all directed at him. He felt as if he would crumble under her penetrating gaze.

But even so, he stood against her and didn't move a muscle. "OK," she said, "since you wanna be so stubborn and insult my friends and destroy my property…TWO apology letters to Starlight and myself and you will help Spike clean this castle from top to bottom before the day's through! That's on top of your visit to Fluttershy's class. That starts in two hours, so if I were you, I'd get to work!"

This time, her gaze was so sharp that it pierced Maddock down to his very soul. He slowly backed off and said, "yes, Twilight." Twilight came forward and held up his head with a hoof. The look she gave him was all he needed to see. It was laced with anger at what he had done, but there was also a look of genuine concern that seemed to coat the eyes that looked down at him.

What is it with this pony? He asked himself, she turns from the sweetest pony in the world to a raging pony demon at the flick of a hoof! What's worse, I can't get her out of my mind. Why can't I get her out of my mind? She's a freakin' unicorn…OK, former unicorn, but my point still stands!

At this point, the anger seemed to melt away from Twilight's eyes. "Maddock, there's something bothering you," she said, "you know, one of the tenets of a good friendship is conversation, so let's have one. But first, I have to apologize." Maddock's ears pricked up. Apologize? To him? What for? He had been the one to foolishly knock a vase over.

"I was too rough on you when you knocked that vase over, and I'm sorry. Lashing out in blind anger to something like that isn't the best idea."

"Twilight, you don't need to apologize for that. If anything, I need to apologize. I shouldn't have done that. I'm just so…frustrated at everything that's happening to me."

"You are? But Princess Celestia herself sent you here to learn about friendship"

"Yeah, from a former unicorn"

Twilight's face screwed up in a sour look. "What's that supposed to mean?"

"Once a unicorn, always a unicorn. You guys are so narcissistic and proud that you don't care what's going on around you!"

Twilight stopped short. She realized that something in his past was driving this, but she couldn't figure out what it was. Whatever it was, it had something to do with a unicorn. "Maddock," she softly pressed, "why do you hate unicorns?"

Maddock whirled around to her, tears streaming down his cheeks. "BECAUSE THEY TOOK MY FAMILY AWAY FROM ME! THEY KILLED MY PARENTS!" He shouted before breaking down. He sobbed on the floor as Twilight came over and placed a comforting hoof on his shoulder. He looked up at her and saw kindness and love lacing the purple princess's visage.

"It's OK," she said softly, "I know how it feels to have something you love dearly taken away from you."

"How?" he asked between sobs, "how could you possibly know the pain I endure on a daily basis because of what somepony else did?"

"Because when I moved to Ponyville, I lost everything. My mother and father, my big brother, my mentor. Yes, I lost everything I held dear except for Spike."

He got up and faced her. "What do you mean? Your parents and brother are still alive, aren't they? Twilight Velvet, Night Light, and Prince Shining Armor. I read all about them in the papers back in Canterlot."

"Yes, they may still be alive," she said, "but they live far away. I don't get to see them like I used to, and it does hurt me. Sure, I could go to Canterlot whenever I wanted to, but then nopony would be here to help solve friendship problems."

Maddock realized the enormity of the responsibility that weighed on Twilight's shoulders. She was in charge of every single friendship in Equestria and, considering the country was an extremely friendly place, that was no small number.

"Being royal and running a school means I don't have the time to spend with my family that I would like to. Nopony can ever replace them in my heart, but I have good friends here in Ponyville to help ease that pain."

"You really believe in this whole friendship thing, don't you?"

She nodded. "I wouldn't be the Princess of Friendship if I didn't. Look, Maddock, friendship is for everypony, Earth, Pegasus, and Unicorn alike. We are all equal based on that. Nopony is superior to another pony because they have wings or walk on the ground or have magic. I'm sorry that your experience has caused you not to see that. Truly, I am. I cannot even begin to imagine the pain you go through because of it. But you have to stop blaming every unicorn for the mistakes of one pony. I know you can change if you let true friendship in, as I once had to learn to do. You have to let go of these prejudices. They just aren't true."

Maddock was taken by the complete understanding in her eyes. She got it. She understood him. Could he possibly be friends with the princess? No…not after what I did, he thought, she probably doesn't want to teach me anything anymore. She's probably saying all this just to make me feel better.

He sighed. "You probably don't wanna be friends with somepony like me, though. I mean, I insulted your Starlight friend pretty badly."

She smiled at him. Little did he know it, but he would grow to adore that smile above all others. "Of course I wanna be your friend," she said, "but first, I have to be your teacher. That job entails a lot, and it includes making sure you learn your lesson when you do something wrong. Since you seem to be coming around a bit, I'll revoke the apology letter to me. But I still want you to write something to Starlight and I want you to clean up the mess you made. Come on. I'll help you."

She started to move, but he held his hoof up. "No, Twilight," he said, "this is…something I need to do alone." With that, he began to move away. Twilight watched him go and a small smile played with the corners of her lips. He's getting it, she said to herself, he's changing…