The rest of that Christmas Eve party had gone really well. We'd opened up the board games that I'd gotten for Pinkie and played a few of them.
Rarity took to the first game we played, which was Clue, like a fish in water. However, since there were so many players, we had to play in teams. Well, I say we, but I stayed out of it since I wanted them to enjoy the game first. Pinkie and Applejack were one team, Rarity and Twilight were a second, Sweetie Belle and Apple Bloom were a third, Rainbow Dash and Scootaloo were a fourth, Fluttershy and Scarlet were a fifth, to my surprise, and the royal sisters were a sixth. Zecora had played it a few times with me and Scarlet, so she knew what to expect. Instead, she curled up on the couch and lay her head on my lap, dozing comfortably as I stroked her mane and watched the game commence.
After two games, both of which Rarity and Twilight won, the group actually asked me if there was anything we could watch for the holiday. Since I'd already shown many of them some holiday themed videos, I decided to open up YouTube and search for another of my all-time favorite Claymation animations, a short film called The Little Drummer Boy. Projecting my phone's screen up above the fireplace, I dimmed the lights and we watched the half hour special. Afterwards, I explained the religious background of the Christmas holiday once more, this time for the Cutie Mark Crusaders benefit since they had not really understood the significance of the short.
After the short ended, Scootaloo saw one of the recommended videos and pointed it out. It was titled The BEST of Rainbow Dash! - MLP Baby Comic/Animation Compilation. It was uploaded by a user named Magpiepony. With a grin, I selected it as the next video to play.
Rainbow was utterly embarrassed at the first one, and Applejack was the one who laughed the loudest at all the silliness that followed, but when the next recommended video was titled The BEST of Applejack! - MLP Baby Comic/Animation Compilation, I saw a grin spread across Rainbow's face as she begged me to play that one next. And so I did. It was her turn to laugh at a red faced Applejack, and later in the video a blushing Apple Bloom got some friendly flack from her other CMC friends when she appeared in some of the skits.
The next video I selected was one that Applejack asked me to pick, mostly since Rarity was laughing at the videos as well. I quickly selected The BEST of Rarity! - MLP Baby Comic/Animation Compilation. As Rarity turned bright red, the others laughed and giggled at her antics, but especially Pinkie Pie.
In a possible attempt to get some revenge on Pinkie, Rarity suggested we find the video that featured her baby self, and so I looked and found The BEST of Pinkie Pie! - MLP Baby Comic/Animation Compilation. But, to nobody's surprise, Pinkie just laughed along, much to Rarity's consternation.
She did get some semblance of revenge on Twilight, however, who had laughed almost as hard. I selected The BEST of Twilight Sparkle! - MLP Baby Comic/Animation Compilation. However, then the video got to the sappier parts, Rarity's laughter vanished and she couldn't help but smile and tear up at the display. She even hugged her sister afterwards.
Rainbow begged me to play the Fluttershy video that was in the recommended, The BEST of Fluttershy! - MLP Baby Comic/Animation Compilation, but I was a bit hesitant to share it. To my surprise, though, Fluttershy gave me permission as long as she could sit next to me for it just in case. And she was glad she had because some of the small comics scared her, especially ones that featured Flutterbat.
The last video we watched was titled The BEST of The Princesses! - MLP Baby Comic/Animation Compilation. Both princesses that watched were cute then they had an embarrassed look on their faces. Soon the entire room was in stitches.
By the time the video ended, it was getting late. Everyone was looking tired, especially the CMC and Spike. Everyone thanked me for a pleasant time and I saw them to the door. Despite my worries about some of the presents being too heavy to carry home in the dark, those present reassured me that they would be fine. Spike was especially worried about Twilight's present, but I could see right through him and I resolved that I would get the young drake some top of the line equipment from earth for his birthday in the next couple months.
Christmas Day came and went, and I received a brief and welcome visit from Jackie, who had saved me some leftovers from her family Christmas feast, which she said involved her friends and their families, including the Sparkle family to my surprise. She also informed me that Sunset had come through the portal on the same day that Applejack had begun displaying her new magical abilities. She had apparently gone back to try and apologize to the five girls for what she'd done. Jackie said that while a couple of them were willing to forgive her, she was still on the fence, and she wasn't the only one. Trisha and Dash were also a bit suspicious, but I asked her to try and give Sunset a chance. Jackie didn't quite like the idea, but she said that she would try, and that she'd tell the other three to do the same.
I spent the entirety of Christmas Day with Zecora, Scarlet, Phlogiston and Aurora. I'd gotten the young dragon girl a few presents for her to play with, mostly some crayons and a few coloring books for her to use when she could better control her fire. Phlogiston told me that many dragon hatchlings would play with gems and rocks. When I'd asked if she knew what hatchlings might have played with during the Aelyssian Empire's rule, she admitted she wasn't aware. I made a mental note to check through the abandoned houses in the capital city to see if there were any remnants of children's toys to examine.
In the afternoon, I made another large meal, delivering it to Chrysalis, the Sirens and Ember in their rooms. I noted that Chrysalis had begun looking much healthier than before and the constant supply of food seemed to be helping her recover from what I could only guess was a slight case of malnutrition. I'd actually found her reading something, one of the books that I'd given her. The Sirens had been playing some sort of game on their phones, which had managed to survive the journey through the Stargate. I'd given them the staticnet password and they'd spent a lot of time online, surfing the never to be updated again staticnet and playing games. Ember, to my surprise as well, was carving a piece of wood with her claws.
I spent the rest of the day playing with the ever so smiling Aurora, helping change her diapers when she needed it, putting her to bed for her naps, and generally acting a lot like a parent. Zecora and Scarlet were there for a lot of the time too, especially Zecora. She was incredibly maternal, from what I saw, and Aurora took to her right away, giggling when she played Peek-a-Boo with the young drake.
After the day ended, I put her to bed, but not before Aurora did something amazing. While I was holding her in my arms and helping to burp her, she moved in and gave me the sweetest little kiss on my cheek. The moment was added to when she spit up only about five seconds later, but it sent waves of warmth through my being that this young drake would show such affection to me.
Two more days passed, and Zecora and I began working double time on our wedding. By this time, the entire town had heard about it thanks to Pinkie. Whenever I went out, I received many congratulations and happy wishes for us, as did Zecora whenever she left the house as well. The Elements of Harmony, Scarlet, and a few of my other newer friends stepped up and volunteered to help better organize things, which I gladly accepted.
It was the twenty eighty of December when I received an unusual visit. Not because of who was visiting, but because of how the duo came. I was outside trying to get a better idea of where to place the tables when I heard the flapping of wings above. Looking up, I saw four Pegasi in royal armor pulling a flying horse drawn carriage, one that was enclosed on all sides and which had the curtains drawn. Judging from the way it was decorated, I guessed it was some noble. However, the visitor came around for a pass and landed in front of my gate. Curious, I walked over and opened my gate only to see one of the Pegasi trotting over and opening the carriage door. Stepping out of the carriage, I saw Princess Celestia and Princess Luna. Both were back in their natural forms and wearing their formal regalia.
Celestia locked eyes with me, then smiled kindly. "Jethro, nice to see you again."
"Same to you," I said as I stepped aside. "Please, come in. Your guards are also welcome to come in as well."
"You are too kind," Luna said, "but I am afraid they cannot follow us. What we have to say to you must be kept secret. And they must guard our carriage."
I felt my heart drop at that. "Oh no…am I about to be whisked away on another adventure just a few days before my wedding?"
Celestia and Luna both quickly shook their heads. "Not at all," Celestia promised, "but we have news for you that couldn't wait. May we come in?"
"Of course!" I said, feeling relieved that I wasn't about to be Murphy's bitch. Stepping aside, I allowed them entrance.
As the diarchs of Equestria stepped through, they looked at the lawn, which had been cleared of almost all snow. There were many tables sitting around already with benches and chairs at the ends of each. "Is this where you will be holding your reception, dear knight?" Luna asked. "I am impressed if so."
"Same here," Celestia added with a nod of approval before turning back to me. "Not anypony can get the weather team to alter their schedules for a specific event."
"Well, I had help," I admitted. "Help in the form of one of the most loyal friends I have."
A few days prior, I had asked Rainbow to keep any extra snow off of this portion of my property until the wedding was over. I had thought that since she was captain of the weather team she could pull that off, but she said that I would need to submit a written request to her higher ups in Cloudsdale, which I had in earnest. Fortunately, Rainbow had put in a really good word for me and my request was granted, but I was told that after the wedding day my property line would have to receive more snow than the surroundings due to the temporary imbalance. I gave plenty of apologies for making this harder for them, but to my surprise I received nothing but kind words and reassurances that, while this request was unusual, it wasn't something that they couldn't do. It would just require some rearranging, something that Rainbow, who had been with me at the time, said she could do easily.
"That mare truly does embody loyalty, does she not, sister?" Luna asked.
"Yes, she really does," Celestia agreed.
"Oh, she's not perfect by any means," I added, "but yes. She is very loyal. But come on in. It's warm inside, and I can get you some warm cocoa or something."
"Do you have any more of that eggnog drink we had at your Hearth's Warming party?" Celestia asked hopefully. "I, for one, really enjoyed it."
"As did I," Luna agreed.
"I think I have some left, yeah," I said. "I also have some leftover Christmas cake and I can slice up some Tillamook extra sharp cheddar cheese for you, Luna."
Luna's ears perked up at the mention of cheese. "What is Tillamook cheese?" she asked.
"Tillamook is the name of a small town on the Oregon coastline near the Pacific Ocean," I explained as we walked towards my house. "It's known for its famous dairy factory in the Pacific Northwest. They sell cheese, ice cream and other well-made dairy products. It's my all-time favorite cheese and ice cream manufacturer back on Earth."
"I am very interested in trying some," Luna said with excitement.
"I'll cut some up for you soon," I promised as we entered my living room. "Please take a seat and I'll get you all some refreshments."
About ten minutes later, I had made a small platter of cheese cubes from the massive brick of Tillamook cheese that I'd bought earlier. Not only that, but I'd sliced up some Christmas cake slices for Celestia and had poured them both a healthy helping of homemade eggnog. Luna praised the cheese I had given her, admitting that she had not enjoyed such a sharp cheese in years. She asked if I could purchase some more cheeses from Earth for her to sample, and I had agreed.
"But enough cheesy talk," I said with a grin as I picked up my own glass of eggnog. "You two came here for something serious. Did something happen?"
The two sisters went silent for a bit, looking at each other with barely readable expressions. Finally, Celestia turned back to me. "We found Starlight Glimmer.
The eggnog that was near my lips stopped. I slowly lowered the glass and leaned back. At that moment, I was glad that the majority of the house was empty. Ember, Phlogiston and Aurora had all gone out with Zecora and Scarlet to let the young baby dragon see the city earlier that day. Zecora was with Rarity currently, getting better fit for her wedding dress which the latter fashionista promised would be an extravagant affair, and the Sirens and Chrysalis were still secluding themselves in their rooms, although I'd noticed that they had gone out more often into the yard to get exercise, especially when I told them where my new property line was. Celestia's face was grim while Luna's was stoic. I felt a lump forming in my throat at their expressions and I took a deep breath. "Is she alright?" I asked a bit hesitantly.
Celestia nodded. "She's alright." Her features relaxed and she smiled. "Actually, she was spotted by a patrol guard up north near Manehattan."
"My sister and I gave the guards the descriptions of many of the possible future villains of the show," Luna added, "and Starlight was one of them. They spotted her there."
"I take it things didn't go well the first time around?" I asked. "I mean in the show, Twilight had trouble defeating her with her magic, and she was an Alicorn at the time."
"We took that into account," Celestia said. "We wanted to resolve this peacefully, so I went to my school and looked up a student there."
"Sunburst?" I asked.
Celestia nodded. "Fortunately, he is still in my school. I approached him and asked for his help in talking to Starlight."
I nodded. Starlight might currently be hurting and angry at what happened, but that didn't mean she was a fool. As evidenced in the show, she could be made to see reason. "What happened?"
"We'd like to show you, if that's alright," Celestia said. "I wasn't there when Sunburst met with Starlight, but my sister was."
"I wished to be there for her, since I know something of what she was going through," Luna explained.
"Well…if you want to show me, then I won't stop you," I said. I admitted that I was mildly curious about what Starlight in this world was like. I was also rather excited to meet the young mare since I liked her in the show despite her flaws.
Luna closed her eyes, her horn began to glow, and a screen formed in the middle of the room. A scene began to form, and what I saw stunned me.
From Luna's perspective, I saw that she was standing on a small cliff overlooking a large snow covered plain surrounded by large rocks. There was a larger portion of the plain that had no rocks anywhere. In the center, Luna was watching a light purple unicorn moving rocks around and out of the way, the snow falling off of them as they were hastily removed. Luna turned and looked over at an orange stallion wearing a very familiar cloak.
Sunburst was a little different than I had anticipated. For one, he looked slightly younger and I couldn't place the reason why until I noticed that he had no goatee. Other than that, he looked identical to the Pony I'd seen in the show. He had a stunned expression on his face as he watched his foalhood friend moving large rocks around like it was nothing. "I had no idea she was that powerful," he said.
"According to our source, she is an extremely powerful unicorn, young Sunburst," Luna's voice said. "She is also a very troubled young mare, traumatized by an event in her past."
Sunburst turned to Luna. "But your Highness, why am I here?"
"Because the incident in her past involves you."
Sunburst's ears flattened. "What did I do to her?" he asked in worry.
"You did nothing wrong," Luna quickly explained to placate the poor stallion, "but she is upset. Watch and you will see." I heard someone casting magic, and in the memory Luna showed an earlier memory of hers to Sunburst.
I recognized myself sitting in Canterlot's garden, looking seriously at someone offscreen. Sunburst immediately recognized me. "Is that Sir Jethro Bethridge?!"
"Yes it is, but hush, and listen young Sunburst," Luna said.
I watched as the earlier version of me held up my phone, showing an image of Starlight Glimmer on it. "Now, let me get to this mare here. Her name is Starlight Glimmer. She grew up in a town called Sire's Hollow." My past self swiped right and the image of a cartoon filly Starlight appeared. "She was friends with this young colt here." My past self swiped again only to reveal the cartoon version of Sunburst. "The two were pretty close until Sunburst got his cutie mark. After that, he was sent to your school for Gifted Unicorns." Here I saw myself looking at Celestia. "Unfortunately, his knowledge of magic never allowed him to succeed and he dropped out of the school, but back to Starlight." I swiped back to the pre-reformed Starlight image. "She lost Sunburst that day, and because of that never made another friend because she was afraid a cutie mark would come between her and whatever friend she made. I don't know how far she's gotten now, but in the show's fifth season opening two parter story and ending two parter story, she played a major role. In the show's opening, she was the antagonist."
"How so?" Celestia asked worriedly.
"She created a town called Our Town just west of Manehattan," my past self said, swiping right a few times to display the sameness of the cartoon version of Our Town. I swiped again, showing the unhinged smiles of the town's inhabitants. "Then, using some powerful magic, she took away the cutie marks of the ponies who came to her and stored them away."
"Why would anypony wish their cutie mark removed?!" Luna asked in alarm.
"Starlight did it because she thought that cutie marks would only lead to unhappiness and would tear Ponies apart, so she created a community without cutie marks so that the inhabitants could, in her own mind, experience true friendship. But in the end, she never got rid of hers since she basically wanted control."
"That simply isn't true! Cutie marks are a wonderful thing!" Celestia said. Luna, who was looking over at Celestia, put a hoof on her older sister's hoof. Celestia took a deep breath and exhaled. "Sorry, Jethro. Please continue."
"In the opening of Season Five of the show, the Mane Six are all tasked by something called the Cutie Map to go to Our Town to find a friendship problem," my past self explained. "However, they had their own cutie marks stolen. Eventually, however, they managed to get theirs back as well as give the cutie marks back to everyone in the town. Starlight ran away from the town and began stalking Twilight in an attempt to get revenge. Finally, she managed to get her hooves on one of Starswirl's time travel scrolls and rework it to work for her. She then went back and stopped Rainbow's sonic rainboom. The last two episodes of the series shows just how Starlight's actions affect the present. In one timeline, the Fae take over Equestria, in another, Nightmare Moon rules over Equestria, in another Discord rules, and in yet another Tirek reigns. It goes on and on while Twilight and Spike try and stop Starlight. By some miracle, Starlight is shown the error of her ways, and surrenders."
In the memory within a memory, Celestia and Luna looked at each other. Finally, Celestia turned back to the past me. "May I see her cutie mark more closely?"
My past self pulled up a higher resolution image of the cutie mark and showed it to both princesses. Luna had leaned forward and raised an eyebrow in alarm. "Sister, that cutie mark is one that would allow anypony to accel in magic, just like your student!"
"Not quite, but it is very close," the past Celestia replied. "I'm no expert on cutie marks by any means, I leave that to professionals, but I do know a decent amount about magical cutie marks. This means Starlight Glimmer could very well be one of the highest level magical unicorns in existence. I'm not sure how our Starlight could compare to Twilight, but I do believe she would be worth tutoring at my school. Twilight's cutie mark has to do with the magic of friendship, but I believe Starlight's has to do with having a talent for magic in its purest form. But like I said, I'm no expert."
"And the danger she poses?" Luna asked.
"I believe I know a way to help Starlight overcome her anger and hurt," Celestia said.
The memory within the memory vanished, leaving Sunburst's jaw agape at all the information he had just seen. Slowly, he fell onto his rump and turned to Luna. "Did…will she really travel through time just to get revenge?"
"Fortunately, Twilight and her friends have not yet discovered this mare," Luna said, "but thanks to Sir Jethro's help, we are now aware of the danger she poses, but we also want to help her overcome her foalhood trauma. That is where you come in."
"How can I help?!" Sunburst asked fearfully. "I'm no magical genius! I can barely cast the normal spells! I was about to be thrown out of Princess Celestia's school before she stepped in and stopped it!"
"Calm yourself, young Sunburst," Luna said. "My sister and I trust you to be able to help your old friend. Right now, she is angry and bitter." Luna reached out and put a hoof on Sunburst's back reassuringly. "Besides, you have more magical talent within you than you know. It might not show in what you can cast now, but from what we have been shown by Sir Jethro, your knowledge of magic far surpasses those of your peers."
"I…I've always wanted to be a wizard, but I can't even cast some of the more basic spells," Sunburst lamented.
Luna sighed, but lifted Sunburst's chin to face her. "Fear not then, young Sunburst, for when this is over, my sister and I can have our best mages look over you and see if there is something that might be done about it."
There was a shift in Sunburst's expression, and he looked up at Luna with a new expression. "I…do you mean it, your Highness?" he asked with a glint of hope in his voice.
"Indeed so, young Sunburst," she replied. "And if there is nothing else, my sister and I can find a place in the palace where you can feel useful. That is what you desire above most, is it not?"
Sunburst slowly nodded. "I'm tired of knowing so much and not being able to cast magic." Slowly, he turned and looked back at the valley below. Luna also turned and saw Starlight lifting yet another large boulder. "Is she really hurting?" he asked, a hint of worry now in his voice, but this worry directed towards Starlight.
"Indeed so," Luna said.
I heard the sound of someone standing up. Luna turned to see Sunburst standing tall. "Then let's get going, I suppose," he said.
"I shall accompany you, but only in case Miss Glimmer does anything," Luna said. She turned back to a small group of guards. "Remain behind and out of sight. If Miss Glimmer manages to injure me or young Sunburst, move in. Do not strike to kill or maim, only to incapacitate. Is that understood, Lieutenant?"
The Lieutenant, a tall burly gray stallion with white tail and mane and with a cutie mark that showed three parallel spears, saluted. "Yes, your highness."
The memory screen warped and I saw that Luna was now standing on the valley floor. I got a better look now at the bright purple mare. She had her back turned to Luna and Sunburst as they approached, apparently unable to hear their approach. Luna stopped and turned to Sunburst, who turned back to look up at Luna. "This is as far as I will go. I will be keeping an eye and ear on things from here, but if I were to approach with you, she might flee. I will cast a spell of invisibility on myself, but know that I am here with you in case things take a turn for the worse."
Sunburst bit his lower lip, clearly thinking, but after a while, he nodded and faced Starlight. Steeling himself, I watched as he trotted forward. Then, to my confusion, the memory seemed to zoom in. Looking over at Luna with a raised eyebrow, I gestured towards the memory and was about to ask what was going on but Luna just smiled and said, "It's a spell we use that can act like a telescope or binoculars."
"Oh…I've got to learn it someday," I muttered as I watched the memory unfold once more.
As Sunburst approached Starlight, the latter set down the massive three to four story boulder aside, wiping her brow. Then, she turned and caught sight of Sunburst. Just like in the show, her mane was cut into bangs and wasn't pushed to the side like it was after her in-show reformation. Starlight's eyes went wide in alarm, then recognition as she backed away. Opening her mouth, I heard her say, "S-Sunburst?! Wha-what are you doing here?!"
"Hello, Starlight," Sunburst said in his best attempt at being calm, but I could hear the trembling in his voice. "It's nice to see you again."
Not taking her eyes off of Sunburst, she backed away a bit. From what Luna's past self had seen, I saw that Starlight was a bit dirty and she had some snotcicles coming out of her nose. "B-But…how did you find me here?" She looked around quickly as if searching for something.
"Here, take this," Sunburst said. In the memory, Sunburst reached up and touched the clasp around his cloak. It fell away, revealing his orange mane, cream white legs, and his cutie mark. He floated it over to her and wrapped it around her. He then floated a kerchief out of one of the cloak's small pockets and gave it to Starlight, who took it with a blush and ran it across her nose.
"Th-Thank you," she said with a shiver as she wrapped the cloak closer around her.
"You're welcome," he said as he walked up and sat next to his foalhood friend. There was silence as Starlight warmed herself up in Sunburst's cloak. Finally, Sunburst spoke up again. "Starlight, what are you doing out here all alone? You can't be staying out here, right?"
Starlight stiffened a bit, looking away. Sunburst waited patiently, until finally Starlight replied, "I…I'm living in a warm cave nearby." Looking back and seeing Sunburst's alarmed expression, she quickly added, "Oh, but don't worry! It's only temporary! And the cave's really comfortable and warm! After I get the bits necessary, I'll build a town here!"
"A town?" Sunburst asked.
"Y-Yeah," Starlight said.
"Well, wouldn't it be easier to do it during the spring or summer?" Sunburst asked. "It's way too cold. And what about land permits? And construction permits?"
Starlight bit her lower lip. "I…well…"
"You were just going to ignore that all?" Sunburst asked, then stopped himself. "No, that's not what I wanted to talk to you about…sorry."
Starlight looked at her foalhood friend. "Wait, you were looking for me?"
"Starlight, I…Ugh, I'm terrible at this," Sunburst said. He turned to her. "I came because I was worried about you. I heard a little bit about what happened after I was sent to Celestia's school. I know I haven't reached out to you, and that's my fault. But since it's winter break, I decided I wanted to come and find you and make things up to you."
Starlight frowned. "What, and rub it in my face that you got sent off to Celestia's school?"
Sunburst's ears flattened and he looked down, away from Starlight's accusatory glance. "Honestly, I wish I was never sent to Canterlot."
That caught the Unicorn mare off guard. "Wait, what? But why?"
Sunburst took a deep breath and sighed. "Starlight, I'm the last in my class. I'm just about to drop out. I might know a lot about magic, but I can't cast magic like I hoped."
"But…what about your cutie mark?" Starlight asked. "Your parents were so sure it meant you were a magical prodigy."
Sunburst shook his head. "Well, I'm not," he said. "I doubt I could lift the rocks I saw you lifting earlier without being magically exhausted. I'm one failed test away from being flunked out of the school…"
Starlight looked stunned at this. "I…I didn't realize…"
"How could you know?" Sunburst asked. "I never reached out. I could say I was so busy that I forgot, but that's no real excuse. I…I was so…"
Starlight's ears flattened at seeing her old friend like this. "Sunburst? Why are you blaming yourself?"
"Because we were friends!" he said, stomping the ground. "I should have written you! I should have made the effort! Maybe then…things would be different."
Starlight opened her mouth to speak, but stopped herself. She then stood and stepped in front of him, a smile on her face. "Well, do you want to join me?"
Sunburst looked up. "Join you? In what?"
She made a sweeping gesture to the landscape around her. "In building the town I'm planning, of course!"
Sunburst stood. "You mean the town where you're going to take the cutie marks of the entire village and promote true equality?" he asked, looking at her calmly. "While at the same time keeping yours?"
Starlight backed away, eyes wide in alarm. "I…I don't…how…?"
"Who else in the world do you think would know of your plans?" Sunburst asked as he took a very bold step forward.
"I…I don't know who-" Then she stopped and her eyes widened in realization. "The human…"
"Sir Jethro Bethridge, Knight of Equestria," Sunburst said. "He's seen this, and it doesn't end up well for you."
Starlight grit her teeth in anger. "You mean…everything I've spent the past decade working for, all the money I've saved, all of it means nothing since that creature claims he saw the future?!" Her anger quickly turned into realization as she looked around quickly, suddenly locking onto the still invisible Luna. "You lied to me Sunburst…You didn't come alone! I can detect a magical presence over there!"
Sunburst immediately jumped in front of Starlight, his back to Luna. "Starlight, please calm down!"
Starlight lit up her horn and moved Sunburst aside with ease, staring at the still invisible Luna. "I thought we were friends, Sunburst. So why did you lie to me!?"
"I didn't lie to you!" he said as he tried to move, but Starlight's hold on him was strong. "I meant every word of it! I've been a terrible friend! I should have reached out to you! Maybe if I did, you could have joined me at Celestia's school! You still can!"
"And risk being separated from a friend again because of a cutie mark? Not a chance!" Starlight said angrily. However, despite that, tears were falling from her eyes. "I finally have you back, and I won't let you be taken away from me again!"
The Luna in the memory sighed and dropped the disguise. Starlight's anger turned to shock when she saw who had been hiding. Before she could speak, Luna began approaching, slowly reducing the spell on her eyes. "Greetings to you, Starlight Glimmer. I am Princess Luna."
Starlight's shock turned back to anger as she let Sunburst go and faced Luna. "What are you doing here? I haven't done anything wrong! I'm just building a town where everypony who feels like I do will be equal!"
"By stealing what makes a Pony unique in the world?" Luna asked calmly.
Starlight pointed an accusing hoof at Luna. "It's because of those cutie marks that I lost my friend! The only friend I ever had in the world then or since!"
Sunburst looked stunned at that. "I'd heard that, but I didn't realize it was that bad," he said.
"Yeah, well, it was!" Starlight snapped back angrily. I saw a small red mist beginning to emerge from Starlight's horn and form a large red cloud over her. She seemed unaware of it, however, as she continued, "Do you know where I was when I got my cutie mark? ALONE! I was all alone when I cast that spell! Dad wasn't there! Nopony was there! I was ALONE!" Tears were flowing freely now as her horn began charging for some kind of attack. "I can't be alone again!"
Luna began casting a spell, but just then Sunburst jumped on top of Starlight, putting his hooves on her horn. A spark shot out and ran through Sunburst, who yelped in alarm as he was flung back, hitting the ground hard. Luna gasped in alarm and rushed to his side, but Starlight was faster. She rushed over and began checking him over. "Sunburst? Sunburst!? Are you okay?"
"Stand aside, Miss Glimmer," Luna said with authority as she approached.
Starlight whirled on the princess and stood between her and Sunburst. "Don't you lay a hoof on him!"
"That was powerful magic you cast," Luna said patiently, "and with how weak Sunburst is in casting magic, he is not as immune to it as either you or I. I must look at him and make sure he is alright. Now stand aside. This is an order from your princess!"
Starlight's ears flattened and she looked back at Sunburst. Finally, after a few seconds, she stepped aside. Luna was quickly by Sunburst's side and looking him over. From what I was seeing from the memory, it looked like he was a bit singed, but other than that, I didn't see anything else wrong. Luna's magic played over the stallion. As she did so, Starlight watched with worry. "Is he alright?"
Luna didn't reply for a bit, but finally she finished casting her magic. "He is alright, just stunned. He will be weak for a few days, but will recover." Luna quickly turned. "As for you, Starlight Glimmer, do you realize that you were about to assault a member of royalty? Back one thousand years ago, the punishment for such a crime would be quite severe!" Starlight backed away, her previous bravado gone as her ears pinned back and she lowered herself like a cornered animal. Luna, however, took a deep breath. "However, you failed in your attempt. That, and our knight has asked that you be given a chance to prove yourself. You are a gifted Pony, Starlight Glimmer. More than you possibly could know."
Starlight looked down at the ground. "I…why would that human care what happens to me? We've never met."
"You are aware of that worldwide broadcast that Eris shared?" Luna asked. When Starlight nodded, Luna continued. "In the entertainment that depicted our world, your story is shown. It was one reason why I asked Sunburst to come. We want to help you through your pain. My sister especially. From what Sir Jethro has shown us and from what I have seen here, you have a remarkable talent, putting you far above most other Unicorns your age." Starlight looked up and saw that Luna was offering her hoof to the young mare. "You and I are more alike than you realize, Starlight Glimmer. We have both lost something, but unlike me, you can rebuild what you have lost." She turned and lifted Sunburst in her magic and lay him comfortably across her back, spreading her wings so he was lying on a comfortable surface. "You still have your old friend. Maybe things have changed, but such is life. You cannot go back to the past. But you can go to the future. If you wish, I can help you in that regard, just as other Ponies have been helping me."
Starlight covered her eyes with her hoof, and for the first time in that memory, she allowed herself to cry. Luna lowered herself down and put one hoof over the young mare as she continued to softly cry.
The memory began to fast forward. "She wept prodigiously," Luna said in explanation.
"Ah, got it," I replied.
Finally, the memory resumed in real time, and Starlight stood up. "I…I don't know what to do anymore…" she said.
"Perhaps you would like to come back to Canterlot with me and become a student in my sister's school," Luna suggested. "Or perhaps you and Sunburst can move to Ponyville and find work there. I believe I know of somehuman who could use your expertise. After all, he has just inherited a kingdom and a great number of magical artifacts and books that you two can go through."
"It's someone, not somehuman," I told Luna with an amused smile.
Luna simply winked at me with a twinkle in those lovely cyan eyes of hers as she turned back to the memory. In it, Starlight looked up at the past Luna. "Me? Help Equestria's knight? But…why me?"
"You and Sunburst could very well become quite a team," Luna said. "I believe that this young stallion has a nearly perfect memory. It's a common occurrence in a Pony with powerful magic potential. And you have a power beyond almost any Unicorn I have ever seen. Together, with his knowledge and your skills, you could do great things not only for Equestria, but for the world. And I am not exaggerating this."
Starlight looked up behind Luna at the still unconscious form of Sunburst. Slowly, she removed the cloak that he'd given her and lay it down on the stallion. "What…what should I do?" she asked.
"That is for you to decide," Luna said as she turned. "There are many who can help you through this dilemma. That is, if you let them in. If you continue shutting others out, well…you are aware of what happened to me, correct? And while that is an extreme case, it is never healthy to hold in that anger. Look at what happened because of yours." She nudged her head towards Sunburst.
Starlight looked down in guilt and shame. "I didn't mean to hurt him…I was just so angry…"
"And I never meant to hurt my sister a thousand years ago," Luna said, "but I did. I hurt many Ponies back then. I will not say the blame rests entirely with me, because, as a dear friend of mine has told me, a relationship is a two way street. Still, my actions are my own, not anypony elses. Know this though, Starlight Glimmer. Young Sunburst would not have some out here if he did not care for you. When he heard of your struggles, he came out because he does care."
"Then why didn't he write?" Starlight asked.
"That is something I cannot answer," Luna replied. "But I do believe that you two can discuss this in the future. Will you come with me back to Canterlot?"
Starlight looked up hesitantly. She was scared, I could see it in her eyes. However, slowly, she stood. "Lead the way, Princess…"
The memory faded and both Princesses looked at me expectantly. It was a lot to take in, that was for sure, and I sat there, nursing my eggnog and looking down at the table thoughtfully. I was thoroughly impressed with how both Sunburst and Luna handled the situation. Sunburst was definitely a brave stallion, and Luna was definitely a wise leader, having apparently learned to utilize her words almost as well as Celestia had. "Wow…well, that's one villain down," I said. I looked up at the princesses. "Where is she now?"
"She has been spending time in Canterlot trying to reconnect with Sunburst," Celestia said. "Well, that, and helping him with his magical studies. It turns out that the reason he was unable to cast higher magical spells was due to a blockage in his horn, which was allowing only about a fifth of his magical potential to flow. Our medical mages can undo this blockage, but it must be done carefully."
That surprised me, but it also made me happy to hear. I'd always felt a bit bad for Sunburst. Having all that knowledge and not being able to do anything with it seemed like torture to me. "Well, I'm glad to hear that he's going to be doing better," I said. "And what about Starlight?"
"Starlight…she has a lot of anger and even some self-hatred within her," Luna said. "She reminds me of what I was like a thousand years ago. I will be talking with her as will a counselor Pony, one I have been seeing ever since I returned from my exile. Starlight does, however, wish to meet you at some point."
"So would I," I said. "When I get back from Aelyssia, I think I'll have enough time for a meeting with her and Sunburst."
Celestia smiled. "We'll pass along the message to her," she said.
"Did you show Starlight the same memories that you showed Sunburst?" I asked.
"Actually, we almost showed her more," Luna replied, "but Celestia made a good point about showing her what I wanted to show."
"What do you mea-? Oooh…the episodes I showed you…" I said. At one point after I had finished Season Five a few months back, I had taken my laptop to Canterlot where I had played the first two and last two episodes of that season, mostly to give them a good idea as to why Starlight became what she became. Both princesses had been horrified at first, but at the end their expressions had changed to that of worry for this mare. I could tell that Luna could relate to Starlight, and what I'd just seen in her memory only confirmed my suspicions. "So what did you show her?"
"Just what Luna showed Sunburst," Celestia said. "The poor mare was inconsolable for a while, but her friend helped her through it."
"Both of them will be watched over and helped," Luna said, "and that is a promise."
I took note of Luna's eagerness to try and help Starlight. Inwardly, I smiled. Maybe helping another will be beneficial to Luna's own recovery, I thought. "And Sunburst is okay after that magical mishap, right?" I asked.
"This happened just two days ago," Luna said as she grabbed the last of the cheese squares with her magic. "He has made a full recovery."
I breathed a sigh of relief. "That's good."
Celestia and Luna both nodded in agreement. "We would have come down to tell you sooner, but we wished to make sure the two would be okay on their own."
"It's a good thing you caught her when you did," I said. "Despite her methods and what she did, I believe Starlight has some impressive leadership potential. Especially if she's nudged in the right direction."
Luna and Celestia both gave me odd looks before the latter asked, "Are you suggesting she would be a good fit to become a princess?"
"Whoa there, I just said leadership role, not a princess," I backtracked.
The two sisters stared at me for a bit before bursting out laughing. I knew then that they were both messing with me and soon joined them. As the laughter died out, Celestia and Luna both stood. "Thank you for taking the time out of your day to speak to us, Jethro," Luna said gratefully as she took a bite of the last cheese square. Looking at the now empty toothpick, she frowned in disappointment.
Celestia finished her cake and lifted the plate up. "Where should we put these?"
"Just set them down on the couch and I'll take care of them after you leave," I said. "And thank you two for telling me about Starlight. I'm glad to hear she's safe. Oh, and before you go, I'd like to give you something to give to her. Wait here, please?"
"Of course, Jethro."
I rushed upstairs and to my closet. I pulled out three large but thin rectangular packages with a note attached to the largest. I walked back downstairs. As I did so, I smiled and began humming a tune. As I reached the bottom of the stairs, I couldn't help it. I burst out singing. "Let's go fly a kite up to the highest height. Let's go fly a kite and send it soaring. Up through the atmosphere, up where the air is clear. Oh, let's go fly a kite."
As I handed the package out to the princesses, they took it and looked over the images on the front. "Why would you give Starlight kites from your world?" Luna asked.
"When did you get this for her?" Celestia added.
"I got it when I went to Earth to get presents for everybody," I said, "and I wrote the note after I got home. I was going to give it to her when she was found, but I didn't expect her to show up this soon. I know from the show that she likes kites, or she will begin to like them after her in-show reformation."
The two sisters looked down at the packages for a few moments, then looked back at me with a warm smile. "I believe this is a nice gesture," Celestia said. "My sister and I will deliver them."
"Thank you," I said. "I'll escort you out to your carriage." And with that, I went to the door and opened it, stepping aside. "After you, ladies."
Dear Starlight Glimmer
You don't know me, but you might know of me. My name is Jethro Bethridge, and I'm Equestria's first resident human inhabitant. I was teleported to your world a couple of days before the thousandth anniversary of the Summer Sun Celebration and became a part of one of the friendliest communities in Equestria.
I'm writing this note to you in the hopes that you've received the gifts accompanying this note and that the message it sends won't be misconstrued. That message being that I wish to befriend you. You must have seen Eris' message about me that she spread all across the world. Well, in that show I saw, you quickly grew on me. You displayed a strength and growth of character that I admire. I saw you make mistakes and then work desperately to correct them, something I greatly approve of, and I hope someday to meet the mare that displayed such amazing capabilities. And I'm not talking about your magical prowess.
I know that hearing that some strange alien from a distant universe knowing about you would freak anyone out, and I wouldn't blame you for not wanting to meet with me, but just know that you don't just have Sunburst as a friend. I hope that someday you and I can become friends too. I don't know how the events of your life will change thanks to me being in this world, but I can only hope that things go better for you now than they did in the events I saw. I wish only the best for you.
Your hopeful friend,
Jethro Bethridge.