Synopsis: Anon wants to find out about the past of his marefriend, Starlight.

>"…So yesterday's spell may have been a total bust, but—hey! How about this one?"
"No way, I'm not testing any spells involving flames, not after last time…"
>Absent-mindedly rubbing your left butt cheek, you can still feel the scorch marks as a reminder of *that* spell.
>You are currently in the room that you and your partner-in-crime like to call: The Danger Zone.
>It's a modestly-sized room, many magical artefacts are haphazardly scattered among the floor. The walls are magically reinforced to prevent any accidents from spreading outside.
>Said partner-in-crime is currently present in the room with you: a lilac unicorn mare known as Starlight Glimmer; she's incredibly talented, and a prodigy to the Princess of Friendship: Twilight Sparkle.
>As for you: you're the strange human that showed up one day.
>It was Starlight who found you wandering around the outskirts of the Castle of Friendship, dazed and confused.
>You two had a brief chat, informing her that you had no idea how you got here, or how to get back.
>She brought you to Princess Twilight Sparkle and explained your predicament.
>Starlight vouched for your good character, even though she barely knew you.
>Twilight was kind enough to supply you with a room to stay in the castle and settle your sudden appearance with the rest of the higher powers.
>Even beyond your initial meeting, Starlight went out of her way to help you acclimate to your new home—taking you out with her and involving you in her day-to-day activities.
>It was only a matter of time before you found yourself falling for her.
>And as it turns out, when you came to confess, she confessed she had also felt the same way towards you; and the rest, as they say, is history.
>"Hey, Equestria to Anon?" She snaps you out of your daze, glancing at you from under her purple and blue mane.
"Sorry, I got zoned out there, you were saying something about a new spell?"
>"That's right! I managed to get a hold of one of Starswirl's old diaries, and there were some *really* interesting spells on there."
"Oh? Do tell."
>Using her magic, she grabs one of the magical artefacts in the room—some kind of hemisphere-shaped object—and places it in front of you both.
>With a jolt from her horn, the outer layer of the artefact retracts, and it beams out a holographic sphere above it.
"Groovy."
>"So! You've always been interested in our history, right? Well…what if there was a way to experience it as if you were *actually* there?"
>Breaking out into a grin, she continues.
>"I've discovered a spell that can do just that. By travelling through time we could relive some of the most important moments in Equestrian history!"
>Equestrian history has always been a fascination for you, but…
"Did you just say time travel? I don't know, Glimmy…"

>You've heard about this; this wouldn't be the first time Starlight's dealt with time magic.
>You've learned bits and pieces through hushed whispers—mostly through grilling Spike, the Princess's assistant.
>Apparently Starlight and Twilight were bitter enemies once, and Starlight attempted to use time travel to change the course of history.
>Her prior resentment stemmed from Twilight stopping her rule over a village.
>You tried to get Spike to tell you more, but he refused, stating that Starlight should tell you the rest.
>Given that she always changes the subject when you ask her directly, you're still not sure what exactly happened in her past, so it's become something of a curiosity for you.
>Starlight gives a nervous titter in response to your scepticism.
>"It's not like the—uh—*other* spell that I used. This spell is completely different! It's a kind of scrying spell—we can only *look* because it only sends our mind there, not our body."
>She nods, seemingly to convince herself more so than you.
>"But because we have no physical presence, nopony will even notice we're there! It's more like…remember that virtual reality thing that you mentioned from your home?"
>*Magical* virtual reality, eh? That sounds awesome—
"Wait, hold up."
>"Hm?"
"If I'm hearing this right, and this spell lets ponies spy into the past, undetected, then who's to say—"
>You spin around, rapidly scanning your surroundings.
"Who's to say there aren't ponies from the future using this spell to spy on us *right now?!*"
>"That's—um…"
>As Starlight ponders this theoretical breach of privacy, you sharply turn to a (supposedly) empty corner of the room, finger pointed in accusation.
"Don't think I'm not onto you, you…you peeping toms!"
>Silence passes for several seconds.
>"…Really, Anon. The chances of anypony wanting to spy on us, in this room, at this point in time, are really low. You're getting yourself worked up over nothing."
"Low, but not impossible… Besides, I'm pretty sure I saw *something* move over there."
>Starlight rolls her eyes.
>"Let's just get back to the spell, alright?"
"Alright, alright, but I'll be keeping an eye out. We don't want any time ghosts discovering the secrets hidden within these walls—like Twi's crippling hayburger addiction."
>Despite her best efforts to stay stoic, Starlight's lips can't help but curl upwards to form a smirk.

>"Anyway! Back to the spell. It's actually a precursor to Starswirl's time travel spell. By enchanting an object—such as this holosphere—he could see past events through it! And then—!"
>She launches a spell into the holosphere and soon slumps over, unconscious.
>Curious, you look into the projection formed by the sphere—and you see a little holographic Starlight staring right back at you!
>"Then we can use an astral projection spell to place ourselves within the memory that we've recreated!"
>With a *poof* she disappears from the projection, and her physical body quickly rises up next to you.
>"I've also managed to combine the spell theory with basic teleportation. So—not only *anytime* you can think of, but *anywhere,* too."
"Look at you, Glimmy, combining complex spells like it's nothing."
>Blushing, she looks away, lightly giggling in response to your flattery.
>"Aw, it's just a matter of seeing which spells fit with one another, and besides—"
>Looking back up at you, she smiles softly.
>"I knew you'd love it."
>She directs you to two mats she's laid out on the floor.
>"We'll need to make sure our bodies are comfortable, because we won't be able to leave the spell until it runs out."
"In it for the long haul, eh?"
>"Yep, it's not quite conventional time travel, but there's still a lot of moving parts in this spell, it's better to be safe than sorry.
>"I'll let you do the honours of choosing where to go!"
"Sounds good, but how do I 'choose where to go?'"
>"All you need to do is focus on the when and the where, and the spell will do the rest.
>"Oh, and remember—it has to be somewhere in Equestria, and sometime in the past."
>Nodding to her, you two lay down on adjacent mats.
>"Alright, here goes. Ooh, I can't wait to see where you'll send us to!"
>Starlight's horn emits her signature turquoise glow as she begins channelling the spell through you both and into the holosphere.
"Catch you on the other side, Glimmy."
>As a turquoise mist begins overtaking your vision, you start gathering your thoughts.
>Any time you can think of, eh?
>It just so happens you know exactly *when* you want to go…

***

>You feel your very being torn in two as you exit your own physical body, the sensation makes you think that you're an orange being peeled.
>Rising upwards into the turquoise void, you notice other colours begin to form—red, green, yellow, brown, grey.
>Suddenly, without warning, you are launched at great speed in a seemingly random direction.
>Your weightless self barrels through the space-time continuum. 
>Light shows of all kinds flash past your eyes.
>Everything feels so…so…
>*THUD*
>Is the sound of you hitting the floor.
>Or at least, you think so; you can't hear anything with this loud ringing sound in your ears.
>A painful sensation wracks your body, forcing your eyes shut and your body still.
>You think you smell smoke.
>The uncomfortable feeling eventually subsides enough for you to open your eyes, and you get a look at your surroundings from your prone position.
>Dirt takes up most of your sight. Rocks of various sizes line the area, and a few mountains stand proud in the distance, so you know you're in a mountainous region of some kind.
>It is then that Starlight moves into your peripheral vision.
>Thankfully, she seems to be faring much better, although she is still stumbling around a little bit.
>Testing your voice, you attempt to call out to her.
"G-Glimmy! You…you alright?"
>"I'm…I'm alright Anon, just aftershock from the spell is all, it'll pass.
>"Really, it's me who should be asking you that question, Anon. How are you feeling?"
"Eurgh… Do you remember that time when we tested the…accelero spell on Pinkie's muffins? I feel like I…ate ten of those."
>"That's what we call an 'out-of-body experience,' Anon. You'll get used to it."
>As she sees you groan and continue to fail in getting up off the ground, she looks to you with sympathy.
>"…Although, maybe I should have let your body first get used to the projection spell *without* teleportation."
>Starlight nervously laughs.
>"Sorry Anon, I might have gotten a bit too carried away."

>Finally managing to upright yourself against a nearby rock, you reassure her.
"I-it's okay, Glimmy. You know what they say: 'one big step for Ponykind,' or something…"
>"I…I don't think that's what they say, Anon.
>"But enough of that. Ooh, where did you send us to?"
>To get a better viewpoint, Starlight trots up to the crest of a nearby hill, excitement in every step.
>"I see rocks, mountains, a tree, more rocks, a few buildings! That—"
>Starlight comes to a halt as she processes what she's seeing.
>As you stumble your way next to her, you too see what she does.
>Peering down from the overlook, you see what looks to be a rural town of some kind.
>"This is…my old village."
>She continues to stare at the town in confusion.
>"This doesn't make any sense… Did the spell malfunction?"
"Nope. The spell's working as intended."
>"What? But why? I don't get it. There were so many other places you could have chosen, so why here? And when—"
>Starlight turns to you with a frown.
>"You didn't."
"I did."
>"If…if this is some kind of joke, it's not funny."
"It's not a joke. I really did want to see this place."
>"But why? Don't you know what this place represents?"
"I *don't* know, Starlight. You've always been evasive about it when I've asked!"
>"Well that—that's because—!"
"That's why I sent us here. I just… I just wanted to know more about the mare I love."
>Starlight attempts to form an immediate rebuttal, but no words come out.
>She stares at the ground for a few moments.
>Eventually, she speaks up.
>"We can still go somewhere else. Hollow Shades isn't too far from here. If we hurry we can—"
>She looks to you, and a firm shake of your head gives her all the answers she doesn't want to hear.
>You feel some guilt for pushing this on her, but you worry that if you let her stay aloof about her past, you may not get another opportunity like this.
>Starlight sighs in resignation.
>"Are you sure you want to go inside that town, Anon? You might not like what you see."
"I do, Glimmy. This is important to me."
>"…Okay. Stay close to me. I'll lead the way down."
>You have the sneaking suspicion that keeping you in her sights is more for her sake than yours, but you nonetheless acquiesce.

***

>After a short walk down the cliff, the two of you reach the entrance of the village.
>Getting a closer look at the architecture, you get a feeling for just how…different this place is from Ponyville.
>On your left and right, cottages are lined up in parallel.
>With the exception of the door colours, and various signage depicting stalls and other establishments, all of the cottages are identical in size and shape; a far cry from the almost-haphazard layouts in Ponyville.
>Between the two sets of houses, a well-trodden dirt path paves the way to a lone building at the end of the street, taller than the rest.
>Entering the village proper, you get a good look at the inhabitants within.
>Ponies of all kinds wander the main path, but their coats are duller than you'd expect, and their expressions are contorted into a rather uncomfortable-looking smile.
>But perhaps most strikingly of all—is their cutie marks.
>You know that a pony's cutie mark symbolises their talents in life; Starlight's cutie mark, for example, symbolises her innate talent for magic.
>You also know that no two ponies have the exact same cutie mark, somewhat akin to a human's fingerprint.
>So when you gaze upon the ponies in this village, seeing that they all have the same cutie mark depicting equality, it gives you some cause to wonder.
>Is this a village of mathematicians? Or is something more sinister at large…
>None of them seem to notice you two, so either they're really good at ignoring alien bipeds from another dimension, or you really are just a projection into the past.
>"So…"
>Starlight stops in her tracks, turning around to look at you; you can tell she's gauging your next reaction carefully.
"It's…different. A lot different from what I'm used to in Ponyville."
>"Yeah, it is—was."
>Right, this is the past, after all.
>You gesture to one of the ponies walking by.
"So what happened to them? I've never seen ponies like them, did they get hit by some kind of cutie mark plague?"
>"It…"
>Starlight pauses as the rest of the sentence is caught in her throat.
"It?"
>"It…sure is a wonderful day for some muffins! Yeah!"
>Hastily making her way over to a nearby table with a few muffins on top, she swipes at one of them, then stuffs her hoof into her mouth.
>"Yum! Delicious!"

"Glimmy, you do remember that we're time ghosts, right? I could clearly see your hoof phasing through that muffin."
>"I don't know what you're talking about, these muffins are just"—she swipes at another muffin and eats more air, performing an exaggerated chewing motion—"scrumptious!"
>You move in close to scrutinise the confections, and you notice just how uninspiring they are.
>There are no additional ingredients, just plain bread, and the bread itself looks stale and brittle, as if it'd completely fall apart at any moment.
>Somehow, they look even worse than those accelero'd muffins; if Pinkie was here, she'd certainly condemn these cakes as a crime against confectionery.
"I suppose it's a good thing you can't eat them. They hardly look edible."
>"Really? I think they're more of an acquired taste."
"These muffins have certainly 'acquired' something alright."
>The mood lightens as you two laugh at your casual banter.
>Taking the the time to look at some more ponies, you notice something else: their fashion sense, or perhaps the lack of it.
>Most ponies opt not to wear anything from what you can see, aside from a few tattered-looking cloaks supplied from the local vendor; a certain fashionista would have some choice words to say in regards to this.
>Their manestyles are all very similar too; everywhere you look, every pony has the front end of their mane done up in the same short bangs.
>…Actually, it's kind of cute.
>Once again, your eyes are drawn to the central building.
"So you were the leader of this village, right? That mean you lived in the tall house over there?"
>"Ah—yes."
"Neato, shall we go in and have a look then?"
>"No!"
>Her reaction catches you off guard; turning around, you raise an eyebrow.
>"I mean—no, you don't want to go in there. It's a total mess, I haven't tidied up in weeks!"
"Right, and you just so happened to remember the exact state of this building, on this exact day? What day is it, anyway?"
>"Uh…"
"Come on, Starlight, if the past you really is here, I'd like to see her."
>You start making your way to—
>"Wait!"
>You turn back to her.
>Starlight psyches herself up before she continues.
>"There's…there's some place else I want to show you."

***

>One short trek later, Starlight leads you to the mouth of a cave near the village.
>"You were asking about the cutie marks earlier. They're…well, you'll see."
>You enter the cave, and after a brief moment of acclimating to the darkness, you see it:
>A transparent monolith embedded into the wall, depicting symbols of all kinds; they seem familiar to you, are these—
"Are these all cutie marks?"
>"Yeah, this is where…where I'd store all of the cutie marks that I removed from the townsponies."
>The revelation somewhat shocks you, but deep down, you had a hunch that something like this would be her doing.
"What would prompt you to do such a thing?"
>"It was a long time ago—back when I was a filly—back before I discovered my own cutie mark.
>"I spent all my days together with my first friend—Sunburst, you remember him, right?"
>Sunburst, you've met with him a few times before; a well-read unicorn and an important figure in the Crystal Empire. Despite his interest in the field, you could never convince him to join in on your and Starlight's magical mishaps.
"Right."
>"But those days ended once he got his cutie mark. His family was so proud of him, they sent him far away to study abroad, but me? I was left all alone.
>"The betrayal I felt that day stopped me from believing in friendship, not when 'destiny' could just take it away on a whim. I felt utterly powerless. The day I received my own cutie mark didn't make me feel better—in fact, it just made me feel worse.
>"I thought I could just bottle it up like everypony else, but one day, I discovered a forbidden magic tome in my dad's book store, and it contained a spell to strip away a pony's very cutie mark.
>"At that moment, everything—all the bitter hatred towards 'destiny' that I thought I had suppressed—boiled up from within me.
>"I decided that I'd use my own 'destiny' to fight back, to create my own world where cutie marks wouldn't decide the course of friendship—where innate talents wouldn't set us apart.
>"So I studied, I practised, and eventually, I founded this village alongside others who wanted to escape the fate that their cutie mark had left them."
"So all of these ponies came here to escape that 'destiny' too?"
>"Yes, but I…I lied to them. I took their cutie marks, but I secretly kept mine. I needed my magic in order to cast the unmarking spell, at least, that's what I told myself.
>"But really, it would've been a simple enough feat to enchant the staff to cast the real spell with the knowledge I had gained. I was just a hypocrite."

"You felt powerless when Sunburst got his cutie mark and moved away, right? I think that's why you kept your cutie mark, you must have been afraid of feeling helpless again without your magic."
>"You might be right. Back then, I thought I was freeing other ponies from their destinies, but it turns out I was just imposing a new destiny on them: my own warped vision of 'equality.'"
>You two make your way deeper into the cave, stopping in front of a pedestal, and on this pedestal is a wooden staff.
"So this was the staff you mentioned earlier, right?"
>"That's right. I told everyone that this was what carried out the Unmarking Ceremony, but in reality, it was just a hunk of wood."
"I can see why they'd believe that fib of yours, this 'hunk of wood' does look pretty magical—ah!"
>You let out a yelp as you notice a dark-blue pegasus mare seated to your left. You're a bit embarrassed that you missed her up until this point. But to be fair to yourself, she *does* blend in quite well in the cave background.
>Much like the other ponies from the village, her cutie mark is that of an equality sign—one you now know was Starlight's doing.
>Similar to the both of you, she's focused on the cutie monolith, deep in thought.
>Starlight comes up to your right.
>"…I remember her, she's Night Glider.
>"She was one of the first to have second thoughts with the way I ran things. While she never opposed me directly, I…could always see the doubt lingering in her eyes.
>"I tried to not let my doubts affect me, to be an impartial leader. I bottled it up like everything else, but more and more ponies kept staring at me like…like I was the one in the wrong. It made me paranoid, and…and…"
>"Oh, Night Glider! Reminiscing about that awful cutie mark of yours again?"
>Starlight freezes up as she looks past you; her face is pale, as if she's seen a ghost.
>You noticed that Starlight's voice came from a different direction that time, which means—
>Turning back to your left, you notice another pony has entered the cave to speak with Night Glider, one you know all too well: Starlight—or rather, Starlight from the past.
>You see her cutie mark is also that of an Equality sign—a fake one, going by her earlier exposition, and her manestyle is done up in bangs, just like the rest.
>"S-Starlight Glimmer! N-no! I was just…"
>"Now now, Night Glider, it's okay to remind yourself of what you gave up, you're among true friends here."
>"Y-yeah…"

>Night Glider turns back to the monument, contemplating.
>"When I was a filly, I loved soaring through the night sky. Me and my friends always wanted to join the Wonderbolts. We would always sneak out to the fields at night after school to practise. And…I was even able to pull off a super cool trick!
>"But that was the day I got my cutie mark, and from then on, my friends hung out with me less and less. None of them could keep up with me any more, none of them wanted to, and when they all started getting cutie marks of their own—they weren't about flying at all.
>"Eventually, I was left all alone with no-pony to fly with."
>"Tut tut, and it was those 'talents' that drove your friends apart, am I right? That's why you came here: to relinquish that awful burden, and join our wonderful little community."
>"…Yeah."
>"See? Everything's all settled, there's nothing to worry about! Now go on, your friends are waiting for you!"
>Without another word, Night Glider turns around and leaves the cave; there's a smile on her face, but you get the feeling that she wasn't truly convinced.
>Past-Starlight remains, looking to the cutie marks.
>Present-Starlight speaks up.
>"Hypocritical, isn't it? I preached all about 'true friendship,' but I never got close to any of them, I never even gave them a chance…"
"Well, despite your methods, I can see you were trying to do good here."
>"How can you say that? I manipulated them, took away their dreams!"
"But it was all your way of trying to help them, right? You didn't want anypony else to feel the loneliness that you did back then."
>"No matter what my intentions were, that…doesn't excuse what I did."
"Maybe not, but you've been trying to make up for what you've done in the past here in the present. I've seen the good you've done first-hand, and in my eyes, that's enough for me."
>"…Sometimes I think you're way too forgiving, Anon. But thanks."
"Anytime, Glimmy."
>You reach out and give her a scratch behind one of her ears.

>"Great talk, Starlight! You got this! The whole village loves you!"
>Turning back to Past-Starlight, you see her talking to a compact mirror that she pulled out of…somewhere.
"Giving yourself a pep talk, Glimmy?"
>"Hey, you try running an entire village! It's not as easy as it looks!"
>You chuckle.
"I gotta say, even as a megalomaniacal cult leader, you're still pretty damn cute. Sexy, too."
>"Wait, what?"
"Hey, I'm serious! Not to say your current manestyle isn't great, but those bangs you were rocking back then? Totally different energy. Dominant energy. Guys love a girl—a mare who can take charge."
>"Wow, Anon. I'm not even sure how to respond to that."
>She turns away from you, but you catch the shadow of a smile forming on her face.
>"Our new arrivals have proven to be quite the hoofful, but they'll come around, they all do.
>"I have such high hopes for them. Soon—very soon—all of Equestria will know what *true* harmony is."
>Past-Starlight ends that tangent with a dark chuckle.
>New arrivals in the village, huh?
"Can't believe you even had the villainous laughter down, eh, Glimmy?"
>Present-Starlight is staring at a particular spot in the centre of the monument, panic present on her features.
>You trace her gaze to look at some of the cutie marks, some of them ring familiar to you—
>"I-it can't be, no! No no no!"
>She's hyperventilating now.
"Hey, are you okay—"
>"Ugh!"
>Present-Starlight's horn suddenly surges with energy, but the aura surrounding her horn is unlike one you've seen before; it's one of a foreboding crimson.
>The cave around you begins to shake and crumble. Wait—this isn't right; neither of you should be able to affect this place!
"Glimmy, is everything alright? What's going on?!"
>"That's right, 'Glimmy.' Why don't you tell him? I'm sure he'd love to know what you do to those who disagree with you."
>Wait, that's Starlight's voice! But the tone is so much more sinister than you've come to expect.
>Looking back at Past-Starlight, you are startled to find her staring right at you.
>Her eyes radiate the same crimson aura that's present in Present-Starlight's horn. It's clear that whatever is happening right now isn't natural.
>The Starlight you know speaks up.
>"You! Y-you're not real!"
>"Oh? But I am real. I'm as real as you or him, and I've always been there with you."
>Past-Starlight levitates the staff from the pedestal, floating it close to herself; she telekinetically twirls it a few times for good measure.
>"Well? He's waiting, we *all* are."
>You're suddenly aware of the feeling of eyes gazing upon you from all directions in the darkness.
>Turning to your Starlight, you try to catch her attention.
"Starlight, snap out of it!"
>"I-I…"
>Past-Starlight flashes a snide grin towards you two.
>"Aw, that's alright. If you can't bring yourself to show him, I will!"
>All too late do you notice she's charged up some kind of spell within the staff. Before you can react, she fires it at the both of you.

***

>The world shifts as the scenery changes; it feels less like you're teleporting, and more like the world is teleporting itself around you.
>Works out better for your motion sickness, at any rate.
>As the world reforms itself, you find yourself back in the village, alone, but something isn't quite right.
>All of the townsponies are gone, leaving the streets desolate, and the sky's hue has changed to the same crimson glow that Starlight's horn was emitting.
>It seems you've been transported to the front of one the village cottages; you can hear various familiar voices chattering within, drawing you in…
>"No! Stay away!"
>You hear Starlight, but you can't see her anywhere, only the cottage in front of you, maybe…
>The door suddenly swings open, and within the building you see…
>Twilight Sparkle, Pinkie Pie, and the rest of the Elements of Harmony.
>But they look different, moving in to get a closer look, you notice why.
>Much like the ponies in the village, their colours are faded, and their cutie marks have been replaced with the same equality symbol forced upon the others.
>But what most stands out to you is their demeanour.
>They look miserable, as if all hope has left their body, some of them are even crying.
>Hearing Starlight's voice above you, you look up to find a speaker repeating some speech in her voice—propaganda about "never excelling" and "choosing equality as your talent."
>"Come on, everypony. We have to stay positive. We can't let Starlight win! There has to be a way to get through this, there just has to…"
>Twilight is rallying her friends, but they barely acknowledge her.
>Is this still a vision of the past, or perhaps a vision of what *could* have happened?
>Their cutie marks, the speaker in the ceiling, you know this would have been Starlight's doing, but…
>The Elements suddenly turn to you, aware of your lingering presence.
>The colours of their eyes have changed to that familiar shade of crimson, and they grin at you manically.
>"Oh, Anon! Have you come here to find true friendship, too? Come on, get in here!"
>They begin to advance upon you; you stumble backwards and, somehow, manage to close the door on them.

>You hear muffled shouting as the door soon shakes and shudders as those on the other side try to break out.
>A raging gale is now storming through the area, keen on knocking you off balance, and you can once again feel the presence of *something* watching you in the distance.
>A faint sniffling sound snaps you out of your stupor.
>Turning back to the street, you see Starlight slumped down, her horn still radiating that crimson glow.
>She looks in a bad way, her mane is matted, and tears are freely streaming down her cheeks.
"Glimmy?"
>"I-I'm the one who did this.
>"All of the judging looks, all of the questioning remarks, it…it got to me.
>"Whenever somepony would disagree with my philosophy, I would lock them away until they did agree. Out of sight, out of mind.
>"That's how I really built Our Town: not through love and understanding, but through fear and intimidation.
>"I'm a monster! I don't deserve friendship! I don't deserve you…"
"Starlight, you've changed since then."
>"How can you be sure! You saw her: the *other* me. She's always there, watching, waiting. How can you say I've changed! How can *I* say I've changed! I'll always be an evil pony! I'll always be—!"
"Stop!"
>You kneel down to her, facing her at eye level, and you place your hands around her withers.
"Starlight, listen to me. We've all got things in our past we're not proud of: you, me, even the princesses.
"I can't say I know the mare you were in the past, I wasn't there, but I can say I know the Starlight who's with me right now.
"The same Starlight who found a shady-looking monkey loitering around the castle. The same Starlight who took that monkey in, helping him learn about the ways of Equestria. The same Starlight who hung out with him whenever she could, becoming his first real friend in an alien world.
"And…the same Starlight I fell in love with."
>You kiss her on the forehead.
>Starlight's sniffling stops, and she raises her head to look at you.
>The magic aura around her horn slowly begins to fade away.
>A faint tingling sensation begins to reverberate through your body as the noises around you becomes more muddied.
>The two of you stare into each other's eyes as the world itself seems to come to a standstill.
>Eventually, she mouths something at you, smiling.
>"_____ ___ ____."
>What?
"____?"
>The sensation is becoming harder to ignore now, and your vision is becoming blurrier and blurrier.
>All too late does the realisation finally hit you: the spell is running out.
>Knowing there's little you can do at this point, you resign yourself to the flow of magic and black out.

***

>You awake in a sea of colour.
>Splotches of pigment dance to and fro, inviting you to join in the festivities.
>Amongst this chromatic canvas, a mobile lilac shape catches your attention.
>You attempt to reach out to it—to her—but your body fails to respond to your demands.
>Before long, the last of your consciousness leaves you, and you return to slumber once again.

>You wake up with a heavy feeling of nausea, but the world around you looks far more stable.
>Looking to the other mat, you see no sign of Starlight; she must've woken up before you did.
>However, in her place, you see a vial containing some form of liquid, and below that vial is a note—a note left by Starlight, going by the writing style.
>Picking up the concoction, you read through the note.
>'Testing that spell was fun. Sorry I left before you woke up. Had to go do something important. See you later. -S.G.'
>'P.S. Drink the potion, it'll help with the teleportation sickness.'
>Man, you must have been out for a while if she had the time to write a letter and leave a potion.
>You quickly chug the drink down and—hey! You're feeling better already!
>Heading out of the "Danger Zone" and out of the Castle proper, you head out for your daily grind.

>For the rest of the day, you catch no glimpse of Starlight.
>You ask her friends about town if they've seen her, but none of them give you a satisfactory answer.
>Rarity, the local fashionista, is particularly cagey, but you can understand why; you're surprised she's even on speaking terms with you after the mayonnaise incident…
>You're a little worried. Thinking back to your little adventure you had this morning, you *did* blurt out some things that maybe you should have kept in your head.
>And forcing her to return to her darkest days as the dictator of a cult? What were you thinking?
>You were too focused on learning about her past, but did you ever consider her feelings on the matter?
>As these thoughts hit you one by one, you come to realise that you're gonna have to prepare an apology for the next time you see her.
>Your next stop for today is Sugarcube Corner, you hear they've got a sale going on…

***

>Serene moonlight glimmers in through your bedroom window.
>You're sitting on your bed in your room in the Castle of Friendship.
>On your nightstand are two "apology-flavoured" muffins, hoofbaked by Pinkie Pie herself.
>You only meant to buy the one, but she drove a hard bargain, and hey—apologising on an empty stomach ain't easy.
>Tomorrow, you're gonna look for Starlight in the usual spot and win her over with a combination of ardent apologies and charming confectionary.
>A knocking on the door interrupts your thoughts, who could it be at this hour?
>You head to your door, opening it to see—Past-Starlight? Wait—no, that's not right.
>Standing in front of you is Starlight Glimmer, her mane is done up in the same short bangs that you recall from her past.
>She's wearing a small cloak that covers her flanks.
>She gives you a nervous smile, one you find yourself reflexively returning in kind.
>That apology speech that you had practised earlier has now completed vacated your memory.
>What do you say? What *can* you say after everything that had happened today?
>The two of you awkwardly stare at each other for a few moments.
>And then you notice her nervously flitting her eyes to and fro.
>Say something, you fool!
"You look sexy."
>…
>"Thanks! You too!"
>Another awkward silence passes.
>Channelling the spirit of a certain boisterous filly, you attempt to break the ice once again.
"I really like your mane."
>"Thanks! I had Rarity help me with it. I…thought you'd like it."
"Well, you definitely thought right. It's just as cute as I remember."
>She blushes in response.
>"So… If it's not too trouble, could you let me in? Twilight's gonna freak out if she sees me like this."
"O-oh! Yes, sure! Come in! Come in!"
>You usher Starlight inside your room, closing your door as she enters.
>Once inside, she removes her cloak, and you notice it: her cutie mark is that of the same equality sign you saw in the village.
"Oh—uh, wow. You really went all in on this."
>"I-it's not too much, is it?"
"No! It's fine, as long as you didn't *actually* remove your cutie mark."
>"Oh don't worry, it's just a bit of make-up."
>You direct her to your bed, and she hops up to sit on it.
>Reaching over to the nightstand, you grab one of the muffins and offer it to her.
"'Apology-flavoured' muffin? You know, to wash down the taste of those ghastly ghost muffins this morning."
>"Ha-ha. I'm not gonna say no to a good muffin, but you really didn't have to."
>She takes your offering and begins chowing down, you take the other muffin, sitting next to her to do the same.

>Before long, you both finish the muffins, sitting in contemplative silence.
>"I was planning on telling you about my past—all of it—not too long after you came here."
>Idling flicking one of her forehooves through her bangs, she continues.
>"But then we started dating and…and then the nightmares came."
"The nightmares?"
>"Nightmares of you finding out what I did in the past, I dreamt that you hated me for it, so you'd move far away, and never want to see me again."
>You reassuringly pat her withers.
"You know I'd never judge you for something like that, Glimmy."
>She chuckles dryly.
>"I know that *now,* but it wasn't easy. You were from a different world, after all, I didn't know how you'd react to...my way of thinking.
>"The nightmares got so bad that a certain Princess of the Night had to intervene. Naturally, she told me that telling the truth would stop them. But even then, I couldn't bring myself to tell you. I couldn't risk losing you.
>"I kept bottling my fears up more and more until… Well, you saw what happened back there."
"Thankfully, that's all in the past now, quite literally."
>"Yeah, but...if I had just trusted in you more from the beginning, this could have all been avoided. I've been such a fool."
>You laugh.
"Hey, I think there's a friendship lesson to be found somewhere in there! Should I call Twilight in?"
>She follows your laughter with her own.
>"You're right! Also, no."
>She sighs solemnly.
>"I just wish I didn't need it, this isn't the first time I've let my emotions boil over like this."
>You embrace her.
"There's nothing to be ashamed of there, we've all got things that we don't get right on the first, second, or even third times.
"But what we do have are friends to pick us back up when we stumble and fail… And I'm glad I've got you, Glimmy."
>Pulling back from the hug, you see tears forming in her eyes, she smiles at you.
>"And I'm glad I've got you, Anon."
>Taking one of her forehooves in your hand, you lean in and nuzzle her face, which she reciprocates; a form of affection you've become quite fond of during your time in Equestria.
>You two stay like this for just a few minutes, but it feels like an eternity, and you know that in this eternity there's nowhere you'd rather be than with your beloved Starlight.

>"So… Um…"
"What's up, Glimmy?"
>"I'm glad you like my manestyle and all… But I didn't exactly go through all this effort just for you to stare at me."
"Oh?"
>With a smirk, Starlight shifts her weight around, pushing you onto your bed back-first.
>Straddling you, she begins using her magic to unbutton your shirt.
>Instinctively, your hand reaches over her flank, brushing over her painted equality sign and partially uncovering her true cutie mark.
>Noticing this, she clicks her tongue in mock annoyance.
>"Oh my! Eager, aren't we? Looks like we're going to have to teach a naughty colt on how to *properly* use his hands."
>You are Anon.
>And you are not getting any sleep tonight.