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video } the wonderful part of the mess that we made we pick ourselves undone

[Starlight's not used to these devices or much about this place, but it's just like learning new magic. She's sure she can do it. After a few minutes of fiddling with a hoof, she turns it on, using her magic to hold it out in front of her.

Slightly upside-down, but she hasn't noticed.]

Greetings. My name is Starlight Glimmer. I am a newcomer here. I have read all your pamphlets and other resources, it's all very informative, but none of it answers my real question.

[She hesitates, then pushes through.]

...is this a friendship test?

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Sunburst! [She's been told he's here by a few people, so she looks excited, if not surprised.] It's... hold on.

[She just kind of went into a room, she's not totally sure which one. She pokes her head out the door, then pops back in.]

Room 15. On the first floor.

Wait. Really?

[He vanishes off screen for a moment, and she could honestly be forgiven in thinking he just wandered off mind-conversation. It wouldn't be the first time it happened, it wouldn't be the last.

But no, he doesn't wander off, instead, the door next to hers opens and hey look, it's your homeboy. He grins upon seeing her, hope she's ready for a hug, because she's getting one. ]

How's that for a coincidence?

[SHE'S COOL WITH THIS. HUGS ARE GOOD.]

That was fast! You're close by?

Huh huh.

[He points out the door he came from. ]

That's my room. I picked it 'cause it's close to the library. [Y u p. ] It's really good to see you. I've been on my own here for ages.

[Of course he did. She smiles fondly.]

It's good to see you too, though I'd much rather we were in the Crystal Empire than... this place.

Me too, even if I can't help being stuck here, and I know time works differently- it still feels like I'm shirking my duties being here.

[It's not the same, not having to try to get mashed peas out of his mane every morning after trying to feed Flurry. ]

Uh...how is home, anyway? They say nopony notices you're gone, but I'm always a little worried that it might not be the case.

I can tell you I haven't noticed you being gone, but it does take some time for news to travel from the Crystal Empire to Ponyville.

[She doesn't know if that's reassuring or not. She doesn't want to miss anything, but the idea of their friends not even knowing they're gone... it's a little scary. There's not going to be a rescue if Twilight and the others don't know they need one.]

Hope is good, though! I made a new friend.

[That brings her up to, like, eight.]

I suppose that's true- though I'd hope news would have made it by five months.

[Even from halfway across the country.]

Really? That's great! Who?

[He's pleased for her, the more friends she can make, the better.]

...yeah, I saw you less than five months ago. So I'd think so.

[She brightens.]

Oh, she's great! Her name's Trixie and she's a stage magician.

Wait. What?

[Record scratch. His brow furrows, confused.]

But...but you've known Trixie for like... a year. Heck, we were all spending time together about a week before I came here. [You know, after he'd almost pushed Starlight into having an emotional breakdown. Again. ] That doesn't-

[And then he remembers. People come here from different times. Peggy, after all, is decades ahead of some people from her world. ]

Oh. This uh- This is weird.

[She blinks.]

Yes… very weird. Is this a side effect of time not moving?

I'm not sure, possibly? That would make sense, powerful magic like that causing disruptions in the time-space flow.

[It feels better, applying something he can make sense of to all of this.]

Well- err. I probably shouldn't spoil the future so much. Just in case it disrupts something? I don't know how this works.

What? [Rude! She wants to know stuff!] Look, no one is more aware of the dangers of time travel than I am. But if a simple conversation is enough to break the timeline, we're already screwed.

...I guess you have a point. And they do say we forget everything that happened here, when we go back.

[And he DOES kind of want to talk to her about what's gone on- if only to show her how far she's going to go.]

Okay. Um. What do you want to know?

Uh.

[She'd meant it more in a general sense than having any specific questions, but....]

How do I do as Twilight's student?

[Does she pass? Or does she entirely fuck it up and relapse into her old ways?]

[Of course he did not pick up on that at ALL. A+ social skills as always, Sunburst. ]

Brilliantly! [A pause. ] Okay there's a few...learning curves, but by my time you've graduated with flying colours. You're still living in the castle, but on equal terms with the others now. The Map even called you once!

[....learning curves. That sounds a little ominous. Being called by the Map sounds good though.]

Really? What friendship problem did I solve?

[In hindsight, he probably could have used a different example, but he stills thinks it was cool, so he's going to soldier on regardless. ]

Celestia and Luna were bickering, they were having trouble appreciating one another. Which is, y'know- [how the whole Nightmare Moon scenario started in the first place] not ideal. You went in there and switched their cutie marks, so they had to live in one another's hooves for twenty four hours.

[She stares at him because, while in the heat of the moment it seemed like the thing to do, right now, far from home and far from a mission to help the princesses, it sounds crazy.]

I switched the princess' cutie marks?

[She groans, covering her face with her hoof.]

Why would I do that?

[This was so the worst example. He gives an awkward laugh]

Oh well [he tries his best to NOT understand why she does what she does]- I guess to make them appreciate one another? It worked! They ended up working together to fight off your nightmares and they respect one another a lot better now.

They switched back after you were done.

[She's still groaning.]

Did they banish me forever? I would have banished me forever.

No, they were pretty grateful. I think you eased out some past hurts that were festering there for a while. The map chose the perfect pony for the job.

[Because only she's batshit enough to do something like that. ]

Well, if that's what they needed... nopony else could have done that.

[Or would have, but even leaving off that... Twilight and Cadence might be strong enough, but they don't know cutie mark magic the way Starlight does. At least one good thing came from her mess, she supposes.]

Of course not. And honestly, I think it did good for them. Even they need to stand back and learn to appreciate each other sometimes, I guess. We wouldn't want another Nightmare Moon scenario, after all.

No, that would be bad. And Celestia has the potential in her too. Everypony does. Though... mostly not on that level of disastrous.

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