Equestria Girls: Equal Marks (Book 6~Equestria Girls Series)

Chapter 21: Back In Time

Starlight Glimmer, Sunset Shimmer, and Spike were all sent into time in the past at some sort of small town, by the looks of it. "Where are we?" Sunset asked Starlight.

"That magical map of your's is connected to every part of this world." Starlight pointed to Sunset. "And, this part is my home." She put her hand out to the house that was shown in front of them. She started walking closer to her house, as Spike and Sunset followed her too.

They all saw an open window of a house that they all approached to get a better look at what was happening. They saw a little boy with orange hair named Sunburst and a young Starlight with two pigtails. The young Starlight Glimmer watched as Sunburst used his orange magic to put a bunch of books on top of each other in a tall stack on top of the table. "Sunburst had a secret. I was the only person and friend of his, to know that he was born with having some special magical powers. Like I was, as well. It's something that me and him both had in common. We kept it as secrets, from both of our families and parents, so that they wouldn't know that we both had magic." Mini Starlight was shown to be clapping her hands because she was happy that Sunburst stacked alot of books with his magic.

"He and I did everything together." Starlight continued narrating to Sunset and Spike. "In fact, I don't even remember us ever being apart." She looked to Sunset. "Until, today." She looked back to the window, seeing her younger self putting her hand out, releasing magic to take a book out of its place under the large stack of books.

Her magic backfired, when the whole stack of books was about to fall on top of her. It stopped when she saw that Sunburst's orange magic caught it. He used his magic to spin the books around himself. His body flew up by itself. He glowed a bright orange magic aura, that also made all the books magically fly back to the bookshelves by themselves.

He then landed back on the floor on his two feet, still standing by. He jumped up in the air in excitement, when be saw that his cutie mark magically appeared on his clothes. He then speed walked out the open door and saw his parents. His parents looked happy to see him and walked away with him.

The younger Starlight started crying, as she saw Sunburst leave. "And, just like that, my friend was gone." She closed her eyes, as her tears dropped down. "His family had found out about his special talent in magic. They recognized that, and his good academical studies since he was also great and smart at getting good grades in school. They then sent him off to Canterlot, to some sort of private school that would help him with his talents." Future-Starlight walked near the staircase near her home.

"I never saw him again, after that." She said, as her past self walked back inside the house. "And after that, I stopped using my magic around any friends, I had at the perfect village I had moved into; where I made everyone be equal towards each other. I did that, so no one else would get hurt, like I once did. I kept my magic, a huge secret from everyone else. Because, every time I looked down at my hands and saw my magic powers, I was then reminded of Sunburst all over again. How he stopped being friends with me. How he hurt me, and broke my trust."

"Well, why not? Why did you stop using your magic?" Spike the dog said to Starlight. "And why did you stop seeing Sunburst, after that?"

"Because of his magical talent!" Starlight yelled at Spike. "He got his, so easily. And I didn't! I had to keep practicing my studies of magic all by myself, to be able to control my own, successfully because I needed more practice to control mines. And I stopped revealing my magic to anyone around me, to anyone who was close to me. And I kept it a secret to myself, so that I wouldn't have to go through that huge amount of pain, all over again!"

"He moved on, and I didn't!" Starlight yelled at Sunset.

Starlight then backed away to herself and put her hand on her chest. "I stayed here and never made another friend because I was too afraid, that another talent would take them away, too!" She bursted into tears, as she was expressing her emotions.

"But, a talent or magic can't take your friends away." Sunset said.

"Not everyone is lucky enough to get her own talent at the same time as her friends!" Starlight shouted, while sending them to another time warp.

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They were sent to the Battle of the Bands, and were flying in the sky. "You don't know what it's like to lose a friend, because of a talent or magic, for that matter. But once, I stop this rainboom, you will." Starlight used her magic to teleport Spike's blue backpack towards her.

She took out a paper scroll out of it, with using her magic aura. "And when I destroy this scroll, there'll be no way for you to change it!" She used her hands to rip up the middle of it. She only ripped some of it, not the whole entire thing.

Sunset's eye pupils looked very worried when she saw that she had ripped some of the spell scroll. "Starlight! You're right! I don't exactly know what you really went through! But I do know that you can't do this! I have seen multiple times, where this all leads. And, so have you!" She reached her hand out to Starlight, trying to convince her to stop.

"I only saw what you showed me, Sunset. I haven't seen anything else, than that. So, who knows what will really happen?" Starlight argued back.

"I've seen it, so many times! Things don't turn out well in our world, without my friends." Said Sunset.

"Ugh!" Starlight, said in annoyance. "What's so special about your friends, anyways?! How can a group of girls, that are so different from each other, be so important!? I don't understand that!" She ripped a bit of the paper scroll more. "I don't understand any of this!"

"The differences between me and my friends are all the special things that make our friendship grow strong, together." Sunset said, getting closer to Starlight.

"But I thought that Sunburst and I were exactly the same." Said, Starlight, having tears in her eyes. "But we both turned out to be completely different people." Tears streamed down her face, as she closed her eyes. "And, it tore our friendship apart!" She continued to rip the scroll.

"So, try again!" Sunset went in front of her. She put her hands out to her. "Make new friends! And if something that you can't control happens, that changes things, then work through it together! Because, that's what friendship really is! It's about being there for each other, going through things with each other for the long-run, and appreciating each other's presence. And it's not just my friendships that are important to this world! Everyone's are! When your friendship with Sunburst ended, it led us both here. But just imagine all the wonderful and surprising new friendships that are all out there secretly waiting for you in our world. That's if you choose to give them all a single chance, for yourself to see that."

"Well, if you say that? Then, how do I know that they won't all end the same way?" Starlight Glimmer had tears streaming down her face. "How will I know that the past won't repeat itself all over again? Like, it did with me and Sunburst?"

"I guess, that is up to you to see. And for you to make sure that they won't all end the same way." Sunset Shimmer said, and put her hand out towards Starlight, trying to convince her to take her honest words. "I can relate to how you feel. I made horrible mistakes in my past that I really regret. My past wasn't perfect either. But I learned to grow myself as a person, learn from my experiences and mistakes. And with help from my friends, they helped me overcome my fears of it. They gained my trust. I became a better person, because of them guiding me to my correct path. I am greatful to have them as friends, since they taught me the value of true friendship. And now, I am kindly telling you to please gain my trust. In order, to give your new friendship with me, a chance. Please, Starlight."

Starlight hesitated, to trust Sunset. But, she looked back at her and began to slowly reach her hand to her. "Fine, I have decided that I will begin to trust you now. I will give you a chance, Sunset Shimmer." Being teary-eyed and having a small grin on her face, she was now holding hands with her, showing that she had chosen to trust Sunset, and had chosen to become friends with her.

Sunset happily grinned back, knowing that she had just made a new friend and had helped her redeem herself in the same process. The magic scroll was then flying around in the sky between them, luckily Spike caught it with both of his paws.

As Spike caught the scroll, a rainboom was shown up in the sky. "And the music of our friendship survives!" The Rainbooms band sang in the background.

Sunset and Starlight both hugged each other and the wind blew through their hair, as a glowing rainbow beam appeared around them.