+ Guilt Runs Deep

[vitaelamorte]

Who: Everyone!
Where: The Mansion
When: Feb 23-25
Rating: Please warn in top level subject lines for potential triggers/NSFW
Summary: Various residents are trapped in their own guilt, watching their guiltiest memory play on a loop.
The Story:

Welcome to the gathering post for the event. Please see the plotting post for more information + the bulletin board link. Have fun!

Comments

[truefriendship]

"How am I supposed to do that? What part of this" She nods her head towards the angry ponies charging towards the door. "Is worth forgiving?"

[bibliocorn]

He looks out at the scene before them, flicking his ears back and shuffling uncomfortably. Hmm. Hmm. He needs to give a good answer here. Some real Friendship Mission level stuff.

...Sweet Celestia he has no idea what he's doing.

"Because you learned from this. You became a better pony because of this," he frowns at all the angry ponies. "...I- I mean, it brought Twilight to you. It put you on the path you are now. I might not have ever seen you again if it wasn't for this. And Equestria would have been poorer for you not being with Twilight."

A pause.

"Like. Literally. We would have been under a Changeling regime," he sighs. "I know this is...bad. But you grew from it. And you made the world a better place moving forward from this."

[truefriendship]

“Does that make it okay? I hurt ponies.”

The jar of cutie marks in her hoof flicker. It’s a sad, pale replica of the way they flash when the Cutie Mark table calls them for a friendship mission. Like her mission has failed before it even began.

[bibliocorn]

"No...I suppose it doesn't."

He is so not the best at this. He stares at the cutie marks, shuffling uneasily. He makes a few false starts, trying to find the right way to say this. To help her.

"But that's...okay? In...not being okay. It means you've learned from it. That you know that's not the way to deal with it," he glances skywards, thinking. "Sometimes, we mess up, and that's...okay. So long as we learn from it."

[truefriendship]

"I don't know how to be okay."

The ponies have stopped advancing, circling the house and staring in like an audience, like a jury, judging her for every misstep she's ever made.

In reality, the ponies from her old town had welcomed her back with open hooves. She still doesn't understand why. This, right here, is much more what she deserves.

"I'm learning. Twilight's teaching me. But I still have so much to learn and she's not here."

[bibliocorn]

"I'm not convinced anypony...or anyone does. Not really."

Except maybe Pinkie Pie, but then again he's fairly certain Pinkie is certifiably insane and as such doesn't really count here. He moves to sit down, ears pinned, thinking.

"And you do learn, a lot. I- I know it probably doesn't mean much where you are now, but where I am? You've come so far, Starlight. You're teaching others friendship lessons. Without you, Equestria would have fared a lot worse, the last few skirmishes we had. Like the last one? You did better at friendship than Twilight did."

But no. Twilight isn't here. And Starlight isn't from that point in time.

"I- well, I'm here? I can...help? I guess? But honestly, you're better at this than I am. The being a better pony thing."