Power is Perfection?

[First scene starts in Canterlot]
[The Mane Six and Starlight Glimmer have just got off the train]
[Pinkie Pie is bouncing around]
Pinkie Pie: Ooh, ooh, I’m so excited, I might burst. [comes close to the camera] We’re all going to a TOURNAMENT PARTY! [squee]
Twilight Sparkle: It’s not exactly a party, Pinkie, but it still is lots of fun, if you like magic spells.
Pinkie Pie: WOOoooowww … [Pinkie says that word really slowly] … that sounds FUN! [confetti explodes, and she bounces up really high for a second]
[theme tune]
--
[walking through Canterlot]
Twilight Sparkle: I know, right? The School for Gifted Unicorns here in Canterlot only holds this tournament every 5 years. It’s a magnificent show of magic, mystique and friendship, loved by the students as an occasion to show the world what they’ve learned. [big, happy grin] I’ve only seen it once, and that was as a bystander.
Rarity: It sounds absolutely splendid, darling, even more now that you’re one of the judges for the tournament.
Starlight Glimmer: Yeah, you’re really lucky, Twilight. Not many ponies get asked by the Headmaster of the School to be a judge on such a big occasion.
Applejack: Ya’ll are pretty lucky yerself, Starlight, seeing how Twilight sent your request to the Headmaster and he accepted it. It’s going to be dandy, Ah reckon.
Starlight Glimmer: [looks at the ground] Maybe … I’m still a bit nervous. [nervous expression] What if I mess up in front of everypony during the tournament? What if I embarrass all of you? [frantic expression, gesturing at her friends] Wha–
Twilight Sparkle: [puts her hoof on Starlight’s shoulder] Don’t worry, Starlight. What problems arise, we’ll face them together.
Rainbow Dash: Yeah, you’ll be fine!
[Twilight smiles reassuringly, Starlight then smiles back]
[The School comes into view]
Twilight Sparkle: Here it is, Princess Celestia’s School for Gifted Unicorns!
[They go into the building, and see many unicorns milling about; some of them are very familiar]
Moon Dancer: Hello Twilight, what are you doing here?
Twilight Sparkle: Moon Dancer! Lemon Hearts! Minuette! Twinkleshine! It’s so good to see you. Are you girls participating in the tournament?
Minuette: We sure are … hey, who’s that with you? [points at Starlight Glimmer]
Twilight Sparkle: This is Starlight Glimmer, my new student. She’s going to join in at the events too.
Twinkleshine: You’re her student? Wow, that’s amazing!
Moon Dancer: See you around sometime, Starlight. Nice meeting you.
[Those ponies walk off and Twilight smiles at Starlight]
Twilight Sparkle: See, that wasn’t so bad.
[Another door opens and a middle-aged stallion comes out and gets onto a stage]
Twilight Sparkle: That’s the Headmaster of the School: Ebony Scrolls. He’s going to … Starlight?
[Twilight looks behind her and sees Starlight unsuccessfully trying to hide behind a curtain]
Twilight Sparkle: Starlight, why are you trying to hide yourself?
Starlight Glimmer: [abandoning the attempt, looking flustered] I … er … I don’t know what you mean.
Applejack: [eyebrow raised] Ah think ya do, pony girl.
Starlight Glimmer: All right. I don’t know whether the Headmaster will recognise me or not, that’s all.
Twilight Sparkle: Why? Is that a problem?
Starlight Glimmer: Well, several years ago, he caught a little filly sneaking into the school library to ‘borrow’ spellbooks. The filly managed to give him the slip but she never went back there again. And she never returned the books.
Fluttershy: That was you?
[Starlight nods]
Rarity: You’re self-taught then?
[Starlight nods again]
Rarity: That’s very clever, isn’t it Twilight? Twilight?
[Twilight’s eye twitches]
Rainbow Dash: Uh, Twilight, are you all right?
[Twilight’s eye twitches again]
Twilight Sparkle: Never … returned … the books?!
[Anxious silence for a few seconds]
Pinkie Pie: Oh goody, Twilight, I think he’s going to talk to us. [points at the Headmaster]
Twilight Sparkle: [Twilight brightens up] Great, he’s going to tell us all about the tournaments, events and everything. I can’t wait!
Ebony Scrolls: [clears his throat] Good day everypony, and welcome to the beginning of the Arcane Magi Tournament! [cheers] There are three events in total: Arts and Spells, Magic Duel and the Hex Obstacle Course. Refreshments and gifts are available at stalls set around the seating area. We also have a special guest: Princess Twilight Sparkle. [thunderous cheers] She will be our guest judge this time. Anypony who wishes to sign up for the events, come to me and the other judges to do so.
[Ponies cheer and hurry out of the school building towards the set-up tournament arena]
[Twilight and Starlight stay behind for a bit]
Twilight Sparkle: So, which event are you going to sign up for?
Starlight Glimmer: Actually I think I’ll do all three events. Just one question, Twilight, what are they like?
Twilight Sparkle: In Art and Spells, you have to create something beautiful with magic and show it to the judges. Magic Duel is about hitting targets such as your opponents’ amulets. The pony with the only unmarked amulet wins. And the Hex Obstacle Course is where you have to run a race without touching any of the enchanted obstacles.
Starlight Glimmer: Right. [smiles] I think I can manage.
Twilight Sparkle: I know you can, Starlight. It’s going to be okay.
Starlight Glimmer: Yeah, I won’t let you down, Twilight! Not you or the others! I’m going to impress everyone and show them that you have a great student! [big grin]
[Starlight and Twilight both nod and then dash after the other ponies]
[next scene]
[The tournament arena is packed with ponies: ponies sitting in the seats, ponies buying and selling at the stalls, and the contestants standing in the centre of the arena, looking up at the judges]
[The judges are Twilight Sparkle, the Headmaster and Judge Mare, Twilight gets a special seat because she’s a princess]
[the first event is ready to begin]
Ebony Scrolls: Let the tournament begin! Firstly, Arts and Spells!
The Arts and Spells event begins. Everypony has to create something magical that’s both interesting and beautiful. They work hard until the time limit has been reached and then they show their work to the judges. Starlight wins, due to her beautiful display of astral replicas of her and her friends’ cutie marks arranged into a star shape. The sun shone through the shapes, creating small rainbows.
Judge Mare: Starlight Glimmer is the winner!
[Starlight Glimmer smiles, looking very proud of herself, holding a blue ribbon]
[The Mane Six cheer for her]
[Among the contestants, a hooded pony turns around]
Hooded Pony: Starlight?
[next scene]
[the second event is ready to begin]
[all the contestants are wearing protective amulets]
Twilight Sparkle: The Magic Duel will begin shortly. Everypony’s got their amulets? Good. Okay, three, two, one, GO!
[Twilight quickly casts a shield spell between the contesting ponies and the audience]
Contestants quickly start casting spells; blasting at the amulets. One by one, the pony’s amulets are hit and glow bright green.
Soon only Starlight Glimmer and the mysterious hooded pony were left with unmarked amulets.
Starlight Glimmer went on the offensive, while the hooded pony kept casting shield spells.
Suddenly one of Starlight’s blasts blew the mysterious pony’s hood back, revealing his identity.
Starlight Glimmer: Sunburst?
Though surprised himself, Sunburst took advantage of this brief distraction. He blasted quickly at Starlight’s amulet, and it lit up green.
Starlight Glimmer: Wha–
Judge Mare: Sunburst Shine is the winner!
[cheers]
She blinks and then stares at the green-glowing amulet.
Starlight Glimmer: No, no! I can’t have been beaten, not by HIM.
[Starlight stares at Sunburst and then up at the audience]
[The Mane Six are clapping]
Starlight Glimmer: Why are they cheering him? What about me?
[She scowls]
Starlight Glimmer: It’s always about HIM, isn’t it? HE got his cutie mark first.
Starlight Glimmer: HE had to win the Magic Duel!
Starlight Glimmer: HE had to embarrass me in front of MY FRIENDS!
[grits her teeth]
Starlight Glimmer: Well, not this time. [glares] I’ve got some REAL friends now, and I’m not going to lose them because one particular colt likes to beat me in everything important.
Starlight Glimmer: Not this time, Sunburst. No.
[Starlight has a dark smirk on her face]
[next scene]
[Starlight is sitting at a table with her friends, looking very fed up. They’ve got drinks in front of them, and Starlight also has her two ribbons (red and blue) in front of her]
Twilight Sparkle: The tournament has been great so far, hasn’t it? I’m sorry that I had to sit away from you girls again, but I could see that you were all excited.
Rainbow Dash: The Magic Duel was so cool! I loved how all the ponies swerved and dived to avoid the spells, sort of like fireworks really.
Pinkie Pie: FUN! Lots and lots of FUN! [bounces up and down]
Rarity: Arts and Spells was simply marvellous. [sighs] Such artistic charm!
Fluttershy: It was wonderful, especially Starlight’s masterpiece.
Applejack: Yeah, ya’ll did some fancy good work there, Starlight.
Starlight Glimmer: Thank you. [smiles]
Twilight Sparkle: I thought you were just splendid in the Magic Duel.
Starlight Glimmer: [smile falls and becomes a frown] Yes.
Twilight Sparkle: What’s wrong, Starlight?
Starlight Glimmer: It’s … I … Ergh, excuse me for a moment, okay?
Starlight gets up and walks away.
Pinkie Pie: What’s up with her?
[Twilight frowns a little]
[next scene]
[back to the tournament arena, ponies are setting up the Hex Obstacle Course]
Ebony Scrolls: Okay everypony, welcome to the last event of the Arcane Magi Tournament: the Hex Obstacle Course. Contestants, you have to find your way around the course without touching any of the obstacles. If you do, then you will be in for a surprise. The obstacles have dusted with poison joke, so it may be a little inconvenient but we have enough of the antidote to cure every pony affected when the race is finished.
Twilight Sparkle: On your marks, get set, GO!
[the contesting ponies all started running, Starlight and Sunburst trying especially hard]
[After a while, a pony bumps into an obstacle: a small flash of light happens]
[The pony has now got extremely big hooves which slow him down]
[Some of the ponies are better at evading the obstacles than others, some cast shield spells]
[Just ahead of Starlight, a pony brushes her head on an obstacle bar and is turned into a pony made of honey. A swarm of bees gets attracted to her]
[She yells and speeds up]
[Sunburst pulls ahead slightly, Starlight frowns and catches up]
[Turning a corner they get showered by marbles]
[One pony, a handsome white unicorn with a white coat and ice-blue mane and tail trips on a marble and gets affected]
[His mane and tail colour changes to slimy green, his coat turns to plaid]
[Rarity gasps in horror]
Rarity: Oh, you poor dear. Your mane, your tail! Green! So garish, so ghastly. And … is that … PLAID?!
[Rarity faints]
[Starlight looks ahead, sees a pyramid of balls, and grins evilly]
Starlight Glimmer: Time for you to go, Sunny boy.
[She pushes the pyramid over on Sunburst’s side]
[One ball bounces directly at him]
[Starlight smiles triumphantly, but then a memory comes to her]
[flashback]
[Sunburst and Starlight, as a colt and filly, are playing Tag together and laughing]
Starlight Glimmer: My turn!
Sunburst: No, it’s mine.
Starlight Glimmer: No fair!
Sunburst: It’s very fair. You caught me, now I catch you.
Starlight Glimmer: But you’re faster than me, Sunburst.
Sunburst: It’s a game of chance, Starlight; nothing more.
[Sunburst slows down a little deliberately so he took longer to catch Starlight]
Starlight Glimmer: That’s better.
Sunburst: See, that’s good sportsponyship: playing fair and square. Realising that competition isn’t the most important thing in the world. Friends are.
Starlight Glimmer: You’re the greatest, Sunburst!
[Filly and colt hug]
[flashback ends]
[Starlight looks horrified]
Starlight Glimmer: What am I doing?!
[She runs faster, catches up to Starlight and shoves him aside so that she gets hit by the ball]
[She trips, and falls over]
The Mane Six: Starlight!
[They look worried, especially Twilight]
[She suddenly grows a large beard]
[She gets up but then trips on her beard and falls down]
[A hoof is extended to help Starlight up]
[It turns out to be Sunburst]
[She gets up, and together they run to the end and across the line]
Judge Mare: Moon Dancer is the winner of the Hex Obstacle Course!
[They see a happy Moon Dancer surrounded by her friends]
[Starlight goes and gets some poison joke antidote]
[next scene]
[Starlight Glimmer is joined by her friends]
Fluttershy: Are you all right?
Rarity: At least, you got rid of that dreadful beard.
Pinkie Pie: Hee hee, that was hilarious.
Rainbow Dash: You did awesomely, Starlight.
Starlight Glimmer: Thank you girls, it was a trial but I came through.
[Twilight puts an arm around Starlight’s shoulders]
Twilight Sparkle: You really impressed me Starlight with your good sportsponyship, especially at the end.
[Starlight’s face turns red]
Starlight Glimmer: You mean you saw …
Twilight Sparkle: Don’t worry, everypony has their competitive moments.
Applejack: Um, Starlight, Ah think there’s somepony else who wants to speak to ya’ll.
[Everypony looks to the right, viewers see Sunburst standing several paces away, looking rather sheepish]
Sunburst: Starlight, is that …
Starlight Glimmer: Sunburst, I …
[Both were silent]
[The Mane Six retreat a few paces backwards to let the two old acquaintances get reacquainted]
Sunburst: It’s you, Starlight. I mean, really YOU.
Starlight Glimmer: Yes. [softly]
Sunburst: Starlight … pauses for a moment … WHERE HAVE YOU BEEN? Everyone’s been so worried about you: your family, my family and me. I’VE been worried about you.
Starlight Glimmer: [startled] Y-You have? … [angrily] Then why did you just run off and leave me when you got your cutie mark? Did that mean more to you than our friendship?!
[Sunburst looks down and sighs]
Sunburst: I … I … I’m sorry, Starlight. You’re right, I acted really selfishly back then. I really regretted it later. You see …
[Flashback of the past]
Sunburst: After I showed my parents my new cutie mark, they told me to prepare immediately to go to Canterlot.
Sunburst’s parents make him pack a lot of things, including lots of books.
Sunburst: They were planning to send me to Princess Celestia’s School for Gifted Unicorns. I was busy all afternoon with the packing, supervised by my parents.
Sunburst writes a letter, frowning time to time.
Sunburst: I wrote you a letter: explaining what was happening and that I was sorry about my behaviour the day before.
I never got it.
Sunburst: What? But I slipped the letter under your door, first thing in the morning.
Sunburst levitates the letter and slips it underneath the door of Starlight’s house.
[Starlight looks at the ground, ears down] Oh, I … er … had a lot of things on my mind at the time.
Starlight comes in, looking very sad, eyes shut. She goes into her room, packs her things and then leaves the house without seeing the note.
[Flashback ends]
Sunburst: But I never gave up hope that I would see you again, Starlight. I just wanted to say that I’m sorry, and to tell you that I’ve always thought of you as a friend. [Hoof on his chest] Past and present.
[Silence for 3 seconds]
[Starlight’s eyes are brimming]
Starlight Glimmer: Sunburst, I … [suddenly giving Sunburst a big hug] Thank you, Sunburst. Thank you so much. It’s much more than I deserve at the moment.
[Starlight steps back, expression becoming serious]
Starlight Glimmer: I’ve made mistakes, many mistakes: some of them gigantic. Princess Twilight gave me a second chance, when I … didn’t really deserve it.
[Starlight smiles again]
Starlight Glimmer: I’m glad I took it though, because ‘this’ would never happened otherwise.
Sunburst: So we’re friends again?
Starlight Glimmer: Friends forever!
[Starlight and Sunburst hug each other again, smiling]
[Mane 6 look happy]
[next scene]
[crowd cheering, back in the tournament square]
Judge Mare: The tournament is over, and the scores have been added up. Now, over to you Princess Twilight Sparkle.
Twilight Sparkle: Thanks. [clears throat] First place goes to … Moon Dancer!
[crowd cheers]
[Moon Dancer smiles and waves from her place on the podium]
[Judge Mare walks up to her and gives her a golden sun medal, using magic]
Twilight Sparkle: Second place has been awarded to … Lemon Hearts!
[crowd cheers]
[Lemon Hearts grins and bounces on a spot a couple of times]
[Judge Mare walks up to her and gives her a silver moon medal, using magic]
Twilight Sparkle: And tied in third place, are Starlight Glimmer and Sunburst Shine. They achieved it together! [claps]
[crowd cheers]
[Starlight and Sunburst are both given bronze star medals by Judge Mare, and grin at each other]
[Twilight and the Headmaster come up to Starlight Glimmer]
Ebony Scrolls: I have to say, you made quite an impression on me, young mare. Exceptionally good at magic … [twinkle in his eye] though a bit overdue on books.
[Starlight’s face goes red]
Twilight Sparkle: Don’t worry, Headmaster: I’ll help her to find the books and return them. [big grin on her face] I’ll even make a special spot on our schedule for it!
[Starlight Glimmer gets a nervous look on her face]
[next scene]
--
[Back in Twilight’s castle, Starlight’s room]
[Fizz of magic, Starlight is writing a letter, still wearing her medal]
Starlight Glimmer:

Dear Mom and Dad,

This is me, Starlight, writing to you at last in so many years. I’m sorry for running away as I did, but recent events have led me to reconnect with the magic of friendship. I’m living in Ponyville at the moment, with some very good friends; among them is the Princess of Friendship: Twilight Sparkle. Just today, they’ve taught me that one should always think before they act, in case of any unforeseen consequences that might impact the ponies around you. [Flashback – Mane Six and Starlight go back to Ponyville, Starlight and Sunburst hug goodbye for now] I met Sunburst today, and we became good friends again. He’s a wonderful pony. See you again very soon.

Starlight Glimmer

[Starlight Glimmer finishes writing and goes around outside to post the letter]
[Wings flapping, Derpy the mailmare appears and takes the letter]
[Starlight watches Derpy fly off]
[Starlight sighs happily]
[MLP theme tune plays over the credits]