//------------------------------//
// Rainbow Dash 
// Story: Second Thoughts 
// by starcoder 
//------------------------------//

Honesty isn't my thing. It's Applejack's. Which is why I'd been lying about accepting Starlight as a friend. Sure, I showed a bit of hesitation at first, but I eventually learned to act it out. I'm sure Twilight would want that, despite what Applejack says about always being honest. Anypony successful has to remember that honesty really isn't always the best policy.

For, (how long has it been?), around three days, I've acted like I forgave and forgot Starlight Glimmer and her past (evil) deeds. And I did. Kind of. Well, not nearly as much as everypony else clearly has. I'll probably never forget what she did: stopped my rainboom, stole my speed, nearly destroyed my home. Hah. That's pretty hard to forget if you ask me. Maybe, one day I'll find the heart to forgive her. That's what I'm thinking right now, 

“Thanks for coming, everypony." Those are the first words of the meeting. But they're spoken by Twilight, who's Twilighting hard. Her breaths are uneven and heavy.

I'm sure we could all tell, but Applejack was the first to speak up. “What’s wrong, sugarcube?”

“Well, it’s about Starlight," she starts.

I consider the possibilities. Her past three days have been a bit rough and emotional. She's done a lot of things, too. “Did she stop eating?” I wonder first.

“Or maybe she’s stopped having fun," Pinkie sadly suggests.

Fluttershy runs her hooves through her mane. “Oh no!” Is her way of contributing to our conversation.

Spike shook his head. “We actually have no idea.”

We all stare at Spike in confusion. I turn my head to Twi, opening my mouth to speak, when Rarity says somthing first. She tilts her head, asking “Then why did you bring us here?”

Twilight takes a deep breath as she and Spike exchange nervous glances. “You see,” she started, “Starlight’s, well, she…”

Seemingly, Spike can't take the suspense, so he clutches his ears and yells, “SHE RAN AWAY!” We all gasp. Well, except Twilight and Spike. Twi lowers her head and then looks into our eyes. I lock my gaze with her, too.

“We have to find her," she and I say at the same time. It's funny, though. I thought it would be a while until I could forgive her. Well, I was wrong. After hearing this conversation, I realized she was probably hurt by herself and her sinister past. It's hard to move on from something as scarring as that, huh? I should've been a better friend before, well, all this happened.

I wish I could make it up to her somehow. Some way to make her understand that she is wanted. But I don't see how to do that. For now, my only way to apologize to her is to find her. To show her that she does matter. If only she'd seen me this way a while ago.

Twilight starts to make a plan for us to find Starlight. She would stay here, in Ponyville. Fluttershy and Pinkie would search in some rural area I don't exactly care for or know of. Applejack would check her barn and orchard. Rarity would search the big cities, Manehattan and Fillydelphia and such. Spike would visit Starlight's old village. And I'd be scanning Las Pegasus for her.

Normally, I'd be really excited for an opportunity like this, getting to visit Las Pegasus. But this time, I wouldn't be going there for fun. Which isn't good, I know. I mean, who goes to a casino to not have any fun? Boring. But it has to be done. That's what it means to be loyal and friendly.

I zoom to Las Pegasus, not fast enough for a sonic rainboom, but almost that level of fast. When I arrive, I burst through the doors and dash from place to place—the buffet, the roller-coaster line, the audience at a magic show, and even the magician himself—asking them all if they had seen anyone fitting the description of Starlight: a lilac unicorn with periwinkle eyes, a purple mane with a teal streak that ran through her hair. Everpony I asked said no. I groan in frustration and pull on my mane.

I fly out of Las Pegasus and head for home. When I arrive at Twilight's castle at around the same time as the others, we all discuss what happened in the throne room. Applejack speaks first, saying, "She wasn't in the orchard."

I roll my eyes. I spurn, "Why would she be? It’s not like she’s a fan of farming. She always struck me as more of the adventurous type. I checked in Las Pegasus, and she wasn’t there." Honestly, she seems like half adventurer, half bookworm. Not that I'd say that to Applejack, though. It would come off as disliking Starlight, which I can't bear the thought of anymore.

“Doesn’t she like attention? I checked Manehattan and Fillydelphia, but no one I asked had seen Starlight," Rarity announced.

Fluttershy disagreed. "I thought she’d be trying to avoid attention, actually. Wasn’t she trying to hide and run away from anyone who had anything to say about her? I checked this open space, and the area around it, because it’s calm and peaceful and somewhere you can go to avoid ponies." She even adds, "That's why I want to start a sanctuary there someday."

Pinkie waves her hooves, grabbing our attention. She becomes visibly sadder as she notes, "Hey, wait! I checked there too! Fluttershy and I didn’t think she wanted to be around anypony, but I couldn’t find her under any rocks." I stare at her. I mean, being under a rock would give you a lot of isolation, but it doesn't seem like anywhere to go when seeking solitude.

Luckily, Twilight interjects, "I don’t think Starlight would be under a rock. But I agree with you. Starlight wouldn’t want to be around anypony, not after the way they talked about her. Spike and I checked in the Everfree Forest, but we couldn’t find her. Also, I sprained my wing, so I had to rush to the doctor’s office. But Zecora said she would keep an eye out for Starlight, and we don’t have any new news back. Yet."

Boy, was that a load of information. I'm sure we all think so, because nopony else has anything to say. That's when we hear a faint clattering sound coming from upstairs. Nopony even says a word as we rush to the second story, hoping that it's our lost friend.

Friend. There, I said it. I really do believe Starlight is my friend. I think today is the day I've completely forgiven her. And that's a good thing despite the situation we're currently in.