//------------------------------// // Chapter 5: The Years That Stood Still Part 2 // Story: Black Mirror // by Electuroo //------------------------------// Black Mirror Chapter 5: The Years That Stood Still Part 2 1 month after Goldenmare's Victory The sun rose into the sky and as the light of the rays of the sun shined through Ponyville a convoy of about 20 ponies or so walked into the ever growing town. There was tents set up in the park as many that live in Ponyville aid in giving food and water to those without homes, the construction of many new buildings could be seen all around the outskirts of the town itself. Gold Horn stood at guard on the tower watching the ponies flow in, Celestia stood with him taking her turn in guard duty. The golden armour she worn looked quite strange for somepony so tall but it had been gotten use to. “More refugees from the east lands of Equestria...” Celestia was sadden by the fact the corrupted ponies had forced so many ponies that had little or no magic left in them to flee the lands they called home. The influx of ponies continued to grow and they had little choice but to expand Ponyville to help all these ponies in need. Gold Horn didn't answer he had been bothered and sicken to the stomach for days now. “Twilight and her friends will get answers about Gold Wing and the scouting team to the west.” Still no answer from the gold unicorn, he just kept watching the flow of ponies. “If it wasn't for you and Gold Dust we wouldn't of expected anything. Your and his strong bound with Gold Wing made it possible.” “I know...” He finally answers. “But it should be me out there helping them. Spell Shield was with Gold Wing, his my friend I should be there to help...” Celestia gazed at the sun as it continue to slowly rise into the sky the orange draining away into blue skies. “Your judgement would be clouded Gold Horn, your brother and Spell Shield might be in trouble. Would you act rash?” Gold Horn showed a small smile on his muzzle. “Yes Celestia I would. But sending Rainbow Dash and Electuroo seem a little...” He slowly turn his head to her. “Extreme.” “Indeed that seems true with the level of magic they have. But...” Celestia notice something a miss in the crowd of ponies walking into town. “Stardust?” Gold Horn quickly turn to scan the crowd to see the large alicorn with two ponies in cloaks either side of her walking towards their tower. “H-how is this possible!? The barrier that prevents those from entering and living Equestria is...” Stardust look up at them for a moment. “I am only here to bring these two gentlecolts to you. One might be needing medical attention.” She quickly look to Canterlot. “I got to go, I give you and everyone here their best from Shining Armor and Princess Cadance.” With a flash Stardust was gone. In a flash of golden light the ponies turn to see the queen standing before them looking around for the alicorn. “Where is she!?” “If you mean Stardust, she gone. I gather heading back to the Crystal Empire.” Celestia answered with a spear grip in her foreleg ready for a conflict. Goldenmare just snorted. “Damn that alicorn, she been testing my patients with her magic for weeks now... Guess that was my own fault.” “Indeed” Celestia loosen up the spear in her grip with an content look. Goldenmare stared at her for a moment and with a snort look around at the ponies that all look scared at her. “So what my scouts said are true, the ponies that became corrupted by my spell are doing dreadful things. It another piece of mess I need to try and fix...” She sighed. “Victory is so hollow...” With a golden flash she was gone. Gold Horn wave the ponies to enter Ponyville. “It is...” He whispered feeling a little bad for her. “Goldenmare doesn't seem to be the same as she was a month ago.” “It seems so.” Celestia heard hoof steps and turn to the two cloak ponies walking up the steps of the tower. Gold Horn using his magic on the spear aiming at them. “You two might of came with Stardust, show who you are now!” The first pull his cloak off throwing it to the side reviving the orange pegasus with golden armour, blue star and saddle on his back, the dark blue tail and the blue brush on the helmet was a give away for Celestia. “Flash Sentry. One of Cadance's most trusted guards.” “Princess. You...” “Speak freely Flash Sentry, I haven't been called princess by almost anypony for over two weeks now. I am at this moment doing my part to keep Ponyville safe from the Raiders of the East.” Celestia said calmly to him. Flash calmly took a few breaths. “It strange to see you in a guard uniform P... Celestia. It the last thing to see you without your wings and horn, but this...” “It trying times Flash Sentry.” She turn to the other. “And you?” The stallion sighed removing his cloak, this dark orange stallion with cream and black mane showed a real nasty purple mark over his eye and swelling to his side of the snout. “Sweet mercy what happened to you!?” Gold Horn instantly said seeing the marks on this middle aged stallion. “Lightning Strikeer do you like to explain?” The stallion not looking at any of them spoke. “Stardust...” Flash Sentry trying not to laugh put a hoof to his snout as he snickered. “30 years ago I was someone else. But to her it only been 10...” Gold Horn and Celestia look lost for a second but then it caught on fast when he look at the mane colour. “Celestia...” “Yes it hard to believe but I think I see it. Your Electuroo's father aren't you?” “Yes and I been avoiding Stardust at every possible moment, but when I walked into her five days ago she saw the colour of my mane and tail before I could speak...” He rubbed his face with a hoof. “She exploded...” His blue eyes now look directly at Celestia. “I can't blame her or Angel...” Gold Horn gulped nervously. “She and Angel did that?” “Only Stardust but we worked it out. But it be a few more days before this shiner goes away.” He point to the black eye. “As for the side of the face, that was today...” Flash Sentry spoke in turn. “That one is us for trying to get out of coming here.” Lightning Strikeer quickly glared at him. “You try seeing your son after 30 years of thinking that your previous life was nothing more then a dream! I am 52 years old! You trying to be a 22 year old stallion thinking that your not a pegasus and a human!” “Still funny to see her strike down the ex-captain of the Wonderbolts like that.” He chuckled. “Laugh it up...” Lightning Strikeer muttered. “Spitfire and Soarin will have a field day with this... The Wonderbolt lightning captain getting caught out by the mare that once you loved and still...” Gold Horn rolled his eyes and used his magic on Lightning Strikeer in seconds the marks was healed up. “There.” Lightning Strikeer felt his eye and lower his hoof. “That some trick you got there kid.” Gold Horn chuckled. “Sorry but your the kid to me kiddo.” “What?” Flash Sentry stared at the unicorn. “You look like somepony that about my age.” “Well I like to look my best for somepony that lived 6000 years.” This caused both stallions to gasp with open jaws hearing this. “And you don't have to worry about your... Son.” “6000 years...” Lightning Strikeer whispered trying to understand it. “Electuroo why?” He managed to ask. Gold Horn let Celestia answer this. “He, Rainbow Dash with Twilight Sparkle and their friends are on a mission to find out what happened to Gold Wing and the other ponies to the west.” Celestia decided to let them relax for a bit first. “Go to Golden Oak Library, it the tree near the middle of town. I will contact Soarin to find out what you two can be doing to help out, there very little ponies with their magic still and every little helps at the moment.” They saluted. “Yes ma'am!” They said together and flapping their wings left the guard tower. Gold Horn just gave one look at Celestia with a smirk on his snout. “Ma'am.” He chuckled and Celestia rolled her eyes with a small smile appearing before going back keeping a eye on lands ahead with the last of the convoy finally entering Ponyville. Somewhere to the West of Equestria Seven ponies walking across a bridge over the gorge towards the hill that laid ahead of them, Electuroo staring at the compass that Gold Dust had given up was pulsing and pointing in the direction they was heading. “The pulsing getting stronger girls, I think Gold Wing is near by.” “I wonder why Celestia asked all of us to go.” Twilight said looking over to the two pegasi in guard armour. “We haven't had anything magically related in over a month now.” “Darling that might be true but we still friends and we work well together magic or no magic.” Rarity said soundly to her. “Also a adventure doesn't hurt.” Rainbow Dash hovering over them could just see over the hill. “I see some sort of town ahead.” Electuroo took one good look at the compass needle and it was pointing at the town. “He down there from the look of it.” “Strange...” Twilight stated. “Why would the compass point to a town close to the edge of Equestria and look well...” Twilight point her hoof to it. “Nothing threatening at all.” “I got to admit it looks boring.” Rainbow Dash lands on the ground beside them. Pinkie Pie pulled out of her saddle bag a spyglass and took a good look at the town below, she saw all the creepy smiles from stallions, mares and even foals. “I don't like it! I don't like it one bit! I know smiles and those are just not right.” Electuroo took the spyglass to take a look for himself. “Talk about something you see in a 18 plus horror movie, those smiles are on the ten of the creepy meter!” Rainbow Dash snatch it from him. “Let me see!” She took a look and cringed. “Wow your right they are just creepy. What up with those huge smiles?” Each took turn to have a look through the spyglass. “Oh my I see...” She saw the ponies gather around and stepping out of the door was three ponies looking grim and sad. “I see Gold Wing and the other ponies of the scouting team! But something not right...” Applejack decided to have a look herself and through the spyglass she watch as one of those ponies talk to them. Gold Wing said something back to her with wings flared out and the other two standing by his side, with what look like a sad look from the mare that spoke to them, they was lead back into the house and locked up. “Ah think we might be a tad over our heads here sugarcube. Whatever gonna on down there, is not right. Ah saw Gold Wing and the other two guards ponies with the same marks as those other ponies and that here light purple one with the blue and purple mane seem to talk to them and it seem they refused.” Applejack explained what she saw through the spyglass. Rainbow Dash smirked. “Don't sweet it AJ. With me and Electuroo here! We got this covered!” She put a hoof to her chest proudly. Rarity put her hoof on Dash's. “Darling I do not doubt that but us five haven't got wings, horns or the hooves to really defend ourselves if something happens.” “I think that why Celestia asked us to come. We working together and find a way to not only save the guards but also to find out why all the ponies and now Gold Wing and the others has those equal cutie marks.” Twilight exclaimed as she took a good look at each of the ponies with the spyglass and finally gave it back to Pinkie Pie who put it away in her saddle bag. “Let get down there and find answers.” Pinkie Pie was the last to follow them alongside Electuroo who was taking a step back. “Those smiles are bad news.” “Don't need to tell me that, you know what. I am going to go and wait here.” Electuroo sat down. Pinkie Pie came up behind him and push him back on his hooves. “Your coming!” “Bu-” “Rainbow Dash going and she might need your help.” Pinkie Pie put her foreleg around his back. “Right?” Electuroo sighed. “Alright.” They rejoined the others and head into town. After getting the most creepiest welcome from the ponies as they entered it and the smiles making Electuroo try to hide between his friends. “Urg! Electuroo cut out being a chicken already!” “So-sorry but their looks just scaring the bloody hay out of me!” He responded. “No need to friend, we all just want to be friends here. I am Double Diamond and this is Party Favor.” Soon they got close to Electuroo, he quickly took the air in a blast of speed causing a electrical discharge. Electuroo hovering high above points at them. “Just keep your distance from me and we be fine you hear!” All the ponies around him was knocked over and they slowly got back onto their hooves. “What was that?” Party Favor asked with amazement in his eyes. Rainbow Dash glared right up at Electuroo. “Somepony that letting his fear get the better of him! That what!” “But that was pegasi magic... How did he explode it out like that?” The stallion asked another question. Twilight dusting herself off. “Electuroo and Rainbow Dash's internal magic are way higher then anypony in Equestria since Queen Goldenmare cast that spell a month ago, I was a Alicorn and the magic spell not only took away mine and most of my friends magic but also took way our horns and wings.” Twilight explained. “Haven't any of you experienced this?” “Not at all. We wasn't aware of somepony new in control of Equestria now, what happened to Princess Celestia?” Double Diamond asked with a curious expression. “She and her sister lost their magic, horns and wings! They live in Ponyville with us now!” Pinkie Pie replied with a smile but turn to a frown and she moved back to the others. “If you all like to come with us, we could let our founder Starlight Glimmer know of this at once!” Party Favor said with a big massive smile. Fluttershy nod with a smile of her own. “Thank you Party Favor, we all be grateful, you are all such wonderful ponies!” “Ah'm Applejack and this here Twilight Sparkle, Pinkie Pie, Fluttershy, Rarity, Rainbow Dash and the stallion up there is Electuroo.” They all looked up at him hovering above them. “Sorry about what he did.” “It fine.” Double Diamond replied. Electuroo slowly descend after getting glares from all of his friends. Landing he kept his distance from the stallions much he could or any of them with the creepy smiles. “Electuroo stop being so jumpy!” “Sorry Rainbow Dash but my heart is racing and I just want to get out of here...” Electuroo had so many bad warning signs going through his body. “I feel sick to my stomach, my legs feel like jelly and I can't stop looking around. I feel like something really bad going to happen...” Rainbow Dash took a good look around. “I got to agree it really not cool here but we need to play it cool for now, I won't let anything happen to you ok. I promise.” She put her hoof against his chest and look at him in the eyes. Electuroo look back and taking a deep breath hugs her a little. “Thanks Dash.” He let go and follows them with Rainbow Dash just behind him. They enter the far house and the two stallions called out to Starlight Shimmer, she opens the door from one of the rooms walking up to them. “Welcome! I am pleased to have you here!” Double Diamond introduced the ponies to Starlight Glimmer. “This is Applejack, Fluttershy, Pinkie Pie, Rarity, Rainbow Dash, Electuroo and Twilight Sparkle.” Party Favor chimed in. “Twilight Sparkle also said she use to be a Alicorn but a spell cast by another called Goldenmare removed not only her of the magic within but Princess Celestia and her sister too.” Starlight took a good look at each of them. “Forgive my bluntness, but wouldn't that be Princess Twilight Sparkle then?” “Not really, I never was crowned a princess. It happened before and now Goldenmare now queen of Equestria, we been busy trying to clean up the mess her spell caused.” Twilight explained to Starlight Glimmer. Starlight was curious on how they found out about their village. “So! How did you hear of our little village?” Electuroo got a nudge from Rainbow Dash, he step forwards with a hoof out showing the compass with the north pointer going crazy. “Till this morning we was following this compass that tracking down a golden pegasus by the name of Gold Wing, one of his brothers used some strange potion spell on it to track down his fellow brother but the trail got cold and something in this area caused the compass to go nuts.” Starlight took a good look at it and saw the needle was going crazy, it was moving around clockwise rapidly then going the other way just as fast. “Well, however you found us, we're happy to have you! We're happy to have anypony who wants to experience true friendship for the first time.” Applejack frowned. “Say what?” “Oh, indeed. That's what's so unique about our village, you see. Around here, we don't flaunt our special talents because we don't have any special talents to flaunt.” Starlight Glimmer spoke with pride. Twilight asked about the equal sign cutie mark. “Is that why you all have those cutie marks?” Electuroo put away the compass into his saddle bag. Starlight Glimmer walking by them to the door. “Perhaps it would be easier to understand if I gave you a tour of the village!” Electuroo's ears perked up hearing the drums. “Here we go again... Another musical number!” “Heads high, ponies! Marching proud! [whistle blows] All together now! Every one of you! No pony left behind!” She step up to a door and ponies march out with their massive smiles. ( https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ioDuLqK_LuY ) Starlight start to walk with ponies to the left and right marching behind her as she starts to sing with her hooves out with a bit smile and followed with a hoof over her head, she finally turn to the group of ponies. Life is so grand in Our Town We're always filled with cheer We never have to look around To know that we're all here The citizens started to sing and march around with their big smiles circling the group, Electuroo keeping close to Rainbow Dash and now she felt uneasy with this song a little. In Our Town, in Our Town We don't have to wait To find out that our destiny Is just to emulate “Let's see those big, happy smiles” Starlight said as she walk by a small group of them. Starlight starts to sing again with ponies leaning forwards with their chests showing with a big prideful smile of their town and being the same with their cutie marks. Life is a smile in Our Town Our cutie marks the same Because we do not separate Ourselves by more than name The citizens started to sing again this time two pegasi was flying close to Rainbow Dash with a hoof each on her as thy glide down singing the verse and once landed they parted ways. Rainbow Dash didn't like this one bit now, Electuroo gritted his teeth as the strange bad feeling was just increasing within and showing on the outside as sweat started to drop from his forehead down his fur. In Our Town, in Our Town We dare not compete Winning only breeds the worst Ego-filled conceit Starlight Glimmer stood by Rainbow Dash and a hoof out “You see? Now everypony wins!” She start to sing her next line walking by a group of ponies and one of them being different turn it into a ponytail to match the rest, Electuroo look at the stallions and his own tail and mane, shaking his head out of that thought there was no way he would let any of them do that to him!. Life is a joy in Our Town We're all equal here No one is superior And no one shakes in fear The citizens in chores to each other march by the seven ponies in line of four ponies each side by side in perfect movement of their hooves, four stallions then four mares. They looked uneasy as they marched. In Our Town, in Our Town We work as a team You can't have a nightmare If you never dream Fluttershy let out a 'epp' and quickly move behind Pinkie Pie as Starlight Glimmer sings and move around them, Pinkie Pie narrowly looking at her not liking this one bit. She put a hoof over Twilight's head at the last part of the verse of this part of the song. Other ponies argue Do you ever wonder why? When you think your talent's special You don't see eye-to-eye She continues to sing with three out of four mares dancing together and one look from Starlight and she joins in with them others as Starlight sings the next part. There's just too many differences That lead to disarray But when you learn to act as one It's like a holiday The citizens sing together marching around, everypony tighten up into a make shift circle watching them sing and march. In Our Town, in Our Town We don't complicate When you learn to simplify Life is oh, so great Join in our utopia Come out of the dark Banded by equality By our cutie mark! At the end of the song they stood line by line and turn their flanks to show their equal cutie marks with some flying above them and Night Glider leading two stallions carrying a banner of the equal sign cutie mark. After the song was over fear came to Electuroo staring at his own cutie mark on his flank. “Y-your kidding... I have no idea what would happen to me if something like that happens!” “What do you mean?” The blue pegasus with the white and grey mane called Night Glider asked. Electuroo gulped nervously. “W-well I never earned my cutie mark. I already had it when I came to Equestria. So it part of me and I am part of it. I have zero idea what would happen.” Starlight Glimmer step right up to him. “We have no judgements here in our village. Each of us was confused once as well, blinded by the false promise of our cutie marks.” “But my cutie mark isn't a false promise or blind me, I still do things that doesn't even mean anything to my cutie mark.” Electuroo exclaimed. Rainbow Dash chuckled lightly. “You can say that again Electuroo, if anything it awesome the way you are. You've showed us that we can do things that outside the box and after that crazy switch around no spell going to make me forget that lesson for a long time!” Rainbow Dash put her wing over him. “So we be keeping our cutie marks.” “It seems that we no more closer to finding the scout team. Guess we be on our way.” Twilight suggested. “Have you considered perhaps that you might have been sent here so we could help you? After all, nopony has ever come to our village and wanted to leave.” Starlight walking around them a little as she spoke. “Why should you be any different? But that is entirely your choice.” She stops before Electuroo and Rainbow Dash. “Please enjoy our little corner of Equestria. We're all quite fond of it. No doubt you will be as well.” Rainbow Dash whispers to Twilight. “We better find out why they not telling the truth...” “We will find out why, but we need to buy our time.” She replied. Fluttershy looked around. “If I didn't know about them holding the guards captive I would be liking this place a bit more.” Fluttershy muttered under her breath. Starlight Glimmer turn to Double Diamond. “Double Diamond, please help our guests with whatever they might need.” “Of course!” He gave a big smile to her. Electuroo cringed again. “Ok that enough for me!” he flew right into the air and with a thunderous boom flew off towards the mountain line just outside of the village. Rainbow Dash rolled her eyes taking to the air. “Girls I'll catch you later. I am going to catch up with our fearless stallion.” Rainbow Dash unleashed a Sonic Rainboom just flying off to catch up with him. Twilight and the others left looking at each other trying to figure out how to not blow the whole reason that they was there for after the stunt Electuroo just pulled, with Rainbow Dash gone off after him it left them in a scene of two booms from the super magically charged pegasi. Rainbow Dash quickly saw where Electuroo went to, the speed trail that he left behind faded away but she caught glimpse of it though. Landing where it ended she saw Electuroo close to a large cave opening lying on his back on the rock with wings spread out seem calmer then before and relaxed. “Electuroo what in the hay was that back there!?” Rainbow Dash instantly asked with an aggressive tone of voice demanding an answer for his freaked out behaviour. Electuroo sitting up seeing her storming over to him with each hoof step. Removing the helmet he had been wearing and placed it to the side. “I had the most strangest feeling I ever had in my life and everything in my body was telling me just to get away...” Rainbow Dash's stormy temper quickly faded upon hearing this. “Say what now?” Now she was confused. “Almost every inch of my fur was shivering with goosebumps, I felt so tight in my lungs when I breathed and my stomach felt like it was in some mixing bowl. In the back of my mind I felt so much fear as well...” Electuroo glance over to his own side. “Even my cutie mark was feeling weird, I never knew this thing could be felt like that...” Electuroo pull the armour up a little and Rainbow Dash took a good look at one of them seeing it pulsing with a faded light. Rainbow Dash quickly looked at hers and saw the same thing. “I thought it was just me. With the weird feeling around my cutie mark.” Rainbow Dash took off her helmet placing it beside his and sitting down beside him. “Guess whatever causing you to freak out like this must be an warning but we need to figure out why the guard ponies don't have their cutie marks anymore.” Electuroo put the saddlebag back over on, placing his helmet on his head. “I just can't go back into town. No one or no pony going to tell me otherwise.” Rainbow Dash put hers back on too and sitting together they look over at the small village in silence for a few moments. “Fair enough Sparks, now let...” A glow from the cave caught her eyes. “What in the hay is that?” Electuroo turn to the source of the light that Rainbow Dash saw. “Not sure, should we check it out?” Rainbow Dash tap her hoof on his helmet. “What do you think?” “No?” He smirked and Rainbow Dash took a swipe for his head but Electuroo ducked. “Too...” WHACK! Electuroo got hit by a powerful whack from Rainbow Dash's right wing sending him flying into the cave landing on his belly with legs spread out. “Slow? Nah and get your lazy flank up, you can easily take a hit like that.” Electuroo stood up pushing his tilted helmet back into position. “I deserved that.” He chuckled softly. “Sure did Sparks!” She chuckled back and they trot slowly deeper into the cave. They only walked for a minute when they came across a large glowing wall of glass and behind them in each box they saw cutie marks of all types within it. “What the fuck...” “Sometimes I hate it when you say that but this time...” Rainbow Dash step around the pendlestone holding up a stick and looked up at the vault before them. “This is totally weirding me out.” She place a hoof on the glass looking directly at one of the cutie marks shaped of a balloon with streamers. “I bet this one Party Favor's...” “I think your right.” Electuroo looking at each of them. “Rainbow Dash...” “What is...” Rainbow Dash saw the cutie marks of Flim and Flam. “You got to be bucking kidding me! Flim and Flam are here!?” “It looks like it but their cutie marks they not golden hazed any more...” Electuroo noticed the cutie marks look very normal. “Remember when they came to Ponyville two weeks ago, they had that weird gold haze over the cutie marks and found out they was working with the Raiders of the east of Equestria to try and take over Ponyville.” Electuroo recalling the events. Rainbow Dash rolled her eyes. “Yeah tell me about it, they was a bunch of slim ball double crossing no good for nothing corrupted ponies...” They spent about half a hour looking at each cutie mark in the vault taking into account how many ponies lived in the village below, Electuroo fear was making sense to Rainbow Dash now. Some must have been forced into this and the pieces of the puzzle was starting to put together as they studied what was before them, with this many ponies with their magic still within as well their horns, wings and strong hooves. “With this many ponies we could really get things stable if they willing to help, even I hate this equalisation thing going on below. It seem whatever done to make it happen removes the corrupted magic within the ponies too.” Electuroo taking into account the two cutie marks that look very normal now. “Yeah they do, stra-” Rainbow Dash saw Gold Wing's cutie mark. “Gold Wing's cutie mark...” Electuroo saw it too flying up to level up with it. “I see Shield Spell Cutie Mark too! And Iron Hoof...” “The scouts. But if that the case...” Rainbow Dash quickly heard the sound of hoof steps and talking echoing through the cave. “Hide!” She hissed and both of them flew up to small openings they found and hid inside them as the hoof steps came closer. The two pegasi watched the entrance to see Starlight Glimmer trot in followed by their friends and Double Diamond just behind them. “Behold!” Starlight Glimmer put a hoof out to the vault “Our cutie mark vault!” Twilight and the others stared at the vault of cutie marks before them. “I've never seen anything like it!” Twilight looking up and down the vault seeing all the cutie marks. Starlight Glimmer walking over to the staff as she spoke to the five ponies. “And here is the Staff of Sameness. It was one of the great mage Meadowbrook's nine enchanted items.” Twilight look as she didn't believe Starlight. Rainbow Dash and Electuroo watched this unfold. “Something up with that staff...” “We are incredibly fortunate to have it here.” She held it in her magic beside her. Starlight Glimmer stared at the stick as she spoke. “This is the tool that allows us to free ourselves from our marks!” Starlight raise her head now looking over at them. “I'm curious – how did the subject of the vault come up?” Pinkie Pie turn her eyes away as she spoke. “Oh, some ponies were telling us how much they missed their cutie marks, and—” “Pinkie!” “Opps...” Pinkie Pie place her on the snout. “Were they? Well, it seems you inspire all sorts of free thinking” Starlight twisting the stick around with a smirk and turn into a anger glare. “Don't you?” Rarity laughs nervously. “Well, w-we certainly didn't intend to cause any disruptions to your charming little—” Starlight Glimmer was in Rarity's face. “Good. Let's just make sure of that, shall we?” Rarity backs up into Double Diamond as she speaks to Rarity. “It's a trap!” Twilight yelled out seeing more appear all around them, they had no horns or wings to get out of this mess, they all knew there was no escape without any form of magic. Starlight Glimmer aims the staff at them. Electuroo shook his head to Rainbow Dash to not blow their cover, she grit her teeth and watch helplessly but the expression on the stallion's face made her look at him with a frown. It was dead serious... Starlight Glimmer fires the magic through the staff at the five ponies but after a few seconds nothing happened at all, the looked over themselves in confusion and at Starlight Glimmer who dropped the staff with a huge gasp. Followed by all the equalisation cutie mark ponies, they never seen any pony be unaffected by the staff before. “H-how is this possible!?” Starlight took hold of the staff with her magic and focused it right on Twilight's cutie mark but nothing happened again, she focused more energy into it and no results. “This is impossible! How can you five be unaffected by the staff of Sameness!?” Pinkie Pie just gave a deadpan look at Starlight. “Because we almost don't have any magic, duh! By making us the same you be giving us something we do not have anymore. We learned to live without the need of what our cutie marks represent.” Pinkie Pie exclaimed in a motionless way making some ponies lose their creepy smiles all together. Pinkie Pie then smiled bouncing up and down a few times. “We learning to use the strength within to do things! It really cool! I even retaught myself to bake all sorts of tasty treats!” “Ah say to that Pinkie Pie, workin' day in and out at Sweet Apple Acres just relying on mah hooves and not what mah cutie mark use to represent means ah can do it even without mah Earth Pony magic.” Applejack backing up Pinkie Pie both not smiled. Twilight stared at her cutie mark knowing that was representing magic but she was now using that pervious skill to good use, it taking time but without her horn it been trying. “My cutie mark showed I was good at magic but since then I had to learn to use a different form of magic. The things I done and learned is that friendship is strong and we working together to try and help those in need shows we got what it takes.” Starlight Glimmer caught sight of a shadow from one of the fissures above. “That maybe true for you but what about your two guard friends?” The magic holding up the staff once again by her side. “Would that be the say for Rainbow Dash and...” She aims right for the fissure. “Electuroo!” She fires it right at him. Electuroo had no time to react when the beam of magic hit him, the feeling of his cutie mark being pulled from his flank felt extremely painful so much so that he let out a blood-curdling cry. All the equalized ponies eyes shrunk and they pull their heads back with horror on their faces, they never seen this happen to anypony. When it finally was ripped from his body Electuroo just fell on to the ground hard, the world suddenly started to fade for him, Rainbow Dash cried out with anger and fury as she leap right at Starlight Glimmer. The last thing he saw was her getting hit by the same magic beam, the pain just was too much for him and the darkness overcame him. Rainbow Dash felt very weak but it didn't stop her from getting to Electuroo's side, she held him up looking at the equal size cutie mark on his flank and what she had too. But what was worse over it she couldn't do anything to stop this from happening. “Electuroo...” “I might not be able to get all of your marks, but I don't blame you for what you tried to do here today.” She step up to them with the others. “You've spent your whole lives thinking those marks are a good thing.” Rainbow Dash had tears falling and gaze at her. “G-give El-Electuroo's cutie mark back... Pl-lease...” “Well, now you can spend the rest of your lives here with us! And we'll teach you just how much better life can be without your cutie marks!” They stood in a equal sign formation. “Even those I couldn't remove your marks. I will discover how to remove your mark to you as equal as your friends already became.” The five ponies stood in a circle around Rainbow Dash holding to Electuroo blinded in fear of what might happen to him now...