Glimglam day: the Scar of Equality · 5:36am Jun 13th, 2017
Dear readers, have you ever wondered why Ponylanders are born with their cutie marks, instead of earning them?
Equality; if there is any word that ignites absolute disgust and revulsion in the mind of a Ponylander, it's this one. Conversations have been turned into arguments by it, and Ponies from the confederacy have been known to explode in anger at the mere suggestion of the concept being introduced to Ponyland's politics. Educators from other nations are carefully instructed to never speak of it in front of their students, if they value their lives. Ours is a society built on family, honor and tradition; there is no room for this radical idea to even be entertained, none.
Why, you might ask? Because Ponyland remembers. We remember the mare who brought us 'equality', by stripping away our individuality, and brought untold suffering upon Ponydom. Her name was Starlight Glimmer, and she had the power to steal other pony's cutie marks. According to our historical records, Starlight brainwashed and enslaved an entire village, restructuring it to function like a cult that worshiped equality, until Princess Twilight sparkle manged to defeat her. An attempt to get revenge on Twilight resulted in a possible future with a completely destroyed Equestria, she pretended to reform, and spent the next several decades posing as Twilight Sparkle's pupil and friend.
But the princess of friendship was deceived.
After seven decades learning from Twilight Sparkle, the princess of Friendship died under mysterious circumstances. (Many historians believe Starlight had her executed) Starlight Glimmer then revealed an entire cult of ponies she had been secretly Equalizing, radicalizing, and indoctrinating. With the royal sisters away in Coltonville at the time, Starlight launched a campaign of conquest over all of Equestria, to create the 'Equality Democracy of mark-less ponies'. Any pony captured was immediately stripped of their cutie mark by Starlight, and reduced to a smiling zombie with no special talent or individuality. Every city they took over was equalized; any books or writings that might offended anypony else were condemned and burned, and any speech against Starlight's brutal regime was shouted down as hateful, and condemned. Any who spoke against it disappeared in the night, never to be heard from again.
Under Starlight's brutal hoof, Liberty nearly died on the altar of equality.
What turned the tide was the ponies from starlight's old village. They came to the hidden kingdom of Dream Valley, and revealed all of Starlight glimmer's plans and weaknesses to queen Majesty III, the ruler at that time. The monarch then rode out, with Prince Shining Armor and Princess Cadence, along with an allied army of Maretonia, the Crystal Empire, and the still-free cities of Equestria under her banner, and fought Starlight's forces in a bloody, brutal battle. Shining and Cadence's love and leadership brought down the equalizer army, while Queen Majesty fought the radical leader in a mighty duel of magics. If it had simply been unicorn against unicorn, Starlight would have emerged triumphant. But with Majesty wielding the power of the golden crown, the Equalist went down in defeat.
In the aftermath, Starlight's equalization was undone on all the ponies she had mind controlled, and those freely serving her cause were locked away in Tartarus. As to Starlight Glimmer herself, Cadence and Majesty favored mercy. But Shining Armor, grief stricken over Starlight's betrayal and possible murder of his beloved sister. (though that was never proven), as well as the deaths and murders committed by Starlight during her dictatorship and the war, demanded blood for blood. Reluctantly, Majesty used her magic to painfully strip Starlight of her body- painfully disintegrating her coat, muscles, organs, and bones- leaving only the wicked unicorn's horn behind- before imprisoning Starlight's magic and her soul inside her own horn, turning it into a powerful magical wand, and leaving Starlight screaming in agony for all eternity.
The end result of all of this was a complete backlash against all of Starlight's ideals and philosophies. elected positions in all of the pony governments were either eliminated, or stripped of much of their power. Pony monarchs and the nobility had absolutely authority restored to them, which remains sacred doctrine in the Confederacy's politics to this very day. Ironclad laws protecting an individual pony's right to opinion and beliefs, no matter how much they hurt or offend, are so burned into the law code of every nation in Ponyland, that no magistrate could ever even weaken them. The Ponyland guilds ensure everybody is able to attain employment in their special talent, and works hard to ensure that our culture celebrates their talents and achievements, instead of shaming them for being 'different' or better' than anybody else. And a powerful series of mandatory spells were cast on newborn Ponylander infants over the centuries, causing Ponylanders to be born with their cutie mark already in place, and making the mark impossible to magically remove.
We celebrate Glimglam day in the Ponyland confederacy, to remember how we almost lost our freedom and individuality, celebrating the day across the kingdoms with fireworks and battle reenactments. And every time an young foal looks at her or his flank, he or she will see a scar or remembrance left by the forced attempt to make ponydom equal and inoffensive. And as they stare at the mark that has adorned their flank since birth, they will say a silent Prayer to almighty B'zekre, thanking the horsemaster that they are not staring at an equal sign instead.
Tornado Firehooves
Dream Castle historian
Interesting back story! I actually enjoy the various backstories you have come up with for your stories over the years, they usually end up being really interesting and entertaining.
This does explain one of the lingering question we have had since we've made contact with Dream Valley... and why we seem to get worried looks when ever we mention the Assembly. Thank Concordia that Starlight Glimmer was imprisoned for treason after her romp through time, we do not need someone good with soul magic running loose.
-Sirocco
Very interesting idea. Reminds me a bit of that Looney from Korra who used blood bending as a way to make everyone equal.
That was intense, and I loved it. Ponyland in general seems to have an intense and interesting history...
How would things go if a Starlight loyalist enlisted a changeling to go into Ponyland, steal the horn and return it to him other, who would then free her? What would you think of a story where my OC, an Equestrian did such a thing?