When Shining and his friends returned to the village, they were greeted by thunderous applause, cheers, and whistles. Everypony in the village had quickly set to work on a festival to celebrate their liberation, and clearly it served the purpose of also honoring those who had liberated them from Starlight's iron hoof.
However, Shining spoke up and immediately hushed the crowd. "You all deserve to know the truth," He announced. "My friends and I lied to you, or at least I lied to you," Everyone in the village gasped! Shining sighed, he'd anticipated such a reaction, but he knew he had to be truthful. "My friends and I didn't come here on a mission of goodwill, we came here because we saw your village on a map with symbols of our cutie marks hovering over it. We had no idea if you were friendly or hostile to Equestria, thus we kept secret the real reason for us being here."
"Hey, that's okay," One of the villagers replied with a smile. "At least you freed us from Starlight's lies, and you captured Starlight, right? We don't have to worry about her anymore."
But Shining confessed with a shake of his head. "I'm sorry, Starlight escaped, presumably into the caves. At the moment, she remains at large. I have no idea when or if she'll come back here, so I urge you all not to let your guard down. Go about your lives as usual, but be on the lookout in case Starlight comes back."
"We will," Double Diamond agreed, stepping forward. "We'll take it upon ourselves to set up an early warning system, and find a way to establish contact with you if she does show up around here."
"Then, you are free to live your lives in peace, so long as you bear no ill will to Equestria." Shining said firmly.
"You have our word, we are friends to Equestria, not foes," Party Favor replied, smiling brightly. "Now if you've got nothing left to say, let's have a party! I haven't thrown one in forever!"
"Now that's a real smile, right there," Braeburn commented, looking at Party Favor. "And all around me I can see similar smiles."
Just then, the cutie marks of the six stallions started to pulsate and glow brightly.
"Don't know if I'll ever get used to that." Big Macintosh, staring at his flanks.
"Oh, I think it's divine, actually," Fancy Pants commented. "Though I hope it doesn't happen while I'm attending to customers, don't know how I'll explain it to them."
"But what does it all mean?" Thunderlane asked, looking across to Shining Armor. "Is the map calling us somewhere else now?"
"No," Shining said with a shake of his head. "I have a feeling it means our work here is done."
"Then I owe ya an apology, Shining Armor," Big Macintosh apologized. "The map did have a reason for sendin' us here. We brought real friendship to these here ponies. Guess that's why you're the Prince of Friendship."
"That may be, but the map didn't just send me," Shining replied to Big Mac. "It sent us. You're a part of me, all of you. And there's no doubt you're a part of my mission to spread friendship too, wherever that may take us." Everyone had a good laugh.
Then Braeburn spoke up. "Hey, this feels like an endin', but it doesn't have to an endin', right? 'Cause that Sugar Belle can bake!"
"Braeburn's right, it would be a shame to waste all this effort the villagers put into this party." Soarin added.
"Oh, very well, we can stay for a little bit longer," Shining agreed. "I have arrangements I need to discuss with Double Diamond related to the security of this village. It seems like, at least for the forseeable future, Double Diamond will be in charge around here."
"You do that, Shining," Big Macintosh encouraged, as he turned his attention to Sugar Belle. "I've got somethin' I need to clear up on my own. The rest of ya can go ahead and enjoy the party though, hopefully I won't be long."
And so it was that, while Shining Armor was busy with Double Diamond near the cottage Starlight had formerly occupied, Big Macintosh and Sugar Belle were having a private meeting in Sugar Belle's bakery. The mare had a pretty good idea of what it involved though.
Big Macintosh sighed and took a few deep breaths, this was one of the hardest things he'd ever had to do. "Sugar Belle..." He began, struggling to find the right words. "I... couldn't help but notice you were uh 'lookin'' at me from the moment I got here. I didn't really have much time to notice, since I was occupied with other things and all, but it still wasn't hard to think about it. And, I have to admit, I kind of felt somethin' between us too."
"Oh, you did?" Sugar Belle asked, sounding surprisingly unhappy about such a thing.
"Eeyup," Big Mac firmly nodded. "And ya know, ya kind of remind me of my mother, just a little bit. She and my pa passed away unexpectedly while I was still a teenager, stung somethin' fierce I'll tell ya."
"I'm sorry to hear that, really," Sugar Belle apologized. "I wish I knew what that was like, but I have no family to speak of. My parents divorced when I was just a foal, and my father, well let's just say he was a real piece of work. He always disapproved of what I wanted to, and he disowned me the day I got my cutie mark. That's kind of what drew me to this village and to Starlight in the first place."
"Anyway," Big Mac spoke, changing the subject. "This... is hard for me to say, but... I just don't think it'd work out between you and I. I'm just too tied down to Ponyville to up and leave, besides I still ain't really used to the idea of talkin' 'bout what's on my mind. I've warmed up to the idea around my friends and even kind of my family, but the last time I was so talkative and opinionated, I had a hard time listenin'. Then of course, when my folks passed, I figured it was kind of expected of me to just be silent 'bout the pain and let my actions speak for me. I don't know if I could bring myself to change all that, just to be with you. And somethin' tells me you ain't lookin' to move to Ponyville anytime soon."
"It's like you can read my mind," Sugar Belle sighed unhappily. "This village was the first place that truly made me feel welcome and wanted, I just don't think I can leave that all behind. Besides that, my heart already kind of belongs to somepony else."
"It's Party Favor, ain't it?" Big Mac guessed. "I saw the way you two looked at each other, and how close ya seemed to be. Wasn't hard to assume you were more than friends."
"Yeah, we were sort of unofficially a couple," Sugar Belle confessed. "We kept quiet about it, but I think most everypony here in Cutie Markless Village knew. We bonded over our dissatisfaction with Starlight's rule and her forced equality. When Double Diamond found out, he tried to drive a wedge between us by forcing Party Favor to work with him and be one of Starlight's servants," Then she added. "I'm sorry that Double Diamond broke Night Glider and had her trick you and your friends. The funny thing is, Night Glider seemed to have feelings for Double Diamond, but we all suspected Double Diamond was secretly pining for Starlight."
"You think maybe they'll hook up now that Starlight's gone?" Big Mac teased.
"Who knows for sure?" Sugar Belle replied, then changed back to the original topic. "I'm sorry it had to be this way, Big Mac. I really wish we could be together, we could at least try to send each other letters."
But Big Mac shook his head. "I don't think a long distance relationship is what either of us are lookin' for. Besides, I'd have to break up with my current marefriend first, and you'd have to break up with Party Favor. But, I do hope we can at least be friends."
"Of course we can," Sugar Belle nodded firmly. "And you know, you could always stop here by from time to time to deliver some apples. I've been itching to try and expand my baking talents, and I'm fascinated at the number of treats you can make with just apples."
"I'll have to talk with Granny Smith and my sister, not to mention Shining Armor," Big Macintosh commented. "But if I can, I'll try to manage at least one delivery a month, not that it'll change anythin' between us. We're just friends, and that's all we're gonna be."
"It's for the best," Sugar Belle agreed. "Now, you should probably get going. I've kept you for longer than I probably should have."
Big Macintosh returned to the party, just as Shining Armor got back from talking with Double Diamond. A few minutes later, it was time for the six stallions to head to the train station and head back home.
"Not sure about the rest of you guys, but I'm actually looking forward to getting back to that crystal tree in Ponyville," Shining commented. "After everything that's happened, the peace and quiet of those long, empty halls feels strangely welcoming. Plus, I know Twily's gonna be happy to see me."
"You gonna tell her about Starlight Glimmer?" Soarin asked. "'Cause I know I'm gonna be telling Spitfire about what happened here. I doubt very much that Starlight would try to sneak her way up to Cloudsdale, but you just never what some ponies might do if they're desperate enough. Besides, Night Glider told me that her sister is Fleetfoot, so I've gotta ask why the hay Fleetfoot never told me she had a sister before."
"Your guess is as good as mine about the sister thing," Shining replied, then he told Soarin. "And to answer your question, I probably will, just so Twilight can be ready," He paused, before he added. "But, there's something that's really bothering me about all this. At first I thought Starlight's heart would have to be as cold as ice to do what she did to other ponies, but then I saw something just before she disappeared."
"What?" Shining's friends all asked at once.
"Tears," Shining explained. "Genuine tears, and not crocodile ones. A heart of ice couldn't have shed such genuine tears. I don't know what it is, but I suspect that deep down Starlight's a very trouble mare. She's likely been through a traumatic experience of some sort, and whatever it was broke her spirit and drove her to commit such heinous acts. I feel like I should've been able to reach out to her, to save her."
"You can't save everyone, Shinin'," Braeburn commented. "It's an unfortunate truth, but some ponies just don't learn their lesson and never see sense."
"I know, I know," Shining sighed. "But I feel like that isn't the case with Starlight. If I'd maybe emphasized certain things better, or worded my offering differently, maybe I could've at least gotten her to surrender. Then perhaps I could've learned what made her what she is. And what, if anything, could be done to get her to come back to the light. My first true test as the Prince of Friendship, and I failed to show somepony just how great the magic of friendship is."