//------------------------------// // 258. The Cutie-Map - Part 2 // Story: Blaze the Pony Tale // by Wolven5 //------------------------------// The next morning, Starlight exited her house, followed by Fluttershy and Double Diamond, and she was glad to see everypony already getting up to greet the day. "Attention, everypony! A moment of your time, if you please." With a smile on their faces, everypony turned to give Starlight their full and undivided attention. She cleared her throat before announcing, "Despite yesterday's events, I believe it is only fair we check on our guests and see if they have come to their senses and are ready to join our happy little town as fellow equals. And Party Favor as well, for I think he's been punished enough for his misguided thoughts about taking back his cutie-mark. What do all of you think?" "We think that's a splendid idea, Starlight!" "Let us welcome them all into our way!" "I'm sure Party Favor remembers the true path to happiness!" "The townsfolk have spoken," Starlight smiled with satisfaction when Double Diamond tapped her on the shoulder, "Double Diamond, what is it? We shouldn't dally in offering to Twilight and her friends in joining-" "Starlight, look up there!" Double Diamond pointed towards the sky, and Starlight saw it! It appeared to be an airship, small yet fancy, and there were obviously ponies aboard as it descended towards the town. Almost instantly, Starlight was wary at the thought of more visitors when they were still in the process of converting new members. But... Fluttershy's already joined... So it's only a matter of time before the rest of them do as well. The murmurs of the townsfolk got her attention as they too had noticed the approaching airship, so she spoke out, "Attention, everypony! It appears we're about to have some more guests. So I'm afraid speaking with Twilight, her friends, and Party Favor will have to wait. Come, let us go greet the newcomers." Starlight proceeded forward and everpony parted before her until she was leading them to the edge of town, right as the airship landed, and out hopped several ponies... including another alicorn! Accompanied by a tall red earth pony, a dark gray pegasus, a handsome white unicorn, a sky blue pegasus, and a lanky orange earth pony, the sapphire blue alicorn stallion stepped forward, looking distantly regal before he announced, "Greetings, ponies of this fair village. I am Prince Midnight Blaze of Equestria, and these good stallions are my esteemed colleagues. Would whoever's in charge here be kind enough to have a word with us?" Starlight felt her wariness increase but she hid it perfectly well as she stepped forward, "Welcome! I am Starlight Glimmer, founder and head of this village. Pray tell, Your Highness... What brings you to our humble home?" "A very good morning to you, Madame Glimmer, and to all the members of your community as well," Midnight gave a princely nod, "My companions and I are actually searching for my fiancée, Princess Twilight Sparkle, and her friends. They left on a quick trip a short while ago but were due back yesterday evening, and they left us the location of this place on a map, although they failed to mention a village, for I am not familiar with this place." A part of Starlight was relieved that Midnight didn't appear to suspect anything, but she couldn't let him figure out that Twilight was her... unwilling guest, as well as her friends. She had to handle this carefully, "I am afraid... Princess Twilight Sparkle nor anypony else have visited recently, Your Majesty. In fact, you and your... entourage are the first visitors we've had for some time." "Really? I mean, you are a little out of the way," Midnight very softly pressed, carefully hiding it behind a tone of curiosity, "but you haven't had any visitors recently?" "I am afraid not, and as much as I'd like to be of assistance to you, my neighbors really must attend to their morning chores," Starlight's composure was virtually convincing, and she felt like she was going to pull this off- "Um, Starlight?" She almost shuddered but turned to see Sugar Belle stepping up, "Shouldn't we speak with Prince Midnight about-" "Sugar Belle!" Starlight said in an almost scolding tone, "Do not speak unless spoken to..." Sugar Belle shrank back a bit and looked to Midnight, "I apologize for interrupting, Your Majesty..." Starlight would have to have a word with Sugar Belle later- "'Do not speak unless spoken to'?" Starlight looked back to Midnight, who gave her a bewildered look, "I was unaware you had servants among these ponies, Starlight Glimmer." No! Not servants, we're equal! Starlight panicked in her mind but she held it together and took a deep breath, "Um, not at all, Your Majesty! I... Well, it's not polite to interrupt somepony when they are having a discussion, especially with royalty!" Oh she was good. Yes, she was very good! ...But Midnight was better, as he decided now was the time and flicked his long tail to his left. Blueblood, having been waiting for that signal, very softly concentrated mana to his horn as he focused on casting an unlocking spell... "Now, if there's nothing else, Your Highness, I'm certain you should be getting on your way and-" "STARLIGHT!!!" She flinched and looked to see Party Favor running over to her, hunkering down to hug her forelegs, "I'm sorry, Starlight! I'm sorry, everypony! I've seen the error of my ways! I never wanna look at my cutie-mark again!" Starlight had broken into a cold sweat, shifting her eyes from Party Favor to Midnight and his friends, all of whom were raising their brows or furrowing them, expecting some kind of an explanation- Wait... if Party Favor is out here, what about...!!! Starlight froze to see the door wide open and out walked Twilight and the rest of the girls! She looked back to Midnight, whose expression was one of restrained ire. "Starlight Glimmer... Either my Twilight and her friends have been under the roof of one of your locals without your knowledge," Midnight said before his tone became dangerously edged, "Or you have been lying to my face this whole time...!" Starlight was about to suggest one of her villagers must have invited Twilight and her friends into their home- "They tried to break me!" Party Favor went on again, looking quite worked up, "They wouldn't stop talking about how different they are, and that somehow makes their friendship stronger! But I didn't listen, I swear I didn't! Princess Twilight's as misguided as you said she is!" There was no explaining this away, Party Favor had just made sure of that! But she still had her villagers... "Now Prince Midngiht, I-I will admit I haven't been straight with you, but look around! Equality has given us more happiness than even Princess Twilight here has ever known! She and her friends would have disrupted our very way of life, and I couldn't just stand by and let her!" "So you're saying, even if I accepted a life here in your village," Twilight cut in while raising her wing to show the equal sign on her flank, "that I couldn't be allowed to keep my old cutie-mark?" "Out of the question. A pony with a different cutie-mark in our midst would destroy our entire philosophy!" Starlight debated, "We are all equal here!" The words of agreement spreading amongst her villagers brought relief to Starlight, and as long as they stood with her, then even these alicorns couldn't- "Then how do you explain this?!" Starlight looked up and barely dodged a splash of water that had been thrown at her by Fluttershy! She glared up angrily at the yellow pegasus, "I knew you couldn't be trusted!" But she didn't notice that just a little bit of water had touched her flank, and Party Favor caught the sight of something strange... Starlight's equal sign being smudged as a drop of water ran down her side. Taking off his cloak, Party Favor stepped over to wipe it onto Starlight, causing her to jump back, "NO! Get away!" *GASP* They all saw it! Starlight's equal mark was a fake and underneath it was a cutie-mark, distinct and detailed, indicating a talent for magic! Losing her composure, Starlight tried to defend herself, "Wh-what're you looking at?! They're the problem, not me!" The girls all smiled to see Starlight exposed and were happy to embrace their stallions as they took in the show. "How... could you?!" Party Favor began to tear up. "You said cutie-marks were evil!" Double Diamond was aghast! "You said special talents led to pain and heartache!" "They do! Don't you see?! Look at them!" Starlight tried to get everypony to see her point of view but all they saw was a liar and a hypocrite! "Then why?!" asked Sugar Belle, looking truly hurt. "Why did you take ours and not give up your own?" "I... I had to, you fools!" Starlight was beginning to lose it! "How could I remove your cutie-marks without my magic?!" "But... the staff has all the magic we need!" Night Glider spoke up, only to shrink back as Starlight began to show everypony who she really was! "The staff is just a stick I found in the desert! It's my magic that makes all this possible. You'd all still be living your miserable lives, thinking you're better than everypony else, if it weren't for my magical abilities! I brought you friendship. I brought you equality! I CREATED HARMONY!!!" "You lied to us!" Double Diamond protested. "So what? Everything else I said was true," Starlight absolutely insisted with utter lack of shame, "The only way to be happy is if we're all equal." "I've heard more than enough!" Starlight looked back to see Midnight, his brows furrowed, his horn alit with magic, "Starlight Glimmer, I'm taking you in! For crimes of holding ponies against their will, brainwashing, and malevolent abuse of magic-" "QUIET!!!" Starlight screamed, a vein pulsing on her neck and a mad look in her eyes! "You can't keep that cutie-mark, Starlight!" Sugar Belle stated, "Either we're all equal or none of us are." Starlight looked around, and saw glares and gazes of disapproval, animosity, she'd lost! Everypony had turned against her, everything she built was for nothing! And as they all began to surround her, Starlight threw up a shield of mana that expanded, pushing them all away and clearing a path for her, and she immediately ran to hide in her house! "Come on! Let's get our cutie-marks back!" Double Diamond led the charge as everypony cheered and stampeded off to the vault. Looking to his friends, Midnight yelled, "Surround the house! She's not getting away!" Inside the cave that contained the Cutie-Mark Vault, everypony hurried up to the wall of cutie-marks and tied beating it in an effort to set their marks free. "Stand back, everypony!" They all looked to see Double Diamond running towards the vault, with the phony Staff of Sameness in his mouth, and quickly cleared away as he gave it a heave! It flipped through the air and smacked the vault dead center... a web of cracks formed, and then more, and more! There was a whoosh, a flash of light, and the wall fell to pieces, and with a breath of free air, the cutie-marks responded and zoomed out, flying like a happy swarm of fireflies! One by one, every cutie-mark settled back onto the flank of the pony it belonged to, and reunion with their marks of destiny felt so good as everypony gave off a brief but intense flash of light and returned to their true colors and their true selves! Double Diamond's mark was a trio of crystalline blue snowflakes. Night Glider's a crescent moon sided by raven feathers. Party Favor's a pink balloon animal surrounded by confetti. Sugar Belle's a cherry-topped cupcake surrounded by four jellybeans! Starlight looked out her window, seething with rage as she saw all her hard work be rendered meaningless as the cutie-marks returned to their owners when a turquoise wall of mana rose up, obscuring her vision! "STARLIGHT GLIMMER! COME OUT WITH YOUR HORN DULL AND THE CUTIE-MARK JARS! NO HARM WILL COME TO YOU! MAKE THINGS EASY ON YOURSELF AND SURRENDER!!" Growling at the nerve of Midnight, Starlight levitated the jars containing the cutie-marks of Twiligth and her friends, "You think you can come to my village and disrupt my life?! Well see how you feel when your precious princess and her friends spend the rest of their lives without their precious cutie-marks!" She then levitated her bed out of the way... revealing a secret passage! Sneering viciously, Starlight made her escape! "STARLIGHT GLIMMER, THIS IS YOUR LAST WARNING!" Midnight was amplifying his voice, not quite to the volume level of the Royal Canterlot Voice, but it worked. "COME OUT OF THE HOUSE AND SURRENDER!" "She ain't cooperatin', Midnight," Applejack spoke up, "Ah say we go in an' hogtie tha' lying witch!" Before Midnight could respond, they all heard a loud whistle and looked to see Sugar Belle, Party Favor, Night Glider, and Double Diamond, all standing on a ledge and looking oddly heroic, as if on cue. Night Glider flapped up and yelled, "Stand back, everypony!" Midnight dispelled his containment field and everypony made way as Night Glider came about and broke down the door! They all rushed in, not seeing Starlight or the cutie-marks and began to tear the place apart as they searched. "I don't see your cutie-marks, Princess Twilight!" Double Diamond reported, feeling awful when Fluttershy called everypony. "I found something!" They all came and saw the passageway Starlight had escaped through, and they quickly followed it. It led out a short distance away from the village, the exit a hole in a hill's ledge, and they all looked around for any sign of Starlight. Rainbow Dash zipped up and noticed something with her keen eyes, "LOOK!" They all saw somepony running along a mountain trail. They were too far away but then Party Favor remembered his special talent! He reached into his mane, pulled out a balloon and blew it up full before he worked his magic hooves and twisted the balloon into a pair of balloon-oculars! Pinkie Pie and Cheese Sandwich were both impressed and realized they were standing beside a fellow party pony! Party Favor peered through his balloon-oculars and confirmed it, "She's headed for the pass! If she makes it into those mountains, we'll never find her!" Pinkie excitably grabbed the ballon-oculars and gave them a look-see, "These are amazing!" "There's a whole network of caves up there!" Sugar Belle fretted, "your cutie-marks will be gone forever!" "She's not getting away with them. After her, everypony!" Midnight led the charge and they all followed, Party Favor, Double Diamond, Night Glider, and Sugar Belle running ahead. They'd allowed Starlight to use them, she'd lied to them, and they'd helped her! They had to make this right.