//------------------------------//
// Prologue A Reluctant Princess 
// Story: Recovering Friendship 
// by Redwalllover28 
//------------------------------//

Twilight Sparkle was the only pony in the shack. She was hungry. She hadn't had too much food.  She could not believe what was happening. She had believed that the map of her new castle was supposed to be a device to teach the magic of friendship throughout the land of Equestria. But she was trapped in a shack of a pony she was beginning to believe was a tyrant. Starlight Glimmer had convinced all the ponies in her village that cutie marks were evil. She could hear a recording of Starlight Glimmer's voice telling her why they were evil. Twilight was the only one of her friends still resisting the reforming of Starlight Glimmer. The plan to use Fluttershy to cause Starlight to trip up, had failed. The next day after she had faked her way into the community of Starlight Glimmer she was the same as the rest of the town. Twilight had a feeling that some of kind of mind control was involved here. Rainbow Dash was the next to go. She started thinking about her foalhood with Fluttershy and didn't want to miss out on being with her friend and ruining their friendship. After Rainbow Dash left the others followed suit. The only one left in the reformation shack was Twilight Sparkle. Because of her opposition Starlight had not fed her for four days. Just water. All the sudden, the door to the shack was opened.

"Are you ready to join us today?" Fluttershy asked in a sweet voice 

"No." Twilight replied "Can't you all see this is wrong? You have been brainwashed. Cutie marks are what make you, you. Starlight is just using you."

The equal mark on Twilight's flank began to glow. 'I wish that would stop.' She thought 'It is becoming harder to fight it. Especially with Starlight's voice droning on and on.'

"You will be happier if join us darling." Rarity said "No one is sad here."

"Yeah. It is like one big party all the time." Pinkie Pie said "Everypony plays a part in it. And everypony is always smiling."

"You used to say the smiles were fake Pinkie Pie." Twilight said "Please..can't you all try to fight the feelings you have now?"

"Why should we?" Rainbow Dash asked "Back home I used to make ponies feel bad with my bragging and pranks. That was all because I thought that I was the best flyer. Because I performed the sonic rainboom. Talk about being negative.Here no pony is a better flyer than anypony else. And I walk around the town with Fluttershy a lot more than I used to. I can't believe how selfish I was trying to push her to be a better flyer."

"That is okay Rainbow Dash. The evil cutie marks are gone." Fluttershy said "So, that will never happen again."

"And Ah happier because Ah'm building homes like mah ancestors." Was Applejack remark

"And I am getting used to the old fashioned way of sewing." Rarity said "I am helping to make cloaks for everypony."

Everything her friends said  was killing Twilight inside. It was like they had forgotten how their differences had saved Equestria more than once. And now they were just like everypony else in this terrible town. At this point, Starlight Glimmer appeared in the shack. She smiled and said: "That is enough girls." Almost immediately Twilight's friends stopped. Twilight didn't like that that. It was like they were programmed. Starlight Glimmer looked at the defiant glint that was still lingering in Twilight's tired eyes. She said: "You haven't eaten in awhile. I will fix that now."

There was mushed up food in some kind of container. It had a tube for feeding ponies. Twilight refused to open her mouth. Starlight asked Rainbow Dash to tickle Twilight's wings. She complied. Twilight tried her best not to laugh, but it was a futile attempt. Once she started laughing Starlight Glimmer struck the tube in Twilight's mouth. The food had no real taste. But Twilight was beginning to feel tired. More tired than she had ever been. In fact, she was beginning to fall asleep.

"Why is she falling asleep?" Fluttershy asked 

"Because she is going to be reformed soon." Starlight said with a smile "And this food is the first step to that."

The girls didn't understand what Starlight meant, but they trusted her. After all, she had taught them true friendship, and was helping Twilight to see the light too, so whatever it was, it must be good. They were just glad that the food was mushed up so that Twilight was not going to choke on it . What they DIDN'T know was that Starlight Glimmer had added some herbs in the food that would put would put Twilight into a dreamless sleep. Twilight tried her best to stay awake, but the herbs were too strong to resist. Finally she gave in and went to sleep. 

"Alright girls thank you for trying to convince her the usual way. But Twilight is too stubborn to be convinced by the usual means. I will take care of her."

Twilight's friends leave the reformation shack. Starlight Glimmer starts talking to the unconscious princess. "You thought you knew better than me huh?" She received no answer from Twilight but continue to talk anyway, as she knew that she could hear her. "I saw through Fluttershy's act from the start. I put some herbs into her tea that I gave her that night. She told me everything. Don't you realize how much you are hurting yourself and your friends by trying to resist me?" Still Twilight slept on taking in every word spoken to her. Tears were beginning to course down the closed eyes of the princess. Starlight Glimmer saw this and was delighted.  "I see you CAN hear me. And understand me too. That's good. Don't worry, the food that the tube is feeding you won't change your personality altogether at once. But it will make you more submissive. I will PERSONALLY take charge of you tomorrow so that your training can begin. And don't worry about being hungry, I will have somepony periodically change the food container. After all, a pony who has not eaten for 4 days has to be EXTRA hungry! Enjoy your restful day. Because tomorrow the real work begins."

With that Starlight Glimmer leaves the sleeping Twilight, who although asleep is now aware that her life will never be the same.