//------------------------------// // Starlight's Homecoming // Story: The Princess of Equality // by Summer Knight //------------------------------// For the first time in what felt like ages, though it had really only been a couple of weeks, seven ponies and a young dragon sat around the map in Twilight's castle. Pinkie Pie, of course, had wanted to throw a massive party and invite everyone in Ponyville, but Twilight had managed to convince her to keep things quiet and private, at least for now. Therefore, only eight teacups sat on the table around a two-tiered cake with light purple frosting that matched Starlight Glimmer's coat. A banner reading "Welcome Home, Starlight!" hung from the rafters. Starlight had just finished explaining her conversations with Celestia and Twilight, and how she had decided to stop running from her new life as an alicorn. "So... that's it, really," Starlight said sheepishly. "I'm back. Sorry that I made all of you worry." "Both of us could have handled things better," Twilight said, "and I think that we both will in the future." "We all will," Rainbow Dash promised. The next minute or so was quiet except for the gentle clinks of teacups as the eight friends simply enjoyed each others' company with no need for words. Finally, Applejack broke the silence. "So, if ya don't mind me askin'," she said to Starlight, "does this mean that you're gonna be a princess like Twilight?" "I haven't really decided yet," Starlight answered. "I want to take this one step at a time. The first thing I'll need to do is just let everypony know that I have these." She flared her wings out. "I guess we'll figure it out from there." "That will raise some questions," Rarity pointed out. "As far as most ponies are concerned, alicorns are princesses, and vice-versa." "Well, they might just have to adjust their thinking," Twilight said. "We can handle whatever questions and concerns they'll have." That seemed to satisfy Rarity, and another peaceful silence settled on the room. "Okay," Rainbow Dash abruptly broke it, "but if you do decide to be a princess, what would you want to be the princess of?" "Rainbow Dash," Twilight scolded her," Starlight just said that she wasn't even sure she wanted to be a princess at all! Besides, I was a princess for a long time before I found my place. She doesn't need to decide that now." "It's alright," Starlight said. "I've actually been thinking about that a lot. Even though I wasn't sure I wanted to." She laughed nervously. "But it's obvious, really. I'd have to be the Princess of Equality!" The silence was distinctly uncomfortable this time, with many sidelong glances as the others thought about what happened the last time Starlight tried to enforce equality. Luckily, Starlight was taking a contented sip of tea and didn't seem to notice. "What do you mean?" Spike bluntly voiced what they were all thinking. "Like, what would a Princess of Equality do?" "I haven't worked out the details yet," Starlight admitted, "but I'd be teaching ponies about treating each other fairly. I'd be helping them to realize that nopony is better or worse than anyone else. I'm thinking I'll help out with farming and stuff too. I mean, imagine seeing an alicorn getting her hooves dirty! That alone would get ponies talking about who's better than who." "And what's wrong with gettin' yer hooves dirty?" Applejack demanded. "Wha—nothing!" Starlight held up her hooves to calm the farmpony. "That's the point, I need to show that farmers are just as important as the nobility in Canterlot, and should be respected the same way." "Well, alright then." Applejack seemed mollified by that explanation. "Gotta admit, it'd sure be somethin' to have a princess out buckin' apples with me." "Well, yeah, but I'll only be a princess if I decide to let Celestia crown me. I've been wondering if it would be better not to take the title of princess, to show that what kind of pony I am doesn't have to decide what I do. On the other hoof, that would mean that I couldn't show everyone a princess out working in the fields or whatever." Starlight said, then sighed. "I don't know yet. There's still a lot to think about." "Yes, there is," Twilight agreed, "but I'm glad that you've decided to think it over here in Ponyville." "Me too." Starlight gave her a smile. "I've been thinking, and I should have realized that things didn't actually start going wrong when I got these wings. They started going wrong when I ran away from my friends." She looked around at the table with happy tears welling up in her eyes. "Whatever happens next, I won't make that mistake again." The others crowded around Starlight. Eight friends enjoyed one warm, fluffy hug. Starlight Glimmer again stood in front of a crowd of ponies, courtesy of Pinkie Pie rounding up nearly everyone in Ponyville. This time she stood on the steps of Twilight's castle, with her friends lined up behind her, and she wouldn't have had it any other way. She was wearing her gray vest once more—hopefully only once more. In spite of how important this was, she didn't even feel all that nervous. She'd reconciled with Twilight and the others, and she knew that together they could handle anything. "Hi, everypony." Starlight's voice carried easily thanks to an amplification spell that was basically a toned-down version of the Royal Canterlot Voice. "I'm Starlight Glimmer. Though I guess most of you already know that," she added with an embarrassed laugh. "Sorry, this is a bit of a test run for me." "What's going on, Starlight?" Scootaloo asked from near the front of the audience. "Well, uh, I've got something that I need to tell everypony. And I mean everypony. The thing is, I'm not sure how well everyone's going to take it." "Well, ya might as well git on with it," an especially crotchety Granny Smith called out. Pinkie Pie had interrupted her nap to bring her here. "Ain't no sense in pussyhoofin' around if you're just gonna tell us all anyway!" "Haha, yeah, I guess you're right," Starlight said. "Alright." Her horn glowed and threads of magic wove themselves into the gray vest she wore. With a burst of power she reduced the garment to ashes and sent them blowing away. "I have two things to tell everyone. The first... is that I've followed in Princess Twilight's hoofsteps." She spread out her wings and was rewarded with loud gasps and whispers that quickly spread through the crowd. "I could never have done it without her, and without all of you. Thank you all for welcoming me to your village, and for helping me to understand the magic of friendship." "The second thing," she said, interrupting several ponies who had started to bow to her, "is that I am not taking the title of princess." More gasps and whispers, this time of confusion instead of awe. "I'm not ready to be Princess Starlight Glimmer." Her magically enhanced voice easily cut through the chatter. "Maybe I never will be. Maybe I can do what I need to do better if I just stay as regular old Starlight; wings and all." She folded those wings up against her sides again and went into the next part of her speech. "I've never given up on my goal of creating an Equestria where we can all be respected and treated as equals. At first I thought that my ascension would be the end of that dream. How could I stand there as an alicorn and tell everyone that I'm no better than them? But thanks to some good friends, and some good advice, I've realized that I can do exactly that. So, I will be an alicorn, but I won't be a princess. I'll be just another pony doing her best to make Equestria a better place." Starlight finished speaking and let the spell amplifying her voice fade away. She stood there with her heart in her throat, waiting to see what kind of reaction her unorthodox decision would get. She had nothing to worry about. The shock on everypony's face quickly passed and turned to wide smiles and loud cheers. Starlight breathed a loud sigh of relief and turned back to face her friends, who were beaming more brightly than anypony. "Well, how'd I do?" Starlight asked a bit breathlessly. "Your introduction could use a little work," Twilight teased her, "but that was—" "Awesome!" Rainbow Dash cut in. "We're really proud of you," Fluttershy added. "It's not easy to go against everyone's expectations like that." "Yes, yes, but..." Rarity had a strangely pained expression on her face. "You're not going to destroy a vest every time you make that speech, are you?" Starlight chuckled. "No, that was a one-time thing," she answered. "I guess it was my way of promising myself that I wasn't going to hide anymore. Plus I was really sick of it." She started laughing, and was soon joined by the others. "Starlight?" a pony with a gentle drawl said from behind her. Starlight turned around to see Apple Bloom there, looking at her with the kind of open earnestness that only a foal could manage. "Big Mac an' Granny Smith just wanted me to tell ya that we're behind ya, no matter what you end up callin' yourself." "Eeyup," her older brother agreed. "Us too!" Mr. Cake called out from behind them. "I don't know what they'll make of you up in Canterlot, but here in Ponyville we're with you all the way!" "Carrot!" His wife nudged him hard. "Don't bring that up now." "It's okay," Starlight answered, "I know that Canterlot is going to be a bit of a harder sell. I appreciate the support." That support was only the beginning, though. It seemed like everyone in Ponyville wanted to shake her hoof and congratulate her, both on her ascension and on her decision to stay as a commoner. It should have been exhausting, but through it all Starlight felt a sense of warmth and peace that seemed to rejuvenate her. She didn't need to ask the Princess of Friendship to know what she was experiencing, and she didn't need to be the Princess of Equality to know that she could spread that feeling across Equestria. These ponies loved and respected her for who she was, and that was all that anypony needed. And for the first time since she became an alicorn, Starlight knew that everything would be okay. The End