I woke up to the sound of a voice saying, “In sameness there is peace, exceptionalism is a lie, free yourself from your cutie mark. Choose equality as your special talent…” And it just kept droning on and on.
“What a load of crock.” I groaned out as I sat up, realizing I was just laying on the ground… tied up, “And why am I tied up?”
“Chrissy/Chris!” I heard my girls cry out to me and the gave me big, warm, hugs.
“I’m ok, just… a tranq dart really?” I shrugged, gotta give it up for creativity I suppose.
“Good to see you’re awake dude, I’ve been trying to bust down this door with no luck.” Rainbow said.
“Really? You want me to try?” I asked her and she nodded eagerly.
“Alright, hold on.” I flexed my wings and they easily snapped through the rope that was holding me.
“Told them rope wouldn’t hold you.”
I gave her a toothy grin, “Most things won’t, now stand back, this might get a bit splintery.” I reared a fist back and right before I hit the door Twilight stopped me.
“Wait I have an idea.”
“AN IDEA?!” Rarity wailed, “Twilight, I can’t tell if these drapes are tacky are not and I like them!”
“And I can’t understand or talk to animals anymore.” Fluttershy said tears forming in her eyes.
“This a worse mess than a jar of… of jars in… shoot, I can’t even make countryisms no more!” AJ sighed out.
“We have to get out of here Twilight, I don't think being stuck in room forever will be fun.” Pinkie said, “Maybe pleasant though.”
“Wow these no cutie mark issues are… bad. Hey, Twilight, what about that staff, didn’t Meadowbrook only have 8 items?” I asked her.
“If I recall, she did, but there might’ve been a 9th one we didn’t know about?” She suggested.
“Huh… so what's this plan Twilight?”
“Well I don’t want to cause a big scene I still want to try this peacefully. They’ll let us out if they believe we’ve been won over.” She explained.
“I don’t think they’d believe we’ve been converted in one night though Twilight.”
“There's one of us they might believe.” She said looking at Shy, everyone else followed suit.
“Wait, me?” She asked.
“To be fair, you have been the one who’s been the most accepting of things here.” I told her.
“W-Well that’s because everyone is so nice and they’re village is pretty and… you're right, the probably would believe me.” She said, hanging her head.
“You’re right they would, but you aren’t going to be the one doing this. I am.” I said.
“You? but Christopher, you’ve been just as skeptical as Pinkie has, why would they believe you over Fluttershy?” Rarity asked.
I smiled at her, “Because, I never had a special talent to begin with Rarity.”
Pinkie jumped into the air “Woohoo!” She quickly deflated, “I mean, yay.”
Twilight sighed in defeat, “I suppose it does make sense, alright but you have to find a way to get our cutie marks back.”
I nodded and then the door opened revealing Starlight Glimmer, “Good morning. I hope you had a pleasant night. This way please, there are some friends who would like to see you.” She stepped outside and we followed. “Gather ‘round, friends. Gather ‘round. We’ve come to ask if any of you are ready to join us. There are so many friends to be made, once you realize you don’t need your cutie marks or the talents that come with them.”
“We have a welcome ceremony for new friends. The whole village joins together to build you a cottage.” Double Diamond said.
Rainbow interrupted him, “Not interested! You may have them now, but we’re going to get our cutie marks back!”
AJ followed up, “Y’all don’t understand, do ya? You can’t force anyone to be friends! It don’t work like that.”
“Please, join us.” a grey stallion said.
“We love new friends!” A pale pink mare said after him.
“It’s alright everyone.” Starlight said reassuring her village, “This a perfectly normal part of the equalization process, for those who haven’t… quite seen the light yet. We’ll try again tomorrow, once you’ve had more time to consider our way of life.”
We were lead back in but I spoke up once everyone else was inside, “Hold on a moment.”
Starlight turned to look at me, “Yes, what is it?”
“I’d like to be a part of your village.” I told her
She looked at me curiously, “Oh, and why is that, Chris, was it?”
I nodded, “Well, as I’m sure you’ve noticed I don’t have a cutie mark, never have never will. I never had a special talent to begin with, so why wouldn’t you want me.”
She pondered it for a moment before speaking, “You did try to attack us in the cave.”
“Because you were attacking my family, and you tranqed me, so we’re even. Look, in my world atrocities of the highest magnitude were committed due to minor differences between the people of my home. It was horrible, I would tell you but...I don’t want to bring that to this world and what you’ve said, have been saying, resonated with me. I don’t want that to come to my new home, and everyone being equal, the same, will prevent that.” I explained to her.
“What about them? Your family, as you put it.” She said with a smirk.
“They’ll come around in time, I’m fully committed to this, and think about it, the entire world being the same, I’ll even help you find a way to use it on creatures that don’t have cutie marks, like myself, and once a prince of Equestria willingly joins your cause and goes public with it, the world will follow suit.” I told her, sweetening the deal even more.
“Chris… how could you betray us like this?” Twilight asked, in mock disbelief.
I turned back to her and gave her my best sneer, “If it means keeping my world, my home safe, then so be it.” The door was closed on them.
“We have a new friend everyone!” Starlight told her town. The crowd formed around me, congratulating me before she stepped up next to me, “We have one more order of business to attend to. It seems someone in Our Town is unsatisfied with our way of life.” She was met with gasps, “Unfortunately, it’s all too true, my friends.” She wrapped her arm around mine and looked up at me, “Would you kindly tell us the names of those friends who so desperately miss their cutie marks that they would sneak around in the shadows talking to strangers about it? Just so we can be sure your intentions were indeed pure.”
I blinked, hesitating for a moment before I had a thought, “Sorry, I’m terrible with names and faces, so I really can’t remember who they were.”
“I see, well they must have come to you directly, so I’m sure if you see them, you can point them out.” She gave me a devious grin.
After a few more moments of silence a voice called out from the back of the crowd, “It was me!” It came from Party Favor, “It was only me.” He made his way towards us and dropped to his knees, “And I only wanted it for a little while.”
Starlight stared harshly at him, “And you’re quite sure it was only you?”
He looked away from her, not a smart move, “I just wanted to remember what it was like.”
Starlight grabbed his face and turned his head so he would look at her, “And no thought to the pain you’d cause your friends. Such selfishness.” She pointed to the house the girls were in and Party Favor was thrown in.
“Come come, all new friends stay with me until their cottage is complete.” She said, leading the way to her’s.
“You know, I could get used to it here, it’s quiet, everyone is friendly, and most importantly, no one is different.” I said looking around, getting various ‘Welcome’s’ and I caught Sugar Belle’s and the pegasus’ eyes and frowned, It sucked what happened to Party Favor.
+Maybe but despite the whole everyone is the same mentality, he didn’t sell them out, I respect that.+ Ixis said.
‘Same, honestly this shouldn’t be too hard I’ve been working on my invisible ice tricks so sneaking around later tonight should be easy.’
+It should, but still be careful.+
‘Always am.’
“Here we are, my home, have a seat, let us discuss some plans.” Starlight said, leading me into her home.
I sat down in a relatively comfortable chair, could be better, could be worse, “Sure what did you want to talk about?”
“I wanted to know about these... atrocities you mentioned, you said they were because your people had differences among them?”
I nodded and sighed, “I’m sorry Starlight, I’d… rather not think about it, just know that everyone being the same would prevent them.”
“I understand, it must be a rough subject for you, and you said you were a Prince of Equestria correct?” Once more I nodded, “Interesting, who did you marry if you don’t mind me asking? I know we are quite a ways away from any postal service. But I’m sure we would’ve heard if Princess Celestia or Luna got married. Unless you married Twilight, was her name?” Again, I nodded, “So did you marry her?”
“No I didn’t marry my way into royalty, I was adopted by Princess Cadance into her family as her younger brother. That makes Twilight my sister in law. I’m marrying Pinkie Pie and Fluttershy.” I explained to her.
“Interesting and you were going to do this before recent events.” She said, smoothly skirting around what happened.
“I was, but, like I said, everyone being the same would make things much easier.”
“And you think the other Princesses would let this happen?” She asked.
“If I talk to them they will. They know about where I come from, they’ll see it how I do.”
She clapped her hands together happily, “Good, well your room for the time is down here at the back of the house, I do hope you truly enjoy our little village, make yourself at home.”
I nodded and thanked her, making my way to my room, “I’m going to take a nap, to wear off the rest of the tranquilizer that's flowing in me.”
“I apologize about that, just a necessary precaution, didn’t want you hurting my villagers.” She said.
I nodded in understanding and went to lay down for a few hours until it was dark and I cloaked myself in refracting ice, sneaking out my window and climbing my way to the roof, getting ready to take off… until I heard noise coming from the front of the house.
“Good work, Double Diamond.” I heard Starlight say and I peaked over the roof, making sure not to move too much.
“Of course. But, I don’t understand why you wanted me to bring them here. Chris is one of us now, surely he can be trusted.” He said as they moved inside the house, Starlight floating a crate of jars behind them.
I crawled down the side of the house, looking through the bottom window just in time to see Starlight pull a jar out of the crate and it was containing Twilight’s cutie mark, I scowled, damn how am I going to get them now?
“This one belongs to a princess. It could be very important to our cause.” She said.
“But isn’t Chris a prince, isn’t he enough?” Double diamond asked, “Besides if Twilight Sparkle becomes our friend, then what do we care about this old cutie mark?”
“I just want to keep them close until everything is… settled.” She explained, “You may go, Double Diamond.” Said pony nodded and opened the door, I made sure I kept absolutely still as the window I was at was right next to the door, luckily he didn’t notice.
I was contemplating a plan of action when I heard crashing coming from upstairs, I scaled the building once more more until I found Starlight in her room. She was covered head to toe in water due to tripping over a bucket full of it, “Starlight, you clumsy fool..” She muttered to herself before undressing and drying herself off.
‘Well I feel like pervert…’
+You kind of are one.+
‘Shut up, no one asked you.’
As she dried off, I noticed the equal mark on her hip was wiped away revealing that she still had her cutie mark, and the equal symbol on her shirt she was wearing also started to fade away. She quickly reapplied some makeup to the area and it looked like nothing ever happened.
I growled, “Hypocrite.” A bit too loud, causing her attention to go to the window, luckily it was too dark out for her to see any of the distorting property of my ice. She got dressed in pajamas and went to bed.
+Do you have an idea on how to get ther girls’ marks back?+
I nodded, ‘Something like that, and shouldn’t you know since you're in my head?’
+Hush, I get lazy too.+
I shook my head and quietly made my way to my room and actually got some proper rest for the night.
~The following day~
We were all gathered outside the house the girls, and Party Favor were locked in, the door was open and they were let out, “I’ve a good feeling about to today. Do any of you have anything you’d like to say?” Starlight asked the group. After a few moments of silence she shook her head disapprovingly, “Aw a pity. Well, let’s try this again tomorrow, shall we?” They were being lead back in to the house, “No new friends today, I’m afraid.”
“Starlight, wait, let me lock the door.” I told her.
She looked at me in happy surprise and gestured for me to go ahead, “That’s the spirit, Chris! Party Favor, will you join us, please?”
The stallion ran out the house and past us, falling to his knees at Starlight's feet, “I’m sorry, i’m so sorry. I’ve seen the errors of my ways! I never want to look at my cutie mark again!”
Starlight smiled at that, “It seems there’s cause for celebration after all!” The village cheered.
“They tried to break me, they wouldn’t stop talking about how different they are, and that somehow makes their friendship stronger!” He said with a fearful look upon his features.
Starlight tisked, “Such backwards thinking.”
Then party Favor made the best face I’ve ever seen, I had to stop myself from laughing hysterically, “But I didn’t listen! I knew what they were up to and I didn’t listen!”
“Well done, Party Favor. We welcome you back with open arms.”
The entire time I was watching this scene, Twilight was talking to me and I was whispering back, telling her what I knew, now it was time and funnily enough they didn’t notice the gathering snow clouds above them, “Starlight, I think we might have a new friend joining us.” I said, gesturing to the door as Twilight stepped out, causing the crowd to gasp.
Even Starlight looked surprised, “Is this true?”
“I… I think so. But I just want to be sure. If I agree to leave my cutie mark in the vault, I’ll really be happier?” Twilight asked.
Starlight smiled at the question, “Of course, just look around. Equality has given us more happiness than you’ve ever known.”
“And you wouldn’t just let me live in the village with my old cutie mark?” She ask, grabbing her arm wear her cutie mark is displayed on her sleeve.
Starlight scoffed and waved it off, “Of course not, a pony with a cutie mark in our midst would destroy our entire philosophy. We are all equal here!” The crowd murmured in agreement.
I nodded, “Makes sense, also, I’d look out if I were you.” I told her, pointing straight up at the storm clouds.
She looked up, realizing what they were, “I knew you couldn’t be-” WHAP! And huge amount of snow dropped on her.
“Heh… nice. Now behold everyone your beloved hypocrite of a leader.” I inhaled, consuming all the snow I produced, mind you it didn’t restore any of my magic reserves but it was gone, but not the water that was left behind on Starlight because of it.
She was shivering, “W-what have y-you done?”
I shrugged, “Just showing you village how much of a hypocrite you really are.” I said, pointing to her shoulder, slowly the equal sign faded away, causing her cutie mark to reappear. In turn the crowd gasped in shock.
“Wha-What are you looking at, they’re the problem, not me!” She said, covering up her mark.
“Hypocrite.” I said smugly, emphasizing each syllable, she just glared at me.
“How could you?” Party favor asked, hurt evident in his voice.
“You said, cutie marks were evil. You said special talents led to pain and heartache.” Double Diamond joined his friend, just as hurt.
Starlight was still trying to play the victim, “They do! Don’t you see? Look at them!” She said, pointing us.
“Hey, I don’t have a special talent, so you really don’t have a case with me.” I said, getting a punch in the arm from AJ.
“Then why did you take ours and not give up your own?” Sugar Belle Asked her.
“I… had to you fools! How could I collect your cutie marks without my magic?!” She explained.
The pegasus that wanted her mark back spoke up next, “But the staff has all the magic we need!”
“The staff is just a piece of wood I found hanging off a dead tree in the desert, it has no magic!” Starlight said angrily.
“Called it!” I said from behind her.
She was peeved now, “Shut up! You’d all be still living your miserable lives, thinking you're better than everyone else, if it weren’t for my magical abilities! I brought you friendship. I brought you equality. I created harmony!”
I leaned over to Pinkie, “Told ya, total hypocrite and a god complex, it’s sad.” she shook her head in pity.
“You lied to us!” Accused Double Diamond.
She scoffed it off, “So what, everything else I said is true, we’re only happy if we’re all equal.”
“Yeah except for you, ye smarmy cunt.” I said, putting on my best Irish accent.
“Woah, harsh dude.” Rainbow said.
I shrugged, “It’s true.”
“Everyone has unique talents and gifts. And when we share them with each other, that's how real-” Twilight began only to be cut off by Starlight turning on her with the angriest face I’ve ever seen.
“QUIET!”
“Eugh, the hell was that face, gonna have nightmares from that for weeks.” I said, Shy and Rarity nodding in agreement. Though Twilight getting shot down was also funny in its own right, “So, everyone, what do you say, either we’re all equal or none of us are, yeah?” I got a resounding, “Yeah!” from the crowd as the encroached on her, she backed up into us. As they got closer she created a force field to push us away and ran to her house.
“Oh… that’s probably not good.” I looked back at the crowd, “You all go get your cutie marks back, we’ll head after Starlight.” They looked at me unsure, “Go, before she makes off with all of them.” That shook them out of their stupor and they headed towards the mountain. Rainbow was about to follow after her before I stopped here, “Starlight has your cutie marks, she’s our main concern right now.”
“Got it, she ran to her house right? Alright let's go get them girls!” Rainbow flew to the door as fast as she could, which mind you was slower than the others walking at a brisk pace.
“Rainbow it’s faster walking, calm on.” I told her, leading them.
Once we reached the door AJ told us to stand back as she reared up to kick the door down, only for it to not give in at all, “My strength is gone too?”
“Looks like it, let me do this.” I said getting ready to bust the door down until orbs of light started flying around us, “Are those?”
Rarity gasped, “They are and even without mine I can tell this is beautiful.”
I nodded when a whistle got our attention, “Stand back everyone!” Said the dark blue pegasus that was with Party Favor and Sugar Belle. She took off and flew at the door, breaking it down.
We rushed inside and I went to the side room, “Shoot they’re gone!” But there was a secret passage, “Come on everyone, this way!” We quickly made our way through the passage coming out from behind a boulder on the outskirts of town that had a path leading up towards the mountains.
“Look!” Rainbow pointed out, spotting Starlight running with a small carriage a distance aways.
Party favor came up from behind us and pulled out several balloons, forming them into, what looked like binoculars, “She’s headed for the pass! If she makes it to those mountains we’ll never find her!”
Pinkie grabbed the balloonoculars and looked through them, “These are fantastic!”
“There's a whole network of caves up there, if we don’t get to her fast, you'll never get your cutie marks back.” Sugar Belle said.
“Well no time to waste then, lets go.” I said, urging everyone on, we all ran on ahead, the girls being left behind, Rainbow crying out in frustration, “I’ll go on ahead and help them out, catch up when you can, ok?” They nodded and I spread my wings, giving them a powerful flap, rocketing towards Starlight.
She saw the pegasus gaining ground with me right behind her, “Are you really willing to give up everything for these… strangers?” She asked, firing off a beam into the snow above , knocking some down, threatening to fall on the pegasus.
I flapped once more, gaining more speed and blocking the snow falling with an outstretched wing, “Hey, close call there…. I never got your name.”
“It’s Night Glider and thanks for the save.” She said with a grin.
Sugar Belle, Party Favor, and Double Diamond ran past us as I shook the snow off my wings, “We gave up everything for you! Because we thought you were our friend!” Sugar Belle said.
Night Glider and I picked up the pace, I more so than her, catching up to the group, “Hey Sugar Belle, I've come up with a new recipe!” I formed a snowball in the shape of pie.
“Snow Pie, brilliant!” She followed suit and we both tossed it at Starlight. They struck the cart, breaking sending the jars over the edge of the cliff, and before I could celebrate Starlight caught them with her magic and made it over the pass, destroying the natural bridge in the process, causing the others to stop.
“Don’t worry I’ve got this!” I said quickly landing and placing my hands on the ground, ice quickly forming a bridge to the other side, “Alright go go go!” I said as they raced/skated past me.
I caught up, only to see double diamond stopping at a pair of skies, “Hey, maybe you could reminisce another time?”
“Yeah she’s almost to the caves!” Night Glider told him.
Double Diamond looked at his skies thought fully before turning to us and quickly putting his gear on, “Care for an air drop?” I shrugged, Night Glider and I picking him up, dropping him on a snowy slope that he rode, causing a large pile of snow to fall, blocking to the cave entrance, burying Starlight in snow and causing her to drop the jars, the girl’s cutie marks going to find them,
“That's good.” I said as starlight slowly pulled herself out of the snow and charged up her horn, “And that is not good.” Starlight fired off her spell, I spread my wings out to protect them, but Twilight teleported in the way and put up the same force field shield that Starlight used earlier.
She looked absolutely flabbergasted, “What-I studied that spell for years how could you?!”
Twilight stepped forward, “I studied magic for years too, but what I didn’t know then was that studying can only take me so far.” She looked back at us, “Each of my friends have taught me something different about myself. It was their unique gifts, passions, and personalities that helped bring out the magic inside of me. I never would’ve of learned that I represent the Element of Magic without these five.” She said, smiling.
“Five? Ouch much Twilight?” I said feigning hurt.
“Oh hush.” She turned back to starlight, “And I certainly wouldn’t be here to stop you now.”
Starlight rolled her eyes and waved her off, “Spare me your sentimental nonsense. I gave these ponies real friendships that they never would’ve had otherwise.”
“How would you know, you never even gave us a chance!” Double diamond said.
Starlight growled in response and then looked at me, “And you, what about you, you lied to me, to everyone in the village. You said you were on our side because the beings from your would committed atrocities because everyone was different and you wanted to prevent that. I’m guessing those were all lies too.”
I stepped forward, my wings wrapping around me as I sighed, giving her a stern look, “I didn’t lie, Starlight. I don’t do that… often. I told you the truth, atrocities were committed because people were different and I do want to prevent this world from ever having to face that. But not through your means, or methods. Those would end up being the cause of those same atrocities, maybe not by you but by the people who would follow you. Some would kill, murder, maim, rape, you name it because they aren’t the same, and to some wouldn’t matter if they did get their cutie marks taken away, someone would just find another reason to keep on doing those things.” I told her. She looked away from me, so I continued, “So I’m going to do it my way, Equestria’s way, Twilight’s way. By making friends and teaching everyone that being different is ok, and you can live peacefully despite that if given the chance.”
At that Starlight looked back at me with renewed anger in her eyes before she quickly fired off a spell that melted the snow and she teleported somewhere into the caves.
“She’s getting away!” Rainbow said, getting ready to go into the caves.
I stopped the chromatic pegasus, “Hold on Rainbow, no point in going after her, I can’t hear, see, or smell her.”
Twilight addressed the town’s ponies, “We just have to hope that when she’s thought it over, you all have taught her something.”
It’s you who’ve taught us something.” Party Favor said, “We all came to this village because we thought we were missing something from our lives. We thought starlight had given it to us, but now… now it seems it was in front of us all along.” He walked back to his friends, “It’s us.”
“Does that mean you’ll stay in the village?” Twilight asked.
“It’s our home. I’m not going anywhere.” NIght Glider said happily.
Doubled Diamond gave a huge grin, “This is a chance for all of us to get to know each other again, for the first time.”
Sugar Belle was clapping in excitement, “And I’ll finally get the chance to bake something besides those terrible muffins.”
They all laughed at that, I just shrugged, “I didn’t think, they were that bad, but I do tend to eat rocks so… anyways, let’s get back to the town, we have to celebrate after all!” They cheered in agreement.
Once we were back in town and the party had started, the girls and I were standing at the entrance to the village, “Now those are real smiles.” Pinkie said, finally satisfied with things.
I was about to say something, but at that moment, the girl’s cutie marks starting lighting up and my coat of arms, along with my tail spines did as well, “Oh well, that’s a weird feeling.”
“I’ll never get used to that…” Apple Jack said,
“I think it’s divine.” Rarity interjected.
“Yeah probably because it makes your butt vibrate too.” I snickered, causing Rarity to sputter and blush.
Fluttershy giggled, “Does that mean the map is calling us somewhere else though?” She asked Twilight.
The aforementioned Alicorn shook her head, “I have a feeling it means our work here is done.”
“It looks like you were right Twilight, the map did send us here for a reason. We brought real friend ship to these ponies.” AJ said.
I wrapped my arm around my sister in law’s shoulders, “Yeah, Twiggy, guess that’s why you’re the Princess of Friendship.”
She groaned at that name, “But the map didn’t send me, it sent us. You’re a part of me, all of you, yes even you Chris, and there’s no doubt you’re apart of my mission to spread friendship too.”
“Oh you’re so sappy, it makes me tear up a little, come one everyone, group hug!” I pulled everyone in using my wings.
“Heyyyyy, this feels like an ending, it doesn’t have to be an ending does it? Because Sugar Belle can finally make something other than bad muffins and I really want to see what's he can do.” Pinkie proclaimed, eager to test the baking mare’s chops.”
I chuckled, “No Pinkie…” I looked up towards the mountains, “I feel like this is only the beginning.”