The dull glow surrounding the Cutie Mark Crusaders steadily gets brighter and brighter, lifting the three small, limp bodies into the air. Earth ponies shield their eyes with their hooves, pegasi with their wings, the human with his hand. The unicorns flare their horns, eyes shining white to attempt to observe the transformation. Except even their magical might proves insufficient, eyes and spells unable to pierce the glowing cocoon of light.
After several long seconds the three radiant forms descend to the shimmering ground, settling down without a sound. The glow slowly fades, starting on their manes, gradually restoring color as it works its way down their bodies.
Rainbow Dash, used to working with the unmitigated glare of the sun, is the first to react. She sprints forward, snagging Scootaloo, wings and forelegs embracing the slowly recovering filly. Applejack follows shortly after, hooves wrapping around Apple Bloom and gently lifting her filly to her chest. Rarity’s horn lights as she gallops forward, levitating Sweetie Belle and nuzzling her as she brings her filly close.
The Cutie Mark Crusaders slowly come to, dull eyes glancing around in a stupor. They push away their dams, desperately watching their flanks and their sisters as the glow dims to where they no longer need to squint.
Everypony’s eyes widen as the glow leaves their hind legs, then their docks, then finally their flanks. Gasps ring from the clearing as the light finally fades, revealing two thick, gray bars on each of them.
The trio’s eyes light up, manic grins from each at spotting the equals signs.
“WE EACH GOT THE SAME CUTIE MARK!!”
Apple Bloom, Sweetie Belle, and Scootaloo leap from their dam’s stunned embrace. They wildly dance on the hard packed snow, whipping back and forth before slamming their flanks into each other, raising their rumps into the air. Their shrill, piercing cry echoes among the trees.
“CUTIE MARK CRUSADERS FOREVER!!”
“What do you think it means?” asks Apple Bloom eagerly, a hoof coming back to trace the top gray bar.
“Maybe it’s about bringing balance to the force?” Sweetie Belle replies, a hoof tracing along the bottom gray bar. “You know, since it’s an equation and all?”
“I sure hope not,” Scootaloo says, her hoof tracing the orange in between. “That sounds really disturbing.”
Twilight Sparkle spins in place, gritting her teeth as she locates the other holder of an equals sign cutie mark. Then Applejack, Rarity, and Rainbow Dash whirl around, their gaze soon followed by everypony else. Except for Starlight - the focus of their attention - who is in a headlock, courtesy of Doug. Her horn is lit, three bands of dull turquoise light leading to three red, pink, and purple crests.
“What? Relax,” the purple unicorn shakily states, more than a hint of nervousness as she glances up at the hand gripping her horn like a vice, then at the arm coiling around her neck. “This is a joke, right?”
“Yes, you had your laugh.” Doug chuckles with all the joviality of a windigo. “I liked it. That’s why I’m just holding onto you.” He gives her a little shake back and forth.
“That’s not-” Starlight Glimmer pushes her neck against Doug’s arm as she rolls her eyes, “Hey! Lighten up; if I wanted, I could-”
“I will break it off if you do anything other than hold those marks in the air,” Doug states in a low voice so calm Starlight Glimmer can’t help but gulp against his arm, a hint of yellow staining the snow. His hand teases the base of her horn; not enough to disrupt her spell or cause any pain but certainly reminding her of his presence.
“Y-you got it,” she ekes out, eyes straying to the three decidedly discontent mares striding towards her. Positively pitiless, as it were.
“You better put that mark back where it belongs before Ah make you,” Applejack states through clenched teeth. Starlight gulps.
“You’ll have to go fast, because I’m not going to leave anything for you.” Rainbow’s cold gaze chills worse than the cool breeze blowing across the snow.
Rarity flips her mane back. “Fighting’s not really my thing, I’m more into fashion, but I’ll rip you to pieces if you harm even one hair on her cute little coat!”
Starlight Glimmer’s terrified visage fades at Rarity’s outburst, unable to keep herself from giggling into the arm tightening around her.
Twilight Sparkle steps forward before her herdmates can follow through with whatever threats they might have been planning. “I’m sure you know, but intentionally magically influencing a pony against their will or without their knowledge is a class B felony, punishable by a maximum of dehorning and banishment. Even fixing them now could leave them traumatized for life!”
“I’m sorry,” Starlight asks, pointing a hoof, “but do they look traumatized to you?”
The mares turn. Each of the Crusaders is happy skipping around, dancing as they show off their cutie marks to their younger siblings.
“Exactly.” Starlight Glimmer grins. “Don’t you think it’s just a little too convenient that three ponies get their cutie marks at exactly the same time?” The three crests jiggle back and forth. “Almost exactly the same mark?”
“It’s… certainly unprecedented,” admits Twilight Sparkle, inspecting the three marks floating in front of her. “Speaking of unprecedented, this spell is fascinating! Brilliant, in fact!” Her eyes light up, humming to herself as she studies the inner workings of the spell.
Starlight ignores the compliment. “I think you staged this.” Starlight motions to the marks still floating in front of her, unnoticed so far by the fillies. She glances at Trixie. “I had to see for myself that they were real, and not some illusion specially designed to fool me.”
“To fool you?” Applejack sputters. “Ah’m the Element of Honesty, and you thought we’d pull, uh… what exactly?”
“I don’t know, but I’m going to figure it out.” Starlight’s eyes focus on the three crests. She glances back up at the three mares still fuming at her. “You three need to chillax.” At their unmoved expressions she continues, “Just think of this as a test.”
“I love tests!” exclaims Twilight Sparkle, briefly glancing up from a piece of parchment now covered in scribbles.
Rainbow Dash rolls her eyes, “We know.”
“And what exactly are you trying to prove?” asks Doug, his grip on the mare loosening.
Starlight stretches her neck a little. “You’ll see.”
The five turn to the Cutie Mark Crusaders. The three fillies are walking up to them, eyes flicking between their own cutie marks and the nearly identical one on Starlight’s flank.
Scootaloo starts off with a heavy sigh. “You know, I had it in my mind that getting my cutie mark would be this big, life defining moment. Where I finally discovered who I really am.”
Apple Bloom continues, “And maybe it does define us, just a little bit. But now that Ah have it, Ah just feel… empty. Like all our efforts were focused on the goal, instead of how we were gettin’ there. And now that Ah’m here, it ain’t all it’s cracked up to be.”
Sweetie Belle nods, all three’s expressions beginning to brighten. “And that’s true of life, too, isn’t it? That sometimes we need to value the road that we traveled to get somewhere, and not just the destination.”
“And while getting somewhere might be super cool, what’s more important is who you get there with.” Scootaloo nuzzles her two sisters, muzzle curling to a grin.
“Ah can’t think of two ponies Ah’d rather be stuck with, all of us having a cutie mark none of us understand, than my sisters.” Apple Bloom draws Sweetie Belle and Scootaloo in for a hug, her grin matching Scootaloo’s.
“Because we’ll be able to figure it out together! There’s so much more to life than just your cutie mark!” Sweetie Belle’s grin grows, sticking a hoof into the air.
Scootaloo matches the white hoof. “Exactly! My cutie mark doesn’t tell me what to say, or who to be friends with. That’s all me, and the hard work that I put into being friends.”
“Because being a friend is hard work. It’s like a plant. Without light, and air, and water, and good soil, it’ll wither away.” Apple Bloom raises her hoof, yellow tapping white and orange.
The three hooves glow a faint white.
“Oww,” Starlight moans, a hoof rubbing her forehead. The hand tightens around her horn. She mutters, “Oh, calm down, you’d know if I was trying to escape.”
The three fillies walk past their cutie marks, giving them only a single glance. In unison, they flick their manes, glancing at Doug. His hand and arm relax, allowing Starlight to withdraw from his grasp, shuffling backwards as she rolls to her hooves.
The trio stand as tall as they can, staring Starlight in the eyes.
“You think that getting rid of your cutie mark will change who you are. And maybe that’s true.” Sweetie Belle glances back at Rarity. “Maybe Rarity wouldn’t have as good a fashion sense without her cutie mark.”
“That’s preposterous, darling,” Rarity says, eyes turning to her three diamonds.
“Is it?” Sweetie Belle’s eyes meet her dams. “You always told me your cutie mark represented seeing the best in things. Whether it was gems hidden inside a geode, or the perfect complement to a mare’s mane.” She turns back to Starlight. “But even without those special talents she’d be a loving, generous pony. To me and everypony else!"
“I think you’re proving my point,” Starlight Glimmer says. “That ponies don’t, and shouldn’t, need a special talent to have value!”
“That’s because that’s true. Everypony has worth. Everypony is worthwhile to get to know.” Apple Bloom steps up to her dam, nuzzling Applejack before returning to Starlight. “Just like every little seedling has its place on the farm. Even if Applejack didn’t have her cutie mark, she’d still take care of all of them just like she takes care of all of us.”
“But if you can’t take care of one friendship, then how can you possibly take care of dozens?” Starlight motions to the fourteen ponies and one human in front of her. “Wouldn’t they all wither away?”
“That’s a limitation to overcome, not an excuse to not try,” Scootaloo retorts. “And, trust me, I know a lot about limitations. But if there’s one thing that dam has taught me, it’s that the only thing worse than giving up is not trying in the first place. Even if she didn’t have her cutie mark, she’d still be just as amazing!”
“Yeah!” Rainbow Dash says with a grin. “I didn’t have my cutie mark when I made a sonic rainboom!”
Scootaloo grins, “But Rainbow Dash isn’t all speed!”
“I’m not?” Rainbow looks awkwardly around.
Scootaloo shakes her head. “She’s loving, and daring, and loyal. She won’t leave a friend hanging, even if she has to work herself to the bone. And she doesn’t give up. A cutie mark is nice and all, but it doesn’t define who we are.”
“Everypony can learn those things. You don’t need to be the same to love somepony else.” Sweetie Belle smiles, drawing her sisters in for another hug. “And even if my sisters and I had different cutie marks, we’d still love each other just as much!”
“But differences just drive us apart!” Starlight grits her teeth, “I thought Sunburst and I were the same! But he was ripped away from me, all on account of his cutie mark!”
“Ah was pretty sad when my sister left,” Apple Bloom says solemnly. “She’s younger than me, and got her cutie mark almost two years ago. Then, a couple months ago, she got a job out in Canterlot. And it was because of her cutie mark, too. She got ripped away from us because she had a cutie mark that didn't quite belong.” A tear comes to her eye, Apple Bloom sniffling. “It was really sad to see her go. Ah don’t think Applejack every really recovered.”
“Nnope,” Applejack grunts out, her mane swinging back and forth as she shakes her head.
“But we didn’t lose hope. Just because she isn’t with us doesn’t mean we don’t still love her. And I’m sure this Sunburst still has a spot for you.” Apple Bloom reaches forward, resting a hoof on Starlight. “Maybe it won’t be the same as when you were fillies. But just because life changes doesn’t mean it’s bad.”
Scootaloo nods. “Not every change is an improvement. But every improvement is a change.”
Starlight rolls her eyes, “You sound like your sire.”
Scootaloo snorts. “I’ll take that as a complement.” She joins Apple Bloom. “I’m sorry that you lost your friend.”
Sweetie Belle walks forward. “But I do know that removing your cutie mark is not the way to bring him back.” She places a hoof on Starlight, beaming up at the blue eyes. “I don't know if there is a way to bring him back. But, if you are looking to make new friends, I think you have fifteen of them, right here.”
Starlight Glimmer glances around, tears welling in her eyes. “I never thought…” She gulps as the light from her horn winks out. “I never thought that I would find a place where I belonged. That I could just walk up to a pony and make a friend!”
The three cutie marks shudder as their bonds are released, slamming into the Crusaders. Each filly stumbles to the ground, laying in a daze.
Twilight nuzzles Starlight, “It’s never too late with the friends you make! That’s part of the essence of being a friend; there are no mistakes too great to forgive.”
Starlight nuzzles Twilight in return. “What, you would teach me about being a friend?” She smirks. “Who are you, the Princess of Friendship?”
Twilight smiles, shaking her head. “No, nothing like that. Just a pony, who used to value being alone, not putting any worth into knowing those around me. Now I’m traveling the same road you are, learning about friendship firsthoof. And I would be honored if you learned it along with me.”
Starlight’s hooves wrap around Twilight, drawing the purple unicorn in for a long kiss. Twilight’s eyes go wide when Starlight uses a little tongue, the two collapsing as Starlight presses forward. “Mm,” Starlight licks her lips as she briefly breaks away, “seems like I can teach you a little about friendship, too.”
“Hey!” Spike calls as a red dragon swoops down, dropping him off. Spike’s eyes flicker from the three fillies quivering on the ground to the two purple mares engaging in a heated battle for dominance, to the rest of the herd chuckling as they watch. “So, what’d I miss?”