Twilight was the first to stir. The recently minted princess and now cutie mark-less Twilight blinked and got her bearings about her. She saw Sunset by her side and the rest of her friends, minus Fluttershy, where nearby. Twilight looked around and saw they where trapped in a small room. She also realized two unknown ponies where with them.
"Twilight!" cried Sunset.
Sunset hugged Twilight as the others awoke.
"I'm glad you're all okay." said Twilight relieved.
In sameness, there is peace. Exceptionalism is a lie.
"Hey, this is pretty good." said Pinkie, flipping through a book with only equal marks.
Difference is frustration. To excel is to fail.
"What's that?" asked Twilight.
Free yourself from your cutie mark. Choose equality as your special talent.
"Starlight's propaganda." answered the unknown stallion.
Be your best by never being your best.
"Oh shut up!" snapped Sunset annoyed.
"I'm Night Glider and this is Party Favor." said Night Glider.
Our six heroines where at least glad to have found who they where looking for.
"Sugar Belle sent us!" exclaimed Pinkie.
"Oh Thank Celestia." said Party Favor relieved.
"We've been looking for you." said Applejack.
"We've been here since we got captured." revealed Night Glider.
"Look at those drapes! I have no idea if they're tacky or not!" cried Rarity.
Rarity sobbed loudly.
"This is the reeducation room." said Night Glider.
"Nopony is allowed to leave until they've been fixed of their free will." explained Party Favor.
Applejack slammed into the door.
"This door's shut tighter than a...summer of...
Applejack trailed off.
"Um, piglets in...shoot! I can't even make countryism no more!" cried Applejack.
"I don't know! Maybe it'll be super fun to be the same!" exclaimed Pinkie.
Pinkie's equal mark pulsated.
"Sort of. More pleasant than fun, I guess..." said Pinkie flatly.
The girls where surprised by this lack of emotion from Pinkie.
"We need to find a way out of here." said Sunset urgently.
"There's no way out." replied Party Favor sadly.
"Can I ask what caused y'all to try and defect?" asked Applejack.
"The three of us missed our cutie marks and Starlight was getting wise to us." began Night Glider.
"We where afraid of what would happen so we tried to flee." added Party Favor.
"I still don't understand why Fluttershy betrayed us." sighed Applejack.
"Starlight Glimmer can sell water to a sea serpent." groaned Party Favor.
"She fooled all of us into joining her." added Night Glider flatly.
The group spent the whole night locked up. Sunset and Twilight found themselves unable to use their magic having lost their cutie marks. They eight ponies talked a bit more to past the time. Finally, morning came and the eight where awoken by the door opening. There stood Starlight Glimmer with Double Diamond by her side. The rest of the commune members stood behind them. Notable among this group was Fluttershy.
"I trust you had a pleasant night?' asked Starlight.
"Screw you!" spat Rainbow.
Starlight chuckled.
"This way, please. There are some friends who'd like to see you." said Starlight.
The six ponies stepped out while Night Glider and Party Favor followed them.
"Not you. You have an independent streak that makes it very difficult for us to love you." said Starlight.
Night Glider and Party Favor bowed and retreated into the room.
"Gather round friends!" exclaimed Starlight.
Starlight trotted back in front of the six ponies.
"We've come around to ask you if you're 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." said Starlight.
"Never." said Sunset firmly.
"We have an entire welcome ceremony for new friends!" declared Double Diamond, "The whole village comes together to build you your own cottage..."
"Not interested! You may have them now, but we're going to get our cutie marks back!" declared Rainbow Dash.
Applejack stepped forward.
"Y'all don't understand, do ya? You can't force no ponies to be friends! It don't work like that!" declared Applejack.
Several of the commune member begged them to join them.
"It's all right everypony. This is a perfectly normal part of the equalization process for those who haven't...quiet seen the light yet." replied Starlight.
Sunset rolled her eyes.
"We'll try again tomorrow when you've had a bit more time to consider our philosophy." said Starlight.
Fluttershy stepped forward.
"No, you six must reconsider." said Fluttershy.
"I can't believe you, of all ponies, betrayed us!" snapped Applejack.
"I merely saw the light." replied Fluttershy.
"How could you?" asked Rainbow hurt.
Fluttershy shook her head.
"I told you the village was great, but you didn't listen." sighed Fluttershy.
Fluttershy leaned in so the commune members couldn't see her.
"You need to trust me." said Fluttershy firmly.
Fluttershy winked before turning around.
"I am sorry Comrade Glimmer. It seems they chose ignorance." said Fluttershy.
"It's fine. They'll come around." replied Starlight.
The six ponies returned inside.
"Did Fluttershy just voluntarily go undercover as a commune member to try and bring Starlight down from within?" asked Twilight stunned.
"It would seem so." answered Sunset amazed.
"I love her so much." replied Rainbow Dash proudly.
Fluttershy continued her charade of being a loyal follower of Starlight and her Equalist movement. Until her cottage was built, she stayed with Starlight. This gave Starlight the ability to monitor first hoof. Once night fell, Fluttershy waited until she was sure Starlight was sleeping. Fluttershy then managed to wiggle her way up the chimney to get outside.
"Okay Fluttershy. Just find Sugar Belle." said Fluttershy.
Fluttershy took a few steps on the roof, but found herself struggling against her fears.
"I can't let my friends down." said Fluttershy determined.
"Excellent work, Lieutenant." said Starlight proudly.
Fluttershy heard this and popped her head over the top of the roof.
"Of course, but I don't understand why you wanted me to bring them here. Fluttershy is one of us now. Surely she can be trusted." replied Double Diamond confused.
Starlight brought them inside and shut the door behind her. Fluttershy peered in the through the window as Starlight lifted the glass jar holding Twilight's cutie mark.
"This one belongs to a princess. It could be very important to our cause." said Starlight.
"But, if Twilight Sparkle becomes our friend, what do we care about this old cutie mark?" asked Double Diamond puzzled.
"I just want to keep them close until everything is settled." answered Starlight.
Double Diamond nodded in agreement.
"You may go Lieutenant." said Starlight.
Double Diamond nodded in agreement and departed. Fluttershy flew around to the front of the cottage.
"Oh dear, how am I ever going to get the cutie marks back now?" asked Fluttershy worried.
Fluttershy suddenly heard a bang and Starlight express pain. She flew to the upper fool where Starlight spilled water on herself.
"Starlight, you clumsy fool!" cried Starlight in toweled herself off revealing she still had her cutie mark. Starlight then covered it up with a fake equal mark cutie mark. Fluttershy gasped at this. Starlight heard something and turned around. Luckily, Fluttershy hid herself.
"Oh my." whispered Fluttershy surprised.
Fluttershy slipped away once Starlight had gone to sleep. Fluttershy managed to easily sneak out being a pegasus. She found Sugar Belle sleeping outside of the village.
"Hello." said Fluttershy softly.
Sugar Belle was startled awake.
Oh. I'm so sorry." said Fluttershy guilty.
"It's okay. You just startled me." replied Sugar Belle.
"That's the first time I've startled anypony." mused Fluttershy surprised.
Sugar Belle noticed her flank.
"Oh no! They got to you!" cried Sugar Belle.
Fluttershy explained the situation to Sugar Belle.
"So...Starlight took our cutie marks. But, she still has her's?!" asked Sugar Belle outraged.
"I'm afraid so." answered Fluttershy.
"I can't believe I ever trusted her!" exclaimed Sugar Belle bitterly.
Fluttershy quickly wanted to change to a more pleasant subject.
"Your friends are okay." noted Fluttershy.
Sugar Belle sighed.
"You're right. And that's most important." said Sugar Belle.
"Um, I was wondering you would go to Canterlot and get the princess?" asked Fluttershy meekly.
"I'll go now. I can nap if I need to." answered Sugar Belle.
So Sugar Belle left and Fluttershy returned to the village. Neither pony realized they where being watched. The next day, Starlight gathered her followers outside the reeducation cottage. Double Diamond was by her side and Fluttershy stood nearby. Flutterhy asked to let them out and opened the door. The eight ponies carefully where led out and Fluttershy quietly told them Starlight had her cutie mark.
"Have any of you reconsidered?" asked Starlight.
"I..." began Party Favor.
Night Glider quickly grabbed Party Favor.
"Please be strong!" begged Night Glider.
"Oh Party Favor. We will forgive you. Just rejoin us." said Starlight softly.
Party Favor turned to our six heroines.
"Those six talked about would not stop talking about how different they are, and that somehow made their friendship stronger!" exclaimed Party Favor.
Starlight shook her head.
"Such backward thinking." said Starlight sadly.
"Please don't." begged Night Glider.
"I'm sorry." said Party Favor solemnly.
"Hold it!" cried a familiar voice.
Everypony turned to see Sugar Belle trotting over to them.
"Well, if it isn't the final rat." spat Starlight bitterly.
"Starlight, are we really happy without our cutie marks?" asked Sugar Belle.
"Equality has given us more happiness than you'll ever know!" answered Starlight.
"Why don't you let them answer?" asked Sugar Belle.
"They don't need to." answered Starlight angrily.
"And we can't just stay in the village with our cutie marks?" asked Sugar Belle.
Fluttershy used the distraction to grab a bucket of water.
"Out of the question. A pony with a different cutie mark in our midst would destroy our entire philosophy." answered Starlight.
"Then how do you explain this?!" asked Fluttershy.
Fluttershy threw the bucket of water, but Starlight intercepted it with her magic.
"Do you honestly think I'm that stupid?" asked Starlight arrogantly.
Starlight dropped the bucket onto the ground. The water poured onto the soil with not a drop touching Starlight.
"I knew you couldn't be trusted. That is why I had my Lieutenant keep tabs on you." explained Starlight.
"When I saw you conversing with that traitor, I reported it to Comrade Glimmer right away." added Double Diamond.
"I watched Sombra and his forces pass us by." began Starlight.
Starlight pointed at Twilight and Sunset.
"I saw you two marching behind him!" declared Starlight.
The village ponies gasped.
"Comrade Glimmer was right all along!" gasped Party Favor.
"What?! No!" exclaimed Sugar Belle.
Party Favor bowed his head.
"Please accept my humblest apology, Comrade Glimmer! These two traitors led my astray!" begged Party Favor.
"It looks like we have a cause to celebrate!" declared Starlight.
The rest of the villagers cheered and welcomed Party Favor back into the fold.
"Keep an eye on him." whispered Starlight to Double Diamond.
Double Diamond nodded his head agreeing to the task.
"No." said Night Glider hurt.
"It's okay." said Sunset calmly.
"What do we do about them?" asked Double Diamond.
"They just need more reeducation and they'll come around." answered Starlight coldly.
The girls took a defensive stance.
"Looks like we'll have to fight our way out of this." said Twilight flatly.
"Awesome!" exclaimed Rainbow, not hiding her excitement.
"Starlight, don't think I came alone." said Sugar Belle.
The sound of massive hoof steps could be heard and the royal guard charged onto the scene.
"Nice." said Sunset happily.
"Double Diamond! Plan 51 Tango!" ordered Starlight worriedly.
Double Diamond nodded and led the other villagers in fleeing. Starlight used a magical burst to hold back the Mane 7 and Sugar Belle then rushed to her house.
"After her!" cried Sunset.
"We'll go after Starlight!" declared Night Glider.
The royal guard torn through the fence, but Starlight entered her cottage before them.
"Why ever would she go there instead of leaving with the others?" asked Rarity.
"Our cutie marks are there!" answered Fluttershy urgently.
The Mane 7 and tried to burst the door down. However, theu found themselves unable to break the door down.
"Oh come no!" cried Rainbow annoyed.
The royal guard came over.
"Princess, do you want us to break the door down?" asked Twilight.
"Yes." answered Twilight.
The guards managed to break the door down.
"Go after Starlight!" ordered Twilight.
The guard took off while Mane 7 ran upstairs and found Starlight in her room with the jars.
"You just couldn't leave well enough alone." said Starlight angrily.
"What you're doing is wrong." replied Twilight.
"I'm bringing equality!" snapped Starlight.
"Equality means nothing when it's forced." said Sunset.
Twilight and Sunset fired beams at magic at Starlight, but she threw up a shield defending herself.
"Without our cutie marks, our magic isn't strong enough." noted Twilight worried.
"Y'all got us to help ya." said Applejack.
Starlight grabbed her bed with her magic and tossed it at the Mane 7. The Mane 7 dodged while Starlight fled through a secret passage with the jars.
"After her." said Sunset urgently.
The Mane 7 followed Starlight and exited through a cave. They spotted Starlight.
"After her!" cried Twilight.
The Mane 7 took off, but could not catch up.
"Oh come on!" cried Rainbow frustrated.
"It's because we lack our cutie marks darling." noted Rarity.
"If we don't pick up the pace she's gonna escape." said Applejack concerned.
Starlight was far ahead of the Mane 7 and was confident she was home free. However, as she closed in on the cave that would bring her to freedom, Starlight found two familiar faces blocking her way forcing her to stop.
"Get out of my way." demanded Starlight.
"No!" declared Night Glider defiantly.
"We trusted you, but we became nothing but slaves!" exclaimed Sugar Belle.
Starlight put the jars down.
"If you won't move then I'll make you!" declared Starlight.
Starlight fired a volley of magic at the duo. Night Glider flew out of the way and Sugar Belle dodged.
"You traitors!" cried Starlight enraged.
Sugar Belle fired a weak volley of magic which Starlight easily deflected.
"You'll never be as strong as me!" spat Starlight.
Sugar Belle kept firing while slowing moving sideways.
"There. She's at a forty-five degree angle to the jars." thought Sugar Belle.
That she had Starlight where she wanted her, Sugar Belle stopped attacking.
"Giving up won't gain you mercy." said Starlight.
Starlight charged up for an attack, but Night Glider swooped down and rammed into Starlight. This caused Starlight to fire the volley of magic as she fell. As planned, this meant the volley of magic destroyed the glass jars.
"No!" cried Starlight horrified.
The Mane 7's cutie marks where freed and returned to their owners.
"Yee-haw! Finally, I can buck like a five-bit snake herder in an Appaloosa ranch house again!" exclaimed Applejack bucking.
"And you got your countryism back, too!" noted Fluttershy happily.
"That's great, but have an urgent business!" declared Sunset.
Starlight Glimmer furiously grabbed Night Glider with her magic and slammed her into Sugar Belle. Starlight then charged up.
"Say goodbye." said Starlight coldly.
Starlight fired a power beam of magic to kill the two. However, Twilight arrived and blocked them with a spell. The rest of our heroines arrived as this concluded.
"I studied that spell for years!" exclaimed Starlight surprised.
"I studied magic for years too! But what I failed to realize is that studying can only take you so far." began Twilight.
The Princess of Friendship pointed to her friends.
"Each of my friends It was their unique gifts and passions that helped bring out the magic inside of me! I never would have learned that I represent the Element of Magic without these girls!" explained Twilight.
Twilight turned back to Starlight.
"And I certainly wouldn't be here to stop you." added Twilight.
"Spare me your sentimental nonsense!" snapped Starlight.
Sunset trotted to Twilight's side.
"I spent years studying and isolated myself from everypony. I became bitter and arrogant. I fled Equestria and it was the friendship of Twilight Sparkle that led me back from the darkness." said Sunset.
Starlight's eyes widened as Sunset's remarks hit home. However, Starlight shook her head and fled into the cave.
"You'll never find her in there." said Sugar Belle defeated.
"Then let's go back." said Sunset flatly.
The ponies returned to the village which had been secured by the royal guard. The royal guard unicorns cut down the barbed wire fence with their magic, the royal guard pegasus pulled down the watch towers and the royal guard earth ponies pulled down the statue of Starlight. The banners and portrait of Starlight laid on the ground. They where searching ever building having lost the trail of the commune members in the winding mountains.
"What about the cutie mark vault?" asked Night Glider anxiously.
"Our guards searched, but the vault was empty. If the cutie marks where there, they're gone now." answered the guard.
"Since Starlight was onto us, she probably moved them overnight as a precaution." sighed Sunset.
"That's quiet alright. Just finish up here." said Twilight.
The guard saluted and returned to his mission.
"They're all gone." said Sugar Belle stunned.
"And Party Favor left with them." said Night Glider hurt.
"It's okay. I know we'll rescue all of your friends." said Sunset reassuringly.
"Of course, we'd still be trapped if it wasn't for Fluttershy." noted Applejack.
"It was nothing." replied Fluttershy embarrassed.
"Fluttershy! You where amazing!" declared Rainbow.
"I'd never think you'd do something so brave." said Pinkie ecstatic.
"Darling, you must tell us why." requested Rarity.
"It all began when we split up to talk with the townsponies..." began Fluttershy.
After the Mane 7 split up, Fluttershy quietly made her way to Double Diamond. She asked for a meeting with Starlight Glimmer about joining them and he happily agreed. Leading Fluttershy to Starlight's commune, Double Diamond knocked and announced himself as well as Fluttershy possible joining them. Starlight let them in though she dismissed Double Diamond right away leaving Fluttershy alone with Starlight.
"So...you're considering joining us." began Starlight.
"Yes." answered Fluttershy.
"That's wonderful!" declared Starlight happily.
Fluttershy did all she could to suppress her anxiety.
"If I might ask, what made you come around?" asked Starlight curious.
"The ponies here are so nice and friendly. I wanted to be part of that." answered Fluttershy.
A tense minute passed as Starlight look for signs of deceit.
"How great. I'm sure you're going to love it here." replied Starlight.
"Now...I have to give up my cutie mark." noted Fluttershy.
"Of course. Nopony can keep their cutie mark. They only cause separation and heart ache." said Starlight.
"I don't want those." mused Fluttershy.
"Nopony should have to go through the pain of losing a friend due to a cutie mark." said Starlight hurt.
"What about ponies who don't want to give up their cutie marks?" asked Fluttershy.
"They'll all come around one way or another." answered Starlight.
"What about their free will?" asked Fluttershy.
"Free will is overrated. It's so selfish to think of yourself instead of everypony else. Our village is a collective where everypony live as one." answered Starlight.
Fluttershy knew what she had to do.
"I want to join!" declared Fluttershy.
"Excellent! Welcome to our village!" exclaimed Starlight.
"I hope I know what I'm getting into." thought Fluttershy worried.
"You are awesome!" declared Rainbow.
Rainbow kissed Fluttershy.
"It was nothing." said Fluttershy embarrassed.
"Darling, it was quite brave." said Rarity.
"Yeah sugarcube. You should be proud of yourself." agreed Applejack.
Fluttershy blushed.
"I have to make you a Thank You For Saving Us cake when we get home!" declared Pinkie.
"I just wish we could have stopped Starlight." admitted Fluttershy.
"I don't think we've seen the last of her." said Sunset.
The village members had gathered far in the mountains. They where safe and their cutie marks where in jars piled up. They where high enough up that nopony could see them, but they where able to see the village below. Among them was Party Favor who had doubt creeping in about his decision.
"Did I do the right thing?" asked Party Favor to himself.
Just then an angry Starlight trotted up to the group.
"Comrade Glimmer! It's awful!" exclaimed Double Diamond.
Starlight turned and watched her hard work being undone.
"They will pay for this." said Starlight seething.
"Did you get the cutie marks from those seven?" asked Double Diamond.
"Those traitors Sugar Belle and Night Glider destroyed them. Those seven have their cutie marks back." answered Starlight bitterly.
Starlight turned toward the other Equalists.
"Those two are never to be mentioned again!" declared Starlight.
The other Equalists all agreed including Party Favor.
"At least those two traitors didn't get their cutie marks back." sighed Starlight.
"What do we do now?" asked Double Diamond.
"Friends, our attempt to peacefully enlighten Equestria has been elite clearly don't want the status quo to change. It is now time to get more forceful..." began Starlight.
Starlight stamped her hoof.
"The Equalist Revolution has begun!" declared Starlight.