It began when the sun and moon swapped positions, making the townsponies go to bed. At the same time, Flash was at the vault cave, his hooves slowly moving as he tried to sneak in. Trying to be as silent as ever, he kept himself flying near the cave's ceiling, his eyes scanning for guards.
That is, till he saw that there weren't any guards. "Weird..." he commented as he floated down, his form quickly walking over to vault. There, he looked the wall over, trying to his friends' marks...only to rapidly blink, "Huh? They're not here. But if they're not here...." He spun around and glared at the cave's exit, "Starlight. She must have them and Lightbringer. If that's the case, this got a whole lot more complicated."
He quickly left the cave next, flying back to town. Here, he spotted movement near Starlight's house, soon seeing Fluttershy's head shoot out of the chimney. Soot covering and coughing followed this as she shook her head, "Oh dear...that was messy."
"Shy," he said in a hushed whisper, making her turn her head and gasp.
Quickly hopping out of the chimney, the two did a fast hug. "Oh Flash, thank goodness." She then pulled away, "We have to get our cutie marks back."
"I know. I already tried the vault, but they weren't there." Flash replied, making Fluttershy frown while covering her mouth with her hoof.
"What? But if they aren't there...where are they?"
"I don't know, but we need to-"
"Excellent work Sunny Song." said a sudden voice, making Flash reflexively push Fluttershy into the roof, covering her mouth before she could cry out. It was here that both leaned over the edge of the building, now seeing a dark gray earth pony with Starlight. The pony had a crate of jars with her, making him go wide-eyed as he saw it was his friends' cutie marks.
"No problem," the pony named Sunny replied as Starlight brought the cutie marks inside. "But why'd you want me to bring them here? Isn't Fluttershy one of us?"
"She may have opened up to our philosophy, but she hasn't fully accepted it into her heart." They closed the door, making Flash and Fluttershy fly down to look through the window. "If her cutie mark is returned, she may fall back under it's influence. And with that Flash pony still out there, he'll probably try some half baked idea to get them back. We can't let that happen." She then lifted a certain jar with a huge grin on her face, "Besides, this one belongs to a princess. It could be very important to our cause."
"I guess you have a point," Sunny commented before heading for the door. "Good night."
"Good night." Starlight responded as she looked the jars over, her grin growing wider.
Flash and Fluttershy then flew back around the house as Sunny left, Fluttershy letting out a whimper, "Oh dear. How are we ever going to get the cutie marks back now?"
"Simple. I'll just smash in there and take them back by force," he punched his hooves together. "Without any special talent, she's not gonna be be able to stop me."
But in that moment, a loud crashing sound let out, making them go back to the window. There, they saw Starlight nonw covered in water. "Ow! Oh Starlight, you clumsy foal!" She grumbled as she levitated the cutie mark jars to a nearby drawer. Flash's eyes went wide when he spotted Lightbringer was leaning against it, only for his vision to be pulled as Starlight grabbed a towel to dry off.
It was here that she dried herself off, removing the towel a second later. However, in that second, Flash and Fluttershy spotted something on her flank. The equal sign cutie mark was gone, now replaced by a purple diamondized star with small aquamarine colored wisps. Flash and Fluttershy's jaws dropped at the sight, only to then see Starlight summon up some make-up. She covered her real cutie mark with a dense pink powder before using a stencil and black powder to remake the equal sign.
Fluttershy gasped at this, Flash noticing Starlight respond to the sound. He pulled the pegasi under a beam below the window, praying Starlight didn't investigate. Eventually, he saw the light in the room go off and sighed in relief. "Thank goodness."
"Flash...d-d-did you just s-s-see what I just s-s-saw?"
"I did. That liar..." Flash growled as he clenched his hooves. "She didn't give up her cutie mark! She's a fraud!"
"But why?" Fluttershy asked. "Why make everypony give up their marks just so she can lie to them?"
"I don't know, but we need to show everypony what she's hiding. If they see she didn't give up her cutie mark, it might make them want theirs back." He glared back at the window, "Grrr...if only I had Lightbringer."
"So what's the plan?"
"You stay here and try to get this info to Twilight." Flash gave her a small hug, reassuring the frightened pegasus.
"Okay." Fluttershy replied as she ended the embrace, "But what are you gonna do?"
"I'm gonna have a little chat with a new friend."
Double Diamond was still tied to the stone, unable to sleep due to doing nothing all day. Hunger was not a problem for him, as he had eaten several berries Flash had picked for him from a nearby bush. Also, the rock was in a spot where the sun's light didn't touch, making sure he wouldn't be baked by it. so he hadn't been baked by it.
Unfortunately, that doesn't cure boredom unless somepony is there to talk to. His ears perking, he now heard wing beats as Flash flew into the cave. "You're back. You mind getting me another drink?" Flash didn't answer, instead now pusing the rock he was tied to. Double blinked at this, now walking around the small boulder as he soon saw a small ditch that looked like it had been hastily dug out. "Huh?" He tilted his head at this, only to go wide-eyed as Flash pulled the Staff of Sameness out of the ditch.
Double Diamond let out a gasp at the sight of the relic, only to blink as he saw Flash tap it with his hoof. Sniffing it next, Double raised an eyebrow as Flash leaned over and licked the staff, "Uh...what are you doing?"
Flash started to spit and rub his tongue, only to toss the staff into Double's hooves, "Here. Its a fake."
"What?" Double Diamond barely replied.
"I said it's a fake. This hunk of junk isn't enchanted. If it was, you'd be able to sense the magic coming off it. Starlight lied to you."
"What are you-huh?!" Double Diamond yelped as he gripped the staff, "Th-that's not true! And what would you know about magical items?! You're not a unicorn!"
"I'm a royal knight...in training. I wield an enchanted item." He walked up and tapped the hoof with a flat stare, "You really think I wouldn't be able to tell when something else is enchanted?" Quickly snatching the staff away from the gasping pony, he kicked it away like it was a piece of trash. The stick started to hop on the ground as Flash pointed at it, "Trust me on this, that thing is as enchanted as that berry bush over there."
"But-but-but...you saw it remove your friend's cutie marks!" Double barked back as he picked the staff back up, "Heck, I've seen Starlight use it a hundred times!"
Flash just let out a single dry laugh, "HA! Yeah...about that." Flash shined a small smirk, one that made Double start to backpedal, "Has anypony other than Starlight ever used the staff before? Even once?"
He watched as Double think for a moment, only to shake his head. "No, I don't remember anypony else using the staff."
"Exactly. That's because the staff isn't what's taking everyone's cutie mark, it's Starlight. She's been lying to you."
"What?! She-"
"She hasn't given up her cutie mark. I saw it on her tonight." Flash interrupted as he crossed his hooves in frustration, "She just covered it up with makeup to make you think she did. Her magic is what stole your cutie mark and everypony else's."
"But that's...that can't be..." Double's smile started to falter as an angry glare began to appear, "You're lying!"
"Oh?" Flash's face shined the biggest smirk he could make, "Then riddle me this. If everypony removed their cutie marks, what does Starlight's look like? I mean, it has to be in the vault, right?"
"Well uh...er…." Double tried to reply, his brains reeling over each mark in the vault in his memories. "Um..."
"I thought so." Flash interrupted as he pointed at the pony, "You said you were one of the first ponies to have their cutie mark removed, so there couldn't have been that many in the vault when it happened. So tell me, what does Starlight's cutie mark look like?"
Double put his hooves to his head, now trying to think of the day he had first joined. One by one, the memories flowed through as he remembered the three other marks in the vault before his was added as the fourth mark. Here, he thought about the others, only to remember one thing...there were five ponies in town when he first joined, including Starlight Glimmer.
"You can't remember what it looks like because you've never seen it. It's been hidden from the world by Starlight cuz she needs her magic to take away everyone else's cutie mark." He placed a hoof on his shoulders, "She's been using you."
"No...that can't..." he whispered, his hooves now shivering, "This can't be true."
Flash sighed at the sight, now taking pity on the pony. He could see that Double just needed one more push. Patting the pony's shoulder, he spun around and untied the rope holding the earth pony to the rock. Flash then tapped the staff in Double's hooves, making Double look up as Flash stared right into his eyes, "Double, if this staff really is magical, then you'll be able to use it to remove my cutie mark." Double's eyes went wide at this as Flash did a 180. "Do it."
Double slowly pointed it at the apprentice knight, only for nothing to happen. He started to shake the staff next...but still nothing. "Uh...maybe um...maybe only a unicorn can use it."
"That doesn't seem very equal," Flash told him as he turned back around. "I'd think something called the Staff of Sameness would be able to be used by all breeds of ponies. And I'm pretty sure Twilight told me that Mage Meadowbrook was an earth pony, which means she should be able to use it."
Double started to swing it around wildly, trying to make it respond. Flash just sighed at the sight, only to frown as he saw tears start to appear in Double's eyes. His grin disappeared as his chin started to quiver, "Is it...is it all a...all a lie?"
Flash's ears flopped down at this as sadness showed itself on both ponies' faces. He went over to pat the earth pony's shoulder, only for Double to throw his hooves around the pegasus and cry into his chest. The defender almost reflexively backpedaled at this, but he then looked down and saw the tears go down the pony's face. Patting his head, he muttered out, "Its okay...it'll all be okay."
Double pulled away a few minutes later, sniffing as he rubbed his eyes, "I...I can't believe that Starlight has been lying to me this whole time. After everything we've been through. She...she even saved my life once."
"Really?!" Flash asked with a tilt of the head.
Double did a small nod. "I uh...I used to be a skier, and one day I was skiing up in the mountains when I lost control and crashed. I broke one of my legs and my screams of pain caused uh...caused an avalanche. I...I don't remember anything after that storm of snow fell on me, but...the next thing I knew, I was waking up in Starlight's house. She said she had found me and bandaged my leg while nursing me back to health."
Flash opened his mouth to do a counter argument, his mind screaming that Starlight maybe caused the avalanche...only to see the frown on Double's face get bigger. Sighing at this, he just continued to pat Double on the back. "Listen, I know this is hard, but it's the truth."
"But we were so happy."
"And you can still be happy with your cutie marks," Flash replied, his face now showing nothing but confidence, "Listen, a cutie mark is nothing more than a representation of who you are. And just because everypony is different, that doesn't mean they can't be friends." He pointed to his mark, "For example, I'm a great fighter, as that's what my mark means. So when there's a situation that needs a fighter, I know I need to be there because this mark shows that's what I'm meant to do. But here's the thing: I don't know anything about fashion, I can't calm an angry animal, and my hooves are the furthest thing from being green."
Double blinked at this, Flash smirking at his confusion as he continued, "As you can see, there's a lot I don't know, and that's okay. You know why?"
Double shook his head, "No, I don't. Why is that okay?"
"Its okay because I have my friends to help me."
"I...I don't understand." Double added as he let out a whimper. "Its okay to have friends that are different?"
"Of course! I mean, sure I might have more in common with a pony with a similar mark and skills...but what would l learn from them?"
"Learn?"
Flash shined a huge grin, "Twilight taught me to think in any situation. Pinkie taught me to meet every challenge with a smile. Fluttershy taught me that compassion can be as good a weapon as a sword. Applejack taught me to keep my word. Rarity taught me to see the world in another light, and Rainbow taught me to be confidant but not too over-confidant. Them and many other friends, all who are different, helped me become a better pony because I saw how they affect the world in a way I never could. And no matter the situation, we've been able to handle it because all our different talents came together and gave us a way to overcome any obstacle. That...that is what true friendship is."
Double tried to reply, Flash's words starting to sink in his head. "I don't...I..."
Flash put his hooves on Double's shoulders again, "Double Diamond."
"Yeah?"
"Look into your heart, and choose what you believe."
"I...I..." Double stuttered, making his brain go over his memories with Starlight. Despite Flash's words, he could still think up the happy times he had spent with her, making his mind push and pull in anger.
Seeing his struggle, Flash's hooves clenched on Double's shoulders, "Double? You okay?"
"I...I want to believe that you're wrong. That there's another side to this that I'm not seeing." Double looked back at him, "That my friendship with Starlight isn't a lie."
Flash sighed again while shaking his head, "I'm sorry, but there isn't. Starlight still has her cutie mark, and if you let me, I'll find a way to prove it to you."
"How?"
"I don't know yet," Flash spun around and stared at the sky, glaring at the moon, "But I'll think of a way to show you Starlight's lies. That and to free you from her reign of terror."
The next morning...
As soon as the sun rose, Flash and Double exited the cave. Double seemed to still be reeling from the revelation, but told Flash he still wanted to discover the truth for himself. Though he knew better, Flash agreed to this, but only if Double helped him show everypony the truth.
"So...what's the plan?" Double asked as they saw the village in the distance.
Flash held out the staff, "You return to the village saying you managed to escape. While everypony's concentrating on you, I'll sneak into Starlight's house and get the marks and my sword. Once we have them, Starlight won't have anything to use as leverage."
Double nodded and took the staff, his lips quivering as he stared at the staff, "Okay...but are you sure you're right?"
"I am." Flash patted his shoulder, making Double look back up at him, "Listen, its gonna be okay. I'll get in there and expose Starlight Glimmer of who she really is, alright?"
Double barely nodded again, gripping the staff with a glum frown. "Right...I can do this."
Doing a small gulp, he walked up to the edge of town, his big grin returning. And as he got there, the townponies let out a gasp, all yelling as they saw him walk up to the village. "DOUBLE DIAMOND!" they all exclaimed as they ran up to him, Flash seeing this as the signal. Quickly bolting above the village, he spread his wings as he flew over to the back of the houses.
"Double Diamond, my dear friend!" Starlight declared as she ran through the crowd and pulled him into a hug, "I feared that brutish Flash Sentry had done something horrible to you!"
Double's grin morphed to a frown at this, only to see Flash in the corner of his eye. Noticing that he was still trying to get to Starlight's house thanks to a few guarding ponies, he knew he had to think up something. Looking back at Starlight, he gripped the staff while giving the biggest frown he could give, "He uh...tried to..."
Seeing the sadness, Starlight patted his side, "What? What did he do?"
"He...he captured me, tied me up and refused to give me any food or water." This made all the ponies gasp, everypony now turning to him. Seeing the opening, Flash smirked as he zipped over to Starlight's house as Double continued, "He kept saying that cutie marks weren't evil and that he was going to Canterlot. He intends to bring a whole army to destroy our village and rescue the princess."
More gasps followed this, everypony in town now chattering in fear. But as this happened Double watched Starlight as her expression didn't change, calmness fully on her face her horn lit up, taking the staff from Double, "I see..." she rasied the staff, taking a small breath. "Everypony! Do not panic!" This made the town go silent, Starlight putting the staff down as she continued, "By the time they get here, Twilight Sparkle will have realized we're right and will have joined us. I'm sure once that happens, she'll be able to make everypony in that army realize what we're doing here is for the betterment of Equestria." She then turned to the house Twilight and the others were locked inside. "Come, I've got a good feeling about today!"
Meanwhile...
"Where is it?!" Flash growled as he rummaged through some drawers. Scanning each wooden section over, he let out a groan as he closed the drawer. "Come on...this house isn't that big! Where could she have hid it?!"
Still growling, he went over to the window, now watching Fluttershy go back to the building where his friends were. There, she opened the door, only to see Party Favor zoom out of the house, quickly rushing over to bow at Starlight's hooves.
"That's not good." he commented as he turned back into the room. "Come on Flash, you need to-" As he said this to himself, his wings extended, knocking an empty jar off the drawer. The container rolled under the room's bed, only for the sounds of something clicking following this. "Huh?"
He quickly gripped the bed and pushed it away, only to go wide-eyed at the next sight. It was a hidden trapdoor to a staircase, "Ah! Should've guessed that."
The defender glanced back at the window, biting his lip, "Girls...I'll be right back." With that, he descended down the stairs, hope in his heart to find the marks and his trusty blade.
Back Outside...
"It seems there's cause for celebration after all!" Starlight announced as the crowd broke out into cheers.
"They tried to break me!" Party Favor told her, his face repeatedly touching the dirt. "They wouldn't stop talking about how different they are, and that somehow makes their friendship stronger!"
"Such backwards thinking," Starlight sighed, shaking her head. As this happened, Double Diamond just blinked at the scene, now noticing how phoney what she just said sounded.
"But I didn't listen!" Party Favor yelled while showing a crazy, mismatched face. "I knew what they were up to, and I didn't listen!"
He got his face right up to Starlight's as the creepy smile appeared on his lips. Starlight pushed him back as a grin shined on her form, "Well done Party Favor! We welcome you back with open hooves!"
"Thank you! Thank you so much!" Party cried, making Double's grin morph into a frown at the scene.
While this happened, Fluttershy spoke up, "Um, Starlight?" They turned to her, now seeing she was standing next to the open house. "I think we might have one more friend joining us today." In that moment, Twilight walked out, causing the town to gasp.
Starlight forcefully pushed Party Favor away, her grin slightly changing as she asked, "Is this true?!"
Twilight and Fluttershy shared a glance before replying, "I...I think so. But I just want to be sure." She slowly trotted upt to the town's leader, "If I agree to leave my cutie mark in the vault, I'll really be happier?"
"Of course! Just look around!" Starlight exclaimed as she pointed to the town, "Equality has given us more happiness than you've ever known!"
"And you wouldn't let me just live here in the village with my old cutie mark?"
Starlight shook her head, "Out of the question. A pony with a different cutie mark in our midst would destroy our entire philosophy. After all, we are all equal here!" The crowd muttered in agreement.
"Then how do you explain this?!" Everyone looked up and saw Fluttershy flying above Starlight, a bucket of water in her hooves. Quickly tipping the pail, the liquid splashed everywhere as Starlight tried to sidestep the attack.
The mare yelled at the pegasi, "Why you-I knew you couldn't be trusted!" But as she said this, Party Favor went wide-eyed as he saw a drop of water land on her flank and roll down. Doing so wiped away the make-up, making him see the truth. He then removed his cloak and wiped into her flank, revealing the whole mark before Starlight could react. Gasping as she saw what had just been done, she yelped, "No! Get away!"
This just put more attention on her, allowing the villagers to see her mark and gasp as Double whispered to himself, "He was right..."
It was here that Starlight started to backpedal from the townponies, trying to hide her mark with her tail as the village glared at her, "Wha...what are you looking at?!" She pointed to Twilight and the others, "They're the problem, not me!"
As Twilight looked back at the town, a small smile appeared as she saw the anger on their faces. It was clear, Starlight's spell was now broken.
Meanwhile...
Flash really wished he had night vision.
While descending the staircase, Flash found himself in a cave with no light filtering, making him squint his eyes as he trotted through the tunnel. Groaning at this, his hooves made sure to go as slowly as possible, his wings reaching out to feel for any sudden walls.
"Figures. I'm guessing Starlight lights this place up with her horn...which is something I don't have." he grumbled as another minute passed, "Come on...where are you?!"
His wing now touched a wall, making him feel it with his hoof next, "Okay, let's take a left now." Turning, he kept his hoof to the wall as he went down the tunnel even more, only to see a light in the distance. Blinking at it, he started to walk towards it, only to find the light was at the top of a small ramp. There, his eyes went wide as he saw Lightbringer and his friends' cutie marks.
"YES!" he cheered as he instantly grabbed his sword, the familiar magical sensation now flowing through him as he held it in his hooves. "So good to have you back." The defender then turned to the cutie marks, "Now, let's get you-"
"Oh no you don't!" He turned to the source of the voice, only to reflexively jump away as a blast of blue magic flew past him.
"Starlight..."
The outed fraud growled at him, her magic levitating the jars over a cart right beside her. "You've ruined everything!" she almost screamed. "My perfect utopia is gone! All gone because of you!"
"Just give it up," Flash replied as he pointed his sword at her. "Don't make this any worse than it already is."
"NO! You think you can come to my village and disrupt my life?!" Her horn flared, the amount of magic flowing out even surprising Flash, "How dare you do this to me! All I wanted was to show everypony the evil of those marks, but you selfish idiots had to ruin it!"
"Oh please, how could something that shows who you are be evil?" Flash countered while rolling his eyes, "Just give my friends their marks back and-"
"Shut up!" Starlight screamed, "I'll never give these back! In fact, let's just see how your friends like spending the rest of their lives without their precious cutie marks!"
"Not gonna happen. I will get those marks back." A beam of magic shot out of Starlight's horn in response, which Flash deflected using his sword. The blast hit the wall, making the tunnel shake. Feeling this, Flash looked up and saw the cave's ceiling rattle, "That's not good." He glared back at the unicorn, "This place is about to collapse! Don't be stupid-"
"I'm the only pony in this town who isn't stupid!" Starlight interrupted as she fired another blast. This time, Flash blocked the attack, only to feel himself being pushed back with ease. His hooves now felt the ramp, making him look back for a second and see that ramp was the cave's exit.
Glaring at Starlight now, Flash yelled, "Stop! Don't-"
"SHUT UP!" Starlight screamed as she fired beam after beam, Flash unable to react as the spell struck his chest. The force of the blow instantly knocked him up the ramp, his body flying out of the tunnel before slamming into a nearby tree.
"Urgh!" he yelped as his form broke through the wooden pillar, making him hit the dirt before the piece of lumber fell on top of him. Pain flooded his body next as he closed his eyes, losing consciousness within seconds.
"Flash...Flash...FLASH!" His eyes flickered open, allowing him to see a certain worried somepony looking down at him.
"Twilight?" Flash gazed at his friend through unfocused eyes. "I didn't know you had a twin sister."
He then felt the weight of several hooves helping him up, Twilight responding, "Careful Flash, you might have a concussion."
"Oohhh...if that means 'in pain', then I'm definitely that." he moaned as he tried to get his balance. And as he stood up and spread his wings, he flinched in pain. Glancing at his feathers, he could see they were bent. "Damn it."
"What happened down there? You suddenly were flung out of the ground and we saw you crash into that tree." Twilight asked, only to get a sigh from Flash.
"Couldn't fight Starlight...her magic was gonna make the whole place collapse." He turned to Twilight with a grimace on his face, "She's strong Twilight. Like...your kind of magic level strong."
"That's not good." Twilight added, only for her ears to spike up at another voice.
"Look!" They turned to see Rainbow and Party Favor a ways off, everypony soon moving to them with Applejack helping Flash move. The two were staring at a path that lead to a snowy mountain range, Flash now noticing that Double Diamond, Party Favor, Night Glider and Sugar Belle all had their cutie marks back, along with more vibrant color schemes to their coats and manes.
He watched as Party Favor looked back at his cutie mark, soon pulling out several balloons before blowing them up and making a pair of balloon binoculars. He looked through them, Flash getting the feeling they actually worked like real binoculars. "She's headed for the pass! If she makes it into those mountains, we'll never find her!"
Pinkie took the binoculars and gasped, confirming Flash's guess. "These are amazing!"
"There's a whole network of caves up there!" Sugar Belle announced. "If we don't get to her, your cutie marks will be gone forever!"
"Then let's get moving, ya'll!" Applejack yelled as they all started to run. But as they did this, the Mane Seven found they couldn't go past the speed of a basic walk.
Even Rainbow Dash was having trouble, flapping as hard as she could, only to go at the speed of a snail. "Oh, come on!"
"That's not good." Flash admitted as he lifted his hoof off of Applejack, his wings making him flinch again, "Shoot. I can't fly or run..."
Starlight was in a full on sprint as she pulled the cart behind her, the cutie mark jars rattling like crazy. She glared behind herself, only to see Night Glider catching up. Growling at the sight, her horn began to flare, "Oh, you have got to be kidding me..."
"Come back here Starlight!" Glider yelled as she flapped up a burst of speed, now getting closer to the unicorn.
A beam of magic fired out of the unicorn's horn as she screamed, "Seriously?! Are you all so willing to give up everything because of these strangers?!" Another blast of magic hit a ledge above Glider, sending some snow on top of her.
The pegasi's head popped out of the snow pile as Sugar Belle ran past her. "We gave up everything for you because we thought you were our friend! But you...you lied to us all!"
"Flash was right! You're just a phony!" Double yelled as he appeared next to her with Party Favor, Glider now hovering above them as Double continued, "Everything...everything was just a big fat lie!"
But as these words exited his mouth, Starlight just kept firing beams of magic, her tone now just an angry mumble, "Grrr...stupid marked ponies!"
Further down the mountain pass, Flash and the girls were still slowly going. Rainbow groaned at the situation, "I can't believe we have to count on these other ponies to save our cutie marks!"
Twilight just shook her head at this. "Its fine Rainbow, we just need to believe in them. If we hadn't come here to help them, they'd still be living under her rules! Now it's their turn to help us!"
"And I know they can do it!" Fluttershy added.
Flash nodded in agreement. "Considering what I've seen, I know they'll do it. Now that they have their cutie marks back, they can show the world how great they really are."
Starlight was now getting closer to the cave as the four ponies started to catch up. It was here that they spotted a stone bridge, which Starlight began to cross. Here, Sugar Belle grabbed some snow off the ground. "My newest recipe..." She fashioned the snow into a certain food shape, "Snow pie!" She tossed the pie up into the air before it arched down at Starlight.
The mare looked up and saw it coming, but it was too late. A pile of snow hit her cart, smashing it as the jars went flying off the side of the bridge. Gasping at the sight, Starlight's horn flared as she snatching them in her magic aura. Smirking at this, she rand to the end of the bridge, only to fire a blast of magic at the stone construct.
KABOOM!
The bridge exploded, trapping her pursuers on the other side of the canyon. But no sooner had Starlight started to run, Party Favor pulled out several balloons and began to fashion them into a massive balloon bridge. Seeing this, Glider grabbed one end and extended it to the other side of the canyon.
This allowed them to pass as the Mane Seven made it to an overhanging ledge. There, they saw Starlight starting to get close to the caves. "She's gonna get away!" Rainbow screamed in horror, the others all feeling panic now as they saw her disappear into the distance.
And this happened, Double Diamond had made it to the other side of the canyon, only to let out a gasp, "Whoa!" He yelped as he stepped over a helmet and some equipment that were buried in the snow. "These are my old skis!" For the first time in years, he held the thing that made him the most happy. "Hey...this is where I first met Starlight!"
"Maybe you can reminisce another time!" Glider barked back, "She's almost to the caves!"
Double was about to leave the skis and continue the chase, only to remember what Flash had said last night. "Ponies with differing skills...if they come together, they can overcome anything!" he said to himself as he put his skis and helmet on. "That's true friendship!" Double glanced up at Gilder, "Yo! Feel like an air drop?"
Instantly getting what he meant, Glider nodded and picked the earth pony up, flying him up onto a higher part of the mountain. Quickly dropping him, he slid down the slope as he saw Starlight just about to reach her destination. Glaring at the sight, he did a spin, knocking a whole wave of snow loose.
Looking up, Starlight saw the incoming avalanche, but it was too late. Before she could react, a blanket of snow knocked her over, her horn no longer glowing thanks to the blow. And as Party Favor and Sugar Belle reached the scene, they saw the cutie mark jars fall, all six smashing into the ground.
Glass shattered everywhere as the marks flew out, all shining like stars before flying over their heads.
"We did it!"
And as the lights flew through the air, Flash and the girls reached the canyon. There, they spotted the six familiar lights, all of them quickly returning to their owners. The apprentice knight smiled as he watched them hit the girls' flanks, causing them to glow before returning to their normal selves.
"Yee-haw!" Applejack exclaimed before she started kicking the air. "Finally, ah can buck like a five-bit snake herder in an Appleloosa ranch house again!"
"And you got your countryisms back too!" Fluttershy added.
"Alright team!" Flash cheered, "Let's go show Starlight why you shouldn't mess with us!" They all nodded before continuing on, Twilight using her magic to carry Flash as they readied themselves to confront her.
Back at the cave, the four ponies were still cheering at their accomplishment. That is, till they heard the sound of shifting snow. Shifting their gaze back to the snow pile, they saw one angry Starlight Glimmer ascend from it. A blaze of magic covered her horn as she glared at them.
"That's it!" She screamed as she fired a beam of magic, this one several times bigger than anything she had used today. However, as it flew out of her horn, Twilight flew in front of the attack, her horn shining as well. A barrier of magic was instantly summoned, one that blocked Starlight's spell effortlessly.
Seeing that the spell had on effect, Starlight began to stutter, "Wh-what?! How did you-I studied that spell for years! How can you-"
"I studied magic for years too!" Twilight replied as she trotted up to her. "But what I didn't know then, was that studying could only take me so far. That shield spell I just used was one I learned from my brother and practicing with Flash. That's just one example." She looked back as Flash and the rest of her friends appeared beside Double and the others. "Each of my friends has 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 have learned that I represent the element of magic without these six!" She turned back to Starlight, "And I certainly wouldn't be here to stop you now! That's the power of true magic! It happens when true friendship-"
"QUIET!!!" Starlight interrupted, veins popping on her face as she death stared Twilight. She then rolled her eyes, "Spare me your sentimental nonsense! I gave these ponies real friendships that they never could've had otherwise!"
"How do you know that?!" Double Diamond countered as he pulled off his helmet, "You never even gave us a chance!"
Flash pointed his sword at her. "You forced your ways on them without letting them see how well they got along with their cutie marks. I don't know what caused you to hate cutie marks, but I know it doesn't give you the right to make other ponies choices for them." Everypony else nodded as Starlight's anger appeared to be reaching its breaking point. "Just come quietly."
"You..." Starlight growled as her horn began to flare one more time. Everypony got into a defensive stance, ready to for anything...only for the unicorn to fire off a blinding a blue light. Shielding their eyes, the light soon faded to reveal one vanished Starlight Glimmer.
"She's getting away!" Rainbow yelled as she flew into the mouth of the cave.
"Stop! We'll never find her in there!" Double barked back, making the athlete come to a stop.
"But-"
"Let her go Rainbow Dash." Twilight ordered as she shook her head, sighing, "We just have to hope that when she's had a chance to think it over, she realizes that you all have taught her something."
In that moment, Party Favor walked in front of the princess. "It's you all who have taught us something. We all came to this village because we were searching for something missing from our lives. We thought Starlight had given it to us, but now...." He gestured to the rest of his friends, "Now it seems it was in front of us all along. It's us!" The four all hugged one another, true genuine smiles adorning their faces.
"Does that mean you'll stay in the village?" Twilight asked.
They all nodded as Glider spoke up. "It's our home. I'm not going anywhere."
Double chucked at this, "Besides, this is a chance for all of us to get to know each other again for the very first time!"
"And I finally have a chance to bake something besides those terrible muffins!" Sugar Belle added, causing everyone to laugh before returning to the village. When they arrived, a pony who had been a doctor before coming to the town helped patch Flash up, soon declaring that after a day or two, he would be as good as new.
The ponies in the town all threw a party later that day, their special talents on full display.
"Now those are real smiles," Pinkie commented with the others nodding. As these words were spoken, a familiar sensation made them look back and see their cutie marks pulsing like they did in the castle.
"Ah'll never get used to that," Applejack stated.
"I think it's divine," Rarity added.
Flash just chuckled at this, "Imagine if this became something everypony had. Coming this fall, top of the line butt pagers!" They all laughed as Fluttershy turned to Twilight.
"Does that mean the map is calling us somewhere else?
Twilight simply smiled back. "I have a feeling it means our work here is done."
"Looks like you were right Twilight," Applejack continued, "The map did have a reason for sendin' us all here. We brought real friendship to these here ponies." She winked at the alicorn, "Guess that's why you're the Princess of Friendship."
"But the map didn't just send me, it sent us. You're a part of me, all of you. And there's no doubt you're a part of my mission to spread friendship too." With that, the all shared a hug, all now knowing their new mission of spreading the magic of friendship throughout the land.
"This feels like an ending!" Pinkie exclaimed before pulling away. "But it uh...it doesn't have to be an ending yet, right? Cause that Sugar Belle can bake!"
Twilight giggled at this, "Well, maybe we can stay a little while longer."
"I'd prefer to travel when I'm fully healed," Flash added as he stared at his sore wing.
"Come on then!" Twilight gestured to go back into town, all true smiles on their faces as they went to hang out with their new friends.
Several days later...
After enjoying the town the way it was meant to be, and making sure Starlight didn't come back to cause trouble, our heroes found themselves returning to Ponyville. Stepping off the train, they made their way back to the castle.
"Well, glad that's over." Flash commented as they got to the front doors, "Here's hoping we're not immediately sent off somewhere again."
"I doubt it." Twilight remarked.
It was here that they got the front steps, only for the doors to swing open as Spike, Springer and the CMC leapt out. Spike threw himself at Twilight while Springer and Scootaloo did the same with Flash, pulling them into a hug. Lightning, Iron and Wild Smile appeared behind them, Pinkie and Fluttershy quickly embracing and kissing their coltfriends hello. Lightning just laughed at the sight as Wild started to go red as Pinkie kept making out with him.
"I'm so glad you all are back," Spike cried as he jumped off Twilight.
"So what happened?" Springer asked next.
"Did you have to fight some super evil pony?" Scootaloo added, making Flash laugh.
"In a way. Trust me, it's a story you all aren't gonna believe."
"Well, it'll have to wait," Iron remarked as he held up a scroll that had Flash's cutie mark on it. "This arrived for you two days ago."
"What is it?"
"No clue, but it's got a special seal so the pony it was meant for is the only one that can open it."
Flash nodded before undoing the clasp, unfurling it, "It's from Grand Hoof. He wants me to come to the Crystal Empire."
"Why?" Springer asked as Flash's eyes scanned it over, only to freeze up. Seeing this, Twilight took the scroll in her magic.
"Let's see...it says Flash is to come so he can be tested, and should he pass-" Twilight stopped and seemed to mirror Flash exactly.
"What?" Rainbow asked before groaning, "Ponies have got to start finishing their sentences."
"If Flash passes this test..." Twilight turned to him with shock in her eyes.
Flash's jaw fully dropped, "I'll...I'll finally be a Royal Knight."