//------------------------------// // Kenomare // Story: A Society // by Cosmetanoia //------------------------------// There is a certain sweetness to living outdoors. Not many knew that, not when so many ponies lived in large cities Manesomething...Least Pegasus... Canter... Something or other. With so much time away from large civilizations, there was no need to remember their meaningless names. All the memories left for Starlight to recall was the husk of land covered in useless buildings that scraped the clouds, the hard pavement against her hooves and the foggy skies in the mornings. A distant picture in her mind slowly fading away. Starlight had no idea why, if at all, she felt a faint longing for the company of others with that uprising. With a land this perfect.. this gorgeous, it was but an impure feeling plaguing her mind, of which she waved away with a sigh. She nestled out of her cozy bed, hooves touching the cold wooden floorboard, creaking under her weight. Her house seemed to grow from the ground. The unicorn hardly remembered the construction of her living quarters nor the town itself. It all seemed so long ago, and since then the houses had snugly rested in each spot they were built in. Vines and leaves hung on the sides. Glass widely open to usher in sunlight, Starlight recoiling at the brightness, eyes slowly adjusting. With a breathy exhale, she brushed out her mane, readying herself for the coming ceremony. See, Starlight Glimmer had created her own colony far away from Equestria. It was a safe spot for her. No longer would she be pressured by the societal expectations of long ago savage lifestyles. She would settle in harmony with the civilians she had so easily fooled into coming to her town. Maybe it was impure of her to impede on their privacy and lie to their faces about what exactly they were signing up for. A weekend getaway that seemed too good to be true delivered prosperity and equality with just a little help from a memory spell. But it was for the greater good and besides, she only did it once to start with her prosperous nation. Of course, cutting all contact from the civilized world meant creating their own resources and traditions, never mind Celestia. With each year came about spring. And spring meant Kenomare's celebration. So, with dreary eyes, she creaked the old door of her room, and with a little extra shove it managed to open. The soft earth under her hooves was warm. Starlight trotting through the lush green of her town. Long ago it had been nothing but desert, cracked ground underneath them but since then the farmers had brought in grass and trees and now a forest was steadily growing around them to provide protection - leaving only an empty field in the vicinity, of which they built a town hall in. Which was where Starlight was heading to. It was a beautiful day, and the ponies of Kenomare had built the town hall with their beauty in mind. An entire wall was missing, and it looked more like a barn than a town hall - but it was functional enough to keep around. As she stepped in, two ponies ushered her into. She followed, soft willowy movements before sitting down at a mirror and table silently. The previous guides now brushed her mane - more thoroughly this time, braiding its ends in a ceremonial headdress. It twisted up against her head, and topped with a vibrantly hued flower crown. Many ponies around her sported the same look. Starlight stared at the mirror. It's been exactly a year since the last time she wore this attire. It was exclusively worn during the Spring celebration, and it always seemed to look a little odd on her. With a sigh, she stood onto her feet, watching the ponies around readying themselves and the workers in the distance setting up the ceremonial activities. She cleared her throat, and immediately all chatter ceased as the ponies looked directly towards her, interested. "Thank you." "As you know," Starlight started, all previous worries lost - "We must keep up to our best today. All work outside of the festivities is excused, I want you all to have fun! And as most of you have seen already…" she eyed a little filly looking frightened and hiding under a pony who wasn't her mother - avoiding eye contact, "little Sugar Lily here will be needing it." The filly covered her flank with her tail, embarrassed. Starlight snorted. "Back to your positions then." Leaving the building, Starlight stretched a hind leg until it popped, grunting aloud. This day had already proven itself a little...stressful. and without her magic, she couldn't exactly poof everything into place. It would be unfair to those without it. Magic was outlawed for a reason. Watching as the ponies set up tables and poles in the fields, she settled down with a cup of herbal tea one of her civilians had brought her, yelling out orders and suggestions to the ponies as they worked. She sipped, would fiddle with a clover at her hooves, flick her tail and check their set up again. It was dull every year - but a leader's work is never done. Glancing about for some sort of stimulation, Starlight caught sight of several distant blobs in the horizon. Unusual. Not many came here when nopony knew of its existence. Staggering to her hooves, she called for Double Diamond. "Yes, Starlight?" He panted, trotting up. Two picnic blankets lay on his back, weighing him down. "Go lock up the vault for me. I think we have newcomers." Starlight stared into the distance, far enough where the sandstone mountains stood tall. If she wasn't mistaken, those were ponies - and who knows what they could be here for? "Tell the town to put on a good face, as well. Specifically the fillies. And busy Sugar Lily for me." Double Diamond obliged, though a little confused. He did not show it. Starlight hadn't even cast him a glance as he walked away, too interested in the growing figures. She made her way towards them herself, braided tail swinging heavily behind her. Slowly, slowly...the figures became bigger. They were definitely ponies. Six of them, to be exact. All wildly different colors… Soon enough they were standing face to face, Starlight eyeing them with great interest. They were all much more...vibrant. Kenomare, with selective breeding, had dulled down their coats to blend in with nature. If anything, all that was left were soft pastels. Anything this bright was awe-inspiring. "...Welcome to the garden!" She breathed, baffled by what seemed to be an alicorn in the midst of them. They smiled back in greeting, and the alicorn stood forth. "Hello! We were called here by a map to help you!" She spoke, grinning with anticipation. She hardly seemed to be looking at Starlight, eyes fixated on the town behind her. Starlight blinked, heart beginning to race. "What map? We're not on any map, silly." She chuckled, trying not to sound nervous as she glanced back at the civilians, who seemed to be none the wiser to the foreigners. Twilight shrugged. "Magic, I suppose." She blinked, flicking her gaze to the odd lack of mark on Starlight's flank - yet she said nothing. It still uneased her, and her friends behind her took note of the oddity. "Well," Starlight turned, tilting her head towards Kenomare, "You're welcome in our town nonetheless. Come, come. We have festivities!" Twilight was silently puzzled at her eager nervousness, glancing towards Pinkie who squinted at the mare. Brushing the awkward encounter off, they followed the unicorn. Starlight made way into the large building in the centre of town, thr same building she'd been that morning - all the ponies still getting the fillies and colts ready staring at the newcomers in barely recognizable disgust. Fluttershy winced at the attention, Rainbow only puffing her chest pridefully, none of the six realizing that the object of interest was not them, but their cutie marks. Starlight stood on the podium and realized that there was no need to call any attention to herself - everypony was already greatly disturbed by the prospect of full grown mares still harbouring their cutie marks. They were like diseases. Pleased, she began. "Alright everypony! We have a very special group of mares here from the outside world! We will welcome them with open hooves until further notice." She shuffled her hooves, tilting her head towards the half unnerved, half excited group of ponies.They have noticed, Starlight thought distastefully, our flanks. She continued. "They will be included in our festivities today. Please, behave yourselves." Her optimistic tone gave way to a cheer. Starlight trusted that word of mares with cutie marks, especially an alicorn no less, would spread fast enough that she wouldn't have to make the announcement to them twice. The ponies huddled, most heading for Rarity and Fluttershy - most likely that they were most muted color-wise, leaving the rest of the bunch with only a few crowding them. Starlight assumed they would be dressing them appropriately. It was a tradition, afterall. And they would soon grow to know that traditions must be followed regardless of by whom. They wouldn't be able to leave, anyway. A considerable amount of time had passed by, the sun just about climbing up to its highest point, the lush greenery soaking up the light it offered, birds chirping under the shade of the sprouting oak trees. Starlight grinned genuinely - it'd been quite a while since that happened - pleased by the sight of the beautifully oriented bouquets and tables, a feast on the table wafting into the cool, light breeze. The nearby lake shimmered with crystal clarity, the reeds providing a soothing mist of lullabies. It was a perfect spring day. The six newcomers trotted up to her in awe, a crowd of the civilians following as they returned to their usual routine, sitting in the field in an odd formation around a single large cherry wood chest, the newcomers staring blankly. They were done up in the traditional fashion, mane braided and tied, flower crown resting on their heads. Applejack's hat was long gone, sadly replaced as it sat back in the town hall. Rarity seemed enthralled with the attire, especially the lacy white shawl on her back. Starlight eyed them interestedly. "You would make for very nice citizens here." "Oh, no," Twilight scoffed, chuckling awkwardly. "We wouldn't want to intrude!" "You wouldn't be," Starlight cocked a brow, smiling. "You'd fit right in. And I'd find you and your friends would like it here. Say…" Double Diamond passed by, giving Starlight her shawl of which she'd been avoiding most of the day to work without needing to readjust. "I haven't even introduced myself. Excuse the informalities, I've just been busy. I'm Starlight Glimmer, head of Kenomare - Village of the garden." Twilight tugged Rainbow down by her tail, who was flying and frankly quite bored with this calm hippie vibe. No one else was flying, and it made her stick out like a sore thumb. Twilight awkwardly grinned. "I'm Twilight Sparkle. This is Rainbow - Rarity, Fluttershy, Applejack, and--" "Pinkie." The mare finished for Twilight. She seemed awfully angry, though suppressed it. Her tone was bleak. Starlight chuckled nonetheless. "What an interesting bunch." She stretched a hoof out, gesturing towards the crowd sitting neatly, sensibly. "Why don't you sit over there? And oh," Starlight tucked Fluttershy's wings in, "I suggest you neither fly or use magic around here. It's forbidden." Twilight wanted to gasp, to ask why - but decided it was only their culture, and if they wanted to be respectful, they would listen. So they did. They sat in the same pattern as all the rest did, wings tucked and shawls neatly spread on their backs. Applejack lowered her head, casting Twilight a worried glance. The princess only offered a sympathetic glance in return. Starlight waited for all the ponies to settle, which happened rather quickly for an entire group of roughly a few hundred. She turned, making some sort of signal - a little filly catching sight of it and jumping out it her hiding spot, trotting up to Starlight, fear in her eyes. Sugar Lily. Starlight urged her on as they both made their way into the middle of the crowd, standing tall. "Great thanks to Mystic Haze above. She has offered a great escape and signs for us all." She gestured towards the cowering filly, still making a sad attempt in hiding her flank. On it, she brandished a light pink lily, which matched beautifully with her light cream coat and pale pink mane. Starlight continued. "Sugar Lily has shown her sign of maturity. She is now old enough to be provided a job, a husband, and training to become a mother. However...we must deal with the obvious first." Twilight seemed stunned, and all her friends as well. "A husband! A mother..?" Fluttershy repeated in a hushed whisper. "She's only a filly!" "We can't intrude on their traditions - we have no idea how long they've been doing this, and they all see okay with it...surely it isn't bad?" Twilight also seemed a tad uncomfortable with the topic, but really wished not to ruin their ideologies by forcing her customs onto them. Sugar Lily straightened up her back. "I pledge adherence to Kenomare and those who lead it…" she seemed a bit hesitant, but continued once Starlight nodded to her encouragingly. She cleared her throat. "And promise to uphold law." The crowd cheered happily, Sugar Lily's direct family waving out to her. Starlight purred. "Wonderful! Now, as a sign of your maturity...we must.." Starlight strained, heaving open the chest's top. The civilians watched intently, glaring directly at her horn. And as if it couldn't get any stranger, Starlight's horn lit up a soft turquoise blue, lifting a wooden staff. "Give thanks to Mystic Haze." She hummed, mostly directed towards the filly, but everypony seemed to begin prayer. It greatly unnerved the six as they watched, and before they knew it… Sugar Lily was held up by a glow, she shrieked and strained in pain as it slowly extracted her cutie mark, as though skinning her alive. It might as well have been, given the sheer screams she emitted. No one seemed bothered. They seemed excited, in fact. The filly sobbed, all her magic, strength, ponyhood taken away from her in one hard tug. And by the time Starlight was done...a loud cheer bursted out from the crowd, the filly lying unconscious on the ground. Maybe half-dead. The six were horrified. Scarred. They were celebrating her...her torture! That was all Twilight could think. This unicorn..one who has no training in magic no less, could do this to a filly and she didn't even seem phased by it. No one did. It was horrifying. Twilight only realized right then, that Starlight was looking right at her.