Once the train departed Vanhoover, it didn’t take long for Twilight and her friends to have a passenger car all to themselves.
That could have been a coincidence. While the ride toward the city had carried plenty of passengers alongside them, only a few ponies had been intent on departing the city when they’d entered the outbound train a few hours ago. Since it was already late, it really was no surprise that the ones who’d been in the same car as them had gotten up and left after a short while. No doubt they were on their way to one of the sleeping cars, or perhaps the dining car for something to eat before turning in.
But as much as she tried to tell herself that everypony leaving had nothing to do with them, Twilight knew better. They were the ones driving everyone away. And not just the other passengers either; even the pony pushing the dessert cart – normally eager to peddle tasty treats that would tempt ponies into going to the dining car for a full meal – had rushed through the center aisle with his eyes down and a half-hearted mumble instead of the boisterous hawking of his wares that he should have issued.
It might have been because everypony knew about their misadventures in Vanhoover – rescuing Starlight Glimmer (whose reputation as a villain had already been cemented by the time they’d freed her) and challenging Lex (who somehow, despite his abrasive mannerisms and boundless ambition, had become a local hero) – and wanted nothing to do with them. Or maybe it was because of the gloomy atmosphere. While Pinkie had made a few attempts to lighten the mood, they’d been half-hearted at best, and had received only tepid responses as everypony struggled to cope with just how badly their trip had gone, leaving them all morose as they stared out the windows or at the floor.
Both were distinct possibilities. But if Twilight had to guess why everyone was avoiding them, it would be…
“WAAAAAAAAHAAAAHAAAAHAAAAAAAA! I’M A COMMONER NOW!”
…that.
Blueblood had, in the wake of the duel, proven to be completely inconsolable. Even after being healed of his injuries, he’d continued to sob and wail at the top of his lungs hysterically, putting on a display of heartbreak that was leagues beyond anything Rarity had ever managed. It had been so bad that Twilight had needed to use her telekinesis to carry him to the train platform, the ex-prince being too distraught to so much as walk. Even then, he’d carried on for nearly half-an-hour before finally passing out, his tantrum ironically exhausting him far more than his brief experience with fighting had.
Since then Blueblood’s disposition had improved. Marginally. While still prone to bursting into loud fits of tears, the ex-prince’s caterwauling would now die down after a few minutes, leaving him whimpering and hiccupping…until something came along that reminded him that he was no longer royalty, at which point he’d start over with a fresh round of bawling.
Of course, with how luxurious his life had been up until now, everything seemed to remind Blueblood of what he’d lost. From the dessert cart’s treats being wrapped in plastic rather than wax paper, to the seats being upholstered in wool rather than velvet, to the fact that he was taking a “mere locomotive” at all; all had driven the stallion to weep. As responsible as Twilight felt for what had happened to Blueblood, her patience was starting to wear-
“I can’t take it anymore!” snapped Starlight, teeth gritted as she rounded on the sniveling unicorn. “Will you please just shut up already?!”
To Twilight’s amazement – and that of everyone else, given how their eyes widened – Blueblood actually complied, staring at Starlight in shock. “Wh-, th-, y-you ill-mannered hussy! How dare you speak to me like that! I’m…I’m…” His lip quivered as he trailed off, once again realizing that he no longer had a basis for looking down on everypony else.
Nor did Starlight intend to let him forget it. “You’re what?” she growled. “Just like everypony else now? Yeah, you are! WHY IS THAT SUCH A BAD THING?!”
The yell that she unleashed at the end made everyone else wince. “Um, Starlight?” ventured Fluttershy. “Maybe we should give Blueblood a little more time to work through what happened before-”
“NO!” Although Fluttershy had been the one to rescue Starlight, that didn’t stop her from giving the pegasus an angry look now. “I’m done listening to this!”
She didn’t wait for an answer – not that Fluttershy seemed intent on giving her one, drawing back with a compliant squeak – before turning her attention back to Blueblood. “You should be happy that you’re not royalty anymore! What did that crown ever do except isolate you?! Everypony around you was either trying to suck up to you, afraid of offending you, or resentful that you had what they didn’t! Now that you’re the same as them, you can maybe make some real friendships! You’re free now! You should be celebrating!”
But Blueblood looked far from convinced, staring at Starlight as if she’d grown a second head. “You’re insane!” he sputtered at last. “Being a prince was wonderful! I may have had few peers, even among those who could claim to be my equal” – that last part came with a disapproving glance at Twilight – “but that was a price that I was more than happy to pay in service to Equestria!”
Starlight’s lip curled. “What service? It’s not like you ever moved the sun or saved a kingdom from disaster.”
Blueblood sneered right back at her. “I don’t expect your uncultured mind to understand. As the people’s prince, my role is to be a point of inspiration for them!”
“I think you mean ‘was,’” noted Rarity dryly.
Conveniently, Blueblood didn’t hear her, and kept going. “It’s just like my father always said. In seeing me, I remind everypony of what Equestria represented, letting them know that in their own small and insignificant way, they each play a part in the creation and maintenance of something truly grand! Something larger than themselves, which I have the privilege and the responsibility of maintaining and exalting, for their continued inspiration!”
“Then your father was an idiot!” spat Starlight, her voice dripping with venom. “Because every time I’ve had somepony turn out to be different from me, it’s ruined my life!”
Twilight winced at that, hearing the ragged edge in the mare’s voice. “Starlight…”
But just like Blueblood, Starlight was beyond listening. “My best friend, Sunburst, got his cutie mark before I did! We’d spent our entire lives together before then, but he changed and I didn’t, so his parents whisked him off to Canterlot while I stayed behind! Do you have any idea how much that hurt me?! And then again yesterday! All those ponies I helped give up their cutie marks turned on me when they found out I hadn’t given up mine! Even though I tried to tell them that I only kept it so I could remove cutie marks from other ponies who needed help! That I would have given it up and been like them otherwise! That everything I told them about being their friend was real! They still didn’t believe me! All because of my cutie mark! All because I was DIFFERENT!”
Although her expression was no less furious than before, there were tears running down Starlight’s face as she raised a hoof and jabbed Blueblood in the chest. “And now you finally get to stop being unlike everyone else, and all you can do is cry?! You don’t know how good you have it, you ungrateful” – another jab, stronger now – “self-centered” – this time her strike was more akin to a punch – “unappreciative” – now it was definitely a punch – “selfish-”
But before her hoof could lash out again, a pink aura caught it.
“Starlight, stop!” Wings fluttering as she flew over to interpose herself between the quarreling pair, Twilight gave Starlight a pleading look. “I know how you feel, but-”
“No you don’t!” Wrenching her hoof free from Twilight’s telekinesis, Starlight gave her a look of pure loathing. “You’re a princess and an alicorn AND you still have all your friends! You do NOT KNOW HOW I FEEL!”
With that, her horn lit up, and Twilight had just enough time to recognize a teleportation spell before Starlight suddenly lost control of the spell, a cry of pain escaping her lips as her damaged horn proved unable to properly shape the magic she was channeling. Fortunately, all that happened was a bright flash as the energy she’d gathered dissipated, but Starlight stumbled back all the same, nearly falling over as a groan escaped her lips.
Twilight was at her side in an instant. “Are you alri-”
“Leave me alone!” Shoving Twilight away, Starlight took off running, not looking back as she reached the back of the car and threw the door open, exiting in a rush.
For a moment, Twilight considered letting her go. But she just couldn’t. For all that she’d talked to Starlight over the last day, the unicorn mare had made only the barest mention of the friends who had abandoned her during her battle with Lex, refusing to say more than two words about what had actually driven them apart. For her to open up like that now…it had to be absolutely tearing her apart inside. As someone who had learned just how precious friendship was, it broke Twilight’s heart to hear how hurt and alone Starlight felt.
Especially since she was apparently reliving what had happened with her childhood friend.
“I’m going after-”
“Did you hear how she spoke to me?!” whined Blueblood, his eyes already filling up with tears again. “It’s already starting! Ponies are treating me like I’m…I’m…no one special!” The last syllable was already a whine, and it was clear that another round of bewailing was imminent.
“Lemme come help,” insisted Rainbow Dash, winging over and pushing Twilight toward the door that Starlight had just passed through. “I’ll provide, uh, moral support.”
“I’ll join you as well, darling,” added Rarity, following close behind. “I’m sure I can whip up a proper fainting couch if poor Starlight feels overwhelmed again.”
“Me too! Me too!” whooped Pinkie, hopping quickly after them. “If we stop by the dining car, I can get some ice cream and throw her a proper pity party!”
“I should go too,” murmured Fluttershy, falling in with others. “I’m the one who rescued Starlight in the first place. I can’t bear to not be there for her now.”
“Count me in as well,” announced Applejack, rushing to keep up. “Ain’t nothin’ worse than feelin’ like you got nopony in the world to care for you.” Without pausing, she glanced back at the final member of their group. “So Spike, you stay here and look after Blueblood!”
“What?” Aghast, Spike – who had already been making his way toward the door – stopped cold, glancing back at where Blueblood was already starting to sob uncontrollably. Again. “Why me?! I don’t know what to do!”
“You’re both fellas,” shrugged Applejack as she reached the door, the last one to depart. “Maybe invite him to one of your games of Ogres & Oubliettes? Big Mac sure seems to look forward to ‘em.”
Then she was gone, not bothering to glance back in time to see the mortified look on Spike’s face. “How do you know about that?!”
It didn’t take very long to find Starlight Glimmer.
Even with so few ponies onboard, a crying mare rushing through the middle of the cars was hard to miss, not to mention how limited her options were for where to go. As such, Twilight hadn’t been overly surprised to find Starlight at the very back of the train’s caboose, her forelegs perched on the railing at the final car's back entrance, staring forlornly back at the sunset and the gradually-receding sight of Vanhoover. At that moment she looked like the very picture of misery, far more so than Blueblood’s howling.
Waving at her friends to give them a little space, Twilight slowly walked toward the despondent-looking unicorn, stopping a few feet behind her. “Starlight? I know you said to leave you alone, but…is there anything I can do to help?”
Several seconds went by, with Starlight not so much as flicking an ear to indicate that she’d heard the question. Twilight was about to ask again when Starlight finally spoke up. “We really were friends, you know.”
“You mean the other ponies from your village?”
Starlight nodded, the gesture half-hearted. “I…I had to push some of them…a lot of them…to give up their cutie marks. But I really did want to show them that they could be happier that way, and they really did seem to be. Even if I wasn’t honest about everything, what we had wasn’t a lie.”
Hearing how quiet – how fragile – Starlight’s voice was, and knowing that the unicorn herself was most likely in the same state, Twilight took a breath before crossing the last few feet, standing next to Starlight at the very back of the train, taking in the view. “I believe you. Friendship is the strongest force there is, and that means that most of the time, a single fight isn’t enough to ruin it.”
“Then why did they leave me?” The grief in the other mare’s voice was raw and open. “Why did they care more about my cutie mark making me different from them than about our friendship?”
“I don’t think they did.” Turning away from the scenery, Twilight looked at Starlight directly, giving her a soft smile. “Starlight, the same way a fight can’t take your friends away, neither can a cutie mark. Ponies can be friends even if they’re different. Sometimes those differences can be the very things that make their friendships strong.”
She held out a wing then, pointing toward where her friends were watching them from a short distance away. Slowly, as though every motion were an enormous effort, Starlight turned to look at the five other ponies, all smiling at her. Twilight didn’t miss how the other mare hesitated then, looking each of them – and their cutie marks – over, before she slowly shook her head, her ears flattening and eyes looking down. “Being different pushes everypony away from me.”
“Only if you let it,” countered Twilight gently. For a moment she considered bringing up the childhood friend Starlight had mentioned, but decided against it. Better to stick to the topic Starlight felt more comfortable discussing. “You said that what you had with those other ponies was real. I bet that they feel that way too. If you’re willing to reach out to them, I'm sure they’ll still want to be your friends, even if you all have your cutie marks.”
Starlight gave a hollow laugh at that. “Reach out to them? After what I…after everything that’s happened?” The shrug she gave then radiated hopelessness, but for the first time since Twilight had followed her, Starlight looked her in the eyes. “I can’t. I wouldn’t even know where to start.”
But Twilight had been expecting her to say that, and she knew what answer to give. “Then let me teach you. Just like my teacher taught me.”
Then she held her hoof out and waited.
Starlight’s indecision was written all over her face, so powerful that Twilight could almost see the interplay of hope and fear, knowing that she desperately wanted to believe what she was being told but was scared, so scared, of being hurt again. And although she knew she couldn’t do anything but respect whatever decision Starlight made, Twilight nevertheless found herself wishing with all her heart for her to accept her offer. I wasn’t able to help Lex, she lamented silently, the caustic stallion having shut down every attempt she’d made to try and connect with him. So please, Starlight, let me help you!
Starlight raised her hoof, and Twilight’s heart leapt…straight into her throat as Starlight hesitated. “I…”
For just a moment she wavered.
And then, slowly…she reached her hoof forward and touched it to Twilight’s. “Okay.”
Twilight couldn’t help but let out a gasp of relief, belatedly realizing that she’d been holding her breath, and she saw Starlight give a shaky smile in reply…before her gaze turned into one of confusion, shifting downward. “What’s wrong with your cutie mark?”
“What do you-, huh?!” Glancing back to look at her flank, Twilight’s eyebrows shot upward as she saw that her cutie mark was glowing, copies of it appearing on her flank and moving toward the original before disappearing, the process repeating every second or so. It was a phenomenon that she’d never seen before…except she’d seen one like it recently, back in her castle with- “The map,” she breathed softly, dazedly looking over and seeing that the same thing was happening to the rest of her friends, causing them to yelp and cavort in surprise.
Starlight blinked, tilting her head. “Map?”
Twilight, however, couldn’t hear her, dazed as the meaning of what she was seeing crashed over her. She’d thought the mission that the map had given them was about Lex, that it wanted her and her friends to go there and teach him the magic of friendship, a task at which she’d failed miserably. But now… “It was you,” she murmured, looking between her cutie mark and Starlight with wide eyes.
“It was never about Lex at all. It was always you.”