//------------------------------// // A Grey World // Story: Starlight Glimmer Regrets Her Mistakes // by MagicS //------------------------------// Things were quiet in Ponyville. Things were quiet in Equestria. Things were quiet in the entire world. After all, there was no longer any conflict. There was no longer any hate. There were no longer any differences. There was no longer any sorrow, no nightmares, no regret, no pain. There was no love. There was no happiness. There was no freedom. There was no choice or will or thought. There was no friendship. Because after all, what did friendship mean when everyone felt and thought the same? When every pony had the same relationship, the same feelings, the same lack of like or dislike to anyone and everything. Ponies walked with blank expressions on their faces as they went about their daily lives, living and working without feeling. There would never be another argument. There would never be a moment where a pony tried to bilk extra money out of a shy customer. There would never be a filly bullying others because they didn’t have their Cutie Marks yet. There were no longer any Cutie Marks. There would never be a smile. There would never be a sudden party thrown just for the fun of it. There would never be a magic show performed by some magician traveling through town. The School of Friendship was meaningless as every creature in the world would never have a disagreement or need to learn about friendship now. Nothing would ever change. And everyone was okay with that. After all, they didn’t feel one way or the other about anything. “Hello, Pinkie Pie. May I have a slice of bread?” Twilight Sparkle asked as she stood in front of the counter at Sugarcube Corner. Spike stood beside her, stoic, he was no longer her assistant as it would be unfair for anyone to have a personal assistant. “Of course Twilight Sparkle. Here is your bread,” Pinkie Pie mechanically replied. They were both gray. Their Cutie Marks had vanished entirely, not stolen or replaced, just gone as if they had melted off their bodies. Pinkie’s hair was as straight as her mouth. “This building is being changed is it not?” Twilight Sparkle asked. “Yes. It stands out too much. It will be torn down and rebuilt to match the new style of buildings that have been decided upon,” Pinkie Pie said. “Good. Everything would be better if it was the same. There’s no reason for differences,” Twilight Sparkle said. “The castle will be changed as well. Or at least vacated if it can not be torn down. Spike is currently helping with that—the statue of Discord is also being removed.” “Good,” Pinkie Pie replied with a nod. Actually, every building in Ponyville was planned for demolition. The town was going to be remade in a much more practical and space-efficient grid like manner. Everyone would have the same house and work in the same sort of building. No one would have more or less than anyone else. There was no room for argument. Rarity no longer made anything. If not everyone was going to wear something then no one should wear anything. Instead she was now part of a group working on a dye that would be distributed to everypony in Equestria that would make all their coats and manes identical. Plans were also in place for contact lenses and mane cuts. Fluttershy still took care of the animals. But she wasn’t any better at it than anyone else. Applejack still worked on the farm. But it was no longer her farm. The barnhouse was described as “too unique” as well and would have to be torn down. Because apple bucking no longer worked, many other helpers came to pick the apples from Sweet Apple Acres. The farm work that normally brought a smile to Applejack’s face elicited nothing in her. It was just her job after all. Rainbow Dash continued to manage the weather. But she never did any more or less than absolutely necessary. The Cutie Mark Crusaders were no longer the Cutie Mark Crusaders. They spent time at school with everyone else. They weren’t any closer friends with each other than any of the other kids. Starlight Glimmer did nothing. She had no place or role to play. She was no longer anymore or any less important than any other pony in the world. There was no point for the school and it was already going to be turned into something else. There was no point to being the student of the Element of Magic as there was no more magic and no need for it anymore. There would never be conflict again. There would never be a need to save the world again. There would never be a Friendship Problem to resolve again. Starlight Glimmer at the moment still had nothing to do, not having been designated anything, so she walked through Ponyville with her mind empty. She saw things. She heard things. But she didn’t truly register any of it. She didn’t feel anything. But that was okay. Living like this wasn’t bad. There was nothing to worry about, nothing to fret over, nothing foreboding on the horizon. She and every other pony never had to worry about their futures or deal with anything negative. They were just living life without any other meaning or purpose to it. A peaceful and quiet life, one that would be no better or worse than anyone elses. An equal life. The other Starlight Glimmer happily smiled as she traveled through Ponyville, seeing how well everything had turned out. No one would ever fail again. No one would ever be sad again. No one would ever regret again. No one would ever have to deal with or face any problem again. Because if you removed the opportunity to succeed or fail, to be happy or sad, to have choices, to have conflict. Then what you were left with was true happiness. True equality. Just like she had brought to this world. “I’ve really done it,” she said as she watched the ponies around her, wearing Grogar’s Bell around her neck. “This is perfect, it’s almost like a dream. I’ve really created a world where nothing bad will ever happen again. Soon, soon I know I’ll be able to spread this back home, and then to all worlds everywhere. True peace and equality everywhere.” She saw her other self walking by and smiled. “You probably don’t even know how happy you are,” she said. “I owe you for all of this, so enjoy the rest of your quiet and peaceful life.” There were no Princesses. There were no villains. There were no bad ponies. There were no good ponies. Everyone and everything was the same. Everyday would be the same. No hope or despair. No anything. A blank and grey world. Spike woke up.