“Good afternoon everypony!” Starlight Glimmer’s cheerful voice came booming over Ponyville. “Great news: the statue of your benevolent overseer has finished. We will need all the help we can get moving it into place. Won’t you lend a helping hoof? As a reminder to anypony who finds themselves thinking of their own ideas, please turn yourself in to your nearest Peace Force pony. They’ll handle it from there. Remember to keep those smiles wide! And let us continue to bathe in the harmony of sameness and equality.”
Twilight Sparkle, Pinkie Pie, Applejack, Rainbow Dash, and Rarity trotted into town with a spring in their step and a wide grin across their face. It was more overcast now than before they had entered the barn. Even without the sun, the town looked unordinary mute for a cloudy day.
The five of them trotted through crowds of shifting ponies, all of them exchanging smiles as they went. Some they crossed took notice of something different about them. They were unable to put their hoof on what it was. Pupils dilated from those who realized what was off. The sight of their equal sign cutie marks—with the addition of a curved line that made them look like a smiley face—caused their smiles to waver. Many began stepping further out of their way while others glanced elsewhere entirely.
“She knows we’re here,” Raindow Dash whispered through her teeth to Twilight. She gestured her head towards a group of purple-turquoise Starlips. Each one had their buds pointed at them as if slowly tracking their movements.
Twilight tried to ignore them. “This shouldn’t take long.”
They trotted towards town square. At its center, just inside town hall, they would find a path to where their imprisoned friends had been taken. In front of the structure stood a dim yellow pegasus and a dusky blue unicorn—they recognized them as Sunshower Raindrops and Noteworthy. Each of them had the purple vests and harnesses of Starlight's Peace Force guard ponies. They were beaming great smiles towards the square as they stood on either side of the doorway into town hall.
The five ponies walked up to meet them. The two guards didn’t seem aware of their presence as they stared like statues past them. Rainbow Dash flew up and waved a hoof in front of Raindrops. She didn’t blink. Rainbow raised an eyebrow towards her friends. “Way’s clear, I guess.” She placed a hoof on the door.
“Woah there, friend.” Raindrops came to life. “Access to town hall is strictly limited to Overseer Starlight and her chosen guard ponies.”
“We don’t mean to bother nopony,” Applejack said taking a step back. “We just have a few friends inside we’d like to chat with.”
Noteworthy shifted his eyes towards her. “Well I’m afraid rules are rules, and we follow them to the letter.” He pulled out a copy of Starlight’s Obedience, Equality, and You. “And there are a lot of letters in this book.”
“But how did our friend get inside if that’s against the rules, huh?” Rainbow stared at him, a displeased smile on her face.
Raindrops held up a hoof and closed her eyes as she recited from her memory. “Only guard ponies and those they escort my enter town hall. No visitors allowed at anytime ever. See page seventy-seven for more details.”
“Wait a minute. Look.” Noteworthy pointed towards Rarity’s hindquarters.
“I beg your pardon?” Rarity said. Her smile went skewed.
“Hey yeah,” Raindrops said. “She has a smiley face as a cutie mark.” She looked across the rest of them. “They all do.”
Noteworthy flipped open the book and stomped his hoof down. “Alternative cutie marks are strictly and mercilessly forbidden. It says so on page one.”
Raindrops rubbed her chin as she investigated them. “But are these alternative cutie marks?”
“Of course they are! Do you see that curved line on their flank?”
“But they still have an equal sign.”
“Additions to the image are not to be tolerated.” Noteworthy held up his head. His smile began falling towards a scowl.
“I don’t remember reading that,” Raindrops scratched her head. “Didn’t Starlight write on page twenty-three that the equal sign is the most prominent of symbols? That wherever it is placed, harmony will follow. What’s the big deal if there’s a line drawn beside it? It’s still an equal sign.”
“Aha.” Noteworthy turned towards her. “But you see, your point is mistaken. In context, that passage refers to philosophical insight, not factual law. The book clearly states that nothing is to tamper with the symbol of true harmony.”
“But doesn’t it also state that ponies must adhere to having an equal sign cutie mark measuring two-thirds Glimmers by one-third Glimmers? They have that.”
“But they have disgraced the sanctity of the image with that line?”
Raindrops waved her hoof. “So they got a smudge on their flanks. A little certified water and it’s gone.”
Noteworthy glared at her, his smile gone. “You know full well that Starlight outlawed water touching flanks on page three! I realize you’re new to the Peace Force, but even you should have this book memorized.”
Raindrops glared back. “Oh what, and four days makes you an expert?”
Noteworthy turned his back to her. “By my math, that’s three more days an expert than you.”
Raindrops raised an eyebrow. “Did you just do math? Didn’t Starlight outlaw any and all math she had not yet pre-established?”
Noteworthy turned his head skyward, refusing to look at her. “It was not math: it was fact. And what is also fact is that these ponies are blatantly disgracing Starlight’s sacred image.”
“And I’m saying that you’re making Glimmer hills out of half-Glimmer hills.” Raindrops gave him a sneering pout. “Why don’t you check the book if you’re so confident?”
“I don’t need to check when I know I’m right.”
“Well isn’t that convenient.” Raindrops threw her hooves in the air.
“Indeed it is.” Noteworthy gave a fierce nod of his head. “Starlight’s words clearly state that one’s cutie mark must be symmetrical in order to represent the equality in all things. Only by that condition can it be the universal symbol for all that is same. Do you see symmetry in their cutie marks?”
Raindrops thought a moment and shrugged. “Their cutie marks are symmetrical.”
“What? No they aren’t.”
“Of course they are. It all depends on where your cross section is.”
Noteworthy glared at her with suspicion.
“Okay, picture this with me. If you draw a horizontal line across their cutie mark and fold their cutie marks over that line, the image is the same on both top and bottom. Ergo, symmetrical.”
“You know what?” Noteworthy shook a hoof at her, his face glowing red with fury. He paused a moment. “You make a good point actually. That does make the top half equal to the bottom half.” He placed a hoof on the book in front of him. “Perhaps I overlooked something in my fiftieth read through.”
Raindrops entitled herself to a proud smile and turned towards the others. “You’ll have to excuse us, we’re...” She glanced to the left and then to the right. Nopony was there. She gazed out into the crowd but could not spot the five ponies anywhere in town square. “Where’d they go?”
“Huh?” Noteworthy looked up and noticed the missing ponies as well. He shugged. “Must have gone home, I guess.”
The two of them took a moment to reorient themselves at their post, returning to their smiling bliss beside the door as they did so. They gazed out into town square, their postures stiff. Raindrops glanced around her one more time. “You think we should peek inside town hall? Just in case.”
“We’re not supposed to think, remember?”
She nodded. “Fair point.”
“Well that’s out of the way,” Rainbow Dash said. The five of them stood in the center of the audience chamber of town hall. Not much had changed on the inside save for the posters of Starlight Glimmer that were hung around them. Each of them featured Starlight in a different pose. Some were majestic, others fierce, but they all showed her ruthless determination, that nothing would stop her from accomplishing what she had set out to do. One poster on the far wall in front of them stood out the most. It showed her colored with intense reds and whites with a streak of dark blue running through her mane. She was staring deeply into any spectator, imprinting the words written in a blue banner below her: EQUALITY.
“Inspired,” Rarity said. “Now where from here would they take everypony?”
Twilight gazed around the hall. “I don’t know. Let’s search the place for any clues that-”
“Like here?” Pinkie pointed towards the floor beneath them. A straight crack in the floor ran between them, leading outward and in a square around them.
Applejack tilted her head. “Wait, is that a-”
The floor split open. They plummeted into a tube that wound to and fro. Applejack, Rarity, Twilight, and Pinkie each screamed on their decent. They were cut short when they landed on a firm hay mattress below them.
“You ponies okay?” Rainbow’s voice echoed through the chute above them. She was hovering over the trapdoor.
“Could be better,” Rarity said in a daze.
Twilight shook her head straight. They were inside what looked like a rocky chamber that had been dug beneath town hall. Their cell was surrounded by three closely knit earthen walls—it was hardly ten Glimmers worth in length. Each wall reflected an ominous blue glow that came from torches mounted on the walls in the hallway outside. A calm dark purple glowed from the base of each torch with a flickering turquoise flame breaching out from it. There were more torches lined up further down the hallway, but she could not get a good view of them by the rocky bars that held them inside their cage. Other than themselves and the mattress they fell on, their chamber contained a feeding trough filled with brittle hay and a copy of Starlight’s book that Twilight refused to acknowledge. “You know, for a prison, this isn’t much different from my cottage.”
“I wouldn’t call this an upgrade, darling,” Rarity said.
“I guess.” Twilight flapped out her wings with a huff. Then something struck her. She blushed as she calmly collapsed her wings, promising herself that she would remember them next time.
Applejack groaned. “How the hay did we fall for that?”
“Isn’t this where we want to be?” Pinkie’s voice echoed throughout the rocky chamber. “Though it’s just a hunch, I’d say we’re closer to where everypony was taken.”
“Is that you, Pinkie Pie?” A soft voice spoke from outside and around their cell.
Twilight perked up. “Fluttershy? Fluttershy is that you?” The four of them raced towards the bars of their cell.
“Twilight, is that really you?” Fluttershy said in coy shock. She sounded as if she was in a cell to their left.
“Oh Fluttershy,” Twilight said, “it’s so great to hear your voice again.”
“I’m… so happy to hear your voice too, Twilight.” Fluttershy lowered her voice. “Did they take you away too?”
“Actually, we were on our way to break everypony out of here.”
“And don’t you fret, Fluttershy,” Applejack said. “We’ll get you and everypony else out of here lickety split, ya hear?”
There was a slight pause before Fluttershy spoke. “I wouldn’t doubt you for a second.”
“Did I hear you say Fluttershy was down there?” Rainbow Dash called from above.
“Indeed, Rainbow,” Rarity called up to her. “We found her. Come down here and-”
“What the-”
The ground began shaking. A loud rumbling bounded through the hallways. The floor beneath them recoiled and swayed. Each of them was pulled towards one side as the walls of their cell shifted over. The chute above them slipped over the top cracks of their cell leaving a bare rocky ceiling in its wake. The rumbling stopped.
“What was that?” Pinkie said on her back.
“I don’t know,” Applejack said.
“It must be whenever somepony gets thrown down here,” Twilight said. “The cells shift over to make room for the next victims to be tossed in.” They all raised an eyebrow towards her. “I saw the design in one of my books.” She blushed.
“Hmph,” Rarity pouted. “Figures Starlight would put the most effort into her prison system.”
They heard a tumble above them that ended with a splat. “Oof.” Rainbow Dash fell into the cell to their right. “Where did everypony go?”
“We’re over here, Rainbow,” Applejack spoke through the bars. She turned back to the others. “So how are we gettin’ out of this mess again?”
“Wait!” Pinkie began to hyperventilate. “How are we going to get out of here?”
Twilight lit her horn up and popped onto the other side of the bars. Her five friends looked at her dumbfounded. She popped each of them outside of their cells—Pinkie Pie, then Rarity, then Applejack, then Fluttershy, then Rainbow Dash—which left her friends sitting there in the hallway, bewildered by how simple that was. The feeling quickly subsided as they embraced Fluttershy, each saying how much they had missed her. She was chilly and stiff, but their hug filled her with life. The warm joy of being reunited lifted their spirits. They had not realized how devoid of hope they were before that moment. As they hugged, that hope began to flow within them once again. Tears slid down their cheeks as the held each other tight.
“I was so afraid in there,” Fluttershy said, tightening her grip.
“We were afraid for you too, darling.” Rarity said, caressing her mane.
Applejack gave Twilight a slight nudge. “I’m glad these cutie marks aren’t stoppin’ you from doing your magic.”
“I’m glad Starlight didn’t count on my magic working.” Twilight nodded.
They were distracted by many familiar faces trying to peak out of their own cells towards the noise. Each pony was silent, unsure of what to think. They all were desperate for a sign of hope.
Twilight lit up her horn once more. “Let’s free these ponies.” She reared and sprint down the hallway, popping ponies out of their cells as she went. Ten, fifty, hundreds of ponies rejoiced as they embraced each other on the other side with great joy and thankful tears. After teleporting so many ponies out of their cages, Twilight began slowing down to take a few deep breaths. She found Lyra downtrodden in a cell of her own. “Bon Bon’s been looking for you,” she said, a slight smirk on her face. Lyra slowly raised her head and gazed at Twilight with wide and hopeful eyes.
She popped Lyra out of her cell and was immediately hugged by her. “Oh thank you thank you thank you!” Lyra could not contain her gratitude. She then peered into Twilight’s eyes. “You have no idea how awful it’s been down here.”
“What’d they do to you?” Rainbow Dash said, following behind.
“It was terrible.” Lyra looked away. “They… they made us—” she gulped “—watch children’s programming.”
“The fiends,” Rainbow snapped.
“Though actually...” Lyra tapped her chin. “I kinda want to watch more of that show for some reason. What was it called again…”
“Mind getting us out of here?” In the cell over, Applebloom waved a hoof towards them. She was sitting patiently with Sweetie Belle and Scootaloo beside her. Their beating eyes made it clear they were anxious to get out. Twilight popped them out of their cell. Applejack, Rarity, and Rainbow Dash ran over and hugged them.
“Oh Applebloom,” Applejack said.
“It’s alright, AJ” Applebloom patted her sister’s back. “You don’t have to worry about us.”
Applejack chuckled. “You know that’s what us big sisters do.”
“Indeed, Sweetie Belle,” Rarity said. “Next time Ponyville is undergoing a hostile takeover, I’m keeping you by my side.”
“Thanks Rarity.” Sweetie Belle buried herself in her sister’s embrace.
“You ready to show Starlight what we’re made of, squirt?” Rainbow said.
Scootaloo fluttered her wings and nodded. “Oh yeah.”
“We’ll get our cutie marks back, right?” Applebloom stuck her tongue out at the equal sign on her flank.
“You bet your hindquarters we will.” Applejack adjusted her hat. “Come on. Let’s wrangle this crowd together and bring this stampede to Starlight.”
Pinkie Pie and Fluttershy were busy handing out containers of black grease to groups of ponies Twilight had freed. “Alright everypony, like mine.” Pinkie pointed at her equal sign cutie mark that had a curved line drawn beside it. “Draw those smiles nice and wide.” Someone interrupted her train of thought. “Maud!” Pinkie hugged her.
“I’m glad you’re well, Pinkie Pie,” Maud said bored. “I nearly lost hope in there.”
Pinkie tightened her embrace. “I’m so super glad you’re well too, Maud!”
Twilight wiped her brow. Jogging back and forth through the hallways, the only remaining cells she found were empty. “That should be everypony.” Hundreds of ponies filled the hallway around her; each communing and cheering with genuine delight. Energy flowed through the crowd as if they had just learned today was their birthday. Their commotion stopped when the sound of two chatting ponies echoed from further down the hall.
“A curved line could act like a symbol of separation, as if a border between ponies and Overseer Starlight’s harmony.”
“But both strokes of the equal sign are on the same side of the curved line. What would it be separating?”
“Well clearly—” the two guard ponies, Noteworthy and Raindrops, rounded the corner to discover hundreds of wide eyes staring back at them. They pondered as they stood in front of the crowd that had gathered in the hallway outside of their prison cells.
After some moments of silence, Raindrops shook her head. “Yeah, I’m done with this.”
“Me too.” Noteworthy agreed.
They undid their harnesses and joined the group.
Starlight Glimmer yawned as she lounged on Twilight Sparkle’s throne in the cutie map room of her castle. Inside of a wide glass bubble placed on top of the table in the center, she could see Twilight and her crowd of ponies celebrating in the underground. “Alright everypony,” Twilight’s voice called out. The crowd of ponies turned towards her. “Let's free our friends from Starlight's tyranny, and take back our town.” The crowd cheered.
“Pfft,” Starlight blew out her tongue, her arm hanging off the seat. “They’re quick to turn around.” She admired the crystalline sheen of Twilight’s castle. She hadn’t gotten around to redecorating the place yet; keeping everypony in check was busy work. Between monitoring the town for any wannabe rabble-rousers and ordering her guards to deal with the neighsayers, she only had time to paint equal signs over the cutie marks on top of the six main throne chairs. Though, maybe she wouldn’t have to redecorate. The castle had begun to grow on her. She always thought she deserved a throne of her own.
“Is everypony ready?” Twilight said from within her glass bubble. She lit her horn. “Three… two… one!” A purple pop and they had all disappeared.
Starlight lit her own horn and changed the image in the glass bubble to one on the surface where the plethora of ponies had appeared. Many of the townsfolk around them jumped back in shock. Gaping jaws replaced their smiles.
“Everypony listen to me,” Twilight’s voiced echoed throughout the town. “There’s no need to fear Starlight Glimmer. She may have taken our cutie marks away and she may threaten to take us away, but together there is nothing she can do to stop us. Together we can put an end to her tyranny. Together we will take back the town and our cutie marks.”
The town’s ponies began shifting with worry, uncertain of what to do. Many ponies began glancing over their shoulder towards the guard ponies intermingled among them. The guards too were baffled. They began to reconsider. For how blatant their presence was, nothing rose to defy them, nothing came to silence them, and nothing could come to stop them.
The townsfolk began stirring, growing excited by the opportunity to do something different; the chance to return to the town they once had and loved. Joyous commotion began to sing throughout the streets as they came together. A large thump hit the ground as a group of ponies carrying a statue of Starlight’s likeness decided they no longer had the needed to fulfill that demand. Even Starlight’s guard ponies, who could do little more than shrug, joined their friends in the assembly. Hope swelled throughout the town. For the first time in a week, their Ponyville felt alive once again.
“That’s enough,” Starlight said. The glass bubble went transparent. “I have everything I need. Big Mac, bring me my PA remote. These ponies need a public service announcement.”
Big Mac glowered at her from across the room. “Nnnope.”
Starlight gave him a tired glance. “Don’t tell me the princess is getting to you too?”
His expression remained stern.
She sighed. “And here I thought you’d make the perfect guard pony. You know, the ones that don’t talk much. But alas, I suppose I just have to go get it myself.” She stood herself up with a groan and began walking through the castle.
Starlight hit her forehead as she tried to wrack her memory. “Where did I put that remote?” She peered down the hallways, scanned the dining room, shifted furniture in the bedroom and guestrooms, opened all the cabinets in the kitchen, and peeked briefly in the library. It was nowhere to be found.
She returned to the throne room. There was her remote, lying sideways on the floor by Twilight’s throne. “Oh there it is.” She trotted over and picked it up. “Isn’t it always in the last place you look,” she said with playful glee that soon turned into tiresome frustration.
Starlight shook the smile back on her face and turned the device on. “Good afternoon once again my obedient and equivalent subjects. It has come to your benevolent overseer’s attention that-”
The doors at the entrance shot open. The thundering of hundreds of hooves raced through the entry way. Starlight peeked over her shoulder to find dozens upon dozens of ponies, each glaring back at her with upset frowns across their faces. Leading them was Twilight Sparkle and her five friends.
“The jig is up, Starlight.” Rainbow Dash pointed.
“We ain’t gonna let you control us no more.” Applejack stomped her hoof down.
“Yeah.” Fluttershy put on the most intense pouting face she could muster. “We’re not afraid of you.”
Starlight chuckled to herself. “I’ll admit, I thought my magical force field would have kept you out longer. I suppose you’ve got me now.” She met their confused glances with a petite grin.
Twilight stepped forward. “We’re done playing games, Starlight. Where are our cutie marks?”
“Oh Twilight,” Starlight said, waving her hoof in a playful manner, “I thought you all enjoyed my games.”
“Maybe if your games were any fun we would,” Pinkie Pie snarled.
“Hey,” Rarity said, tilting her head, “why do you still have your cutie mark? I realize it was a sham before, but could you not even bother to fake it this time?”
Starlight brushed the star and streams cutie mark on her flank. “I’m quite fond of my cutie mark.” She took a few paces around the map room. “Why should I go through that whole façade again? I already tried the whole banded in unity thing before. That turned out great. Plus it’d hardly fool you six. I figured a more… direct approach would be appropriate this time.” She noticed the cutie marks they wore now had a line drawn beside them that made their equal signs look like the eyes of smiley faces. She examined them with delight. “Neat touch on your cutie marks by the way.” Her voice became more intense as she waved her hoof through the air. “Really throws their whole symbolic nature out the window, don’t it?”
“Told you,” Noteworthy said to Raindrops beside him.
“Pah,” Rarity spouted, “as if we need to listen to some hypocrite-narcissist who does as she pleases while imposing her rules onto everypony.”
“Hey,” Starlight snapped, “I am not a narcissist.” She put a hoof on her chest. “I am a gracious and benevolent beacon of hope for all of Equestria. Soon my radiance will shower upon the ponies of this decadent land and true harmony will be founded in my stead.” She shooed her hoof towards the crowd. “Now would you mind taking two Glimmer-sized steps back? I’m not comfortable with you standing that close.”
Twilight brushed her hoof along the floor. “You’d better tell us where our cutie marks are right now.”
“Or what? You’ll blast me with your harmony beams?” Starlight waved her hooves jeeringly. “Haven’t you done enough of that already? Why don’t you just step aside, Twilight. I need to have a word with the ponies behind you.”
Twilight stood her ground. “You think I would just stand by while you terrorize my friends? No.” She burst out her wings. “I will stand against anything that puts my friends in danger.”
Starlight leaned her cheek against her hoof, admiring how precious the moment was. “Then one question, Twilight: why don’t you do that?”
“Huh?”
“Why don’t you stand up for your friends against what really threatens them?”
Twilight shifted her eyes along the floor a moment. “Isn’t that what I’m doing right now?”
Starlight’s smile grew wide on her face. “What have you been doing this past week, Twilight?”
Twilight was confused. What did that have to do with anything? She thought back and remembered only the monotony of smiling each day, chatting with ponies about nothing of interest, and feeling hallow inside after each empty interaction. “Isn’t it obvious?” A slight burning sensation began to kindle inside of her. “I’ve pretended to be happy with everypony under your twisted version of harmony. All any of us did was prance around with false smiles on our face day after day.”
“Really?” Starlight stoked her chin. “That’s not how I remember it.”
“Enough!” Twilight grew furious. “Where are our cutie marks?”
“Oh stop fretting.” Starlight began pacing away from her. “Your cutie marks were never taken away from you. They were merely covered up.”
“You mean, we’ve had our cutie marks this whole time.” Twilight glanced at the smiley face on her flank. “That would explain why our talents are still with us.”
Starlight flipped around. “But that doesn’t explain how those were put on you, does it, Twilight?” A smirk crossed her face.
Twilight raised an eyebrow towards her. “No. I suppose it doesn’t.”
“I’ll ask again,” Starlight addressed the crowd, “does anypony here remember what happened this past week?”
Twilight looked across the crowd of ponies. Each of their heads hung low as if some heavy weight was holding them down. None of them met her glance. “What’s wrong?” Twilight asked. “We were all held down—together—under Starlight’s iron hoof. But not any-”
“My iron hoof?” Starlight placed a hoof on her chest in innocent shock. “That’s quite the accusation, Twilight.”
“What’s going on, Starlight?” Twilight glanced from her downtrodden friends to Starlight’s expression of sadistic pity. “What did you do to my friends?”
“You’re asking the wrong pony, Twilight. Are you this quick to forget your failures?”
“What is there to remember?” Twilight stomped her hooves down, a maelstrom began raging within her. “Besides a bunch of empty smiles and joyless prancing, nothing has happened this past week except for your oppression invading our town.”
“Come now, princess of friendship, there’s no need to start a fuss. Lucky for you, it seems your little ponies didn’t forget.”
“Forget what!”
Applejack took a deep breath and stepped forward. “Twilight… do you remember a week ago when you were headin’ to Canterlot about some issue Princess Celestia wanted to discuss with you?”
It sounded familiar, but Twilight couldn’t recall the specifics. “I remember Princess Celestia mentioning that there was some strife happening in Canterlot that she wanted me to look into. But didn’t…” Twilight couldn’t remember anything past that point. What specifically she was summoned for or what became of Celestia's request remained blank to her.
“You came back on the train the next day,” Rarity continued. “You looked rather down when you departed the station.”
“Yeah.” Pinkie jumped in. “But when I asked you how it went, you pushed me away and never answered.”
Fluttershy looked away, clamping her mouth with a slight whimper.
Rainbow Dash put a hoof on her shoulder. “And when Fluttershy asked you if something was wrong, you yelled at her to go away and locked yourself in your castle.” Fluttershy shut her eyes and nodded.
Twilight took a step back. Her friends were sincere. “How could I have done that? I… I would never scold Fluttershy.”
“Let them finish, Twilight.” Starlight said, breathing in the moment.
Her friends hid their faces, downtrodden and sorry. Applejack met her gaze. “That was six days ago. Ever since then, you stopped actin’ like your usual self. You got persnickety and frustrated from little things that never bothered you before. Like whenever Pinkie told a joke and we’d laugh, you’d get upset by it. It seemed like you were angry at our… our…” Applejack winced, not wanting to admit what she couldn’t fight against any longer. “Angry at our friendship.”
Fear seeped into Twilight’s heart. She didn’t want to listen any longer. She wanted to deny it all. Scream that none of it was true. That it was all a lie. But she could not stop herself from heeding every word they said.
Applejacks eyes were locked on the floor. “It seemed like any moment we shared as friends, it made you upset and cynical-like.”
“Yeah,” Pinkie said making grandiose hoof motions as she spoke. “You started shouting how none of it really matters and that it was all a lie and stuff.” She tried to laugh as if it was a joke, but couldn’t follow through with it. “It was kinda scary.”
Twilight could hear her voice shouting it’s all a lie in the distance. She mimicked the words with her mouth, trembling at how familiar they felt.
Rainbow Dash grimaced. “You were furious the next day when you came out of your castle. We were worried something happened to you. But…” she hesitated. “But then you started blasting everypony in town with your magic, which gave us these.” Rainbow produced her flank with the equal sign on it. The smiley face stared cruelly into Twilight.
“That can’t be true,” Twilight said. “I would never do that to any of you. We’re friends, I could never…” Her words petered out as her gaze latched onto Starlight’s glass bubble. In it she saw herself raging through Ponyville. Terrified ponies were fleeing in any direction they could. Rays of purple were shot in all directions, flashing across her eyes, draining the spark from any pony they crossed. She stomped through the town, many ponies exhausted on the ground beneath her, their cutie marks replaced with grey equal signs.
Rarity continued. “Next thing I could remember, Starlight’s voice was welcoming us to a bright and sunny morning. We were so worried that Starlight might have done something to you. But… erm…”
Rainbow Dash picked it up from there. “The next day, we searched the town to find you, but you were not happy to see us. You started accusing us of disrupting the harmony that Starlight had blessed us with and crazy stuff like that. We tried to snap you out of it, but...” She hung her head. “That’s when you took Fluttershy away from us; as a warning.”
“We’d just about lost hope then.” Applejack shook her head. “We just started actin’ like everypony else in town: smiling and obeying. Anything to keep those guard ponies off our tails. Without you, without the Twilight we knew, none of us dared to speak out.”
Twilight’s was affixed on Starlight’s glass bubble. She saw herself marching through Ponyville, proud and satisfied. Terrified ponies greeted her with massive nervous smiles as she passed. Each widening their grins whenever she approached them. The glass bubble changed scenes to her taking a pleading Lyra into town hall, then to her approaching Octavia who was trembling in the corner between two cottages. Twilight could not bear to keep looking, but she could not stop herself. Inside she saw herself dragging a poor and confused Fluttershy away from the rest of her friends. Something lurched inside her. Following that, a smiling Applejack watched as she tore fearing Applebloom away from her grasp. Twilight's face fell towards the floor.
“You were my best guard pony,” Starlight said with pride. “So much so, I had everypony in the Peace Force wear purple vests to commemorate your service.”
“But how could I…” Twilight slumped down, her breathing jagged. The glass bubble showed her standing tall over the Ponyville. “How could I have done this?” Tears began filling her eyes. She felt a dark weight inside pulling her down. You caused this. You caused this to everypony you love. She wanted to scream. None of it’s true! None of it! It’s all a lie! But shame swelled up inside her holding her in place.
“You see, Twilight,” Starlight approached her. “We’re all equal here; except for you, and for me. Someday you and all the ponies here will appreciate that fact.” Starlight turned towards the crowd. “Cause I ask you, would you rather have Twilight take my place? Or will you accept that you need me to guide you towards true harmony?”
“Simmer down, Starlight,” Applejack said. “I ain’t finished talkin’.”
Starlight looked towards her displeased. She rolled her eyes and waved the back her hoof.
Applejack knelt down towards Twilight, a petite smile on her face. “Do you remember yesterday? When you came up to me? You were talking and acting like any of us were that day. You were acting like your usual self then—as far as anypony could act under Starlight’s hooves. You were cautious around the guard ponies and talkin’ gob through your smile. I told you about Fluttershy, and Mayor Mare and about the barn shining, remember? And then you wrote those notes to us all about meeting together at the farmhouse. We were nervous what you might be like when you showed up. But when you started talking of your plans to put an end to Starlight’s reign, well…” Applejack began to tear up. “It felt like we had our friend back again. We were worried you might never come back to us, Twilight.” Applejack removed her hat and placed it to her chest. “I… we didn’t know how to tell you what had been happening. We worried something took over our friend and… we were afraid to say so. I know it wasn't right for us to hide what you did from you, but I hope you can find it in your heart to forgive us. And I hope you know in your heart, that we forgive you, Twilight.”
“Charming,” Starlight said dully, “but she chose to take this path. It's a pity that you are all so unwilling to accept the joy Twilight bestowed upon you. But I assure you, if I didn’t rein her in, you’d be in a much worse place.”
“She didn’t do any of this on purpose.” Fluttershy stood tall on her hooves. “I know Twilight—we all know Twilight—and she would never mean to cause her friends harm.”
“You’re one to talk.” Starlight smirked. “But you’re welcome to keep thinking that way. After all, I did nothing that led Twilight to do this. I was merely invited in after the fact once her eyes fully opened to the truth.”
“What truth?” Rainbow Dash snarled. “That everypony should be miserable for your glory?”
“That this course is inevitable,” Starlight snapped. “If not today, then someday Twilight will demonstrate her power over you, over all of you. You saw how easily she freed you from the prison she built. Who’s to say she won’t use that talent to throw you in one someday? She’ll have all you bowing and kissing her hooves before you know it. And once she does, you’ll reminisce about how good you had it while I was in charge. You’ll all come begging back to me before you know it. And when that happens, I’ll consider your pleas. But until that time comes, I hope you enjoy measuring out Sparkles.”
“Ya’ll know what, Starlight. There’s something about all this you just don’t get.” Applejack stood herself up. “It ain’t gonna be like that. We know who our friend is.”
“Yeah.” Pinkie sprang up. “Twilight’s never wanted her friends to bow to her.”
“She’s never wanted to outshine anypony.” Rainbow Dash put a hoof on her chest. “I do enough of that for the two of us. But just because you want everypony bowing to you doesn’t mean she wants the same thing.”
Rarity walked up beside her friends. “And if you’re going to accuse our friend in this way—not to mention enslaving us all and asking us to be happy about it—then you are not welcome here in our town.”
“Here here,” Mayor Mare called from the audience.
Starlight glared at them. “Do I need to remind you that it was Twilight who put those cutie marks on you?”
Raindrops flew up from the crowd waving a copy of her book. “Do we need to remind you that these are your symbol?”
Starlight and the crowd began arguing back and forth, shouting over one another. Twilight still laid on the floor between them barely able to fathom herself. One thing didn’t make sense to her. Where did Starlight come into all of this?
“Go ahead and believe that.” Starlight shouted over the crowd. “And run me out of town while you’re at it. I got what I was looking for. Once you’ve all been indoctrinated into her harmony, you’ll come back to me begging Starlight, Starlight. Please take Twilight away from us. We were wrong.”
Applejack shook her head. “As I said, you just don’t get it.”
“What don’t I get?” Starlight hammered her hoof onto the floor. “That you’re giving Twilight a free pass for her actions because she’s your friend?”
“No.” Fluttershy stated. “We know full well what Twilight did. But we are always willing to forgive her for any wrongdoings she is sorry for.”
The answer struck Twilight. “Wait everypony.” She sprung up and held a hoof towards the restless crowd. They quieted down, but were still shifting with impatience. Twilight turned towards Starlight. “A week ago… we met in Canterlot, didn’t we.”
“Coming to your senses?” Starlight asked in a maliciously playful tone.
Twilight was struck with realization. After receiving a summons from Princess Celestia and on her way to meet her in Canterlot, she had noticed a crowd of ponies arguing with each other in one of the Canterlot’s grand gardens. She had gone over there to see what the commotion was about. Starlight Glimmer was there on a makeshift stage reciting some equality doctrine of hers towards any onlookers who passed by. That’s what was causing the strife Celestia had summoned her for. The specifics hadn’t come back to her yet, but somehow she managed to quell the crowd and... Twilight was struck once more and looked towards Starlight.
“I tried to befriend you.”
Everyone in the room was shocked. Even Twilight struggled to believe it herself.
“That’s right,” Twilight said. Her eyes grew wide as it all became clear. “I wanted to know what you were doing there, but you pushed me away. You told me how you had nothing now because of what I had done.” She recalled Starlight shouting her frustrations at her, ranting on and on about how everything was perfect until Twilight had dismantled her town.
Starlight’s face flushed.
“But I wanted to talk with you anyway. You agreed to lunch—albeit, begrudgingly.” Twilight could remember how awkward it was. Starlight would cause a racket whenever somepony else spoke to her. “I wanted to show you how happy everypony could be with their talents and how happy you could be sharing yourself with them.” Twilight nodded to herself, her spirit flowing through her once more. “I walked you around Canterlot, didn’t I? I showed you the sights, we did some pony-watching in the park. I remember when that filly asked you to toss her flying disc back. You tossed that away from her, but had it curve in such a way that it landed right back into her mouth. I couldn't figure out how you did that.”
Starlight looked away.
“Then I asked you if there was anything you wanted to do and you asked me if I could show you some of my magic, so…” Twilight paused and blushed. “Oh. That explains where you learned force fields.” She stuck her tongue out. “And was that my purple on the Starlips?”
Starlight raised an agitated eyebrow at her.
“I’ll admit, I should have waited before showing you those spells.”
“Woah woah,” Rainbow said, “Backup. You tried befriending Starlight? After what she nearly did?”
“Yes,” Twilight said. “I wanted to show her how happy everypony was with their talents. That harmony didn’t come from us being equal, but rather from us bonding in the joys of our differences.”
“But conflict and strife happens because of those differences,” Starlight said.
“Sometimes,” Twilight said, “but it’s worth working through. Our differences allow us to help each other with what we can’t do on our own. And just because we’re different doesn’t mean we’re not equally important.”
Starlight looked away, a scowl on her face.
“But what happened up there?” Applejack asked. “What led to all of this happening?”
Twilight’s excitement turned towards a frown, her glance slipping towards the floor. “Right. We butted heads a lot in Canterlot. I thought we were making progress, but we began growing furious with each other.” She remembered how every moment they seemed to get along, the next moment they would get mad and upset at the other. “I tried to do all I could think of, but you ran away before I could say anything more. I was so riled up that I was glad you ran away. I wouldn't have to deal with you anymore. I gave up on you." Twilight let out a heavy sigh. "Later, I… I felt terrible. I felt that I had failed in my duty as the princess of friendship.” She hung her head. “I felt like I had failed you, Starlight.”
“Even the princess of friendship must have to make an exception every now and then,” Rarity said.
“Please,” Starlight snorted. “You just wanted to turn me into one of your subservient friends.”
“I wanted to help you, Starlight.” Twilight let out a huff. “I was upset… with myself. I was angry and worried that I may have ruined the only chance I would have to show you the joy of friendship. I struggled to handle my failure, especially without my friends there with me.” Twilight lifted her gaze towards Starlight. “And you took advantage of my grief, didn't you.”
“Of course I did,” Starlight said. “What do you think I built my town from, friendship? I find those who are wrought with grief to be… quite susceptible to accepting the truth.” She lit her horn. “I know my own magic too you know.”
“You made me do this. You made me hurt my friends.”
“I didn’t create your emotions, Twilight. The hurt burned inside you as it did me. I just added a little touch of my influence to push you over edge. You did what you wanted to do, I just allowed you to express it. Amazing what some blind emotions can do once you give them a direction to go.”
“But why?” Twilight said. “Why make me do this?”
“Why?” Starlight stomped her hooves down. “Because your harmony, your talents, your friendship, it’s a lie. All of it! It’s all a lie!”
It’s all a lie screamed through Twilight’s head. “Is that what it feels like, Starlight? That it’s all a lie?”
“Of course that’s what it feels like. That’s what it is! I let you loose from my spell so you could see that yourself. It’s all a lie! And someday you’ll learn that what I offer is true. What I offer is pure! Someday you’ll all understand that your lives are better with me on top.”
Applejack sidled beside Twilight. “Remind me why you tried to befriend her again?”
Twilight turned towards her and the crowd. “For the same reason you’re allowing me to be your friend now.” She turned back towards Starlight. “I forgive you, Starlight. For what you’ve done to us, to me, in the past and now, I forgive you."
Starlight looked away from her. Her muscles grew tense, refusing to budge one bit as Twilight spoke.
Twilight continued. “I know we have had many disputes, but I am willing to put those aside so that we can begin anew. If you'll accept it, I offer you my forgiveness in the hopes that you too may experience the joy that friendship has brought into my life. It doesn't have to be this way Starlight, and if you'll give me another chance, I'd like to show you what friendship and harmony can be."
Starlight’s horn shined brilliantly sharp, a miserable scowl across her face. She let out a scream and charged the crowd. The herd split apart to avoid her rampage. She ran passed them and sprinted out of the castle, the door slamming shut behind her.
Rainbow Dash rolled her eyes. “Well there she goes again.”
Rarity shook her head. “It would appear Starlight the Gracious can’t even accept something graciously given to her.”
“I feel bad for her,” Fluttershy said. “She’s trapped in what she thinks is best for everypony, but she can’t see how much it hurts them and herself.”
“Still,” Twilight said,” it’s her choice to accept my forgiveness or not.”
“Our forgiveness,” Applejack said wrapping her arm around Twilight. “Though, I’d appreciate a few apologies from her first.” She winked. “Glad to have you back, Twilight.”
“I’m glad to have all of you back too. I’m sorry for-”
“Tut-tut-tut,” Rarity interrupted. “Now Twilight, we know you. And I hope you know that we are always willing to forgive you—even though Starlight seemed most at fault here.”
“But I let my emotions get the better of me. I wanted to lash out. For a moment there, I too believed friendship was all a lie. Starlight wouldn’t have been able to influence me if I could have moved past my failure.”
Pinkie Pie hopped up. “Well in that case, we forgive you, Twilight.” She wrapped her arms around her.
Twilight’s eyes began to water, an honest smile on her face. “Thank you. Thank you all.” The six friends hugged one another, holding each other tight as joy filled their hearts.
“Pardon me,” Applebloom said from inside the crowd. “I don’t mean to interrupt things, but how were we supposed to get our cutie marks back?” The group of ponies looked at the equal signs on their flanks. Suddenly the question they all had but none of them could put the hoof on was realized. They turned towards Twilight for an answer.
Twilight tapped her chin. “Well, if I was the one who put them on you, then surely…” she flew into the air and lit her horn creating a calming lavender glow over the crowd. One by one, each pony's equal sign flew off their flanks and vanished; their own unique cutie mark appearing in its place. The crowd ignited with energy and cheers. Some ponies hugged, others danced, and some were staving off thankful tears. Many had awkward faces, wanting to smile, but their cheeks were too sore to allow it. One thing was clear though: there was celebration in Twilight’s castle.
“I’m going to water my tulips!” Bon Bon shouted.
“I’m going to perform a ballad!” Octavia cried.
“I’m going to study philosophical debate!” Noteworthy yelled.
“I’m going to watch that show!” Lyra said with jubilation. Bon Bon stared at her.
“I’m not going to study philosophical debate!” Raindrops screamed.
“Eeyup.” Big Mac smiled.
“And I’m not going to build a house!” Sweetie Belle cheered.
“Woohoo!” Pinkie shouted as she did a jig. “Aww yeah-” she was interrupted as she looked at her cutie mark. The three balloons had a black curved line beside them. She giggled. “Oh yeah, gotta wash that off.” She turned her attention to the group of celebrating ponies. “Alright everypony. The town may be in need of a massive cleanup, but there’s one thing that we need to do first.” She reached into her tail and pulled out a decorated pink ball with a fuse coming out of it. “Let’s party!” She threw the party bomb into the air. Streamers, confetti, and kazoo noises burst out in spectacular fashion. The room filled with cakes and pastries, music began pumping through the hallways, and the remainder of the party bomb formed a disco ball that hung itself to the roots above them. Each pony began swaying and stretching in whichever way was best for them.
In the joy of the moment, Twilight wondered if Starlight might get to experience this someday. Each pony here, as themselves, laughing, dancing, celebrating. Maybe someday. She shook her head at the thought. Maybe someday.
But something still troubled her. It was a quiet but brooding fear that occupied her thoughts. Could Starlight be right? Would she become the tyrant Starlight claimed she would? Demanding the town, her friends, to bow to her and subject to her whim?”
No. That won’t happen. That can’t happen. Twilight looked at her friends dancing together, each wearing a genuine smile across their face. Because I have them: my friends.