//------------------------------// // The Breaking // Story: The Unequal // by Invinsible //------------------------------// Starlight Glimmer stared at her old friend in shock. From the beard, the glasses, and the cloak she could tell that he had changed quite a bit since they were kids. “Well, well, well!” the filly giggled as she strolled over to Sunburst. “This visit has just been chock full of twists and turns, hasn’t it?” She grinned and stuck her hoof out to Sunburst. “How ya doing there, Sunny?” Sunburst frowned. “What are you doing with her?” “I…” Starlight said with a raised hoof, trying to think of what to say. “I wasn’t talking to you.” He turned to the filly and asked, “Well?” The filly giggled and waved her hoof. “Oh, it’s just a project I’ve been working on. You understand what that’s like, don’t you? Actually, it’s quite fortunate that you two have this opportunity to catch up. But before we can get to what I’m sure will be a warm, tearful reunion, how’s about a proper hello?” She stuck her out towards him. “So I ask again: how ya doing there, Sunny?” Sunburst sighed. “I’ve been better.” Starlight’s jaw dropped as she saw her oldest friend shake hooves with the creature that was determined to become her worst nightmare. “Hi there! Nice to meet you!” Pinkie said as she bounced over to them. “I’m Pinkie Pie! These are-” “No need for that Miss Pie, I’ve already spoken to Sunny here about you guys,” the filly said with a wink. Seeing that the crystal ponies had already left, she turned to address the former Elements and Cutie Mark Crusaders. “Everyone, this here is Sunburst. He was a student at Celestia’s old school. If you’re wondering about how we met, well I bumped into him whilst I was doing some…let’s call it research.” The filly looked up at him with a smile. “So, I take it that your vision hasn’t exactly become ‘equal’ if you know what I mean. And you still got that beard thing going…any chance you might consider getting it cut?” Sunburst pushed his glasses up. “Well, um…” “I mean, if you want to keep it, go ahead. Personally, I’m not a fan of beards. Far too scratchy. But hey, it’s your hair, you should do what you want with it,” the filly said with a shrug. “Listen um…can this wait? I have a few things I need to say to her.” Sunburst pointed at Starlight, his gaze turning cold again. The filly grinned. “Oh by all means, go ahead. Pretend we’re not even here.” The filly quickly bounced over to Pinkie Pie, dug around in her mane, and pulled out a bowl of popcorn. “Oh ho, this is gonna be good!” she giggled. Starlight glanced back hatefully at the filly, before she turned back to Sunburst. “So Sunburst…it’s uh, good to see you again.” “I don’t remember it being that great the last we saw each other,” Sunburst said coldly. “Starlight, how could you do this to us all?” Starlight glared at him. “How could I do what exactly?” “You know what.” “Actually, I don’t! What are you mad at me for?! You’re the one who abandoned me!” “Abandon you? What are you talking about?” Sunburst asked, a little confusion mixing in with his cold glare. “After you got your stupid cutie mark,” she hissed. “You just left me! You just ran off to Celestia’s school to become some big, powerful, important wizard and you never even stopped to think about me!” Fluttershy whispered to the filly “Um, should we…?” The filly giggled and whispered back to her. “Hush now. We’re getting to the good part.” “Starlight, what are you talking about?” Sunburst asked. Starlight’s face twisted with rage. “You don’t even remember what happened?! FINE! I’ll show you! I’ll show the whole world what you did to me!” She levitated the staff of sameness to her side and created a screen of magic, showing her childhood memories. “Ooh! Flashbacks!” the filly cheered. “Shut up!” Starlight snapped at her. Using the screen, she showed them all the day when Sunburst gained his cutie mark. She tried to hold her tears back as she watched the colt run past her to go celebrate his new mark with the rest of their village. “And just like that my friend was gone.” Scootaloo’s eyes narrowed. “What do you mean gone? He’s standing right over there.” The screen vanished and Sunburst raised an eyebrow. “How did you do that? I thought that every unicorn’s magic was weakened because of these equal signs.” “The staff has all the magic I need,” Starlight lied. “But that’s not the point!” She glared back at him. “How could you just leave me?! I thought you were my friend!” The flabbergasted Sunburst stared at her. “What are you talking about? I didn’t leave you. I invited you to my cutie mark party, didn’t I?” “So is it only the fillies who call it a cute-ceañera?” the filly muttered to herself. “No! You never invited me! Why would I even want to celebrate that horrible day?” Starlight cried. “You got your mark and I didn’t! You moved on and I didn’t! I got left behind and never made another friend because I was afraid another cutie mark would steal them from me too!” The filly leaned over and gently nudged Applejack. Applejack raised an eyebrow at her and the filly made a ‘go ahead’ gesture. Applejack looked back at Starlight, before her eyes narrowed. “Hold on, why are you riled up about that Starlight? You said cutie marks only lead to trouble. Why would you be mad at him for getting his before you?” A smile stretched across Starlight’s face. “Yes! Yes, that’s it exactly. Thank you so much for pointing that out, Applejack!” she giggled. “Um, you okay there Starlight?” Rainbow Dash asked with a raised eyebrow. Starlight failed to notice that her own smile had gotten a little twitchy. “Never better! Sunburst, I’ve figured out how we can fix things!” She pointed the staff of sameness at him and grinned. “With cutie marks, friends can argue and become jealous or angry because of each other. But without cutie marks, we can’t have those problems anymore! Everypony is equal and no one has a reason to fight or to be jealous.” Her face twisted into an evil grin as the staff glowed. “I just have to take your cutie mark away and we can finally fix our broken friendship! He, he, he! We’ll be friends, forever and ever!” she giggled. The filly grinned. “And the egg starts to crack,” she whispered to herself so nobody could hear her. Sunburst glared at Starlight. “That’s not going to work Starlight.” “Oh what? Don’t tell me that the Great and Powerful Sunburst has found a way to shield himself from the staff’s magic!” Starlight sneered. “Nopony can resist the power of the staff of sameness!” “Spaghetti!” the filly randomly cheered. “You don’t count!” Starlight growled at her. “Starlight, it’s not going to work on me because you already took my cutie mark,” Sunburst said. “What? Don’t lie to me! I never took your…” She trailed off as Sunburst pulled his blue robe back a bit to show her the equal sign on his flank. “…cutie mark.” “That’s why I’m mad at you Starlight. Those things you said about ‘equality’ fixing friendships? It’s not working the way you think it is,” Sunburst said as he pushed his robe back to cover the equal sign. The stunned Starlight dropped her staff. “How…how…” “Perhaps someone needs to shed some light on the subject,” the filly suggested with a smirk. “Starlight, how do you normally capture cutie marks? One at a time? Or in one big group? “I…I…” Starlight stammered. How could this happen, she thought. How could she not remember taking Sunburst’s cutie mark? “As I suspected. Sunburst, what exactly happened the day you lost your mark?” the filly asked. “A while ago, a group of ponies who kept prattling on about the ‘dangers of cutie marks’ came to the Crystal Empire. I didn’t see much of them because I was busy with my studies. On the fourth day they were here, a large group of guards escorted me and thirty other ponies towards the castle. I was somewhere in the back of the crowd,” Sunburst said. “We were lead to this room and I saw this unicorn mare who was lecturing everyone on the joys of ‘equality’. I didn’t recognize her at first, but she introduced herself as Starlight Glimmer, and some of my memories came back to me. I tried to reach out to her, but she couldn’t hear me. She fired off this beam of magic from what she called the staff of sameness. She said it was one of Mage Meadowbrook’s nine magical artifacts.” His eyes narrowed. “But I knew she was lying. Mage Meadowbrook only made eight magical items. Before I could call her out on her lie, she fired this beam of magic from the staff and then there was this burning pain. Like a piece of myself was being ripped off. Next thing I knew, I had that ugly equal sign on my flank and most of my magical knowledge just…wasn’t there.” Starlight gulped. She took Sunburst’s cutie mark away? And because she removed those marks in groups, she didn’t even remember it? Starlight placed a hoof over her stomach, feeling a little queasy for some reason. “Is that so?” the filly chuckled. “From your tone of voice, I take it that you’re not finding Starlight’s philosophy to be very agreeable. Tell me, how has her ‘equality’ changed your life?” “It’s horrible,” Sunburst said with a grimace at Starlight. “You think that everypony is happy about this but you’re wrong Starlight. They’re only smiling like that because you want them to.” “It’s true,” the filly said as she nodded at Pinkie Pie. “Two out of two smile experts agree.” “Starlight, please! Can’t you see how much you’re hurting everyone?” Sunburst cried. “Well….well…” Starlight stammered before her face twisted into a frown. “Can’t you see how arrogant you’re acting?! All that time spent as some big, important, wizard has turned you into a…a…a big jerk!” “Oh honey,” the filly shook her head and chuckled. “Important wizard? Starlight, what are you talking about? My magic is average! It always has been,” Sunburst said sternly. “…What?” Starlight asked, doubt creeping back into her voice. “My magic wasn’t any better than anypony else’s even before I got stuck with this thing! I’ve studied these equal signs of yours! If a pony’s special talent is in magic, then they can barely use any magic. But for any unicorn who has a different talent, their magic is only slightly weakened. If my special talent was in magic, how come I can still do this?” Sunburst reached out with his magic and grabbed several pieces of litter and spun them around in the air. One of the most impressive displays of magic she had seen from an equalized pony. Starlight’s jaw dropped. “But…but your cutie mark was in magic…” “Magical knowledge,” Sunburst stressed. “I could only levitate those books because I knew the right spell. Of course I didn’t figure it out until I got to Celestia’s school. Do you have any idea how hard it is to know so much and not be able to do any of it? Of course now I don’t even have that! I can still read basic things like ingredients and street signs, but if I try to read anything with even the slightest mention of magic, I’m practically illiterate!” “What?!” a heartbroken Twilight cried. “That’s horrible!” The queasiness in Starlight’s stomach was becoming hard to ignore, but she kept searching for a way out of her predicament. “But…but…what about your new friends? W-without special talents, you must have more in common with ponies. Surely you’ve made new friends? Y-you don’t need magical knowledge when friendship is the greatest magic of all.” “The only thing I have common with these ponies is that we’re all miserable, Starlight. I haven’t made any new friends. Before or after you took my cutie mark.” “Wow.” The filly turned to Starlight with a huge smirk. “You took your best friend’s special talent away and you didn’t even notice it. You were hoping to have more things in common with ponies, and there you go! The details might have been different, but in the end you BOTH got distracted by cutie marks. Sunburst ran outside to go celebrate his destiny, not even noticing that your feelings got hurt. Meanwhile, YOU marched through Equestria to celebrate your equality, and you didn’t even notice the pain you put him through! No talent, no fame, and no friends!” The filly laughed. “Ha, ha, ha! Boy, Starlight, I’d hate to be you right now. You must be freaking out!” And that’s exactly what Starlight was doing. Her face twisted into a terrified expression accompanied by several twitches. On the inside, her mind was reeling. She destroyed her friendship with Sunburst, just like he had done. And she didn’t even realize it, just like he had done. She took away his special talent, and he didn’t even have any new friends to make up for it. Her oldest friend, the reason why she established her plan for equality in the first place, was furious at her. He was treating her like she was evil. She barely survived when the Crystal Empire and sanity itself turned against her, but this… “Hey Rarity, do you have your couch with you?” she heard the filly say. She sounded far away. “No darling, I’m…Starlight? Are you…” The filly’s smiling face filled her fading vision. “Poor dear has been through a lot…mind can only take so much…ease her pain…” Starlight collapsed onto the ground, struggling to maintain her consciousness. It wasn’t long before she fainted, her thoughts spiraling into despair. Starlight’s mind swirled in darkness, voices faded in and out at the edge of her hearing as she struggled to overcome an intense feeling of helplessness. She felt a repetitive shaking and could hear the click-clack sound of a train going over train tracks. She slowly regained consciousness and woke up to find herself on a bed on Friendship Express. Princess Twilight, Double Diamond, and Sugar Belle were in the train car with her. “Good morning Starlight! How do you feel?” Double asked gently. “What…happened?” she groaned. “Try not to be too upset, but you kinda fainted after your talk with Sunburst. N-not that there’s anything wrong with that, Rarity and Fluttershy faint all the time,” Twilight said with a small chuckle. She meant it to sound friendly, but to Starlight’s ears it sounded more like mocking. “Sunburst?” she groaned. “Well, after his anti-equality outburst, several guards tried to arrest him and bring him to the Crystal Empire’s equalization house. We still don’t know how, but he escaped. Don’t worry, we have more guards on the lookout for him. He can’t have gotten far,” Double said. “No…order them to leave him alone,” Starlight sighed. Double blinked in surprise. “But Starlight, he publicly insulted our way of life! Why do you want to-?” “Because I said so!” Starlight growled as she stood up from her bed, pausing to rub her head when her blood rushed right to it. “Ugh…” “Careful Starlight. You’re still very dizzy,” Sugar said. “I’m fine,” Starlight grumbled as she swatted Sugar’s hoof away. “Why are we on a train?” “We’re returning to Ponyville, Starlight. The filly said that you had concluded your business in the Crystal Empire,” Double said. Starlight glared at him. “Oh the filly said that, did she? And since when do you take orders from her?” “What? I never said that,” Double said, taking a cautious step back. “Like you always say, Starlight, we’re all equal here. We don’t need a leader. We all do what needs to be done to ensure our community prospers and-” “Save it!” Starlight snapped. “I know what my own speeches sound like, but it appears that I’m the only one who’s truly listening to them anymore! And you’re wrong, Double Diamond. You all take orders from me!” Twilight’s eyes widened at her hostility. “Whoa! Starlight, you don’t need to-.” “QUIET!” Starlight snarled. “Since none of you can even grasp the gravity of this crisis, I’m taking charge! Where are the others?” She pushed herself out of bed and made her way towards the door. “Wait, Starlight!” Twilight cried. “You’re not thinking clearly. You need to rest.” “I’ll rest when the problem is dealt with! Move!” Starlight growled as she shoved her way past. She entered the next part of the train to see the rest of the former Element bearers. “Where’s the filly?!” Fluttershy flinched at Starlight’s harsh tone. “Um, which filly do you mean?” “Which filly?! You KNOW which one! That pink and white monster!” Starlight growled. Rarity raised her hooves placatingly. “Now Starlight, I’m sure whatever Sweetie Belle did, she’s very sorry about-” “NO! I’m talking about that unnamed, unequal, freak! I’m talking about the monster that brainwashed the entire Empire and you can’t even remember it!” Starlight screamed. “Whoa, Starlight, calm down!” Rainbow raised her hooves in defense, while the other ponies backed away cautiously. “Do you even know how crazy you sound right now?” “I’m not crazy! You’re all crazy for trusting that filly! Especially the filly! Why am I the only one who can see that?!” Starlight roared. “Simmer down now,” Applejack said gently. “Just explain from the beginning what you think we missed. Okay?” Starlight reeled in her temper, seeing that her anger wasn’t getting her anywhere. “You want to start from the beginning? Fine. How about the fact that the staff of sameness doesn’t work on that filly when it’s worked on every other pony. That proves she’s a monster!” “Starlight, while that’s a little unusual, it’s no reason to think that she’s not a pony,” Twilight said. “I’m sure there’s another explanation for-” “What about the dead rat? Remember that? You can argue that a timberwolf killed it but who else would nail a dead rat to a door and pin its mouth open into a forced smile?!” “Well, I haven’t the faintest idea who could be so cruel. But I highly doubt that a little filly could do something so awful,” Rarity argued. “What about the way she treated Diamond Tiara?” “From what Apple Bloom told me, Diamond Tiara was picking on her the same way she used to pick on my sister and her friends. The filly said a few things to spook her off, and I don’t rightly think they were true,” Applejack said. “I don’t really like it when ponies lie, but she was just making up tall tales about herself. There’s no way she could be in constant pain with the only cure being laughter.” “What about Spoiled Rich? She was attacked in her home, tied to her bed, and her mane and coat were completely shaved off!” “Why are you blaming the filly for that? When Mr. Rich and Diamond Tiara mentioned a black blur and green smoke, the first thing I thought about was changelings,” Rainbow said. Starlight’s eyes widened. “Maybe that’s it. Maybe the filly is a changeling. It could explain the crazy stuff she does if she could use magic. And a changeling can take any form they want!” Twilight shook her head. “We already gave her a changeling test.” Starlight blinked in confusion. “What? When did this happen?” “While she was still in the equalization house. During the first week the filly entered our lives, we gave her a changeling test. I mean, an unnamed filly with no known family or history? It seemed really suspicious. But the thing about changelings is that their disguises are very weak,” Twilight said. “Any changeling disguise can be dispelled by a strong enough hit. We didn’t want to attack her, but she gave us her permission. We all pushed her as hard as we could and nothing happened. She’s not a changeling.” “Well maybe you didn’t hit her hard enough!” Starlight growled. “Why wasn’t I informed about this?” “We didn’t think we needed your permission,” Pinkie said with a shrug. “I mean, either she’s a changeling or she’s not. You’d really only need to know about it if she was. And it’s not nice to hit ponies, Starlight,” she added with a frown. “Besides, we already got something for stronger changelings. Zecora cooked up something for that ages ago,” Applejack said. “She figured that not every pony was super strong or great at spell casting. It could be that the changelings went after weaker ponies who couldn’t defend themselves. So she gave us this magic potion-” “It was a magical salve,” Twilight corrected. Rainbow rolled her eyes. “Whatever. Point is, she made this green magical goop that can tell if a pony is a changeling or not. The filly rolled around in it for us, and it didn’t do anything.” Starlight frowned. “Well…maybe she found a way to resist it?” “Starlight, what would a changeling even have to gain from turning into a filly?” Fluttershy asked. “To mess with me!” Starlight growled. “What about those nightmares I’ve been having? How do you explain those?!” “How did you jump to that conclusion? Darling, changelings don’t have any power over dreams,” Rarity said. “Maybe it’s Nightmare Moon!” Starlight argued. Rarity raised a hoof and Starlight rolled her eyes. “Yes, I know about Princess Luna’s condition. Well, fine! Even if it’s not Nightmare Moon it could still be some other kind of Nightmare creature!” “You’re grasping at straws, sugar cube,” Applejack sighed. “Well what about that mare? Prismatic Sunshine? She was terrified of the filly!” Fluttershy frowned. “Because the filly helped the guards arrest her. That mare was abusing her kids. She was punished for her crimes and I’m sure that she doesn’t want to get in anymore trouble. She’s scared because the filly sent her to prison once and she could probably do it again. Not because the filly is some kind of monster.” “How can you still think she’s a normal filly?!” Starlight screamed. “She said she would vomit blood all over my face, just because I wanted to hold Cadance’s baby! Who says that?!” Pinkie frowned in confusion. “Huh? She never said that.” “Of course she did! You were all there!” “I don’t remember her ever saying anything like that,” Rainbow said. A mad grin stretched across Starlight’s face. “Aha! You can’t remember! Yes, let’s focus on what happened yesterday! The final clues that made me see that creature for the monster she is! First of all, Twilight and I tried to use Sombra’s door on the filly to see what she was afraid of and it didn’t work!” Rarity frowned. “Well that says more about you than it does her. How could you even think about forcing that on a little filly?” “I tried to tell her it was a bad idea, but she didn’t listen,” Twilight sighed. “I had my reasons! Don’t try to take what I do out of context, it was for her own good! The point is, the door didn’t work, just like the staff!” “I thought it did work. A little bit, I mean. I guess she just doesn’t scare her easily,” Twilight said. “How could she not be afraid of her own worst fear?! You saw her! She was just zoning off, acting like she was in front of a mirror instead of a door filled with dark magic!” Pinkie shrugged. “Maybe she really did see a mirror. Maybe she’s scared of herself.” “It would explain her smashing my mirror…” Rarity mumbled. “But that can’t be right. Why would she be afraid of herself?” “Exactly! Why would anypony be afraid of themselves? It makes no sense!” Starlight argued. “It’s makes more sense than you’d think,” Fluttershy whispered, remembering what happened after she first met Iron Will. “I don’t know Starlight. The only pony who knows what’s going on inside the filly’s head is the filly.” “We’re getting off topic,” Starlight growled. “Even if you can ignore the door not working on her, how do you explain her violent behaviour?” “What violent behaviour?” Fluttershy asked. “When I was attempting to use the staff of sameness on Cadance’s baby, she burst out of nowhere and kicked my flank!” Starlight cried. Rainbow snorted, suppressing a chuckle. “Really? You got beat up by a little kid? When did that happen?” “You were right there! Don’t you remember…but that’s just it! You don’t remember! Well, after I tried to welcome Cadance’s baby into our community of friendship and equality, the filly did something to the Crystal Heart! You all went crazy and tried to attack me! And you don’t remember that happening because she brainwashed you!” Rainbow rubbed her head. “I…I dunno...” The rest of her friends rubbed their heads too. “There…is a significant hole in my memory. Did…did that really happen?” Twilight asked. “Yes! Yes, it did! Don’t you see?” Starlight cried. “That filly is a crazed monster! She’s a dangerous, insane, lunatic who wants to take over Equestria!” “Well, why hasn’t she?” Pinkie asked. The other ponies turned to stare at her. “Huh?” Rainbow asked. “You said she brainwashed us and made us crazy but…we’re not crazy right now. Right?” “R…right,” Starlight hesitantly answered. “If she really was evil and she really did brainwash us, why aren’t we still crazy?” Pinkie asked. “I mean, if she wanted to take over Equestria, she would have kept us under her control. But we’re not.” “That’s…that’s just part of her plan! She’s trying to confuse us!” “If she wanted to confuse us, I think she’d keep us as mind-controlled zombies,” Pinkie cheerfully argued. “I mean, then she could make us think whatever she wants. Like if chocolate cake was made with cardboard and ice cream!” “Yeah, Pinkie’s right. If she really wanted to take over the world, why hasn’t she?” Rainbow argued. “So…can you tell us the real reason why you’re acting crazy now?” “I’ve already told you!” Starlight shouted. “She’s a crazy, insane monster! There’s something seriously wrong with that filly! Why can’t you see that?!” “Starlight, I think we all know that the filly, to put it delicately, has a mental health problem,” Twilight said. At Starlight’s dumbfounded expression, she continued explaining. “We know that the things she says and does aren’t normal, but they make her who she is.” “It’s that kind of abnormality and individuality that makes her dangerous!” Starlight argued. “Starlight, you’re not being fair to her. She’s not dangerous. In fact, studies show that ponies like her are more likely to be attacked, instead of being the attacker.” “She’s right,” Fluttershy said as she glared at Starlight. “You’ve been treating that poor little girl like a menace just because she’s different. I know that you don’t like her but at least she tries to be nice to you. I’ve talked with her plenty of times; I know how much she’s struggling to fit it.” “Don’t you understand? That’s what she does! Every word that she speaks is a weapon she wields! She’s manipulating you!” Starlight argued. “Starlight, I understand what you’re going through,” Twilight said. “I nearly drove myself crazy when the changeling queen pretended to be Cadance and no one would believe me. If it makes you feel any better, we could ask her to take the changeling test again. Would that make you happy?” she gave a friendly smile to her, but to Starlight’s eyes it just looked condescending. “How dare you patronize me,” Starlight hissed. “What? I’m not-” Fluttershy gently rested a wing on Starlight’s shoulder. “Starlight, you need to stop lashing out at everyone. You’re not thinking straight. I think meeting your old friend Sunburst and-” “I don’t want to talk about him,” Starlight interrupted coldly. “Darling, I think we should talk about him,” Rarity said. “He spoke of a lot of things that-” “Shut. Up,” Starlight hissed. “Starlight, I think you’re ignoring the real problem here. You’re just using the filly to distract yourself from what Sunburst said.” “She’s the one who turned Sunburst against me!” Starlight growled. “Give it a rest already!” Rainbow exclaimed. “She’s just a little filly!” She shook her head in disgust and made her way towards the next part of the train. “I’ve had enough of this. I’m going over to check on the kids.” “I think I’ll join you,” Rarity said, giving Starlight a disappointed glare. Twilight, Applejack, Fluttershy, and Pinkie went after them too. Seeing that she had been left alone, Starlight stomped off back to her part of the train. “I’ll show them. That filly can’t hide forever.” “Who said I needed to hide, dearie?” Starlight jumped and spun around, searching for the source of that voice. But she couldn’t see a single strand of pink or white hair. Double and Sugar had already left and moved to a different part of the train. She was alone. Starlight shook her head and settled back into her bed, hoping to wake up in Ponyville soon. “Starlight? Stay with us Starlight!” The exhausted unicorn slowly opened her eyes to see a trio of doctors hovering over her. “What happened? What’s going on?” “You’re doing great, Starlight! Just another push,” one of the doctors said. Starlight blinked in bewilderment. “Another what?” She glanced around at her surroundings, making a note that everything in the hospital room looked blurry. She groaned as the answer came to her. “Another nightmare. Just ignore it Starlight,” she said with closed eyes and clenched teeth. “Aww! And there she is!” The doctor held up a tiny foal. “Congratulations Starlight Glimmer. It’s a filly!” Starlight’s slowly relaxed her expression. “Okay. This dream isn’t too bad.” She examined the pink and purple baby unicorn. “Huh. She looks kinda like me.” “Have you decided on a number yet?” the doctor asked. Starlight blushed and smiled a little. “Well, I have a few ideas for names. Starlight Junior, maybe? Oh, the name Sunlight always sounded good to me…wait, what did you say?” “Well, you can assign her a number later. Better toss her in with the rest,” the doctor giggled before throwing her baby across the room and into a black void. “NO! Give her back! That’s my daughter, you…” Starlight paused in her panic attack to see that she was standing in an empty room. “…Just a nightmare. Just a nightmare,” she reminded herself. “Just gotta ride it out.” She grimaced and hurried off in the direction her imaginary daughter flew. Eventually she reached the next part of her nightmare, and gasped in horror at what she saw. Hundreds of crying colts and fillies being pushed along by a factory conveyor belt. At the end of a line was the staff of sameness. Only this staff was made of metal and glowing red. “Oh no…not that!” Starlight cried. But it was exactly what she feared. The unicorn filly that was her daughter in this mad world was pushed in front of the staff. The staff lowered itself down to her and literally burned the symbol of Starlight’s equality onto her flank. Starlight cringed and slammed her hooves over her ears at the sound of screaming. “I’m not going to put up with this any longer!” she shouted. She teleported herself over to the staff. Whether it was with her magic or dream logic, she didn’t care. She blasted the staff in two and landed in front of the conveyor belt. “Oh Celestia…” she grumbled as she saw another version of herself standing where the staff had been. “Why do you keep doing this? Just leave me alone!” “Alone?” the other Starlight said with a mocking smile. “But we’ll never be alone again! In equality, we are all connected!” “This isn’t equality! This isn’t what I asked for!” Starlight cried. “But it’s where your path will lead to. I have seen your legacy, Starlight Glimmer. Your rage will only lead to ruin!” the other Starlight declared with an evil laugh. “I won’t listen to these nightmares anymore! Get out of my head! Let me out!” Starlight cried. The other Starlight grinned evilly. “If you insist…” Starlight cringed as she was blasted by her doppelganger and sent hurtling out of her nightmare. “Starlight? Starlight, wake up!” Starlight groaned and slowly sat up from her bed. “What now?” “Starlight, we’re back in Ponyville,” Double informed her. He backed away from her bed and gave her a concerned look. “Are you feeling okay? You’re as white as ice.” “Oh, I’ll be okay, Double” Starlight growled as she pushed herself out of bed. “Just as soon as my little problem is dealt with.” She got off the train and stomped her way up towards Twilight’s castle. She ignored her friend’s looks of concern and questions about how she feeling. She tuned everything out as she collected a large pile of books from the library. When she got to her room in the castle she informed the princess that she didn’t want to be disturbed. She slammed the door in Twilight’s face and sat down at her desk, dumping the books she had brought with her. “Let’s see…the Mare in the Moon…Changeling Behaviour…Monster-ology…A Story on King Sombra…the dread Lord Tirek…and the Spirit of Chaos…” She frowned down at the books on her desk. “There’s gotta be something in one of these books that tells me who you are.” She groaned as she heard a knock. “I told you Twilight, I’m fine! Let me work in peace!” “Princess Twilight? Um, I don’t think I’m her.” Starlight frowned as her mind registered that the knock didn’t come from her door but from her window. She walked over to the window and opened it to see a gray pegasus with a yellow mane and tail and with crossed eyes. “Um, are you Starlight Glimmer?” Starlight raised her eyebrow at that. She thought everypony knew who she was. “Yes. Wait, aren’t you Muffins?” The pegasus scratched her head in confusion. “I don’t know. There’s been some debate on it. I can’t recall if my name was Derpy, Ditzy, or Muffins. I know it’s one of those three but I can’t…remember.” She scratched her head some more as the equal sign pulsed on her flank. “What do you want?” Starlight asked coldly. “Oh um, I think this is for you.” The pegasus passed a package over to Starlight. “So, there you go. I guess.” She flew away, scratching her head some more. “Have a nice day,” Starlight mumbled half-heartedly as she unwrapped the package. Once the wrapping paper was removed she pulled out a dark pink book without a title and a letter. She unfolded the letter and read from it. Dear Starlight Glimmer I know you didn’t listen to me before. But perhaps after the nightmare with the Crystal Heart, you’ll be a little more open minded. Now that I’ve got your attention, I beg you to take caution. By now you should know the face of the monster that stalks you. Like so many others, I was once its target too. When I first encountered her, I thought she was powerless to stop me. But she gained power at an alarming rate. This girl is clever. She’s manipulative. Even though everything she does seems random, it’s all part of her plan. Even if you try to fight her, she’ll think of a new way to stop you. I don’t know if you’ve looked yet but I once visited the Crystal Empire library, searching for information on what this nightmarish creature could be. This book was the only one I could find that alluded to it. Most of it is pure speculation with an unnerving poem. Still, I think you need all the help you can get. I knew what was happening when every pony around me went crazy. One idea this book mentions is the possibility that the filly was born without magic. This monster is dangerous under ordinary circumstances but once she gets the power she’s looking for, there is nothing you can do to stop her. This book is the only defence I can provide if you insist on fighting this creature. Your only other option is to surrender yourself and face whatever justice she has planned for you. You might think I’m being paranoid. But I say you’re not being paranoid enough. This girl is crazy, but she can be charming and charismatic too. She has most likely already wormed her way into the minds of your friends. From this point on, trust no one Starlight Glimmer. Destroy this letter once you finish reading it. I don’t want that thing coming after me again. Sincerely, Prismatic Sunshine. Starlight dutifully burned the letter with her magic and opened the book. On the very first page was the poem that Sunshine had mentioned. She frowned as she saw that the page had been ripped at the top and the bottom. Feeling uneasy, she began to read what was left on the page. “…And when the boys and girls turn out all the lights They tell the story of a creature, all snowy and white. A mysterious monster of chaotic might. A hero with a heart as dark as night. A villain’s victory comes at a price So if you consider doing evil, you better think twice.” She turned to the other side of the page and kept reading. “Pleas for mercy echo through a divided city A terrible fury built within unnerving tranquility The screams of the guilty fill the air And the remains of their schemes are scattered here and there A mighty monster built within the wake Of a resurrected dream, little demon awake The people will sleep, never quite knowing when The demon will reawaken, hungry again.” Starlight scowled as she turned the page, only to find the next one had also been ripped. “How much has this book been tampered with?” She flipped through the book only to find more rips and more disturbing imagery. “That’s it? One pointlessly creepy poem?! This book is useless! I wouldn’t be surprised if the filly wrote this thing herself.” She threw the book in the trash bin, ignoring the rest of its contents and the fact that Twilight would be furious about anyone throwing a book out. “Come on already! There must be something that I missed!” Starlight scowled as she grabbed a different book and began reading. The filly strolled calmly through the forest, a bag of supplies strapped to her back. “Twinkle, twinkle, little star. I always know where you are.” She chuckled to herself. “Ah, she’s coming along so nicely. Even from this distance, I can feel her anger. Her fear. He, he, he! Won’t be long now!” “Of course, deviations must be expected. A perfect plan always allows room for improvisation and alteration.” The filly looked up at the sky as she walked and grinned. “Ooh, I like the looks of that one! Ooh, another good idea!” The filly kept walking through the woods, constantly mumbling under her breath. Pretty soon her ears perked up and she stopped her muttering. “Ah. There you are.” She strolled over to a broken down wagon in the middle of a circle of trees. She curiously waved her hoof through the space between two trees. “Magical barrier. But designed to keep someone else out, it appears. Looks like someone has picked up some new tricks.” She bounced up to the broken wagon and knocked on it. “Oh Spikey-wikey! I know you’re in there!” The door to the wagon opened up and a blue unicorn poked her glowing horn out. “How did you get past my barrier? Who dares to knock on the Great and Powerful Trixie’s door?” The filly’s eyes lit up. “Ooh, Trixie? What a pleasant surprise! I didn’t know you were hiding with our mutual dragon friend.” But Trixie’s gaze was focused on the filly’s blank flank. “You…you are still unequal! Your body has not yet been cursed by the villainous Glimmer!” She opened the door wide. “Welcome, fellow freedom fighter!” “Oh, how kind of you!” the filly grinned and stepped inside. “And there he is! Spike buddy, we missed ya!” Spike the dragon looked up in surprise from the book on magic he was reading. “Trixie? Who’s this?” The filly chuckled. “The girl who’s going to bring Starlight to her knees.” “Wait, really?” Spike’s eyes lit up with hope. “You can stop Starlight? You can get Twilight un-brainwashed? And Rarity? And…” “And every other pony too, my dear boy,” the filly promised. “Little one, I do not wish to crush your hopes so early after meeting you, but our situation is grim,” Trixie said. “Trixie and her new friend Zecora are the only pony and zebra left who have avoided the fate of so many unlucky ponies. The three of us have been on the run for weeks. As much as Trixie regrets saying this, Starlight Glimmer has won.” “He, he, he. That’s just what she wants you to think, dearie! But we’ll prove her wrong soon enough. Now since you brought her up, where can I find Zecora? I’ve picked up several new tricks that I really gotta thank her for.” Trixie frowned. “It was most unusual. She said she was going to ask the spirits for help and that the natural order would reassert itself. Or something like that. The Great and Powerful Trixie is well versed in the art of magic, not the art of rhyming.” The filly chuckled. “I had a feeling. Well, the next time you see her, show her this symbol.” She reached into her bag and pulled out a card, giving it to Spike. Spike raised an eyebrow as he examined the card. “Um, this is just a picture of-” “I know what it is, my friend. More importantly, Zecora will know what it is. Now if only the rest of Equestria remembered what it means!” she giggled. “Who are you anyway?” Trixie asked. “Guess!” the filly sang cheerfully. Spike frowned. “We don’t have time to guess! Come on, you were telling us about how to free our friends?” “He, he, he! See, he’s clever enough to get it!” the filly chuckled. “My name can only be guessed by those who already know it.” She smiled gently at the dragon. “But surely you don’t need my help for it. Twilight is practically your sister! You can convince her to free herself. Ya just gotta try harder.” “You don’t understand. Starlight’s controlling my friends and I don’t know how to snap them out of it!” Spike cried. “She…she even…” His eyes began to water. “She ordered Twilight to get rid of me. When I couldn’t get that dumb equal sign on me, she forced Twilight to kick me out of Ponyville.” The filly’s smile faded and her expression grew very cold. “I expected this to happen. I thought it might get easier with time…and yet it’s still not funny.” She stormed her way of out the wagon and gazed up at the sky, Trixie and Spike following behind her. “First the princesses losing their strength, then her treatment of my darling Princess Sweetheart…this is the last straw,” she growled. “I’d say the fire is roaring wildly now.” She stood up on her back legs and pointed up at the sky. “The seas of chaos bubble and churn! For friendship and freedom, our spirits yearn! The time has come for your return! I invoke the ancient power so that evil may burn!” The sky darkened for a few seconds but then returned to normal. The filly settled back down on all fours and smiled. “Well that was fun.” “What was that about?” Trixie asked. “Oh, don’t mind me. Just shouting nonsense at the sky like I always do. It’s been fun playing mind games with Starlight Glimmer. I’ve got her brain filled with so much fear that it’d be difficult to convince her I was normal even if I wanted to,” she giggled. “By now she’s probably searching through books, trying to figure out who in the heck I really am. Soon, I’ll be bringing this party to its explosive finale. And then her rule will be brought to ruin.” “Okay, this kid is starting to creep me out,” Spike whispered to Trixie. Trixie snorted. “You’re not taking this seriously are you? She’s just a little girl, Spike. She’s just…” “Oh of course!” the filly spun around to face them. “That’s what you all say. ‘She can’t be evil, she’s just a kid!’ ‘If she’s not a changeling, she’s just a normal kid!’ ‘You’re just imagining things, a kid can’t do that.’ Don’t you get it Trixie?” She leaned into Trixie’s face and grinned. “The arrogance of adults, my dear. No grown-up would ever take a silly kid seriously and so no grown-up would ever suspect me. It’s funny how naïve you people are. Though to be fair, I don’t think you’ve ever encountered a kid like me before.” She giggled. “Really, the closest thing you had to a kid super villain was Diamond Tiara.” Trixie frowned. “Trixie entertains and brags for a living, kid; she knows boasting when she hears it. You may have found our hiding spot, but so far you have given us nothing but empty promises and cryptic ramblings. What proof do you have that you can defeat Starlight Glimmer?” “For one thing, I can resist her magic. Actually, I know the secret to resisting a lot of magic.” Trixie snorted in disbelief. “You? You’re just a child, and not even a unicorn at that.” “Hey! Trixie, that’s not very nice,” Spike scolded her. “I am simply stating facts, Spike. You’d need to be an exceptionally skilled unicorn to have control over magic like that.” The filly giggled. “If you have doubts, why not put it to the test? Levitate me. Make me fly.” Trixie smirked. “An easy feat for the Great and Powerful Trixie.” Her horn glowed as she made the filly float into the air. “There. Where’s your resistance now?” “Right here, baby.” The filly grinned and rapidly swung her hoof down. “OW!” Trixie cried and held a hoof up to her horn. “What was that?” “In comparison you weren’t as bad as Starlight is and I know with the Alicorn Amulet you weren’t in control of your actions. So in the hopes that we can still be friends, I’ll make this quick.” The filly giggled and swung her hoof upwards. “OW!” Trixie cried as her knees buckled. “Ow, ow, ow!” Spike’s eyes widened with concern. “What are you doing to her?” “Haven’t you figured it out? Magic comes from willpower, my boy. That’s the reason why Starlight’s magic doesn’t work on me. Baby unicorns don’t know their limitations and therefore, they don’t think they have limitations. Pinkie Pie can do random things that other earth ponies can’t, simply because she wills herself to. Why, it’s spelled out word for word in the most basic forms of magic!” The filly clenched her hoof, causing Trixie to wince as she lost control over her own telekinesis. “Mind over matter, my friends.” “I know how magic works!” Trixie grumbled as she tried getting back up. “That doesn’t explain how an earth pony can cast spells!” “This isn’t a case of casting spells, dearie. It’s a case of who has the stronger will. I wasn’t born with any ability to manipulate magic. But willpower? I excel at manipulating that.” Another ache hit Trixie hard, bringing her to her knees. The floating filly smiled gently and said, “You know, you can stop the pain by just ending the spell.” Trixie’s eyes widened and her horn stopped glowing, letting the filly land back on the ground. Trixie rubbed her head and sighed in relief. “Thank Celestia…” Spike raised a claw. “Hold on, if it’s as easy as mind over matter, why can’t other ponies stop Starlight?” “That was me resisting levitation. Starlight’s spell is much more painful. Ironically, the best way to beat it is also painful. To resist her spell, you need to distract your mind and your body at the same time. If you wanna try fighting Starry, I recommend stomping on your own hoof. I already know a few other tricks, but it’s an easy step for your first go.” “That’s the secret? Stubbing your hoof?” Trixie asked skeptically. “Well who would ever think to try it?” The filly smiled at Spike. “You and your friends are all so determined to do the right thing. Of course, Starlight is determined to get her own way too. But you all have limits. There’s a certain point where you stop yourselves because you encounter something you just won’t risk. I don’t have that.” The filly’s face stretched into a mad grin. “You are filled with determination. But I am filled with obsession. I’m willing to take risks that no normal pony ever could.” Trixie frowned at her. “And you think that’s enough?” The filly cheerfully shrugged. “You’ll see soon enough. Now listen closely, because I have other matters in need to attend to. When Zecora gets back, show her that symbol. She’ll know what to do from there. If you can sneak into the Everfree without Starlight’s goons noticing, you three should be able to hide inside Zecora’s house. You’ve been gone for so long, nobody will think to look for you there. Set some traps if you’re feeling cautious and lay low. By the time I’m done, Twilight will welcome you back with open arms and a sincere apology.” Spike’s eyes filled with hope. “You promise?” “I Pinkie promise, Spike,” the filly said with a smile. “Now I better skedaddle. But before I go, could you spare some dragon fire real quick?” She picked up a large stick from the ground and held it up to him. “If it means I get to see my friends soon, sure!” Spike took a deep breath and spat a jet of flame, lighting the torch. Trixie cautiously backed away from the giggling filly admiring the flames. “What are you going to do with that?” “An old friend of ours will be returning to Ponyville very soon. A reunion like this will require the proper gift.” The filly calmly walked away from them, twirling the torch as she journeyed back to Ponyville. “Because once we’re together…our comeback party is going to set the whole town on fire.”