Starlight stood motionless for a second as the crowd of ponies began to stare in awe over Double Diamond’s retransformation.
She approached him slowly staring at the mark which now laid on his flank. She walked up to it almost in awe. She couldn’t believe they created a potion that duplicated her spell. She picked herself back up to address the earth pony.
“D…Double Diamond?” She looked to the changed pony in anguish. “Why? Why did you do this?”
He looked the purple unicorn with the same phony smile she hadn’t seen in months. “We just want everything the way it was, back when you were in charge,” he said in an almost perfectly pleasant tone.
Starlight couldn’t understand the North and their fascination with the old system. She had realized long ago that the powerful magic she used to alter ponies only managed to smother individuality. “What…what are you talking about, things were horrible then?”
A voice called out from the crowd before Double Diamond could even respond. “Things were better then…” Starlight turned to see Whisper Leaf addressing her. “We were happier and everypony had a place, not like in the South.”
Starlight responded to the other earth pony. “But things are going so well in the south, it’s not perfect, but with everypony’s help…”
“They don’t want us there!” Starlight was interrupted by another pony, she turned to see the very familiar face of a pony she thought she’d never see again.
“Flame Heart, you…you are here, but why?”
“That’s right, I’m here because they don’t want us in the South, so I’d rather lose my mark and live in a perfect town.”
Starlight’s head was buzzing with more questions. “Why in Equestria do you think ponies in the South don’t want you all?”
“Cause we’re not good enough for them.” Starlight still stood baffled as Flame Heart clarified. “If you’re not a pegasus or a unicorn they don’t want you to do anything.”
Starlight looked around and noticed that everypony who choose the North was either an earth pony or what Starlight would describe as weak-flyer pegasus. It started to make sense now, ponies began to choose the North because they felt useless and unwanted in the South. It was ridiculous, but Starlight started to realize that many of the ideas she spent so long preaching to her followers were still being believed.
For one, she would often say that in normal societies, pegasi and unicorns were more valued for the work they could do, and unless an earth pony was strong enough to work a farm, they were doomed to an unwanted life in a small village. It was nonsense though, like much of what Starlight said. It was all about convincing ponies that they made the right choice following her. Only she began to understand that her ideas continued to infect ponies even now.
“But that’s not true. I know you all still believe what I used to say, but what I taught all of you was wrong and immoral and I’m so sorry for that.”
“No no, you were right. They would prefer us to leave so that they can tear down the wall and live in the town by themselves.”
“Please, they don’t want that at all, they desperately want to reunite your towns, but they were afraid that you were planning to attack them.”
“How could they possibly think that?” Whisper called out.
“Uhm, that was actually my fault,” Starlight admitted sheepishly. “But can’t you see, that’s what happens when you don’t know the whole picture! You start to assume the worst.” She turned to her head. “Flame Heart, just today Night Glider was brokenhearted because she didn’t know what happened to you.”
Flame Heart looked down in consideration. Starlight then turned her head again. “And Ember, earlier, Sugar Belle was saying how much she missed you.”
Ember Shine looked off as well as if taking everything into consideration.
Starlight then turned one last time. “And Double Diamond,” she started. “Sugar Belle, Party Favor, Night Glider, they all miss you. Your friends miss you. They want you back.”
Double Diamond’s face began to falter and his smile began to fall, even if just ever so slightly. “No no, I’m not going back. I can’t go back, I won’t, not now.” He began to step back in defense as he felt the mood of everypony beginning to sway in Starlight’s direction. “Can’t you all see she’s lying!” he shouted, still wearing the knockoff smile, the rest of the ponies looked to him with sympathy.
“Fine, you all abandon each other. I’m not going back there, I’m finally happy again and no one’s gonna take that away from me.” He stopped retreating and let himself run off in a sprint out of the cave.
“Double Diamond, no!” Ember Shine called out and began to run after him before he was held back by Starlight. He realized she was the only one who could get through to him.
Starlight stepped back in front of the crowd.
“Please, everypony, it’s late. Why don’t you all return home for the night and in the morning you can all see the southern ponies, then you can see how much they care for you, and how they want you all back.”
The crowd looked like they were considering the offer.
“And if you still believe you want things the old way.” Starlight walked over and levitated the potion with her horn. “Well, you can have things the old way.”
The crowd accepted the offer and ponies slowly started to head out of the cave one by one.
Starlight remained in front watching as the ponies retreated from the cave. She was overjoyed that most of the North hadn’t gone through with their plan and she was certain that once they realized the South wanted them back she could reunite the sides.
“What about Double Diamond?” asked Flame Heart who still stood facing Starlight.
“Don’t worry, whatever it takes I’ll find him and I’ll bring him back.”
——————-
Starlight trotted out of the cave and stood just outside the entrance so she could have a moment to think. She was overcome with joy that she was able to save the North from making the biggest mistake of their lives, but she still and one more pony to save.
For now though, she waited until the last pony, Flame Heart, began walking down the hillside before Starlight turned to walk to the side of cave. She popped the top off of the potion and dumped it carelessly into a thicket of bushes.
‘We won’t be needing this anymore,’ she thought to herself, glad to finally be ridden of the villainous potion.
She turned back around and sighed. ‘Now it’s time to find Double Diamond and bring him back.’
Starlight knew there was no chance he had headed back into town, other than that, she didn’t have clue where he could be.
She spent the next several hours looking around for him, but to no avail. She went up and down the path which led into town a couple of times, hoping to find him wandering down the dirt stretch. She climbed a hillside to get a good look over everything. Nothing.
She began to wonder if she had lost him forever.