//------------------------------// // Chapter Sixteen: Of Past Plans and Cutie Maps // Story: Princess of Shadows, Darkness, and Light // by jwizard //------------------------------// Equestria, Ponyville, 06-15-05 A.N.M., 10:54 AM (After Nightmare Moon) Starlight Glimmer twiddled her hooves nervously as she tried to formulate how she wanted to tell her tale. After a bit, she started to speak. “I’m not sure exactly how I received the journal containing both Star Swirl’s Uncompleted Time Corridor spell, and the Cutie Mark Removal spell, but I do know why I decided to do what I did.” She took a drink of tea to lubricate her throat before continuing. “It all started during my foal-hood. There was a colt named Sunburst that I was friends with. In fact, we were the best of friends. We did everything together; learning spells, playing on swings; just the sort of things that foals do.” The others noticed that Twilight started at the name Sunburst. “One day, we were studying a version of a powerful levitation spell when a brief mana surge caused a shelf of books to nearly fall on me.” Starlight’s eyes became bright with remembered joy. “Sunburst had his own flare as he cast the spell we had been working on. He managed to save me from getting hurt, as there was a lot of books. That’s how he earned his Cutie Mark.” The unicorn’s eyes grew sad. “After he showed his parents, he left to go to Celestia’s School for Gifted Unicorns. I never saw him again; at least, not until a few days ago.” “For the next few years, I buried myself in my studies. About ten years ago, I received a journal from an unknown benefactor detailing a way to change or remove a pony’s Cutie Mark, as well as a few other spells. The time spell was unfinished; I figured out that I’d need Star Swirl’s unfinished time spell and something the journal referred to as ‘the Cutie Map of Friendship’ to complete it. The other was detailed instructions on the ritual needed to remove or change a pony’s Cutie Mark.” All of the mares except for Hope jumped slightly at her mention of the Cutie Map. Starlight scratched the back of her head with her hoof. “I had no plan to create ‘Equal Village’ until after I read that journal. Using what I learned, I found a wooden stick that made an excellent vector for the spell, and started looking for ponies that wanted to join me. For some reason, I decided that the reason why I lost my friendship with Sunburst was because of his Cutie Mark. Up until Grandmother showed up, I was working towards a goal of removing all Cutie Marks save my own. I’m not even sure how she and Chronos were able to get me to see where I had goofed.” “Starlight may not be able to tell you why she did what she did, but I can,” Hope said in response. “In fact, with Serenity’s assistance, I can even show you all what happened.” Rainbow Dash perked up at that. Concentrating briefly, she called up a Window to the Past. The others watched what had happened several days ago. Equus, Red Point Mountain, 06-12-05 A.N.M., 12:26 PM (After Nightmare Moon) Princess Hope watched quietly as the light amethyst-coated unicorn muttered to herself. She had been watching Starlight Glimmer for at least a day now, ever since she traced the line leading from the dysfunctional Cutie Map Ritual to this location. Starlight had been spending the last several hours looking at the wooden staff she used as vector in removing a pony’s Cutie Mark. What the young mare didn’t realize was that the Ritual she performed had empowered the staff to do so, though it did require her mana. Lately, the ponies in her village had had their natural talents show through, despite their marks being in the Cutie Vault behind her. “Am I wrong it what I’m doing to them? I still have my mark; if I truly wish equality by removing Cutie Marks, then I should be willing to lose mine as well. That’ll have to wait until all of Equestria joins me. I just wish I could know why they hate it so.” This was the chance that Hope had been waiting for. She polycast three powerful spells. One fried the staff in Starlight’s hooves. The second caused all of the Cutie Marks in the Vault to return to their owners. The third reversed the Ritual she had used on the others; however, this didn’t remove her mark. Instead, it simply bound it, making the false mark of an equals sign appear as if it were her own. “What the hay?! Who are you, and what have you done to me?!” the mare shrieked at the now visible alicorn. Hope smirked. Starlight Glimmer paled as she got a better look at the large alicorn before her. “Well, I see my reputation precedes me. In that case, let me explain what I’ve done. I’ve destroyed the Ritual Staff that used your mana to rip a pony’s mark off of them. Which, by the way, is a very serious crime. If I hadn’t interfered by making sure that the ponies you did so retained their magic, Princess Celestia would have found you and petrified you as a result. I also reversed the spell and restored the others their marks. Finally, I’ve made it so that you could finally feel what they feel. Doesn’t feel right, does it?” “It doesn’t mean that I was serious Princess!” the mare said exasperatedly. “It was a rhetorical statement! Why would you do such a thing? I only want to know what I’ve done wrong!” Hope smiled at that. “Ask Chronos; he will show you what you’ve done wrong. If you wish to know my reasons, that will have to wait until you grow up. When you’ve done so, call my name. I wish you well Granddaughter.” Hope then teleported out of the cave in a burst of Harmonic mana, leaving the stricken mare to her thoughts. As the scene ended, the others looked on in shock. After a bit, Sunset Shimmer shook her head before asking  what was on all of their minds. “Did you ask Chronos?” Starlight nodded. Her eyes took on a thousand yard stare as she recalled what he did. “He did more than just tell me. He showed me where my path diverged by walking me down a Time Corridor.” The unicorn shuddered. “Not only did it show what I did wrong, it showed a potential future as a result of my interference.” She glanced apologetically at Rainbow Dash and Twilight. “After you and your friends followed the directions given by the Cutie Map, I went crazy and tried to stop Princess Rainbow’s first Sonic Rainboom. I ended up changing the past, and when the Dark One escaped, Equus turned into a wasteland.” Rainbow slapped her head with her hoof. “Are you telling me that that whole ‘Cutie Map’ bit I saw months ago was actually supposed to happen?!” she groaned. Hope snorted in anger at that. “No, it was part of an old plan that Astrolia and I had before it was abandoned. Star Swirl appropriated it as a way to strengthen the Seal. All it was doing was strengthening the Dark One’s connection to his sealed power. I had a Hel of a time breaking the links, especially since many of those were ones that I could only do in the presence of the Tree of Harmony. Lucky that the Everfree is my jurisdiction, else I would have had to seal away the Seed of Harmony the Tree gave you. “That’s all well and good, but it doesn’t explain why Starlight was affected. Fear of losing friends doesn’t simply translate to wanting to make all ponies equal by removing their Cutie Marks.” Twilight looked at Starlight. “Do you still have the journal?” Starlight shook her head. “Grandmother burned it; she said that it was too dangerous. I never asked why though; after she took me to the Crystal Empire to meet Sunburst, I didn’t want anything to do with it.” Hope scowled. “Star Swirl wanted to be sure that his back up would work, so he laid mind control cantrips in the journal.” All of the other alicorns present snarled at that. Hope smiled grimly. “Now you know what I’ve been dealing with. About the only thing Star Swirl never did as part of his plans to stop the Dark One was sacrifice innocents. I sometimes wish he had tried; it would have given me just cause to turn him into a crystal statue.” “Well, at least I know why Sunburst was always studying so hard,” Twilight said. “He had to prove to everypony that he was able to repeat what he did as a foal. He never was though; he only did so that time for the sake of a friend.” Starlight nodded. She was about to respond, when Spike burped up another scroll. Twilight caught it. She blinked, as this one bore the Seal of Equestria. Breaking it open, she quickly read the contents. She sighed when she was finished. “Well everypony, it looks like we all have to return to Canterlot; Celestia and Luna have called for full Alicorn Council. I think she’s just finished reading that tome.” Hope and Rainbow nodded. Sunset looked away. “Twilight, does that include me as well?” The purple alicorn tilted her head. “Well, you’re an alicorn now Sunset; all alicorns present whenever Celestia calls for the Alicorn Council are to come.” Twilight put a hoof onto Sunset’s withers. “Just because you’re now both an alicorn and a princess doesn’t mean you will have to do anything. If you don’t want to go, you don’t have to; I know of at least one alicorn currently living in Equestria that still has yet to sit on the Council.” Hope snorted at that. Sunset shook her head. “I need to go. I need to see her; I have much to apologize for. I just don’t want ponies seeing me as a princess before I’m ready.” “Then all you have to do Sunny, is to focus on how you were before you became an alicorn.” Sunset blinked, then did so. Her form quickly reverted to that of unicorn, causing Starlight to yelp in shock. “What kind of disguise spell is THAT?!” The other alicorns all laughed at that. “It’s simply a way for alicorns to hide their nature, even from other alicorns,” Hope said, chuckling, “It gives any who aren’t expecting it the collywobbles.” She shook her wings out. “Well, I will see you all there; I have a granddaughter to track down. She owes me for a bet.” There was a flash of Harmonic mana as Hope teleported away. “Starlight, you should probably join the others and Spike, they’ll be taking the Friendship Express to Canterlot. Me, Twi, and Sunny will be using the path that we took to get here.” Rainbow took a moment to write a quick note. “Give this to Rarity; she’ll know what it’s for.” She then made her way to her quarters, Twilight and Sunset following her. Starlight Glimmer sighed before looking at the dragonling next to her. “Ready to go Spike?” He nodded happily. The two left, making their way to Rarity’s boutique.