"Why aren't you a Wonderbolt?"
Scootaloo looked at Rumble, her eyebrows raised. "What makes you say that?"
Rumble shrugged. "You're the fastest one here, faster than Featherweight even. Didn't you say once you learned how to fly, you'd make something of it? Make Rainbow Dash proud?"
The purple maned pegasus sighed at the mention of her idol. "My purpose is to help others find their cutie marks. Not become military."
"So? That shouldn't stop you from applying. It's what you always wanted...right?"
Scootaloo laughed ruefully. "Rumble, why would I try to be what she never became?"
Prism came up to Buttercup’s bed. “Hey,” she whispered after a moment’s pause. Buttercup continued to stare up at the ceiling, her hooves folded across her stomach.
“Still not talking, huh?” Prism shifted awkwardly and brushed a lock of hair from her eyes. “Well. Can’t blame you. Again...I’m really sorry this happened, Buttercup. We care about you a whole lot. Mom isn’t punishing you...if that helps. You should be back on your hooves in a few days.”
Prism nodded when she didn’t get a response. “We’re just glad you’re...still here.” She rubbed her foreleg and cleared her throat. She wasn’t good at this. At all. The blue pegasus stole a brief glance at the doorway. “Wanna talk about it?”
There was a long silence before Buttercup replied with a dry “No.”
Prism’s heart skipped and her ears drooped. “Okay. Do you want to be alone?”
“...No.”
Buttercup made room as Pism climbed into bed next to her. They held each other the rest of the day.
“You wanted to see me, mother?” Moonlight asked apprehensively, stepping into her mother’s study.
Starlight looked up from her desk and smiled. “Yes. Sit down, dear.”
The young pony lowered her gaze. “It’s about yesterday, isn’t it?”
“You're troubled. And understandably so,” Starlight replied as Moonlight sat across from her mother. “Due to the circumstances, I’m willing to forgive you and your sisters. I’m just..relieved that you’re alive.
“There will be a punishment of course. But...believe me when I say, my Moonlight--” She reached across the desk and clasped Moonlight’s hooves, giving her daughter a sweet smile. “I understand.”
Moonlight looked up questioningly. “You...do?”
Starlight chuckled lightly. “Believe it or not, I was a teenager once too, you know. I know what it’s like to not have my parents understand me. Cutie marks effect everypony, Moonlight.” Her eyes suddenly took on a new pain that Moonlight had never seen before. “Everypony. Especially the ones closest to us. But I see something in you, Moonlight. Something I haven’t seen in a long time.”
“...Like...like what?”
Starlight released her hooves before she leaned back and dug around for something in the desk drawer. “Before I go into anything else, I believe you're going to need these.”
In her hoof, she held out two small round objects, causing Moonlight to blush. “How’d you know?” she murmured as her mother slid them across the table.
“I know how you walk without them,” Starlight said. “Lost yours during the fight, did you?”
Moonlight said nothing as she carefully placed the small lenses into her eyes. Starlight nodded curtly when her daughter blinked a few times. “You’ve grown, Moonlight. In more ways that I could ever hope to imagine. I’d be a fool if I didn’t call attention to it.” She smiled gently. “I know our relationship isn’t perfect. Nothing is, really. But we can always try to make it better.”
The older unicorn slid off her seat and walked over to a picture frame of an equal sign on the wall, her back turned. Her eyes locked onto the mark and sighed, quite tiredly. “I won’t always be here, Moonlight. You...know that, don’t you?”
A heavy silence hung in the air.
“You’re not the only one who’s growing older,” Starlight went on. “And I want to do more with what I have before I grow old and frail. I want to help those who have yet to see the truth about cutie marks. I don’t want to see that truth buried with me when my time comes along.”
Starlight finally turned around to face Moonlight and instantly found herself staring into her eyes. Those wide, doe-like eyes gazing at her in adoration with a hint of confusion and concern. Still innocent, still a little girl in many ways. Still the foal she sang to when she cried and cared for when she fell ill.
Still my foal.
There it was again, the odd sensation that tugged at her heart when she had found her daughters shivering on the mountain trail two days ago. She had called them her babies. Her mouth twisted into a confused frown.
Starlight had always told the girls that she loved them. It was easy to say, easy to act on. She fed them, she bathed them, combed their hair. Gave them the name ‘Glimmer’, claimed them as hers. But that love had never reached her. A seed in her chest that never blossomed. Love was more of a duty than anything else. She had an agenda to complete after all. If anything...
Starlight licked her dry lips, her mind spiraling. Could I really love Twilight Sparkle? And the rest of her friends? I mean...I knew I would have SOME sort of affection for them when I first started out, but...I didn’t think it would…
“Mom, are you alright?”
Starlight snapped back into reality, realizing that she had been staring off into space for far too long. All the more reason why my plan will WORK.
She shook her head slightly and smiled apologetically before slowly sauntering across the room. “You and I are more alike than you realize.” She stopped behind her with a smirk. “Why do you think I left those books for you under the rug?”
Moonlight’s jaw dropped and she whirled around in her chair. It took everything in Starlight’s power from laughing at Moonlight’s shocked expression. “Wha...why...it...you knew!?” Moonlight’s hoof instantly flew to her mouth, but it was far too late.
Starlight resumed her walking with a certain spring in her step. “Of course. Did you really think I wouldn’t know if one of my important belongings were missing from it’s place? But yes, those were all for you to explore, Moonlight. I wanted to see what you girls would do if you ever discovered my treasure of books.
“I was surprised when I learned only one book was taken. I thought your curiosity would be greater than that...however, I did run a tight ship when you were younger. But you girls kept the book a secret for a whole year. Your spelling improved greatly.” She tilted her head to the side in thought. “I’m not sure if I should be proud or disappointed.”
Moonlight’s mouth opened and closed, struggling to find the right words. “I-I…”
“Now, Moonlight, none of that now. I am proud. I did this to help prepare you. Something is coming, Moonlight. Nothing will ever be the same, and I want you all by my side when it comes to pass. Your sisters will play their parts as well, but what you will be doing will help change everything.”
Moonlight raised an eyebrow and turned back around in her chair as her mother sat back down again. “Prepare me... for what mom?”
Starlight’s eyes twinkled. “Moonlight, what if I told you that we can make a difference in Equestria?”
One Month Later...
“Today is a special day, my starlings,” Starlight announced in front of the class. “You're growing more each and everyday, which means it’s time to move on to the next stage.”
Sunshine’s brow furrowed. “You mean there’s more?”
“I wanted to wait until you were older,” Starlight explained. “What you experienced down the mountain is but the tip of the iceberg.”
Buttercup winced slightly and glanced back at her damaged wing. “In the last nine years I have taught you, you learned about the lifestyle of equality and the torment of cutie marks. You have all exceeded my expectations. You all know what it truly means to be Equal, and for that I’m so very proud.”
Pearl couldn’t help but grin at this, but the rest of her sisters waited in silent anticipation, knowing that there was more to come. “In the next few years, you will be deep training.”
Prism’s ears perked up while Sapphire frowned. Starlight smirked. “Not that kind of training. At least in the first run. This year, I will train your mind. And your deep abilities. A true Equalist can never prosper without a firm grasp on reality. I will help you with that.”
With the exception of Moonlight, the Glimmers regarded each other in excitement. This was truly an honor for them.
Buttercup raised her hoof. “But...what exactly are we training for?”
“Well, Buttercup…” Starlight smiled, glancing at Moonlight. The oldest Glimmer nodded, eyes burning with purpose. “I’m glad you asked.”
She stood by a portrait covered by a sheet. “This world full of cutie marks has a ruler. Two in fact. But the eldest is the one who puts everypony beneath her. She makes every mare stallion and foal bow down to her...forces them to serve her...and she sent her own flesh and blood into a thousand years of captivity.”
After surveying their horrified faces, Starlight took away the sheet, revealing a terrifying creature with wings and a horn. The large monster snarled as it blasted a smaller darker version of herself to the moon; its eyes blazed like hot balls of fire, as if they originated from the pits of Tartarus itself.
“First thing's first. Girls, it’s time you learn about Princess Celestia.”
Scootaloo laughed ruefully. "Rumble, why would I try to be what she never became?"
Uh, she did become a Reserve Wonderful. And what's WRONG with trying to be what she never became?
Okay so here we go. About to have some Celestia trash talking. Oh joy.
Welp, everyone get down in the bunker. This is gonna be messy.
I'm... not sure how to feel here.
Her eyes suddenly took on a new pain that Moonlight had never seen before.
In other words, exposing the pain she suffered from Sunburst leaving her without so much as a goodbye.
-
Moonlight said nothing as she carefully placed the small lenses into her eyes.
0-0 Pony Twilight uses contact lens'?!
NOW THIS is how you make a villain. What made Andrew Ryan and Sophia Lamb so great as antagonists is that what they were saying MADE SENSE (opposed to Zackery Cornstock who was a strawman if ever there's been one), even if they were total opposite of each other!
And what Starlight Glimmer says unto itself MAKES SENSE... she just thinks snuffing out self improvement is the way to go.
I want to help those who have yet to see the truth about cutie marks.
Personally? I wonder if Starlight HAS A POINT, if the mane six, even with completely different timelines STILL end up with the exact same cutie mark, even with different attitudes and outlooks, and means marks really are just collars fate uses.
Her mouth twisted into a confused frown.
Becoming the mask.
All the more reason why my plan will WORK.
:-( So close.
you will be deep training.”
you will be in deep training.”
You know... there's a war hammer pony fan comic where the mane six are turned into chaos demons, Celestia, SA and Cadence are turned into Sombra's crystal minions, Luna falls so deep into despair she becomes Nightmare Moon again to keep hell from taking the rest of the world and makes Zecora her minion.
And the CMC grow up to be ruthless and brutal badasses who gave up their cutie marks, who have to be just as nasty as the bad guys just to protect what's left of the ponies who are left. I hate that comic beyond words, it feels like a deflowering of all that is MLP.
And yet I don't feel the same here for this fanfic, AT ALL. I WANT to see what happens next. it doesn't feel like a sickly depressing status quo. I'm NOT SURE what the ending will be. And the Glimmers are still capable of mercy and compassion and are still ponies, and are changing Starlight as much as she's resisting it.
“Girls, it’s time you learn about Princess Celestia.”
.... -_- I'm disappointed in Glimmer. A true manipulator of her young doesn't NEED to give false information, EVERYTHING depends on how you interpret the facts. She doesn't NEED to paint Celestia as evil incarnate, just point out her short comings and failures and how no matter how much she loves her ponies, they'll always be above and separate from them.
It's the same BS that's used in every single JPRG ever made about how the gods need to be removed in order to humanity to reach true freedom and greatness. And people eat it up. You think Starlight would know it.
And she really kept them ignorant of the land's head of state for their entire lives? -_-
Merry Christmas.
I wonder how much longer Starlight can keep resisting, before the love her foals feel for their mother breaks her.
6779842 There is also a Warhammer Fantasy fic right here on the site (Chaos Marks them All) which has the Mane 6 becoming corrupted by Chaos and gaining new powers and characteristics -- such as Twilight slowly growing larger and turning vampiric, Fluttershy becoming a Juggernaut (think giant metal titan), and more. Thing is is that they're still holding on to their personalities, and are just trying to find their way back to the Princesses in the Warhammer-verse, where the method by which they came there after Chaos invaded Equestria put them 10 years in the future.
By that time, Princess Celestia and Luna are ruling the Empire alongside Karl Franz in a triumvirate, Shining Armor is Reiksmarshall, Babs Seed is leader of the Cutie Mark Crusaders -- one of the most effective mercenary groups in the land, and Spitfire heads Cloudsdale, which has become a mobile flying fortress city and holy symbol of the Inquisition.
Oh, and Spike is a lot older now, and has learned quite a bit about being a real man under the guidance of the High Elven Swordmasters of Hoeth... (Here I come, Rarity!)
Yet still, the Mane 6 have a lot to overcome as they continually struggle with the temptations of their new and frightening powers. It's actually a really fun fic to read, if you can stand the somewhat jerky pacing at times.
Oh, and yeah, great chapter! ^^ I'm actually getting excited now, and curious about what might happen next. Starlight's getting rather devious with her planning, and is aiming for some rather large game right off the bat.
6779746 Your pic is adorkable
6780090
Your's too!
Can't wait for the next chapter!
By far the best fic I have read yet!! Your doing amazing with the story keep it up!
*sigh*
Another chapter, another cliff hanger. How many cliffs will you hang us off of? I'll just repeat what I said earlier, good chapter and curse you for leaving us wondering.
This really the only story i follow im this site so when theres a new chapter im like EKKKK
Well I like the story, but I think I have read to much today, because I feel a littbe bit like I can´t see anymore right now.
6795074 Sure thing
Moonlight- Twilight
Sunshine- Applejack
Sapphire- Rarity
Buttercup - Fluttershy
Prism- Rainbow
Pearl- Pinkie
More propaganda!
6779733
At least here we'll KNOW it's propaganda. And not the narrative declaring that's how Celly 'really is.'
6815027 Yeah.
6744903
Glimmer it seems to have a true scheme in plan, since she acknowledges Discord's wrath as a possibility.
The thing with Magical Mystery Cure? I can imagine Glimmer using it as justification for her belief that ponies are just puppets of their cutie marks.
I REALLY hope that you don't abandon or give up on this fic! I REALLY want to see how things turn out. Because I can't GUESS precisely how thing will turn out.
And will Glimmer ever reveal to her daughters where they really came from? Since the Princesses, DISCORD, Spike, and others who were still alive back then WILL recognize them! And that reveal could do damage to Glimmer's relation with her daughters. Glimmer is a FANATIC, in every sense of the word, but she isn't STUPID, she MUST know that's an inevitability. Will she ever tell her foals the truth herself?
I hope my comments aren't creeping you out or DISCOURAGING you from writing. :-( If so, I apologize.
6844328 Not at all I'd never give up on this fic because I'm very much invested in it There's some more ground to cover--that's all I can say at this moment in time
6844443
I'm eager to see what that ground is.
Starlight is the pony version of Kim Jong Un.
STARLIGHT YOU ARE A BITCH AND YOU DESERVE TO BURN IN TARTARUS!!!
*after you get killed by Celestia, Luna, Shinning armor, Cadence, Discord, Pie family, WonderBolts, Spike, Rarity's Family, Sparkle family, Fluttershy's animal friends, Applelosa and the Apple family, residence in Ponyville, starlight glimmer's old town, Nightmare moon, and last the most dangerous one of them all......CMC ROTF. AKA *cutie mark crusaders revenge of the families*
7251292 that one long list what are raising her from the grave and killing her again, then again discord cold cast such a spell.
6779844
she gave in too it before ,unknowingly the seed in her heart is planted. if it overtakes the core of her free will and change who she is. that is another story altogether.
I hate how this story is going but I can't put it down...
The heck u do to make me want to keep reading?!