You have no idea how long I've planned this out. I've been spying on you for months, looking for the most devastating way to destroy you, to rip your cutie mark off and begin my perfect utopia of equality anew. And I didn't come this far just to be sweet-talked into accepting your 'Magic of Friendship'!
Which is why I will.
I'll 'accept' your 'Magic of Friendship', play nice, be a goody-four-hooves, whatever the correct term for it is.
I'll bide my time until you let your guard down enough for me to make my move. And since I can't destroy your past without screwing Equestria itself, I'll settle with destroying your future!
Rated Teen for mild language.
Chapters (1)
That idea is right up there with headbutting an Ursa Minor, darling.
6719220 You got that right!
Boy, is that mare majorly delusional, or what?!
Oooh, I like this! Please do a sequel with Spike "defecting" to Starlight's side! I'd even like it if there happened to be some Spike/Starlight romance. Spike isn't equal because he isn't a pony, and is treated differently. I can definitely see Starlight at least trying to get one his good side by suggesting that without their cutie marks, ponies and dragons would be no different, same with Griffons and Zebras.
Seeing Starlight with a whole new army of cutie mark-less races would be awesome. She may not win, but it would be a heck of a battle. The Elements and even all the princesses would have to fight. She could be as big a threat as Sombra, except worse because the races that feel rejected due to lack of cutie marks would LOYALLY follow her rather than simply being mind-controlled slaves, like Sombra's crystal ponies.
6719859 Hmmm . . . You have an intriguing idea here . . . I may just try it out. Unfortunately, it may take a while to come up with something and go through with it; my main focus is on a different story right now, but this is definitely something I'll look into.
So, am I the only one who likes this? Because this is canon to me.
I'm sure a good portion of the fanbase thinks this is what Starlight is all about after those two episodes. The thing that really stands out to me reading through this is that, at least in your story, Princess Celestia really is her worst enemy. Her hooves-off approach created both Sunset Shimmer and Starlight Glimmer, and at this point I wouldn't be surprised if she turned her nose up at a blue-coloured unicorn's stage shows either.
6719859 The problem with making an army of ponies put under a spell that makes them mediocre... well, this would be about as dangerous as Sunset's army of mind-controlled highschoolers.
But yes, I'd like to see a sequel to this very much. I like a good intrigue.
On the other hoof, something I've noticed about the ending:
* Starlight Glimmer was alone, with no friends, something that made her more unhappy than she admitted.
* Both her confidence and her self esteem had just taken a plunge (she had just learned that through her mistake she might have wiped out her entire species. That tends to shake people)
* And then, at the lowest point of her life, when she had literally nowhere to go, she was offered friendship and support.
* She was accepted and welcomed, everypony smiled. There were hugs and a musical number.
* She became one of them... and until she's ready to find her own place among them, she'll be living with their leader, just to make sure everything is okay.
Does anyone else see a pattern here?
This is my official headcanon until the show proves me otherwise.
Great job with the story!
6722470 this is canon to me too! starlight is a manipulative liar, and her past as an authoritarian leader has proved that. she exhibits everything twilight wants to hear, and knows her weaknesses. someone studying another person for an incredibly long time would certainly believe they were doing the right thing. i'd go as far as to theorise that the motive for her 'evilness' was also a lie, or just a past event that happened but had little to no connection. She could've pulled the same strings with anyone, but chose a friendship struggle to win the sympathy of the very princess of the subject. i hope with all my heart that they go through with this canon, because honestly it would work very well, and help the producers cover up the shitty tragic backstory and motive
6719859
6720278 Plus, with nouns suffixed with '-pony' they'd already have a sense of alienation from Equestria, native or not, as it would cause the ponies to appear as elitist. Then again, seeing a non-pony is such a rarity in Equestria, given the Mane 5's reaction to Gilda and their reaction to Zecora. That being said, I'm surprised that the ponies didn't riot when Spike appeared in Ponyville. So Starlight could win the non-equine species over to her side by playing the sympathy card and using words emphasizing unity, such as 'everyone,' 'everybody,' and 'anyone.'
Starlight being a manipulative liar even when reformed? Get me the popcorn. Also, have a like and a stache.
7470794 Yeah, hopefully when I finished my main project, I hope to do a follow-up to this, something like a war-story between ponies and non-cutie marked races (as suggested by TerraZeal)
Starlight theme song in this fic:
6728555
Yeah, Twilight seems to be the ONLY thing she cares about nowadays
Interesting, frightening, and utterly convincing. Other authors have tried a similar AU of Starlight's "reformation," and all the attempts have had merit, but none have gone as in-depth as you. I take my hat off to you. Starlight's inner monologue here explores the exact same questions I was asking myself after the Season Five finale (why was she wasting her time on Twilight at all? How could one friend disappointing her have led her down such a twisted path?) I might just take this as my official headcanon as well.
8009058 Bucking apples. Not ponies.
6728555 It makes me wonder how many other ponies she screwed over the years because they didn't fit within her 'perfect' little world.
'Ight!
!
...
Starlight Glimmer is officially... Star-Light Yagami
I do like this very much!
Wonder, how that plan of hers fared