When Starlight Glimmer succeeds in converting Twilight's friends into her beliefs of equality Celestia and Sunset Shimmer have to save Twilight and her friends before it is too late to change them back.
The first mission that the map sends Twilight and company on was not a success. Starlight Glimmer has converted Twilight's friends and starts using drastic measures on Twilight. Spike informs Celestia of Twilight and her friends missing and Celestia has to ask her old student Sunset Shimmer for help.
Twilight Sparkle was the only pony in the shack. She was hungry. She hadn't had too much food. She could not believe what was happening. She had believed that the map of her new castle was supposed to be a device to teach the magic of friendship throughout the land of Equestria. But she was trapped in a shack of a pony she was beginning to believe was a tyrant. Starlight Glimmer had convinced all the ponies in her village that cutie marks were evil. She could hear a recording of Starlight Glimmer's voice telling her why they were evil. Twilight was the only one of her friends still resisting the reforming of Starlight Glimmer. The plan to use Fluttershy to cause Starlight to trip up, had failed. The next day after she had faked her way into the community of Starlight Glimmer she was the same as the rest of the town. Twilight had a feeling that some of kind of mind control was involved here. Rainbow Dash was the next to go. She started thinking about her foalhood with Fluttershy and didn't want to miss out on being with her friend and ruining their friendship. After Rainbow Dash left the others followed suit. The only one left in the reformation shack was Twilight Sparkle. Because of her opposition Starlight had not fed her for four days. Just water. All the sudden, the door to the shack was opened.
"Are you ready to join us today?" Fluttershy asked in a sweet voice
"No." Twilight replied "Can't you all see this is wrong? You have been brainwashed. Cutie marks are what make you, you. Starlight is just using you."
The equal mark on Twilight's flank began to glow. 'I wish that would stop.' She thought 'It is becoming harder to fight it. Especially with Starlight's voice droning on and on.'
"You will be happier if join us darling." Rarity said "No one is sad here."
"Yeah. It is like one big party all the time." Pinkie Pie said "Everypony plays a part in it. And everypony is always smiling."
"You used to say the smiles were fake Pinkie Pie." Twilight said "Please..can't you all try to fight the feelings you have now?"
"Why should we?" Rainbow Dash asked "Back home I used to make ponies feel bad with my bragging and pranks. That was all because I thought that I was the best flyer. Because I performed the sonic rainboom. Talk about being negative.Here no pony is a better flyer than anypony else. And I walk around the town with Fluttershy a lot more than I used to. I can't believe how selfish I was trying to push her to be a better flyer."
"That is okay Rainbow Dash. The evil cutie marks are gone." Fluttershy said "So, that will never happen again."
"And Ah happier because Ah'm building homes like mah ancestors." Was Applejack remark
"And I am getting used to the old fashioned way of sewing." Rarity said "I am helping to make cloaks for everypony."
Everything her friends said was killing Twilight inside. It was like they had forgotten how their differences had saved Equestria more than once. And now they were just like everypony else in this terrible town. At this point, Starlight Glimmer appeared in the shack. She smiled and said: "That is enough girls." Almost immediately Twilight's friends stopped. Twilight didn't like that that. It was like they were programmed. Starlight Glimmer looked at the defiant glint that was still lingering in Twilight's tired eyes. She said: "You haven't eaten in awhile. I will fix that now."
There was mushed up food in some kind of container. It had a tube for feeding ponies. Twilight refused to open her mouth. Starlight asked Rainbow Dash to tickle Twilight's wings. She complied. Twilight tried her best not to laugh, but it was a futile attempt. Once she started laughing Starlight Glimmer struck the tube in Twilight's mouth. The food had no real taste. But Twilight was beginning to feel tired. More tired than she had ever been. In fact, she was beginning to fall asleep.
"Why is she falling asleep?" Fluttershy asked
"Because she is going to be reformed soon." Starlight said with a smile "And this food is the first step to that."
The girls didn't understand what Starlight meant, but they trusted her. After all, she had taught them true friendship, and was helping Twilight to see the light too, so whatever it was, it must be good. They were just glad that the food was mushed up so that Twilight was not going to choke on it . What they DIDN'T know was that Starlight Glimmer had added some herbs in the food that would put would put Twilight into a dreamless sleep. Twilight tried her best to stay awake, but the herbs were too strong to resist. Finally she gave in and went to sleep.
"Alright girls thank you for trying to convince her the usual way. But Twilight is too stubborn to be convinced by the usual means. I will take care of her."
Twilight's friends leave the reformation shack. Starlight Glimmer starts talking to the unconscious princess. "You thought you knew better than me huh?" She received no answer from Twilight but continue to talk anyway, as she knew that she could hear her. "I saw through Fluttershy's act from the start. I put some herbs into her tea that I gave her that night. She told me everything. Don't you realize how much you are hurting yourself and your friends by trying to resist me?" Still Twilight slept on taking in every word spoken to her. Tears were beginning to course down the closed eyes of the princess. Starlight Glimmer saw this and was delighted. "I see you CAN hear me. And understand me too. That's good. Don't worry, the food that the tube is feeding you won't change your personality altogether at once. But it will make you more submissive. I will PERSONALLY take charge of you tomorrow so that your training can begin. And don't worry about being hungry, I will have somepony periodically change the food container. After all, a pony who has not eaten for 4 days has to be EXTRA hungry! Enjoy your restful day. Because tomorrow the real work begins."
With that Starlight Glimmer leaves the sleeping Twilight, who although asleep is now aware that her life will never be the same.
Starlight was pleased with herself. She had sent two containers with the specially prepared food. The first 2 containers had simple herbs to keep Twilight asleep all day and throughout the night, but the rest were mixed with special herbs to help make Twilight more submissive like she told her. She passed the reformation shack and saw Twilight sleeping. Not the fitful sleeps she had taken before, but ones that looked restful to the passing observer. That made Starlight happy.
'Good. The herbs are doing their job.' She thought 'They are breaking Twilight Sparkle's spirit just enough to make her submissive to my suggestions, but not enough to cause too instant a change. Wouldn't want ponies to wonder why the only one who resisted the longest is suddenly like all the others.
Applejack came with a new container of food. She greeted Starlight with a huge smile just like everypony else in the town and said: "Hiya Starlight (she stopped using words like howdy because no pony in the town talked like that) Ah'm just bringing some food to feed Twilight Ah added the herbs ya asked me to, but I hav'ta ask why?" Starlight was not about to tell the truth so she said: "As you know Applejack, Twilight has been resisting all attempts to help her see the light about cutie marks and I had to reduce the amount of food that was given her in the hopes that it would help bring her around. When that didn't work I had to stop feeding her for a few days." Applejack nods and Starlight continues: "These herbs are special in that they will help supplant the strength that only certain foods can give her."
Applejack heaved a sigh of relief. Twilight had started looking poorly because of her stubborn behavior. She wheeled the container of food (which was really just a barrel on wheels with a small hole in it) into the shack. Her means of moving it was a poorly made trolley. in fact, it was a wonder the barrel as full of mushed up food as it was, didn't topple over.If Applejack was in her right mind, she would try to improve it. but as she was now, she just saw the hard work of her fellow townsponies, and wouldn't want to offend anypony by tapering with their work. She began to talk to her sleeping friend as she switched the barrels out. She said: "Just relax Twi' Ah'm just giving ya some more good food." At the sound of Applejack's voice Twilight's body began to twitch. She was still trying her best to fight the effects of the plants. Applejack meanwhile, saw that Twilight was trying to struggle. She said: "Everything's gunna to be alright Twilight. This food here is suppose to help you in getting your strength back. Starlight says so, and Ah have no reason not to trust her." Applejack's voice was comforting even if misguided. She put the tube in the new barrel as Twilight was giving out small groans. She was trying desperately to wake up. But just when it seemed like her willpower and strength was returning, the Equal cutie mark glowed. And as the food began sliding down the tube, Twilight would feel the need to stay asleep and listen to the recording of Starlight's voice. Starlight Glimmer was watching from the outside in grim pleasure.She had Twilight's friends SO convince that she was right about everything, ESPECIALLY cutie marks, that they themselves were unwittingly, feeding her food that would be first step into making her nothing but a mindless pony who would scared to death at the MERE THOUGHT of a cutie mark! Applejack watched as her friend stopped fussing and waited until Twilight was still before putting the empty container of food on the trolley and left the hut.
After Applejack left, Starlight went inside. she spoke aloud once again to the sleeping princess: "You're more stronger than I thought. I'm glad I decided to put the sleeping herbs in the food this time. I think I will do that for the rest of your meals today. And your friends will be the ones giving you your meals.After all, they are your closest friends, aren't they? So, I think that it is only fitting that they be the ones feeding you.We wouldn't want you to wake too soon, and try to undermine their beliefs now, would we? After all, things could go bad for them if they starting going back to how they were.Wouldn't want to see them hurt, would you princess?"
Twilight didn't respond. But tears coursed down the closed eyelids of the princess told Starlight that she heard what she had said, and understood.All the same, Starlight spoke in a soothing motherly voice: "Don't worry though princess. Once I have you trained properly your friends will have nothing to fear from me." With that Starlight left the hut. Of course, Twilight was unaware of the time Starlight left.The only thing she knew was she had to bear whatever was going to happen to her. Because she was not going to let Starlight hurt her friends, even though she already had a feeling that Starlight had something terrible in store for her.
Double Diamond asked to see Starlight in her hut.He had questions for her. She was nice enough to Double Diamond though. What she didn't know however, was that he was one of the few ponies in the who missed their cutie marks. But no pony would dare admit it to Starlight's face. They didn't want to be put back into the reformation hut. ESPECIALLY after seeing the treatment Twilight Sparkle was receiving! And once Starlight was finished her training, they would be even more scared. But he acted normal. He said: "Are you sure that you should be doing this to Twilight? Maybe we should let her go."
"Why are you questioning my methods Double Diamond?" Starlight asked "I have good reasons for wanting ALL of Twilight's group to be like us. But she is the most valuable being a princess.But it makes her the most stubborn as well. I will have to use THIS when I let her out the hut tomorrow."
Double Diamond grasped: "A Halter?!! Why?!"
"She will a lot of guidance when she's out. Better to keep her close to me.And I need some information out of her." Starlight said
"What sort of information?" Double Diamond asked
"Nothing you need to worry about. Now go." Starlight said
Double Diamond left Starlight's hut, sure she had gone mad.
In 'Our Town' most mornings were pleasant for everypony. But today even though everypony was smiling they were worried. They saw the horse halter that Starlight Glimmer had held in her magic. Twilight's friends were wondering why Starlight would need such a thing, but they were so committed to their new beliefs that they didn't question it. But Double Diamond and his friends didn't like it. What was Starlight planning? Everypony knew that horse halters had been banished. Things were going too extreme for Double Diamond and his cohorts. Starlight Glimmer went into the reformation hut, she saw Twilight who could just barely open her eyes. The barrel of mushed up food had done it's work, Twilight was weaker. The last container was empty. She smiled and said: "So, how are we feeling today? Are you ready to leave this shack and begin your training Twilight?" The only noises she heard were groans from the weakened princess. Starlight Glimmer removed the tube from Twilight's mouth and asked: "I'm sorry, what did you say?" She regretted that she had, had Twilight fed the sleeping herbs and every container of food. Twilight was barely able to stay awake. She said again: "Are you ready to join our community? If you're not, there's plenty more of the herbs that I put in your food. And will continue to do so if you don't start getting smart."
Twilight was tired and sleepy. But she managed to say in a groggy voice: "Yes. I am willing to start training." This delighted Starlight Glimmer. She said: "Good. I have to put this on you. I want to keep you close to me." She began to put the halter on Twilight. She tried to struggle, but the herbs that were in the tasteless food she was too weak to resist. And of course, the Equal mark didn't help either. She was grateful for the fact that this halter did not have a bit, but it have a lead rope! It was humiliating to say the least, for the young princess. She knew that Starlight Glimmer was going to be her leader for as long as she was in this strange town. When she got out of the shack she noticed that no pony greeted her. They just looked at her. Most did not think that Starlight was right in what she was doing. After all, for a pony who claimed to be 'The Princess of Friendship' was rejecting true friendship! What hurt her most was that her friends were shaking their heads as well, as If they disapproved of how she had been acting. But if anypony could teach her that, it was Starlight Glimmer.
Starlight Glimmer didn't even bother to show her how the town worked. She just took her straight to her shack. Once inside she tied the lead rope to the post of the guess bed and the spare room. Starlight looked at her 'guest' with a very uncomfortable intensity. She did not speak to Twilight for a half hour. That made Twilight worry. What did this tyrant want with her. Meanwhile, the Equal cutie mark continued to glow off and on. Finally Starlight spoke: "You know, you are a curious pony. The only alicorns I know of are Celestia and I have heard of princess Luna's return. So, what makes you so special? Why is there a princess of friendship? You obviously don't know everything about friendship or you would not be trying to resist my teaching of true friendship. You really hurt your friends by not wanting to join them you know."
Twilight just listened. She was practically asleep. Starlight saw this and asked: "Will you answer my questions willingly, or will you continue to be difficult?" Twilight said : "I won't answer your questions." She didn't notice that Starlight had taken a needle out of a box. Starlight said: "I was hoping that you would say that." After saying that she struck the needle in Twilight's flank. She didn't do it none too gently either. It hurt. And it helped to wake up Twilight a little more. She looked at Starlight. Starlight explained: "That is why I tied you with the halter. In case you tried to fight. I didn't realize how sleepy you were. Anyway, you will talking to me and telling me everything that I want to know. You see,the medicine in the needle is a truth serum. You will tell me everything that I want to know about you and who might have trained you." Twilight really didn't want to talk, but the effects of the serum were too strong, and once Starlight started asking questions the answers spilled out. When she got to the part about being Celestia's personal student, Starlight was furious! She started saying how her friend Sunbust left for Celestia's school once he gained a cutie mark.
"I lost a friend because of cutie marks. That's why I started this town. And starting teaching about how equality is better. But would Celestia fight you if she came here?" Twilight said no. And that got Starlight into thinking how she could use Twilight against the princess and her friends should they ever change their minds.
Meanwhile, Double Diamond, Party Favor, and Sugar Belle were meeting secretly at Sugar Belle's restaurant. They didn't like how things were going. Sugar Belle asked: "Why is Starlight using a halter on the princess? Aren't they illegal?"
"From what I heard they are." Double Diamond commented "Problem is though that everypony is afraid of being put back into the reformation shack. That is why they don't say anything."
"But why don't Twilight's friends do anything? Sugar Belle asked
"Because they went through 'special' training too." Double Diamond explained "I don't know exactly what, but I don't like it mates."
"I wish there was a way to get to anypony else who is Twilight's friends." Party Favor remarked "The thing that puzzles me is that she is an alicorn. A pony just doesn't just become an alicorn. I have a feeling that this Twilight has friends in high places. And if I'm right, Starlight might just have bitten off more than she can chew."
The other two ponies didn't say anything, but felt Party Favor was right. Starlight might have been wrong to try and convert these six ponies. They seem to be special for some reason, and if they did have powerful friends Starlight Glimmer was surely in for trouble.
Chapter 3 Spike's worries, Discord's Concern, and princesses plight
When Twilight and the others first left Ponyville Spike didn't mind. After all it meant he had more time for himself without having to do a lot of chores, errands, and other things that cut into his naps. But things started to change when the girls hadn't returned to Ponyville in about a week. It started with Discord arriving at Twilight's castle unannounced, or rather Discord just appearing of thin air and startling young Spike.
"Have you seen Flutttershy lately?" Discord asked "She wasn't at her cottage. And today was the day we were suppose to be having afternoon tea together. Even Angel bunny doesn't know where Fluttershy is at. All he said was that the last place Fluttershy had been was Twilight's new castle. And that she had been gone a week. The other animals confirmed it. I asked them too, so what's going on? Have the girls been having some kind of week long sleepover or something to help strengthen their friendship or what? And if they have I feel as though I should be part of it. After all, I still have much to learn about friendship you know."
As he was talking he was using his magic to hold Spike in the air. It didn't scare the young drake too much, but he was surprised that Discord cared about Fluttershy's feelings. After the Tirek fiasco Spike was still unsure about Discord. But what he said was sort of the same story he had heard from Scootaloo, Sweetie Belle, and Applebloom as well as the rest of the Apple family. Scootaloo hadn't seen Rainbow Dash anywhere around town, Sweetie Belle had to go to Sweet Apple Acres where Applebloom lives because Rarity hadn't returned home for a week either. Applejack'swhole family was wondering where she had disappeared to since it was not like her to go off somewhere without telling them where. Originally, Spike told everypony not to worry, that they were on some kind of mission and would be back soon. But now that a week had gone by without even lettter from Twilight Spike himself was beginning to worry. But something Discord said surprised Spike. So, he asked:
"You can understand non-talking animals?"
"Well I am the spirit of chaos." Discord said in a quite matter-a-fact way "But my question is: do you know where Fluttershy and the others are?"
"No I don't." Spike answered "All I know is that the castle suddenly produced some kind of magical table map and the girls went off to investigate."
Discord just noticed the mysterious table in the middle of the room. He said: "I have lived for centuries, I am older than the princesses you know, and I have neverseen anything like this!" Then he noticed the cutie marks. Not only were they in one place, but most of them had changed to equal marks! "What do you make of this?" he asked pointing out the unusual thing to Spike said he didn't know. but now he was REALLY worried. "We better get Sun and Moon Butts." Discord suggested, Spike agreed, but reminded Discord that he should be more respectful of the princesses. "Oh fine. Don't be a killjoy Spike." And before Spike could say anything else, Discord teleported both of them to Canterlot castle.
Celestia was astonished to say the least when Discord and Spike suddenly appeared in the throne room. Fortunately Celestia was having a lunch break so no pony else saw Discord. That wasn't to say she was pleased by his sudden pop-up.
"Discord! You better have a good excuse for showing up unannounced!" Celestia exclaimed "Don't make me call my guards!"
"Really Tia, I am the spirit of chaos, I could easily take care of your guards. " Discord reminds her matter-of-factly "But I just want to talk to you and Lulu about a most important matter."
Spike who was standing behind Discord says: "He's not joking princess. It involves Twilight and the others!"
Celestia would have dismissed Discord's words if Spike hadn't spoken up.After canceling the rest of the court sessions for the day, she went to wake up Luna. And while not accustomed to getting up a little before sunset, Celestia woke up her sister Luna, who after hearing the strange things happening at Twilight's castle agreed they should go there at once.
Once there they saw the unusual map. "This is something we have never seen before in our lifetime. " Celestia said
"Agreed. " said Luna "The question is 'what is going on?' Because it looks like some pony is using strange magic. For what purpose I don't know. But something tells me that this may not end well. "
Celestia didn't like what Luna had just said, and hated Discord's next words even more: " And you can't send Twilight and the others to investigate because their already there. "
"So, what do we do?" Celestia asked slightly annoyed
"Why not go to the mirror world and ask Sunset Shimmer for help?" Spike suggested
While Celestia was a little nervous about this suggestion, she knew they had no other choice. Luna meanwhile was thinking 'I hope everything works out. Otherwise we may have something worse than Nightmare Moon on our hooves. '
Meanwhile in Our Town
In Starlight Glimmer's shack she was putting Twilight through her final stage of training. Twilight was no longer resisting her and was willingly answering her questions without Starlight having to use her truth serum. The equal mark was stronger now, but Twilight didn't care. Starlight Glimmer's had put Twilight in a trance using a pocket watch. Twilight just sat there listening to Starlight's motherly voice convincing her to let go of the last bit of her personality. "After all, you want to rejoin your friends don't you?" She asks sweetly and gets a nod from Twilight, "Good. And if any pony but me which includes you should get their cutie marks back, you will remember your brother's wedding and trust no pony but me. Any pony who was at your brother's wedding and has a cutie mark is not to be trusted, understand?" This gets a yes. "Good. And you will continue to wear the halter and tell ponies it is to remind yourself to be humble yes?"
"Yes Starlight my master. " was Twilight's response
"Good now get some rest, tomorrow you become part of the community. When I stomp my hoof 3 times you will go to sleep and in the morning act like every pony else, but should your friends return to normal you will only trust me."
With that she stomps her hoof 3 times and Twilight goes to sleep.In the morning Twilight publicly gets her mane cut like the rest of the town, also her tail shortened. She gives the explanation for the halter and her friends are happy. But Double Diamond and his friends are concerned. As well as 3 young fillies in Our Town who had noticed the mane 6's friendship and wondered what would happen next.