This is the story of Starlight Glimmer and her Socialist Revolution in Equestria.
In Equestria, harmony prevails. Earth ponies toil in the fields, pegasi control the weather and serve the homeland, Canterlot lives in luxury, and Princess Celestia once again thanks the Mane Six for saving the country. The Princess of Friendship recently even acquired her own castle. Suddenly, an unexpectedly appearing map sends the friends on a mission to an unusual village. Little did they suspect that the red flags scattered throughout the village were not placed there without reason, and that they had arrived at the beginning of the Socialist Revolution.
The AU tag was added because the story of Sunburst and Starlight's friendship, and subsequently the history of Our Town, differs from the canonical outcome. Additionally, the story suggests that Celestia and Luna were not alicorns from birth.
"That's it! The place on the map!" Twilight pointed to the village below. The friends noticed that all the villagers had gathered by the stage adorned with posters and red flags, where ponies were performing and singing songs. Everyone was cheerfully shouting, whistling, and stomping.
"Wow, looks like they're having a festival there! Let's join them quickly!" Pinkie suggested, already eager to rush down.
"I've never seen so many red flags!" Rarity observed. "Oh, we are completely unprepared for festive events! I didn't bring a single dress!" the unicorn panicked.
"Relax, Rarity! It's not the Grand Galloping Gala: I don't see any ponies in dresses," Rainbow reassured her.
"Girls, don't forget: we need to understand why the map sent us here!" Applejack reminded them of the purpose of their visit.
"At least, I'm glad we won't have to fight another monster. I still get chills when I remember Tirek," Fluttershy shivered.
"Well, I wouldn't mind a good fight. But if the map sent us here to relax as a reward for all our deeds, I'm all for it!" the rainbow pegasus replied.
"When are we going there?" Pinkie was burning with impatience.
"Girls, please, let's calm down!" Twilight attracted the attention of her friends. "We don't exactly know why the map sent us here. So, we need to stick together until we figure everything out."
"Okay!" the friends agreed, and they started descending to the village.
Taking a closer look, Twilight noticed golden equal signs on the red banners. "I've never seen such symbols. I wonder what they mean?" the alicorn pondered, unaware of how their visit would end.
***
Our friends approached the crowd near the stage unnoticed, where a musical group had just finished their performance. The ponies enthusiastically stomped their hooves, bidding farewell to their favorite band as the musicians left the stage. Then, the hostess appeared.
"With that, the musical part of our festival has come to an end. Let's thank our comrades for participating in the concert once again!" the violet unicorn suggested. The audience supported her with thunderous applause.
"But before we move on to the second part of our festive program, I have an important announcement for you!" declared the hostess, capturing the attention of all the residents of the equality village.
"What does Starlight Glimmer want to say? What is our leader going to talk about?" the ponies whispered to each other.
"So, comrades! Since childhood, we have been taught that Harmony reigns among the three pony races as long as we are ruled by the wise Princess Celestia. But we know the truth: it's all a lie! While almost all the Earth ponies work on farms all day, and pegasi monitor the weather and the safety of the country, unicorns from famous noble families live in luxury in Canterlot and throw parties every day at our expense. While the princess talks about the well-being of all ponies, Fancy Pants and other close ponies to the throne become richer every day!
"It's unfair! These arrogant scoundrels don't deserve their wealth!" shouted from the crowd.
"Moreover, recent events have shown that Celestia cannot ensure our safety without the help of the Elements of Harmony. Six ponies risk their lives every time for Equestria, protecting the country and Ponyville, while Celestia sits in the throne room. But what if they lose one day?! Who will protect us then?! Discord?! Entrusting our safety to the spirit of chaos was the most irresponsible decision by the princess! If Tirek hadn't betrayed Discord, Twilight Sparkle and her friends would have had no chance of winning. But what infuriates me the most is that, aside from temporary magic deprivation, Discord faced no punishment for his betrayal! Do our lives mean nothing to Celestia? " Starlight asked.
"No! Down with Celestia!" the ponies replied.
"Furthermore, the princesses themselves are to blame for almost all the attacks: instead of killing villains on the spot, they prefer to imprison their enemies in stone, in ice, in Tartarus, or on the moon. But a thousand years have passed, and the villains have returned. And if, in the case of Nightmare Moon, there was a chance to free Princess Luna from the forces of darkness, then the so-called 'mercy' towards powerful villains almost ruined us! The leader's duty is to make difficult but necessary decisions for the safety of the country! But Tirek is back in Tartarus, and Discord is still free. Can we allow these villains to threaten our safety again?
"No!"
"Can we trust a princess who should have retired a long time ago?
"No!"
"Will we allow the noble unicorns to profit from our labor?
"No!"
"Do we need a monarchy?
"No!"
"How about a Soviet republic, where everyone will be equal?
"Yes!"
"Do we need to reform the entire socio-economic and political system of Equestria?
"Yes!"
"Are you ready for a revolution?
"Yes!" everyone shouted in unison.
Only the six friends stood in shock. The heroes of Equestria were facing for the first time the fact that ordinary ponies not only criticized Princess Celestia's rule but also wanted to overthrow her as a tyrant. The friends wanted to argue with the villagers, to tell them they were mistaken, that Celestia wasn't evil, that she did everything for the safety of ponies, and that there was no racial inequality in Equestria. But then, the friends realized that Starlight was telling the truth: the families of Apple and Pie worked all day, while the unicorns of Canterlot threw parties every day. The crises that threatened Ponyville and Equestria were deadly serious. Discord did betray everyone and faced no punishment. All the villains, except Chrysalis, were already defeated by the princesses a thousand years ago but nearly took over Equestria again. Even a loyal student decided to question her mentor upon returning.
"Girls, I understand why the map sent us here. We must stop this madness!" Twilight addressed her friends with a subdued voice.
"But for now, let's wait for the end of the event, listen to the entire speech, and later, we'll find out from Starlight Glimmer herself how Princess Celestia offended her!" Twilight decided. The friends silently nodded in agreement.
"Even if Celestia made a couple of mistakes, it's no reason to incite a rebellion against her!" Princess of Friendship was indignant, but with sheer willpower, she remained outwardly composed.
Meanwhile, Starlight continued:
"So, I'm happy to announce, comrades, that we, the Revolutionary Elements, have found a way to end racial inequality! Newly arrived, meet my friends!" ponies started appearing on the stage, as Starlight called them. Their appearance was accompanied by thunderous stomping.
"Party Favor – the element of laughter!"
A light blue unicorn with a blue mane and tail, and a badge featuring a dog made of balloon shapes, somersaulted onto the stage from behind the curtains.
"Happiness and laughter – for everyone!" Party Favor teleported red balloons with the equality symbol to each pony using his magic. Joyful ponies immediately released them into the air.
"Night Glider – the element of loyalty!"
Suddenly, a dark blue pegasus with a white mane and tail, and a badge featuring a crescent surrounded by two curved feathers, dived straight onto the stage.
"I serve not princesses but Equestria!" the flyer proudly proclaimed.
"Sugar Belle – the element of generosity!"
Smiling, a light pink unicorn with a violet mane and tail, and a badge featuring a cupcake with a cherry on top, came out from behind the curtains.
"No rich, no poor!" Sugar Belle declared.
"Double Diamond – the element of honesty!"
An earth pony with a white coat, mane, and tail, and a badge featuring three blue snowflakes, turned to the audience.
"It's time to expose the lies of the princesses!" Double Diamond called.
"Sunburst – the element of kindness!"
On the stage appeared a yellow unicorn with an orange mane and tail, and a badge featuring a disc with rays of magic.
"You shouldn't abandon friends in need!" Sunburst declared.
"And Starlight Glimmer – the element of magic!" the five friends pointed their hooves at the hostess.
"With the help of an enhanced spell, Star Swirl, combining the magic of the ancient Pillars of Equestria for the alicornization of Celestia and Luna, and the magic of our friendship, not inferior in strength to the faithful princesses' Elements of Harmony, you, our comrades, can become alicorns! I'm not talking about superpowers or immortality. I'm talking about universal equality: all ponies will be able to fly and use magic. The titles of noble unicorns and princesses will be a thing of the past. And we will be liberated from the shackles of the old regime! Let the revolution begin!" Starlight proclaimed, and under the joyful cheers of the crowd, she pulled out a scroll with the spell.
"What are they talking about? Celestia and Luna became alicorns thanks to Star Swirl? Elements of Harmony can represent not only us? Can their friendship magic compare to ours? Who are they? Can they turn us into alicorns?" the friends asked Twilight. But the Princess of Friendship herself was in shock.
Meanwhile, the friends on stage hugged each other. Suddenly, they rose into the air: a sphere of pure energy enveloped them, and their eyes shone with a bright white light.
"Always dreamed of seeing us from this perspective!" enthusiastically commented Rarity.
"But this is impossible! Only we can do that!" exclaimed Rainbow Dash.
Suddenly, a beam of rainbow magic passed through the scroll with the spell of ‘enhanced alicornization, ‘ after which a rainbow wave swept through the village, dazzling everyone for a moment.
"What happened? Girls, are you okay?" Twilight asked, focusing her vision. And when her sight was restored, the princess saw her friends. She almost fainted: like all the villagers, her friends became alicorns.
"What?! How is this possible?" Twilight's scream was louder than the admiring exclamations of the villagers. Immediately, all ponies stared at the princess and froze. For a couple of seconds, complete silence reigned, until Starlight Glimmer, also transformed into an alicorn, ordered:
"Seize the infiltrators!" ordered Starlight Glimmer, magically shooting at Twilight. The Princess of Friendship didn't have time to react; the beam struck her. The alicorn froze in the air, wincing in pain as the cutie mark detached from her side. The separated cutie mark of Twilight a flew away, replaced by the equality mark. Meanwhile, the villagers attacked the rest of the friends, quickly knocking them down and tying them up. Only Rainbow Dash managed to take flight, but Starlight hit her with her magic, depriving her of her talent.
When the entire group of friends was securely tied and stripped of their cutie marks, the ponies stepped aside, making way for their leader.
"So, heroes of Equestria, bearers of the Elements of Harmony. Welcome to Our Town! Sorry for the cold welcome, but that's how we greet spies. Confess: did Princess Celestia send you? How much does she know about us?" Starlight began the interrogation.
"I won't tell you anything! Slander, rebellion against Celestia, the abduction of cutie marks, our capture, turning all ponies into alicorns without prior permission — you've crossed all boundaries!" Twilight responded hostily. "Be sure: if I don't contact Celestia today, she'll come for us with a large army! If you don't want trouble, untie us and return our cutie marks!" demanded the princess.
"Thou art not in a position to give orders! Furthermore, thou art likely bluffing. Issuing a warning about reinforcements so that we may depart the village is folly. You've likely stumbled upon our village during another mission. And now thou desirest to escape and inform Celestia about us, correct?" Inquired Starlight menacingly. Looking at the frightened princess, Starlight was convinced that she was right.
"That's what I thought! We've taken all precautions so that the princesses didn’t find out about us ahead of time. While your appearance in the village today is very suspicious, it's nice to know we don't have to run. So, what's your mission? We also possess the power of the elements and can help you!" Starlight offered.
Twilight sighed and decided to tell the whole truth:
"Actually, we were indeed sent to you. But not by Princess Celestia; it was the map of the Friendship Castle that guided us. We didn't know what awaited us, and until this day, we hadn't heard anything about your movement. Only upon arrival did I realize that the Tree of Harmony sent us to reason with you!" the princess replied.
"To reason? No, you will soon understand that you serve a tyrant!" promised the leader of the revolution.
"But I don't understand: how could you use the Harmony elemental magic to turn everyone into alicorns?! You are not connected to the Tree of Harmony to possess such power! How didst thou even manage to infiltrate the secret section of Canterlot Castle's library, pilfer and enhance Star Swirl's spell to bring forth a novel species?" Twilight, forgetting her fear, began to ask.
"Thou thyself ascended to the status of an alicorn, rectifying the spell of Star Swirl. From those same sealed archives, I discovered that the Tree of Harmony was planted by the Pillars of Harmony.While you used the amulet-conductors to use the magic of the ancient defenders of Equestria to fight threats, I developed a spell to unleash our inner power. Together with my friends, I discovered the magic of the Elements within ourselves. That's how we exposed the greatest deception of Princess Celestia, making both you and the entire country believe that only you can use the powers of the Elements of Harmony, and only with the trinkets to save the country from villains." Starlight declared.
"But Celestia probably just doesn't know about this!" suggested the faithful apprentice.
Starlight looked at Twilight as if she had said something foolish.
"Seriously? After the Elements of Harmony banished Celestia's sister to the moon, do you think your mentor, in a thousand years, hasn't studied them? And doesn't it seem strange to you that a day before Nightmare Moon's return, she entrusted you with organizing the Summer Sun Celebration in Ponyville, where all responsible positions were taken by your future friends? And when Nightmare Moon appeared, all ponies, even the timid Fluttershy, went with you to search for the mythical Elements of Harmony in the Everfree Forest without the company of scientists, guides, or guards. To go against the Mistress of Eternal Night, as if only you can save Equestria? What were you thinking?" Starlight addressed the entire group.
"About adventures!" confessed Pinkie.
"The Wonderbolts must protect Equestria at any cost. Even back then, before I even entered the academy, I was brave enough to challenge the villain!" replied Rainbow Dash.
"I was thinking about family; I needed to get Celestia back and raise the sun as soon as possible so that our harvest wouldn't be lost," recounted Applejack.
"Yes, I was scared! But eternal night threatened my animals. And, to my surprise, I decided to join my friends," Fluttershy revealed.
"I'll be honest, back then, I had the silliest motive: I wanted to confront Nightmare Moon because I was afraid no one would ever see my outfits in the dark again," Rarity confessed.
"I primarily thought about saving Celestia. Although now I admit that my plan was... less than ideal," Princess Twilight admitted.
"Less than ideal?! It was just idiocy! To venture into the dangerous forest with six ponies for mythical artifacts, challenging Nightmare Moon herself. You were lucky she was under Celestia's hypnosis!
"What?!" the friends exclaimed.
"Though I have no proof, everything looks logical: why did Nightmare Moon, instead of directly attacking you, set obstacles, during which you demonstrated your qualities? And supposedly shattering the Elements of Harmony, she didn't kill Twilight immediately, as if deliberately giving time to comprehend everything?" Starlight asked.
"Yes, that's right! But how do you know all the details?" Princess of Friendship wondered.
"Working on Star Swirl's spells opens up many possibilities!" Glimmer evasively replied. "So, let's continue! Didn't Princess Celestia know that her sister would return soon? Why was she sure the villain wouldn't kill you? How did it happen that the ponies responsible for organizing the celebration became not only your friends but also fearless heroes of Equestria representing the Elements of Harmony? Why did you rush into the forest alone?" Starlight continued.
The questions from the communist made Twilight ponder. She remembered how Celestia entrusted her to find friends, said she foresaw Nightmare Moon's return, and knew that her student would defeat her with the help of friends.
"Are you saying our victory over Nightmare Moon was staged?" trembling, Twilight suggested.
"Exactly! Celestia needed you to activate the power of the Elements of Harmony to save her sister. I'm sure the princess not only arranged your meeting but also used hypnosis to make you venture into the Everfree Forest to save Equestria, while Nightmare Moon would unconsciously hinder you instead of a direct attack. This way, Celestia saved her sister and found heroes. Why do you need to know that not only you can wield the Elements, that they can be used not only against villains? You're doing great with her assignments, defenders of Equestria. And Harmony magic experiments like ours aren't needed for Celestia when the entire country has lived in the grip of lies, stagnation, and darkness for a thousand years!" Starlight declared.
"That's not true! Even if Princess Celestia orchestrated our friendship, even if we became heroes, and I became a princess only thanks to her help, even if she hides some knowledge from us: I trust my mentor. She cares about us and will never cause harm without reason!" Twilight stated.
"Really?! Sorry, Comrade Glimmer, for interrupting, but can we talk to the former friend?" four ponies emerged from the crowd. Twilight gasped; she met her old friends from Canterlot. "I don't even remember their names!" she suddenly realized.
"Of course!" Starlight gave way to the alicorn with red-maned glasses and a violet stripe, with a cutie mark in the form of a crescent moon and three stars.
"Do you remember me? I'm Moon Dancer, your desk neighbor. I considered you my best friend! But not only did you not come to my party, you also betrayed me. Became a hero, moved to another city, and forgot about me. I was waiting for your letter of apology, but it never came. I read in the newspapers about your exploits and cried. I isolated myself from the outside world and focused entirely on my studies. But one day, Starlight found me and interviewed me. And after its completion, she led me to the only true conclusion: that in one night, finding friends, saving Equestria, and radically changing your life, forgetting friends from Canterlot, you could only do under hypnosis.
"No! That's not true! Celestia couldn't do that! She just didn't know that I had friends. It's my fault; I forgot about you!" Twilight scolded herself.
"Your only fault is that you didn't come to my party three years ago. But don't take the blame for amnesia! Think for yourself: why did Celestia not just allow you to stay in Ponyville but ordered you to study friendship and send her reports, even though she could have simply asked you to keep a diary? She controlled every step you took, and you never even thought about it! For the sake of a timely report, you even artificially created a friendship problem."
Twilight listened in silence to Moon Dancer's arguments. More and more questions about her mentor were accumulating in her mind.
"Now remember how you became a princess! You fixed Star Swirl's spell that Celestia sent you. But you forgot that your friends followed a false cutie mark all day while you blamed yourself. Fluttershy almost left Ponyville. Regardless of anyone, Celestia did everything to make you a princess. And I'll never forgive her for that!" with this promise, Moon Dancer stepped aside, giving way to Starlight again.
"Don't be so sad, Princess. The story of Sunset Shimmer is much more tragic. You already know her story. Join us, Twilight, and help your teacher see the mistakes!" the leader of the revolution suggested.
"You won't turn us against Celestia: we will always be loyal to her! Right, Twilight?" Rainbow looked at her friend, but she remained silent, lowering her head, only occasionally glancing at her friends.
"And give back our cutie marks!" demanded Applejack.
"If I return them, I'll have to leave you tied up. We can't allow your escape.
"Villains, let us go: you won't be able to keep us prisoner forever!" protested Rainbow.
Starlight sighed.
"I know you don't approve of our methods. But if you're determined to fight for Celestia, we can't let you go. Besides, there's a faint hope that the princesses will compromise: agree to limit their power, let us form a new government, and start extensive reforms. Then the revolution will be peaceful, and only the wallets of the rich ponies will suffer. But it's unlikely that we can negotiate with Celestia without your help. Therefore, we hope that you will think carefully about everything and make the right choice, our future comrades!" Starlight, unexpectedly for everyone, cast a spell and freed the main six.
"I’m sorry that for our safety we had to tie you up. Now you are free within the city. And don't try to escape: without cutie marks, with a spell to track you, you have no chance. But don’t be upset, but rather join the celebration! May the celebrations in honor of the fifth anniversary of Our City continue!" Starlight proclaimed.
Will socialism come to Equestria through civil war or peacefully?
So, dear readers! As you know from the tags, I am planning to unleash a civil war in Equestria between the communists and the Daybreaker, who has awakened due to a combination of unfavorable external and internal circumstances. But one comrade suggested that I consider the peaceful arrival of socialism in Equestria thanks to the fact that Starlight would work through propaganda and promote the ideas of socialism using the example of her village-commune, enlisting the support of first the Princess of Friendship, and then her mentor. Unlike the first scenario, the peaceful version of the story will focus on Starlight's socialist reforms and her new approach to security, which will prevent future attacks from villains. In general, I'm not against both approaches to history, but I'm interested in hearing your opinion. Feedback with explanations of your choice is welcome.
So, I'm waiting for your answer to the question: do you want to see the Equestria of Universal Equality fanfiction as:
a) a story about a civil war due to the internal and external problems of Equestria;
b) the story of the construction of heaven on earth thanks to the cooperation between Starlight and the princesses.
I'm waiting for your answers!
P.S. If you choose the second option, the first chapters will be rewritten, and tags corresponding to gore, death and violence will be removed.
