I stood there, staring at the wasteland before my eyes. The heavy wind, the sand, the way my mane and tail swayed violently against the strong gust that blew from the western shores. What was in front of me now was not Equestria, heck it wasn’t even anything close to civilization or remotely so. What I stared at now was a sandbox, a giant kitty litter that seemed to be bereft of all life. All life except, the ones that now stood in this windy desert.
Many emotions swivelled in me. The strongest of them all being denial, disbelief, and anger. The blithering nonsense I had been told that a single group of mares friendship mattered this much to a nation, that could bring such a horrid outcome as this was ludicrous. Laughable. I would not believe it, I could not believe it. It was nonsense. Simply nonsense.
“Where are we?!” I pivoted on a hoof turning towards the very mare and her friend that had ruined everything. Taken it all from me, in a mere few days.
“The future...or rather the present” Twilight said in a sullen voice, as she placed a hoof gently on the map.
Lies! I mentally screamed. Nothing but lies! I moved forward, if only a few steps looking around as the wind continued to play with our manes, her dragon friend watching my movement with a sad expression on his face.
“But...there’s nothing here” I said clearly voicing my disbelief.
“I wish I could say I was surprised” the alicorn said. The sincerity in her voice was not lost on me. “But every world I come back to is worst than the last.” Her expression dropping to a pained look.
“I don’t know why my friends and I are so important to Equestria, but we are” she said placing a hoof on her chest.
Fear, struck me. That this. This, was what I had brought. What my actions had wrought on the world when all I wanted to do was hurt the one who had ruined it all for me.
No, I thought with defiance. Lies. This isn’t true. “I don’t believe you!” I said pointing an accusatory hoof at her.
“Cmon Starlight look around!” the baby dragon said with urgence.
I did. Turning around to turn my gaze back at this barren wasteland that Twilight ‘said’ was Equestria.
“Like I said. Everything in the past affects the future. Even the tiniest act. And what you’re doing” she said with a sullen look as her ears wilted to the sides of her head. “Leads here.”
No.
“I know I can’t stop you.”
This is a lie, I thought with defiance as I could feel the full weight of how lifeless this world looked hit me. This isn’t real.
Faintly I could hear Twilight’s voice still talking to me as I stared at this world that she “claimed” was Equestria.
“But I thought showing you this might change your mind.”
There it was. The truth. This wasn’t Equestria. She’s tricking me, trying to get me to concede to her lies so that I’ll stop. This is all just an illusion!
My face contorted in anger, mixed with surprise. Slowly, I turned to her letting all the denial, all the rage do the talking for me. “Change my mind?!” I said barely reaching a shout.
“You don’t know anything about me! I was perfectly happy before you and your friends, ruined everything that I’d built!” I snarled.
Twilight raised a hoof defensively, the dragon looking just as worried as she was, by my statement.
“I don’t know what lead you to build a world without cutie marks. But I’m sorry my friends and I had to take it away” she said with a genuine apologetic look on her face.
I stared at her for few seconds, amazed by the simple audacity she had to tell me. Me! She was sorry for what she and her friends did. Ruining my life. Taking it all away from me, and she expected a simple sorry to undo it all.
I gritted my teeth, rage coursing through my body as I allowed energy to flow into my horn and lift me off the ground and on to the map.
“You want to know what happened to me?!” I yelled. “I’ll SHOW YOU!”
Starswirl’s Spell activated, we were pulled into the wormhole. And sent towards the designated time I had chosen to reveal my past.
It was there I showed her and the dragon, how I lost the one close friend I had ever had. Sunburst. It was there she learned why I hated cutie-marks and why I could never accept them in my life.
It was then I had decided equality was the only way.
The portal dropped us back into Cloudsdale. The dragon and alicorn that had been pursuing me, now knew of my past. Now knew why I would never accept the way of cutie marks. But I still refused to believe what they had shown me.
“You don’t know what it’s like to lose a friend. To lose a friend because they were moving on up in the world, and leaving you behind, all because of a stupid cutie mark. You can’t expect me to believe that Equestria is doomed without you and your friends. Nopony deserves to be that important.
“And unless I’m proven wrong! I won’t stop trying to stop the Sonic Rainboom. So you can try and stop me, we can do this over, and over and over again Twilight. But I, will never stop till you give up. Or maybe” I said lifting Starswirl’s scroll up in my magic. “I’ll end this right now. Right here, put an end to this merry-go-round, once and for all.”
Unfolding the scroll, I let a small rip crack through.
“Wait!” Twilight begged. I stopped, staring at her with a grin. The look of fear in her eyes was just what she deserved for ruining my life.
The alicorn stared at me in silence for a few seconds, a look of pity and fear mixing into her eyes and facial expression before her lips curled into a determined frown.
“Fine” she said. “I’ll show you what happens when you get rid of the Sonic Rainboom and destroy our friendship. Maybe after you see what happens, you’ll learn just how horrible what you’re doing is.”
Taking the scroll from me, Twilight’s magic tapped the scroll and then came Starswirl’s portal. Wrapping a hoof around me with her foreleg and bringing the dragon close to her side, with her magic we were lifted off the ground and carried into the portal.
Where I would come face-to-face with the lies she would throw at me next.
We landed on the ground. The cutie map, right beneath us.
Standing up I looked around a grin forming on my face as I stared at all the trees and slightly uprooted rocks that surrounded us.
“See?” I said with a confident grin. “Equestria is fine.”
The dragon spoke next, his voice uneasy as he pointed off into the distance with a shaky claw. “Um...I’d restate that statement.”
Following his claw I turned to see...a giant centaur laying waste to the forest. His powerful beam of magic shaking the very ground we stood on.
My eyes widened. Terror, grabbed at me with it’s cold fingers, trying to pull me into the abyss as I stared at the large centaur everypony, everyone knew about.
“T-Tirek...” I stammered, my voice shaky, my legs feeling ready to give way any second.
“W-What’s he doing out of Tartarus?!” I asked in both anger and fear.
Twilight stared at me her frown still on her face, as she sat by my side with her dragon companion. “Without my friend’s cutie marks, when Tirek escaped he was able to gain all the necessary magic he needed to crush Equestria.
“Without my friends and I there to stop him. This was the only outcome, the only solution that this would lead up to.”
Another explosion of powerful magic occurred behind me as I heard the dark voice of the centaur laugh in glory at the ruin he now brought upon the very soil. I simply stared at Twilight’s unyielding expression in shock.
This is another illusion. I told myself. “This can’t be real.”
“Of course this is real Starlight!” the baby dragon yelled at me to my surprise. “Look around!” he said as a beam of light flew past us and slammed into the ground. Ripples of dust, dirt and stone flying past us, and in the process causing the three of us to huddle together for a brief moment, only for my anger and denial to return and split us apart.
Lies. “I don’t believe you” I said. Another blast, stronger than before. It ripped trees off their very roots without even the need of the giant centaur to kick them.
The dragon slammed a claw to his face, grimacing. Twilight sighed, she sounded tired. But I did not care. If we ended up doing this for the rest of our lives then she’d better get used to it because this, wasn’t going to convince me one bit.
“Fine” she said. Taking the scroll in her magic, she hit it once more with a beam of orchid aura, Starswirl’s portal opened once more and we were all sucked up into it.
As we were I looked down only to see the shadow of the centaur’s hoof land on the map, where we had all been moments ago.
I felt a part of my doubt break in the process along with the map if it had even survived such a weight on it. Looking up once more I could see a light ahead waiting for us to reach it. I braced myself.
I will not be swayed so easily.
The portal dropped us into a town. And when we emerged on this map I looked around. Ponies everywhere were working hard to rebuild certain homes. Some looking as though giant chomps had been taken from them, in a quick hurry. The place was a mess, pieces of wood scattered all over. Stands where food should be no longer existed, and other inanimate objects missing from the small town.
“Where are we?” I said, determination, yet uncertainty seeping into my voice as one.
The dragon looked around. “It...It looks like Ponyville.”
Twilight’s eyes widened in disbelief. “W-What?” she said with concern. “That can’t be right. That can’t be right at all.”
She looked around. Half the homes that had been there were missing. The only things filling the spots people worked were construction sites. Everypony offering a hoof to help rebuild whatever had caused all the destruction of this town.
I didn’t like this. My feeling of denial seeming to die down now as I stared at all the tired faces of everypony that passed us by without even waving or smiling.
“Applejack!” The dragon said rushing towards an orange mare, dragging a cart full of supplies with her. The mare stopped and stared at the dragon with a confused and slightly frightened look. “D-Do Ah know you?”
The dragon stopped, realizing that this wasn’t his Ponyville. “N-No. I suppose not” he said with a sullen look.
I winced. The sad expression the child held, pulled on me but I forced it down within. I will not be swayed.
“Applejack!” Twilight said running up to her. “What happened here?” she asked with concern, but strangely enough the mare gave her a rather dark look.
“Oh...it’s you.”
Twilight stopped, sensing the look she was receiving. “W-What do you mean?”
“Ah mean, you and your friend over there caused us all this mess!” she yelled with fury. Twilight’s ears wilted in shock.
“Applejack what are you saying?”
“Ah’m talkin’ ‘bout the mess you gone and put us in! You moved into Ponyville a few weeks ago, with that there friend of yours and a few days later, we all had ourselves here a little problem with bloatsprites that needed solving.”
Twilight’s eyes widened in horror. “That’s right. You’re friend over there convinced you to use a spell on the bloatspries, and ever since then it’s been a living hell. Everyday the bloatsprites come back. And everyday we all have to fix the city up.
“We can’t solve the problem because they’ve multiplied so much there’s not a book left from here to Stalliongard that could tell us what we needed to do to stop this problem.
“We’re running out of wood. Winter’s becoming tough on us nowadays, and soon enough we won’t be able to stock our food supply when the shelter keeps getting eaten by those dong gone vermits!” she said slamming her hoof in rage.
“Now if you don’t mind. I’m leaving! I’ve got me some work to do.” And with that I watched in silence, shocked by the display as a group of ponies cast me and Twilight dark glares, on their way to fix a store.
The dragon moved over to her and gently patted the mare’s back. “It’s okay Twilight. We’ll fix this, she can’t stay this way forever” he said shooting me a glare. I couldn’t even dare to counter it with my own with what I just heard.
I watched, as the young alicorn sniffed, wrapping a wing around her friend. “Thanks Spike.” Getting up and turning to me Twilight, wiped away the rest of her tears then fixed me with a sorrowful stare.
“Now do you see?” she asked hopefully. “Do you see what-”
A bell rung. The ringing was so loud that it echoed throughout the entire empty town, as all the neighboring residents seem to froze with what I could only assume was fear.
“The Bloatsprites are back! Defend the houses! Defend anything you can salvage! Hid it all!” a voice bellowed. And then there was chaos. Screams filled the day as everypony grabbed their child holding something and immediately stuck it into the ground.
I watched with confusion and shock as some stallions even began ripping their own toilets out of the ground and digging holes frantically to hide underneath, to protect their merchandise.
It was chaos. And I had somehow played a hand in bringing it on as Applejack had so clearly pointed out.
Then suddenly I heard it. The buzzing of a massive swarm emerged from the Everfree forest, and I watched that swarm grow closer and closer towards the city.
The screams grew louder. I was confused, I could now see Twilight frantically biting her lip as she watched the swarm grow nearer and nearer, her horn was glowing but the dragon stopped her from doing anything.
Then the wave hit. I watched, the very clothing get eaten off of ponies. Some of the bloatsprites even ripping some hairs off in the process. Houses were eaten, children screamed. Furniture, handy supplies, stores. All of it. I watched in horror as everything slowly began to diminish before my very eyes.
And I had played a role in it. My face contorted with confusion, fear, denial now very weak but still present. This can’t be happening. This just can’t be happening!
I felt a tug on my forehoof and looked down the baby dragon was glaring at me. “You see what your actions will cause in the end! Stop this madness Starlight! Let things just happen!”
I heard more screams and shut my eyes. A shudder. No, this was wrong. This was all wrong, I never wanted this. Who would? This was a lie. I can’t believe this. I didn’t cause this. There’s no way six mares could mean this much to a world.
Instinct kicked in, I felt energy flow into my horn and strike the map in the dragon’s claw. The portal opened. And we were sucked up into the air. The last thing I heard was the scream of a filly yelling: “Why.”
I landed roughly on the ground. The world smelled foul. Slowly rising to my hooves I looked around, only to see what looked like splotches of blood littering the ground. I panicked.
My short lived scare was destroyed when I heard a bark of commands just a few feet from me.
A group of pegasi who looked both tired and worn from what I could only assume to be battle, took off in the direction of the dark clouds that hung over the distance of Canterlot castle.
The world stunk of smoke, sung with the cries of war that went on in the far off distance, and choked me with the smell of blood and potions that had been drawn for this battle.
My legs shook. I felt weak, I couldn’t stand anymore. Falling to my haunches, staring at the large form of the crystal empire in front of me. I could feel a very small lump rise in my throat.
“What happened here?” I asked silently, as I heard the clopping of hooves approach me.
“Sombra happened” Twilight said.
“Sombra?” I asked incredulously but Twilight’s inexpressiveness destroyed any disbelief I held.
“I guess you don’t need me to tell you why it’s so important that you stop this” Twilight said.
I continued to stare off in the distance, watching the explosions and listening to the cries that echoed off in the distance and back to my ears.
I simply couldn’t believe it. It was all too much to take in. Was this a form of my punishment? Was I being punished for things I never meant to happen?
My eyes began to burn but I ignored them. I would not cry. I could not cry. Not now. Swallowing the rising lump in my throat I turned to Twilight, feeling tired myself now having seen enough.
Twilight gave me a weak smile. An expectant smile, hoping that I had finally come to see the light in the wrongness of my actions.
“One more.” Her smile faded into a shocked look. “One more” I repeated. My voice shaky, all denial was gone now, but I still felt that if this was my punishment, I needed to see one more to fully convince me that this all wasn’t a lie.
The dragon looked at Twilight from his seat on her back with a raised brow and worried look. Twilight gave out a long sigh, before she nodded.
“The map Spike.” Spike did as such, drawing the map out of his bag and holding it for her to see.
Twilight’s horn glowed orchid, then shot the map with a glow.
Another explosion exploded in the direction of the large crystalline structure miles away. And then I heard something, only to see that thing land before me inches away from where I stood. A giant crystal blade lay embedded in the ground a couple of inches, feet more so away from me.
My legs buckled over. I stared in disbelief. I had almost died just now. I looked over to Twilight and Spike only to see that they were now floating towards the portal with it slowly sucking me up.
Once inside, my near death experience slowly evaporated. But would not be forgotten.
I awaited what would be our final destination.
I landed, alone now. I was back at my village. Taking slow steps towards the village I could see, the faces of a few ponies chatting together look at me. I froze, expecting a riot of sorts for my actions. But nothing happened.
I opened an eye, slowly just to get a peek. Double Diamond and several other ponies were smiling. “Welcome back Starlight! How was your trip?”
“My trip?” I asked with confusion.
“Your trip” they all said in unison.
I felt strange. Awkward almost. “I- I thought you were all mad at me. For what I did.”
Double Diamond moved forward and gently placed a hoof on my shoulder. “Why would I be mad at you Diamond? We’re all equal after all.”
He turned, and I got a glimpse of his flank. The equality cutie mark, it was there. Present instead of his own cutie mark. Joy shot through me.
I felt like gasping but held my tongue. This wasn’t as bad as the others, this was my dream come true. It felt so right.
This was real. This was what I had always dreamed of. But why did it feel wrong at the same time? I began walking through the town. Each pony waving a hoof at me with the same smile, the same look of joy in their eyes having accepted every pony was equal.
I felt happy. But I didn’t at the same time. What’s wrong? Why wasn’t I enjoying this as much as I should be?
“Starlight!”
I turned to face the voice, Party Favor rushed over to me with a worried look on his face. “It’s a new pony! He’s come to our village but refuses to accept the equality mark.”
I merely grinned. “Bring him to me.”
Of all the punishments I could receive, why did it have to be this one. Before me was not a stallion I did not know, but a unicorn I could never forget.
Sunburst, my friend. The only friend I had in the world, now stood before me with a look of defiance in his eyes. He’d grown so much, so handsomely. If only I-
I shook my head quickly clearing myself of the thoughts. Of the questions that filled me, why he had left, why he never wrote back. I ignored it all. I had a job to do.
“Hello Sunburst” I said with a forced smile. “What brings you to my humble home.”
He didn’t say anything. He just stared at me. Watching me like I was something he didn’t know or understand. I felt hurt, just like when he left. It was like he was driving a knife into my back all over again by the simple look in his eyes.
“What have you done?” he said after a few moments of silence.
Starlight frowned. Clapping my forehooves together I ordered everypony save for the stallion to leave us be, this instant. The group complied and in unison they all left with an arranged march, never missing a beat even their hooves sinking perfectly as they left the room. It made the earlier feeling of uneasiness I felt return.
When they were gone I stared at Sunburst, he stared back. His eyes looked at me like I was a different pony. Like I had changed.
“What?” I said with spite.
“You know what” Sunburst said.
“You know what I don’t! I don’t know what! In fact since we’re talking about what, what happened with you?!” I yelled, years of pain rushing to the surface. “What happened when you got your cutie mark? You just up and left, never wrote back, never visited, never checked up on me. Even though I was your best friend.”
“I’m sorry Starlight but I didn’t mean to leave you like that. I just got busy. Celestia’s school for gifted unicorns isn’t all fun and games you know?” I scoffed, loudly.
“Yeah right.” Silence passed. Sunburst broke it in a few seconds speaking again.
“So what’s this about Equality? I hear groups of ponies have been taking the cutie marks away from other ponies. Making them feel weak, making them feel a lesser version of themselves. Starlight you do understand that a cutie mark is-”
“A cutie mark is what drove us apart!” I screamed, he took a defensive step back at my reaction, but regained his stance after he stared at me for a few seconds. Taking in my features.
“So that’s it?” he asked.
I felt my blood run cold. What’s that supposed to mean? “What’s that supposed to mean?” I asked coolly with an edge in my voice.
“You’re ripping ponies of their cutie marks because of what happened? Starlight I’m sorry. I never meant to hurt you like that. But I got busy, you even got busy when I went back home to visit you. Your family told me you’d left the village and I never learned where you went. We both got busy, ponies grow apart it’s a part of life!”
My anger faltered but held strong. “I know that!” I said trying to defend myself. “I just. It just hurt, I trusted you and you broke my heart.”
Silence passed. Seconds I'm sure but to me it felt like minutes. Hours almost. And every second or minute that passed I felt like I was suffocating in the space of my room.
“Come with me” Sunburst said, gently taking me by my fetlock, leading me towards the doors.
“Where are we going?”
“You’ll see” he said. Opening the door just a crack he pointed down towards the group of ponies huddled in a circle not too far away from the door.
“What’s going on?” I asked. He motioned for me to be still and silent.
“You think that everypony likes your ways. But you're wrong Starlight. Your ways only seem to hurt these ponies. Look at them” he said with a gesture towards the huddled group.
None of them were smiling. The chipper grins all had held were gone, some rubbing their sore cheeks even and others looked downright upset with their situation not being able to do some of the things they’d used to have been capable of doing.
“You’re just hurting everypony Starlight. You need to stop what you’re doing.”
I frowned. Looking out on to the streets. Double Diamond and Party Favor both who had originally supported my idea, now sat back-to-back with pained expressions. The blue coated stallion being incapable of blowing a single balloon, and Double Diamond merely gave a pitiful sigh, as he stared lazily at the ground.
Sunburst was right. Everything looked so...lifeless.
I bit my lip struggling with my ideals, and what I knew was now wrong. Twilight had been right the whole time. If I just accepted things and worked towards my friendships then maybe I could prevent this from ever happening.
I smiled, but it was weak. A dispirited, half hearted smile. “Thanks Sunburst.”
“No problem” he said with a smile. “Now let’s go return those cutie ma-” A flash of light struck the stallion, as he fell limply into my arms. I watched in horror.
The color slowly drained from not only his face, but the entirety of his body, like a glass of orange juice that had been drained of its sweet sweet liquid substance.
“What’s going on?!” Sunburst’s eyes merely widened as a shadow walked towards us. The shadow held a staff in her magic that now held the stallion’s cutie mark, and as the mare emerged to reveal herself I saw that it was...me.
Sunburst slowly got up. Shaking his head from his daze, I pursed my lips touching him gently on the shoulder, which he responded to by looking at me.
I managed a weak smile, turning my attention back to the other version of myself only to see that she or it was gone. Sunburt’s cutie mark gone with her.
I shook my head. He’ll be alright. “Hey Sunburst” I said with a smile at him, but he only gave me a blank look.
“Sunburst?” I said weakly. He did not respond but continued to stare at me in confusion. “Sunburst it’s me Starlight.” He smiled.
I felt the pressure leave me.
“Hello there Starlight. Wonderful day for spreading equality right?” he asked. I froze, then blocked him from the door.
“But I thought-”
“That equality is the best thing in the world and should be forced onto anypony regardless of their beliefs? I agree as well” Sunburst said with a wider smile and tilt of his head.
My eyes began to sting. Is that what I had sounded like? Forcing other ponies into such states like- I looked back at the bleak looking town and the somewhat forced smiles ponies were giving each other as they passed by. Like this?
Sunburst moved passed me, an equality mark appearing on his flank. I watched him leave my side once more, with wilted ears and tears stinging my eyes. I felt like a filly again.
A burst of purple magic shot out behind me and I turned to see the frantic eyes of both Spike and Twilight staring at me.
“Starlight!” the alicorn yelled. “You’ve got to put an end to this. Ponies are all losing it, their forcing others to-” she paused noticing the way my ears were angled most likely. “Starlight?” she said softly. “What’s wrong...?”
I sniffed, then wiped the tears out of my eyes that threatened to stain my cheeks. Turning to Spike I took out the scroll with my magic and dropped it into his claws. He looked at me with a raised brow and concern.
“Starlight...What happened?”
I smiled weakly, hearing Sunburst now shout words of praise for how Equality was the way of light, and would shine upon the world making everypony equal so that no one would feel hurt again. But I knew. I knew that in a few days he would realize how much he missed his talent. How much he missed that core part of him. How he would want it back.
The very same reason why I never even bothered to use the equality spell on myself in the first place. A small tug pulled on my hoof and I stared at the dragon with a weak smile.
“I’ve decided. I’ll give friendship another chance. Take me back...please” another shout from Sunburst emerged of him squabbling on with words he would soon come to regret, making me wince. “Please.”
Twilight nodded. Her horn glowed as she trotted towards me and Spike, then she activated the spell. The portal opened above us. I heard one more shout of false praise from my former friend, the pony I cared about. The stallion I’d probably even loved at one point. Before I let it all just fade away as we were dragged into the portal.
The portal closed, and the last thing I heard was Sunburst say. “Long live Equality!” Words of which I decided, I would never follow again.
