Equal Measures

by Coyotek4

Rating: teen
Tags: Drama, My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic, Mystery, Starlight Glimmer
Length: 15480

Starlight Glimmer is the pony of the hour after defeating Queen Chrysalis ... but she can't escape her past, which returns in a most unexpected way.

Starlight Glimmer is rewarded with new responsibilities in the wake of her ordeal with Queen Chrysalis and the changelings ... but she can't forget her past transgressions, even if all her friends have moved on from them. Now, her past is ready to return to the forefront.

Published 2016-11-27 14:00:02 UTC
Last updated 2016-12-28 15:34:27 UTC

Ch 1: The 7th Seat

As the party winds down, Starlight finally has time to process everything that happened this day. She looks down at the table and reflects upon the recent events.

“BEST. PARTY. EVER!!!”

Starlight looks up and turns to see Pinkie Pie blow a horn right into Rarity’s ear, causing her to rub her head in an effort to stop the ringing.

“Pinkie, darling, you say that about every party you throw.”

“Well of course! That way, every party IS the best ever! They’re all tied for best! No hard feelings that way.”

Rarity rolls her eyes and strolls back to the refreshment table. Starlight chuckles quietly at the sight, then looks back down at the table to resume her pondering. A familiar face walks up to her, distracting her yet again.

“Can you believe this party, Starlight? I mean, I’ve never even been in Twilight’s castle before … well except for, you know, our little excursion that night.”

Starlight forces a smile at Trixie’s comments. “It is incredible,” she deadpans.

“Wow, don’t get too excited. Are you feeling OK?”

“I’m feeling fine. It’s just that … well …”

Starlight turns back and stares at the front of her chair, still amazed to see her own cutie mark on it. “I guess seeing this, here, is just a bit overwhelming.”

“Well you’ve told me enough about this ‘cutie map’ to tell me that you belong now. I mean, you did save all of Equestria, didn’t you.”

“We saved all of Equestria,” Starlight quickly corrects. “You, me, Discord, Thorax … this wasn’t a one-pony show.”

“Even so, look what’s happened since! Chrysalis is gone. The changelings are now our allies. And it’s all because of you … and me, Discord and Thorax,” Trixie adds before being corrected again. “The point is, I’m sure Twilight wouldn’t have given you a spot at this table if she didn’t think you worthy.”

“Um, Trixie … sorry to interrupt, but …”

Trixie turns to see Fluttershy. “Can’t you see that the Great and Powerful Trixie is having a conversation with her best friend?” Seeing the latter shrink back in fear, Trixie laughs. “Kidding, kidding! What can the Great and … er, what can I do for you?”

“Well, Angel was wondering if you needed a bunny for your act the next time you’re in town. He’s eager to get into magic, I think, and I figured you were the right pony to ask.”

Trixie smiles. “Well I’ll be in Canterlot for some upcoming shows. What did Angel have in mind?”

As the two discuss logistics, Starlight ponders her friend’s last word to her. ‘Worthy’ Yeah, sure …

“Thanks again for helping me and Spike clean up, but really, this celebration was for you; you really shouldn’t be lifting a hoof now.”

“Who’s lifting a hoof?” Starlight asks; her horn glowing as the last of the dishes sails into the kitchen. “It’s the least I could do, after all you and the others did for me.”

“Not enough, I’d say,” Twilight counters as she turns to face Starlight. “We all owe you our lives. Us, the Princesses, my brother, my foal niece … seriously, all of Equestria has you to thank.”

“Please, Twilight … it really wasn’t …” Starlight trails off, looking towards the walls.

“Starlight, I can see something’s bothering you. I could see it during the party. Please tell me what’s wrong?”

“It just doesn’t feel right to me, Twilight. In the eyes of the world, I’m now a hero. It’s as if everything I’ve ever done in my life before now never happened. But I can’t forget those deeds, Twilight. I can’t forget the pony I was. And I don’t think that pony should have a seat at the cutie map table.” Starlight’s voice loudens. “Twilight, that pony wanted to destroy cutie marks!”

“That pony doesn’t exist anymore,” Twilight reassures her protégé. “I don’t see that pony when I look at you. I see somepony who’s matured beyond anyone’s expectations. I see somepony who now truly appreciates what real friendship has to offer. I see, Starlight, somepony who has earned and deserves a seat at the cutie map. Somepony who is ready to join the rest of us when friendship problems arrive, wherever in Equestria they should come up.”

“… I’m sure you’re right,” Starlight responds after reflection. It’s just … it’s still so much to take in. I mean, what happens if I fail on my first assignment.”

“You won’t fail, Starlight. I can promise you that.”

For the first time all day, Starlight smiles a real smile. “Thank you Twilight. I needed that kick in the flank. So,” changing the conversation, “how long do you think you’ll be gone?”

“Probably a week. There’s a lot to discuss with Thorax regarding the new state of affairs with the hive. And it won’t be just us; Dragonlord Ember will be joining us as well. This really is a special time in Equestria’s history. Who would have thought, even a couple moons ago, that the ponies, dragons, and changelings would all be allies?”

“It’s really incredible … but I’ll still miss you while you’re gone.”

“Spike will still be here to keep you company. And all our friends will still be around. I’m sure there’ll be stories to tell once I return.” Twilight turns to a clock on the wall. “Oh. Good thing I packed up in advance of the party; I need to get moving. It’s a long trip to the hive.”

“Funny, I don’t remember it taking so long to get there,” Starlight remarks. The two share one final laugh.

“Take care, Starlight … and congratulations again!”

“Thank you again, Twilight … for everything.”

Starlight walks over to a poster in her room, depicting an equal sign with a red-circled slash superimposed on it. I know Twilight’s right. I know they’re all right. I have changed. I’ve come a long way from the pony I was. I just wish it were easier to accept.

Letting out one final sigh, Starlight returns to her bed, closes her eyes, and attempts to drift back to sleep.

I will not be ignored.

Her eyes flick open quickly, and she rises with a start. “Who said that?” she calls out.

Silence pervades. Just my imagination, she decides. Starlight lies down and closes her eyes once again.

You think you can just forget about me? I WON’T LET YOU.

Starlight jumps out of bed and scans her room, her mind now racing. All around, everything is as it usually is. “Who’s there?” she calls out to nopony in particular. Silence pervades.

“Just all in my head,” Starlight convinces herself. Taking one more look around the room, Starlight sighs and returns to her bed. Slowly, she drifts away.

A gentle rapping against her door awakens a groggy Starlight from her slumber. Uggh … morning already? Did Celestia jump the gun or something? She glances at a clock on the wall.

“ELEVEN-FIFTEEN???” The realization of the present time snaps Starlight from tired to alert instantaneously, as the rapping continues.

“Starlight? You OK in there?”

Recognizing Spike’s voice, Starlight opens the door and addresses the dragon with rushed sentences. “Hi Spike. Sorry I overslept. Just couldn’t fall asleep, I guess. Maybe I got a sugar buzz from last night’s party.” She forces a weak smile after her last comment, before noticing Spike’s solemn expression. “Is everything all right?”

“You need to see this” is all Spike says, before beckoning Starlight to follow her.

The two traverse the castle, eventually coming to the scene of the previous night’s party: the cutie map room. Immediately, Starlight sees what concerns Spike. A flash of horror momentarily blinds her mind.

“What do you think caused this?”

“I don’t know, Spike.” Starlight’s mind wants to say more, but is afraid to do so. No. It couldn’t be …

Starlight walks around from one chair to the next. Each one’s cutie mark insignia has been painted over with a black equal sign, the paint having run in drops in some places.

Starlight turns back to Spike. “I swear, I had nothing to do with this!” she pleads.

“Calm down, Starlight. I believe you. and I’m sure all our friends will believe you, too. But we got to figure out—“

“Wait, they’re coming? NOW? What do we TELL them?” The outward fear in Starlight’s voice quickly turns to hysterics.

“We tell them the truth, then try to figure out … hey, where’re you going?”

Starlight abruptly runs from the room, sprinting back to her bedroom. She slams the door behind her and stops to catch her breath, panting away from physical and mental exhaustion. She turns to the door, afraid to respond to the awkward questions her friends would certainly have.

“I TOLD YOU YOU COULDN’T JUST FORGET ABOUT ME!”

Terrified of the familiar voice, Starlight spins around again and comes face to face with a grinning version of … herself. Fighting off an initial shock, she inspects her doppelganger and quickly recognizes the one difference in appearance: her twin self’s cutie mark is an all-too-familiar equal sign.

“Who are you,” Starlight meekly asks.

“I’m you … but you already know that, don’t you. Now let’s talk …”

Ch 2: Nervous Pony in a Castle Bedroom

“What do you want?”

The words feel meaningless even as Starlight utters them to her equal-marked twin, but she feels compelled to say something … anything … rather than stand in awkward silence amid fear and confusion.

“You have no reason to fear me, Starlight Glimmer. After all, we are one and the same, are we not?”

“No.” Starlight shakes her head at the thought. “No, you’re not a part of me anymore. You don’t exist.”

“Deny your own feelings all you want, but we both know the truth. You haven’t forgotten the past, nor should you. Everypony that’s done you wrong. Left you behind. Made you feel second-class. Oh sure, you tried to hide it. Played along with Twilight and her ‘friendship lessons’. You buried me deep, Starlight. Wanted to pretend I was gone. Well last night was the last straw! I’m taking over now!”

“I WON’T LET YOU!!!” A burst of energy shoots from Starlight’s horn, only to dissipate before reaching its target.

“Fool. You can’t injure a manifestation of your own soul.”

A knocking on the door causes Starlight to spin around suddenly. Turning back, she finds … nothing. She is once again alone in the room.

“Starlight, darling, please let us in.”

Starlight runs around the room, inspecting any possible hiding place, frantically trying to find where her twin self could have possibly gone. Where did she go? She was here just a second ago? She can’t be just in my …

“Yo, Starlight, open the door!”

Starlight stops running around, resigning herself to the belief that she is indeed alone. She takes a deep breath, turns to the door, and unlocks it. “Come in, everypony,” she utters.

Rarity walks in, followed by Spike, while Rainbow Dash flies in above them. Starlight immediately pleads her case to them: “It wasn’t me. I swear it wasn’t me. I’m not that pony anymore. I’m telling you, I have no idea how that happened, please believe me …”

Starlight’s last words trail off amidst tears; Rarity quickly consoles her. “Starlight, calm down sweetie. We believe you.”

The assurance helps Starlight get her bearings. “You do?”

“We’ve all seen the work you’ve put in these past moons. We know you wouldn’t do this deed. We just need to put our heads together and figure out who did. But first, you need to pull yourself together, mare.”

Rarity levitates a handkerchief to Starlight’s eyes, sopping up the remaining tears. Starlight smiles at the realization that her friends are not holding her responsible … or at least, not yet.

“Now tell us anything you can remember about last night, after the party ended.”

Starlight hesitates to answer. What do I tell them, that my equality-fanatical soul is haunting me? What would they think of that? “I … I don’t remember much of anything. I had trouble falling asleep, but other than that, nothing out of the ordinary. Eventually I drifted away, and when I woke up this morning …”

“At eleven-fifteen.”

“Thank you, Spike! Yeah, I overslept and … and Spike woke me and showed me the damage. That’s all I know.”

“Well then …” Rarity pauses to think about a possible cause. “Is it possible that somepony is simply playing a cruel prank on you?”

“I don’t think so. I mean, what pony would be so mean to throw that part of my past in my face?” Starlight slowly turns to Rainbow Dash, who had been hovering in place and taking in the conversation quietly. Rarity and Spike also turn to the pegasus, who then realizes the implication.

“ME? No way!”

“Well, pranking does seem to be your specialty. And I for one haven’t forgotten how you ‘stepped up your game’ when we called you out on your laziness.”

“Hey, wait a minute! A sewing machine-shaped cake is one thing, but it’s not like I brainwashed my friends or anything.” The moment the words left her mouth, Rainbow Dash knew she overstepped the bounds of decency. “Wait, no, I didn’t mean—“

“No, you’re right,” Starlight countered, her eyes again welling up. “It’s not like you would do that … because we already have somepony who would do that sort of thing! Somepony who wants all her ‘friends’ to act just the way she wants them to! Somepony who would …”

Unable to continue, Starlight falls to the ground, forehoofs above her head, sobbing uncontrollably.”

“Starlight, please,” Rarity attempts to reassure, “We’ve long-since forgiven you for that incident. You showed genuine remorse for that and made amends. Would the ‘old’ you have bothered with any of that?”

Starlight looks up at Rarity. “But what if … what if the ‘old’ me is fighting for control?”

“Sweet Celestia, what would make you think that?”

Tell them … tell them … I can’t tell them …

“I don’t know,” Starlight meekly replies.

“Starlight, I am so sorry that I brought that up. I didn’t mean to infer anything from that day!”

“ ‘Imply’, Rainbow Dash,” Rarity pointedly corrects.

“Whatever. I’m just sorry I brought it up at all.”

“No … it’s OK, Rainbow Dash.” Starlight gets to her feet, regaining control of her emotions. “And I do thank you again, all of you, for your support. And you’re right, Rarity; there has to be a logical explanation for what’s going on here.” I hope.

“For the time being, I suggest we head out to Sugarcube Corner, check in on Pinkie and the others, and have a brainstorming session over some tea and biscuits. We’ll figure this out, Starlight. After all,” Rarity continues as she turns to Rainbow Dash, “this isn’t the first time I’ve run across a mystery involving a friend.”

“Maybe you can solve this one without all the costume changes, huh?”

“Philistine,” Rarity grumbles.

“Wait a minute,” Starlight interrupts. “Pinkie and the others aren’t with you?”

Rainbow Dash responds to Starlight’s query. “Mr. and Mrs. Cake are feeling weak. Probably caught the pony-pox or something. Pinkie’s foal-sitting the twins while Applejack and Fluttershy run the shop.”

“Poor timing,” Rarity adds. “Yesterday was their anniversary; I think they had plans to take a trip, but they both became really tired during the afternoon. Hopefully they’ll get better soon and be able to reschedule their plans.”

“Send my regards when you get there,” Starlight requests. “I’ll catch up with you guys later, but I really need to clean those equal signs off the chairs.”

“Don’t be ridiculous, Starlight. There’s no hurry to—“

“I’m sorry, Rarity, but I really need to do this, for my own psyche.”

“Oh, very well. But please join us at Sugarcube Corner as soon as you can. Right now, the best thing you can do for yourself is be with friends.”

“I won’t be long. Save me a biscuit.”

Rarity smiles, then she and the others leave the room. Starlight sees them leave and closes the door behind them; turning around, she is taken aback at once again seeing her equal-flank twin staring back at her.

“Not as surprised to see me this time, are you?”

“You are not real. You are just a figment of my imagination.” Starlight repeats these phrases to herself numerous times, causing her twin to laugh.”

“Tell yourself whatever you want, but I’m back. And I’m in control now.”

“You’re NOTHING to me now! Those days are in my past. I’ve moved on.”

“Oh really? Check your closet.”

The request catches Starlight off-guard, and she pauses before walking over to her closet and opening the door. She looks down, and sees a fresh can of black paint with a recently-used brush still lying atop it. She quickly turns around to find an empty room; once again, all is quiet.

Ch 3: Paint It, =

Twenty minutes nearly saw the job through. Twenty minutes, and all that remains is a painted equal sign over Starlight’s cutie mark.

It wasn’t particularly back-breaking work, she thought to herself, though the chemicals needed to facilitate the deed did give off an unusual aroma that she had to suffer through. But it felt right to do this job herself. After all, she’s the one who caused the mess … or at least, some part of her.

“You may as well leave that one as is. It fits you better, anyway.”

Starlight turns around to see her equal-marked twin standing in the doorway. This time she would show no sign of surprise or shock. She turns back to the chair and applies a solvent to the graffiti.

“Just going to ignore me, huh?” The twin walks over to Starlight, looking around the various other chairs around the cutie map. “Just going to ignore your true feelings?”

“You want a conversation with me, that’s fine,” Starlight states without turning back, focusing instead on the task at hand. “But you’re not going to take over. You’re not real. You’re just a figment from a sordid past. One I’ve moved away from a long time ago.”

“How quickly you forget recent history … or was the brainwashing of your friends to do your bidding so long ago?”

“That was a mistake,” Starlight admits as she levitates a moist towel to the last of the graffiti. “My friends have forgiven me for that, and for everything I’ve done … more so than I’ve forgiven myself, it seems. You have no place here, so why don’t you just leave my soul in peace?”

“You really don’t get it, do you? I am you. I only exist because you want me to. If you just want me gone, then why am I still here?”

Starlight notices the tone in her twin’s voice, that of a doting mother more than an evil spirit … but her resolve remains firm. “I was wrong. We were wrong. We were wrong for wanting all ponies equal … and myself more equal than the rest.”

Her task finally complete, Starlight again turns to face her sinister side. “I can’t explain why you’re here. In my heart, I know that that part of me should no longer be. And if you really are trying to help me out, just go. Be gone from my life. I’ve changed; you need to accept that fact.”

“You’re so wrong, Starlight. You haven’t changed. You’re still bitter at all that’s happened to you. And the faster you accept that and return to the life you know, deep down, to be correct, the sooner we can get around to making this ours again.”

“I’m heading out,” Starlight calmly tells her twin. “I don’t want to see you again when I return.”

Starlight walks around the table and heads to the doorway, still partly woozy from the cleaning fumes. She soon feels a warm glow at the back of her head, building to a burning sensation. Unable to resist a sudden feeling of dizziness and exhaustion, she falls to the floor while grasping her head with her forehooves. She closes her eyes and passes out.

Flipping the ‘Open’ sign on the door to Sugarcube Corner to ‘Closed’, Pinkie Pie returns to a table with four friends, grateful for their help during a noontime rush for the bakery’s services.

“Thanks again for your help, AJ. You too, Fluttershy. I couldn’t have kept this place going without you guys.”

“Shoot, t’weren’t nothin’ I wouldn’t do for a friend … or a family member.” The two share a laugh as Pinkie grabs a biscuit.

“I think it’s wonderful that the Cakes decided to have a picnic with the foals,” Fluttershy remarks. “Such a beautiful day to be outside.”

“I’m just happy that Mr. and Mrs. Cake are feeling all right,” Pinkie adds. “After the way they looked yesterday, so tired and weak. But yeah, they’ll be gone for the rest of the day. It was also nice of Spike to tag along and occupy the twins’ time, so Cup and Carrot could have some ‘us’ time.”

“Well enough about us,” Applejack adds while turning to Rarity. “How’s Starlight holdin’ up?”

“Oh …” Rarity did not relish having to answer this question, though she knew it was coming up and had time to formulate a response. “Well, I think recent events might be just a tad much for her at the present time. But I think she’ll be OK in due time.” Her comments garner quizzical looks from the others.

“ ‘S there somethin’ yer not tellin’ us, Rare?”

“Well,” Rainbow Dash interrupted, “she may have painted equal signs all over the chairs in the cutie map room.” The quizzical looks from the others quickly turn to gasps of shock.

“Oh dear … that doesn’t sound good. Do you think she might be lapsing into old habits?”

Rarity pauses for a moment before responding: “Honestly, Fluttershy, I don’t think so. She was actually quite distraught about the whole affair, and she denied doing it … and I believe her.”

“You think someone’s pulling a prank on Starlight?” Pinkie asks while reaching for another biscuit.

“It’s not me, I swear,” Rainbow Dash asserts. “And I don’t think anypony else would pull something like that.”

“Well what if … and I’m just spitballin’ this now … what if she really is reverting to her old ways.”

“AJ!”

“I’m just sayin’, Rarity, isn’t it at least possible? Did anyone else get a funny vibe during the party last night?”

“Ooo, ooo, I got that vibe!”

“Funny strange, Pinkie Pie. She didn’t look comfortable accepting her new responsibility. Maybe she just isn’t ready to be part of our friendship problem-solving group.”

“Twilight believes that she’s ready, and that’s good enough for me,” Rarity flatly but firmly states. “And in case your short-term memory is lacking, she did just save all of us from Queen Chrysalis and the changelings!”

“All right, all right, you made yer point,” Applejack admits, hearing the tone of derision in Rarity’s voice. “I’m just sayin’ ‘if’, is all.”

“Maybe we should all head back to the castle and check in on her,” Fluttershy suggests.

“I had hoped that she would join us,” Rarity admits, “but it does seem like a good idea to—“

A chime from the front door rings, signaling the presence of another pony. Moments later, a unicorn walks over to the table where the fivesome are seated.

“Oh, Starlight! We were just mentioning how we were going to head over and … Starlight?”

Before Rarity can finish, a wide burst of energy shoots from the unicorn’s horn. All five at the table absorb the energy burst, causing each to fall from her seat and collapse to the ground, unconscious.

Starlight’s eyes flick open, and she sits up in her bed. It quickly occurs to her that she has no recollection of lying down in her bed.

Wha … how did I end up back in— Her thoughts are interrupted by the sight of her twin self standing over her, sporting a broad grin.

“I knew you’d come back!” the twin declares. “I missed the old you! Congratulations! I swear, I’d hug you if I actually existed in physical form.”

“What? What the hay are you talking about?”

“Oh, that’s right. Maybe your … *uggh* … ‘nice’ side is still blocking stuff out. Don’t worry, though, you’ll be reminded soon enough. Oh, and I love what you’ve done with the cutie map room.”

Fear pulses through Starlight’s suddenly-alert mind, as she bounds from her bed and runs down the hallway towards the scene of her earlier, minor transgression. It can’t be … There’s no way that I would … I have changed … I would never …

Reaching the doorway to the map room, Starlight trips over a pair of half-full paint cans resting on the floor and sprawls face-first to the ground. Lifting her head, she takes in the scene. From floor to ceiling, the walls are covered in hundreds of black equal signs. Looking back to the floor, she notices various painted message: SINGULARITY IS THE ONLY WAY. ONE MIND, ONE VISION, ONE PONY. DOWN WITH DIFFERENCE.

“No … I didn’t do this. I couldn’t do this! Who’s doing this to me? WHO’S RESPONSIBLE!!?” Starlight shouts defiant declarations to the emptiness of the room, aware in her mind that no one was listening …

“Who? Who else?” Starlight turns to see her twin standing in the doorway. “But hey, if you feel that strongly about things, at least your pitiful sap-half kept the chairs clean. Nonetheless, I approve of the overall theme.”

“BEGONE, DEMON!!!” Starlight fires multiple energy blasts from her horn towards her twin, but each shot dissipates before reaching her intended target. She then charges at her twin with full force … only for the twin to disappear instantaneously a split-second before making contact. Starlight’s momentum carries her into the wall, crashing hard into the stone and causing her to crumple to the ground. The twin reappears from the doorway, walking over to the banged-up unicorn and speaking in a calm demeanor.

“Why do you insist on fighting who you are? Just give in. Become the pony you were destined to be.”

“NEVER!” Tears flow from Starlight’s eyes as she fights to maintain a steely resolve. If I can’t stop you myself, my friends will help me defeat you, once and for all.”

“Oh dear, you really don’t remember, do you? Maybe you should take a side trip to Sugarcube Corner and see how your ‘friends’ are.”

A chill surges through Starlight’s back at her twin’s ominous suggestion. “What … did … you … do?”

“ ‘Me, me, me’; you still think this is all ‘my’ doing. I’m not real, you know. Why don’t you take a look for yourself, at what you’ve accomplished. And again, I must say, fine work you did there. Fine work.”

Still hurting, Starlight gets on her hooves and races towards the castle entrance. Her twin shouts out at her as she leaves: “STOP FIGHTING WHO YOU ARE!”

Sprinting as fast as her bruised body can take her, Starlight races through the town’s thoroughfare before arriving at Sugarcube Corner. She notices that the drapes are drawn and the entrance is locked, filling her with more trepidation. Using a spell to jimmy open the lock, she enters the bakery … and finds her friends only now regaining consciousness. Walking over to Fluttershy, she glances at her flank … and eyes the ubiquitous equal sign having replaced her familiar butterfly cutie mark. As she recoils in horror, another comes to.

“Whoa … what just …” Applejack eyes Starlight, then looks back at her flank. “Starlight,” she says weakly, “why? Why did you …”

“I CAN’T CONTROL THIS ANYMORE!” Starlight shouts while looking away, rousing the others from their catatonic state. “I’M SO SORRY! FORGIVE ME, PLEASE, FOR EVERYTHING!!!” Unable to look her friends in the eyes, she then turns and bolts from the building, exhausted and emotionally fractured.

Ch 4: Panic, Pain, Peril, Pie

“Starlight, wait! …”

Applejack, still feeling the effects of an unconscious state, is unable to project her voice for Starlight to hear; she watches helplessly as Starlight runs from the scene. She turns to her friends, all of whom are recovering themselves. “We gotta go after her!”

“Oh, what’s the point?”, Rainbow Dash grouses as she points to her new cutie mark. “I can probably barely move, if this is anything like the last time.”

“I can’t believe she would just turn on us all,” Fluttershy remarks sadly. “What do you think caused her to react like that?”

“I dunno, Fluttershy, but wallowin’ in self-doubt ain’t gonna change nothin’. I say we send an emergency message to Twilight; if anypony can figger out how to get us back to normal, it’ll be her.”

“Pinkie, darling, are you all right?”

The others follow Rarity’s gaze to her friend, who sits motionless while contemplating inner feelings. Pinkie suddenly leaps to her hooves and bolts from the room to the kitchen area; within minutes, she returns with a recently-baked pie.

Rarity begins to chide her: “Pinkie Pie, you cannot actually be thinking about food at a time like—“

SPLAT!!!

Unable to react in time, Rarity is suddenly assaulted head-on with a banana-cream pie. Her face is completely slathered in pie filling, as whipped cream drips through and down her now-matted and sticky mane. For several seconds, no one reacts to the attack. Then …

“BWAHAHAHAHA … *gasp* … HAHAHAHAHAA!!!”

Pinkie falls to the ground holding her side, unable to control her incessant laughing at Rarity’s pie-facial. the unicorn’s anger quickly reaches a boiling point:

“PINKIE PIE, WHAT THE HAY IS WRONG WITH YOU???”

Rarity’s exclamation does nothing to stop Pinkie’s hysterical laughter, tears now flowing from her eyes in the process. “PINKIE PIE!!!” she repeats, to no avail.

“ *hehee* … Nothing’s … *hehehee* … nothing’s wrong with me … *hahahaa* … that’s the point … *giggle* ”

Rarity continues to scowl at Pinkie as filling continues to drip down her face and mane. A flash of insight comes over Applejack.

“Waitaminute, Rarity … I think Pinkie is on to something.”

“More like she’s on something,” Rarity grumbles as she levitates a towel from the kitchen area towards her.

“No, really. Look at her, gettin’ a full laugh at your expense … that shouldn’t be happening right now!”

“Why shouldn’t it?” Fluttershy asks. “Pinkie’s always getting a full laugh, at pretty much anything.”

“Not always,” Applejack corrects. She quickly runs to the kitchen, fills a pitcher with water, and returns to the others. She dumps the water over Pinkie Pie, soaking her and stifling the laughter while getting her to regain her composure.

“I can’t say I disapprove of that reaction,” Rarity admits as she wipes away the rest of the pie from her face, “but what does that have to do with—“

“Look!” Applejack triumphantly asserts.

The others walk over to Pinkie, who by now is laughed out and standing on her hooves. They inspect her flank, now sopping wet and brandishing a familiar trio of balloons.

Starlight gallops down the main thoroughfare leading out the northern end of Ponyville. To the right and left of her, Starlight races passed numerous nameless, faceless ponies. Her mind races as she passes each one … Would I try to turn that one? Those two. What about those foals? Can I be trusted around anypony anymore? What if …

The frequency of appearances of random ponies dissipates as she continues racing along the road. Soon, she notices that there are no other ponies to race past. She takes one final look behind her … and slams head-on into the back of a wagon, falling to the ground. She picks herself up and shakes off the newly-formed headache as the wagon-puller approaches.

“I’m so sorry, I wasn’t looking where I was running and … Trixie???”

“Starlight! Hey, I didn’t expect to run into you this afternoon … or for you to run into me, for that matter.” Trixie chuckles, happy to see her friend so unexpectedly. “So what brings you out here? Come to see me off for my first Canterlot performance?”

Starlight answers with great agitation. “No … I mean yes … I mean, I have to go.”

“Go? Go where?” Trixie then gasps in anticipation: “Wait, you’re coming with me! It’ll be just like our first performance … except without the, uh, you know, me only pretending to be your friend.”

“No, I can’t go with you, I need to—“

“Well, if you just want to keep me company on the trip, I would love that. It’s a long way to Canterlot, and this wagon doesn’t fit on the Ponyville Express.”

“TRIXIE, I’M RETURNING TO MY EVIL WAYS!!!” Starlight blurts out.

Trixie stares at her harried friend for a few seconds, then bursts out laughing. “Oh, I love it, Starlight! Magic and comedy! That’s a wonderful idea!”

“Trixie, I’m not kidding! I need to get away from Ponyville before I cause any more damage!”

“What are you rambling on about?” Trixie asks with growing concern. “What ‘damage’?”

“I’ve brainwashed Twilight’s friends. My friends. I’m trying to control them, just like I talked about with that village. I can’t trust myself to be around them anymore. I can’t stay here any longer … I can’t be around anypony … I can’t be around you, Trixie.”

The last remnants of levity now gone, Trixie takes in Starlight’s comments. “I don’t understand … you don’t want to be friends anymore?”

“I don’t want to hurt you, Trixie. But I can’t control these urges anymore. I thought I could, but … I see now that they’ll always be a part of me.”

“That ridiculous!” Trixie angrily asserts. “We’re friends. That means we help each in times of need. I’m here for you, just like you were for me so many times. Whatever you go through, we go through.”

Starlight relaxes, a feeling of content coming over her at these words. She smiles for the first time since chatting with Twilight the night before.

“That’s better. Now tell me, here and now, what’s going on? Why do you think you’re hurting ponies?”

Starlight opens her mouth to speak, but a burst of energy shoots from her horn and hits Trixie in the chest, knocking her down to the ground and knocking her out. She spins around and finds her twin standing behind her.

“Well done, Starlight! Start with those closest to you; they’ll be the easiest to control.”

“NO! GET AWAY FROM ME!”

Frantic, Starlight bolts from the path into the surrounding fields.

“Goodspeed, Rainbow Dash.”

“Applejack, she’s only been gone for two minutes. Give her some time.”

Applejack sighs. “I know, Rarity. I just got a lot o’ questions an’ not enough answers.”

Fluttershy turns to Pinkie Pie. “So how did you know that those equal signs weren’t really our cutie marks.”

“Well … when we were in that vault and got ambushed the first time, I could feel a part of me just being taken from me, you know, some happy fun part of me that left me all ‘blah blah’ and such but when we woke up just now I didn’t feel that sense of ‘blah blah’ so I thought maybe we really weren’t changed like we were that last time but I had to be sure so I had to give myself a reason to really laugh, and I mean really laugh, I mean laugh hard, so I thought the best way to do that was to grab a big ol’ cream pie and … *giggle* … and just cream Rarity with …”

Pinkie once again falls to the floor in hysterics. Rarity stares at her laughing friend with contempt. Now is not the time for revenge, Pinkamina Diane Pie … but just wait …

Rarity shakes off her thoughts and turns back to Applejack. “OK, so what do we know?”

“Well, we all saw Starlight Glimmer walk in and shoot some sort of knockout blast at us, we all fell unconscious, and we woke up with equal signs painted on our flanks.”

“And Starlight walks in on us, is aghast by the sight of us, and runs away.” Rarity mulls over the events. “Something’s not adding up here.”

“You and Rainbow Dash saw her earlier at the castle,” Fluttershy mentions. “You seemed to think something was bothering her then.”

“She did seem to be fighting off some inner demons … as if her past self were trying to take over. But if that were the case, why use paint? Starlight’s magic is powerful enough to have just removed our cutie marks; she’s actually done that deed before! Why fake it this time?”

“And that was genuine surprise when she saw us,” Applejack adds. “Maybe she really doesn’t have any recollection of what she’s been doing.”

“Or maybe …” Rarity pauses to think, but at that moment Rainbow Dash returns from her trip to the castle.

“Any luck?” Applejack’s question is met with a rushed response.

“No time, we gotta head north down the road. Trixie’s lying down next to her wagon. I think someone attacked her. Maybe Starlight.”

“No,” Rarity insists, “Starlight would never lift a hoof against Trixie.”

“We can sort everything out later,” Applejack asserts. “Dash, you an’ Fluttershy fly back and tend to Trixie; the rest of us will meet you as soon as possible. Now let’s move, ponies!”

AJ, Pinkie and Rarity gallop down the main thoroughfare leading out the northern end of Ponyville, passing fewer ponies each minute unless it’s just the threesome racing on their own. They soon see a wagon peeking over a slight hill and lessen their pace to catch their breath. Seconds later, they meet up with their pegasi friends.

“How does she look, Dash.”

“About as well as we did,” Rainbow Dash tells Applejack. “She’ll probably come to soon enough; hopefully, she can shed some light on recent events.”

“It’s a good thing that you caught a glimpse of her while returning from the castle,” Fluttershy notes. “Any sign of Starlight?”

“I searched every room in that castle; no sign of Starlight … but you may not want to go into the cutie map room right now. It’s creepy.”

“Creepy?” Fluttershy asks. “Creepy how?”

“Well, it looks like ‘old’ Starlight did some redecorating. The walls are full of equal signs, and messages of conformity are scrawled all over the floor.”

“Wow, that sounds like a fun house room gone really bad,” Pinkie remarks as the others shudder at the thought. “So what now?”

“I think now we need to get Spike to send a message to Twilight,” Applejack suggests. “Starlight’s dealin’ with some powerful inner demons right now, and if Trixie couldn’t get her to snap out of it, I doubt any of us can.”

“That all assumes that Starlight really is behind all this,” Rarity continues, “but I still don’t see it. If such a sinister side were powerful enough to actually attack us, then that side would certainly have been able to actually take away our cutie marks. There’s just no reason to resort to a façade like paint.”

“But if anypony else were causin’ all this, wouldn’t Starlight have told us?”

“Well … I can’t argue that point, AJ. But I still think there’s more to this than—“

A moaning causes the others to turn to Trixie, now getting up on her hooves while holding the back of her head. “The Great and Powerful Trixie … has a serious headache right now,” she says weakly. She then notices the others standing around her. “Starlight! Do any of you know what’s happened to Starlight?”

“We were hoping you could fill in some details, Trixie,” Rarity states. “Tell us, did you see her? Did she cause this? Did she … did she attack you?”

“Well … yeah, but then … it’s just weird …” Trixie rolls her eyes to the sky, trying to recollect more details.

“Please,” Rarity urges, “try to remember anything you can.”

“I remember … I remember her crashing into the wagon. Something’s really got her spooked; she kept talking about having to leave Ponyville, having to leave her friends … having to leave me.” Tears begin to stream from her eye, and she turns away.

Rarity hugs her tightly, then whispers into her ear: “I’m sure this is difficult for you … but please, is there anything else you remember?”

Wiping her eyes, Trixie turns to again face Rarity and the others. “I tried to talk her out of it … that we would be there for her, no matter what. And I thought I was starting to get through. It looked like she was having second thoughts about running away. And then …”

“Oh my … she did attack you?”

“No … no, it wasn’t Starlight. It was somepony behind her … and I only caught a glimpse before getting hit, but … do any of you know if Starlight has a twin sister?”

The others all look to each other quizzically. While the others chat to themselves about how none of them really know much of Starlight’s family, Rarity contemplates Trixie’s memory of events. She turns from the others and strolls away for several feet, then stops. She then turns back to the others, fear in her eyes.

“Starlight Glimmer is in great peril.”

The rolling hills having long ago given way to dense forest, Starlight Glimmer gallops through thickets of trees, nicking and scratching her body through numerous bushes and brambles. All the while, her evil spirit taunts her as she follows.

“Stop running away from who you are, Starlight Glimmer. Work with me, not against me. Embrace all that I have to offer. Fulfill your destiny.”

Daylight fades as fatigue sets in, but Starlight continues to block out the messages from her mind as she rushes past another bush. Soon, her gait lessens to a trot, then a walk. She takes in several gasps of breath and eyes her current surroundings: she finds herself near the base of a small mountain, surrounded on three sides by numerous mighty pines that block out most of the sun’s rays. She notices a narrow cave opening in the stone; as she does, she feels drops of rain. She scrambles to the makeshift shelter before the skies open up into a downpour.

Illuminating her horn to see in the dark, Starlight walks a few steps in … only to find more solid rock; the alcove’s depth is no more than her old room in the castle, bereft of any sign of life. She turns back around, and comes face-to-face with her twin; her illumination spell immediately ceases.

“So it’s come to this. All your plans, all your desires … reduced to a small cave?”

“If it must be,” Starlight defiantly states. “ Nopony will find me here, and I won’t allow you … I won’t allow myself … to brainwash another living creature. You can force me to turn against my friends, but you can’t force me to actually return to them. I’ll live off the land in isolation if I must, but you will not win!”

Her twin eyes her for a moment before speaking. “If that is the way you truly feel …”

Her twin then turns towards the cave entrance, and a bolt of energy fires from her horn, striking the mouth of the entrance. The resulting explosion triggers a rockslide that quickly buries the egress from their view, eclipsing the last of the daylight in the process.

“NOOOO!!!” Starlight’s exclamation is met with silence, and her eyesight struggles to adjust to the pitch-black conditions. She attempts to relight her horn, but to no avail. A thought then occurs to her:

“Wait … how could you physically cause that? You’re not real!”

“Wrong again, Starlight Glimmer.”

A light emanates from a horn … and a chill runs through Starlight’s spine, causing her to shiver as she eyes the image of a haggard changeling, her wings frayed, her hair tangled, and her body pockmarked with scars and scratches.

“I told you you couldn’t just forget about me,” Chrysalis calmly informs Starlight. “Now let’s talk for a little while.”

Ch 5: What Is and What Should Never Be

As Starlight’s eyes adjust to the faint, eerie glow emanating from Chrysalis’s horn, the shock of seeing her nemesis up close in the cramped environment soon gives way to a fiery anger. She screams as she fires off one energy burst after another; each one barely leaves her horn before dissipating into nothingness. She then squeezes her eyes shut as she attempts to teleport out of the cave, but fails in multiple attempts to budge.

“Save your energy,” Chrysalis calmly informs her unicorn enemy. Starlight opens her eyes again and takes another look at Chrysalis, noticing for the first time a crudely crafted, obsidian necklace hanging around the changeling’s neck.

“Is that …”

“Remnants of my throne,” Chrysalis states as she completes Starlight’s thought. “A far cry from the power it once wielded, but enough to keep you from doing me any harm … or from you escaping your tomb.”

Starlight sighs and bows her head in despair. “So that’s what all this was all about, wasn’t it? This was never about me or my past deeds, never about desire for power and control … it was only about revenge.”

“Not entirely.” Chrysalis’s words cause Starlight to look up once again. “And it still doesn’t have to end this way … for either of us.”

“What are you getting at?” Starlight asks icily.

A sly grin forms on Chrysalis’s weathered countenance. “I did little more than entice the ‘old’ Starlight to return. And I still think that Starlight has the potential for great things.” The comment takes Starlight aback.

“Wait … you know about the old me?”

“Enough to know about that village that you once ruled over. Don’t look so surprised, Starlight; I told you I didn’t think you important enough to be replaced by a changeling, but that didn’t mean I wasn’t going to keep tabs on you.”

“Fine; you know about my previous place of residence. So what?”

“After our last, unfortunate encounter, I decided to pay a visit to that village. From the look of it, I must have gotten there shortly after some sort of festival; then again, that’s all ponies do, isn’t it? Throw parties and celebrate anything and everything?” Chrysalis spits at the ground in disgust before continuing. “The ponies there certainly forgave, but they did not forget. And it’s simply amazing how much information those townsfolk are willing to share with an inquisitive outsider pony who’s … what was that excuse? Oh yes, ‘doing a bio on Twilight Sparkle’s hero protégé’. Yes, Starlight, I know all about who you were. And I won’t lie; I’m very impressed.”

Confusion creeps into Starlight’s mind, as she takes in Chrysalis’s calm demeanor. “Impressed?”

“Absolutely,” Chrysalis states with a big smile. “And that’s why I want you on my side. Join me, and together we can rule Equestria.”

“Chrysalis? What does she got to do with anything, Rare?”

“She has everything to do with this,” Rarity replies to Applejack and the others. “I think she’s been impersonating Starlight and staging all these performances at her expense, getting her to doubt her inner self … and I daresay, she’s succeeding.”

“Waitaminute,” Rainbow Dash interjects. “What would Chrysalis be doing in Ponyville anyway? She’s a queen, for crying out loud.”

“Former queen,” Rarity corrects. “And what does she have now? She’s an outsider to her own kind now, with no place to call home. What could be on her mind other than getting back at Starlight for causing the changeling revolution? And besides … unlike her fellow changelings, she probably still feeds off emotions; there’s no shortage of love around this town. At the least, I can think of two ponies who likely were targets.”

“Who d’ya got in mind?” Applejack asks.

“Why, Mr. and Mrs. Cake, of course. Those two were in the peak of health not two days ago, and then they’re suddenly sapped of their strength? We thought it was a cold of some sort, but it makes sense to presume that Chrysalis feasted on their love for each other and their foals.”

Fluttershy joins her friend’s unconvinced state. “If Chrysalis really is behind this, that would be terrible … but that is something of a leap of faith, isn’t it? Are you sure there’s no other explanation?”

Rarity turns to Trixie as she addresses the others. “We know that someone attacked Trixie just as she was getting through to Starlight. That ‘someone’ looked like Starlight Glimmer. Starlight has never spoken of having a twin sister in her family, and even if she did, I highly doubt a sibling would engage in such psychological warfare. So what other explanation is there?”

The others ponder Rarity’s question. “What about the mirror pond?” Pinkie suggests. “That pond is capable of making hundreds of Starlights.”

“That is true,” Rarity counters, “but the clones you created were one-dimensional versions of yourself. The plans being enacted here are the work of a complex mind, and I don’t think shallow clones could be capable of that.”

Applejack steps ahead of her doubting friends. “OK, Rarity. Let’s assume you’re right and Chrysalis is behind all this. Why resort to painted-on equal signs and messing up the castle? Surely she has more powerful magic than that to work with.”

“From what we know, Chrysalis got most of her strength from her subjects. Now she’s working alone, foraging for herself. Even with the occasional pony to feed off of, she’s probably quite weak in this state, unable to cast more than basic stun spells. And besides,” Rarity continues as she turns again to Trixie, “any professional magician can tell you that the appearance of powerful magic can work better than the real thing.”

“Well Chrysalis or not, we still gotta get to Starlight before anything terrible happens. I think we need to call for Twilight; we’ll need all the magic we can get.”

“There’s no time, Applejack.”

“And I don’t think her magic would help anyway,” Trixie adds to Rarity’s comment. “Chrysalis’s throne contained a powerful anti-magic aura; if she’s got even a fragment of that throne, she’s probably blocking Starlight’s magical defenses.”

“Then we gotta head off the road and search the fields and forests for her,” Rainbow Dash insists. “I can fly around and look for her.”

Fluttershy shakes her head. “I dunno. The forested area is really thick; it’s hard to see the ground from the sky with all the foliage. And then there are the small mountains with caves all over; if she’s in a cave, you won’t see her.”

“Hmmm,” Pinkie muses. “We need to think outside the box on this one. Too bad there’s no chimney around. HEY, WAIT!!!” she suddenly exclaims. “I got a crazy idea.”

She then lowers her voice and ‘whispers’ to the group: “I gotta warn you, though, this could be a little bit crazy.”

‘Join me.’ Starlight struggles to process Chrysalis’s request. After a pause, she responds defiantly: “I asked you to join us. Why would I ever want to join you?”

“For one,” Chrysalis calmly notes, “it’s either that or remain in this cave for the rest of what will be a very short life.”

“I think you know the answer to that—“

“And two,” Chrysalis continues, ignoring Starlight’s retort, “I still believe there’s a part of you that wants to join me. She may be struggling against some goody-horseshoes hero-wannabe, but she’s still there. And whether you want to believe that or not, you know that to be true.”

“That’s …” Starlight pauses, attempting to hide feelings of self-doubt from Chrysalis. “That’s not true.”

“Isn’t it? A couple cans of paint, a simple stunning spell on select ponies … you were easy to fool. Too easy, if you really have no sense of conflict within you. No, you didn’t see through those deceptions because you want to believe that you did all that. You fight your true feelings … you’ve been misled by Twilight and her notions of ‘friendship’ … but you know where you really stand. And your power … our power … combined, we could rule all of Equestria.”

Chrysalis leans her head close to Starlight and speaks in a soft, sinister voice. “So I ask you again, Starlight Glimmer. Join me, and let us rule this world together. I ask this of you … I beg of you …”

Starlight catches a tear forming in Chrysalis’s eye as she pleads her case. She responds in a calm, understanding voice, as if talking to a foal.

“Perhaps you know some of my history … but I don’t think you know all of it. You probably don’t know that I committed a far-worse atrocity: I found a way to travel back in time, in an effort to break apart the binds of Twilight’s friendships. You wouldn’t know about that … apart from myself, Twilight, and Spike, no one would. But I saw first-hoof what that led to.”

“Then you prove my point,” Chrysalis declares. “You do have incredible power within. Surely, you can—“

“Please, let me finish,” Starlight quietly asks. Chrysalis obeys, and Starlight continues her story.

“Later, after Twilight took me under her wing, she described some of the futures that came from my actions … and in one of them, you did succeed in overrunning Equestria. All that remained of the ponies in this world were small bands, surviving off the land while attempting to resist your reign. But it was not a reign of peaceful rule, Chrysalis. You, and your changeling horde, were locked in everlasting struggle with the rebel bands. Even in triumph, your life was filled with strife and pain. Is that the kind of life you really want to live?”

“Pah! You speak of a reality that never was! One that you never even experienced. Who are you to say how terrible such a world would be?”

“And what about the love?” Starlight continues. “You still feed off of emotions like love, do you not? Tell me, Chrysalis, where that love would come from in a world run by your twisted whims? It’s a rule that, by its very nature, would be unsustainable. You yourself would succumb to starvation in a matter of moons. And deep down, you know that to be true.”

Silence pervades for many seconds, before Starlight continues. “Perhaps there will always be a part of me with selfish pursuits and a yearning for power … but for the good of Equestria, for the good of Twilight and the rest of my friends, for the good of my own soul and peace of mind, I will never allow that part of me to again dictate how I live my life.” Starlight sighs before continuing: “And if that means that my time here is coming to an end, so be it … but I cannot join you. Rather, I ask you again: join us. Past deeds can always be forgiven of those willing to make a positive change. It’s not too late, Chrysalis … it’s never too late. Please … it doesn’t have to end this way.”

Starlight again holds out her hoof in friendship. Chrysalis stares at her hoof for many seconds … and then spits on the ground in disgust.

“Have it your way,” Chrysalis states. “Then we can both die here … together.”

“Pinkie Pie, darling, wearing a green dress with purple shoes is ‘crazy’ … this is insanity.”

“Trust me, Rare, this will work … as long as Fluttershy can actually call him here.”

“Gee Pinkie, I don’t know if I can. I mean, it’s not as simple as saying ‘I need you, Discord’—”

With a loud *BANG*, Discord immediately appears in front of Fluttershy; he quickly gives the pegasus a big hug. “Oh, it’s so good to hear from you again, Fluttershy. I mean, it’s been what, a whole week since the last time we met.” Upon realizing he’s not in Fluttershy’s cottage, he releases her and looks around. “Well, this is unexpected.”

“Yer tellin’ me,” Applejack says to nopony in particular.

Trixie steps in front of the others and addresses the draconequus directly. “Discord, we need your help.”

“Now if this is about your upcoming performance in Canterlot, I simply do not do ‘parlor tricks’ for the masses. I thought I made that perfectly clear—“

“Not me, you mare-on!”

“ ‘Mare-on’?” Discord rolls his eyes. “Wow, we’re really stretching for equine puns now, aren’t we.”

“Ooo, ooo, Discord,” Pinkie Pie frantically shouts out. “I got a favor to ask that only you can do.”

Discord turns to Pinkie Pie and smiles. “Well it’s hard to say ‘no’ to somepony so eager for my services … but I’ve been training. Well, go on.”

Pinkie points to the rolling hills and forests that spread far along the path out of town. “Can you turn all this into Candy World?”

“CANDY WORLD???” everypony exclaims in unison.

“Candy World?” Discord repeats.

“Yeah … make the grass cotton candy, and turn the trees into large candy canes, with rivers of sweet, sweet chocolate and mountains made out of gumdrops!” Pinkie bounces with excitement at the thought. Discord smiles at the idea and raises his hand.

“Pinkie Pie, have you plum lost your—“

Before Applejack can finish, Discord snaps his fingers. From their spot on the road, spreading as far as the eye can see, the fields turn bright pink and fluffy while the trees in the distance transform into large stalks of peppermint-striped candy canes.

“Now Discord,” Rarity explains, “Pinkie Pie here does not reflect the preferences of our group with her request, so if you could be a dear and—“

“No, this is perfect,” Pinkie interrupts. “Rainbow Dash, NOW fly around and look for Starlight.”

“What, now? What am I supposed to look for in … this?”

“Look for anything natural … trees, rocks, rivers. Anything that Discord didn’t change to sweet sweet candy … because Chrysalis’s
anti-magic ability blocked him.”

Pinkie’s reasoning begins to dawn on Rainbow Dash. “ooOOOooh. Got it.” she quickly takes to the air and flies off.

“You know Pinkie,” Rarity notes, “you could have asked Discord to just turn everything a shade of blue, or something else a little more … sedate?”

“Hey, my idea so my fantasyland.” Pinkie then walks over to the field to graze on cotton candy.

This is just too weird, Rainbow Dash thinks to herself as she soars over the affected countryside. I feel like I’m flying through Pinkie’s dreams. I wonder if this is what Princess Luna has to go through on a nightly basis. Hey, waitaminute … what’s this?

Passing over a thicket of candy cane trees, she comes to a massive gumdrop; near the base of one side of the gumdrop lie a pile of boulders. She also discerns a patch of green grass near the rocks.

Well I’ll be … I gotta get the others.

Starlight had hoped to convince Chrysalis to change her ways, but was not overly surprised to be rebuffed again. Hearing the word ‘together’, though, struck a dissonant chord with her …

“What do you mean ‘together’? I’m sure your magic still works.”

“To what end, Starlight Glimmer?” Anger forms in Chrysalis’s voice as she continues. “What kind of life do I have now? I have no kingdom left. No followers. No home. You and your friends have cost me everything! I have nothing left in this world … except vengeance. Vengeance on you, you horrible little nag!”

“Then why fight me now???” Starlight again pleads her case to the former changeling queen. “It’s not too late to make a fresh start with your life … with our lives!”

“Don’t patronize me, pony!” Chrysalis turns away from Starlight and towards the blocked cave entrance, quieting her tone. “I’ve ruled the changelings since before your very existence. Hundreds of moons.” She turns to face Starlight again. “And you expect me to change my ways just like that? You expect me to just ‘make a fresh start’?”

Starlight opens her mouth to speak, but Chrysalis continues as her voice again increases in volume and anger. “Well I can’t do that! I need that power and control. I need to feast off the emotions of others. I can’t change my ways. I’m …”

Chrysalis’s tone of anger suddenly gives way to one of regret, and she bows her head. “I’m … beyond redemption.”

“No one is beyond redemption, Chrysalis. For all I did, all the misdeeds I’ve committed … I was not beyond redemption. Twilight saw the good in me … just as I can hear the good in you, yearning to escape. Chrysalis, please …”

“Starlight, you in there? Can you hear us?”

Chrysalis quickly turns back to the entrance, perceiving the sound of scraping at boulders and murmurs of agitated ponies. “So it seems I can’t even have this.” She turns one last time to Starlight, her eyes locking with the unicorn’s. “Just know that this is not over … we will meet again.”

With a loud *BANG*, Chrysalis suddenly disappears and leaves Starlight alone in total darkness. Starlight casts an illumination spell, which now works for her and allows her to verify that she is alone in the cave.

“Outta my way, I got this!”

Nervous, Starlight steps back from the cave entrance and looks away while keeping her eyes tightly closed. Seconds later, an explosion sends rocks and pebbles flying over and around her, with several small pieces striking her body. She feels a breeze as a blue blur flashes past her, crashing into the back of the shallow cave. Starlight reopens her eyes, which quickly adjust to the remnants of sunlight entering the cave, and re-illuminates her horn for better visibility. She turns around to find a woozy Rainbow Dash lying on the ground on her side, rubbing her head with her right forehoof.

Ch 6: All's Well That Ends

“Has everypony lost their plum mind today? Rainbow Dash, you OK in …”

Applejack’s chastising of Rainbow Dash ends abruptly upon her seeing Starlight Glimmer, nicked up and slightly disheveled but otherwise OK. “Starlight! Thank Celestia we found you! How you holdin’ up?”

“I’m fine, but what about Rainbow Dash?” Starlight observes the blue pegasus stagger to her hooves as she shakes the last of the cobwebs out of her head. Applejack walks over to her and holds up her left forehoof.

“Rainbow Dash, how many hooves am I holdin’ up?” Her friend blinks once and stares at her upright hoof.

“Are you serious, AJ?”

“She’s fine,” Applejack says to Starlight. “Now let’s get outta here and head back to Ponyville. I reckon it’s been a long day for all of us.”

“Seriously, how could the answer be anything but ‘one’ …” Rainbow Dash’s argument to Applejack fades as the two trot out of the cave. Starlight begins to follow, when she notices a glint on the cavern floor. She magically levitates the object causing the glint … and finds it to be the necklace Chrysalis was wearing. Her concentration slips, causing the necklace to fall back to the floor.

This … this doesn’t make any sense.

Starlight again levitates the necklace, placing it around her neck. This necklace is supposed to block unicorn magic. How can I be using magic right now? Does it only work if Chrysalis is nearby to wield it?

“Starlight! You coming or what?”

The shout-out snaps Starlight back to the present, and she quickly recollects the events of the past hour. Grateful to be free from her makeshift tomb, she runs out of the cave and is immediately hugged by Trixie.

“Starlight, I was so worried! Are you all right? Did Chrysalis … do …”

“I’m fine, Trixie, and thank you for your support …” Starlight looks past Trixie for a moment. “Why is Pinkie Pie gnawing on a pine tree?”

Trixie turns around as the gaze of the other ponies … and Discord … focus on Pinkie’s mouth wrapped around an aged pine. Pinkie, upon realization, releases her grip on the tree and spits out bits of bark. “Hey, what gives?”

“Well that’s certainly odd,” Discord comments, “and that’s coming from me.” He snaps his fingers in an attempt to re-transmogrify the tree into a candy cane, with no success.

“Is someone having trouble with his parlor tricks?” Trixie snidely remarks.

“This is serious, Trixie,” Discord chides. “I haven’t been stifled from using magic since—“

“You know what?” Starlight suddenly interrupts. “I think I dropped something in the cave. I’ll be right back.” She then turns and rushes back in.

“Maybe you’re just worn out,” Fluttershy reassures. “Give it one more try.”

Discord snaps his fingers again, and the tree turns bright white with red stripes and sparkles. “Well that’s more like it,” he comments as Pinkie again gleefully savors the stem. “Honestly, I don’t know what went wrong there.”

“Well, fun’s fun but we really should put everything back to normal,” Rarity comments.

“Really now, what is up with you ponies and your sense of ‘normalcy’. It’s so boring!”

“Diiiiiscord …” Fluttershy’s cajoling causes Discord to grumble slightly, before snapping his fingers one last time. The candy cane reverts back to a tree, as the rest of the surrounding area returns to its natural state.

Pinkie again spits herself away from the tree trunk in disgust. “Aw come on!!!”

The trek back from the cave to the road takes fifteen minutes, enough time for Starlight to be regaled with the tales of the others in their search for her. Once back at the road, Trixie hitches herself up to her wagon to resume her trip to Canterlot … happy that she will no longer make the trip alone.

“I’m really glad you decided to accompany me the rest of the way, Starlight.”

“Anything for my best friend,” Starlight replies. “Just need to say a few final goodbyes to the others.”

Starlight first turns to Rainbow Dash. “I owe you my life for breaking through those boulders. I won’t forget this.”

“Aah, no big deal,” Rainbow declares. “Nothing more than I’d do for any of my friends. Also, I’m just awesome that way.”

“You sure you’re still not sore after that? You really hit those rocks hard … as well as the back of the cave.”

“All in a day’s work … but I wouldn’t suggest anypony else do that. Not all of us are blessed with such a thick skull.” Rainbow hears snickers behind her and turns to confront Applejack. “What?”

“Oh, nothin’.”

Starlight walks over to Applejack. “Thank you for leading the others to me. No telling how long I could’ve been in that cave.”

“Shoot, sugarcube, I can’t take all the credit for that. It was Pinkie Pie’s idea to … well, ‘alter the landscape’.”

Applejack turns to her left, where she sees Pinkie grazing on the natural grass. “Uh, you know that ain’t cotton candy any more, right?”

Pinkie looks up. “Well, I do need more green in my diet anyway … besides mint chocolate-chip ice cream.”

Applejack sighs. “That’s Pinkie Pie, I guess; always findin’ a way to chew the scenery.” Her face then brightens up. “But good job today, Pinkie … you really came through for us, twice.”

“Yes, I heard it was your insight to see through those fake equal marks,” Starlight adds. “You really are somepony special.”

“Yeah, I know,” Pinkie agrees, before resuming her grazing.

Starlight next turns to Rarity. “From what I heard, you fought for me more than the others. Why?”

“Because I’ve been there,” Rarity notes. “More than anypony else here, I know firsthoof what it’s like to lose control of your desires. I caused a great deal of distress once, turning all of Ponyville into a gilded wasteland; you can ask Spike all about that incident upon your return, if you like. But don’t beat yourself up over this … this ordeal is done, and we’ll all be the better for having endured it.”

“Well thank you again,” Starlight repeats. “And I will have to ask Spike about …” her smile quickly fades. “SPIKE! We forgot all about Spike!”

Pinkie stops her grazing and looks towards the two unicorns. “Oh, he’s probably still with the Cake family,” she reassures.

“Now don’t you worry about Spike,” Rarity adds. “Once we return, we can explain everything to him.”

“And as for that …” Starlight winces slightly. “As for what I did in the Cutie Map room, let me clean that up when I return … again.”

“Well, I suppose we shouldn’t expect any summoning as long as Twilight is away. I’ll tell Spike, if you insist.”

“I do, Rarity … and thank you again.” Starlight then turns her attention to Discord.

“I can’t believe I’m saying this again so soon,” she admits, “but you really came through for me. Thank you again, for being there when I needed you.”

“Oh please,” Discord scoffs, “spare me the sentimentalism. Besides … there’s nothing I wouldn’t do for you.”

Starlight closes her eyes and blushes … then opens them, and realizes that he’s addressing Fluttershy.

“You did real good today,” Fluttershy asserts.

“Well, yes I did … but I think some other pony deserves a special reward.” Discord flashes a mischievous grin and snaps his fingers. A puff of smoke envelops Pinkie Pie, causing the others to turn in her direction. When the smoke clears, the others gape in astonishment.

“What,” Pinkie asks, before inspecting her body … and her new wings. She gasps in amazement, then quickly soars above the others. “I love them!!!” she declares.

“Yes, I do think ‘Pegasus Pinkie’ has a nice ring to it. Sadly, though, this will have to be temporary; I think some other pony might want them back.”

Hearing those words, Rainbow Dash quickly inspects her own wings … and finds herself wanting. “HEY!!!”

“Discord!” Fluttershy growls as she turns to the draconequus.

“Well it’s only temporary, as I said. Anyway, ‘sporty pony’ could use some time to work on walking around instead of flying everywhere. Take it from me, it’s easy to forget how.”

Oblivious to the scene below, Pinkie performs loop-the-loops in the air. “See you back in Ponyville,” she declares as she flies off down the road.

“HEY, GIVE THOSE BACK!” Rainbow Dash gallops down the road in an attempt to catch up.

Applejack sighs before turning to Starlight and Trixie. “Guess we better go and try to catch Pinkie Wings. Good luck with the Canterlot shows, Trixie.” She then trots down the road, along with Rarity and Fluttershy, with Discord hovering along with them.

Trixie watches the silhouettes of the others disappear into the darkness. “That was weird, even for Discord,” she says as she turns to Starlight … and sees a sullen look on her friend’s face. “What’s wrong?”

Tears start to form in Starlight’s eyes. “I … I have to leave you.”

Trixie groans at Starlight’s display. “You can’t possibly still think that this wasn’t all Chrysalis’s work, can you? Starlight, I saw two of you before I got stunned.”

“I know you did,” Starlight concedes, “but …” She then looks behind her as Trixie follows her gaze.

A glow emanates from the undergrowth, and Starlight … another Starlight … emerges from the bushes and walks towards them. This Starlight retains her usual cutie mark, and wears a black necklace around her neck. Trixie quickly shifts her gaze to the Starlight she was talking to; with a puff of smoke, that Starlight disappears.

Ch 7: Either/Or

As the smoke dissipates into the night sky, Trixie stares momentarily at the spot where Starlight stood talking to her. She then turns to the Starlight now walking towards her, unsure what to make of the scene. “Is that? … How did you? …”

“Duplication spell,” Starlight calmly and sullenly tells her friend and fellow unicorn. “I’ve been practicing it for a while now, but you’re the first other than Twilight to actually see me perform it.”

“Wow … I know you’re great with magic, but I had no idea you knew a spell like that! You know, ‘The Great and Powerful Starlight’ has a nice ring to it,” Trixie jokes; Starlight’s face shows no change in emotion. “Come on Star, what’s eating you? And what’s that around your neck,” she inquires, noticing the obsidian necklace for the first time.

“The necklace isn’t important,” Starlight quietly asserts. “Don’t you see? It has been me all along! I’m a threat to everypony in Equestria.” She turns around to face the clearing they had recently stepped away from. “I should be back in that cave, isolated from the world and left to …”

“How can you say that,” Trixie retorts. “How can you even think that? You think being able to clone yourself changes anything?”

“It changes everything, Trixie! I’m the one who attacked you, just like I’m the one responsible for all the chaos caused today. I can’t be trusted.”

“You were tricked by Chrysalis, Starlight! She set you up. She’s the one who caused the rockslide and entombed you. You said so yourself!”

“I told you all what I wanted to believe,” Starlight calmly replies. “No one else actually saw Chrysalis. Isn’t it convenient that she disappeared just as Rainbow Dash broke through the boulders? No … I must have fantasized the whole thing. I caused that rockfall, because the part of me that’s still redeemable knows what’s best for Equestria.”

“Then that part of you knows nothing, Starlight Glimmer!” The anger builds in Trixie’s voice as she continues. “After all we’ve been through … after we saved the Princesses … we saved Twilight and all your friends … you still believe you’re a danger to this world! If not for you, we would already be overrun by the changelings!” Her tone softens. “Please, Starlight, snap out of this! You have changed. You know this, deep inside. I have faith in you, just like Twilight and everypony else who knows you.”

Starlight’s horn illuminates the sky as her necklace hovers off her neck and onto the ground. “Pick that up,” she tells Trixie.

“What, that necklace?”

“Yes. Use your magic to levitate it off the ground.”

Trixie tries to focus her magic on the necklace, but is unable to muster any energy. “I don’t get it.”

Starlight closes her eyes as an aura envelops the necklace, causing it to rise once again. She places it back around her neck. “Do you recognize it?”

Trixie walks up to inspect the rocks forming the necklace. “Wait … is that?”

“Made from the remnants of Chrysalis’s throne. I found it on the cavern floor. Then I saw how it blocked Discord’s magic. Even a piece as small as this has a noticeable radius of effect. That’s why I had to run back into the cave, before anypony figured out the cause. That’s why I had to clone myself, so I could keep a safe distance away from the group as everypony headed back to the road.”

“But your own magic,” Trixie muses. “How come you can use magic in its vicinity?”

“I … I don’t know,” Starlight admits, “but the fact that I can … the fact that I now share an innate ability with Chrysalis, that only furthers my argument. The evil within me is growing in power … making me do things against my will … and I cannot allow that part of me to harm another pony. Never again.”

Silence pervades as Trixie ponders Starlight’s final points. “So why come out of the forest at all? Why follow us?”

“I had to make sure the others were gone from the area, so they wouldn’t try to find me again. By the time they realize I’ve disappeared, I’ll be long gone from here.”

“Uh huh,” Trixie deadpans, unconvinced. “Then why show yourself to me? You saw them all leave. You could have just broken your spell and left me alone out here.”

“The moment I do that, you run right after them and let them know. I need more time than that. And besides …” Starlight pauses and turns away from Trixie. “You deserve to know more than the others. I owe you that.”

“And exactly why do you ‘owe’ me anything?” Trixie continues, her tone increasing slightly in volume.

Starlight turns back to Trixie, the change in tone catching her off-guard. “Why? After all we went through, rescuing the princesses and Twilight’s friends? I mean, you’re my best friend—“

“Exactly!” Trixie interrupts. “I’m your best friend, just like you’re mine. And friends fight for each other, no matter what. And you really think you’re just going to walk away, and that I’m just going to let you?”

“Trixie, no. Don’t—“

“Don’t what, Starlight? Don’t fight you for trying to abandon your friends? Abandon your new life? I’m sorry, Starlight, but friendship doesn’t come with exceptions. I won’t let you leave. Neither will Twlight, or anypony else. You try to ditch us, and we will find you.”

“Trixie, I attacked you earlier! I hurt you!”

“YOU did no such thing, Starlight! Something attacked me, I won’t deny that. Something is causing you to doubt yourself. But that something isn’t you.”

“You don’t know that!” Starlight argues.

“And you do? You’re a rational pony, Starlight, so think about it: there are only two possibilities to consider. Two! And one of them is that this IS all Chrysalis’s work. That she did come to Ponyville to torment you, to cause you to run away, to lock you both in that cave … and from what you told us, to join her. And if that is the case, then you need your friends more than ever, to fight against Chrysalis again when the time comes.”

“And what about the other possibility, Trixie? What if it IS all my doing? What if the evil desires within me are fighting to break out, to take control?”

“Then that part of you is doomed to fail,” Trixie asserts. “That part of you cannot win … because your friends won’t let that part of you win ... and because you won’t let that part of you win.”

“I don’t want that part of me to win, but—“

“That’s my point! Starlight, if you really were turning against us, then why would you fight it? Why wouldn’t you just take your friends’ cutie marks? Why would you run away, rather than conquer. No, Starlight, the evil within you cannot defeat the good … you’ve proven as much in the cave.”

“What are you talking about, Trixie? If this is all me, then I just spent almost an hour talking to myself.”

“Yes, and what did you discuss, huh? Did you convince yourself to take over Equestria? No, you convinced yourself that you would rather die alone than allow that to happen. If this really is all you, then you’re protecting all of Equestria from a great evil. You will do anything to prevent that evil from spreading. Those are NOT the actions of a pony who’s giving in to her dark designs.”

A chill runs down Starlight’s back as she takes in Trixie’s argument. Tears begin again to form in her eyes. “I just … I just don’t know what to believe.”

“Believe in your friends, Starlight. Believe in me … and believe in yourself. You are the most incredible pony I have ever met, and have much to offer.”

Starlight embraces Trixie, unable to stop the flow of tears and choking up as she speaks. “I’m so sorry for all this. You really are the best friend a pony could have.”

“It’s been a long day, Starlight,” Trixie reassures. “Maybe we should head back to Ponyville and rest up for the night.”

“No … no, I’m not even tired. Why don’t we continue on to Canterlot … together.”

“I would like that.” Trixie smiles as a thought occurs to her: “But if you got that necklace on, you may need to sit in the back of the audience during performances.”

Ch 8: Pebbles in the Ocean

[ONE WEEK LATER]

As the party winds down, Starlight finally has time to process everything that happened over the past week. She looks around the room and reflects upon the recent events.

“BEST. SURPRISE PARTY. EVER!!!”

Starlight’s gaze focuses on Pinkie Pie blowing a horn right into Fluttershy’s ear, causing her to squeal and jump in terror. Applejack walks over to admonish her exuberant friend.

“Pinkie Pie, you do realize that Twilight’s the one bein’ surprised, right?”

“Oopsie. Sorry, Fluttershy. I’m just so excited for Twilight to come through those doors.”

“Well, Spike went to meet her at the train station. They should be back soon, and Rainbow Dash is keepin’ watch for us. When she comes in and gives the signal, we dim the lights.”

“Okie-dokie!” Pinkie bounces a couple more times in anticipation, then turns to Starlight. “So how was Canterlot? Did Trixie wow the crowds with her magic? Did she remove anypony’s mouths?” She frowns before concluding: “Oh, I hope Trixie didn’t remove anypony’s mouths.”

“Trixie was incredible,” Starlight assures Pinkie and the others. “Princess Celestia enjoyed her act so much, she asked Trixie to stick around for an additional week.”

“Rainbow Dash and I caught her performance a couple days ago,” Fluttershy adds. “She really was incredible. And Angel got into her act, too. He really enjoyed being a part of it all.”

“Can’t believe I’m sayin’ this, but I’ve never been happier for her. She’s come a long way from the first time we got to know her.”

“She’s not the only one, Applejack,” Starlight remarks, the burdens from a week ago long-since lifted.

“You certainly look more content today than durin’ that last party. Shoot, last week you were wound up tighter than a cuckoo clock running at double-speed.”

“I do feel better now, thank you,” Starlight replies before turning away and allowing herself a slight gulp. She notices Pinkie bounce towards the hallway doors, then walks over to the refreshment table. She sees Rarity staring down at a cream pie.

“Rarity, that pie looks simply mouth-watering.”

“Well, don’t get too attached.” Rarity’s reply catches Starlight by surprise.

“What do you mean by that?”

“Starlight,” Rarity admits, “I carry myself with a sense of propriety at all times. It’s what makes me the pony I am today, and I will always abide by my own code of conduct. Nevertheless …” her eyes squint as a mischievous grin spreads over her face, “some actions simply must come with consequences. And I’m a firm believer in letting the punishment fit the grime.”

“ ‘Grime’? Rarity, you’re not going to—“

“Oh, Pinkie Pie!” As Rarity calls out to Pinkie Pie to draw her attention, she levitates the pie and hurls it directly at her. Instantaneously, Pinkie’s tail twitches and she instinctively ducks. The pie sails just above her head, just as the door to the Cutie Map room opens.

“Twilight’s comi—“ Before Rainbow Dash can finish, she is caught full-force by the flying pie. The blow knocks her head-over-hooves out of the air and onto the floor, her face and mane slathered with cream and pie filling. Rarity immediately rushes to the doorway, pleading forgiveness.

“Ohnonono! Rainbow Dash, I am sooo sorry. I didn’t mean for you to … I was trying to … Pinkie was …” Rarity reaches the pie-covered pegasus, pauses, attempts to keep her composure … and then bursts out laughing as she falls to the floor. The others eye Rarity for a moment, before a chuckle causes them to turn around and find Starlight follow her fellow unicorn’s lead. The merriment of the situation spreads to the others, until even Rainbow Dash is laughing at the attack. Moments later, Twilight and Spike turn a corner and inspect the scene.

“Awww,” Spike grouses, “did they start the party without us?”

Twilight turns to Spike, then back to the others. Guess this is another one of those moments where I just ‘had to be there’.

“Thanks again for helping me and Spike clean up, but really, this celebration was for you; you really shouldn’t be lifting a hoof now.” Starlight’s comment elicits a chuckle from Twilight.

“Very cute, Starlight. Although, somepony is going to have to fill me in about why Rainbow Dash was on the hallway floor covered with cream pie.”

Spike grumbles. “Waste of a perfectly good pie, if you ask me.”

“Well, I can’t really be certain about the pie,” Starlight admits, “but I can tell you, it’s been a strange week for me.”

“Well do tell,” Twilight urges. “I’d love to know.”

“Do you want the long or short version.”

“Start with the short.”

“Well …” Starlight ponders for a moment before continuing: “Either Chrysalis returned to Ponyville in an effort to reprogram me to serve her whims, leading me to believe that I had replaced our friends’ cutie marks with equal signs again and causing me to flee from the village and entomb myself in a cave only to be rescued because Discord turned the countryside into Pinkie’s fantasy candy world, or the evil within me is fighting to escape and I’m not certain if I should be here anymore although Trixie convinced me to talk to you about it either way … but the thing about Pinkie’s candy world is true in either case. Oh, and I now have part of Chrysalis’s old throne in my room but I can still cast magic in its vicinity.”

Twilight and Spike both gape at Starlight, desperately trying to process this new information.

“On second thought,” Twilight decides, “maybe give us the long story.”

“… and if Trixie didn’t give me a good kick in the flank, I might still be out somewhere in Equestria, alone, wondering what to do. But in the end, I accompanied Trixie to Canterlot and took in her first couple shows. And I should be thrilled! Trixie was great, we had wonderful conversations in between performances, and I’ve had no reoccurrences of ‘evil’ Starlight, or of Chrysalis, or anything else like that. I came back a couple days ago, cleaned up the mess left in the Cutie Map room, and still no ill effects. And yet … I still can’t shake the thought that there’s a part of me, still lurking, waiting for a more opportune time to strike. So Twilight … what do you think?”

Twilight leans back on a sofa, clopping her forehooves together while processing Starlight’s tale. Spike sits next to Twilight, waiting for her to offer her thoughts first.

“Spike,” Twlight starts, “you were here for all this. What do you think?”

“Oh. Actually, Twilight, I only saw firstclaw the paint on the chairs and the walls of the Cutie Map room. Everything else, I heard through Rarity and the others. And from what I heard, from both her and Starlight, both explanations seem plausible … and I don’t like thinking about either one being the ‘real’ one.”

“Well I don’t have all the answers either,” Twilight informs Starlight, “but I’ll offer my thoughts all the same. Take from them whatever you wish.”

“Go on.”

“First and foremost, I’m glad you are here with us, still in Ponyville. There can be no better place for you than with your friends. And that’s true no matter what the truth is.”

Starlight shakes her head. “That can’t be true. Not if I really did just imagine Chrysalis this whole time; I’m a threat to you and everypony else.”

“There could be some risk, sure, but friendship is worth fighting for. And from what you’ve told me, you yourself will fight for what’s right just as much as we will. But there’s more … and it’s why I believe that it really was Chrysalis, and not just your imagination.”

“What ‘more’ do you have in mind?”

“The necklace. Starlight, can you grab it and bring it here?”

Starlight nods her head and runs off. Minutes later, she returns with the necklace around her neck. Twilight attempts to levitate the necklace off of Starlight, but fails to do so.

“It certainly seems like the real thing. Starlight, can you …”

Starlight’s horn glows as the necklace levitates above her body, hovers in the air for a number of seconds, then is set down onto the table for Twilight to more closely examine.

“Simply remarkable,” Twlight says to no one in particular, her gaze fixated on the obsidian. “I can only imagine how strong this force was when her throne was still intact.” She looks up and re-addresses Starlight. “Would it be OK for me to hold on to this for further analysis?”

“You can keep it,” Starlight brusquely admits. “All that necklace does is remind me of what I’ve become. The only reason I even kept it around was to show you.”

“What do you mean by ‘what you’ve become’?” Spike innocently asks.

“Let’s assume for the moment that this was all Chrysalis’s work, and that she dropped this necklace when leaving me right before my rescue. For all my efforts at getting her to change, she’s the same evil, selfish, power-hungry changeling that she always was.” Starlight points to the necklace as she continues: “And now I share her ability to use magic in the presence of this unnatural substance.”

“But that’s a good thing, right?”

“NO, Spike, it’s not! It’s just more proof that I’m coming around to her perspective. That I can still be evil, selfish, and power-hungry. Don’t you see? She’s breaking me down.”

“That’s not how I see this,” Twilight flatly states.

“Oh? Then what do you see?” Starlight asks.

“You say she’s breaking you down. I say you’re wearing her down.”

Starlight again shakes her head in disagreement. “She hasn’t changed.”

“Hasn’t she? Starlight, Chrysalis has lost everything dear to her, has nothing on her mind but vengeance … and you still gave her your hoof in friendship, in spite of all she put you through. And when she saw that you were unwilling to go alone with her plans, she could have lashed out … but instead, she held her ground. Starlight, I think you have reached her … or at least, some part of her that she doesn’t want to believe still exists.”

“But what about the necklace?”

“You say the necklace is proof of you turning evil. I say it’s proof that you’re breaking down her defenses. This necklace, which can otherwise block all Equestrian magic … even from one as powerful as Discord … is allowing your magic to pass through. Just like, perhaps only subconsciously, Chrysalis is letting your words and actions pass through to her.”

Starlight takes in her mentor’s words. “She certainly doesn’t seem any different.”

“Old habits can be the hardest to break, particularly ones that have existed for hundreds of moons. It’s just like pebbles in the ocean; given enough time, even the roughest of edges are worn smooth.”

Starlight contemplates the analogy as Twilight concludes: “I’m sure we haven’t seen the last of Chrysalis. And I’m sure that she will still harbor ill will towards all of us, and particularly you, Starlight. But I’m also sure that you will never stop fighting for the good within her … and that one day, you’ll win that battle.”

Starlight glances at a clock, noticing the lateness of the hour. “We probably should turn in now. But thank you for your insights. And thank you for being here for me, no matter what. I do feel better now, knowing that I’ll have support for whatever challenges I may face … even if those challenges come from within.”

Starlight embraces Twilight. As they hug, Starlight suddenly perceives a vibration.

“What’s going on …” Starlight releases her grip on Twilight and turns to her flank. She notices her cutie mark glowing and pulsating.

“Oh wow,” Twilight excitedly states. “You’re being summoned by the Cutie Map.” She inspects her own flank, noticing the same. “Looks like both of us. We gotta see where we’re heading. So, are you ready for this?”

The adrenaline from the anticipation keeps Starlight awake and alert. She slyly smiles as she responds: “Let’s do this!”