This got nasty so quick...now I know what happened to the cat who got too curious.

"Aw. I don't blame you for what you tried to do here today." Starlight said from inside. "You've spent your whole lives thinking those marks are a good thing."

"Give them back!" Twilight yelled.

"Well, now you can spend the rest of your lives here with us! And we'll teach you just how much better life can be without your cutie marks!"

I needed help...and fast, so I flew all the way back to the village to find the place all quiet and only a few ponies around.

In sameness, there is peace. Exceptionalism is a lie.

I looked around to see a few loudspeakers around Starlight's house.

Free yourself from your cutie mark. Choose equality as your special talent.

I trotted around and the first thing that came to my mind was the shop we were in earlier.

Difference is frustration. To excel is to fail.

"Ugh, I don't how much I can take this, I gotta find a way to restore this problem...and soon."

Be your best by never being your best.

I opened the door and walked down to the basement in the hope that Sugar Belle was still there.

Choose equality as your special talent. Difference is frustration. To excel is to fail. Be your best by never being your best. Conformity will set you free. Accept your limitations, and happiness will follow. You're no better than your friends.

It was a lot more lighter in the basement this time, probably because Double Diamond was with the others.

"Sugar Belle, are you here?" I asked.

Just then, Sugar appeared from a corner.

"Hi Bond, what you doing back here?" she asked.

"Well first of all, how could you not tell my friends that we were walking into a trap?!"

"A trap? Oh no...I guess Double Diamond did overhear what I was saying."

"He must've warned Starlight about it as well...but even so, you should've known better than to be dishonest."

"I'm sorry Bond...I just didn't want to go through spending those days in the book room again."

"Wait, what book room?"

"It's a small area in her house where she takes new ponies to spend a few days in and welcome them to thier new lives here."

"Hmm, that sounds strange to me, but with those equals put in place, I can see why it works."

"How come she didn't take yours away?"

"It's thanks to Pinkie Pie's senses that I was able to build up my magic and teleport out of the cave to escape. Right now, I am the only pony who's able to try and free them, but I can't do it on my own. I need help and you are the closest source of help I can get."

"Ohhh, I don't know..."

"Think about it...do you really want to spend the rest of your life, baking bad muffins?"

She sighed. "No...."

"Then help me with this and my friends will find a way to get your cutie mark back. Starlight won't be a problem afterwards, I can promise you that."

"Really? You would get my cutie mark back?"

"Yes, but we're gonna need a lot of help, is Party Favor and that pegasi around here?"

"You mean Night Glider, they are, but I don't think they wanna take the risk."

"They'll have to, otherwise the future of Equestria will fall into the hooves of evil and Princess Celestia will not hesitate to destroy Starlight."

"Destroy, you mean as in kill her?"

"Now you understand what I mean here?"

"Absolutely yes! We need to rescue your friends."

Just then, we heard a voice calling outside. We walked out of the basement and looked outside to see Starlight and several ponies gathered around and the mane six were there too.

"Gather round, friends, gather round!" Starlight called. "We've come to ask if any of you are ready to join us! There are so many friends to be made once you realize you don't need your cutie marks or the talents that come with them."

"We have a welcome ceremony for new friends!" Double said. "The whole village joins together to build you your own cottage-"

"Not interested!" Rainbow interrupted "You may have them now, but we're going to get our cutie marks back!"

"Y'all don't understand, do ya? You can't force nopony to be friends! It don't work like that!" Applejack added.

"It's all right, everypony." Starlight assured. "This is a perfectly normal part of the equalization process for those who haven't... quite seen the light yet. We'll try again tomorrow once you've had a bit more time to consider our philosophy!"

"I'd like to join!" Fluttershy said.

"Huh?" Sugar said behind me. "Why does she want to join?"

"Well, she did seem to like this place as soon as we got here, but I'm wondering why." I replied.

"Fluttershy? How could you?!" Twilight exclaimed.

"If giving up my cutie mark means I get to stay in this lovely village with these lovely ponies, then I'll do it." Fluttershy replied proudly.

"Wait, I've got it." I said quietly. "They've come up with a plan and I think it's brilliant, it should buy us some time we need to help them out."

"That's good." Sugar replied.

The rest of the mares were then walked back in the book room and Starlight shut the door.

"We have a new friend, everypony!" Starlight declared. "Now, there's one more order of business. It seems some in our midst might be...dissatisfied with the village life!"

Sugar gasped slightly, knowing that she is one of the few who wants her cutie mark back. Party Favor and Night Glider probably want them back as well.

"Unfortunately, it's all too true, my friends!" Starlight added as she looked at Fluttershy. "Will you kindly tell us the names of those friends who so desperately miss their cutie marks that they would sneak around in the shadows talking to strangers about it? Just so we can be sure your intentions are indeed pure."

Fluttershy gulped. "Um, I don't know who they were. Um, I'm sorry. I don't know your names and faces yet."

"Nonsense! Obviously these ponies must have asked you directly. Kindly point them out!"

Just then, I felt a tap on my shoulder.

"Leave it to me, you two."

It was Party Favor and Night Glider who had walked up beside us and Party walked right into the center and gulped.

"He'll be fine, just tell me what we need to do and we'll help you." Night whispered.

"Okay, get back behind us, this little show case isn't over yet." I replied.

"It was me! It was only me!" Party exclaimed. "But I only wanted it back for a little while!"

"And you're quite certain it was only you?" Starlight asked as she held him by the chin.

"I just wanted to remember what it was like."

"And no thought to the pain you'd cause your friends. Such selfishness."

Party was then shown the door into the book room and the other ponies around didn't seem pleased, so much for thier smiles.

"I'm sorry, everypony! I never wanted to leave the village! I love all of-"

Starlight cut him off as she closed the door and the other ponies began to welcome Fluttershy.

"Gosh, you really are the nicest ponies I've ever met." Fluttershy said.

"Come. All new friends stay with me until their cottage is completed." Starlight said. "Let's get you settled, and then you can enjoy all that our little village has to offer."

She then gave a mean look as she guided Fluttershy into her home.

"Well right now, girls." I sighed. "We can't do anything about it, so just act like we don't have anything up our sleeves. I'll have to stay out of the village until then so nothing goes wrong."

"Okay, Bond." Sugar replied.

"We'll rescue them for sure." Night added.

I hoped so as I began to fly away from the village till I was out of sight. I landed on the hill watching over and began to have my thoughts from all the events that followed during the week.

Almost hundreds of thoughts were going around my head at once. The two words that I wasn't sure I was going to hear Rarity say, came out and she was almost hesitating to say them. Since then, none of the other ponies know about it. I couldn't believe that was my fiance was pregnant and I am the father!

Well, it's a good thing that nopony else has heard, Rarity wanted me to have some time to myself to think it over. But do I celebrate and feel happy that I'm going to be a parent with the love of my life, or do I want her to have an abortion? The former would force me and Rarity to make serious changes to our future plans, whilst the latter would crush Rarity and everypony else would have daggers in thier eyes at me. That question plays in my mind, the irony of it all is that it's the least of my concerns, but how would the others feel or react if Rarity and I told them were going to be parents soon?

When it was the start of the evening, I quietly flew back into the village and landed outside Starlight's house.

Just then, I heard a few muffles coming from the chimney and out popped Fluttershy who was covered in smoke.

"Get the cutie marks back. That's all you've gotta do, Fluttershy." she said to herself nervously. "Just sneak through the dark up to that spooky old cave with the scary magical staff and get the cutie marks back."

"Pssst, Fluttershy." I whispered to her.

She got out of the chimney and landed by me.

"Bond Racer, you escaped?!" she exclaimed.

"Shhh, keep your voice down. Yes I did and did you say something about the cave?"

"Yes, but I'm just a little nervous."

"Well don't be, because I have two ponies who will be here to help."

Just then, we saw Double Diamond with a crate of jars, Fluttershy hid on the rooftop and hid around the corner, away from view.

He knocked on the door and Starlight answered.

"Ahhh, the jars, excellent work, Double Diamond." she commented.

"Of course, but I don't understand why you wanted me to bring them here." he replied "Fluttershy is one of us now. Surely she can be trusted."

They both walked in and closed the door, I snuck towards the window to overhear the conversation.

"This one belongs to a princess. It could be very important to our cause."

"But if Twilight Sparkle becomes our friend, then why do we care about this old cutie mark?"

"I just want to keep them close until everything is... settled. You may go, Double Diamond."

Double then left the home as I hid away and he walked away.

"Oh, dear. How are we ever going to get the cutie marks back now?" Fluttershy asked.

"You got me on that one." I replied as I flew on the roof beside her. "I mean, I'm tempted to take her on, but there's a chance that she'll land a shot on me and she takes my cutie mark away."

We then heard a small commotion from inside, we flew down gently to the window to see Starlight had walked into a basin with some water. She placed the cutie mark jars on a table and wiped herself dry with a towel. We then noticed that she had a different cutie mark and Fluttershy gasped.

"I knew it, I knew she couldn't be from around here." I whispered.

She then used a bit of make up to cover it and placed a small piece of paper with equal marks on her flank and brushed on the equals. She then turned off the lights, we knew we had to do something now.

"Oh, no." Fluttershy gasped as she hugged me.

"I have an idea..." I replied as we left her home. "But it's gonna have to wait until tomorrow. When you and Starlight leave the house, I'll try to sneak in and get those jars."

"Okay...I'll try not to think about it too much, goodnight."

Fluttershy then went back inside the house whilst I walked to Sugar Belle's bakery home, I knocked on her door quietly and went in, she had a place for me to sleep through the night, so it wasn't all bad. When it was the next day, I woke up and left the bakery, only to find a crowd gathered outside the book room.

"I've got a good feeling about today! So, do any of you have anything you'd like to say?" Starlight asked.

The five mares all looked completely exhausted and none of them replied.

"Aw, pity. Well, let's try this again tomorrow, shall we? No new friends today, I'm afraid!"

"Wait! I'd like to lock them in." Fluttershy said.

"Marvelous, Fluttershy! That's the spirit! Party Favor, will you join us, please?"

Party Favor then galloped out and bowed at Starlight.

"I'm sorry, Starlight! I'm sorry, everypony!" he exclaimed. "I've seen the error of my ways! I never want to look at my cutie mark again!"

"It seems there's cause for celebration after all!"

The crowd began to cheer.

"They tried to break me!" he added. "They wouldn't stop talking about how different they are, and that somehow makes their friendship stronger!"

"Such backwards thinking."

"But I didn't listen! I knew what they were up to, and I didn't listen!"

"Well done, Party Favor! We welcome you back with open hooves!"

"Um, Starlight? I think we might have one more friend joining us today." Fluttershy said as Twilight came back out.

"Is this true?"

"I-I think so. But I just want to be sure." Twilight replied. "If I agree to leave my cutie mark in the vault, I'll really be happier?"

"Just look around! Equality has given us more happiness than you've ever known!"

"Out of the question. A pony with a different cutie mark in our midst would destroy our entire philosophy. We are all equal here!"

Just then, Night Glider from behind gave me a bucket of water.

"Don't ask where I got this, okay?" she whispered.

I nodded and then began to walk closer and closer until I saw Starlight in the middle.

"Then how do you explain this?!" I asked out of the blue as I threw a bucket of water at her.

She jumped out of the way just in time, but a small splash caught her by the flank and it began to travel down, rubbing off her equal mark. Party Favor then dried it off which startled her.

"No! Get away!" she exclaimed as she pushed Party back, only to find her real cutie mark now in plain sight and the other ponies gasped.

"Oh you are so busted!" I said proudly.

"Wha... What are you looking at?!" she exclaimed. "They're the problem, not me!"

"How could you?" Party asked.

"You said cutie marks were evil!" Double added who now finally saw what she really was. "You said special talents led to pain and heartache!"

"They do! Don't you see?! Look at them!" Starlight said.

"Then why? Why did you take ours and not give up your own?" Sugar asked as she turned up.

"I...I had to, you fools! How could I collect your cutie marks without my magic?!"

"But the staff has all the magic we need!" Night said as she joined the fray too.

"The staff is a piece of wood I found in the desert! It's my magic that makes all this possible! You'd all still be living your miserable lives thinking you're better than everypony else if it weren't for my magical abilities! I brought you friendship! I brought you equality! I created harmony!"

"You lied to us!" Double exclaimed.

"So what? E-Everything else I said is true! The only way to be happy is if we're all equal!"

"Except for you." Fluttershy said.

"Everypony has unique talents and gifts, and when we share them with each other, that's how rea-" Twilight added.

"Quiet!" Starlight yelled, cutting her off.

"You can't have a cutie mark, Starlight! Either we're all equal, or none of us are!" Sugar said.

The ponies began to move towards her, before she created a barrier to push them back and galloped into her house.

"Come on! Let's get our cutie marks back!" Double announced.

The crowd cheered and followed him and they galloped away from the village and possibly up to the cave.

"Come on! Let's go get our cutie marks!" Rainbow declared.

"Our cutie marks aren't in the vault!" Fluttershy corrected. "They're in there with her!"

Just then, we began to see tiny stars in different bright colours flowing out of the cave and all across the village.

"Even without my cutie mark, I can tell this is beautiful!" Rarity commented.

"Especially when you're beautiful as well." I replied.

We then trotted over to Starlight's home and Applejack began to buck the door, but it wasn't working.

"Stand back, everypony!" Night yelled as she flew fast and knocked the door clean off.

We galloped inside to find the jars missing!

"They're gone! They were right over there!" Fluttershy gasped.

We then saw the bed that was pushed aside to reveal a secret passage, the seven of us along with a few other volunteers galloped down into the dark and through a cave before we came out to an exit away from the village.

"Look!" Rainbow said as she pointed at Starlight galloping across a tight chasm.

Party then looked at his cutie mark and brought out a couple of balloons and turned them into a pair of binoculars and looked through them.

"She's headed for the pass! If she makes it into those mountains, we'll never find her!" he said.

"These are amazing!" Pinkie said as she looked through the balloon binoculars.

"There's a whole network of caves up there!" Sugar added. "Your cutie marks will be gone forever!"

"Then let's get moving, y'all!" Applejack declared.

"Oh, come on!" Rainbow exclaimed, realizing that Night was faster than her because she had her cutie mark and Rainbow didn't.

"Girls, I'm gonna have to fly faster and catch up to her, these other ponies will help us." I said.

They nodded and I flew faster along with Night who flew beside me. Shortly we caught up to Starlight galloping across the mountain side.

"Are you all so willing to give up everything because of these strangers?" she asked as she used some magic to cause a pile of snow to fall on Midnight.

Sugar, Double and Party then came along to help out.

"We gave up everything for you, because we thought you were our friend!" Sugar answered.

Starlight was then galloping across a narrow bridge, Sugar then had an idea.

"My newest recipe...snow pie!" she said as she created a pie shape made out of snow and threw it at Starlight.

This knocked Starlight down and the cart toppled over and to my horror, the jars flew out and off the bridge. Starlight however grabbed them just before they hit the ground with her magic and continued to gallop to the other side with us in pursuit. She then stopped and used her magic to blast a part of the bridge away, so most of the ponies couldn't catch her.

Party however thought of an idea and used more balloons to create a balloon bridge, that pony sure knows a party trick or two. I then flew fast towards the cave entrance and landed down to block her path.

"Hold it right there, Starlight!" I panted. "This is as far as you will go."

"Out of my way, Bond." she replied. "I let you escape once, I won't be doing it again."

"Well then, I have one word to say..." I then cleared my throat and began to hope this worked. "AVALANCHE!!!" I shouted with all my might.

"INCOMING!!!" I heard Double yelled as he skied down the side

Starlight gasped as a huge pile of snow began to fall, as soon as she was covered, the glass jars fell and broke, releasing the six cutie marks.

I landed with the ponies who felt pleased that we stopped her, but Starlight soon got out of the snow and with an angry look, began to power up her magic. I however stopped her in time by creating a shield barrier, deflecting her own magic, however, mine was beginning to grow a little weak.

Just then, Twilight turned up and used her magic barrier, allowing me to stop and rest behind her.

"Wh– I studied that spell for years!" Starlight exclaimed as she stopped. "How can you-"

"I studied magic for years too! But what I didn't know then was that studying could only take me so far." Twilight replied. "Each of my friends has taught me something different about myself! It was their unique gifts and passions and personalities that helped bring out the magic inside of me! I never would have learned that I represent the element of magic without these five! And I certainly wouldn't be here to stop you now!"

"Spare me your sentimental nonsense! I gave these ponies real friendships they never could've had otherwise!"

"How do you know that?! You never even gave us a chance!" Double exclaimed.

She then used her magic to belt the snow around her and began to gallop inside the cave.

"She's getting away!" Rainbow exclaimed.

"I'd give it up, Rainbow, we'll never find her in there!" I replied. "I would've beaten her into submission anyways."

"We just have to hope that when she's had a chance to think it over, she realizes that you all have taught her something." Twilight added.

"It's you who have taught us something." Party assured. "We all came to this village because we were searching for something missing from our lives. We thought Starlight had given it to us, but now...now it seems it was in front of us all along. It's us!"

"Does that mean you'll stay in the village?"

"It's our home. I'm not going anywhere." Night replied.

"This is a chance for all of us to get to know each other again for the very first time!" Double added.

"And I finally have a chance to bake something besides terrible muffins!" Sugar declared.

We began to share a moment of laughter before we made our way back to the village. The ponies set up a celebration and this time, it was more reasonable and normal, not just happy smiling and creepy like it was before. The seven of us watched outside with smiles and glad hearts.

"Now those are real smiles." Pinkie commented.

The six cutie marks on each of the girls began to flash from time to time.

"Ah'll never get used to that." Applejack said.

"I think it's divine." Rarity added.

"Does that mean that the map is calling us somewhere else?" Fluttershy asked.

"I have a feeling it means our work here is done." I replied.

"Looks like you were right, Twilight. The map did have a reason for sendin' us here." Applejack said. "We brought real friendship to these here ponies. Guess that's why you're the Princess of Friendship."

"But the map didn't send me. It sent us. You're a part of me, all of you." Twilight replied. "And there's no doubt you're a part of my mission to spread friendship too."

We then shared a group hug together, for me it felt like it had been a while since then.

"This feels like an ending!" Pinkie said. "It doesn't have to be an ending yet, right? 'Cause that Sugar Belle can bake!"

"She can bake alright, but I do think we need to move on, there are other places in the world where we are needed." I replied. "So come on girls, it's time to go home...and check on Spike, I have a feeling he's gonna like this storied event."

"I guess you're right, darling." Rarity replied.

We then waved goodbye to the ponies at the village and made our long trek back to the railway line in the desert. Luckily for us, the train had just arrived, we got on and rode all the way back to Ponyville. By the time we got there, me and Rarity looked at each other with smiles.

"You know what Rarity," I said to her on a coach away from the others, "I've given it some thought...and I'm ready to tell them if you're ready."

I held onto her hoof and smiled at her, she smiled back with a tear in her eye.

"Oh darling...I am so happy to hear you say that." she replied. "We'll tell them in the castle together."

We then shared a loving kiss and rejoined the others, we then left the station and made our way to the castle, it was still the last afternoon.

"Welcome back, Princess Twilight and Prince Bond!" the orange guard greeted.

We all walked into the castle and into the council room, as we all got in our seats, Rarity and I smiled, it was time to tell them the news.

"Girls, there is something that Bond and I have been wanting to tell you and we just can't wait any longer to say." Rarity said happily.

"Really, well we're glad that you could save it until our recent quest was over." Twilight replied. "So what's the news?"

"Girls...I'm pregnant!"

"And we're going to be parents!" I added proudly.

The five mares gasped at the news and at first, I wondered if something was wrong, but then they smiled.

"OH MY GOD!!!" Pinkie screamed as she bounced around the whole room in total excitement. "BEST...NEWS...EVER!!!"

"Wow, Rarity and Bond! Congratulations!" Twilight responded happily.

"What mighty fine news, ah'm sure ya both will be mighty fine parents." Applejack added.

"That is wonderful news, when did you become pregnant?" Fluttershy asked.

"It was over a week ago, so I've only just started." Rarity replied. "It's gonna be many months of struggle for the both of us."

"Well don't you worry, we've got your backs to help you with whatever it is you need." Rainbow assured.

"Thanks girls, it really means a lot to us." I replied. "I think we shall call it a day now, we've been through quite a lot."

"I will agree to that, let's have the rest of the day off and then we'll be back here to go over where to next." Twilight said.

We all then shared a close group hug before Rarity and I left the castle first. When we were outside, we walked to her boutique and headed on inside, we shared a loving hug and I spun her around slowly with happiness.

"I am so happy with how that went!" I exclaimed.

"So am I, darling...we have the best friends ever and we're gonna be parents!" Rarity replied.

"We'll be wonderful parents I'm sure, for now I'll let you have your peace and sleep."

"Okay darling, thank you..."

We then shared a loving and passionate kiss before I left her home and walked back to mine. When I got in, I made my dinner and had my thoughts come back, there wasn't many this time as I was completely sure of my decision. Who would've thought that there would be a tiny village in the North East that was run by a mare who used lies and propaganda to get what she wants? Well, she's now living in that cave a long way and I had a feeling that we will be seeing her again soon.

For now though, I smiled and thought of how amazing it's going to be when Rarity and I become parents later in the year or next year. Next Chapter: Castle Sweet Castle Estimated time remaining: 5 Hours, 48 Minutes