"Alright. For the last time: Who are you?"

"I told you! I'm Starlight Glim—"

BAM

Starlight Glimmer nearly jumped from her chair as a dull gray hoof slammed against the table before her. It was all she could do to stay upright as the owner of that hoof, an earth pony stallion easily twice her size and gray as the stone walls around them, glared down at her.

On instinct, she tried to call up her magic. A feeble warmth in her horn was the only result. The barest remnants of power she had left, the rest of it scattered like the ashes of the scroll that had connected her to the Tree of Harmony. No chance of having enough to cast any spells anytime soon.

If ever again...

The thought sent a chill running through her.

"That will be enough, Ironhide."

A new voice had chimed in. One that made Starlight's ears fall flat. The stallion turned away, giving her a clear look at the mare that had spoken up. Even with the light pouring in from outside after so long and nearly blinding her, Starlight recognized the mare that stood in the doorway.

And she could feel her blood freezing in her veins as she walked in.

"Ma'am, are you sure?" Ironhide asked as he stepped away from the table. "This-this miscreant—"

"Is a pony just like you and me. One that needs our help," the unicorn mare said as she brushed past, her voice filled with so much sweetness Starlight was amazed she wasn't choking on it. "Just give us a few minutes alone, alright?"

The stallion grumbled something that sounded like consent before turning away. Starlight couldn't speak. She could only stare, pleadingly, at Ironhide's equality cutie mark as he marched out the door.

Don't. Don't leave me with her!

CLANG

The door shut. There was nopony left in the room but herself and the other unicorn mare. Said mare was smiling as she levitated a manila folder onto the desk, laying it down neatly before herself and opening it to check the contents.

"Well, it seems you made quite the stir didn't you?" The sugary coating never left her words. She almost sounded like a teacher, eager to praise her student. "Then again, it's not everyday we have ponies dropping out of magic portals. Not even in Canterlot!"

Her smile faltered. Even though it was only for a split-second, Starlight was certain she'd seen it. The smallest frown breaking through her happy veneer.

"Not anymore at least... but that's in the past!" The smile was back in full force, and Starlight could feel her stomach twist at the sight of it. "Let's focus on the important stuff. Just who are you and where did you come from?"

"I..."

Starlight's voice hitched in her throat. Hundreds of possible answers were flying through her head at once. None of them seemed likely to satisfy the pony before her. For a moment, she considered flipping the table and running for the door. Only for a moment, however, as she remembered the huge stallion waiting outside.

"You're not going to believe me... but you have to listen," Starlight finally said, her voice barely a hoarse whisper. "I really am Starlight Glimmer! Just a different one than the one you probably knew!"

"Mm-hmm..."

Starlight's eyes widened as her captor scribbled something down. Something sparked in her chest as she stared at the other mare. The pink unicorn's teeth ground together as she watched the unicorn on the other side of the table. Seething under the feeling of being silently judged by her—

BAM

"It's the truth!" Starlight shouted the table threatening to crack from the weight of both her forehooves on it. "Why won't you believe me?!"

The other mare's smile was gone. Quietly and calmly, she lifted the folder and papers again. Starlight could feel the steam pouring from her nostrils as she watched the other pony walk towards one of the room's blank walls.

"You want to know something?" she said, her voice no longer cheerful. "I want to believe you. I really do."

Starlight nearly slipped onto her face. Her anger was gone, replaced by shock as she turned to follow the mare.

"When I was at my lowest, when I felt like there was no place for me in Equestria, that's when I met Starlight." The unicorn's voice was heavy, like she was fighting back tears. "She gave me a purpose and somewhere to belong. She was my friend, and one that I'd give anything to have back!"

Click

The sound of stone sliding over stone began to fill the chamber. A section of the wall was sliding away, letting light pour into the room once more. Starlight didn't have time to be blinded, however. She was too busy staring at what was on the other side of the hidden door.

A massive wall, one easily surpassed the one from her town. The light of countless cutie marks pouring down from it.

And standing in the spotlight they made, stood Twilight Sparkle. A normal unicorn Twilight Sparkle with a simple, black equal sign on her flank.

"But I accepted the truth. Starlight gave everything to complete our Grand Equalization plan. Poured every last ounce of magic she had into the Harmony Tree to spread our message. She's gone forever..." Twilight's voice had hardened as she walked up to the base of the wall, stopping just short of it to cast a hard glare at her captive. "And even if she did return, she'd never have something as unsightly as that cutie mark."

Starlight couldn't say anything. She was too captivated by the wall Twilight stood under. The marks of likely every mare, stallion, and foal in Equestria, leaving their former owners branded with her equality mark. Just as she'd always dreamed. Just as she'd been overjoyed to see when she'd landed in the streets outside...

Right before realizing that her own, glimmering star mark was plainly visible.

"Twilight..." Starlight tried to speak again. "Twilight, please listen—"

"Do you know how many ponies like you have tried this? Pretended to be Starlight? Trying to spread some new 'revelation' that cutie marks are anything other than sources of misery?" Twilight was picking something up from a small altar under the cutie mark wall as she spoke. Her smile seemed frighteningly eager as she turned back around. "But, fortunately for all of you ponies that our revolution somehow missed, I have this!"

The purple unicorn was balancing a length of wood in her forehooves. One that split at the end, almost making it look like a large tuning fork. Starlight's fear was forgotten as she raised an eyebrow at the sight of her old "staff."

"Uh... that's just a piece of wood," she said.

"... That's true. For now. I don't have the raw talents that Starlight did in order to make the Staff of Sameness work," Twilight admitted as she dropped it back on the altar. "But that doesn't mean I've stopped trying! And until I do get it working, everypony has been helping to work on other ways to finish what Starlight and I started!"

Twilight Sparkle tapped the wall as she walked back into the chamber. The hidden door slid closed and, almost as though a signal had been sounded, the door back into the hallway swung open. Ironhide was out there, with three other rather intimidating looking stallions accompanying him.

No!

Starlight tried to run, only succeeding in reaching the far side of the room before all four stallions reached her. In an instant, her hooves were shackled and she was being dragged towards the exit.

The whole time, Twilight Sparkle's overblown smile had returned. Starlight could feel the sight of it burning into her mind as she tried to struggle free.

"Take her down to Ponyville with the rest of the trainees," Twilight ordered the guards. "I'm sure the rest of those poor, marked souls will love having a new friend joining their re-education!"

Starlight tried to scream, but they'd already shoved a muzzle over her mouth, preventing it from opening. All she could do was kick and struggle as she was dragged outside.

Out into exactly the world she'd wished for.