"Equality is acceptance. Free yourself from your cutie mark. Being different can only lead to pain and loneliness."

Solaris groaned, his ears twitching as he started hearing Starlight's voice coming from some speakers above him. He squinted his eyes, trying to ignore the lying unicorn's constant mantras of equality as he tried to sit up.

"Your Highness! You're awake!" He was shocked to hear one of his guards who was supposed to be looking over the town, two of them helping him up as he rubbed his head.

"W-Wha...?" Now taking a better look at his surroundings, he found all of the guards who escorted him and his wife and daughter were sitting in the room, a couple of them covering their ears with their hooves to drown out Starlight's constant sermon playing on loop. "What happened? Where are we?"

"In one of these houses," Steele Wing said. "Apparently some kind of 'rehabilitation' room to conform newcomers into being like the ponies in this town."

"And her nagging voice has been going on for the last hour!" one of the soldiers complained. "I'm gonna go mad!"

"Pull it together, private!" Steele barked. "This is nothing compared to what your drill sergeant put your sorry flanks through, so suck it up or knock yourself unconscious!"

"Why aren't you guys on the hill?" Solaris asked, surprised to hear he was out for nearly an hour or so.

"It appears as though our location was compromised," the sergeant said. "That unicorn mare 'greeted' us with a blast of magic and knocked us out. When we came to, we saw you lying here in this building, and we were surprised to see that this took place of our cutie marks."

Steele showed Solaris the equal sign cutie mark adorning his flank instead of the metallic wings that was his namesake. He looked at the other stallions, equal signs on their flanks as well.

"...She hit you with the Staff of Sameness, too," Solaris uttered hopelessly.

"The Staff of what?" Steele questioned with a raised brow.

"One of Mage Meadowbrook's enchanted items," the prince explained. "She had nine of them, and apparently she made one such item that can steal a cutie mark and grant them this equal sign cutie mark."

The stallions looked at each other, never once seeing a staff in the mare's possession. "You said...Mage Meadowbrook made this 'Staff of Sameness' that unicorn used on you?"

"Yes..." Solaris didn't like the silent pause as his guards stared at him as if he had grown a second head. "...Why?"

"She didn't have any kind of staff with her," the young royal guard said. "And Mage Meadowbrook only had eight enchanted items, not nine."

"And how do you know about that?" another guard asked.

"I did a report on Equestria's famous ponies, and I chose Meadowbrook," the young guard said. "I thought her history, how much there was during my research, was really interesting."

"...Are you serious?" Solaris asked, the young guard nodding his head in response. Now things started to get even more suspicious with Starlight and her equality ideology. His guard was being honest about his report about Mage Meadowbrook, which meant that the Staff of Sameness he saw back in the vault wasn't a real enchanted item at all; just a two-pronged stick and the real spell that stole his cutie mark came from Starlight Glimmer herself. "...This doesn't make sense."

"How so?" Steele asked.

"Everypony with these equal sign cutie marks is basically powerless: pegasi can fly, but not as fast as they want to, unicorns can still use magic-" Solaris concentrated on his magic, levitating a book from the bookshelf and flipped through the pages, ignoring the fact that all of them had equal signs on each page. He tried incinerating the book with a beam, but nothing came. "-but only basic levitation, and earth ponies don't have much strength in their legs."

"Guess that explains why we can't break down the door," one of the guards said, rubbing his sore shoulder. "Makes everyone weak."

"Especially me," Solaris continued, growling in irritation. "I can't even use my fire." The stallions gasped in shock as they learned that even their prince's unique fire breathing and flame hooves were taken away form him as well. "If everypony is supposed to be the same, and Starlight stole your cutie marks without an ancient enchanted item allowing her to do so, along with knowing the fact that so called staff is nothing but a walking stick...Starlight Glimmer isn't even conformed in her own cult."

"She still has her magic?" Steele asked in shock.

"And very powerful magic, too," Solaris concluded. "She's been lying to everyone for years, and in order to take cutie marks, she needs her magic to do it. That's why she's technically the 'mayor' of this town; someone needs to lead them, and in order to do so, they need power." Solaris looked out the window, unfortunately closed and barred off to prevent anyone from leaving the building by any means. "She's definitely going to be placed in a jail cell until the day she dies for not only taking away my own power, but those missing ponies being kidnapped will also be held on her head."

"And how exactly are we going to do that when we feel like we can't even fight a foal in this state?" the younger guard asked.

"...I...don't know," Solaris uttered, letting out a sigh as he looked out the window. "But if I don't conform, which I don't plan on doing, Starlight's going to forcefully do the same to my wife and child."

Starlight's recorded ramblings continued on as Solaris tried to think of a plan, praying he and his soldiers don't lose their sanity before they give in just to make her voice stop.

"Ugh. Of all the times to lose track of your own adult son," Twilight grumbled as she hovered over the town, unable to find Solaris in the long, linear village. "It doesn't help that I can't so much as leave too far away from the filly I'm supposed to be watching over. I'm like a dog tied up to a leash in a wide backyard, but the line is only a few feet long. Really strict rules when it comes to being a guardian angel..."

She couldn't find a trace of Solaris anywhere, or his changeling wife as she tried to find her instead. She figured it would be a hassle searching every single house, all of them looking too much alike and having no clue which ones she already searched through. Luckily, she didn't have to go far when she heard a door slam open, Trill marching out with great annoyance while Party Favor, Sugar Belle, and Night Glider followed after her.

"I've told you just about everything about me and my hive!" the changeling exclaimed. "What more do you three want from me!?"

"Can you turn into one of us?" Party Favor asked. "Or maybe into a mare version of myself? Can you do that!?"

"Solaris, where the hay are you!?" Trill shouted. "When I get my hooves on you, I'm gonna put you in a cocoon and give you nightmares for weeks!"

"Ooh! Put me in one!" Party Favor began to beg, his insistence only infuriating the changeling more and more as she was deciding on doing so just to get him to quit fawning over her.

"Well, there's the perverted daughter-in-law of mine, but where's Solaris?" Twilight asked herself. "They were together before Emerald left with Dusk for the 'playroom'. What happened to him?"

While Trill searched desperately for her husband, partially to get away from Party Favor as he continued tailing her and more to kill him when she did find him, Emerald left the playhouse out of boredom, sick of playing games indoors. She spent the last couple months during the winter in the castle and played too many games inside, and she wanted fresh air, let out some energy in the sun and play on a playground with her friends. Dusk hurried after her, fearing she might get hurt without his supervision and was responsible for watching her for her parents.

"Wait, Emerald!" Dusk called out. "Did you want to play another game!? We have Hungry Hungry Hippocampuses! Or maybe some Go Fish!?"

"I want to play outside! I'm even more bored than I was back home!" Emerald shouted as she continued running from the teenage colt. She didn't have to run far as she spotted her mother looking around for Solaris while getting far enough away from the overly curious Party Favor. "Mommy!"

"Huh? Emerald?" She looked over to her daughter just as the filly hid between her legs.

"I wanna go home! I'm tired of playing board games!" Emerald whined.

"You and me both," Trill muttered to herself. Dusk skid to a halt, giggling nervously as his new future playmate his between her mother's legs. "...As soon as I can figure out where your father is, we'll leave."

"You mean you aren't going to stay?" Dusk asked, feeling disappointed.

"We do have a kingdom to run," Trill said, even though Solaris did most of the work while she either loafed or assisted him with any problems from her changeling subjects. "There's a lot more important matters to deal with than have a vacation...in this...lovely town." She gagged at the statement, clearly lying, but Dusk Shine was a gullible colt and believed her. "Have you or your mother seen him? I...lost track of him after he ditched me in the bakery."

Dusk shrugged his shoulders in response. "I've been with Emerald in the playhouse. I haven't seen His Highness."

"Ponies of Our Town!" Starlight announced, gathering a majority of the town's denizens attention as she proudly stepped into the center of town. "I have wonderful news to share with everypony!"

"She's going to admit her equality cult sucks?" Trill questioned to herself aloud, making Dusk raise a brow in confusion to her guess.

"We have ourselves a few new friends who will soon be joining us!" Starlight said, already getting the others excited by meeting some new ponies willing to join them. Feeling oddly curious, Trill followed the crowd, Emerald staying close to her mother while keeping her distance from Dusk. Starlight lead the large community to one of the many houses, baffling Trill at how these ponies knew which house was meant for what when they all looked so alike, although there appeared to be bars in front of the windows, either to keep something in like a prison cell. Starlight flicked off a switch near the door, everyone hearing several relieved groans inside as she opened the door. "Come on out, new friends!"

"I take it back," a stallion said. "I'd rather have the speakers blaring constantly in our ears again."

As the new "friends" walked out, forced to stand in a row in front of everyone, Trill and Twilight gasped when they saw Solaris and the guards who accompanied them standing there. What shocked the changeling and alicorn angel was that they lacked their cutie marks, replaced by the same grey equal signs the ponies of Our Town bore. And how did the royal guards end up here when they were supposed to be watching over the town back on the hill? What were they doing here, and why did they all suddenly decide to conform to this crazy philosophy?

"SOLLY!?!?!?!?" Trill screeched, everyone quickly turning to the exasperated changeling.

"Daddy?" Emerald slipped out of her mother's legs, running through the crowd to get a better look at him.

Starlight spotted the filly as the ponies she lead moved aside. "Ah, ah, ah," she said, quickly scooping the hybrid filly in her hoof. Solaris growled, but he knows he can't do anything without his skills, otherwise he'd clock Starlight's face in as she kept his squirming daughter from reaching him. "Sorry, sweetie, but you can't see your daddy yet. At least until he's ready to fully embrace our ways."

"Let go of her," Solaris said, glowering at the lying unicorn.

Emerald finally noticed the drastic change in her father's appearance, including his cutie mark. "Daddy, what happened to you?" she asked.

"Like I said: your daddy's going to learn about how we live, and what better way to do that than by joining in?" Starlight said.

"You forced me into this," Solaris argued. "I didn't agree to any of this, and neither did my soldiers. Now let go of my daughter!"

"Then how about you explain what THAT is doing on your plot!?" Trill exclaimed.

"Starlight tricked me," Solaris explained. "She's been deceiving all of you! Whatever you think about this ideology she's come up with, you seriously can't all be happy about this, can you!?"

"Ok, it seems as though our new friends need a bit more time to think," Starlight announced, ushering the weakened stallions back into the house for more rehabilitating. She then turned to face everyone, her face growing serious as she looked around at the ponies. "Now, I believe some ponies have been having some second thoughts. His Highness had told me that there were a few of us who wanted their cutie marks back." The crowd gasped in surprise, Party Favor, Sugar Belle, and Night Glider starting to worry as they feared suffering Starlight's wrath. "So, who among us wanted to leave all of their friends and go back to living with what made you all miserable in the first place?"

Trill wanted to blurt out the trio of ponies' names who secretly spoke to them about their change of heart with Starlight's town of equality, but she didn't want them to be punished despite their irritating questioning with her and the two mares obsessing over Solaris's cutie mark. Starlight tapped her hoof, still keeping Emerald held in her other foreleg to keep her from running to her father. As much as she wanted the filly to conform, doing it by force in front of Solaris would make her chances of him being reformed be for naught.

Unfortunately, Party Favor was the one to crack as he stepped forward. "It was me," he said, putting all the blame on himself while leaving Sugar Belle and Night Glider out of his confession, sacrificing himself for them. "It was just me."

"Party Favor?" Starlight gasped in shock, along with the others. "How could you?"

"I'm sorry," the stallion apologized miserably. "B-But it was only for a moment. Honest."

"I am disappointed in you," Starlight said. "I'm afraid you'll have to join Prince Solaris and his fellow stallions until you're reminded how wonderful your life had been for several long years."

Party Favor hung his head low, slumping into the rehabilitation house. "I'm so sorry, everypony," he apologized again as he turned to face them. "I love all of-"

Starlight slammed the door shut on the stallion, unable to accept his love until he's done thinking what she believed were negative thoughts. "We'll have to wait until tomorrow to see if our new friends will understand, and if Party Favor is still with us."

"You can't just keep Solly in there!" Trill exclaimed angrily. "You're holding him and our guards against their will! You're treating them like a hostage until you mind-wipe them with this stupid equality cult you've made!"

"There's no mind-wiping of any sort," Starlight assured. "It just takes a while for some ponies to fully realize their past with their cutie marks could only lead to loneliness and unbearable pain...But, I don't expect somepony like a changeling to understand that when they don't have cutie marks to begin with."

Trill growled, taking offense to Starlight's insult toward her. "Umm, can I get down now?" Emerald asked, hanging limply and sadly in Starlight's foreleg.

"Oh! Right, of course!" Starlight said cheerfully, setting the filly down as she ran back to her mother. "I almost forgot."

"So, what are you going to do to us?" Trill asked. "You going to try to initiate us like you did to my husband?"

"Not in the same way," Starlight said. "We'll see how he does overnight, and if he doesn't like it, I promise I will return his and your guards' cutie marks, and we'll let bygones be bygones. Who knows? Maybe he'll like it here after all after taking some time to reflect on his past."

"He's done that enough in the last several years I've been with him," Trill argued.

"Then he'll let go of it pretty quickly then!" the unicorn said excitedly, making the changeling groan in frustration. "In the meantime, you and Emerald will by my guests in my home for the evening. Dusk has a spare bed in his room, for when he wants a sleepover with some of the other children."

"That'd be fun!" Dusk cheered, but Emerald was not as thrilled as she feared she'd be playing more board games, with more emphasis on "bored". "And we can play more Dragon Pit, too!"

Emerald whined, already sick of Dragon Pit after playing it just once. With no other choice, Trill was forced to comply with Starlight's suggestion, if she could call it that when Solaris clearly didn't want any part of this equality reformation. Before she left to follow Starlight as the crowd dispersed, she spotted Solaris watching them through the window, swearing she'll find a way to get him out of there and figure out how to get his cutie mark back. The alicorn winced as he heard Party Favor ram into the door, digging his horn into the wooden door slightly as he beat himself up about his betrayal.

"What was I thinking?" he moaned miserably. "I shouldn't have thought about getting my cutie mark back."

"Are you sure that's you saying that to yourself, or Starlight telling you to say that?" Solaris asked. He pulled the depressed unicorn out of the door, forcing him to look up at him. "Starlight has been lying to you and everyone else. That Staff of Sameness has no power; it was just a stick. Starlight was the one who took your cutie mark, not the stick."

"W-What do you mean?" Party Favor asked, utterly confused.

"If that mare is supposed to be the same like everyone else, then how do you explain how she managed to ambush us when we were keeping a close eye on the town?" Steele questioned, waiting for a logical response from the stallion. He couldn't find an answer as he questioned who was right and wrong. "If we're all supposed to be the same, she wouldn't be able to do much as a unicorn, right? Just basic levitation?"

"...Y-Yes?" Party Favor uttered.

"Then explain how she was able to teleport behind us, or even bring Prince Solaris here without getting caught by anyone?" Steele asked.

"...I-I don't know..." Party Favor sulked, his mind racing as the truth started to slowly sink in, and he didn't feel better knowing all he's known since he was brought here by Starlight was all a lie.

He moved to a corner and slumped over onto his side, curling in a fetal position as he stared at the wall. "And he's broken," one of the other guards said. The speakers screeched back on, Starlight's endless philosophical rantings continuing as it began irritating the stallions. "Somepony break my ears! I don't know how much of this I can take!"

"Pull yourself together!" Solaris barked. "Starlight is not breaking us in. We just need to find a way to expose her and reveal the truth." He grunted as Starlight's voice rang in the room, pressing his ears to the sides of his head as he tried to think. "I've suffered through worse mental torment. I'm not going to let her psychological nonsense mess my head up..."

As evening rolled in, Trill and Emerald spent the remainder of the day in Starlight's home, getting a brief tour of the small home to know where everything was. They sat in the dining room with the leader of the village of equality and Dusk Shine, having more of those bland muffins Sugar Belle "loves" to bake. Emerald stared questionably at the plate of disgusting muffins on her plate while the two unicorn hosts ate them as if nothing was wrong. Trill wished she kept that love essence Solaris stored away so it could at least be palatable, at least for Emerald since she could consume both love and normal foods.

Emerald decided to try to take a bite, having had nothing to eat all day aside from her daddy's love, only to regret it and spat it out. "Eww! This muffin is bad!"

"It's not that bad," Starlight disagreed, making Trill question how these two could stomach something so bland and disgusting. "My son eats these as a midnight snack when he sneaks out of his room for a bite to eat. After a big dinner at times, too."

Dusk grinned cheekily, taking another bite of his fourth muffin. "I think you two don't even have any taste buds," Trill uttered to herself.

"Can I have something else?" Emerald asked politely. "Is there dessert? Like cookies?"

"Nope. Just muffins," Dusk said.

"Is there any other kind of muffin besides...these?" the filly asked, prodding her slightly bitten muffin. "Blueberry muffins? Or maybe chocolate chip muffins?"

"And here comes the disappointment," Trill said to herself, confusing her daughter as she looked at her with her head tilted.

"...What are chocolate chips?" Dusk asked.

Emerald quickly turned her head, staring at the teen in shock. "...What do you mean, 'What are chocolate chips!?' Have you ever had anything chocolaty!?"

"We don't have chocolates here," Starlight answered, Trill silently counting down as she waited for the inevitable look of despair on her daughter's face. "In fact, we don't have any sweets of any kind. If this village is to retain equality, we all need to eat the same things. Nothing too fancy, nothing too caked in any toppings or ingredients, just normal foods."

"...N-No...chocolate...?" Emerald whimpered, staring at her bland muffins sadly at the terrible news.

"And there it is," Trill said, levitating her daughter to her and held her. "That's why I didn't say anything after the disappointing lunch my husband and I had earlier."

"Why is chocolate so special to you anyway?" Starlight asked curiously.

"It's like a substitute for love if we don't absorb any from a pony," Trill explained. "And it's addictive to us. So, no chocolate anything here, we're clearly not going to stay long. So, if you'll release my husband and give back his cutie mark, we'll be on our way."

"I'm sorry, but until tomorrow comes, I can't let him out," Starlight said. "Just one little day without his cutie mark won't be too much of a problem, will it?"

"It does if my baby starves," Trill argued. Groaning in irritation, she lit up her horn, transferring what love she had stored from her earlier makeup with Solaris into Emerald, filling her belly a little bit. "Hopefully that'll keep you until your father's finally let out."

Emerald nodded, her hunger ebbed, even though love tasted a lot better when her daddy gave it to her himself. After a few more moments of silent eating, at least for Starlight and Dusk, it was time for them to settle down for the evening. Dusk led Emerald to his bedroom, where it was just as dull as the rest of the house, two beds for the teenager and a friend for whoever slept over, a shelf with a few books and more board games, and a dresser, though there didn't seem to be any purpose for one if they didn't have any good clothes to sell in the village. Curious to see what books they had, Emerald grabbed one and opened it, only to find an equal sign on every single page she flipped through.

"The books are boring, too," she grumbled, slamming it shut and huffed in boredom. "This is not a fun village."

"It can be fun," Dusk said. "You're probably not used to living outside of a castle."

"I've been outside my home in Canterlot before," Emerald argued. "Lots of times: going to school, playing on the playground in the park, getting ice cream after school. This is more boring than being stuck in the castle during winter!"

"Why's that?" Dusk asked.

"Changelings don't like the cold, and I get real sleepy if I'm not warm enough," Emerald said. She leapt on the guest bed, planting her face in the mattress with a groan. "And you have no chocolate. How can you live without chocolate!? It's so yummy!"

"Seeing how he's lived here his whole life, he doesn't know anything else outside of the village aside from what Starlight tells him," Twilight said to herself, sticking with the filly as she tried to formulate a plan. The more she thought about how Dusk Shine lived his life, she started to feel sad for him. He was just like Solaris, only instead of learning about everything her friends and Spike were able to teach him, Dusk was being fed lies upon lies about friendship and cutie marks. "Poor Dusk Shine. At least he has a mother to watch him, but to be told so many lies about what a cutie mark is supposed to mean is just...wrong."

"I wanna go home!" Emerald whined. "And I want my daddy!"

"Well, mother will let him and his guards free tomorrow," Dusk said. He let out a sigh, sounding disappointed. "I...understand if you don't want to stay. Most new ponies who are invited wanted to leave at first, but after mother's speeches played over and over in that house, they want to stay...You'll probably be the first ones to actually leave."

Twilight hummed curiously, needing to do some more investigating. Floating through the house, her ethereal form phasing through the walls, doors, and floors, she searched around for some clues to the suspicious unicorn, knowing she did something to her son. She passed by the guest room Trill was in, the changeling sleeping so she didn't have to deal with Starlight. Twilight couldn't blame her; she would have wanted to leave after getting to know the mare, too. Searching through the other parts of the house lead her nowhere, though she was surprised to see a secret passage hidden under a cabinet. Twilight left it alone, unsure of where it lead if it was another exit, a basement, or hidden escape route.

Having explored everything inside Starlight's home, she decided to check any secret compartments outside, from the base to the roof. Just as she reached the chimney, she caught a glimpse of the white earth pony, Double Diamond, making his way back into town from a path leading toward a mountain in the distance with a wagon trailing behind him. Double Diamond walked up to Starlight's home, shocking the alicorn spirit as she saw several glass jars in said wagon, each of them holding the cutie marks of Solaris and the guards who escorted him and his family. He knocked on the door as gently as possible, loud enough for the leader of the village to hear as she poked her head out to greet the stallion.

"Good, you brought them," she said.

"Yes, but why?" Double Diamond asked curiously. "It shouldn't take that long for Prince Solaris and his guards to see our ways. I don't understand why you want to keep their cutie marks here."

"His Highness my have a strong will, but if he manages to tell his wife or daughter where the vault is, they'll try to break it open and give it back," Starlight said, lifting the alicorn's cutie mark up toward her face. "The Staff of Sameness won't work on changelings, seeing how they don't have any cutie marks to gain at all. It can tell when fake cutie marks are on a pony's flank."

"But how are you going to convince Princess Trill and Princess Emerald?" Double Diamond asked. "They aren't easily won over, and holding the prince hostage is losing their trust in us. Especially the little princess."

"It'll take more time for them to get used to our beliefs, but not only will an alicorn of royalty help persuade others to join us, but changelings as well," Starlight assured. "Just head home and get some rest. Tomorrow morning, we'll see if Prince Solaris is ready to conform, along with his guards."

Double Diamond didn't seem convinced, but he nodded and made his way back to his cottage. Starlight levitated the jars inside and headed for her room while Twilight glowered in disbelief at the unicorn's terrible conforming plan.

"She's not going to break him," Twilight said to herself. "I know he's been through a lot, especially his last test where he was subjected to being verbally and physically assaulted by his own inner darkness, but psychological manipulation isn't going to assuage him. Not by a long shot."

Suddenly, she heard Starlight yelp upstairs, quickly floating up into the mare's room to see what happened. She had the several jars of cutie marks placed in a drawer in one of the cabinets in her room, though there was a knocked over wash basin on the ground, the floor wet along with Starlight, who leered bitterly at the mess she made.

"Why do I keep that thing so close to the edge?" Starlight questioned as she mentally berated herself.

She winced when she heard knocking on her door, quickly hiding behind her bed. "Mother? Are you alright?" Dusk asked from the other side. "I heard you scream."

"I'm fine, sweetie!" Starlight said. "Just...knocked over my water basin!"

"Again?" the teen asked. "You know, it's easier to have it placed on a bigger table, not your small nightstand."

"Yes, well, you know I need to be wide awake early in the mornings!" she said. "Speaking of, you head on off to bed! And you and your new little friend better be asleep! Got to get up bright and early to greet our new friends if they're finally ready to join!"

"Ok. Good night, mother." Dusk headed back to his room, Starlight letting out a heavy sigh when she heard his hoofsteps fade back to his room.

"I don't know how many close calls with him," she uttered. "Thankfully it doesn't rain here, but bathtime when he was a little colt was a nightmare. I hated having to tell him splashing would make him be different compared to everypony else in the village." Levitating a towel, she dried herself off while moving the basin out of the way. After drying her flanks, when she removed the towel, Twilight's jaw dropped when she saw something that wasn't supposed to be on Starlight's flanks: the equal sign cutie mark was rubbed off and revealed the mare's real cutie mark, a purple diamond star with a wavy wisp trail of a dark and light shade of blue flowing behind it. "Thankfully, I bought some more makeup to cover this up. I don't know how he'll react after everything I taught him about cutie marks being evil..."

Starlight stared bitterly at her cutie mark for a moment before letting out a frustrated huff. She the pulled out a couple small brushes, some gray and heliotrope makeup powder , and a stencil with the same equal sign cutie marks the ponies in the town had, brushed over her cutie mark with the powder matching her fur, then used the stencil and the gray powder to give back her equal sign cutie mark. Twilight was shocked, turning to anger as the unicorn was blatantly lying to her followers of a belief she didn't follow if she still had her cutie mark.

"You conniving little mare," Twilight grumbled. "You were lying all this time. And lying to your own son? How dare she-?" She paused, disheartened at her own hypocrisy with her own son's destiny to save Equestria from the downward spiral of Lucifer. "...I guess I'm no better...but I couldn't tell Solaris the truth, otherwise I would fear he would run away from his fate...But this is different; denying her own child to live his own life and discover what potential he's never known. The only problem is that I'm a ghost, I can't manipulate anything unless it's something light, and I can't tell Trill or Solaris about Starlight's secret..."

She didn't have much of a choice as she came up with a plan, ignoring Starlight getting herself ready for bed as she floated into Dusk's room, where the young stallion was already sleeping, but Emerald stared out the window in the guest bed. It was obvious to Twilight that the filly was already missing her daddy and wanted to go home, but they can't no thanks to Starlight forcing Solaris to lose his cutie mark and conform to ideals she secretly didn't adhere to, and she had a suspicion Starlight's far more powerful than they expected. Emerald spotted her guardian angel pitying her, looking back to make sure Dusk Shine was fast asleep before sighing sadly.

"Twilight, I wanna go home," Emerald said.

"I know you do," Twilight said. "But I just found out something that was shocking, and we can get your daddy's cutie mark back, free him, and expose Starlight Glimmer as a liar."

"Huh? What do you mean?" Twilight approached Emerald and explained everything she witnessed in Starlight's room and Solaris and his guards' cutie marks moved from the vault and in the unicorn's custody. Emerald stifled her gasp, keeping silent to avoid waking Dusk. She even felt bad for the young stallion, who would be completely devastated if he knew his mother lied to him his whole life about cutie marks being evil when she was hiding hers from everyone. "Oh no...Twilight, what are we gonna do?"

"I have an idea, but we need to tell your father so we can catch her off guard. When I give you the ok, we'll sneak out and make our way to where he's being held." Emerald nodded and waited for Twilight to let her know it was safe to sneak out.

After Starlight finally fell asleep, Emerald crept out of the cottage, staying as quiet as possible as she headed out the door, then ran off to where her daddy and their guards were being held. It wasn't hard to figure out which similar looking house it was when she heard Starlight's voice coming from a speaker in one of them. Getting close to a nearby window, she fluttered her wings and jumped up onto the edge, peering through the barred windows to see the seven stallions getting irritated by Starlight's endless philosophies coming from the speakers, Party Favor sulking in a corner while lost in his thoughts.

"Daddy?" Emerald called out as she spotted the alicorn pacing around while trying to come up with a plan.

His ears perked up, hearing his daughter's voice and looked up, finding her near one of the barred windows. "Emmy?" Solaris ran up to the window, desperately trying to reach his hoof out to hers, but his was too big to even squeeze through the thing bars. "Sweetie, what are you doing? If you're trying to bust me out...I don't think it's possible. The door's probably locked, and we can't break out with our cutie marks stolen."

"I got something important to tell you," Emerald said. "Miss Starlight is a big liar."

"Ain't that the truth," Steele Wing grumbled. "She still has her magic unlike the other unicorns, and if she's strong enough to take on an alicorn like your father, what chance do we have when we're so powerless?"

"Her cutie mark is a lie," Emerald said, confusing the stallions.

"...What do you mean by that, Emmy?" Solaris asked.

"Miss Starlight put on makeup to hide her real cutie mark and made a fake equal cutie mark like everypony else," the filly explained.

The prince and his guards were shocked at the news, amazed to hear the hybrid filly was stealthy enough to see Starlight's real cutie mark as more and more evidence against the mare was brought up. "You saw her real cutie mark?" one of the guards asked.

"What did it look like?" Steele Wing asked.

"...Umm...I didn't really see it," Emerald admitted, making the guards groan in disappointment as the filly's claim was false. "My guardian angel did, though, and she told me what she saw."

"Well, that was pointless," the youngest guard whined, pressing his hooves against his ears to drone out Starlight's recorded ramblings. "Your Highness, your daughter's imagination must be running wild if her 'guardian angel' told her something just to get your attention."

"But she is real!" Emerald argued. "And she watches over me, and daddy!"

Where most of the stallions thought it was just Emerald's desperation to be reunited with her locked up parent, Solaris could see that she was being honest. He didn't believe that guardian angels existed, but the look on Emerald's face told him she was telling the truth and she wanted him to believe her, even if it was a figment of her imagination. He was willing to give her the benefit of the doubt, wanting to prove to everypony in this town Starlight's pulled the wool over their eyes, freeing them from her pointless cult while getting their cutie marks back and giving those born into this town a chance to discover their true talents without fear of losing friends because of cutie marks.

"...Well, Emmy, if your guardian angel really saw it...I'll believe her, too," Solaris said, startling his soldiers, but a firm leer from him silenced them as they went along with it. "Does she also have a plan? I'm...kinda in a rut."

"Mentally or the one you made for the last few hours?" one of the guards teased, earning a smack upside the head from Steele Wing.

Emerald looked to her left, Twilight floating beside her and nodded her head. "Yeah, she does," Emerald said. "Here's what we're gonna do, daddy..."

As she told Solaris what Twilight's plan was, Party Favor wondered if he should go back to siding with Starlight's ways, or get his cutie mark back after hearing Solaris explain Starlight's mysterious magical power when she should be just as equal as the other unicorns in Our Town.

The next morning, Trill reluctantly got up, surprised not to have any breakfast prepared by her "host". Instead, she was lead outside by Starlight and Dusk Shine, who followed after them with a skip in her step, which was odd after the shocking "house arrest" Solaris and their guards were placed under. She rolled her eyes, knowing her husband wasn't going to break that easily as everyone gathered outside the reformation house.

"Ok, everypony, let's try this again!" Starlight said enthusiastically.

"Good luck with that," Trill mumbled to herself. "Don't worry, Em. I'll find a way to-" When she looked down at her daughter, she blanched when she found no sign of the filly. "...E-Emerald?"

"Let's bring Party Favor out first," Starlight ordered, Double Diamond approaching the door and unlocking it, where Party Favor ran out and groveled at the unicorn's hooves.

"I'm so sorry, everypony!" he cried out. "I didn't know what I was thinking! They tried to break me by telling me about how you lied to us, but I didn't listen!"

"Then welcome back, Party Favor!" Starlight welcomed, making the ponies cheer at the return of their old friend. As he walked back to the group, she noticed his ragged cloak was missing, but she shrugged her shoulders, thinking he left it in the house and was planning to get a new one. "Bring out the soldiers next!" Stepping in formation, Steele Wing led his guards out, the six pegasus stallions staring stoically, clear on their faces they were going to continue denying conforming to the town's ways. "So, are you boys ready to join us yet? Or are you still not convinced yet?"

"Starlight Glimmer, we are members of the Royal Guard of Canterlot," Steele Wing said. "We follow our prince's command, and we will dissuade him and join this ridiculous town and your insane ideals on cutie marks."

"Yeah, how are we supposed to protect the castle if we're as weak as a newborn kitten?" the younger guard asked.

"I'm pretty sure a newborn kitten could beat us in a hoof wrestling contest, and win against all of us in a row," one of the other guards droned, still miffed all his training and muscular strength was gone without his cutie mark.

"Oh dear, it seems as though they're not ready," Starlight said. "...Unless...Prince Solaris? Can you come out?" Slowly, the prince walked out of the house. He looked tired, spaced out even though he was conscious. "Your Highness, what do you think? Have you considered my offer to join us?"

"I don't think so," Trill said aloud, though she still wondered where Emerald ran off to.

Solaris looked at his guards, then back to Starlight and the townsponies. "...I...I did put a lot of thought in it," he said meekly. "...I think...it would be better for me without my cutie mark after all."

Trill's jaw dropped in astonishment while Starlight grinned with success. "Well, it looks like we've got ourselves a new friend!"

The ponies cheered as they began to welcome the alicorn, his guards shocked and appalled that their leader had broken. "Your Highness, how could you?" Steele Wing questioned, feigning disappointment while the other soldiers struggled not to grin at the poor acting their sergeant was doing.

"I knew you would see things my way one day," Starlight said, ignoring the guards as she approached Solaris.

Trill was still reeling in shock, staring at her husband with her mouth agape, not even noticing Emerald return with a cup of water on her back. She pawed at her mother's hoof to get her attention, snapping her out of her stupor as she looked down at her.

"Emerald Sparkle, where the hay did you go?" she strictly questioned. "Did you even hear what your father just said???"

"Mhmm," Emerald hummed with a nod, and was smiling, to Trill's distress. She brought a hoof to her mouth and shushed her mother, lowering her voice so no one heard her. "Trust me, mommy. It's all part of the plan."

"P-Plan? What plan?" Trill questioned, not getting an answer as the filly began to walk past the crowd to prepare for the next phase.

Solaris spotted his daughter pushing her way through the crowd, standing beside Dusk Shine, who was curious about the cup of water she brought with her, then proceeded with the next part of her "guardian angel's" plan. "Starlight, can I ask you a question?" he asked.

"Why, of course," Starlight said. "There are no dumb questions here, and no one to judge you for asking."

"Well...giving up my cutie mark is supposed to make me happy, right?" he asked, earning a nod from the mare. "But, say if somepony does want to willingly stay, but they don't want to give up their cutie mark. Could they do that instead?"

"Completely out of the question," Starlight said. "Having a pony with a different cutie mark in our midst would ruin our entire philosophy. Everypony is equal here in Our Town, and we hope to expand it to more than just ponies."

While Starlight smiled proudly at her statement, the others around them muttered in agreement, which was all the reason they needed to expose the unicorn. "Oh. Interesting," Solaris said, then began to cough as he swallowed dryly. "Sorry. I'm really thirsty after left with no water while being reformed. I need a drink."

"Here, daddy!" Emerald called out, skipping over to them, easing Starlight as she saw the filly was already getting used to the equality of their town. "I got some water in case you got thirsty, if Miss Starlight said it's ok for me to-OOPS!"

Emerald purposely tripped, bucking the cup off her back as she "accidentally" splashed water on Starlight. The mare yelped in surprise, grumbling a little before retaining her grin, chuckling awkwardly as she tried to ignore the accident.

"You should be careful when carrying something, little one," Starlight gently chided.

"Oh, I am so sorry, Starlight," Solaris apologized. "My daughter can be a bit too energetic." He noticed some of the droplets of water had managed to reach her flanks, seeing what looked like makeup being drenched and revealing something underneath it. Luckily, with Starlight looking away from him, he didn't see his eyes widen when he saw a glimpse of another cutie mark underneath the slightly washed out powder. Some of the others noticed the same runny mess on the other side, especially Dusk Shine as he raised a brow. Solaris didn't want to do this, but he lifted one of his wings, revealing Party Favor's cloak he borrowed as he was in on the plan, too, taking it in his hoof. "Here, let me dry you off."

"Huh?" Before Starlight could question what the alicorn meant, she yelped when she felt something rubbing at her flanks. Solaris managed to wipe away most of the makeup on her flanks before the mare leapt away, smacking his face with her tail. "What the hay are you doing!?" Solaris smirked as Starlight saw the cloak he used to rub her rump with. "W-Where did you-?"

"Party Favor let me borrow it," Solaris said, tossing it back to the stallion as it landed on his head, he and everyone around them staring in bewilderment at Starlight. "Makes a useful rag for getting rid of all that makeup."

"What makeup?" she asked. It took a moment for her to realize everyone was looking at her, more specifically at her flanks. When she looked down, she gasped as her real cutie mark was revealed. She desperately swung her tail to cover it, but it was already too late, Dusk taking it in the worst as the other ponies muttered in shock and confusion. "N-No! Don't look! Y-You're all seeing things!"

"No use backpedaling, Starlight," Solaris said. "Didn't you say that a pony with a different cutie mark among you would ruin your philosophy? What coincidental irony that it was you who was that pony...since you first founded this town?"

"H-How did you even know about-?" Starlight's voice died in her throat, slowly turning to look at the filly who drenched her with water. Emerald stuck her tongue out at her, taunting her as she knew about her secret, even though Starlight had been careful after so many years. Emerald ran up to Solaris and hugged his foreleg, Trill in the background still greatly shocked about this so-called plan she didn't know about showing everyone how much of a hypocrite Starlight was, and how and why she stole everyone's cutie marks. "...You knew?"

"My guardian angel did," Emerald answered vaguely.

Starlight growled, but when she turned to look at the crowd, she spotted the horrified, distraught, and betrayed expression on his face as he approached her, staring at her cutie mark. "M-Mother?...W-What is that?"

"It's nothing," Starlight quickly said nervously. "Your eyes are playing tricks on you. Somehow, he put some kind of curse on us."

"While I'm completely powerless without my cutie mark, which you forcefully took from me?" Solaris questioned, shaking his head in disappointment at the helpless lying Starlight resorted to. "Nice try. And don't pin this on my wife and daughter; Trill doesn't know how to even perform a spell as complex as that, and Emmy's too young to know how to used advanced magic yet. You've been lying to everyone for far too long." As he looked at Dusk, he felt sorry for the teen as he was forced to learn the truth about his mother's philosophy he was raised by as he looked conflicted, too stunned to wonder why she didn't convert like she had to everyone else. "You needed your magic to perform this 'ritual', so it makes sense for you to keep your magic, taking more cutie marks and keeping newborns in your little happy village from learning about how 'horrible' the world out there is about different cutie marks."

Starlight grinded her teeth irritably, but since she was found out, she let out a frustrated grunt and leered at the alicorn. "...Alright. Fine! I lied!" she said. "I had to keep my cutie mark so I could steal everypony's cutie marks with my magic!"

The crowd gasped as Starlight admitted the truth to them, Night Glider stepping forward as she spoke. "But the Staff of Sameness has the magic to-!"

"Oh, please!" Starlight scoffed. "That staff is nothing but a stick I found out in the desert! I can't believe you fools believed it for so long, some of you are even students from Canterlot's highest universities and didn't even know about that made up tale about a Staff of Sameness made by Mage Meadowbrook!"

"I did," the young private spoke up, raising his hoof in response.

"Without me, all of you would have lived your pitiful lives thinking you're better than everypony else!" Starlight continued, openly mocking everyone's unique talents as if one-upping someone with their talents will always make ponies jealous of them. "And I spared the foals that same pain, so I did them all a favor! Including my own son because I care about his happiness! I brought you all friendship! I brought you all equality! I CREATED HARMONY!"

"By lying to us?" Dusk asked, his heart welling up with pain as he looked at the equal cutie mark on his flank, no longer a mark to be proud of, but a curse he accepted by force. He trembled, afraid to look at his own mother for making him feel special like his friends, only now realizing being the same as everyone was no longer special as he dreaded to ask this one next question to Starlight. "...I-I...wasn't born with this? You...gave me this mark?"

"Yes, Dusk, I did, but to keep you from knowing the truth about the pain cutie marks bring," Starlight said, trying to assure her child she was trying to protect him, only hurting him more when she had hidden her own cutie mark from him. "Besides, everything else I said is true. The only way we can be happy is if we're all equal."

She reached her hooves out to Dusk, cupping his cheeks as she gave him a motherly smile, despite the fury growing in her. Dusk was forced to look at his mother, the eyes he always looked up to no longer able to be trusted as so many other questions about what she lied about raced through his head, angst slowly building inside him.

"...Except you?" he asked tearfully. Starlight was shocked at Dusk's response, the teen weakly pushing the mare's hooves away from him as he avoided her gaze. "...Why?...Why wouldn't you...do the same?"

"Because she wants power," Solaris said. Starlight turned to glare at him, her horn sparking as her anger grew to a boiling point. "Someone had to lead a group of equal ponies to keep them in line, and the only way to do that was by being unequal. I don't know what caused her to think cutie marks were evil, but they're not meant to be feared, Dusk. A cutie mark is what makes each and every pony in Equestria unique, with talents and gifts we can share, blossom relationships with friends with differences. It's being the same that can drive friends and lovers apart because of how too much they have in-"

"SHUT UP!!!!!!!!!!" Starlight roared, sending a beam of powerful magic straight toward the alicorn.

Solaris quickly shoved Emerald out of the way, letting out a pained grunt as he was struck in the chest and sent flying into the wall of the house he and his guards were held prisoner in. "Prince Solaris!" Steele Wing called out as he and his soldiers ran to check on him, the crowd staring aghast at the unicorn mare's power.

"Daddy!" Emerald cried out, but just as she was about to run toward him, Starlight snatched the filly in her magical aura, holding her hostage while shocking everyone, including Dusk.

"I don't know how you knew about my cutie mark, but you're in so much trouble," Starlight growled.

"Get your filthy hooves off my baby!" Trill shrieked, letting out a hiss as she flew toward the mare, only to miss as she teleported away from the tackle, reappearing beside Dusk, then teleporting all three of them into her cottage.

Inside, Dusk felt dizzy after being teleported for the first time, but quickly recovered as the shock of what his mother had just done filled him with dread. "M-Mother, what are you doing!?" he questioned, finding her come back downstairs with Solaris and his guards' cutie marks in several glass jars, along with tying and gagging Emerald up, keeping her as a prisoner and incentive for her planned escape.

"We're getting out of here," she said, not even paying attention to the distress in her son's body language, nor his flabbergasted expression. She tossed Emerald to him, quickly catching the princess as she tried to struggle out of her bindings while her screams were muffled by the cloth covering her muzzle. "I thought it would work, but I guess trying to get a royal alicorn to join us was a horrible idea in the first place. Especially with this brat snooping around."

"B-B-But you just attacked Princes Solaris, and you're kidnapping his daughter!" Dusk emphasized, holding the bound filly out to show his mother how insane she was behaving. "You're making this worse for yourself!...And for me when you're dragging me along with this after you outright admitted you lied to everypony! To me!"

Dusk received a harsh tug on his ear by Starlight's magic, nearly making him drop Emerald as he winced. "Don't you dare raise your voice to me, Dusk Shine!" the mare scolded. "Whether you like it or not, you're going to listen to everything I say, and when I say we're leaving, we're leaving. And we're taking the princess, and their cutie marks, so we can hold them for ransom if they continue pursuing us. Do you understand me?" Dusk had never seen this side of his mother before. She was always so cheerful, compassionate, and loving, but now that the truth had been found out, she's a completely different pony. He whimpered, nodding his head, having no choice but to follow her orders or else risk getting hurt physically than emotionally. "Good. Now, no more questions, or backtalking, until we make it to the caverns in the mountains. They'll never be able to find us through there."

Dusk was absolutely terrified of the way his mother was now. He looked down at Emerald, the filly quickly shaking her head no, telling him not to take her away from her family. He didn't have much of a choice, giving Emerald an apologetic look before placing her on his back, then watched as Starlight moved some furniture, revealing a hidden trapdoor. They both walked down, Starlight slamming the door shut while moving the cabinet back in place to cover their escape. Twilight began to panic as she helplessly watched, quickly floating back into the cottage, and using what spiritual manipulation she could do, she fogged the glass windows of the cabinet with her icy body, then noted them where to go with an arrow pointing down before being pulled back to her granddaughter as Starlight and Dusk Shine moved farther away.

"Darn it," Trill groaned, rubbing her chest after a rough landing. She ignored the ponies of Our Town rallying to get their cutie marks back, a large group of them racing off to the mountain where the magical vault was stored while the others stayed behind to watch the disappointed children. As she got up, she hurried over to Solaris to check on him, groaning in pain, but still conscious. "Solly, Starlight just kidnapped Emerald!"

"Don't worry, Your Highness," Steele Wing said. "You just rest. We'll get her back."

"Starlight's...digging herself a bigger hole," Solaris groaned. His guards ran off after Starlight, making their way to her house while the alicorn sat up with a grunt. Trill helped him up, happy to be with him again, though with their daughter taken captive, now wasn't the time for a happy reunion. "Trill. Go help them. Without our cutie marks, I don't think they'll be able to catch up to her."

"Oh, I intend on going after her. Just one little thing." Trill pressed her lips against Solaris's, shocking the stallion as she kissed him deeply. Even though he lost his strength, abilities, talents, etc., his love was still just as strong as she absorbed it as he began to kiss her back. She pulled back with a smack, licking her lips as she sated her hunger, growing stronger in the process while also missing him since his captivity. "Needed a little bit of a boost so I can at least beat her into the ground."

She gave him another kiss on the muzzle before flying off to join their guards while Solaris stayed behind, hoping they can save Emerald in time. At Starlight's home, the equalized stallions struggled to break down the door, barely able to budge it as they injured their shoulders in the process.

"Ok, I really want my cutie mark back!" one of the guards whined. "We're a disgrace to the Royal Guard all because some unicorn took what makes us unique!"

"Quit your whining and keep-" Steele Wing charged into the door with a hard grunt, wincing as he backed away, disappointed in himself because of his lack of strength. "-breaking...through...Ow..."

"Ugh. Stand back," Trill said with a roll of her eyes. Lighting up her horn, the guards stepped away as she charged her magic, then unleashed a powerful beam, blasting the wooden door to pieces. The group ran inside, searching around the building for any sign of Starlight, or her son since she teleported him with her, too. "Any sign of them!?"

"Not upstairs!" one of the guards said.

"Hey, look at this!" the youngest one called out, gathering everyone into the living room as he pointed at the glass on the cabinet. To their surprise, it was fogged over, even though they were out in a humid area, where the words "This way!" were written with an arrow pointing down. "Who wrote that?"

"It couldn't have been Emerald if she's captured," Trill said. "And Starlight wouldn't want to tell us where she escaped...Did Dusk Shine-?"

"Quick, move that cabinet!" Steele Wing ordered, two of the guards working together to move the cabinet aside and reveal the trap door underneath. "She must have planned an escape route in case someone was bold enough to reveal her true intentions. That mare is definitely going to be facing life sentences for her actions for the last three decades. Let's move!"

Steele lifted up the door and lead the charge, the stallions and changeling running down the hidden passage until they reached the end. Back outside, they were probably half a mile away from town, exiting out of a small cavern. After looking around, they spotted the escaping unicorn and her son out on a path in the mountain range, Emerald bound and gagged on the teenage stallion's back.

"There they are!" Trill exclaimed, taking the lead, though neither of them were aware of the flying lights shooting out from a mountain in the distance and diving down randomly into the town. Flapping her wings, she buzzed off and flew ahead, but when she looked back, she was several yards away from the slower stallions, forced to fly at a casual pace. "Guys, come on! Pick it up!"

"We're trying, princess, but because of this curse Starlight put on us, we apparently can't run or fly faster than anyone else," Steele Wing said. "Forcing us to be equals means being equally weaker than we're supposed to."

"Go on ahead of us!" one of the stallions said. "We'll catch up!...I hope."

Sighing heavily, Trill had no choice but to fly ahead of them and handle Starlight on her own. "I feel absolutely pathetic," the younger private groaned. "Some guards we turned out to be if we were overpowered by a tough unicorn mare."

"We can't help it if we're just pegasi, son," Steele Wing said. "We were mostly escorts and recon. We didn't expect a powerful mage catching us off guard and casting a spell over us. All we can do is hope she can stop Starlight in time until we get our cutie marks back."

"Then maybe we can help!" The guards stopped and turned around to face the unexpected group offering their assistance, almost unable to recognize them when they were once equalized.

Before the stallions were Party Favor, Night Glider, Sugar Belle, and Double Diamond, their original cutie marks back on their flanks while regaining their natural colors and hairstyles. "We noticed Starlight's house was broken into and found the hidden passage," Night Glider said.

"I broke the vault with that fake staff Starlight 'used' on us," Double Diamond said, though he hung his head in shame. "Everyone should have their cutie marks back, but yours and Prince Solaris's are with Starlight...I shouldn't have listened to her."

"Starlight has our cutie marks!?" the young soldier exclaimed.

Party Favor blew a few balloons, showing off his real talents as he began twisting them together, shocking the guards when he turned them into binoculars and looked through them. "Starlight and Dusk are heading to toward the mountains! We'll lose them if they reach the caves at the end of the path! It's like a maze in there!"

A guard took the binoculars and looked through them curiously, amazed to see they actually worked as he got a closer view of the escaping unicorns, albeit in a multicolored hue. "Oh wow. This works...Cool."

"We need all the help we can get," the sergeant said. "We'll...try to catch up until we get our cutie marks back."

"Let's go, guys!" Night Glider said, flying on ahead while Double Diamond, Party Favor, and Sugar Belle ran on foot to help Trill.

Up ahead, the changeling princess caught up with the fleeing duo, firing magic beams in their path to slow them down, not wanting to hurt her daughter helplessly laying on Dusk's back. "Quit running or I'm going to blast you off this mountain!"

"M-Mother, she's serious!" Dusk said nervously, completely terrified of getting blown up by an enraged mother and getting his own mother upset, trapped between a rock and a hard place.

"She's not going to kill us, not with her filly in our custody!" Starlight said, weaving carefully to avoid losing her focus on the jars of cutie marks she held in her magic aura.

Trill knew Dusk didn't want any part of this, but even though he knew his own mother lied to him about everything he had learned from her, she still followed her. What was also odd was that, even though he was given the same equal sign cutie mark like the others in town, he was able to keep up with his mother as she sprinted. Starlight must have lessened the effects of the curse for her own son just in case they needed to run away if she was caught. Trill aimed another beam at Starlight, but the unicorn cast a barrier around herself, then retaliated with a beam of her own, far bigger and wider than the changelings as it nearly clipped her.

Trill yelped and dove to the ground, letting out a breath she held in after the near miss. "Just how strong is she!?" she questioned before snapping out of her shock and continued chasing after them.

As they reached a natural bridge spanning over a canyon, Trill began to shiver as the temperature began to drop. Even though it was spring and the area where the town of equality was located, the arid land was suitable for changelings like the wastelands of her home, but the mountain range had snow along the many peaks, not helping her much as it would drastically slow her down. Emerald was probably starting to freeze as well, and if Starlight continued running toward the mountains, she could get very sick.

Suddenly, whizzing past Trill was a pile of snow in the shape of a pie, flying through the air and smacking Starlight upside the head. The mare tripped, losing her hold on the jars while also getting tripped on by Dusk, unable to stop as he rolled over his mother, dropping Emerald as she fell helplessly down into the chasm with the jars. Trill screamed in terror, but luckily, Night Glider swooped in and caught the filly, her life more important than the cutie marks as they would return to their owners once they were broken. Starlight quickly got up and looked down, using her magic to quickly grab the jars again, but the guards' marks unfortunately hit the ground, the only one she saved was Solaris's as the freed cutie marks flew around, then zipped off to the stallions farther back on the trail.

"Got her just in time," Night Glider said, hovering back over to Trill, the filly back safe and sound in her mother's hooves.

"Oh, thank goodness," Trill sighed, untying Emerald and hugged her tightly as they shared what body warmth they had.

Starlight growled, dragging up the last jar in her possession as she stood up, forcefully pulling Dusk back on his hooves and continued running. "Keep going. We still have his cutie mark."

"M-Mom, I don't-" His complaints fell on deaf ears as he was pushed forward, forced to keep running despite his second thoughts continuing fleeing because of his mother only making things worse for herself.

"Starlight, stop!" Double Diamond shouted, he, Party Favor, and Sugar Belle running past Trill and Emerald toward the bridge. As Starlight and Dusk reached the end, she turned and blew up the bridge, the trio quickly stopping near the edge as the stone walkway crumbled to pieces. "Shoot. Now how are we going to get across?"

"Allow me," Party Favor said, blowing up several more balloons, then tied them together to create a long balloon bridge.

Trill stared in shock while Emerald was in awe at the amazing trick the unicorn stallion did, Night Glider helping guide it down to the other side once it reached the exact length of the now destroyed natural bridge. "That was amazing!" Emerald cheered, only to wince and shiver as a breeze rolled past them.

"I-I don't think I can keep going. Not with Emerald," Trill said. "If there's snow, that means it's starting to get too cold for us to stand."

"Fear not, Your Highnesses!" Steele Wing called out, he and his entourage of guards catching up to them, their cutie marks back along with their physical strength and speed. "We're back, and we're ready to arrest this mare under several counts against the royal crown!"

"We'll join you!" Sugar Belle said, her friends nodding in agreement.

Steele Wing lead the charge as he and his troops flew ahead, the grounded Our Town heroes bouncing across the balloon bridge to reach the other side. Trill and Emerald had to stay behind to avoid the freezing cold, the mother making her way back to the warmer climate while clutching her filly tightly to her chest.

"Mommy, will daddy get his cutie mark back?" Emerald asked.

"I think so," Trill said. "She can't run forever..."

Up ahead, Dusk and Starlight panted as they lost their breath, slowly but surely reaching the caverns to lose their pursuers. Not too far behind them, the ten ponies chasing them were getting closer. They ran past an old and now worn pair of purple skis that stuck up from the ground, causing Double Diamond to stop when he spotted them.

"...My old skis," he mumbled, memories of his talent nostalgic to him, though the location of where they rest left him with bitter ones. "...This was where I first met Starlight..." He touched his old gear, noticing the pair of thin parallel boards had rotted away from the natural elements after over a couple decades being left behind. He had a need to ski after getting his cutie mark back, and he was a fool for believing Starlight about how his talents in his favorite sport could make others envious of him and lose those friends who would envy him. "I'll see if I can get them fixed after we get Starlight."

Leaving his skis behind, Double Diamond hurried after his friends to turn the traitorous mare into the authorities for her lies and attacking/kidnapping/imprisoning royalty. The pegasi stallions flew in formation, three of them splitting off to dive down on Starlight while the remaining three flew up the mountain, digging their hooves in the snow as they flew over to cause an avalanche. The guards distracting Starlight flew back when they saw the snow come down, the mare letting out a yelp as she was buried under several pounds of white powder, Dusk leaping back when he noticed the guards' plan.

Starlight's aura faded around the jar holding Solaris's cutie mark, rolling down the snow pile and stopped at Dusk's hooves. He picked it up before any of the stallions tried to grab it, holding it tightly as they surrounded him.

"N-No, don't take His Highness's cutie mark!" Dusk exclaimed fearfully, trembling as tears welled up in his eyes. "Mother will get even more mad!"

"Relax, son," the sergeant calmly said. "You're not the one in any trouble. You didn't even know any better. Just release the prince's cutie mark."

"I-I can't," the teen whimpered. "M-Mother'll...yell at me again...She's never yelled at me like that...or hurt me..."

"We won't let her," Steele assured, slowly approaching Dusk while trying not to frighten him. "Your mother's already caused quite enough damage, keeping you away from reality for too long while feeding you lies about what cutie marks truly mean. You're old enough to make your own decisions. Do you still think having everyone be equal with nothing special will truly make you happy? Or do you want to know what you're capable of, find your real cutie mark with your special talent, and learn that being different won't be as bad as it seems?"

Dusk Shine was conflicted, scared of wanting to be different, but wanting to try when his mother's cutie mark was revealed. He didn't want to trust his mother anymore after lying to him since he was born, not knowing what other secrets she's been hiding from him and everyone else. He sniffled, looking down at the alicorn's cutie mark, and after several minutes of silent pondering, he relented and twisted the lid.

Just as he was about to remove the lid, Starlight unleashed a blast of magic through the snow, the shockwave knocking everyone back. Dusk dropped the jar, which shattered as it hit the ground, releasing Solaris's cutie mark regardless of his decision, flying at blinding speed back toward the village. Starlight shook the snow off her, then glared at her pursuers. The guards quickly stood up and surrounded her.

"Starlight Glimmer, you are under arrest on several counts of kidnapping, including a severe count of kidnapping Princess Emerald, assaulting and imprisoning His Royal Highness, Prince Solaris, and his royal guard while manipulating several ponies to giving up their cutie marks while resorting to steal them out of your own greed for power!" one of the guards warned. "This is your only warning! Stand down now, or we will be forced to use necessary force!"

"You really think six pegasus royal guards can handle taking me down?" Starlight asked cynically. "I took your cutie marks once. I can take them again without breaking a sweat."

"Then we're doing this the hard way," Steele growled. "Swarm her!"

The stallions yelled as they charged her, but Starlight teleported out of the enclosed circle they made, reappearing a few feet away from them, then fired a beam at their hooves. The explosion sent the guards flying back, knocked hard by the blast as they fell to a heap near Double Diamond, Sugar Belle, Party Favor, and Night Glider. The four ponies huddled in fear a the deadly glare their former equalist leader gave them, her horn sparking dangerously.

"So, you all decided to betray me by getting your cutie marks back," she muttered. "You're all fools. If you want to live out the rest of your lives in misery by showing off your talents, fine...But you four were the first of many who joined me, and I thought I could trust you. I guess I was wrong."

"You never trusted anyone," Double Diamond said, finding the courage to stand up to the dangerous unicorn. "You never gave us a chance to even be friends without using your magic and lies."

"Chances only ruin friendships before they begin," Starlight argued. "I'm not going to give any one of you another chance!"

Her horn glowed brighter, charging a massive amount of mana to unleash a deadly magic beam that would eradicate the downed guards and four of her "disloyal" followers. Starlight aimed her horn and fired, the group flinching while Dusk looked away in horror. Suddenly, appearing in front of them in a burst of green flames, Solaris lit up his hooves with green flames and held them out, protecting them as he blocked the powerful spell. Sucking in a deep lungful of air, he unleashed a massive breath of fire, pushing Starlight's beam back toward her. Completely caught off guard by the alicorn's appearance and return of his strength, Solaris managed to break through the unicorn's magic, dispelling the beam while sending his flames toward her. Starlight teleported out of the way, panting in exhaustion as she used up so much magic in her last attack.

"Give up, Starlight Glimmer!" Solaris warned, raising his hooves up in a fighting stance, prepared to block any other spells the mare would throw at him. "Everypony has their cutie marks back, you've been found out, and you're not getting away! You're already facing a life sentence for your crimes! Don't make anymore mistakes that'll hurt you more than it already has!"

"Mistakes!? You have no idea what a mistake it was for me to try to get you to see things my way!" Starlight exclaimed. "All I wanted was to just live peacefully without being reminded about cutie marks, and you and your family ruined my happiness!"

"You were taking ponies away from their homes and stealing their cutie marks to prove a point, but you failed to even come up with a good reason why you personally hate them when you kept yours!" Solaris argued. "Cutie marks don't end any kind of relationship, platonic or romantic!"

"You're married to a changeling, who never get cutie marks unless they create one whenever they want!" the mare argued back.

"Which throws away your beliefs that being equal makes ponies happy, because despite how different Trill and I are, we both love each other!" Starlight's eye twitched, then screamed as she tried to shoot Solaris with another beam. The alicorn didn't give her the chance, rushing her and punched her horn, making her wince in pain while being careful not to break it with his strength like he did to the last unicorn he tried to stop. He then slammed Starlight down to the ground, pinning her down while twisting her head around, keeping her horn aimed away from everyone else when she regained the ability to use magic and tried to blast someone else. "I don't understand why you hate cutie marks. Your reason about them breaking relationships isn't true."

"You...have no idea!" Starlight grunted, struggling to get out from under Solaris, but the alicorn was far too strong for her to squirm away. She stopped, knowing she was caught with no way out, not even with magic if he struck her horn again, or threatened to break it. "...Do you really wanna know why I think that?"

"Yes," Solaris said. "Elaborate for all of us why you think cutie marks destroy relationships."

Starlight growled, trying to move her head to get comfortable, but Solaris kept her head down, making sure her horn was aimed safely away from everyone. "...When I was a filly, I had a best friend back in my old town. We were inseparable, until the day he got his cutie mark. We were stacking books in a tower, and it started to fall on me when I pulled what I thought was a loose enough one. He caught them with his magic, sent them flying back on the shelves, and got a cutie mark for it. I was happy for him, but he was too excited to acknowledge me as he ran outside, showed off to his parents, and the next day, he and his family moved away to Canterlot, and I never saw him again."

After hearing the rushed summary of Starlight's past, everyone stared in bewilderment, feeling like they missed something else that was important. "...That's it?" one of the guards asked.

"YES!" Starlight shouted angrily. "He got his cutie mark, and I didn't! He moved on, and I didn't! For years, I thought the same thing would happen if I tried to make friends with others and they got their cutie marks, too! The only way they can truly be friends is if they get their cutie marks at the same time!"

Solaris was baffled, watching tears well in the mare's eyes as the her emotional pain was completely irrational. "Starlight, that's ridiculous. Cutie marks don't keep or lose friendships, or even bring others together if they discover their talents at the same time."

"How about your mother and her friends!?" Starlight exclaimed. "Hearing so much about how they were once the bearers of the Elements of Harmony, I've also heard the irony that all six of them discovered their cutie marks at the same time when Rainbow Dash performed the sonic rainboom when she was a filly! Is that true!?"

"...Well...they told me stories about that, so...I guess," Solaris said, seeing her point, though it was a pure coincidence that his mother and aunts had gotten their cutie marks simultaneously long ago. "But that's a one in million chance something like that happens."

"Yet it did, and they became best friends!" Starlight reiterated.

"Yeah, several years later when they were adults," Solaris corrected. "They never got together as fillies after that moment." He shook his head, now getting a somewhat full story, but it doesn't excuse Starlight's actions, her last couple decades's worth and the last two days. "Your problems don't justify your crimes you committed, one I'm really ticked at was kidnapping my daughter so you could escape. You're lucky I'm not going to give you a death sentence."

"Oh, good! Being the pacifist leader after slamming me into the ground!" Starlight mocked. "You want more problems from me!? Because I have plenty, like getting pregnant with Dusk and fearing getting caught when I went into labor! I had to force everypony else to stay away from me while giving birth so none of them try to wash me up and see my cutie mark! Of course, I blame myself for getting knocked up when trying to unwind during one of my scouting trips, since running a village of gullible idiots can take a toll on my psyche!"

Solaris blanched as Starlight continued rambling aloud, looking up to find Dusk in a state of shock at his mother's complaints. As if discovering his own mother had lied to him about having a cutie mark was a bad thing while hiding hers, now he's misconstruing what Starlight was saying about the day he was conceived and his birth as everyone could literally hear his heart shatter to pieces.

"Starlight-" Solaris tried to interject, but the unicorn continued complaining, ignorant of her son's growing heartache as he struggled not to sob while tears began streaming down his face.

"-and I got wasted when I went into my heat cycle, so THAT was another stupid mistake I made!" Starlight continued. "Jerk didn't bother to pull out or let me try to use a contraceptive spell when he didn't have any protection, and the next morning, he disappears without a trace and I found out a few days later that I'm having a baby!"

"Starlight-" Solaris tried again, but again, his warning fell on deaf ears.

"I guess I kept telling more lies to Dusk when he kept asking who his real father really is, but hay, I barely knew the guy, so my son is a bastard child, and I regret meeting the deadbeat and even considered having sex with him, all because my hormones told me to screw a stallion and have a baby I never intended on having!" Starlight panted heavily, her tirade over, but the damage was already done. "...Well? No snarky comment? No, 'My wife my be lazy, and a changeling, but at least she's a better mom than you ever will be?'"

Solaris said nothing, slowly turning Starlight's head so she looked at Dusk. Her scowl quickly turned into horror as she saw his face, completely forgetting in her anger that her son was still with all of them. Tears stained his cheeks as they dripped to the ground, his eyes expressing more pain and distrust as he looked at her, his body trembling with each shuddering sob he made.

"Y-Y-You...n-never....wanted me?" Dusk whimpered pitifully. Starlight didn't notice Solaris release his hold on her, so lost in her anger to realize that what she said was interpreted as her regretting ever giving birth to Dusk. She stood up, trying to find the words to assuage her child that she never meant to spout so many hateful things in her tirade, but she feared saying anything would only make him more upset. "I-I...I w-was...an a-accident?"

"N-No! No!" Starlight said, running up to the teen while he cried his eyes out, looking away from her. "I-I didn't mean to say all that! I was angry, a-and...ponies say stupid things when they're angry!"

She tried to hug Dusk, but the teen unicorn shouted, slapping her hooves off him and pushed her away from him. "Leave me alone!" he screamed. "You don't love me! You never have!"

"Yes I do!" Starlight tried to reassure, her heart starting to break as her baby no longer trusted her. "Dusk, I'm so sorry! I didn't mean any of it, honey...I swear."

"How do I know you're telling the truth anymore!?" Dusk exclaimed. "You lied to everypony! You lied to the prince! You lied to me! And you dragged me along with kidnapping Emerald, getting me in trouble, too! All because you think you're right and everypony else is wrong and stupid! Including me!"

"T-That's not true," Starlight whimpered, her voice cracking as tears welled up in her eyes after being yelled at by her child. "I-I didn't mean to-"

She reached out to hold him again, but as she got closer, she was met with a pale magenta hoof to the face, the hard slap echoing all across the mountain range. No one actually expected Dusk to actually slap his own mother in the face in the heavily upset state he was in, even Starlight, shocked and completely stunned to ever be hit by her son. She turned her head to stare at him, emotionally hurt as the slap suddenly turned numb, seeing the look of utter hatred in the teen's eyes, no longer willing to trust or listen to her pleas anymore after the poor choice of words Starlight shouted in her own rage over her own personal issues let out for everyone to know.

"I hate you," Dusk muttered, those three words far more painful than getting smacked or slammed toward the ground.

Starlight couldn't try one last time to apologize, hug her son, or even stoop to bargaining with him to take back his disdain for her. All she could do in her stunned, disheartened shock was watch as Dusk turned and walked away from her, making his way back home. He didn't get far when he stopped near the four ponies he grew up around, finally breaking down after taking all he could stand. Sugar Belle held him, accepting her embrace over Starlight's as he let it all out.

Solaris knew Starlight was considered a wanted criminal, but he couldn't help but feel sympathetic for her. He couldn't see the tears begin to flow down her face, though a parent getting hit by their own child while they claimed they hate them would even shock himself to the point of being upset. Solaris approached Starlight, her head slowly hanging down, feeling like excessive force was no longer necessary to stop her.

"Starlight?" he called out.

"...I give up," she uttered. "...Take me into custody...I-I...screwed up enough..."

Solaris sighed, wishing things didn't escalate this far, but at least no one was seriously hurt. He allowed his guards to handle Starlight from here, the six stallions circling the depressed mare as a precaution if she tried to escape, though that was unlikely in her emotional state, then they all made their way back to Our Town, Dusk wanting to stay far enough away from his mother.

After returning to Our Town with Starlight captured, all the ponies in town who had cutie marks after joining had gotten them back, though the colts and fillies still had the equal sign curses on their flanks, including Dusk. While two of Solaris's guards flew back to Canterlot to get a prisoner carriage to transport Starlight Glimmer, and after getting glomped by his daughter as he was reunited with his wife and daughter again, he tried to figure out a way to reverse the spell so the kids can all discover what their true talents may be. Starlight mumbled something about a spellbook she kept in her room that had the spell, having a massive change of heart after getting talked down and slapped by Dusk, the book in question found under her bed with the same spell, along with a simple spell to reverse it. After giving it a glance over, he cast the spell on the children as they gathered before him, erasing the fake cutie marks and returning their natural colors they were born with.

It was confusing for the foals at first, but they warmed up to the idea of what their actual talents could be. They ran off, banding together as they had all sorts of ideas to get their cutie marks, no longer fearing being different from each other after seeing how the adults got along with their cutie marks back. The only one left to help was Dusk, the teen holding himself in the playhouse once they returned. Emerald lead him to the house, despite how alike every single house was built, Dusk Shine sitting alone with the Dragon Pit board game in front of him, moving pieces randomly and letting the fake volcano erupt, having the rock roll to a dragon and send them dropping down a pit. Tears matted his cheeks, though his expression was numb, resetting the pieces with no emotion as he tried to hide from the truth he was forced to learn about his life, both for his cutie mark and his birth.

"Hey, Dusk," Solaris said. "You ok?" Dusk didn't respond, keeping his eyes on the board game while making the dragons get trapped in the pit as he purposely set off the volcano. "...I guess I'll take that as a no." Solaris and Emerald walked over to the teen, the alicorn sitting beside him while the filly sat across from them. "Do you want to talk about anything?"

"No," Dusk mumbled.

"Ok...Do you want me to take away that fake cutie mark for you?" Solaris asked, Dusk responding with a weak shrug. Taking that as a yes, the alicorn cast the reverse spell on the depressed unicorn, erasing the equal sign cutie mark on his flank and brightening his coat and mane. "Huh...It seemed like the spell your mother used on you wasn't as strong like the other kids'."

"Whoop dee doo," Dusk grumbled sarcastically. "I must be really special, aside from being a complete accident, the cutie mark I was 'born' with was just a fake one made by a magic spell, and everything I've learned about my mother was all a lie! I'm surprised she hasn't lied to herself, or maybe she has and doesn't even realize it because of how stupid her reason for doing all this to everypony is now that I see the only way cutie marks ruin relationships is if they lie about them!"

While going off in his irate rant over the situation, Dusk's horn began to light up an aquamarine blue, surprising Solaris as he never once saw the teen use magic for anything, at least before he was trapped in a house without his cutie mark. "Uhh, Dusk-?"

"She even forced me along with her escape after the truth came out, and I had a hoof in kidnapping your daughter!" Dusk continued, his aura glowing brighter and brighter as his pent up aggression was about to reach its peak. "I was assisting in a kidnapping of a royal guest, and I was going to get in just as much trouble as her, or even worse!"

"Dusk-" Solaris warned again, dragging Emerald away from Dusk's horn as the teen continued his angry tirade.

"She was going to use me as a scapegoat, and she didn't even care about me at all! Not even when I was in her belly, she hated me! She never loved me at all! I hate her! I hate, hate, hate, HATE, HATE-!!!!!!" Dusk's horn couldn't take the buildup anymore, suddenly releasing a powerful burst of magic down on the Dragon Pit game, blasting the old game to pieces.

When he realized what had happened, Dusk was mortified, looking up to see the steam coming from his fizzling horn. He was about to panic, but Solaris gently laid his hoof over his shoulder to calm him.

"I tried to warn you," he said. "Without that spell kept on you, you're able to use more powerful magic than basic levitation...Have you ever used telekinesis before?" Dusk slowly shook his head, which answered the alicorn's question over the teenage unicorn's lack of using levitation to grab things. "I guess your mother didn't teach you...One thing you need to do now that you have that latent magical potential back is that you keep calm and not lose control of your emotions. They're tied to your magic, and if you get too upset, you'll end up doing that again."

Dusk stared at the scorch mark on the floor, accidentally destroying his mother's favorite game. "...A-Am I in trouble?"

"No. This kind of thing happens, especially with unicorn foals," Solaris assured, ruffling Emerald's mane to emphasize his point. "Infants can occasionally get magic bursts and do a lot of random magic spells that even the average unicorn can get exhausted pulling off in multiple attempts. Emmy's just as guilty as doing that as a baby, but I was prepared for that in case she inherited some alicorn magic from me."

"But I didn't blow anything up...right?" Emerald asked.

"No, but you gave us the runaround just from your flying around the castle," Solaris said with a chuckle. After messing up his daughter's mane, he lifted his hoof up and blew a small puff of flames, making a small band appear from the green fire. "Good thing I made plenty of these. Here, Dusk. Put this around your horn."

Dusk took the offered plastic band, staring at it curiously. "What is it? A rubber band?"

"It's actually a magical inhibitor, stretchable and comfortable to put on baby unicorn's horn, keeping them from having too much fun during a magic surge," Solaris explained, which only made the teen grimace at the inhibitor meant for baby unicorns. "Would you like a metal one that constricts your horn and seals your magic in an irritating, uncomfortable way instead?"

"...Fine," Dusk mumbled, placing the inhibitor around his horn, finding it surprisingly soft as if there was nothing there. He looked at the smoldered remains of his and his mother's favorite game. "...So much for that game..."

The door to the building opened up as Steele Wing stepped in. "Your Highness, the prisoner carriage is here, along with a train and available cars for ponies who wish to go back to their real homes throughout Equestria. We're ready to transport Starlight Glimmer."

"Alright." Steele left to ready Starlight into the carriage, Solaris and Emerald following after him with the alicorn guiding Dusk out, to the teen's confusion. "Before we leave, Dusk, there's a few things we need to do. One is an offer I'd like to give you for your magical control. You'll stay in the castle with us, and when I have the time, I'll personally teach you, but I will also have other experienced unicorns and teachers guide you with magic and other subjects I'm sure you'll love learning."

"R-Really?" Dusk asked. "But...but why?"

"You might be old enough to make your own decisions, but not exactly old enough to live on your own," Solaris reasoned. "I think you'd be much better living better than here. And finding your cutie mark may take some time, but you'll discover what you do best at in Canterlot while also making friends who you'll keep despite what you've learned growing up about differences splitting friends apart."

"And we can have some real fun, too!" Emerald added.

"Yes, and discover what real fun is like compared to sitting in a big room playing board games," Solaris reiterated. "And, if you want to, help Trill and I foalsit for Emmy when we can't get anyone else."

"Uhh...ok. I...have wondered what it was like outside this town," Dusk said, accepting the offer, growing more curious about what he could be good at, if it wasn't too late for him. When they approached the carriage set up on the road, he spotted his mother under the watchful eye of Soaris's guards, hoofcuffs and a metal inhibitor around the mare's horn. He didn't like where they were going, trying to backpedal away, but Solaris continued dragging him with his aura. "W-Why are we going over to her?"

"Because you definitely need some closure with your mother," Solaris insisted, but Dusk shook his head. "I know you're hesitant to be near her, but you can't hate her forever."

"But she said-" Dusk yelped as he fell over, Solaris stopping him causing him to trip over his hooves.

"I know what she said, but I don't think she meant giving birth to you was her greatest regret," Solaris said, helping Dusk back up on his hooves. "I guess its our fault for fighting back against what she created in this village, which made her frustrated when Emmy found out about your mother's cutie mark, no one believed her anymore, and tried to escape, knowing she was going to be faced with so many serious charges. And after cornering her and that...painful outburst, she seemed honestly mortified by what she said in her furious ranting." Dusk huffed, still reluctant to believe Starlight after today. "You don't have to say anything. Just hear her out.

"You and I aren't so different with the situations we've been in. Like you, I was sheltered somewhere most of my youth, and I was kept from the truth of what was outside where I was hiding. I never knew my mom growing up, raised by her friends, who I looked up to as my aunts, and my dragon uncle, Spike, who was my mother's assistant when she was alive." Dusk's eyes grew wide at the mention of being raised by a dragon, which he assumed was where he got the ability to use dragon fire with his impressive power over Starlight's magic and summoning the inhibitor band he wore on his horn. "But unlike me, you were lucky to have your mother raise you. I didn't have that luxury to grow up with any parent..." Solaris looked down at Emerald, picking his daughter up and hugged her, the filly giving him a hug back with a giggle. "Even though I hadn't, I want Emmy to grow up with both her mommy and daddy there for her."

Dusk couldn't help but feel a little jealous over Emerald, never knowing what it's like to have a dad around. But, then again, Solaris hadn't mentioned being raised by his father, so that gave them another thing in common if that was true. He was still hesitant to talk to his mother again, even if finding closure in their fight was supposed to help him. Looking past the nuzzling alicorn and pony/changeling filly, he noticed his mother glancing their way, and when he looked at her, Starlight lowered her head in shame.

After their affectionate nuzzling, they continued making their way toward Starlight, Dusk lagging behind them, reaching them right as Steele Wing was about to guide the captured unicorn into the carriage. "It's high time we get back to Canterlot before Equestria goes into a panic if the royal family is missing. In you go, Starlight Glimmer."

"Wait, sergeant," Solaris stopped, the stallion obeying his command. "Before she's taken off to prison, I'll allow her to say a few words to her son." The guard looked at Starlight, who was a bit surprised she was given a special permission like this before being carted off to jail, then nodded to the alicorn as he stepped back. Solaris gently nudged Dusk closer to Starlight, both unicorns looking away from each other. "Starlight, I don't appreciate your actions, nor what you tried to do out of desperation when you kidnapped my daughter. But after witnessing that painful familial dispute, I don't want to leave you and your son with a misunderstanding that will destroy your relationship. Now that you're calmer, not obsessing over forcing your thoughts on everypony, you should say something to him before it's too late. And, since Dusk agreed to stay in the castle, I will also allow you to have visitation rights. If Dusk wants to talk to you."

Starlight wanted to argue it would be pointless after what she said about her son, but she wanted to mend the pain she inflicted on his heart. She didn't know where to start as she looked up at him, fearing she won't get through to him and make him believe she was one hundred percent honest and apologize. She was even afraid he wouldn't say anything back, but she'll gladly take silence over disdain at this point, deserving the scolding over her own personal issues because of an old friend she never saw again.

"...Honey...I am so sorry," Starlight said, her voice wavering as she picked her words carefully to avoid the "H" word from him spitting at her. "I do love you. I always have...When I said I regretted getting pregnant, I meant the stallion who got me pregnant, not you...I-I was scared about being a mother when I found out, but I wouldn't give you up for anything." She swallowed the lump in her throat, fresh tears rolling down her cheeks as she wanted her last words to her child, if they were her last, to be as truthful as ever. "I was always alone...I stayed away from other ponies because I didn't want to be left behind like that again...I went through my pregnancy, I gave birth to you, and after all the pain of it all, the fear of having others see my cutie mark while going through labor, I felt happier than I ever have since I lost my friend when I held you in my hooves. I was happy to be a mom, and I love you with all my heart.

"I never wanted to hurt you, b-but...but..." Starlight's voice cracked, then she broke into sobs, burying her face in her cuffed forehooves. "I'm so sorry...I was only thinking for myself a-and ignored you...Y-You deserve to h-hate me...but...I-I don't...want you to l-leave me...Please...d-don't..."

She broke down and collapsed, bawling her eyes out as she let out all of her recent regrets for making Dusk think she never wanted him. Now that she explained the reason behind her cutie mark stealing actions, it was almost pitiful knowing this fear of hers was more serious than others take for granted. Solaris understood that feeling when he kept losing his family one by one, the only ones he knew as they raised him forever gone. Dusk Shine looked at his sobbing mother, still conflicted with what she's done, but felt sorry for her as his existence had managed to bring her genuine happiness after many years steering away from friendship and living miserably on her own until she created Our Town.

Dusk looked back at Solaris, silently asking for some sort of guidance, but all he did was motion with his head to his mother, the next thing to do based on his decision alone. Sighing, unable to get any help, he looked back at the sobbing unicorn mare he once looked up to as his mother. He still wasn't ready to forgive her, still hurt by what she said, but now understood she didn't mean to say it that way. Starlight managed to compose herself a little, tears still streaming down her face as she stood back up, waiting for her son to say something.

"...I-I...accept your apology," he finally said after what felt like an eternity to the mare. Starlight smiled and tried to hug him, but the teen brushed her cuffed hooves away. "That doesn't mean I forgive you...n-not yet..." Though disheartened, Starlight understood, having expected the worst. Steele stepped forward after the mother and son said their piece, ushering Starlight into the carriage to be sent back to Canterlot's dungeon. He closed and locked the doors as soon as she was inside, the unicorn mare turning around to look out the barred window. "...I'll...visit you...when I'm ready to really talk to you."

Her hope was rekindled as she smiled again, nodding silently, though her smile faded as she sighed and sat as comfortably as she could in the encased carriage. With a couple hard smacks from the back by the leader of the group of guards, the two pulling it headed off to transport Starlight. Dusk watched as they faded away into the sky, sighing sadly, not sure if he would ever be ready to see his mother again.

It was time for Solaris, Trill, and Emerald to finally go back home, the filly dragging Dusk along the path back to their carriage. While most of the ponies who had families as they were conformed by Starlight's equality spiel, the first several ponies who had first joined were content staying behind, Solaris understanding their decision as it was their home with the friends they made there. With two of the remaining group of guards hitched to the royal chariot and the family and Dusk were settled in, they flew off to Canterlot, back home.

"So, does this mean we're adopting Dusk as a member of our weird family?" Trill asked curiously, looking back to see the unicorn teen staying as inside the chariot as possible, never once experiencing the thrill of flight in his life. "Wouldn't it have been better to leave him with the others in that town?"

"Yes, and no," Solaris said. "I know Double Diamond and the gang can take care of him, but I think Dusk would have a better experience in the real world. That, and I don't want to keep him away from Starlight. Despite the misunderstanding and the insane ethics she had over a cutie mark driving her first and only true friendship apart, I don't want Dusk to resent his mother for the rest of his life."

"Hmm...You two are kind of alike, I guess," Trill said. She leaned over to nuzzle Solaris, resting her head against his shoulder as they enjoyed the ride home. "...With how powerful Starlight was, would you have resorted to breaking off her horn if she continued resisting?"

"...A little," Solaris admitted, his memory flashing back to when he first did that to Lucifer in their final clash, the blood-curdling scream he made after the pain washed over him making the alicorn's ears press against his head. The following action after Solaris left him powerless, he gave the dark unicorn king a chance to give up and leave, but he wouldn't give up and tried to stab him in the back with a shard of glass, leading to his fall over the balcony of the castle that ended him. Solaris shuddered at the gruesome image of his greatest foe's death, shaking the memory away before he got more nightmares about his actions. "Starlight was powerful, but she's not a killer. Dusk seemed to inherit that magical potential after watching him blow up a board game."

"...Yikes. Hope he gets some control of his magic than Emerald had as an infant." She looked back at Dusk, who was struggling not to move when Emerald tried getting him to look over the edge, constantly shaking his head out of fear. Trill noticed the band around the teen's horn, recognizing it as one of Solaris's special inhibitors he made for Emerald as a baby to control her wild magic surges. "...Is he wearing one of those little band things that were for Emerald?"

"Closest thing I kept in my personal magic storage that could help control his newfound magic in case he has an emotional breakdown," he said. Trill began to snort in laughter at how silly the young stallion looked, but Solaris grabbed her muzzle, forcing her to look back at him. "Don't laugh. It's not restrictive, and when he wants to practice magic when he's calm enough to focus, he can take it off and put it back on if he's feeling troubled. So don't make fun of him, or I'll put a metal one on you, tie all four of your limbs to the bedposts, and tease you with toys until you're practically begging for me to ravage you into the mattress."

Trill blinked at the playful threat, her lips then curling into a smirk as she leered at him alluringly. "...He looks ridiculous with that on," she said. She expected him to groan in exasperation, he smirked right back, which confused and unnerved her. "...Uhh, why aren't you irritated?"

"Because I plan on doing that when we get home," Solaris said, letting out a low, hungry growl that made the changeling princess's wings twitch in excitement. He lunged for her neck, nipping at her chitin flesh, making her squeak, which turned into a groan as his lips trailed up and reached her lips, planting a deep, lustful kiss that made her moan in need. "Dusk can watch Emmy for a few hours. She can show her around the castle while we're busy 'wrestling'."

Trill purred, eagerly awaiting the fun they'll have after being apart an entire day as she latched onto him and continued making out with her strong alicorn husband. Emerald giggled as she watched her parents kissing with a hungry passion, though Dusk stared awkwardly and looked away in embarrassment.

"Do they...do that a lot?" Dusk asked.

"Yeah, and they like to wrestle a lot," Emerald said. "Mostly at night though."

"...Uh huh," Dusk muttered, taking the filly's word for it, though he had a feeling he knew what they would do since he first discovered his hormones and learning about "the birds and the bees" talk from Starlight not too long ago. Looking past the royal couple, their flight soon reached its destination as he saw the castle in the distance. His fear of heights were forgotten as he marveled at the structure, and the grand city it loomed over. This was his first step into unknown territory, an eagerness to learn what he had missed out on outside of the home he grew up in and maybe make real friends without worrying about what kind of cutie marks other ponies had. "Oh boy...How am I going to get around just the castle by myself?"