Starlight boarded the train to the Crystal Empire early the next morning. She sat in silence the entire ride, staring out the window or occasionally reviewing the notes she’d taken the day before. At one point, she considered passing out the pages to her manifesto, however, decided against it. It was better to find her rock first, or at least create a spell to get rid of cutie marks, before sharing her philosophy.

A few hours later, the train made its stop in the Crystal Empire, and she immediately began heading east. While the Crystal Empire probably was beautiful, she wasn’t intending to stop for the view. At that moment, there was only one thing she wanted to see, and it wasn’t in the Crystal Empire.

She walked tirelessly throughout the rest of the day, then all of that night, and all the next day and the next night, watching the landscape change around her. What started as snow-capped mountains surrounded by forests slowly became grasslands, which itself began to change into badlands. She had been walking south of the mountains, but as far east as she was, the mountains finally popped into view in front of her in the direction she traveled. She knew that beyond them was the sea, and she didn’t want to go that far east, so she figured the mountains beyond her would be as good a place as any to start looking for her rock.

As she kept walking towards those mountains, something unexpected began to enter her vision. It was a single house, with a path of about a hundred and fifty yards leading up to it, just on the edge of the mountains. She would’ve just ignored it, but seeing the house made her realize how tired she was. She hadn’t gotten any sleep since she was in Canterlot, and had been walking for two days straight. She needed to rest.

She walked along the path towards the house, noticing the flat ground around it, compared to the hills around her. She took note of it, keeping it in the back of her mind. If her rock were somewhere relatively close to here, this might be a good spot to start building a coalition of those who shared her philosophy.

As she got up to the house, she saw that it was abandoned through one of the windows. It didn't look run down, but it also didn't look as though it was currently occupied. It had two levels, with two bedrooms, a kitchen, and a sitting room. She saw some simple furniture, but other than that, it was completely bare. She had trouble believing anypony lived here, but she knocked anyway, on the off chance that somepony did. If somepomy showed up to the door, she'd ask to spend the night with them, and share her philosophy with them. If not, she'd still spend the night, maybe several nights, while she looked for her rock. If somepony turned up later, she'd just explain herself and ask to stay.

Starlight knocked, and, after several minutes of waiting, opened the door and let herself inside. It was dusty, as if it had been months since anypony lived here, but still well kept. It had a quaint and cozy feel to it, which she appreciated. If her rock were relatively close to here, she wouldn't mind permanently occupying the house.

She found her way into the bedroom, fell into the simple-looking bed, and quickly fell asleep. While she slept, she had a strange dream. She was lying under the sun, in the grass, in Sire's Hollow, and Sunburst was with her combing her hair. She was enjoying it, the sun on her back, lying in Sunburst's company, feeling the comb move through her mane. It went on like this for some time, when he all of a sudden stopped. Starlight looked up at him expectantly, wondering what his explanation was.

"What are you doing?" he asked, with a serious expression painted on his face.

"What do you mean?" she asked back, confused.

"I mean, what are you doing?" he pressed.

Starlight looked down at her hooves and thought for a moment. What was she doing?

She looked back up and told him, "I'm looking for my rock."

"Why?" he asked her.

"To create a fair and equal society."

"Why?"

"Why are you asking me this?" she asked him, starting to get annoyed as well as anxious.

"Do you think I think I'm better than you?"

"What?" she asked, now starting to become worried.

"Would you take my cutie mark?" Sunburst asked.

Bam!

Starlight quickly woke up, startled and annoyed. She had rolled off the bed in her sleep, and it interrupted her dream. "Well, the dream was going downhill anyway," she thought. It was better to have it end there than to have to answer tough questions.

She looked out the bedroom window and saw that it was light outside, but slowly getting lighter. She'd slept through the entire rest of the day and night, but that was okay. At least she'd be rested enough to truly begin looking for her rock.

She took a few minutes to review her notes, and then set out east, watching the sun rise up as the walked. It was surprising how quickly the landscape changed again. She went from the relatively nice looking area of flat ground that house was on to walking up the edge of the snow-covered Yaket Range. She'd read about several groupings of caves here, and she'd figured her rock would likely be in one of them. Of course, the problem was she had no idea which one her rock was in, if it even was in a cave at all. It could take months to find, maybe years. She'd have to search each and every-

Whizz!

Starlight was knocked over face first as someone raced by her in the snow. She angrily lifted her head and used her magic to wipe the snow off herself. It was just another instance of somepony not caring about her. As usual. She got up and watched as the pony who hit her stopped and made their way toward her.

"Are you all right?" a stallion called out. "I didn't see you there. What are you doing out here alone in the mountains?"

"Of course you didn't see me,"she thought as he helped her up. She brushed some more of the snow off herself and sighed, taking a few seconds to breathe before she spoke. "Just looking for something," she told him. "And it's fine. It's not like I'm not used to it,".

"What do you mean?" he asked.

"Well, in my hometown, I'm pretty sure half the ponies don't know I even exist, so I'm used to it." She looked down, and then looked at him hopefully, hoping for him to have some sympathy for her. Hoping for him to say he'd be friends with her.

"Oh, I'm sorry to hear that," he told her sympathetically. They stared at each other for a few seconds, then he continued. "Well, I better get going," he said, and then turned to walk back to his skis.

Starlight was frustrated and angry and sad at this, but she wasn't sure why. It wasn't like he was any different from everypony else. What made her think he'd show any concern for her? What made her think he'd want to be her friend? She turned away and began to walk back up the mountain when she had an idea.

"Hey, wait!" she called, and ran up to him.

"What is it?" he asked politely.

"I was wondering," she started as she reached him, "if you wanted to join my… movement."

"Your movement? What's it about?"

"Well," Starlight said carefully, "I want to make Equestria a more fair and equal place for everypony, which is why I was out here in the mountains looking for something."

"What for?" he asked, curious.

"That's not important right now," she said quickly. "What's important is that you learn about my movement. But right here's not a good place to talk. Would you be willing to walk down to where I'm staying?"

"I mean, I guess I would, but what about my skis?" he asked. "I don't have an extra pair with me for you to ski down the mountain with me."

"Please?" she begged. "I'll only be a few hours. You can come back and get them later."

He wanted to say no, but the look she gave him made it seem like she was desperate for him to come. And she was. He was the first person in a very long while who didn't immediately brush her off. "Well… sure," he agreed, being polite.

Starlight was excited. "Great!" she said, smiling. "I know you'll want to join. By the way, I don't think I got your name."

"It's Double Diamond," he told her.

"Mine's Starlight Glimmer," she said, and they began to walk down the mountain, leaving the skis in the snow. He never did go back for them.

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