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Our Love

By Glimbrain
Created: 2024-03-15 23:59:49
Updated: 2024-03-31 01:32:14
Expiry: Never
anonstarlight glimmerromancesafeour towns5 starlight

  1. Synopsis: Anon spends a comfy morning with his marefriend who also happens to be the leader of a cult.
  2.  
  3. >Lucidity slowly creeps in on the corners of your mind.
  4. >You lie on your side, tucked into a springy, low-hanging bed that feels like it's two sizes too small for you.
  5. >And that's because it is; this bed wasn't exactly made with your dimensions in mind.
  6. >Dressed in your skivvies, you shiver as you feel the morning chill nip at your extremities.
  7. >Outside, birds perched on a nearby leafless tree begin to chirp with spirited vigour while the whistling wind blows against the walls of your house.
  8. >Rays of the morning sun shine through the nearby window and soon settle upon your weary face.
  9. >The light seeping in through your eyelids causes you to wince.
  10. >A new day has begun.
  11. >You shift about in place as you readjust to the presence of the waking world.
  12. >As you do, your hands slide along a familiar, furry warmth, and a pleasant, homely smell enters your nostrils.
  13. >You open your eyes and you are greeted by the sight of a deep lavender forest—with a stream of turquoise cutting through the centre.
  14. >Ah, that's right—you aren't the only one in this bed.
  15. >You share this bed with *her*—a horned mare with a colourful lilac coat.
  16. >She faces away from you, her back nestled against your bare chest while you hold her as the big spoon.
  17. >With your nose near-buried in her two-tone mane, the sights and smells of her take up the fore-front of your senses.
  18. >One of your arms is tucked under the pillow while the other is hooked around her barrel; both of her forelegs are curled up around your arm.
  19. >Your hand rests upon her chest, slowly rising and falling with each slumbering breath she takes.
  20. >You watch and listen to her softly snore in your grasp.
  21. >Apparently, she used to be quite the heavy snorer before you came around.
  22. >Now, her slumbering exhalations are calm and content—a convivial concord to permeate this tranquil atmosphere.
  23. >If only you could lie in this bed with this comfy mare forever…
  24. >Unfortunately, the obligations of today are calling.
  25. >With a deep reluctance, you pull yourself away from the mare beside you.
  26. >As your hand leaves her belly, her nose wrinkles.
  27. >"Nn…"
  28. >Her curled-up forelegs begin lightly kicking at the space where your arm just was, as if trying to grasp the warmth that was just lost.
  29. >Eager to rectify her discomfort, you move your head down to her face.
  30. "Sleep well…" you whisper.
  31. >You lay a gentle kiss upon her cheek, careful not to wake her.
  32. >As your lips leave her cheek, her restless movements still and her own lips curl into a small, satisfied smile.
  33. >You are content to let her slumber for a little while longer.
  34.  
  35. >Rolling over to the other side of the bed, you steadily sit up on the edge; then, you leisurely stretch your arms and yawn.
  36. >You shuffle off of the bed, your bare feet hitting the fuzzy pink carpet.
  37. >Heading over to the wardrobe, you open the doors and peruse the wide variety of tunics and breeches on display.
  38. >That is to say—they all look exactly the same; they're all made of the same brown wool and have an Equality symbol stitched on somewhere.
  39. >It is *truly* a puzzler for the ages when it comes to deciding what you'll pick to wear for today, but eventually—and with significant consideration—you decide on the fourth pair from the right.
  40. >You slip on your chosen breeches and fasten your tunic up, taking a moment to examine yourself.
  41. >They're a bit itchy, but they get the job of keeping you warm and decent done well enough.
  42. >Next, you retrieve a pair of socks and boots.
  43. >The socks are also weaved from enchantingly brown wool, but the boots are made from a faux-leather.
  44. >Well, at least you *hope* that it's faux; you wouldn't want to linger on the implications of it being real leather, considering that you now live in a world populated by talking animals…
  45. >Anyway—fully clothed for the day, you head over to the nearby window—the source of that infernal rousing light.
  46. >It's a thin, rectangular glass window with a pair of dark mulberry curtains on each side; the curtains are mostly closed, only permitting the passage of the very same thin slit of light that woke you up earlier.
  47. >You carefully pull them to the side, mindful in that you don't disturb your sleeping compatriot with an excess of sunlight.
  48. >After taking a moment to let your eyeballs adjust to the daylight, you peer out through the window—into the world known as Equestria.
  49. >And a quaint little village greets your eyes.
  50. >As you are situated on the second floor of your home, you peer downwards.
  51. >From your viewpoint, you see a well-trodden dirt lane stretching out into the horizon.
  52. >There are two rows of stone cottages that run alongside this lane—one row on the right, and one on the left.
  53. >You count nine cottages per row, with construction starting on the to-be tenth cottages at the end of each row.
  54. >On the lane itself, you notice some early morning-risers wandering throughout the town; they exchange greetings with one another with a wide smile on their face as they get ready to begin the day in earnest.
  55. >They're the inhabitants of this village, and they all come from different walks of life.
  56. >Whether they're earth ponies, pegasi or unicorns…
  57. >They're all ponies—and they're all equal under the banner of this town.
  58. >This village has no official name, but the locals have taken to calling it "Our Town."
  59. >And it's a fitting name.
  60.  
  61. >The dominant species of this world—ponies—differ quite heavily from the equines you recall from back home.
  62. >Apart from being brightly coloured and well-spoken, there's a peculiar quirk that sets them well apart from anything you've seen on Earth.
  63. >And that's the presence of a particular symbol emblazoned on both of their flanks—their "cutie mark."
  64. >Every pony has them, and every single cutie mark is unique.
  65. >But this symbol is not just for show, no; it defines who they are—their "special talent."
  66. >To say a pony's cutie mark is indicative of their very soul wouldn't be far from the truth.
  67. >Ponies aren't born with their cutie mark—it's something they have to earn through age and experience.
  68. >You imagine it's something like puberty.
  69. >When a pony eventually earns their cutie mark, it's seen as a turning point in their life.
  70. >It tells them their purpose in life—their destiny.
  71. >Which is all well and good…provided you happen to luck into a "favourable" destiny.
  72. >The ponies who are destined to become accomplished and respected scholars or those who are destined to inherit a large family fortune are unlikely to bemoan their fate.
  73. >But what of the pony destined to be stuck in a thankless, low-paying job? What of the high-flyer who can't stand heights? What of the arachnophobe whose destiny is working with spiders?
  74. >Or, God forbid, what if there was a "destiny" to fail at everything you set out to do—no matter how hard you tried to succeed?
  75.  
  76. >But if even you were to luck into that one, perfect talent—who's to say the same will happen with your friends?
  77. >Perhaps your "destined" profession is one that will force you all apart to work in separate corners of Equestria—never to see each other again?
  78. >Or perhaps a difference in cutie marks could result in envy and resentment festering within a once amicable friend group, with one pony believing that *they* should have been the one to earn a particular cutie mark—not the pony they had once considered their friend?
  79. >On the other hand, if two friends had a similar cutie mark, they could take that as a sign that they were meant to compete against the other; what was once a friendship formed through a shared interest could just as well devolve into a bitter rivalry born through competitive insecurities.
  80. >For every point you could argue towards the existence of cutie marks as a blessing—you could just easily argue towards them being a curse.
  81. >To have a garish set of tattoos magically appear on your outer thighs, and then dictate the course of your entire life from then on would be a looming shadow to anyone—pony or otherwise.
  82. >Much like humans, every pony out there is different, they all have their own views on life—their own beliefs—so it's no surprise that some ponies wish to free themselves from something so potentially stifling.
  83. >And that's where Our Town comes in—a village where the inhabitants cast aside the destinies imposed on them.
  84. >Ponies from all over Equestria travel here to willingly offer up their cutie marks, giving them the opportunity to start anew.
  85. >And in the place of their old cutie mark: a new one stands—one of proud Equality.
  86. >It has the appearance of a black-and-white equals sign, and every pony in this village bears it on their flanks.
  87. >It symbolises just what you'd expect; a pony with the special talent of Equality has *no* special talent, just like the rest of their peers.
  88. >On one hand, it might sound like a tremendous detriment to voluntarily cripple oneself like that, but when every pony is equal, there are no differences between them.
  89. >And when there are no differences between ponies—there are no reasons for ponies to be driven apart.
  90. >And thus, true friendship and harmony blooms.
  91.  
  92. >…That's the general idea behind it, anyway.
  93. >As an outsider to this world and its principles: the concept of cutie marks and its impact on pony society may never be something you'll understand in its entirety.
  94. >But the idea of standing up to a malignant destiny is certainly one you can appreciate.
  95. >The driving point behind this whole ideology of Equality—the act of removing the cutie mark itself—comes in the form of the "cutie unmarking."
  96. >It's a momentous ceremony where a pony willingly submits their own cutie mark to a place known as the "vault"—a cavern that's a short walk from the village.
  97. >This ceremony was devised by the founder of this town—a pony who is also the current leader.
  98. >A pony known as…
  99. >"Mmngh…"
  100. >You turn your head back to your bedmate, who is slowly waking up; she currently faces away from you.
  101. >She shifts about in bed and groans.
  102. >"Oh, where'd you go, Nonny…"
  103. "Over here." You raise your hand and do a small wave.
  104. >Her ears flick up and swivel in your direction; the rest of her body soon follows suit as she rolls over to face you.
  105. >She blinks away some of the sleep crust formed around her eyes and squints at you.
  106. >"What are you doing over there…?"
  107. "Just enjoying the view." You smile.
  108. >"Mm…if you wanted to do that, you could've just stayed in bed."
  109. >With an additional groan, she slowly clambers out of bed.
  110. >When her hooves hit the rug, she lets out a loud yawn while stretching her limbs.
  111. >Her messy, bed-headed mane is done up in split bangs—separated by her horn.
  112. >Her lilac fur glimmers in the revealing sunlight.
  113. >She's the leader and founder of this town.
  114. >And the love of your life:
  115. >Starlight Glimmer.
  116. >With a smirk, she twirls to the side, giving you a lateral view of her right side.
  117. >"Well? Here's your view~" She giggles, striking a pose.
  118. >You hum as you freely admire her form in full.
  119. >Her half-lidded, persian blue eyes.
  120. >Her cute belly, protruding slightly.
  121. >And her shapely flanks—titillating in all of the right ways.
  122. >Just like every other pony in this village, Starlight's flanks bear the mark of Equality.
  123. >As the founder of this village, she understands her ideology more than any pony here; thus, she proudly displays her mark of Equality so as to set a good example for all of the denizens in this village.
  124. >…At least, that's what *should* be there.
  125. >No, at this present moment, Starlight's cutie mark *isn't* one of Equality.
  126. >In its place is the curious image of a purple and white star trailed by two turquoise streams.
  127. >That mark—it's her *true* cutie mark.
  128. >But if she bears her true cutie mark on her flanks—that could only mean that she's been faking her own burden of Equality for all of this time.
  129. >If such deception rings true, then…
  130. >Well, there's only one thing for it.
  131.  
  132. >You close the window curtain as you address her.
  133. "Hey, Starlight, your mark's showing."
  134. >"Hm? My…?"
  135. >She blinks groggily at you, before she cranes her neck to gaze at her flank.
  136. >There, she, too, notices the decidedly non-equal mark displayed on her flank.
  137. >Her eyes shoot open in response.
  138. >"Oh!"
  139. >She gives you a sheepish grin.
  140. >"Ahem, excuse me."
  141. >Her horn lights up in a turquoise glow, and a nearby drawer opens.
  142. >Out from the drawer floats two makeup sets, a brush, and a stencil—the stencil depicts an equal sign.
  143. >Lightly humming to herself, Starlight opens one of the sets—one containing a lilac-coloured powder—and dips her brush in it; she applies the brush to her lilac flank, removing the mark completely.
  144. >After wiping her brush on a nearby towel, she dips it in her second makeup set—one containing black powder.
  145. >Then, she lines up the Equality-shaped stencil with her flank and vigorously applies the black powder through it.
  146. >Once the powdery dust clears, she gazes upon the results of her deft magicwork and nods, satisfied.
  147. >"Ah, there we go."
  148. >And just like that, there's a fresh Equality symbol on her flank.
  149. >It looks authentic—just like every other Equality mark in this village.
  150. >But you know it's fake.
  151. >Yes, while all of the ponies here have willingly given up their cutie marks, never to live up to their destined special talents ever again…
  152. >The leader of this village has always retained hers, unbeknownst to her followers.
  153. >Starlight's cutie mark is what powers her magical abilities, and it's solely because of her magical abilities that the cutie unmarking is possible—hence, why she needs to keep hers.
  154. >At least, that's her reasoning.
  155. >Yet, by retaining her own cutie mark in secret, this ensures that she stands above every other pony in the village—a stance that cuts a deep betrayal against the very foundation of Equality.
  156. >And yet…
  157. >"Anon, could you check the other side for me, too?"
  158. >She performs a quick turn, exposing her left flank to you.
  159. >And yet you could never begrudge her for it.
  160. >Because her secret is one you have long since accepted.
  161. "Of course."
  162. >You walk up to her and crouch down, examining her flank.
  163. >Unlike her right flank, the cutie mark on her left flank shows no trace of her true identity.
  164. >However, you do see signs of the black cosmetic beginning to distort and fade away.
  165. >Better safe than sorry.
  166. "It looks a little smudged. I can get this one for you."
  167. >"Please do." She floats her toolkit over to you.
  168. >You take the brush and wipe off the residue using the towel; then, you work on her left cutie mark in much the same way that she worked on her right.
  169. >First, you cover the mark up in lilac; next, after wiping the brush off once more, you apply the stencil to her flank and paint in the sign of Equality.
  170.  
  171. >She watches you work with a soft smile on her face.
  172. >Truth be told, she could easily handle this all by herself.
  173. >And yet, the "re-marking" of her flanks has become something of a shared ritual between the two of you.
  174. >It's a show of the trust that you both share—and a reminder of the path that the two of you have vowed to walk together.
  175. >You pull the brush and stencil away, giving her falsified cutie mark one more look-over.
  176. "All done."
  177. >She sighs happily, pivoting her body to face you.
  178. >"Mm, thanks."
  179. >She magically takes her toolkit off of your hands and floats them back in her drawer.
  180. "Where would you be without me, eh?"
  181. >She casts you a smug side-eye.
  182. >"Without you, you say? From what *I* remember, both of my cutie marks only got like that because a certain *human* just can't help himself when it comes to being *handsy~*"
  183. >Her eyes drift downwards and linger on your offending digits.
  184. >"Really now, your hands give you *such* an unfair advantage; *very* unequal~"
  185. "Oh, is that so? I certainly didn't hear you complaining about my hands last night."
  186. >She purses her lips.
  187. >"That…that's because…hm…"
  188. >She loses herself in thought while she tries to come up with a proper retort.
  189. >As distracted as she is, she has no chance of reacting to your imminent ten-pronged assault.
  190. "How about now, then?"
  191. >You rest both of your hands upon her shoulders.
  192. >"O-oh!"
  193. >But you don't stop there, you spread your fingers outwards, allowing them to sink into her soft lilac fur and massage the sensitive skin underneath.
  194. >"Ah, stop~"
  195. >Despite her (very weak) protests, she sits down on her haunches, giving you free reign to provide her with some much-needed ministrations.
  196. >Your let your hands freely roam over her body, kneading and squeezing wherever they go.
  197. >Over her withers, behind her ears, through her mane, around her chest, under her chin, against the base of her tail…
  198. >Starlight coos contentedly as she enjoys your devoted touch.
  199. >With great reluctance, you manage to keep your hands away from her flanks; as pleasantly firm as they are—you don't wish to incur her ire at having to paint over them *again.*
  200. >Eventually, one of your hands drifts downwards and rests upon her belly.
  201. >Or, to be more specific—the bump on her belly.
  202. >It's only a small bump right now, but it's sure to grow in the coming months.
  203. >It came as bit of a surprise to you, learning that while you weren't exactly compatible with her ideology—the two of you were certainly compatible with each other.
  204.  
  205. >Starlight lets out a long exhale through her nose.
  206. >Then, she gently rests a hoof upon your wrist.
  207. >"Our Town really has grown, hasn't it?"
  208. "Yeah…"
  209. >She shuffles closer to you and leans in, resting her snout against your nose.
  210. >And in this tender moment, you silently share breath.
  211. >Despite her underlying deception towards the villagers, you truly believe that she founded this village out of an earnest desire to support ponies who have been downtrodden by destiny.
  212. >Deep down, you know her to be a kind, empathic pony—that's why you're still here.
  213. >And that's why you choose to support her through thick and thin.
  214. >…The fact that she's also going to be the mother of your child doesn't hurt, either.
  215. >Eventually, you pull away from each other.
  216. >The two of you continue to gaze dreamily into each other's eyes.
  217. >Until her own eyes suddenly shoot open.
  218. >"…Ah! Were you able to clear out the secret passage yesterday?"
  219. >She, of course, is referring to the inconspicuously placed staircase hidden right underneath the bed; there's no trapdoor covering the entrance, but the bed hangs low enough that it's unlikely to be discovered by accident.
  220. >Although let it be said that you have frequent nightmares of the bed suddenly breaking its hinges, resulting in your unfortunate fate of tumbling down into the abyss.
  221. >The underground passage leads somewhere outside the village, with the exterior entrance usually being covered by a large boulder.
  222. >The passage itself is usually quite clean, as only the two of you are aware of its existence, but you do have to clear away the rubble at times.
  223. >…And the occasional candy wrapper.
  224. "I did, yeah."
  225. >"Oh, wonderful!"
  226. >You clear your throat.
  227. "But feel free to remind me—why *do* we have a secret passage, again?"
  228. >"Why not? You can never go wrong with a secret passage." She giggles.
  229. "Right…"
  230. >You stand up and cross your arms.
  231. "And it's *totally* not your secret hideaway for when you want to snack on your stash of sugary treats."
  232. >She recoils slightly, ears pricked up.
  233. >"Wha—how did you…?"
  234. >You give her a sly wink.
  235. "You were the one who asked me to clean it."
  236. >Your eyes drift down to her baby bump.
  237. "Besides, you can't expect me to believe that *this* is all just the little one, do you?"
  238. >After taking a brief pause to ponder the pudge, you cup your own chin.
  239. "Not that I mind…"
  240. >She takes a moment to process your words.
  241. >Then her lips form a small half-smile.
  242. >"Come on, you~"
  243. >She walks by you to the bedroom door, playfully swatting you with her tail on the way.
  244.  
  245. ***
  246.  
  247. >You head down the down the stairs into the living room and make a right turn to enter the kitchen so you can prepare breakfast.
  248. >It's a moderately sized room, with a kitchen counter on one side of the room and a small rectangular dining table on the other.
  249. >A rectangular window draws in some morning light.
  250. >In terms of decorations: there's a large, thought-provoking painting of an Equality sign hanging from one of the walls.
  251. >You were hesitant to call it "art" at first, but then you realised that despite its simplicity—it's still miles above what passed for "art" back on Earth, so you've come to appreciate it.
  252. >Starlight certainly seems to appreciate it, too, as she has the exact same picture on display within every single room in her house.
  253. >Speaking of Starlight, she's staying upstairs for the time being so she can "freshen up," as it were.
  254. >Just mare things.
  255. >You trust her enough to not gorge herself on the remains of her secret sugar stash while you're not looking—she still needs to leave room for breakfast, after all.
  256. >Making your way over to the kitchen counter, you ruminate on the anachronism of Equestria.
  257. >You have a fully functional fridge, a working sink, as well as a modern stove that is apparently powered by ambient magic, but there's no heating or air conditioning, and you've still gotta wash your laundry by hand.
  258. >Then again, you *are* human—the equine village situated in the middle of nowhere likely weren't prepared for a being who wears at least one article of clothing at all times.
  259. >Anyway, onto the breakfast—today's menu is a helping of sandwiches with a side of coffee.
  260. >You open the pantry and peruse the ingredients.
  261. >Your nose wrinkles at the sight and smell; the ingredients always have this lingering taste of "stale" despite how fresh they actually are—and you bought these just yesterday.
  262. >Such is the price your taste buds pay for Equality.
  263. >But at least they're edible enough.
  264. >You grab the ingredients you'll be using for your sandwiches and you set them on the countertop.
  265. >When it comes to coffee beans: you have to roast them yourself; luckily, you still have some roasted coffee beans left over from yesterday, so you take the ceramic container holding those and set them on the countertop as well.
  266. >Before you get to work on anything else, you fill up a saucepan with water and set it over a lit stove to boil.
  267. >Next, you get to work on the sandwiches.
  268. >With a little bit of help from your good friends Dr. Grater and Mr. Knife—you're able to fit in a tasty combination of lettuce, shredded cheese, sliced tomatoes, and sliced carrots within your slices of bread.
  269. >And for Starlight's portion—you've given her an additional helping of hay.
  270. >Alas, your own human stomach can't digest hay, so you'll have to make do without.
  271.  
  272. >Your next task is to grind the coffee beans.
  273. >Predictably, Starlight doesn't own a fancy electric coffee grinder, so you're going to have to rely on the pestle and mortar for this one.
  274. >You dump some beans into the mortar and begin pulverising the poor pips.
  275. >As you do so, you hear the kitchen door open.
  276. >Starlight trots into the room, looking noticeably less bed-headed than before.
  277. >She hops up onto one of the two chairs surrounding the dining table.
  278. >Her well-groomed tail lazily swishes about as she patiently waits for breakfast.
  279. "Looking good."
  280. >"Why, thank you!" She beams at you.
  281. >You finish pestling the coffee beans; all that remains now is to wait for the water over the stove to hit a rolling boil.
  282. >In the meantime, you address Starlight.
  283. "Oh, by the way, did I mention the thing I found yesterday?"
  284. >She briefly tilts her head and purses her lips.
  285. >"Hm, I don't believe you did. What was it?"
  286. "Well…"
  287. >Before you continue, you hear the telltale bubbling of boiling water.
  288. "Oh, hold on."
  289. >"Mm-hmm."
  290. >After switching the stove off, you add your coffee grounds into the saucepan, covering it up with the lid afterwards.
  291. "So, you know that rock that you're looking to get more of? The one that can hold cutie marks; the—uh, I'm not sure what it's called…"
  292. >She titters.
  293. >"I'm not quite sure what it's called, myself; I never got the name from the mare who discovered it. But I'm quite fond of the name 'markstone.'"
  294. >You nod.
  295. "Right, so I've been scouting the local area, and I think I've found another cave full of that 'markstone.'"
  296. >Her eyes light up as she gasps excitedly.
  297. >"That's wonderful!"
  298. >She clasps her forehooves together.
  299. >"Where did you find it?"
  300. "Well, here's the thing…"
  301. >You take a dramatic pause.
  302. "Do you remember the place where you first found me? I found the stones in a little hollow not far from there."
  303. >"Mm, I see…"
  304. >She closes her eyes, a wistful smile slowly forming on her face.
  305. >"I'll never forget that day."
  306. >And you won't, either.
  307.  
  308. >The memory still rings clear in your mind: you had suddenly been displaced from your home—your very planet—and you were wandering that harsh, arid region for God-knows how long.
  309. >Heatstroke had nearly taken you, and you collapsed just on the outskirts of Starlight's village.
  310. >It was there she—Starlight Glimmer—found you and nursed you back to health.
  311. >She was your saviour—your first face of kindness in this alien world.
  312. >Initially, she was eager to send you on your way when you had fully recovered.
  313. >Understandable, given that you were (and still are) physically incompatible with her ideology.
  314. >But the longer you two spent talking with each other—you more you came to understand one another.
  315. >The conversation drifted to the circumstances of your arrival, and how you had essentially lost everything as a result of being displaced from your old life.
  316. >No friends, no family, no future.
  317. >You still hadn't fully acknowledged the reality of your situation, but when you spoke it aloud to her—it hit you all at once.
  318. >At that point, you felt like you hit your absolute lowest.
  319. >But when you looked up at Starlight, you saw a glimmer of emotion flash in her eyes.
  320. >Was it a sense of pity?
  321. >Empathy?
  322. >Mutual understanding?
  323. >Whatever the case may had been, she offered you a place to stay in her own home—provided that you respected the philosophy she preached.
  324. >You, of course, accepted. And so, the days flew by.
  325. >Living in the same house together, you eventually got to know her, just as she got to know you.
  326. >You learned so much about her during those blissful days.
  327. >Her hopes.
  328. >Her fears.
  329. >Her darkest secrets.
  330. >You accepted each and every one without judgement.
  331. >You became her closest—her only—confidant.
  332. >Your relationship with her only deepened from there.
  333. >And now…
  334. >And now the coffee should be ready.
  335. >Taking the lid off of the saucepan, you see that the coffee grounds have been fully steeped in water—making that lovely caffeinated brew.
  336. >You pour the contents into two mugs along with some milk from the fridge. And, together with the plates containing the sandwiches, you bring breakfast to the dining table.
  337. >First, you set your breakfast down on the side of the table opposite to Starlight; then, you bring her portion up to her.
  338. >After you set the coffee mug down, she sniffs through the steam emanating off of it and hums in satisfaction.
  339. >"Oh, this drink is just wonderful. Introducing this 'coffee' plant to the farmers was a fantastic decision on your part."
  340. "Only the best for you, my lady."
  341. >She playfully bats the air between the two of you with her forehoof.
  342. >"Oh, stop that~. We're equals here; you don't need to address me with such a fancy title."
  343.  
  344. "I can't help it when it comes to you, after all…"
  345. >You lean in and give her a quick peck on the forehead.
  346. "You're my lovely mare."
  347. >She lets out a soft giggle.
  348. >"And you're my handsome human."
  349. >You see a gleam of…something enter her eyes.
  350. >But before you can speculate or react—she suddenly has her forelegs over your shoulders, and her snout right up against your ear.
  351. >She then lightly nibbles on your earlobe, making you shiver.
  352. >"All mine~" she breathily whispers.
  353. >She moves away after giving your earlobe a quick peck of her own.
  354. >The sequence of events catches you off-guard, but it's not something you're entirely unused to.
  355. >You've known Starlight to be quite…forward with her affections.
  356. >It's a facet of her personality that extends itself in public as well—to a somewhat embarrassing degree at times.
  357. >You do wonder if it might be seen as unbecoming for a leader of an Equality sect to show such open favouritism towards a particular individual.
  358. >Especially when said favouritism includes aggressive nuzzling right in the middle of the village.
  359. >If it *is* unbecoming, then she certainly doesn't let it bother her.
  360. >…Not that you're complaining.
  361. >You seat yourself at the side of the dining table opposite Starlight and begin enjoying your sandwiches and coffee.
  362. >As you do so, you make small talk.
  363. "So, got anything special lined up for today?"
  364. >She nods after taking a bite of her sandwich.
  365. >"Mm-hmm, I'll be leading a speech over in the vault to enlighten those among our flock who need it."
  366. "Oh, the newcomers from a few days ago?"
  367. >"Yes, and a few…sceptical sorts besides."
  368. "Right…"
  369. >"As you know, it's perfectly normal to have doubts about the Equalisation process, but it's best that I quash those doubts as soon as possible, lest we have to resort to more…unsavoury methods."
  370. >You silently nod, not needing further clarification.
  371. >For this is another one of her dark secrets that you've long since accepted.
  372. >There's a particular building within Our Town; it's a…"detention centre" of sorts—a building to re-educate those who need to be re-educated.
  373. >It's considered an absolute last resort.
  374. >But against particularly unruly ponies who seek to disrupt the ways of this village—it has to be used.
  375.  
  376. >Starlight clasps her forehooves together.
  377. >"Oh, but enough about me! How about you?"
  378. >After taking a sip of your coffee, you answer her.
  379. "I'm going to be helping out with construction over by the village perimeter."
  380. >"Is that so? Perhaps I'll come and observe once I'm finished with my speech."
  381. >You hold a hand to your chest in mock shock.
  382. "A personal observation by the illustrious Starlight Glimmer? I'm undeserving of such esteem!"
  383. >She gives you a wry smile.
  384. >"Oh, shush, you."
  385. >After a few more bites into your sandwich, you look over at Starlight and see her taking a sip of coffee.
  386. >Her nose scrunches up at the taste.
  387. "Everything alright there?"
  388. >She coughs.
  389. >"Mmrgh…well, it's quite bitter."
  390. >She peers into the dark brown liquid and frowns.
  391. >"I think I might need some sugar to go with this."
  392. "Sweet tooth acting up again?"
  393. >"Hehe…could you go and get me some from the pantry? The…locked one, that is."
  394. "You got it."
  395. >She smiles as her horn glows; you hear a click from behind you.
  396. >"Thanks. I've unlocked it for you."
  397. >Starlight digs into her sandwich as you head over to the pantry.
  398. >The cupboard you open is a different one to where you usually store the common ingredients.
  399. >It's where you store the…covert ingredients.
  400. >Such as sugar.
  401. >It's not that sugar is non-existent in this town.
  402. >But it *is* a precious commodity—one heavily regulated and portioned out equally to the village residents.
  403. >It just so happens that Starlight prefers a "more equal" portion than the rest.
  404. >There are also six glass jars stashed in this cupboard.
  405. >But these jars don't contain jam or honey—they contain cutie marks.
  406. >And not just any cutie marks—these ones once belonged to six interlopers who had tried to upend Starlight's rule a while back.
  407. >They came dangerously close to discovering the truth, but luckily—you remembered the importance of keeping your curtains closed.
  408. >Why would she keep the cutie marks in the pantry, though?
  409. >A stray thought enters your mind of her using one of the cutie marks as a spread on some toast.
  410. >…Nah, she wouldn't.
  411. >Probably.
  412. >…Actually, looking over the jars once more—you notice that one of them is empty.
  413. >It's the one that…
  414. >Uh…
  415. >It's the one that *isn't* a butterfly, apple, lightning bolt, balloon, or diamond.
  416. >Well, that's a question you can pester Starlight with, at any rate.
  417. >With a ceramic jar containing sugar in one hand, and a tablespoon in the other—you bring them both over to Starlight and set them down on the table.
  418. "I've brought you some sugar."
  419. >She eyes you up and down with a smile.
  420. >"I can see that~"
  421. >This mare…
  422.  
  423. >She gleefully floats the teaspoon into the jar and takes a generous spoonful of sugar into her coffee.
  424. >And then another.
  425. >…And then another.
  426. >And then she takes a sip of her sugary beverage.
  427. >She happily hums at the taste.
  428. >"Oh, this is much better~. Thank you, Anon."
  429. "Sure thing."
  430. >You seat yourself at the table once more.
  431. "By the way…"
  432. >You clear your throat.
  433. "One of the cutie marks in the jars is missing. You know anything about that?"
  434. >She worriedly blinks a few times, but her face quickly relaxes.
  435. >"Oh! That! Yes, thank you for reminding me."
  436. >You see a smile form on her face, and her horn begins to glow.
  437. >"Close your eyes and hold out your hand, I have a surprise for you."
  438. >You do as she asks.
  439. >Soon, you feel the presence of a cold, metal oval upon your palm.
  440. >"You can open them now."
  441. >You open your eyes to see a small case in the centre of your palm.
  442. "A locket?"
  443. >"Mm-hmm. Grasp it tightly within your palm."
  444. >You firmly grasp it.
  445. "And then what?"
  446. >"Well…"
  447. >She looks around, her eyes settling on the tablespoon.
  448. >"Focus on that spoon."
  449. >You become one with the spoon.
  450. >Or at least your eyeballs do.
  451. "Focusing."
  452. >"Now, think of it…rising—rising up from the table."
  453. >Like levitation?
  454. >You can do that—or try, at least.
  455. >You project pure brainpower at the stationary cutlery, expecting nothing but a fun thought experiment.
  456. >And yet…
  457. >It wobbles in place.
  458. "Huh?"
  459. >"Keep going; don't lose focus."
  460. >You project even *more* pure brainpower.
  461. >Just as you start to feel a migraine coming on, you see the spoon slowly rise into the air of its own volition—wait, no, *your* volition.
  462. "W-wow."
  463. >And just like that, it drops back down onto the table.
  464. >You look at Starlight, who has a wide grin on her face.
  465. "That was magic, wasn't it?"
  466. >"Yes!" she cheers. "Oh, this is wonderful! This—"
  467. >She stops herself and clears her throat.
  468. >"W-well done, I mean," she says as she lowers her volume.
  469. >You give her a grin of your own as you unclench your hand.
  470. "Something to do with this locket, I'm guessing?"
  471. >"That's right, and now that we know it works, we can have it fitted onto a necklace, or…"
  472. >She pauses, her grin curling into a smirk.
  473. >"Perhaps we could introduce it as Mage Meadowbrook's tenth enchanted item?"
  474. "A bit too on the nose, I think."
  475. >She giggles.
  476. >"You might be right."
  477. "How does it work, then?"
  478. >"Ah, let me just…"
  479. >With a magical click, Starlight opens up the locket.
  480. >Within it, you see a cutie mark held within a glass pane—it's a familiar pink star.
  481. >The very same one that used to be in the now-empty jar.
  482. "Oh, so that's where it went."
  483. >"Yes, this has been a little…side project of mine."
  484. "Crafting your own magical artefacts, eh?"
  485. >She proudly nods.
  486. >"All thanks to a small carving of that markstone."
  487. "These cutie marks really are something else if someone like me can conjure up a little hocus pocus with this."
  488. >"Well, this isn't just *any* cutie mark. It's the mark of a princess."
  489.  
  490. "Princess? Oh, you mean the one who had…uh, both the wings and the horn?"
  491. >"Indeed, and the design of the mark itself might ring familiar to you."
  492. >You ponder the six-pointed shape once more.
  493. "The star, eh?"
  494. >"Mm-hmm."
  495. "Hm…it reminds me of…"
  496. >You give Starlight a wink, remembering her cutie mark.
  497. "A certain magical prodigy."
  498. >She giggles.
  499. >"Yes. The star is the spark—the very essence of magic itself. The princess who earned this cutie mark was an extremely powerful magic user."
  500. >She takes another sip of coffee before continuing.
  501. >"The magic that flows within that cutie mark is immense—immense enough that even an extradimensional being from a magicless realm could make use of it."
  502. "Sounds like quite the powerful artefact you have here. Are you sure it's alright for me to have this?"
  503. >"Of course. There's nopony else I'd rather trust with it."
  504. >She magically closes the locket, thus concealing the source of its power from prying eyes.
  505. >"Also…"
  506. >Her smile of confidence falters, replaced by one of shy, innocent glee.
  507. >"I think it would be a lot of fun if we studied magic together, don't you think?"
  508. >It's a sweet innocence that touches your extradimensional, magicless heart.
  509. "Yeah." You smile back.
  510. >You set the locket down on the table and take a sip of your own coffee.
  511. "But just so you know—I don't know the first thing about magic."
  512. >"That's fine. I'll be teaching you."
  513. "Planning to add the role of 'teacher' to your expansive resume?"
  514. >She titters.
  515. >"Yes… In fact, I was hoping we could spend this afternoon practising."
  516. "Really?"
  517. >As exciting as the prospect of learning magic is, there's one aspect that worries you.
  518. "You got any, uh, secluded places in mind? Can't imagine this is something you want ponies knowing about."
  519. >"Well, as it so happens, there's a 'useless secret passage' that has *oodles* of privacy."
  520. >You chuckle.
  521. "Alright, you got me."
  522. >"And we could even share some of those 'sugary treats' during the downtime~" She smirks at you.
  523. "Hm, I *do* like the sound of that."
  524. >You're pretty sure she'll take any excuse she can to satisfy her sugar cravings.
  525. >Her sugar cravings…
  526. >Another growing concern enters your mind.
  527. "Starlight, are you sure you'll be alright teaching me? With…you know?"
  528. >She quickly picks up on your inference as she tenderly caresses the bump on her belly.
  529. >"For now, yes. But that's all the more reason for us to get that practise in now."
  530. >Her face darkens.
  531. >"I'm sure there are those out there who think it'll be the perfect time to strike in a few months time."
  532. >She leans forward, resting her hooves on the table, as her expression contorts into a sinister smirk.
  533. >"Imagine the look on their faces when they see you protecting me with that newfound power of yours."
  534. >She lets out a malicious cackle as she prophesies her victory.
  535. >It's the kind of laughter you'd hear from a supervillain as they plan out their grand scheme for world domination.
  536. >It's also kind of sexy, so you don't complain.
  537.  
  538. >"And once our foal's born, we'll be unstoppable."
  539. >You nod with an affirmative hum.
  540. "At least until we try for a second one."
  541. >And just like that, all of the darkness drains from her face as she lets out an amused snort.
  542. >"Yes, I suppose there is that~"
  543. >After a little more pleasant small talk, the two of you finally finish your breakfast.
  544. >"Ah, that was nice."
  545. "Time to get the day started in earnest, eh?"
  546. >"Mm, I'll see you by the front door."
  547. >As she hops off the chair and begins to make her way towards the kitchen door, an idea springs to mind.
  548. "Oh, one moment. Let me just…"
  549. >"Hm?"
  550. >You grab the locket on the table and focus your thoughts on the door…
  551. >…and it opens through sheer force of will—also known as your mind operating through a magically overpowered artefact.
  552. >Starlight stares at the door, wide-eyed.
  553. >"Oh…"
  554. >She looks over her withers at you with a satisfied smile on her lips.
  555. >"Well done."
  556. "Thought I'd get some practise in early. Not bad, right?"
  557. >"Mm-hmm. You're a quick learner."
  558. >She walks over to the doorway—suddenly, she stops in her tracks.
  559. >"But…"
  560. >Her eyes and ears flick downwards.
  561. >"Try not to learn too quickly, will you?"
  562. "What do you mean?"
  563. >She doesn't answer.
  564. >As you try to parse what has her so downcast, a pertinent memory surfaces—and it becomes all too clear.
  565. >Starlight had once confided in you on what was the catalyst for her journey.
  566. >Of back when she was a filly, and how her childhood friend earned his cutie mark before she did and left her behind.
  567. >She never saw him again, and the betrayal shook her to her very core; it caused her to shut herself off from other ponies—terrified that they, too, would eventually abandon her because of their cutie marks.
  568. >She started to resent the very nature of cutie marks, believing their pull on destiny to be too powerful.
  569. >These bitter, broiling emotions were what eventually caused her to found Our Town—a perfect village where cutie marks would have no say in influence in the matter of friendship and harmony.
  570. >Yet, for all of her good intentions, her own deception brought nothing but continued loneliness for herself.
  571. >She hid the nature of her own cutie mark from everyone else, which prevented her from truly opening up to anyone—even within her utopian society.
  572. >Perhaps your own lack of a cutie mark was part of what convinced her to take a chance on you.
  573. >And you can only imagine how much trust she's placing in you now by gifting you with this cutie mark.
  574. >If she has any lingering anxiety that a cutie mark will cause you to abandon her just like the rest, then you'll make sure to allay her fears.
  575.  
  576. "Don't worry, I'll pace myself. And hey, Starlight…"
  577. >You gently set the locket down on the table before you continue.
  578. "There's nowhere I'd rather be than with you."
  579. >She turns her head to lock eyes with you.
  580. >No more words need to be exchanged; the soft smile on her face tells you exactly how she feels.
  581. >She leaves the kitchen, her tail lightly bobbing.
  582. >Before you follow her, you clear the table, setting the used utensils in the sink for later.
  583. >As for the locket—you tuck it into a hidden corner within one of the cupboards.
  584. >Upon entering the living room, you see Starlight standing by the front door; she gazes at you expectantly.
  585. >You already know what she wants without needing to ask—this is the last ritual of the morning.
  586. >You walk up to her and crouch down, leaning towards her.
  587. >Then, you two share a passionate kiss.
  588. >It's a kiss to remember the past.
  589. >A kiss to persevere in the present.
  590. >And a kiss to safeguard your future.
  591. >Starlight's dream of a utopian society free from cutie marks is one that ultimately finds its roots in compassion and empathy towards those downtrodden by destiny.
  592. >Yet you can't deny that the path she paves as she strides towards her goals is far from a righteous one.
  593. >There's no doubt that the actions she'll take to achieve this dream will paint her as an enemy of the world in the eyes of many.
  594. >But if that's the case—what of you? The one who supports her at every turn?
  595. >After all you've seen and done for her—and likely will do in the future—you're certain that you've long passed the point where you could be given the benefit of the doubt.
  596. >You've willingly followed her down this path of deception.
  597. >Perhaps you're just as bad as each other.
  598. >And yet you wouldn't trade these moments for anything.
  599. >You pull back from your kiss, a glistening trail of devotion being the only thing that connects your lips with hers.
  600. >"Don't forget—this afternoon."
  601. "Of course."
  602. >She smiles.
  603. >"Until then."
  604. "Until then."
  605. >You open the door, and the both of you step out into the sun-basked village.
  606. >Into your shared utopia.

Beware the Strawberry Mare

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