"Oh the train ride was dreadful!" The pony known as Starlight responded whinnying. 'It was over an hour late and then they had the nerve to delay us longer! And I left six hours early!"
Charlie quirked his eye brow. "You overslept again didn't you?"
"... Yeah, I did." she sighed looking away ashamed. The class laughed but she smiled and continued on. "But that didn't stop me from coming to help educate the young minds of Ponyville!"
"Starlight." Charlie said with a warning tone, giving her a cross look.
"Don't worry Charlie! I'm not here to spread my 'Equality Equestria", thing." she turned and growled. "Princess Twilight Sparkle has me on a short leash as it is."
The brown Pokemon rolled his eyes at his fried. Next to her Trixie came and greeted her purple friend with a big hug.
"Oh, Trixie it's so good to see you again!" Starlight greeted happily.
"Good to see you too Starlight. So finally out of prison I see?"
"Psh. Watch it Trixie or I'll equalize you." Starlight said sinister.
Trixie stared at the mare with a deadpan look before they both fell into a fit of giggles. Most of the children just laughed and Cheerilee giggled at the two grown mares acting like children. Suddenly Starlight clapped her hooves getting everyones attention.
"Now class let's settle down." she instructed walking over to the board.
Everyone settled down and listened to the new instructor making Cheerilee beam with pride.
"Ahem. Good afternoon class, I am Starlight Glimmer. Former mayor of Our Town and Leader of the Equalist Movement of Equestria." she stated loud and proudly pacing in front of the first row of desks. "Now, I would like to start by asking you class what is it that makes us special?"
She turned to look at the class all giving her confused looks.
"Come on class the only bad idea is the one that isn't shared." she smiled at them reassuringly.
Trixie huffed leaning into Cheerilee's desk. "Not if it comes from those two." she rude gestured to Snips and Snails.
The mulberry pony giggled to herself and nodded knowingly at her.
"I understand your frustrations Trixie, but be nice to my students please." she asked nicely to her unicorn friend.
The showmare huffed standing back and Charlie walked up to her and nuzzled her. She blushed nudging him back affectionately but still not taking her eyes off Starlight Glimmer.
The purple unicorn walked up to Ember, the pony Pokemon who was still sitting beside her filly friend Silver Spoon. The flame pony looked down but felt her chin being raised gently by a hoof. She met Starlight's gaze and was entranced by her beauty. She's so pretty. Ember thought but the she felt a dark presence from beside her. Daring to look she saw Silver Spoon glaring at her. Her pencil in hoof snapped as she gritted her teeth at Ember.
While Ember twitched nervously at her desk from the intense glare Starlight took the initative to begin her conversation.
"Now class what makes us special? Well, since no one answered I guess it's up to me to educate your young minds, starting with this." she reached into her saddle bag and magically pulled out her signature stick/staff in her aura. She then looked over to Trixie who looked very nervous. "Trixie can I ask for your help in a small demonstration?"
As soon as the question left her mouth an angry voice growled from the doorway.
"Starlight."
Everyone turned to see Princess Twilight Sparkle at the doorway glaring at her purple counterpart. Starlight rolled her eyes placing the stick down and leaning on it while listening to the Princess.
"I thought you changed?" Twilight asked disappointed.
That comment hurt Starlight. She understood not being trusted and she'd have to earn Twilight's trust but it had to start somewhere. Pushing off her staff/stick she walked over to the purple princess with a stern look.
"I promised I wouldn't do that anymore without permission and only this once for educational value. If you want YOU can perform the spell no me." she said giving the purple unicorn a seductive look wiggling her flank in her face. Twilight blushed looking away angrily but cracked a smile none the less.
She then walked in with her nose up and sat among the ponies and Pokemon flanked by her royal guards. Several of the Pokemon were in awe of her while the ponies were more or less use to it, most of the Pokemon were transfers. Twilight shook her hoof daintily gesturing for Starlight to continue.
"Trixie," Twilight stated. "For past crimes against Ponyville I hereby sentence you to suffer through this lesson without your cutie mark. Star, proceed."
"Thank you Princess." Starlight grinned walking up to Trixie who was backing away nervously.
"WHAT?! WHY'S TRIXIE GETTING PUNISHED?!"
"She's getting it back after. Got it Starlight?" Twilight asked ignoring Trixie's protests.
"Ugh, yes mom." she groaned.
All the young ones laughed at the grown mare talking to a Princesses like she was a child. Even Cheeirlee found herself stifling a chuckle at the two ponies. She then felt kind of bad for Trixie. She had tried so hard to fit in and only to have this brought on her, but she knew there was no animosity between the three mares.
Trixie sighed sitting down and awaited her, punishment.
"I'm so getting you back for this Sparkle butt." she growled at the Princess, who waved innocently at her.
"Aw, come on Trixie be nice." Charlie said nuzzling her.
The blue mare stuck her nose up from him but pulled him closer with her magic and wrapped her arm around him blushing. The class d'awwed at them making Charlie cover his eyes as his sisters snickered at him. With the exception of Tiffany who gave a look of disgust. Sally of course nudge her larger sister in the side with her elbow.
Starlight's horn lit and was channeled through the staff she held in hoof. She stood on her hind legs and pointed it at Trixie's flank making her cutie mark glow in unnatural blue light. Seconds later the cutie mark pried off Trixie's body. Once it separated a bright flash of white light followed blinding everyone in the room. Once the light cleared Trixie lay on Charlies shoulder exhausted while her cutie mark floated, suspended by Starlight's magic.
Everyone gasped at the sight.
Cheeirlee fell back in her chair nearly fainting from the sight of having her friends cutie mark ripped from her. Willing or not it seemed so unnatural. Even the Pokemon children understood the significance of this, but Twilight smiled. To Starlight this wasn't about power or equality it was about trust.
Trust in a friend is fundamental for growth, and both Trixie and Starlight excelled at it. It made the Princess smiled proudly at how much they had both grown as ponies in the last few years. Especially Trixie. After she met Charlie her life had turned for the better, but that was a tale for another day.
Starlight placed the cutie mark in a small glass jar and placed it on the teachers desk gently as if ti would shatter from the slightest touch. She then turned to her friend who was glaring at her and the Princess.
"How are you feeling Trixie?" she asked her fellow unicorn.
But all she got was a dirty look that made her cringe. Charlie frowned at her nudging her. She rolled her eyes and looked back to Starlight.
"Trixie feels like trash."
"I'm sorry Trixie." Starlight responded hugging her.
"Sure you are."
"Trixie." Charlie scolded her.
"Fine. Trixie's sorry she knows you don't mean to steal her mark or anything. It just sucks having it removed."
"I know Trixie. It sucks but next time you can do it to me." she offered.
Trixie thought about it, the words echoing in her head. She thought about the day she'd rip her friends cutie mark off to get back at her for the times she took it off her. Trixie grinned at her internal fantasy while Starlight continued her lecture while Charlie led Trixie to sit beside Twilight.
"Now class. You all know about cutie marks right?"
Everyone nodded.
"Good. Now you all know about Pokemon evolution right?"
Again everyone nodded.
"OK, so keeping that in mind I have a very unique question for you. What is a pony without their cutie mark?"
This time nopony answered, but Twilight and Trixie knew. They had experienced first hand what it was like. It left them drained and feeling utterly powerless. It left them at he mercy of anything that came by like a leaf to the winds. It couldn't command them, so the leaf would fly around at the whims of the wind.
Starlight also understood this but that wasn't the answer she sought, even though many had said so in the past.
She stood before the class watching as they looked among themselves for the answer but found a small hoof up in the air. It was attached to Sweetie Belle who looked nervously at the instructor.
"Yes, young filly?" Starlight pointed to the white filly. "No need to be shy, tell me your name."
"I'm Sweetie Belle." she said standing up at her desk.
"Nice to meet you Sweetie Belle. Now what do you think a pony is without their cutie mark?"
Thinking for moment Sweetie glanced over to Silver Spoon and Ember who were huddled together then back to Starlight.
"It doesn't change who were are." she said.
Starlight grinned while the rest of the class gawked at her like she was insane, especially her CMC friends. The answer surprised Twilight and Trixie but was not surprising to Charlie who nodded to her approvingly. Moments later, Starlight worked her way to Sweetie Belles desk and stood beside her patting her mane gently.
"That's very good Sweetie. And your right it doesn't change who we are. Sure it can change how we view life, but that is for an individual to decide on their own." she sat on the ground beside her. "A cutie mark is nothing more than just that. A mark in the end. Yes, a pony without a mark is an odd thing in our society but what does it really matter in the end? It doesn't change who we are."
She then turned to Twilight and Trixie who were listening intently.
"A few years ago Twilight and her friends found a small town I ran that had identical cutie marks on everypony there." Starlight sighed. "Back then I use to be like so many others. I saw the world differently. Cutie mark or not it doesn't change who we are. Ponies are all equal on that front."
The little ponies and pokemon from Ponyville Elementary scattered about the school yard frolicking together as a group of adults watched closely from the sidelines.
Trixie stood by Charlie still pouting about Starlight taking her cutie mark. The process was more aggravating than painful, yet Trixie still felt upset even though she did originally agree to it. She did feel better after getting her mark back, but still held onto her angry face to guilt trip Starlight.
"Oh, come on Trixie!" Starlight whined. "I said, 'I was sorry'."
Charlie nuzzled the blue unicorn making her blush. "Yeah, Trixie, come on. We always forgive our friends."
"Trixie will end both of you." she pouted sticking her nose up.
Twilight and Starlight laughed at the mare, while she nuzzled up to Charlie. The brown Pokemon had a silly grin on his muzzle which quickly turned to a frown when his sisters began snickering behind him. Swift was actually on the floor laughing so hard she gasped in pain holding her sides while Lea was simply laughing. Sally simply sat nearby shaking her head at her sisters behavior.
Ponies and Pokemon alike stared at the female jolteon and leafeon as they cackled like hyenas in the middle of the road. Eventually everyone settled down and Charlie made his way to his sister Sally. He approached her, while the other two sisters came up to her sides.
"Hey." he said casually.
"Hey." they replied back.
He rubbed his neck shying away fro their gaze. "Soooo, did you girls like the demonstration?"
Each looked wearily at Starlight who was chatting happily with Twilight, who giggled at something she said. IN the end Sally spoke for the group. She stepped forward, placing her arm around her brothers neck and pulled him close to whisper in his ear, "We don't like her."
"Who, you mean, Star?" they nodded confirming this. "You don't like Starlight?"
"She's a criminal, brother." Sally stated to him. "She stole cutie marks and enslaved others under her rule."
"She's changed for the better." Charlie stomped the ground. "She's made amends for what she's done."
"She tried to destroy Twilight and her friends." Lea stated not taking her eyes off the mare in question.
For a moment they all watched as she walked away with Twilight at her side. The two were pressed against each other with a book between them, reading it as they went.
Charlie felt bad for Starlight. Ever since her defeat years ago she has struggled to become accepted in society even after a royal pardon. That whole fiasco was started with many nobles from Canterlot seeking blood from a witch hunt. It was tough, but in the end Starlight was let off, under the condition she'd be under Princess Twilight's constant watch. The two haven't been apart since.
Charlie thought long about this sisters first reaction to the mare. It wasn't pretty. Granted, Starlight was trying to escape custody and had it not been for that fateful encounter he and Trixie might have never met. He watched as Starlight wrapped her tail around Twilight's giving it a tug. A moment passed and nothing happened. Just as they rounded the corner he was sure he saw Twilight tug back.
He then turned to his sisters who seemed to be waiting to pass his verdict on the pink unicorn. But his mind was made up.
"I think Starlight has paid her dues, and there is no need to pester her any further." he said to his sisters. "Now, she's my friend and I expect you all to at least tolerate her and not provoke her, OK?"
Still looking unsure, the sisters looked at each other. As if a silent agreement passed through them, they nodded, and facing their brother said, "If you trust her that much, then we will support you little brother." Sally said kindly, nuzzling him.
He smiled and nuzzled his sister back, rubbing his face against her cheek making her blush while the juvenile sisters snickered behind them. Sally scoffed annoyed by them and stuck her nose up. Charlie then found himself in Trixie's death grip hug around his neck. He struggled against her but eventually relented to her, and snuggled her. The sisters d'awwed at them, making the brown Pokemon feel very self conscious as Trixie said, "I'm glad Starlight tried to get revenge on Twilight."
That comment caught everyone by surprise. They all went slack jawed and stared at her while she snuggled with her mate. Even he seemed taken back by her comment.
"Umm, Trixie?"
"What's wrong Charlie?"
"Why would you say such a thing? Aren't you and Twilight friends?" he asked her.
"Of course not stupid!" she yelled pushing him away to look him in his eyes. There for that moment, he could see she was truly upset by what he had said. He knew better, but still he couldn't fight the urge to ask anyway. "YOU know Trixie values Twilight as a friend!"
"A friend you wanted to exploit." he retorted.
This infuriated her more. "Trixie changed! She didn't use Twilight in the end!"
"But you did try."
For several moment Trixie huffed, trying to make words but found herself to frustrated by his accusations to form coherent sentences. Taking a moment to compose herself, Trixie allowed herself to relax and thought about what to say next. Finding the answer in herself she replied, "I would never wish harm or misfortune on Twilight anymore. And Trixie is not sorry for what she said." Seeing Charlie frown she quickly added, "She is sorry it happened, but was happy it did happen none the less. For had Starlight never sought revenge I would never have met you."
Charlie seemed to respond well to this. For he smiled nodding to her, scooting over to sit beside her and rubbed his cheek against the blue unicorns making her blush. She tried to push him away but he persisted. She finally gave in and wrapped her cape around him, covering them both up.
They sat together for a good minute then went over to one of the school's benches and sat together on it overlooking the playground. Charlie's sisters saw them having this moment and decided to leave them be. Sally gave a last glance before turning to walk away, catching Trixie's attention for a moment. She winked at her, making Trixie wink back.
For the next several hours they sat together watching as the sun set. Ponies paid little attention to the loving couple in the school yard. Charlie never felt so content to sit somewhere and watch as time passed by. He loved Trixie and had great friends like Twilight and Starlight, and truthfully what more could he have asked for?