//------------------------------// // 1 - Eight O'Clock in the Evening // Story: Kickin' Flanks // by Xtralife //------------------------------// As if rising from a hypnotist’s trance, Rainbow Dash opened her eyes and woke from her slumber. From her little fluffy cloud patch miles above Ponyville, she could see the moon shining full and bright, and the stars sprinkled liberally in all corners of the heavens. Yawning audibly, she stretched her legs and smiled in content, then slowly rose to her hooves and continued to stargaze. As she stared at the sky, she felt like she had forgotten something. Suddenly, she realized what that was, and her jaw dropped as she swung her head over the edge of her cloud. A humongous gray raincloud spread from one end of town to the other, and off in the distance smaller ones were threatening to attach themselves to it. “I overslept!” she cried out in horror and shock. After kicking the little cloud she stood on out of existence, she dropped downwards in a free-fall towards the gargantuan cloud. “Why did it have to be my turn for weather control tonight?” She spread her wings and dove through the cloud, tearing out a hole in it. The pegasus began speeding in and out of the cloud, kicking portions of the fluffy substance as she went. “This—is—pony—feathers!” she shouted with each blow. Within minutes, all that was left was a small amount of pure, white clouds, and not a single sign of rain anywhere. She exhaled in relief and coasted back up to her own cloud from before, and looked across the sky with satisfaction. Again thanks to her, the town was safe from an unwelcome rainstorm. She lay back down and turned her head towards the ground, examining Ponyville as she languished. There was Sugarcube Corner, the locally famous bakery, temporarily free of the usual line of customers looping around the block. Carousel Boutique was equally as quiet, lights out and tranquil. Rainbow felt her eyes began to droop. A loud bang sounded in the stillness and Twilight kicked the door of the library open, carrying over-loaded saddlebags and a box on her back. As she ran, a massive pink shield flickered into sight, and then back out as she passed the border. However, Rainbow noticed nothing except her friend. Her eyes widened with joy for a moment, but then squinted in anger, and she soared down to greet her, skidding into the ground below directly in front of the unicorn. “Twilight Sparkle!” she exclaimed, positioned well within her personal space. “Where in Equestria have you been? I’ve been trying to get a hold of you for weeks! None of us went to the Gala because we didn’t want you feeling left out—“ Twilight raised a hoof and lowered a pair of sunglasses slightly, and peered over the edge at the cyan pegasus. “Rainbow Dash, I am only going to say this once,” said the unicorn, firmly, with clear hostility. “Stay out of my way.” Dash immediately lowered her head and spread her legs apart into an aggressive stance. “Are you kidding? We’ve all been worried sick about you! Put up or shut up, you—” Abruptly in the distance, a voice screamed in terror, and a series of loud bangs were heard. Rainbow’s ears perked up, and she whirled around in anticipation of danger. Twilight gasped loudly and took a couple of steps backwards. At the far end of town, a pillar of smoke rose from behind the line of buildings. “It’s started!” yelled the unicorn. “They’ve found me!” “What’s started, Twilight? What do you mean?” Rainbow looked closely at her. “You’re makin’ it sound like you’re—“ Twilight tightened the straps on her saddlebags. “I am, Dash! You can ask questions later, but right now we need to get out of here!” Rainbow nodded, putting her queries to the side. “Wait right here, I’m going to check things out!” The pegasus flapped her wings and kicked off the ground, soaring towards the sky for a better view. Twilight gritted her teeth but said nothing, opting instead to run inside and head for the balcony. She dropped the saddlebags down next to her telescope and peered through, out towards the source of the smoke. It had now blocked out the moonlight, and in the haze she could see figures at the far edge of Ponyville marching abreast through the surrounding fields. Meanwhile in the air, Dash was speeding up towards the darkening cloud. She took a deep breath as she approached, and felt herself hit a solid surface well before the smoke. Groaning, Rainbow nursed a fresh bruise on her head and looked at what she ran into, but there was nothing there. She reached out with a hoof, and scraped it against an invisible wall, temporarily bewildered. Dash briefly considered hitting it again, but figured her skull would give in first. Instead, she stopped flapping her wings, and dropped back down again. “Twi? Where are you?” She swung her head around a few times looking for her, but couldn’t see the unicorn. Suddenly, the purple pony ducked out of the front door and locked it behind her, sans saddlebags or box. Her sunglasses, however, were still on. “Sorry I ran off, I had to see things for myself. I think there are Canterlot Guards out there, but—” “Wait, wouldn’t they be able to help us?” asked Rainbow. “They could fix—“ “Rainbow, I hate to tell you this, but I’m pretty certain this is their idea of fixing things. Were you able to see anything up there?” Dash shook her head. “No, I flew into something invisible up there. Can we get past it?” “No time. We just need to gather everypony and hide, or run.” Twilight pointed with her hoof, across the grassy open patch that her library stood in the middle of and towards the rest of Ponyville. “We can go down that alley and reach Pinkie Pie in minutes, and I know a way from there to Rarity’s. But then we’ll have to backtrack to Futtershy’s cottage…” “Not a problem, sister! Fluttershy is sleeping over at Carousel Boutique right now!” Twilight briefly went silent, losing herself in thought. Dash looked around at the scene, watching other pegasi attempt to flee the same way she did. She turned back to her friend and was about to ask again what was going on, but the unicorn snapped her head back up with a renewed fire in her eyes. “We’ll just have to try it.” Dash nodded, and set off at a brisk gallop, Twilight close behind. The library shrunk behind them slowly as they ran down the alleyway, splashing through muddy puddles. As they exited from the other side, the pair turned to the right in unison. Citizens were exiting their homes and apartments, staring at the sky with confusion or apprehension. Some of them were conversing in hushed tones, spreading rumors made on the spot. Dash slowed down and turned her head back, but Twilight stopped her. “If we concern ourselves with them, it will just make things worse. It’s bad enough I’m involving you girls, but we don’t need anypony else. Trust me Rainbow, it’s better this way.” Rainbow snorted with disapproval, but pushed onward. The confectionary loomed ahead, and the proprietors, Mr. & Mrs. Cake, were nearby in the square amongst a small throng of neighbors. They were carrying their two young babies on their backs, which were miraculously still asleep during the entire hubbub. The unicorn and pegasus skidded to a halt, and peered around the corner of an apartment at the group. “Do you see Pinkie with them?” asked Twilight, slightly winded. Dash said nothing, but instead flapped her wings a couple of times to reach the top of the apartment. The unicorn ducked further into the shadows and hid behind a trashbin, while the cyan pony trotted towards the chimney and flattened against it. “Where are you, Pinkie?” hissed Rainbow Dash. She closely examined the crowd, scanning across the tops of everypony’s heads for Pinkie’s trademark poofy pink mane. “You’ve got to be here somewhere!” However, the harder she looked, the more she had to admit that she couldn’t see her. “There’s no way she would be inside right now,” thought Rainbow aloud. “She’s not the sort of pony to hide under her bed, so she must be here. But I can’t find—“ Rainbow’s eyes widened. “What if she is scared?” The pony briefly looked again and saw a perfectly straight, darker pink mane next to Mrs. Cake, who moved aside for a moment and gave Rainbow an unobstructed view of a dismal Pinkie Pie. Dash exhaled in relief, then bounced lightly into the air and floated back. Suddenly she froze in mid-air and her eyes grew as she looked off in the distance. Twilight raised an eyebrow. “Rainbow?” The unicorn stood up from her hiding spot. “What is it?” “They—they’re fixing things, Twilight.” At the other end of the street, a platoon of Canterlot Guards were marching down in their direction, and pairs of ponies split off from them to move down alleyways instead or wait by a door. Non-armored civilian ponies were closer to the back of this marching force, with another line of guards making up the rear. Suddenly, all at once, the guards by the doors bucked their way in and entered forcibly to the sounds of screams and yelling. The crowd around Pinkie Pie cried in shock, with some ponies dispersing immediately and others huddling together for protection. Pinkie herself was frozen in place with fear. Twilight turned the corner and galloped towards her friend. “Pinkie!” she screamed. The earth pony didn’t seem to notice at first, but when she skidded to a halt in front of her with Rainbow Dash hot on her hooves, Pinkie’s mane inflated back to life with a sound not unlike a high-pitched kazoo. “Twilight? OhmygoshohmygoshOHMYGOSH I haven’t seen you in forever!” she squealed, hopping in place with excitement. “You missed at least 8 parties, 5 after-parties, free cake and ice cream at the shop—“ Twilight coughed and stared reproachfully over her sunglasses. “Oh, right. Later?” asked Pinkie. “Uh, girls?” spoke Rainbow Dash, pointing across the square. The platoon of guard ponies were amassing at the far side of the plaza, with metal shields gripped in their mouths. The front line advanced a few steps, and Rainbow gritted her teeth. Pinkie tensed up, her eyes narrowed into slits. “Okay, it’s okay, I’ve got a plan,” said Twilight, with deliberation. “I’m all for plans right now,” responded Dash through her clenched jaw. Twilight nodded slightly. “Follow my lead on the count of three.” The guards treaded forwards again. “Anytime now, Twilight?” asked Pinkie. The pony’s mane began to slightly un-poof itself. Twilight took a deep breath and bit her lower lip. “Three!” screamed the unicorn, and the friends bolted in unison. Without a pause or any direction, the guard ponies charged across the square after them. The shields carried by the soldiers in the lead dragged on the cobblestones, generating sparks as they gave chase. The friends pushed onwards, not daring to look behind. Twilight led the way, with Pinkie close behind and Rainbow hovering inches above them. They passed out of the district, leaving the apartments behind them but not the guards. As they broke through an intersection, a few more guards joined the main group from the side streets, increasing the force pursuing them. Rainbow glanced around at her surroundings, panting slightly. They had entered a higher-class shopping section of Ponyville, and it showed. Colorful banners streamed from every streetlight and the street signs were ornately decorated with vine-like flourishes. She looked back down at her friends. “How you holding up, girls?” Twilight was breathing very heavily. “I’ll… I’ll be okay when we see Rarity is safe!” Pinkie just grinned. “I’m fine, Dash! I haven’t had a good workout in a while!” The pegasus couldn’t help but burst into laughter. Twilight giggled as well, but with some difficulty. As they chuckled louder, they seemed to carry on a little faster, and the space between them and the guards grew somewhat wider. The friends grew silent, but with renewed resolve and vigor. Ahead, Rainbow could just make out the tip of Carousel Boutique. “I see it!” she cried aloud. “But is she—“ Further away in the intersection before Carousel Boutique, the mares could see a veritable wall of crates and barbed wire blocking every street. Soldiers were stationed at intervals along the top, and in the center of the blockade kneeled two mares: a white unicorn with an immaculately curled but clearly un-brushed purple mane, and a yellow pegasus weeping into her baby-pink tail. “No!” screamed Twilight. “Rarity! Fluttershy!” The two mares in the intersection looked up in unison, and tried to yell through their gags. The pegasus felt a scowl creep over her face, and snarled loudly in infuriation. She barely noticed how Twilight’s eyes widened with horror, or the way Pinkie ducked her face out of sight. At their rear, the soldiers chasing them took advantage of their slowed pace and began closing the gap between them. Twilight’s stride grew lengthy, and she fell to the back of the group, sweating bullets as she attempted to keep up. Rainbow suddenly realized in a flash she was further ahead of the pack, and turned back towards the exhausted unicorn. “Get to Rarity and Fluttershy!” she yelled at the pink earth pony. Pinkie nodded in approval, and then rapidly galloped ahead to the bound and gagged pair. Seeing that she had the situation handled, Rainbow turned her attention to Twilight, who had fully collapsed from exhaustion. The line of guards chasing them slowed down to a crawl, as they now had the friends pinned between their blockade and themselves. Twilight wheezed, and attempted to push herself back up on her hooves. “Steady there, Twilight!” encouraged Dash. “We’re gonna be okay, understand?” Pinkie untied the gags from Rarity and Fluttershy, and the mares spat them out immediately. “Better?” she asked. “Oh, much better Pinkie Pie,” said the yellow pegasus. “I couldn’t be happier to see you girls!” exclaimed Rarity. She began running her hoof through her mane, trying to flatten out the errant unkempt hairs. “I just wish it was under better circumstances. These ruffians have no concept of civility.” Fluttershy nodded. “I wanted to be assertive with them, but...” “It’s okay, we understand,” said Pinkie, putting a hoof around Fluttershy. “It wouldn’t have turned out well to stand up to them. It’s been hard enough running away.” She then looked behind at the advancing wall of Canterlot guards, and at Twilight where she was laying. Dash had brought her to her hooves, but she was very unsteady and kept stumbling to the side. “Is she okay, Rainbow?” yelled Pinkie. “Yeah, she’s fine!” Dash shouted back. Then she turned to Twilight. “You get back with the rest of the girls. I’ll try to hold them off.” “Are you crazy?” asked Twilight. “I wanted to get everypony together so I knew you were all safe, not to get involved!” She poked Rainbow with her horn, emphasizing the point. “You need to find a way out now! They’re only after me!” “Honey, not only is your plan null and void by now,“ started Rarity, but Fluttershy cut in. “But we wouldn’t run away without you!” said the timid pegasus. “We just couldn’t live with ourselves if that happened!” “They’re right, sister! These brutes want to do this the hard way? Then they’ve got it!” Rainbow slammed her hoof into the cobblestones, striking up pebbles from between them. “Besides, aren’t we already involved now?” asked Pinkie. “And where would we run to anyway? I mean, I don’t want to get technical here or ruin the moment, but I’m just sayin’.” The five ponies backed into the center of the intersection. The line of guards now had blocked off the way they came from. Twilight bowed her head to her friends. “I’m so lucky to have you girls,” she said faintly, “And I’m happy Applejack is safe, at least.” She raised her eyes again from behind her sunglasses. From off in the distance, a bright light rose into the air and slowly made its way towards them. “What’s that?” stammered Fluttershy. The others murmured in agreement. As the object floated closer to their street, the guards observed but did not seem to be apprehensive or confused. In fact, they seemed somewhat relieved. The girls collectively raised their eyebrows or murmured louder, and backed closer together. “You are surrounded, Twilight Sparkle,” boomed out a voice. “Come quietly, and you will not be harmed.” The globe of light touched the ground, and dissipated. Twilight gaped in shock as Princess Celestia stepped forward, but unlike her companions did not bow in reverence. “Wait, what’s going on, Princess?” asked Rainbow Dash as she got up. “Is Twilight Sparkle in trouble?” She shook her multi-colored mane out of her face, and looked behind her at her friends. “I’m afraid so, loyal Rainbow Dash,” Celestia said, a tone of superiority and pompousness in her voice. “Twilight Sparkle here has been working for the past few months to overthrow me as ruler. Isn’t that right?” She turned towards the unicorn, now with a somber and disappointed expression on her face. “Is this true, Twilight?” asked Rarity. “I’m confused, Princess,” said Pinkie. “Isn’t she your student? Why would she do that?” Fluttershy nodded. “I just can’t imagine her doing anything like that. Twilight Sparkle did not answer. Princess Celestia closed her eyes. “Cuff her.” Dash leaped in front of Twilight Sparkle, and pointed a hoof at Celestia. “I don’t know what’s going on, but Twilight is my friend, and I know she wouldn’t try to hurt you! And… and…” Rainbow sputtered for a moment, but then steeled herself. “And you’re gonna have to go through me!” She barely heard her friend’s cries of disapproval, but noticed a hoof being placed on her shoulder. Twilight had taken off the glasses, and was now standing next to Dash. Rainbow opened her mouth, about to say something else in her friend’s defense, but something seemed different about Twilight now. Only moments before, she was defiant and belligerent. Now she seemed defeated and resigned instead, and Rainbow couldn’t say anything at all. Twilight brushed past her in the calm, and purposefully crushed the sunglasses under her hoof as she strode forwards to Celestia. The Princess looked over at Rainbow Dash, who was still trying to come to grips with what just happened. “Rainbow, I could arrest you indefinitely for your insolence. Were you aware of this?” Rainbow’s mouth dropped open. “Indeed, it would be very easy for me to put you and everypony else into custody. You are all known to be affiliated with Twilight, and could be potentially in league with her. I could also take Applejack in for questioning, even though she is not in Ponyville and therefore has even less of a connection. Again, were you aware of this?” “You wouldn’t!” shrilled Pinkie Pie. “We know you wouldn’t do that!” Celestia smiled softly. “This is equally true. So would you like to know why I won’t?” The mares mumbled a little amongst themselves, wondering aloud whether the question was rhetorical or if their princess really wanted their opinion. “Yes, Princess Celestia. We would like to know.” Rarity strode forwards. “I… I also would like to know, Princess,” said Fluttershy, and moved up as well. The five friends were now standing in a line before Celestia, side by side. Celestia’s face took on a frown. “Because to seize the rest of my most faithful students would break my heart,” she said. “And to ruin your friendship this way is already straining me.” There was a long silence. The mares gazed over Celestia, except for Twilight. She was looking down at the cobblestones with disgust, as if she couldn’t look at the Princess without being sick.” “And so,” said Celestia, “I think I’ll let Twilight go this time.” Rainbow leaped into the air with excitement. Pinkie Pie gave Twilight a hearty embrace, not noticing that she was clearly in no mood to be touched. Rarity squealed aloud, drowning out Fluttershy’s attempt to do the same. But after a few seconds of this, Celestia raised a hoof, ordering silence. “All she has to do is bow to me.” The four ponies looked towards Twilight, mouths open in anticipation. “You’re no princess of mine.” Time slowed to a crawl. The ruler of Equestria fluidly strode back into the throng of her soldiers as they closed in on the unicorn. Rainbow watched, torn between honoring Twilight’s silent request to not defend her and wanting to defy her own god and monarch as they cuffed her friend. A pony in a trench coat and a fedora began unwinding a roll of crime scene tape as the guards dragged Twilight, who refrained from any struggling or violent behavior, towards a prison transport carriage and threw her in roughly. Dash jumped forward, snarling and spitting curses, but Pinkie Pie grabbed her by the tail with her teeth, and Fluttershy and Rarity leaped onto her wings to pin the furious pegasus down to the ground.