final escape
"Oh, Luna!" Patch wailed sadly, as the three of them were forced back into a huddle. "I think we're in trouble now!"
The crowd closed in on the three fillies, their angry eyes staring them down. An entire herd of adults from town- most of whom Celeste and Lunette did not know personally- looked ready and willing to drag the two sisters away and lock them up.
"Why are you all doing this?" Celeste asked, looking around at the angry mob. "What have we ever done to you?"
"You're obviously here as enemies of the republic!" One mare called out from the crowd. "You've come to enslave us earth ponies with your strange magic!"
"We're not gonna let you enslave our kind again!" A stallion from the other side of the crowd added. "We earth ponies will stay free!"
"But why dost thou mutilate young an innocent foals?" Lunette pleaded, looking around for a means of escape. "They hath done nothing to deserve a punishment so severe!"
"We make things equal for all ponies, by removing all extra advantages non-earth ponies would have over us!" One of the doctors called out from the back. "Thanks to our efforts, all ponies in the republic are truly equal!"
This is was the kind of foe Lunette feared facing- not an evil spell caster, or malevolent spirit Tartarus-bent on conquering Equestria, but the nameless and faceless masses, driven by their prejudices and biases to commit horrible atrocities to other ponies in the name of what was right. It was this narrow minded bigotry that had allowed so many foals to be mutilated... and this same bigotry that had taken a young Pegasus foal named Patch away from the Equestrian parents that loved her.
Lowering her head, Celeste tried to use her magic. But her power in this place had become so weakened, she could produce little more then a spark. Luna struggled to produce even a light, but nothing came from her invisible horn.
"Great, we don't have any juice left!" The white filly growled. "We're done for now!"
It was at that moment, that Patch looked around at the other two fillies, and suddenly broke into a run. Galloping straight at the surrounding ponies, they formed a gap through which the teenage filly was able to run away.
"Let her go." One of the stallions snorted. "It's these fiendish princesses we're after!"
"At least Patch will not share our fate!" Celeste sighed. "I fear was these ponies will do to us!"
"Hold it together, sister!" Lunette assured her. "We shall gettest ourselves out of this peril yet!"
...
"Ugh!" Starlight groaned, as she and the other ponies finished up their last dance for the night. "Can you believe the nerve of those two sisters?"
"I know, right?" Starlight snorted. "I just can't believe their nerve! Those no good tramps!"
It was then, that Miss Hackney came trotting into the gym, looking around at all of the ponies present.
"Miss Hackney, what are you doing here?" Bon Bon asked her, as the five fillies from the group trotted up to her. "Is something wrong?"
"Girls, have you seen Lunette and Celeste?" She asked them. "I really need to speak to them, about something important."
"Those two left after we found them out!" Melody snorted, stamping her hoof. "They only wanted to be friends with us, so they could trick the boys!"
"Oh dear, this is not good!" The elderly teacher whinnied, looking around to make sure all of the other students were out of earshot. "Girls, I have something to tell you. Celeste and Lunette aren't just normal exchange students at all, those two are actually the royal princess sisters of Equestria!"
"What?!?" Melody squeaked in shock. "I don't believe it!"
"I knew it!" Bright Eyes yelled, narrowing her eyes. "I knew something was off about those two!"
"All this time, we were harboring spies!" Starlight whinnied in disgust. "We're a disgrace to the republic!"
"Now, don't judge them too harshly!" Miss Hackney scolded them. "I'm certain Celestia and Luna had their reasons for-"
"Miss Hackney! Those two lied to us and tricked us!" Bright Eyes interrupted her. "They're just as bad as all of the legends say the magic users are!"
"No! That's not fair at all!" Patch came galloping into the gymnasium, almost out of breath. "Those two have been our friends, and now they need our help!"
"Patch, are you all right?" Bon Bon asked, trotting over to her friend. "What's going on?"
"The townsponies have Celestia and Luna trapped!" The filly replied, after catching her breath. "We gotta help them!"
"Why should we? Those alicorns tricked us into being their friends!" Bright Eyes complained.
"They used us, and hurt our feelings!" Sweetheart added.
"You ask me, they're getting exactly what they deserve!" Bon Bon finished angrily.
"How ca all of you say that? They're our friends!" Patch protested angrily, "That whole thing with the boys was an act, to try to get Melody, Bright Eyes, and Starlight together with the colts of dreams!"
"Really?" They were trying to help us?" Starlight asked, surprised.
"Big frickin' deal! That doesn't change what they are!" Melody snapped. "They're alicorns, and they're just waiting for the chance to oppress us earth ponies!"
"You honestly think those two were trying to oppress us?" Patch snorted indignantly, looking from friend to friend. "Bright Eyes, didn't you and Lunette make Coltonville a better place, by cleaning up Paradise lake?"
Bright Eyes nodded. "That's true, but..."
"And Bon Bon, didn't you girls have fun doing each others manes, and laughing together?"
"Yeah but-" Melody trailed off.
"Those girls have proven themselves to be true friends, even if you girls don't see it!" Patch stamped her hoof, staring each of her friends in the eye. "And I want to know if you're going to help me save them, or will you not?"
"I-I don't know..." Sweetheart whinnied nervously. "W-we could get in trouble for helping a couple of alicorn spies!"
"Girls, I cannot tell you what to do in this case." Miss Hackney advised the. "But whatever choice you make, make, remember all that both I, and life, has taught you."
It was also at that moment, that Ace, Lancer, and Teddy all came trotting up, smiling at the girls mischievously.
"Girls, we heard everything when we were cleaning in the other room." Lancer told the
girls." Whatever you five choose to do... we want to help."
The five girls looked between themselves for severl minutes, until Starlight finally trotted forward.
"All right, Patch." The earth pony told her friend. "What can we do to help?"
...
Celeste and Luna were still trapped at the center of the angry mob, who still stood as a solid wall cutting off their escape.
"What are we waiting for?" An impatient mare asked the others. "Let's take care of them right now!"
"No! No! Stay back!" Another mare warned. "Who knows what they might do! I don't wanna risk 'em putting a spell on us!"
"Keep an eye on them." One of the nameless stallions in the mob called out. "Don't let them make any sudden moves until the authorities get here!"
"Whilst we wait for our jailers to come for us, I wishest to askest thou." Lunette called out to the doctor ponies she recognized in the mob. "Why didst thou takest away the wings of Patch, the Equestrian ambassador’s daughter?"
"So that's who Patch actually is. I had wondered." Melody's mother snorted. "We get a lot of dignitaries and foreign diplomatic visitors through here, and our orders from higher up are to take, and equalize, their newborn foals wherever we can."
"But why?" Celestia asked, curious. "Those ponies are going home, why take and mutilate their foals for a life in the Republic?"
"To raise ponies, who will eventually go back to their positions of power in their homelands, with loyalty to the republic and it's interests." A doctor sneered. "Look at the success we had with Princess Rosy, who has made the isle of Pony a strong ally of the republic!"
"Why do you think our town is so successful?" Another pony pointed out. "Ponies in industries from transportation to retail are involved."
"You're-you're all part of this!" Lunette said in horror. "The whole town is one giant brainwashing factory!"
"Not the whole town!" A stallion corrected her. "There are many who are not aware!"
"Not that telling you will matter!" Another stallion goaded them. "In a few hours, you'll both be in the capital, lying on laboratory tables in several pieces!"
Suddenly, five fillies came galloping up to the mob of ponies at top speed, leaping clean over the circular crowds, and landing between the adults and the princesses.
"Leave our friends alone!" Starlight called out, snorting and stamping her hoof. "If you hurt one hair on their manes, we'll have to get rough!"
"We're not gonna let you turn them into experiments!" Bon Bon growled, staring down several of the ponies angrily. "So back off!"
"Melody, what on earth has gotten into you?" The filly's mother asked, horrified. "Whey are you protecting these monsters?"
"Why do Starlight and I have scars on our foreheads, mother?" The two ponies whipped their manes back, revealing the spots where their horns had been. "Patch told us everything! They're not the monsters, mother! YOU ARE!"
"Now, let em' have it!" Ace, Lancer, and Teddy came galloping up behind the mob. The colts all plowed into several stallions, taking them by surprise, and sending them flying.
"Patch, NOW!" Sweetheart called out to the night air. "Hurry, while the mob is in disarray!"
There was several flashes of light in the sky, and a strong rush of wind. Suddenly, an alicorn and two Pegasus mares came swooping down from the clouds, with Patch riding on the lead alicorn's back.
"Yeehaw!" The excited filly called out, as the two Pegasus swooped in, and grabbed the two princesses with their hooves. "Ride 'em cowpony!"
"They're trying to rescue the alicorns!" One of the stallions screamed. "Don't let 'em get away!"
The mob rushed forward, eager to trap Celeste and Lunette. The three flying ponies emitted a bright flash from their bodies, blinding the surrounding equines. Spreading their wings, the three zoomed up into the sky, and flew away from Coltonville.
"Yeah, they got away!" Lancer exclaimed. "We did it!"
"And now, you're gonna get it!" One of the stallions snorted, as they mob seized the colts and fillies violently. "We're gonna tear you to pieces!"
"Wait! I say!" Miss Hackney called out, as she came trotting up. "Those children were under the control of the alicorns! And if you harm them, I'm afraid I shall have to report you to the authorities!"
Putting the teens down, the towns ponies angrily dispersed. After several minutes, the five fillies and the teacher were left alone in the square.
"Is everybody ok?" Starlight asked, looking around at her friends.
"Yeah, we'll live." Bright Eyes exclaimed, shaking her mane. "I think the girls all got away, too!"
"Yeah! We did it!" Teddy exclaimed, picking up Sweetheart and hugging her. "Patch and the others should get back to Equestria home free!"
"I'm very proud of you, my little ponies!" Miss Hackney told them proudly. "You all let your friendships, overcome your prejudices!"
"Yeah, but I'm gonna miss Patch... and Celeste and Luna, too." Starlight exclaimed sadly. "I hope they'll be all right!"
"I'm sure they will be!" Bright Eyes assured her. "But now, it's up to us to make things better here in the republic!
"We'll have to work to get laws passed and stuff." Bon Bon told them with a laugh. "Well, once we grow up, of course."
"C'mon girls, it's late!" Starlight told her friends. "Let's all head for home."
As all of the girls turned to leave, Melody suddenly looked back at the other girls.
"Hey you guys..." She asked the others.
"What's up, Melody?" Ace asked taking her hoof in his.
She gave the colt beside her a troubled look. "Do any of you get the feeling we've forgotten something?"
....
"Miss Hackney? Anybody out there? Could somebody let me outta here?" A voice called out from the locked closet, as a hoof banged on the door from the inside. "C'mon, I need to use the bathroom!"