//------------------------------//
// A turn for the worse. 
// Story: Reign of the shy-pony 
// by The_Swedish_Horror 
//------------------------------//

Fluttershy and her small raiding party moved through the shady undergrowth of the great forest west of Baltimare. The sun was going down and the woods would soon turn dark and chilly. An unknown bird could be heard calling from the branches above. 

The dogs had only managed to find a few cans of baked beans and a bottle of apple cider in the cottage. It was not much, but at least  it was better than nothing. They had decided to share it evenly among them the way pirates did. 

Rainbow Dash was being forced along, tied to a rope behind Fluttershy. She had no clue what was going on but that villainous mare seemed to be an awfully lot concerned about her, especially when the dogs were looking away.
Dash had thought about escaping from them a few times, but for some reason she didn't want to leave her behind... Although she clearly must be an evil mastermind, that yellow one seemed to treat her as a friend and because of that Rainbow strangely enough didn't want to escape from her clutches of evil just yet.

Before nightfall they had set up camp in a abandoned sawmill. The dogs had made a warming fire on the concrete floor and built Fluttershy a makeshift bed out of some pallets, spruce twigs and blankets. It was surprisingly comfortable. To demonstrate her evilness the yellow pegasus made some threatening graffiti with a piece of charcoal on the wall. It was butterflies, little bunny rabbits and kittens. 
"Ha ha! It's so fun to be evil!" she said, clutching her hoof. 
The villainous Fluttershy then donned the darkest of the blankets, slung over her body like a hooded cape. 

"Eh... what are you doing, o great terrible one?" asked Baran, scratching his head in confusion.
"I'm shrouding myself in darkness! That's a pretty evil thing to do, don't you think? Um... I hope you're not thinking that I'm bragging or anything."
"Bragging, Fluttershy?!"
"Yes... I'm really sorry if I sound like I'm bragging. It's not my intention. Sorry.."

She then turned towards Rainbow Dash. 
"Now, please kneel before me, prisoner! I shall corrupt you with my darkness, so that you can be evil too... if you don't mind?" she said. 
"Well, I... don't know if that's really what I want..." said Dash.
"Oh. I understand," said Fluttershy, her ears briefly turning backwards in disappointment. "But if you ever change your mind, I would be happy to corrupt you anytime... Are you sure you don't want any of my evilness? Just a little? I'll let you have my share of the cider if you turn evil."
"Well, I'd hate to see it go to waste..."
"Exellent...." said Fluttershy and rubbed her hooves.

She then fluttered her cape in a dramatic, vampire-like move but in the process she lost her balance and stumbled over her bed, bumping her knee in the pallets. 
"Aoowww...." Fluttershy cried. "Um... do you feel the power of the dark side of the magic?"
"Yes...?" said Rainbow, eagerly anticipating a sip of cider.
In fact, Rainbow Dash didn't feel anything since Fluttershy couldn't do any magic but she didn't want to disappoint her if it meant so much to the yellow mare.
"Good... good... the force is strong in this one," Fluttershy said and pulled the hood of her blanket-cape over her head to cover her face in shadows of darkness again. "Rise... um... Lady Dash Rainbow and embrace the dark side..."

Rainbow Dash rose and gave the surprised Fluttershy a hug, as she was the darkest thing in reach of her and she knew that "embrace" was a fancy word for hug. 
"Oh, m-my..."

All the diamond dogs stared at them, speechless, not sure if this really was the correct way to do evil.


*


Dear Twilight Sparkle

I have received your letter regarding the events that have transpired in the east and I feel very alarmed by the turn they have taken. I have NEVER requested the release of my greatest enemy and you should know this by heart. Nor have I ordered her to be taken to this place called "Flutter Island" and the very thought of taking such a risk frightens me. She was to stay in prison until it could be absolutely confirmed that she would never turn alicorn again. If she has been alicorn once, she could in theory, and if the right conditions are met, revert back to her alicorn form. Therefore all measures must be taken to ensure that those conditions are never met again. The absence of the treacherous Rainbow Dash, as well as her violent actions and apparent mental decline, fills me with worry for the safety of my subjects. You must find Fluttershy and recapture her with your unicorn powers. Do the same thing if you happens to stumble upon Rainbow Dash, but do not actively pursue her as this would distract you from your primary goal.

I wish you the best of luck, my faithful student. I have also informed the taxponies not to tax you this year as a special favour. And I have sent a nice gift package for you with the mailmare. For your protection, and to ensure the success of your task, I hereby grant you supreme control over any royal troops you may encounter.

Princess Celestia

"See? I do have the supreme command of all troops," said Twilight with a smile. 
The commandant lowered the parchment with Celestia's seal on it. It seemed to be legit... She was a little blue earth pony who wore her black mane like a bun. Twilight thought she looked more like an accountant than the commandant of Baltimare Flying Academy.
"I see..." she said and neatly folded the parchment before handing it back to Twilight. 
"So you will help me?"
"Of course." 
"Good! Me and my friends need to get to Flutter Island. Do you have a balloon or something that could take us there?"
The commandant's eyes narrowed. She took a sip of water from her glass before she spoke.
"A balloon? Well... I´m afraid that's not possible for the moment." 
"Why not?"
"Well... I'm not sure that I can provide a balloon on such a short notice. I'm sorry."
"Never mind, then. Do you have a cart and some pegasi that could pull it?"
"I... hm... I'll look into it as soon as possible," the commandant said and started to shuffle around a stack of papers. "If you would be so kind as to come back tomorrow afternoon, please. But I can't make any promises."

Her office was a very cluttered space, filled with documents, dust and cobwebs. On the wall was a portrait of an old pony in an admiral's uniform.
"Thank you very much. By the way, what is your name?" Twilight asked and reached out a hoof to the commandant.
"My name...? I'm lieutenant-colonel Cookie Crust."
"C-o-o-k-i-e... C-r-u-st... Take a letter, Spike!"
The dragon pulled out a quill and a paper from Twilight's saddlebag. 
"Dear princess Celestia! I'm sorry to inform you that I cannot fulfill my duties as lieutenant-colonel Cookie Crust failed to provide me with sufficient means of transportation for me and my friends..."
"Wait! Let's not be hasty... I'm sure I could arrange something," said Cookie Crust and put down her stack of papers on top of another stack, making both stacks immediately fall over. "Today! I'll do it right away!"
"Good. Then we'll have no need to inform Celestia, do we?"
"N-no... No need at all. Follow me to the hangar, please."


*   *


"Thou wants me to marry a griffon?!" I will do no such thing!" Luna screamed and threw her chocolate pudding on the carpet. 
"Don't be so selfish, Luna! It's for the sake of Equestria! And you'll easily outlive any griffon or pony for that matter!"
"Sister! I think thou are unfair and preposterous! And do not remind us of such matters! Now thou hast made me depressed and sad, I hope you are happy!" cried Luna and stormed off! She slammed the door behind her, leaving Celestia alone in their room. 
"Well... that went rather smoothly," Celestia said to herself and opened up another can of Sparkling Twilight. "Here is to me, Celestia the great!"

But the solar princess had more important matters to attend to. She had to make a public appearance together with Big MacIntosh and Filthy Rich declaring the new, prosperous times ahead for Equestria and she was already a bit late...
This was to be the first official appearance since her relocation to Ponyville and it must be perfect. Press from all over Equestria would be there, ready to take her picture. Hopefully Luna would have calmed down a bit, but just to be sure Celestia hadn't invited her to the event at all. I was probably for the better to avoid bringing a raging Luna to such an occasion...
"Now, where is my carefully prepared speech?" she said.
Her gaze swept across the room until it reached a spot on the carpet... There was a piece of paper, completely covered in chocolate pudding. Oh drat.

Hastily Celestia put on her regalia, opened the window and spread her wings. She was a bit too big for flying through it like a pegasus, so instead she had to climb out slowly, struggling with her long legs and tail. 
"Blast... I should have taken the door instead! So much for saving time...", she said. 
With a leap she took off and, very majestically, flew away over the Sweet Apple acres.

When she passed above Ponyville she noticed that many of the small businesses had closed and a long row of sad looking ponies were standing in line for a bowl of soup. A purple earth pony walked around carrying a sign with the text "I give you HUGS for bits!". 
Big MacIntosh,  Filthy Rich and Diamond Tiara were already standing on the balcony of the Town Hall, waiting for her. A crowd of ponies had gathered in front of them, waiting in silent anticipation. With an elegant manoeuvre the solar princess landed upon the balcony. 

"Citizens of Ponyville! I bring good news of the wonderful times ahead!" Celestia cried and paused for applauds and cheering from her subjects.

There was only silence. 

"Canterlot Castle will finally be rebuilt and restored to its former glory! Everything will soon be well in Equestria! I feel that a new era of friendship is rising and with it a new era of prosperity to all ponykind. I have initiated a deal of cooperation with our Griffonian neighbours and they will partake in the restoration of the castle. My sister Luna will marry prince Pompozzo of Griffonia to seal our treaty of eternal friendship!"

Now the front rows of citizens started to cheer a little, no doubt aided by a few of her royal guards discretely encouraging them with their spears. Celestia felt like things were finally going in the right direction for her. Hastily she tried to wipe some of the chocolate pudding from her speech, but the wet paper just fell apart.

"Eh.... where was I? Well... eh... my beloved subjects! As a special favour to the town of Ponyville I have given Filthy Rich a most lucrative deal to finance the... hm... restoration and his wealth will double in under a year. As a sign of my gratitude I have decided to make his daughter, Diamond Tiara, a princess of Equestria. Very soon she will perhaps turn into an alicorn and in the mean time..."

"Excuse me! Princess Celestia!" a voice shouted from somewhere in the crowd. 
"Not now! I'm in the middle of my speech. You will have plenty of time for asking questions later... Now, in the mean time..." 
"When are you going to lower the taxes?!"
"I will not go into details right now but rest assured that everything will be fine!"
But that pony, a wrinkly old stallion, didn't stop. 
"And why are you favouring that stuck up, greedy pony? Why do you take our money to give it all to him?! Why do you tax us to make him richer?"
"Well... I... I think... I know that it will be for the better of everypony! His wealth will make society richer as a whole!" Celestia said. 
"Will he share his wealth then? Why should he be getting richer by our suffering?" 
Celestia tapped her hoof against the balcony. 
"Order! Order! I hardly think anypony is suffering yet! Just be patient and everything will be just fine! Just go back to your houses, have a nice dinner of delicious apple pies, cider, chocolate cakes and cookies and rest assured that the situation will turn out for the better! As it has always done before!"
"We have no cookies anymore! The Sugarcube corner went out of business a week ago!" another pony cried.
"Where are our pies, Celestia?"
"THEN JUST EAT THE CAKES INSTEAD!" the princess screamed in her royal Canterlot voice.

For some reason this comment didn't please the crowd. Some ponies were shouting something about her being "barbaric", but Celestia couldn't make out any words. Raven, her secretary, appeared on the balcony and handed her a megaphone. 
"LISTEN TO ME!!! HELLO! STAY CALM AND LISTEN!" Celestia cried, her voice echoing over the town square. "Citizens of Ponyville! BE CALM!"

But the roaring voices of angry ponies didn't cease. When Celestia paused to take a deep breath she could hear the anger in their voices. It was terrifying. Her face turned even whiter than before. She licked her lips, feeling the dryness in her mouth. Everywhere she looked she saw angry faces. 
"Your royal highness... Please, step inside. Please step away from the balcony," Raven said and tried to pull her inside.
But Celestia didn't move.
"What is happening? Why do they all suddenly seem to hate me?" she asked.
"Please, your royal highness... Please step inside the Town Hall..."
"I don't understand... I haven't done half of the things I was planning to do and already they hate me. Have they forgotten all the good things I have accomplished?"
"Please! I beg you! Please step inside... It's not safe here!" Raven said. 

The crowd of ponies started advancing on the Town Hall, pushing their way forward. They were shouting "Lower the taxes! Give us our Money back! Lower the taxes! Give us our money back!".

Finally Big Mac pushed Celestia inside and closed the door behind them. 

There was a gloomy mood in the Town Hall. Everypony was silent and anxious, concerned by the raging crowd outside. Diamond Tiara was sobbing and hiding behind her father's legs. 
"I only raised a few new taxes, and they already hate me! I can't believe my subjects have turned against me that easily!" said Celestia.
"No, princess. They don't hate you! They are only upset about the taxes... You know how they react. Just a little turmoil and then it will all be forgotten in a few days, I'm sure," said Filthy Rich. 
"So, you think I should lower the taxes?"
"Well... if the Equestrian economy is as strong as you say it is, then we could probably afford a little tax cut..."
The princess gave him a deadly gaze, somewhat reminiscent of a basilisk's. 
"Is that so? And what will happen if I don't? Please do enlighten me with your keen insight in politics. Please do lecture the two thousand year old goddess in the art of running her own empire."
"I... I just thought... uh... thought you wanted to hear my o-opinion?"

"No, Filthy... I only want to hear my own opinion!"