//------------------------------// // Scorched Tiara // Story: When the Earth Ponies Rule // by Faith Everlasting //------------------------------// Apple Bloom hadn't realized how many ponies this 'Scorched Shoe' had on his side. She instantly recognized Roseluck, the pony from the flower vending shop, as she tackled a pegasus pony to the ground and zapped him unconscious with her synthetic magic. Apple Fritter, one of Applejack's cousins, was also in the fight, taking down a large male unicorn. Apple Bloom twitched uncomfortably in her new ensemble, feeling all of the wiring that ran down her legs and connecting to a power grid on her hooves. The metal clanking of the feathers was almost too much to bear in her ears as she slowly walked through the town, seeing innocent ponies being brutally attacked. Applejack wouldn't want this. Apple Bloom thought to herself. She wouldn't have wanted others to die for her own expense. Apple Bloom sniffled a sob when she saw a young pegasus pony, Rumble Nuzzle, being crushed to the ground, his two wings breaking underneath the weight of the huge stallion looming above him. He didn't get a chance to cry out, however, as the pain was too unbearable to manage. "Beautiful, isn't it?" Scorched Shoe asked, terrifying her out of her daydream. "My kingdom is slowly coming to me." Apple Bloom rolled her eyes, trying her best not to make Scorched Shoe notice. "But... I'll need a queen." He glanced over to Apple Bloom and smiled viciously. "If ya think fer one minute that I'll be yer queen, then yer sadly mistaken!" Apple Bloom snapped. Scorched Shoe frowned at her and then quickly stepped in front of the smoking mare. "Then who'll stand by my side in this turmoil?" He asked innocently. "Who'll be there for me when the going gets tough? Who'll stand by my side no matter what?" "No mare in her right mind would stand beside you." Apple Bloom muttered under her breath. "What's that?" Scorched Shoe asked sharply. "I was sayin' that I know the perfect mare for ya!" She lied. "Really? Who? I don't think that she would be as perfect as you!" Scorched Shoe leaned in for another kiss from Apple Bloom's lips, but met another smack in the face. He glared at Apple Bloom's defiance and raised his hoof to strike her. "Oh, my! What in the wide, wide world of Equestria is going on here?!" Scorched Shoe turned around at the high-pitched voice and swooned. Diamond Tiara stood only a few feet away from him, her blue eyes staring menacingly into his. He dramatically fell onto the ground, as if he was kneeling before royalty. Diamond Tiara stared at him in shock... and didn't quite know what to do. Neither did Apple Bloom. "Oh, what a world! To think that such beauty could be hidden from me!" He began. This is starting to sound like really bad Shakespony. Apple Bloom griped in her mind. "Oh..." Diamond Tiara said, blushing at the... 'charming' young stallion. "The cruelty of this nation is that they consume such beauty in such a low-down town when it should be displayed for all the world to see!" He grabbed Diamond Tiara's hoof and stared up into her eyes. "You truly are... a jewel." Diamond Tiara's face was now beet red and her pupils were about the size of a pencil dot. "Will you join me in my new empire as... my queen?" He asked. "New empire?" She repeated, looking around her as pegasus ponies and unicorns were being captured and beaten to a pulp. She glanced to her left and saw Featherweight being tied up and then ridiculed by earth ponies who had shared his class. "Here's the high-and-mighty editor in chief!" They mocked, spitting on Featherweight. "He turned the Foal Free Press back into a joke! It was better with Diamond Tiara!" Another shouted. She was met by numerous amounts of agreements among the ponies. Diamond Tiara smiled and puffed out her proud chest. "Are you the Diamond Tiara those young mares and stallions are talking about?" Scorched Shoe asked. "Indeed! That's me!" Diamond Tiara flipped her mane back and smiled dashingly at the fawning stallion. He smiled back at her... then he kissed her on the lips. Apple Bloom gaped in horror as Diamond Tiara melted into his kiss. She's kissin' him back! Apple Bloom shuddered as Diamond Tiara pulled her body closer to his, but then finally realized that her theories on Diamond Tiara were correct. Scorched Shoe pulled away from her grasp and stared into her eyes. "What's it to be, my young queen?" "Of course I'll rule with you in your new empire!" Diamond Tiara grinned. "I've longed to be the queen of Equestria!" Apple Bloom rolled her eyes once more and then her gaze fell upon a familiar face. He goes by many names like Shady Daze, but she knew him as Snap Shot: the young colt who had been promoted to staff photographer after Diamond Tiara was demoted. She had always had respect for the colt after he nearly blinded Diamond Tiara with a camera flash and made her get absolutely coated in newspaper ink! However, he didn't have his synthetic wings or horn yet and he certainly wasn't attacking any of the unicorns and pegasi around him. In fact, he even helped a bruised unicorn mare to her hooves after Cherry Berry had attacked her. Unfortunately, Scorched Shoe saw this. "You! Young colt!" Snap Shot gazed up and saw the large stallion pranced towards him. He quickly ushered the young mare away and stood to face the challenger. "Just what do you think you're doing?" "Helping out a pony in need, sir." Snap Shot answered quickly and abruptly. "That pony is no longer a part of our fine equine race! She is-" "Isn't a unicorn an equine?" Snap Shot interrupted. "And isn't a pegasus one too?" "They have taken advantage over us using their wings and magic!" Scorched Shoe smiled as he saw unicorn after pegasus fall to the ground. Some of them trying to put up a fight, but quickly lost. Scorched Shoe smiled as a young earth stallion, Lucky Clover, pinned a unicorn to the ground and smashed his horn in with his hoof. "Excellent touch!" Scorched Shoe called out to him, waving his approval. "How have they been using their wings and magic against us?" Snap Shot accused. "They seem to think that they are above us." Scorched Shoe said bluntly, as if everypony in Equestria knew the answer to that 'foolish' question. "How do you know that?!" Snap Shot then finally realized that Apple Bloom was standing right behind Scorched Shoe. His blue eyes widened in horror and then narrowed at her. "And why would you, of all ponies, join this... this... gelding?!" Apple Bloom felt her face go red hot and she flopped her ears down in shame. "Y-Ya don't understand, Snap Shot! I have no choice! He's got mah family!" Snap Shot only glared at her more and he snorted in disgust. "Do you think your family would want this?!" He gestured to the massacre around them, his cheeks flaring in rage. Apple Bloom could not answer him and she couldn't meet his gaze either. "I thought you were... different." Snap Shot said, his tone starting to soften as the shock settled in. His eyes slowly lost their anger and he slowly sat down on the ground, staring into oblivion. Scorched Shoe glanced from Apple Bloom to Snap Shot and then back again. Then he smiled. "You can kiss and make up later! Right now, you're either with me or against me!" He waited for Apple Bloom's response. She still gazed at the ground but slowly nodded her head and stood beside Scorched Shoe and his new bride. Snap Shot, however, didn't budge. He slowly lifted his eyes and glared at Scorched Shoe. "If it comes down to those choices, then I'm against you." "TRAITOR TO YOUR OWN RACE!" Scorched Shoe hollered, attracting the attention of numerous earth ponies around them. "Seize this traitor! Throw him with the scum!" The numerous amounts of stallions and mares began to approach Snap Shot, but he still remained where he stood, un-moving and defiant. "WAIT!" Apple Bloom cried out, but nopony listened to her. She turned to Scorched Shoe. "Please! Don't kill him! I'll do anything!" Scorched Shoe only smiled. "What use have I for you except for an extra soldier? I already have my bride." He nuzzled Diamond Tiara's muzzle and laughed deviously. "From now on, you are only another one of my slaves." He whispered so that only Apple Bloom could hear. Apple Bloom watched in horror as Snap Shot was beaten over and over again, blood pouring out from his chest and stomach. But he didn't even cry out as they gave one final kick to his head, causing him to fall into a long sleep. "Enough." Scorched Shoe commanded. "Take him where the others will go." With that, they lifted him up into the air and carried him past Apple Bloom, but she saw him briefly open his eyes once more and all that she saw... was pure hatred.