Unable to think, lost and warped in her own world, Twilight found herself in the gardens outside Canertlot's castle. Oddly enough, the darkness complimented this piece of nature as the grass, trees, violets, bellflowers and bushes all looked new. Surprisingly, serenity bloomed from its dim colours. From the rest of Equestria, the gardens felt like a sanctuary, a haven that felt out of this world. Sadly, it wasn't enough for Twilight to escape her anxiety, her struggles and fears. This feeling of composure did not last for the young princess.
Lightly, the grass caressed under her hooves as she stared at the ground, thinking, wondering, pondering about the situation. Twilight couldn't turn off, she couldn't even answer her own questions, whether what she was doing was either right or wrong. Pushing her friends away in order to keep them safe, it had to be right. After Spike and Starlight, the Princess of Friendship didn't want to lose any more friends. Silence washed over her, she heard nothing, she didn't even move... Lost in a forest of her own thoughts.
Absent of any emotion, expressionless and preoccupied with her own thoughts, she remained still.
"Twilight."
"I'm here." She calmly responded, her drained eyes looking up to the graceful ruler of Equestria.
As Princess Celestia watched the young alicorn acknowledge her presence, she looked around her garden and lifted a smile, "It's nice here, is it not?"
Confused, Twilight hiked a brow, "I'm sorry?"
"The gardens," Celestia simply answered. "I figured you could use a change in scenery, you have spent most of the day in the castle. I always used to come here when I was alone." She breathed. "This garden felt like my only escape from royal duties and worries, and at times, it still does. It feels heavenly."
Properly observing the gardens, the Princess of Friendship relieved a peaceful sigh, "It does, but I'm afraid I can't escape from my fears, not with all that's happened. Not with Spike and Starlight in the hands of Fright," Twilight sulked then looking back up at the Princess of the Sun. "Why did you bring me here?"
"Because I wanted to talk, Twilight. In the throne room, you said you didn't want to lose any more friends," Celestia recalled. "What happened to Spike, we all share your grief, and Starlight, what happened to her was something no one could expect. I understand your fears, I do. I've felt the same when I lost Luna a thousand years ago, and the following years when I had lost Sunset Shimmer." She dipped her head in sorrow, before she resumed, "All this horror. I know why you don't want your friends to come with us, but do you really believe pushing your friends away is for the best?"
"Of course not," Twilight answered with absolute certainty before it turned to bitter doubt. "But what more can I do? It's clear they're targeting my friends. What if Rarity's next or Pinkie Pie or...what if you're next?" The young alicorn's voice cracked as her fear took hold of her, and she looked up to Equestria's ruler with frightened eyes. "If Chrysalis beat you once, she can do it again. And Fright....after seeing what he did to Spike, I can't bear to think what more horrendous torture he would put Starlight through. Maybe he'd do the same to you! It makes me sick thinking about it. I just want this to end!"
Princess Celestia spreads her wings out and strokes a gentle feather across Twilight's back, coaxing and calming the troubled alicorn, "And it will, Twilight. When... I'm afraid I don't have the answers, but I promise, we will prevail." She cooed. "You have to be strong now, for your friends, for all of Equestria. Don't let Fright and the changelings win."
Twilight shook her head. "I just want to do what's right."
"And what do you think is right?" Celestia asked.
In response, the Princess of Friendship shrugged as the look of doubt continues to persist, "I don't know. I thought I knew what it was, but now I'm not so sure. I just want Spike back so I can make everything up to him. I never should've stopped searching for him. I wished I could apologize to him. I wish I could tell him that I was trying to find him and that I missed him every day."
Saddened by memories of her and Spike's recent falling out, combined together with the revelation of his unending years neglects, torments, and humiliations came rushing to her mind like a tidal wave, intensifying her doubts and anxiety.
"What kind of a friend am I, to leave him behind so much? To put so much work on him, while I have fun with my friends? To hurt him so much without knowing? Now he's a prisoner of Fright because I wasn't there to save him. And Starlight's with him now. My friends are all in danger because of me, because Fright knows that terrifies me!"
"Twilight, it pains me to see you like this," Princess Celestia began. "To see you isolating yourself from your friends, all because you're afraid of what has already happened to two of your friends. You have to understand, you can't run from your problems. You can't distance yourself from your friends forever."
"I don't know any other way." The young alicorn sighed. "I don't want any more of my friends to be in danger."
"I know, Twilight. But there's no stopping them. Your friends will always be there for you, whether you like it or not. The least you could do for them is to look out for them, like you always have," Twilight looked up at her mentor, feeling a bit of hope resurfacing, but the doubt continues to linger. "I know you had no intention to hurt and abandon Spike. Neither did your friends. But it's over now. You can't let your past mistakes stop you from doing what is right for the greater future. There's still good out there and I know you can see it."
Slowly, Twilight looked up to her beloved mentor as she shined a comforting smile at her, protected in her presence, "So now, let me ask you again. What do you think is right?"
Quick to answer, a look of composure filled her eyes, her voice coated in calmness, "Protecting my friends and saving Spike and Starlight."
"And I'm sure they want to protect you too, Twilight." The alicorn reminded. "What is the Princess of Friendship without her friends?"
Twilight's silence came across as comforting towards Celestia, a sign that maybe she had reasoned with her or at least she was thinking. Any emotion on the young princess' face came across as absent again, too absorbed in her own concentration as she heeded the words of Equestria's ruler. Once again, she looked down in sombre, too preoccupied with her own thoughts.
"You shouldn't deny your friends, but you should talk to them," Celestia cooed. "I've seen... No, Equestria has seen the things you can do. You and your friends. I know, when you're all together, you won't let anything happen to each other."
With Twilight remaining silent, the Princess of the Day took this as her cue to continue, "Tomorrow morning, we will find King Thorax. Whether or not if you want your friends to take part in this journey, is truly up to you. I only ask that you think it over." She advised. "Be sure to get some rest, we have a long day tomorrow."
Celestia joined Twilight in the silence as if any sort of sound became extinct. Before her eyes wandered upwards to the night sky, gazing at the stars scattered around and above them, she studied her expression. Gently, choosing not to disturb the stillness and serenity of the garden, she quietly motioned her hooves and left the young princess in peace.
The Princess of Friendship barely watched the alicorn leave. Despite her mind overworking, constantly thinking and thinking, Twilight failed to take hold of her reality. For a while, she felt her heart, mind and soul crying on the inside, begging and pleading for everything to go back the way it was supposed to, back to being away from the feelings of fear.
Nonchalantly, tearing her sight from the dark green grass, she looked up to the night sky, immediately taking notice of the midnight-blue barrier that shielded Canterlot, still holding up strong by Princess Luna. Twilight studied the stars above her, the glistening lights watching down at her and the whole city, protected and secure. How she longed for this night to be over, but nothing could prevent her trepidation on what awaited the next day.
Unlocking a sigh and closing her eyes, breathing calmly, Twilight did her best to untangle the wires of stress and paranoia from her system, clearing her mind. Her friends, her family. They were at risk, being targetted by Chrysalis, by Fright... By The Hunter. Fighting off her anxiety, she cleared her mind once again, taking a deep breath in and breathing out the worriment.
"Think... Think." She whispered to herself, struggling to wash away her fears. "Just... Think."
Time melted away like ice during summer. For too long she had been bashed and bombarded with daunting doubts that Twilight could barely think of what to do. As she remained in the gardens, if anypony had seen her, they would surely believe that she was a statue herself. Frozen and hardly moving.
Thinking wasn't what it used to be. Unwillingly, Twilight's mind would wander to the deepest and darkest places of her inner thoughts. No matter what, she would feel gripped and pulled into troubling doubts. Haunting her. Thinking about what could've happened and what can still happen.
Finally, with a tiresome sigh, the Princess of Friendship pushed herself up from the ground and turned away from the night sky, gently brushing her hooves along the grass and slowly escorting herself back to the castle. However, upon moving a few steps, the sound of clamouring and worried shouting infiltrated Twilight's ears, stopping the alicorn in her tracks as she jolted her head upwards in confusion.
Much to the alicorn's dismay, a loud, harrowing noise pierced her ears once more, coming from behind her, from outside the city. It was loud enough to wake the whole of Canterlot. Fear filling her eyes, Twilight stared out into the night sky yet again as she looked out in horror, witnessing the huge, sharp, daunting vessel that hovered just above her, drifting above the protected city.
Chrysalis' flagship had just appeared from the darkness. Waiting outside the secured city, haunting those who gazed upon the menacing airship.
"No... No." She stammered.
Twilight's torment was far from over and finding the changelings weren't a problem any longer. They were here. Ready to attack.
Jesus, she's suffering so much in this fic.
9709285 Yeah. For outright neglecting Spike. Then again, this fic wouldn’t have happened if Twilight didn’t do just that.
Now things are getting really intense.:)
Too late. Good helps are so hard to find these days, isn't it Twilight? Or maybe it's been there, standing in front of you the whole time. The question is how long did it take for you to find it.
The clock strikes, the midnight hour arrives. As the moon hides behind darken clouds and the sun still to far to shine. Darkness creeps over every corner of the world. The children shiver in their sleep, the leaders prepare their soldiers for battle. While the forces of evil close in, bringing fear to the hearts of ponies. The heroes can only look on in terror as the true nightmare begins. And the Hunter prepares to feast on his prey. The battle for Canterlot starts now.
9749078
Thanks a lot! Chapter 44 was a mess of emotions and stress to work on. I'm glad you enjoyed it and thank you so much for allowing me to use one of your arts as the cover art. Again, much appreciated!
"The storm is here, Twilight. Pray that you don't disappoint us."
Inspired by J. Jonah Jameson. Honestly, he's the better voice of aggression than I could be for my role-plays to pass the time for this fanfic. But don't get me wrong, I'm a fan of Spider-Man.
---
"So, what's become of our once peaceful and beautiful Equestria? A "land of harmony?" It's become a nightmare! That's what! It's become a personal playgrounds for Diamond Dogs! Dragons! And let's not forget, Changelings! You heard me! Changelings! Those pony-sized bothersome pests that would suck the very life out of our hearts if we're not on guard! How did this happen? BECAUSE WE LET OUR GUARDS DOWN! Obviously, you'd think after everything that has happened, this kingdom would learn a thing or two, but did it? No! And why not? BECAUSE WE PUT TOO MUCH FAITH AND TRUST IN OUR so-called "HEROES"!"
"When Nightmare Moon returned, where was Princess Celestia? Having cakes? And when Discord attacked, how did he manage to steal the Elements of Harmony? They were right there, inside a vault that Celestia herself claimed was "enchanted" by her, to prevent the Elements from being STOLEN! Oh, let's not forget, during the Royal Canterlot Wedding, when Queen Chrysalis strikes. An attack that Princess Celestia herself claimed to have foreseen, and an infiltration that was observed NOT BY OUR SUN PRINCESSS but by her star pupil TWILIGHT SPARKLE!! The attacks and the crimes committed by Chrysalis, this could've been prevented by our "heroes" the Mane 6 and Celestia! And look how that turned out! All of Equestria is fortunate that the tides of war has changed, courtesy of Princess Celestia's niece, one Princess Cadence, and her husband Shining Armor. But who's to say it won't happen again?"
"This is exactly what's wrong with Equestria! It's always one after another. You avoided or resolved one threat, BUT YOU NEVER LEARNED FROM IT! And then you go out for a stroll, singing to yourself what a perfect day it is to be basking in Princess Celestia's sun, or how safe you feel to sleep under Princess Luna's moonlight. AND THEN BOOM! Next thing you know, you find yourself under attack by the Storm King, or being the first victim of an inside job, courtesy of Queen Chrysalis!"
"So people of Equestria? What are your thoughts on the monsters and the criminals lose in our kingdom? You scared? Of course you are. You should be. I would consider you a fool if you aren't. But this is still our kingdom. And we're not going to sit idly by and wait for our "heroes" to save the day. Because guess what. It's not going to be that easy. Life is not a fairytale, where the heroes come to fight the villains as brave knights in shining armor."
"Twilight Sparkle, the Princess of Friendship. She and her friends are a team of seven. Yes, I'm including the little dragon, Spike. Because unlike most creatures, I actually appreciated the little guy and consider him a valuable asset to the team. Who was there by Twilight's side through thick and thin? Who was there to alert the proper authority, after the Princess of Friendship herself went insane and turned all of Ponyville mad with a "Want-It, Need-It" spell? Who saved the Crystal Empire when King Sombra attacked? Who prevented an all-out dragon invasion onto Equestria? And furthermore, who played a crucial role in the crowning of King Thorax? The new and improved ruler of Changelings?"
"For that, Spike has my covert nod of respect. Spike, little guy, I applaud you. You have my respect and sympathy. Now why would give him sympathy? Well, for as long as we've known Spike, he's always been overshadowed, on the sidelines, and worst of all, he doesn't get enough respect FROM THE PONIES HE SERVED!! It's a sad story we learned from Fright's broadcast in Canterlot, when we all learned how Spike has been the subject of neglect and abuse, from not one, or two, BUT THE ENTIRE SIX!!!"
"Maybe Twilight and friends should rename themselves from the Mane Six to the SHAMEFUL SIX or SINISTER SIX!! Because from what we've learned from Spike himself, Twilight always made time for herself AND HER Friends, minus SPIKE!! Like the time they all went to Cloudsdale to observe Rainbow Dash's performance in the Young Flyer Competition, courtesy of Rarity's enchanted wings, and Twilight's walk-on-cloud spell. But where was Spike? Why was he not brought along for the ride? Why is it so hard for Twilight, being the "Element of Magic", to enchant the same spell onto her "Number 1 Assistant?"
"And furthermore, Pinkie Pie, the official "Ponyville Party Planner" always had times for everybody's birthday parties. WELL WHERE WAS SPIKE'S BIRTHDAY THEN?"
"And speaking of Pinkie Pie, both she and Rainbow Dash have a well-known history of bullying and pranks, with Spike as their main target. Do they ever take his feelings into account? OF COURSE NOT! It's always the same story of the strong and the egocentric taking it out on the small ones for their own "amusement". Don't get me wrong, I didn't call Spike weak, but he's just a child! A little dragon growing! THIS HAS confirmed that our "friendly neighbor" Rainbow Dash is not only a reckless and destructive flying disaster known as Rainbow Crash, but she has ALSO displayed herself to be a potential threat, AND an abusive AND a hazard TO CHILDREN!! To mothers and fathers everywhere, I’d take this as the time to advice you all to take absolute cautions, regarding whom your little ones looked up to as their role models. Otherwise, they’d be looking towards a future behind bars In Tartarus, all because they looked up to the WRONG PONY!!”
“And to further display the reckless abandonment of Rainbow Dash, both she and Pinkie Pie have done a lot of stuff to Spike, from scaring him with a stormcloud and giving a heart attack, to their latest ICE BUCKET DUMP on him, and MOCKING HIM FOR HIS SIZE AND STATURE! Talk about irresponsibility."
And if that's not the worst of their childish pranks, then I'm sure YOU'LL BE IN for QUITE A SURPRISE when you hear how Spike nearly drowned IN A LAKE OF ICE COLD FREEZING WATER!! And did they even bother to help the little guy? NO! THEY STOOD BACK AND LAUGHED AT HIM LIKE THE HELPLESS CHILD THEY PERCEIVED HIM TO BE!! THEY LAUGHED AT HIM!! Even Fluttershy herself admitted it was funny to her and Applejack, and an added injury to his humiliation, Rarity! And if you think THAT was funny, then I'm sure you'll be amused if Princess Twilight Sparkle deliberately used him AS LIVE-BAIT FOR A RAMPAGING WINTER-ZILLA! But I don't have to see it to believe it, nor do I ever want to witness such a trauma befallen to our favorite little dragon. And it shouldn't be a surprised to hear why he left Ponyville in the first place. Heck, if I was put in his place, I would've done the same thing and struck out on my own."
"But that just leaves us with a big question? Who is the real heroes, and WHO IS THE VILLAINS OF THIS STORY?!"
"Folks, I know you're scared. But when I hear reports of looting, or fights over food or medicine, I say to myself: we are better than this. You are better than this. I've been in this kingdom for 9 years now, and I'm proud to be a member of this community. Don't give into fear. Help each other. Stand up for those who need it. For some times now, I've hated hearing how Twilight Sparkle and friends are called the big heroes, and the two sisters, Princess Celestia and Princess Luna are called Equestria's greatest defenders, when they've done absolutely nothing to protect our kingdom, while Spike himself was left alone in the shadows. Forgotten, neglected, and not getting enough development."
"For me, the real heroes are the people who get up every day, with no special powers, and do the right thing simply because it is the right thing. So I'm asking you now...be the heroes I know you all are. And for you Spike, wherever you are, be the hero you always were."
"This is just in folks. I'm receiving a call from someone who is speaking on Rainbow Dash's behalf. You're on the air."
Caller: "Well first off, I don't appreciate you bad talking my girl, Rainbow Dash like that!"
"Your girl huh? Who are you? Her father?"
Caller: "Name's Zephyr Breeze. Her fiance and personal mane therapist."
"Oh, so that explains where Rainbow Dash gets her mane done then."
Zephyr: "That's right-Wait, is that an insult? Look, I just want you to stop, okay?!"
"Stop what? Telling and sharing the truth to the people? I'll never stop! As long as I draw breaths from my body, I'll never stop! Truth hurts you know."
Zephyr: "Well...I don't like anyone dragging Rainbow Dash's name through the mud like that!"
"Well if you have problems with people bad talking Rainbow Dash, then why don't you take it up with current captain of the Wonderbolts, and Rainbow Dash's personal coach and mentor, Spitfire? She has quite a reputation, and makes a living belittling and exposing all the crashes, the vandalism, and the acts of hoodlums committed by Rainbow Dash, and I'm sure she'd be very interested to hear what you have to say for your girl! Is that hard for you?"
Zephyr: "Uh, well...actually, I'd rather..."
"You'd rather what? And why are you suddenly stuttering like a bumbling idiot? What happened to that display confidence we all heard from Rainbow Dash's special somepony? What's the matter? Isn't Rainbow Dash a "mare worth fighting for?"
9762572
Yeah, I'd say similar.
9756569
J. Pony Jameson has joined the chat.
"Today is a day for sombre reflection. For mourning and honoring for fallen heroes, like our friends, our families, and the people who had given us their lives in the service to protect, and serving their countries, and making the world a better place. But it's also a day to vow: never again. It stops here."
"Some people say I blame everything on Twilight Sparkle and friends, or Princess Celestia. Well, I don't blame them for the outbreak in Manehattan. That cowardly act is squarely the responsibility of whoever committed it. But if we're going to keep our home safe, then we can no longer tolerate the kind of ignorant and insensibility to the potential dangers that could threaten our home. The kind of ignorance and reckless that we've been encouraged by Twilight Sparkle and friends. This is our land. This is our home. And this is our kingdom. And by God, we are going to take it back."
"Folks, I'm aware that Applejack is the Element of Honesty. And I'm sure she'd make one heck of a journalist, if she were on the job. And that says a lot, coming from me. But as journalist and a newspaper publisher, I've always printed the truth. And now as a broadcaster, I speak it. Sometimes it hurts. But it's my responsibility to bring it to you. And the truth is: our kingdom is not quiet. It's not peaceful. There is no land of harmony. It is a disaster waiting to happen. Always has been, always will be. Threats roiling under the surface, like a hungry shark just beneath the waterline. Don't let Princess Celestia or the Princess Twilight Sparkle and friends fool you. You are not safe."
"So far, what sort of crazy threats have Equestria faced before in the past? Well, there's that Summer Sun Celebration which Nightmare Moon had crashed after a thousand years of isolation in the moon. And then there was Discord! But it does it end there? NO!! We were under attacked by a swarm of Changelings, AND WE ALMOST GOT KILLED WHEN A RAMPAGING CENTAUR NAMED TIREK ESCAPED FROM TARTARUS!!! And how did that happened? Because a certain three-headed mutt called Cerberus left his post! HOW DID THAT HAPPEN?!! He's a watchdog for crying out loud! A WATCHDOG WITH THREE HEADS!!! Now I've heard the old saying three's a crowd, BUT COME ON!!! With that many eyes and nose, YOU'D THINK NOTHING EVER GETS PAST THAT DOG!"
"Anyway, I'm getting a little off topic here. What I'm saying is that apparently there've been bigger threats that have once plagued Equestria since ancient times, and many of them were kept locked up in Tartarus. Yes, it's good that Princess Celestia locked these monstrosities all way beyond sights and memories. But look at all the things we didn't know existed! How long have we been standing over a giant supermax prison that houses the most savage and deadliest villains we've ever seen? How long was Discord a living creature imprisoned in stone, without anyone telling us? How long has the Storm King been invading our world with a giant armada at his command? Shouldn't we have one of our own to counterattack him? Or better yet, shouldn't we have been told of all these threats? Come up with a plan of action for our own safety? It's not an accident that we weren't given the information we need to protect ourselves and our family. Someone made that decision. Was it the royal guards? Was it Captain Shining Armor? I know one guilty party for sure, and her initials are PRINCESS CELESTIA!!"
"It's happened, people. The chickens have come home to roost. Of course, by chickens, I mean the lunatics who've escaped from Tartarus. And the home they're coming to is YOURS. Thanks to Twilight Sparkle and friends, and of course, Princess Celestia, for attracting these psychos to our kingdom like moths to a flame, we had them all stashed together in a prison that's located just about at the edge of the world. And WHAT DO YOU KNOW? All it takes is one....just ONE mistake to break them all out of prison! Now if only someone had told us what a bad idea it was. Wait - WE DID!!"
"So listen to me now. Lock your doors. Arm yourselves with whatever you can get your hooves, or hands, on, because now it's every mare, stallions, and foals for themselves. And with reports saying that Queen Chrysalis and her swarm have once again slipped through Princess Celestia and Twilight Sparkle's hooves, I have a a very bad feeling that it's gonna get even more worse from here. This is just the tip of the iceberg. Be careful out there."
"Alarmist. Paranoid. Conspiracy theorist. All nasty words people have used to insult and demean me. But now, after years of me trying to warn you all, here we are."
"Twilight Sparkle and friends, and our ruler Princess Celestia, have literally brought a plague down upon us. Why do I blame her and friends, and not Fright? I do blame Fright. He deserves swift justice. BUT HE'S A LUNATIC TERRORIST! THIS IS WHAT THEY DO! Whereas Princess Celestia claims to doing what is best for our kingdom. Yet she obviously knew about the threats in Tartarus and didn't warn us! She either thought she'd handled it, which makes her criminally negligent...or she was in on it, which makes her a terrorist too! Or worse, a tyrant!"
"So in these dark hours that are plaguing our kingdom, Princess Celestia herself isn't emerging in a positive light. Clearly, she had a history with Fright. Another of her fallen pupil who has developed a fetish and an unnatural passion for inciting fear in others. A passion that leads him down a path of a homicidal megalomaniac, simply because of neglects and rejection is the height of irresponsibility. What does Princess Celestia know and when did she know it? The answer could be a difference between abdication, impeachment, and prison. Stay tuned to the ONLY voice you can trust in these dire times: MINE!"
"My friends, I'm getting a lot of frantic calls about monsters, dragons, diamond dogs, and all sorts of creatures that are running amok in our glorious kingdom, looting our homes, and overall tearing everything from the inside out. And furthermore, the frantic fears we are all asking ourselves if we had left anyone behind, or any valuables were forgotten in our homes, and how much we want to go back, refusing to abandon our homes. While I understand the impulse, that is not the answer. I've been in touch with some friends and they've assured me that there's no place more secured than Canterlot. As long as we all stay there within the protective walls, provided by our royal guards and Captain Shining Armor, and to a degree, the princesses, then we'll all be safe and protected from the monsters and escaped convicts."
"And I have received personal assurances from officials in the Crystal Empire that relief convoys are coming, containing food and medicine and....excuse me, I've just been handed an update....OH! YOU'VE GOT TO BE KIDDING ME. It seems the relief convoys that I just mentioned are under attack by escaped monsters of Tartarus! PRINCESS CELESTIA!! TWILIGHT SPARKLE!! AND THE REST OF YOU WOULD-BE HEROES!!! THIS IS ON YOU!! You were there! In the most CHARITABLE reading of the situation, YOU FAILED TO STOP THE BREAKOUT!! Worst case, YOU WERE ALL RESPONSIBLE FOR IT! You always claim to be on our side. Well, my little ponies, if that's true, you are rapidly running out of chances to prove it!"
"Folks, the kingdom is in crisis. We have railroads, bridges, and tunnels closed. Ponies who worked in Canterlot but don't live there are trapped within. Others have been barred from their homes placed under emergency quarantine. I'm hearing reports of tent cities, ponies and creatures sleeping in park, or out on the streets....it's like the Depression from my world and the flu epidemics of 1918 rolled into one. I know times are hard now and we're all struggling. But if you ever see someone who needs help, do what you can. That's the only way we'll make it through this. We must pull together or fall apart."
"I've had numerous callers today reporting of entire city blocks taken over by criminals, be it Diamond Dogs, rogue dragons, or changelings like Chrysalis, as well as the escaped inmates from Tartarus. These are literal no-go zones in the heart of Equestria! A dystopian future from Seventies movies coming to life! Why don't the royal guards stop this you ask? Oh, you're going to love this! It seems that Fright has been providing every criminals lose in our kingdom with stolen weaponries and ammunitions that Princess Celestia has confiscated and outlawed. The guards are being gunned – BY THE GUNS THEY WERE GUARDING!!"
"Well, all right, this is where the rubber meets the road. This is where we see if Princess Celestia and Twilight Sparkle are the protectors they claimed themselves to be. These criminals aren't hiding! They're right in plain sight, daring you to come get them! Well? WE'RE WAITING!!"
“Folks, our next guest on the show has some interesting opinion on Twilight and friends who would like to share with us today. Go ahead caller.”
Caller: “Yeah, so uh...not for nothing, you gotta cut Twilight and her friends some slack, alright? I mean, they’re obviously doing everything they can to save Equestria and all that. Just like they have been doing for the past years.”
“Is that right? Tell me, are you a police officer? A prosecutor? An award winning journalist who has spent the last 9 years, taking notes of every events that has happened to our beloved kingdom, like me?”
Caller: “Uh, no. I’m....I’m just a plumber.”
“Oh, I see. And uh, might I ask, would you cut Rainbow Dash some slack if she goes flying high on apple ciders and come crashing through the roof of your house?”
Caller: “Uh, no. Not really.”
“And speaking of which, would you also cut Rainbow Dash some slack if you were on the run from Tempest Shadow and she just went ahead and performs a Sonic Rainboom, giving both yourselves away, because she just LOVES being a SHOW OFF with reckless abandonment!”
Caller: “Well, that doesn’t sound very smart of her.”
“And would you also cut Pinkie Pie some slack if she has, say, trespass on private property, ruin your toupee, or set your scrapbook on fire?!”
Caller: “Well, of course not. But-“
“AND would you also cut Twilight Sparkle some slack after casting an out of control ‘Want-It, Need-It Spell’, or an unfinished spell of Starswirl the Bearded, or even her recent screwups in Tartarus which lead to all the monsters running lose and messing up our kingdom? Well, WOULD YOU? I CERTAINLY WOULDN’T!!”
Caller: “Why not?”
“Because here’s the 411 my friend. Rainbow Dash and Applejack are still the same headstrong mares who would jump blindly into danger, because their ego asks for it. Pinkie Pie always thinks everyday is a game to her! But does she ever thinks of what happens when it’s GAME OVER?! Of course not. That’s, as we say, Pinkie Pie being Pinkie Pie! And I ain’t gonna waste my breathes on how Fluttershy is always slowing everyone down because of her cowardice, or Rarity’s dramatic flare. But Twilight Sparkle herself has a problem with grasping the concept we call REALITY! She clearly always has to rely on facts from the books as answers to her everyday problems, without trusting in her friends and their abilities to solve the problems. Furthermore, she’s always been known to execute her plans without EVER thinking about the consequences that she would later have to face on behalf of herself and the fate of Equestria and beyond! I should know. Queen Nova of the sea ponies told me about the time Twilight tried to steal her magic pearl.”
Caller: “Uh, okay. You make a lot of good points, but what about Spike? Clearly, you’ve been giving him a lot of slack, and he’s-“
“I’m giving Spike a lot of slack? And why shouldn’t I? Spike’s never received an Element Of Harmony from the Tree Of Harmony, and he clearly doesn’t need that to be special, or be apart of Twilight’s ‘friendship circle,’ now did he?”
Caller: “....Well, he did receive his own throne at the Castle Of Friendship, so doesn’t that count?”
“YOU’RE MISSING THE POINT! I don’t cut Spike some slack! What I’m doing was praising for the little guy. He may not be a pony, or represent an Element of Harmony, but he’s still done a lot of goods for Equestria. Like the one time when Twilight and friends had transformed him into a ten foot tall, rampaging dragon and wreaked havoc on Ponyville, who stopped him? Not Twilight! Or the Mane Six! But Spike! He stopped himself! HE broke himself free from the transformation that corrupted him!”
Caller: “Hey, I’m not downgrading Spike or anything, but still-“
“Just take this time to consider this food for thought. If it weren’t for Spike, then King Sombra would’ve taken over the Crystal Empire and doomed all of Equestria. IN FACT MY PLUMBER FRIEND, Twilight Sparkle would have never become the Princess Of Friendship today if it weren’t for Spike. No Spike, no Crystal Heart, no Crystal Empire, means no Princess Of Friendship.”
“Folks, get ready, because this is a bombshell. We have on the line a lady whose husband, a Wonderbolt, who was nearly KILLED BY TWILIGHT SPARKLE AND FRIENDS!!!”
Caller: “What? No, no, you’ve got it all wrong! My husband and his Wonderbolt comrades were trying to save Ponyville from Spike, because he was turned into a rampaging dragon. But Spike trapped them in a water tower, on the side of a mountain. Twilight and her friends later got him and his team out.”
“Madam, I didn’t hear that last part over my intern’s incompetence. But you realize, it could’ve been possible that Twilight and friends had arranged the whole ‘rampaging dragon fiasco’ so they could inflict more traumas on Spike, then rescue your husband and his fellow Wonderbolts, then grab all the glory for themselves?”
Caller: “Huh, that sounds like a lot of troubles to go through when they could’ve stopped actual threats.”
“It’s clear we are at an impasse. My best wishes to you and your husband, ma’m. WALLFLOWER BLUSH! GO TO COMMERCIAL! THEN FIRE YOURSELF! THEN REHIRE YOURSELF BEFORE THE COMMERCIAL ENDS, BUT KNOW THAT YOUR JOB HANGS BY A THREAD! IF I PAID YOU, I’D CUT YOUR SALARY IN HALF!”
"The mass breakout at Tartarus - which Twilight Sparkle and friends, including Princess Celestia were involved in - has spilled countless hardened criminals into our streets at the worst possible time. I want to hear how it's affecting you. Speak!"
Caller: "I don't know who I'm more scared of - the Diamond Dogs, the Changelings, these rogue dragons, or the escapees from Tartarus. The dragons all have firepowers, and the Diamond Dogs got crossbows and now they've got these bombs that could turn you to stone! It's like the Wild West out here. If one doesn't kill you, the other will!"
"You raise a vary salient point, caller. In times of martial law, civil liberties are most at risk. My advice? Keep your head down. Don't go out unless you have to. Trust the royal guards. They're from here, they're in this with us. And document any abuses caused by Dragon Lord Ember's fallen dragons. At some point, this WILL be over, and they WILL be held accountable."
Caller: "But what do we do about the escaped inmates from Tartarus? They'll do anything! Looting, home invasion, murder --"
"Fight back. If you're a unicorn, then start learning some offensive magics of your own firepowers. If you're pegasi, then don't hesitate to flap your wings like you’ve never flapped them before and conjure up a storm, or a hurricane to blow these monsters away. But if you’re a unicorn, then don’t pull any punches and blast them away with the best offensive magic you could conjure. And for all of you earth ponies, then arm yourselves with whatever you could your hooves on. Baseball bats, pepper spray...hell, cooking spray in the eyes if that's all you've got! We're Equestrians! The days when we would all run and scream in blind terrors is behind us now! We don't lie down for anyone."
Caller: "Okay, but what if it's one of these nutjobs with powers, like that demon centaur?"
"Then, my friend..you pray. And you go down fighting."
Imagine Twilight’s reaction when she realizes who the Hunter is