Chapter 5
Twilight sat by the radio in the lounge of her palace, slumped in a chair and looking as though she were about to waste away. Her seven friends all sat around her, sporting the same listless looks and posture as they sat reading or listening to the radio broadcast. Six weeks after their meeting with Princess Celestia had done little to ease the pain; being betrayed by two close ponies in her life in one day had nearly robbed her of all feeling. It was as if nothing made sense anymore.
Nopony had spoken since the meeting. Sure, Twilight would bump into Fluttershy or Applejack every now and then, but nothing truly substantial would come out of either pony’s mouth. Even Starlight Glimmer, who shared the same roof with Twilight and Spike, hadn’t said a word. She’d looked worse than she had after the Town Hall accident. She looked as though she’d given up.
But I won’t let you, Twilight had said over and over to herself. You’re a hero, Starlight. I won’t let them treat you like a villain.
“No word yet from Their Royal Highnesses on this newest developing law,” said the news pony over the radio, “and no comment from Her Highness, Princess Twilight Sparkle. The debate over the actions of the Princess of Friendship’s dubious new pupil, Starlight Glimmer, continues to rage on, from the Canterlot Palace to the streets of Ponyville—”
“Ugh!” Rainbow Dash groaned and threw down her copy of Daring Do and the Warlock’s Rock. “Somepony change this! The decision hasn’t even been made yet! Why bother sitting here listening to them drone on about it?”
“Oh, Rainbow Dash, do relax,” Rarity replied. “This is an important decision, and we must have all of the information!”
“I’m with Dashie!” Pinkie Pie squeaked, throwing down her comic book, which she’d been holding upside down and had read on the cover, “Bird versus Camel”. “This is soooooooo boooooring!! It’s like listening to paint dry!”
“Don’t get your bridle in a knot, sugarcube,” Applejack spoke up. “Somethin’s gotta come up soon. And we best be ready when it does.”
“Forget that!” Dash snapped. “We could be missing some other important news!” And with that, she hovered to the stand on which the radio sat, pressed a hoof to the dial, and turned it. Immediately, the station changed:
“Misunderstood or monster? Desperate or dictator? Tune in tonight for ‘Equality: The True Story of Starlight Glimmer’—”
“Hey, change it back!” Spike yelled, getting up to reach for the radio. His claws landed on the dial and twisted, and the station changed again:
“Reports of an attack on Canterlot’s Royal Spell Library have been sketchy ever since the victims of the attack started regaining consciousness, save for one Unicorn, Star Song, who appears to still be unresponsive—”
“Spike, quit it!” Dash yelled, clicking the dial back:
“Miss Bon Bon, what is your take on the accident at Town Hall?”
“At first, I was okay with Starlight being here, but this whole thing made me realize that she could have injured a lot more ponies than she did. I’m only relieved my friend Lyra decided to stay home that day instead of going down to get the paperwork for our—”
“There’s nothing else on, Dash!” Spike groaned as the station changed again:
“Tirek, the Mad Centaur from Tartarus, versus Starlight Glimmer, the Mad Cutie Mark Thief! He’s Magician and IIIIIII’m Bangstick!”
“And it’s our job to analyze their weapons, armor and skills—”
“Knock it off, Spike!” Dash yelled, louder this time.
“We need to listen for the reports on the new law!” Spike argued.
“There are no reports!”
“You just have to be patient!”
“Why bother?! They have no right to do this, anyway—”
“STOP IT!!”
Everypony froze, and silence struck the room like lightning. Everypony turned to where the scream came from.
It came from Fluttershy.
“We’re all friends . . . we’re supposed to help each other. Hasn’t there been enough fighting?” Fluttershy struggled to speak as her voice wavered and her knees buckled beneath her. Her eyes glistened, but she blinked quickly and kept her face stony. She finally collapsed with a gasp when a knock sounded off at the door.
“I got it,” Spike mumbled with a groan as he turned the dial back to the news report one last time. Just before he walked away, he turned back to Dash, who inched back over to the radio with an outstretched hoof, and glared at her. Dash withdrew her hoof and smiled innocently, but Spike merely grimaced. He pointed two claws at his own eyes, pointed them both at Dash, then turned and continued to the door. Dash sighed immaturely and collapsed back to the floor, picking up her book and grumbling.
As flustered as Twilight was with Dash’s impatience, she couldn’t help but commiserate. Just thinking about these potential laws made her stomach turn every time. And knowing Moon Dancer supported it so vehemently only made the nausea worse. Nothing Moon Dancer was doing made sense, even considering that she was still grieving over her sister’s injury in Canterlot.
But how did it happen? Twilight had often asked herself since that meeting in the palace. Who attacked her? What were they doing that got them attacked? Where’s the real culprit? And why isn’t Moon Dancer so dead-set on finding him, so that real justice can be served?
But the one question that pressed her the most:
How did she know about Starlight’s time-travel spell?
Nopony except Twilight and Spike knew what happened that day. Starlight hadn’t told a soul, save for Sunburst, because she was too embarrassed. And neither Twilight nor Spike had said anything, either.
So how did she know? It couldn’t have been just a coincidence that she knew to make that crack about going back in time. She meant that. I know she did . . . .
“Twily!”
Twilight looked up to see Spike coming back with who was at the door, and was elated for the first time in weeks.
“Shining Armor! Cadance!”
Twilight got up and raced over to them, hugging them both as they entered. Twilight’s brother and sister-in-law returned her embrace as the rest of the group got up to greet them.
“We came as soon as we heard, Twilight,” Cadance spoke up as the embrace ended. “The word is out that Celestia will be coming to a decision today, any minute!”
“What?!” Twilight blurted. “Spike, turn up the radio!”
Spike was already halfway to it when she made the command. Spike reached the radio and turned another dial, and the broadcast got louder:
“. . . how ponies as powerful and unpredictable as Starlight Glimmer have any right to judge what should be done and what shouldn’t be, especially given her past criminal actions of brainwashing and wrongful imprisonment—”
“Oooooh . . .” Pinkie moaned, cringing under the copy of “BvC 2: Flying Eggplant” tented on top of her fluffy head. “Bad timing . . . .”
Starlight said nothing. She simply stayed where she sat, staring at the floor.
“Look, don’t get upset,” Twilight said, approaching her and putting a hoof on her shoulder. “No matter what happens, we’re together on this, right?”
“Exactly!” Rainbow Dash added, setting down her book again. “I don’t give up on my friends, and that means you, Starlight!”
“JUSTICE FOR STARLIIIIIGHT!!” Pinkie announced.
Twilight glanced at Fluttershy, Rarity and Applejack, as they had all taken a very unfortunate time to be silent all of a sudden.
“Umm . . . girls?” Twilight asked.
“Now, darling, before you get too upset—”
“Seriously?!” Dash blurted out, her eyes blazing. “Come on, Rarity, you can’t tell me you support this stuff!!”
“Even if she can’t,” Applejack replied, “then I would. I mean, ya gotta admit, they have a point. We’ve all been talkin’ the last few days, and we think maybe it’s best this way.”
“What?!” Twilight shrieked. “You’ve been talking with each other and not me?! Girls, come on! I thought you were my friends! Moon Dancer going behind my back was bad enough!”
“Well, she was well within her rights to do so, Twilight,” Rarity answered with a frown. “I mean, this is a matter of national security, after all. And we’ve known ponies like Trixie and Discord long enough to know what they can do if they aren’t kept on a leash.”
“And you want Starlight on a leash, too?!” Twilight barked. “Is that what you want?! By that logic, you should put Pinkie Pie on one for the mirror pool incident, or Rainbow Dash for destroying the weather factory, or Fluttershy for stealing Philomena! Or even me for the ‘want-it-need-it’ spell! You want us all to sign away our freedom just for a few little mistakes—?!”
“Hold on, sugarcube!” Applejack spoke up over the Princess. “Don’t ya think you’re overreactin’ a little? I mean, Celestia’s not the kind to just throw ponies in the pokey willy-nilly. Whatever they got planned, it ain’t gonna come to that.”
“Exactly!” Rarity added. “This may be a tough decision, but Celestia is nothing if not fair! She forgave you for that spell, Twilight, and she forgave Fluttershy because her heart was in the right place. Just as Starlight’s was when Town Hall came down. She tried to help.”
“But she’d still have to face justice for it,” Twilight said bitterly.
“And is that such a bad thing?” Rarity asked.
“It is if the punishment doesn’t fit the crimes,” Twilight retorted. “Moon Dancer wants to see her rot in a dungeon forever. If she applies that same mindset to every pony who ever did wrong, half of Equestria would be in prison overnight!”
“But Moon Dancer ain’t the one in charge, here,” Applejack said. “Celestia is. She and whoever she thinks should help keep ponies in line.”
“Including that scumbag Thunderbolt!” Dash raged, having dropped her book again and taken to the air. “Bet me anything he’ll try and worm his way into this whole deal!” She hovered towards a still-silent Fluttershy. “Come on, you aren’t buying into this too, are you?!”
“Rainbow, back off!” Applejack snapped. “Fluttershy’s free to make her own decisions!”
“Exactly! And she’s free to choose the right side on her own!” Dash looked down at her fellow Pegasus. “Right, Fluttershy?”
Fluttershy sat on the floor, seeming to pull herself inward as if trying to become invisible. Her eyes wavered and her mouth shook.
“Fluttershy?” Rarity asked. “Are you quite all right, darling?”
“Come on, Fluttershy!” Dash yelled. “You have to make some kind of decision! Think about what this means to Equestria! What they could do to Starlight! Or to us! Don’t you even care—”
“I DON’T KNOW!!!” Fluttershy finally screamed. The sound sent a startle through everypony in the room like a massive tremor. Everyone turned to look at her now; tears streamed down her quivering face as she continued:
“I just don’t know, okay?! I don’t know what to think or which side to be on! I don’t know what they’re going to do to him! I just don’t know!!”
Bursting into heaving, rattling sobs, Fluttershy stood up and bolted away, her tears making a trail all the way out into the next room.
“Fluttershy!” Twilight called after her. “Wait, please!” She made to follow, but Spike pressed a claw against her to stop her.
“I’ll go,” he said calmly. “Let me know what they say, okay?” Spike then turned and ran out of the room, following the tear stains on the ground out of the room.
“Now see what you’ve done?” Rarity snapped at Dash with a bitter frown. “All your screaming and guilt-trip tactics have upset Fluttershy! You don’t even know what this whole mess means for her, do you?!”
Dash didn’t seem to be paying attention. All she did was stare at the direction Fluttershy fled in with a wrinkled brow.
“Him?” she muttered.
“Of course, Rainbow!” Applejack spoke up. “Discord! Didja forget about that?!”
Realization seemed to strike Dash at last; she went blank-faced and set down, sitting quickly and looking at the floor. She was silent for a few seconds before looking back up at Rarity and Applejack with a smirk.
“Well, at least she knows which side to be on,” she said. “Unlike you two.”
Rarity merely scoffed indignantly, while Applejack gritted her teeth and snarled, “Consarn you, Rainbow Dash—”
“Shh! They’re announcing the decision!” Cadance spoke over them. Shining Armor reached out and turned up the radio’s volume even more, and the declaration could be heard.
“—fter lengthy deliberation, Princess Celestia has announced that Moon Dancer’s proposal of a governing body over the Elements of Harmony and their reformed charges has been thoroughly studied, and with some amendments, it has been approved for immediate voting throughout Equestria. Appointees for this governing body are unclear—”
Twilight gasped, Starlight whimpered, and Rainbow Dash became airborne once again.
“WHAT?!” she roared as she hovered. “What a big, steaming bunch of bull—”
“Shh!” Applejack hissed. “Listen!”
“—ewly-appointed head of the accountability panel of Canterlot nobility will be none other than Captain Thunderbolt of the Equestrian Royal Guard. Whether his decisions will be made final depend on the vote—”
“Oh, come on!!” Dash continued to revolt.
“—first action as Chief of the Equestrian Security Council,” then came the now-familiar voice of Thunderbolt himself, “will be to establish a ranking system for every known reformed—” he gave skeptical stress to the word “reformed”, “—criminal and threat to Equestria. The lesser threats will be marked and registered, and the major threats will be found and processed immediately. Once the votes come in and the act is passed, my task force will disperse throughout Equestria and begin finding these beings and process them for registry. By force, if we have to—”
“Thank you, Captain, that will be all!”
After Celestia’s voice came on, most of the room sighed in relief, and Dash grumbled, “’Bout time. Jerk . . . .”
“And that was Captain Thunderbolt,” the announcer came back, “coming to you live from Canterlot Palace. The princess seems eager to get him started, she’s ushering him back inside now. Copies of the final revisions for this new act have been sent magically to every household in Equestria, and responses will be tallied for the next week. And if the majority vote accepts this new act, it will be ratified in Canterlot another two days after the tally is taken—”
The radio was suddenly silenced, and everypony turned to see Starlight getting up, her horn alight as she magicked the radio off. Her face had now seemed to sink deep into itself, and the knowledge of defeat seemed to be etched onto her features more deeply than ever.
“I think that’s all we needed to hear,” she finally croaked, a sure sign that she hadn’t used her voice in weeks.
“Starlight, no,” Twilight said, stamping a hoof. “This isn’t the end. It’s just the beginning. This is only when the vote begins. All we need to do is vote against it. We’ll play our part, just like the rest of Equestria. And if it does end up getting passed, we can still fight this. We can contest it, we can appeal, we can do everything in our power to maintain your freedom—”
“Twilight, just stop!” Starlight blurted. Tears began to well up in her worn, baggy eyes. “They revised the act. They announced that they’re going through with it. This whole voting thing is just for show. The Princesses already made up their minds. And they’re Princesses. No one can oppose them or contest them.”
“That’s crazy talk!” Rainbow Dash retorted. “Celestia can listen to reason! It’s not like—”
“Come on, open your eyes!” Starlight yelled out, blinking once and letting her tears descend. “They wanted Discord sealed in stone, and it happened! Celestia wanted Luna banished to the moon, and it happened! She wanted Twilight to revive the Elements of Harmony, and it happened! There’s nothing Celestia can’t have if she tries hard enough! It’s over! I might as well turn myself in now!”
The whole room was bathed in silence. Applejack and Rarity wore the same wrinkled brow and unsteady lips. Pinkie sniffled as her puffy mane drooped and straightened autonomously. Cadance and Shining Armor glanced at each other. Even Dash seemed rendered speechless—her mouth was agape and her eyes were dinner-plate wide.
Twilight approached her pupil and placed a hoof on her shoulder, similarly to when they’d left the Canterlot Palace weeks earlier. “Starlight . . . I—”
“Face it, Twilight,” she cut off her mentor, “I’m a criminal. I always was. And after this act passes . . . I always will be.”
Another weighty silence overcame the room. Twilight looked from face to face, and saw nothing but melancholy. Even Applejack and Rarity looked on with sparkling eyes.
“Twily,” Shining Armor spoke softly and approached his sister. “Don’t give up. Whatever happens, you won’t lose me. Your BBBFF. We’re together on this. You can count on that.”
Twilight looked up into her brother’s hopeful eyes, but did not speak. She couldn’t even tell how she looked, but based on Armor’s slowly-weakening features, she must not have looked very hopeful herself.
Everypony glanced at the room Fluttershy and Spike had gone to when a loud belch sound went off and a green light flickered in that direction. A few seconds later, Spike came back out, his lips smoking and his claws weighed down with a stack of papers.
“I guess this is the proposal,” he said, holding it out to them. He read the top page out loud, which said in bold, ornate letters:
REFORMED ANTAGONIST
REGULATION ACT
R.A.R.A.
In the corner of the room, Pinkie Pie briefly giggled at the sound of the acronym.
“There’s an extra few sheets and one says we have a week to vote yes or no,” Spike continued as he set the proposal on a nearby table. “Well, I can’t vote, ‘cause of my age, but . . . I-I’ll leave you guys to it. I’ll let Fluttershy know.” And with that, he turned on his heel and padded back into the room Fluttershy was still occupying.
Twilight, Rainbow Dash, Applejack, Rarity, Pinkie Pie, Cadance, Shining Armor and Starlight approached the table, and the proposal, and stared at it for a good few seconds, as if expecting it to get up on its own and start yelling out the terms written on it. One would not have been shocked to know if that was the case—they stood staring at that stack of papers for a very long time.
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Did I? Did I hear that correctly?
Yep a death battle parody. I actually kinda want to see it now. Tirek vs Starlight
7612747 A few silly references to soften the drama blow.
There's a couple more references to other things, if you look closely. 
I hope Every Pony read to deal with the conqunces in the end.
Twilight will have to find some recruits for battle.
I was very happy to see att
thank u
I have the strangest feeling that the attack at the archives, Moon Dancer's lack of a reaction and her knowing about the time travel spell will be important later on.
You forgot when Rarity used that spell from the episode Inspiration Manifestation that caused chaos in Ponyville.
Loved that small death battle reference! Personally my money would be on Tirek. As for the chapter, the mane 6 already starting to divide before the announcement is definitely not a good sign. Fluttershy seems like she's trying to go neutral, but for how long can she stay like that? If this is just a small group of friends, how is the rest of Equestria coping with this?
Right now we have Rainbow and Pinkie on team Twilight, and maybe Starlight once she feels better, and Applejack and Rarity on team Moon Dancer. Looks like both sides are going to want to recruit more members soon.
Okay, this whole law is a terrible one and Twilight points out a few things. Ponies tend to bloody overreact and cause natural disasters themselves. Heck, it happens so often that they get used to them. While I get the whole 'someone could be hurt', given that ponies tend to survive cartoonish levels of violence, even in serious tones of the show sometimes.
Also, I've got to say that this registration will have the opposite effect then what you want. This law will actually make ponies less accepting and those that have done wrong much less inclined to turn themselves in or start again. I've honestly got to be honest. Ponies are rather forgiving. As long as you actively try to make right your wrongs, they don't seem to want to hate. Heck, they allowed a changeling into their midst. {Also, I should mention that the ponies of her town willingly joined her. The only thing Starlight lied about was her cutie mark. The rest were her own beliefs. While her methods were questionable, they willingly went along with it until they themselves chose not to when it turned out she had a cutie mark.} If anything, I can see the town ponies defending Starlight.
Also, this law can't apply to the Crystal Empire since Cadance would have to approve it herself. The Crystal Empire is more of a City State itself, though it is 'kind of' part of Equestria. It'd be a safe spot for reformies since Equestria is apparently okaying this law...... I mean, they wouldn't just force this law onto Cadance and her subjects willy nilly. That would be kind of tyranical.
I spy Screw Attack!
I loved the Death Battle reference!
Thunderbolt is a massive prick. Starlight is well-characterized. This is all super fun. Can't wait for more.
Great chapter! The rising tension is well written, like the characters. I will await the next chapter with great trepidation.
7612846 Maaaaaaybe . . . .
7612852 True. But I was always under the impression that Rarity was under the book's influence, so it wasn't entirely her fault. And Spike gave it to her in the first place (though it wasn't entirely his fault, either). Guess I didn't think about it.
7612877 You make some very good points. But forgiveness doesn't change the fact that some ponies continue to be irresponsible with what they do and how they behave. Discord is living proof that forgiveness can only go so far before someone stops and goes, "Enough is enough." Forgiveness doesn't change the past, or save lives, or deliver consequences. It only allows history to repeat itself.
7612837 Thanks for the follow!
7613086 "Elm Street", right?
7613395 Thanks for reading and favoriting!
Thunder Bolt i hate him so much.
Moon dancer is a real b***h oh a hate her!
But this story is so good and it its Random and well writen.
I spotted that clever use of "Ya shoulda called this game, Bird vs Camel". Im interested to see how the villains fall in line with the act if/when it goes through in the terms of smaller criminals, such as Flim and Flam (Though them in particular, they'd try and milk the situation for what its worth for them, I'd think) Regardless, I like where this is going!
7613427 Why would being under the book's influence get her off? The whole point of the law is that there's no excuse for anything and no one can ever be forgiven.
7615323 By that logic, a two-year-old who finds and plays with his dad's gun and accidentally shoots and kills his mother should get 25 to life. The law isn't always black and white, which is just one aspect to what this fic, and the film it's based on, represents. Freedom and choice versus absolute accountability. Neither is entirely right or entirely wrong. That's where a bulk of the conflict lies.
He's Magician and IIIIIII'm Bangstick!:rainbow laugh:
Death Battle I love Death Battle!
Do you have a favorite fight?
7616365 Not really sure. I think I like Mewtwo vs. Shadow best. And Vegeta vs. Shadow had me laughing, even if it was in earnest.
But Goku vs. Superman was bullshit. Both of them.
So I have mixed feelings about Screw Attack Death Battles.
7616649 Really? How was Goku vs Superman bullshit?
7617216 Both Goku vs Superman battles are controversial because Goku is a much more popular character than Superman, but lost to him in both fights. While I like Goku more and am upset that he lost, I personally can accept the reasoning behind it, especially once they go into detail both times. Really Goku is a character meant to inspire others to work hard and achieve goals, but Superman is meant to symbolize the ultimate strength and what we as a people can become with something to look up to. That's not to say I agree with every death battle result however. I'm still upset over how they made Shadow lose to both Vegeta and Mewtwo.
7618065 Huh well I've always agreed with them their reasons for the outcome of a fight always made sense to me. Except He-Man vs Lion-O but when I listened to it again it made sense sometimes I get confused over simple stuff I think we all do sometimes. Also don't feel too bad about Goku losing in the 1st fight Superman was forced to destroy the earth to win in the rematch Goku lost again but was still able to continue his dream of just getting stronger. Goku has a very rare talent were even when he loses he still in a way ends up winning which is one of the many things to admire about him. Dragon Ball Z is my favorite show what's yours?
Shouldn't this discussion about something unrelated to this fanfic be moved to PMs?
Honestly, I have to side with Moondancer, AJ, Thunderbolt and Rarity on this. Twilight, Pinkie, Rainbow and everyone against this law need to understand that you can't just forgive and forget. Everyone has to face the consequences and take responsibility for their actions, whether they want to or not.
Certainly capturing the feel of the Marvel Universe Civil War. And this beats out the movie with its title, since it actually lets you choose a side. Seriously, is a movie giving top billing to Captain America really expecting you to side with Iron Man? I see where Moondancer is coming from, but I'm surprised nopony has asked how her solution and method makes her any better than a villain herself.
No sympathy for Celestia and Co in this one.
Moondancer sounds and acts like a jealous teenager who'sall ragey because her crush dated the bad girl in school, Thunderbolt is... well, as ridiculous as the comic character that inspired him, and Celestia shifting the blame to Twilight, who, by the way, didn't even WANT Discord released, leaves a bad taste in my mouth. It feels like self preservation.
AJ and Rarity I get, though I think both will end up switching sides by the end.
7681446
I know what you mean. Im Amending Fences I didn't really feel that sympathetic towards Moondancer because she seemed to have this entitement complex over Twilight.
Guess we know a bit what some of the teammembers are.
Anti-registration:
-Twilight Sparkle
-Pinkie Pie
-Rainbow Dash
-Shining Armor
Pro-registration
-Moondancer
-Rarity
-Applejack
I always knew tht Rarity would be for pro registration and rainbow dash would be for anti registration even before this story came on the site.
7719450
Shining Armor has chosen a side? Did I miss something?
Edit: Just had another look. Yes, Shining says he'll support Twilight, but he hasn't clearly chosen to approve the act or not... and we still don't know what Cadance will do. But we'll find out in the next chapter, I think.
I hope everything's going to be alright in the very end.
Hello, can we have news please?
7809129 I'm sorry, but I can't give you a report that I don't have.
7613427 From that, I'm getting the feeling that she IS involved somehow.
Don'rt know HOW, but somehow.
Twilight needs to realize those rose-colored glasses are blinding her. Or at least giving her tunnel vision.
The more this progresses, the more I feel that I need to choose Twiley's stance. Because while I sympathize and agree with Moondancer's position, there is something not right about all of this. Especially with that mysterious unicorn stealing memories and Thunderbolt aggressively pushing himself into position of authority and control over others.
It's funny as I would have assumed that Rainbow Dash would be for his act given her past actions and those around them. What made her go against it ?
7635314
That's not what's being suggested in this law though, basically if you screw up once for whatever crime you did (whether that be small or large.) you're in chains for good. Some sons of bitches deserve to be in permanent chains or better yet put down, but most deserve a second chance to make up for their faults. Basically it's let the punishment fit the crime and minor crimes means minor punishment that aren't permanent, this law means that everyone gets the same hard punishment that someone like Tierk or Queen Chysila gets, even if it doesn't compare at all to what they did and it equates to lottering around some place you weren't suppose to be lottering in.
I'm calling it now, Thunderbolt bitch face McGee is behind all of this and is pulling the strings to make friends fight each other over different views that they have on a situation that he kicked into motion. He probably also set that pack of Timberwolves to attack Ponyville via baiting them into Ponyville via food or whatever attracts them.