//------------------------------// // Chapter 2 - The Departure of the Cutie Mark Crusaders // Story: Tirek's Reform // by Harratot33 //------------------------------// "Aren't ya just glad I'm safe and sound, Applejack?" Apple Bloom asked. "Rarity," said Sweetie Belle. "If I were you, I'd just be happy I hadn't been turned into a slave with no mind of my own by that scary allicorn!" The Cutie Mark Crusaders were still in the forcefield in the aftermath of Spatium's attack on Ponyville with The Mane Six, Starlight Glimmer and Princess Cadance. "We're all overjoyed at your safety," Cadance asserted. "But it was terribly dishonest of you all to go sneaking into such a treacherous battle site like that!" "Apple Bloom, I'd like you and your friends to be honest," said Applejack. "The question I think we're all pondering on is: why?" "Well..." Apple Bloom and Sweetie Belle were hesitant. Scootaloo not so much. "We wanted to be involved with a major fight for once because we've never done that before!" she blurted out. The others all scowled. "There's a good reason for that!" Twilight seethed. "What...we're too young?" "Totally!" This came from Rainbow Dash; she knew how much she meant to Scootaloo, and that she would automatically agree with anything she might say, as if she had been programmed to do so. "You guys are way too vulnerable to help catch a bank robber, let alone help deal with somepony as crazy powerful as Spatium!" "He's enslaved everyone in Equestria," Sweetie Belle acknowledged. "But so did you in the case of The Town With No Name, Starlight!" "Way to rub it in!" she shouted. "What makes Spatium so darn..." Apple Bloom's query was interrupted by a simple gesture made by the rest of the group to the corpses of Celestia and Luna. The Cutie Mark Crusaders gasped in horror. "I'm so sorry, guys, I didn't..." "Celestia and Luna are dead?!" Sweetie Belle screamed. "But they were so gentle, and sweet, and loyal...and..." She was unable to continue; tears were flooding out from her eyeballs faster than she could possibly control. "That Spatium is a MONSTER!!" Scootaloo yelled, crying too. "He's not just a monster," said Cadance empathetically. "He's also going to be back for us very shortly. If we refuse to cater to his each and every whim, he'll be less than forgiving. And we can't let anything bad happen to you fillies!" "BUT...but..." Apple Bloom wailed. "If my sister and her friends are about to go through terrible experiences, I wanna be there to share those terrible experiences with them!" "You three are far too important," Applejack said tearfully. "You're only hope of survival is to go with the rest of the evacuated ponies. "W...while you guys are treated so mercilessly by that evil-doer?" Sweetie Belle was in tears now, too. "And we'll all become as evil as he is!" "It can't be helped, darling!" Rarity bawled. "Will we ever see you all again?" "I'm not going to sugar-coat it," said Twilight, tears flowing out her eyes as quickly as everyone else's. "I'm not sure. It depends on how effective the elements of harmony are on Spatium. If we don't make it out alive, at least you guys will have each other and...and..." The trio of fillies hugged Twilight and the others. "Promise me you'll all go to the nearest city and join with the evacuated citizens." "If it's what you all want, we'll do it!" Scootaloo wept. "Go now!" Cadance said firmly. "There's not much time." She, Rarity and Twilight produced an opening in their forcefield and the three fillies scampered out, gave one last wave to the group, and left, eventually going completely out of sight. "What now?" Pinkie Pie asked. "I want for one want to know what's taking Spike and Trixie so long with the elements!" said Rainbow Dash. "I didn't see any smoke coming from the Everfree Forest," said Twilight. "I suspect Spatium refrained from setting it ablaze so he could put all his slaves in one place, and..." "What is it?" Starlight Glimmer blubbered. "I suspect he may be after the elements of harmony." "We'll give it another few minutes and then go after them." said Cadance. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- "How much longer till we reach the town square?" Spike asked. "Patience!" Trixie said impatiently. "We've nearly reached the edge of the forest." Just then, who should come running out in front of Trixie to block her path but Zecora. "You must not leave!" "Ooh...ooh, I wonder what crazy rhymes Zecora's come up lately!" Spike was excited, but his mood turned to bitter disappointment when Zecora repeated: "You two are to stay here. Stellas Spatium is our leader." "Are you ill?" Trixie asked. "You two must stay here, where you can serve Stellas Spatium." "You don't reckon he's altered everypony's personality so they act this way?" Trixie whispered to her companion. "I do!" Spike admitted quietly back to her. "I also reckon we ought to get out of here and find Twilight!" "Leave it to me!" Trixie swiftly fished into her cape and pulled out a smoke bomb, smashing it onto the ground and running in the process, obviously. --------------------------------------------------------------------------------- "I'm tired of waiting!" Pinkie Pie shouted. "Calm down, Pinkie," Twilight responded. "We're only gonna be waiting another minute." "60 seconds?" "I was speaking figurativ--" "Okey-dokey-lokey!" A few seconds later, however, she resumed chanting: "Where are they? Where are they? Where are they?" "We're here!" Spike yelled. "Wow did that actually work?!" Pinkie said, surprised. "Spike!" The baby dragon embraced Twilight, and Trixie did the same to Starlight. "I see you've got the elements," said Twilight. "Here, let me put them in my saddleback." And she did just that. "How long were we gone?" Trixie asked. "Um...I think it's about lunchtime..." Fluttershy estimated. Before anypony could utter another word, however, as suddenly as a downpour in the middle of August, the group all heard Stellas Spatium's more-than-menacing voice—his actual, true vocals—in their minds! Everypony and nopony could hear him, for everypony in Equestria heard him speak in their minds at that moment, but if one pony were to be mysteriously unaffected, they would have heard absolutely nothing. You are hearing the voice of your new leader, Stellas Spatium. The voice went. Princess Celestia and Princess Luna were weak and foolish, so I obliterated them. And I will obliterate anypony who does not abide by my laws! Twilight and the others felt as if their hearts were about to explode out of their chests. Everypony will work for me and I will work for them, as Equestria's one and true ruler! My first act as this place's ultimate leader will be to balance all the dimensions in the universe as I see fit. Yes, as the one who was destined to lead everypony in Equestria but was never given the chance...well, I feel I have the right to take my power up...just a notch. Everywhere in the entire multi-verse will bow before Stellas Spatium!! There was a lengthy pause before Fluttershy realised, and screamed: "DISCORD!!!"