//------------------------------// // It Takes Two Towns To Start A Feud // Story: Apart From The Pegasi // by KillerChainsaw //------------------------------// Some time having passed as Applejack now went around the small town of Ponyville, telling all the citizens to gather at the town hall, and luckily being able to get the help of the mayor as well as quite a few of the other townsfolk so that they all could be rallied up much quicker, while Twilight, Rainbow Dash and Spike finished off their breakfast, before they too all headed to the town hall together. It not being long before the whole town was garthered together as all of the ponies of Ponyville seemed confused as to what was happening in their little town right now, and it being obvious that they all wanted some answers as they stood around asking each other questions, while Twilight and Dash stood at the front of town hall, the Princess sighing slightly before she lifted her head when feeling Dash rest a comforting hoof on her shoulder. Glancing back to the cyan pegasus and seeing her giving her an encouraging smile, causing the Princess to smile back to her slightly, before she nodded to herself now and walked up to the front of the crowd of ponies all talking to each other, and called out to them, luckily getting their attention rather easily it seemed. "Can I have your attention please!" The Princess raised her voice hoping that she would be heard over all the other talking ponies, and luckily it was enough to distract the townsfolk from talking to each other as they all soon quieted down and turned to Twilight, looking to their ruler, seeming to be hoping that she would explain just what was going on right now and what was with all the guards walking around the town all of a sudden. Twilight widing her eyes as she obviously wasn't expecting the whole town to turn to her so quickly, as she bit her bottom lip and felt the nerves getting to her a little as she looked at all the poines staring back at her with looks of concern and questioning. The lavender mare turning her head back to Dash for a moment as she stood behind the Princess along with Spike, the pegasus just nodding to her with a confident expression, causing Twilight to nod back to her, before she took a deep breath and now turned back to look at the townsfolk again, being able to pick out Applejack and the others all hundled together in the crowd as they all caught her gaze and gave her encouraging smiles as well. "I know you all are confused by the fact that there are guards patrolling around the town, and you're all probably looking for some answers to what might be going on at the moment, but although I can't give you all the answers that you may have, I will say that the guards are only here for the town's protection and there should be no cause for alarment at this point," Twilight explained as she caused the crowd of ponies to all look to each other as they seemed even more confused now, all of them soon looking back to Twilight again with questioning expressions. "But Princess Twilight, what is it that we need protecting from exactly?" The mayor of the town asked as she stood at the front of the crowd, catching the attention of the Princess and causing her to look back to her now, while the rest of the crowd continued to stay silent as they all were waiting for Twilight's reply to the mayor's question it seemed. Twilight hesitated for a moment as she took a deep breath and nodded to herself again, "I'm afraid that a threat has been made by a pegasus from Cloudsdale named Lightning Dust, for all of you that met her please know that she is not the pony who she claimes to be, and although we are not certain of her plans just yet, we do know that Ponyville could very well be in danger. After all Lightning Dust and a few other pegasi from Cloudsdale have already started to hurt the ponies living here, and they have even stopped a pegasus from going back to her home," she stated as she glanced to Dash standing behind her, and saw the cyan mare turn away as she just hung her head and glanced back to her bandaged up wings, while Twilight gave her a slightly concerned expression, and the crowd of ponies all began looking to each other and exchanging whispers amongest themselves for a few moments all of them clearly looking shocked and surprised with this news being told to them all of a sudden, before Twilight soon turned back to them all again. "However I assure all of you as the ruler of both Ponyville and Cloudsdale I will make sure you are all safe, and nopony else will get hurt from this point on. We are uncertain of Lightning Dust's exact location at the moment, but we have already informed Princess Celestia about all this, and more members of the Royal Guard are looking for her right now. And once she's found, whatever her plans may be, they will be stopped and she shall be brought to justice for all the pain that she has caused," she stated in a more confident voice as she looked to the crowd with a determined expression, causing them to all look a bit un-easy now that they knew what was going on, but it obviously seeming to have caught them off guard as it wasn't long before they all began turning to each other and asking questions in low tones, however all of them soon quieting down again as Twilight spoke up a few momentes later. "Now I know this is a lot for you all to take in, and the news may make you all feel a little on edge, but please trust me when I say that we are working to reslove this matter as quickly as possibly, and until Lightning Dust is found, protecting this town is my top priority right now," she gave the crowd of ponies a reassuring smile, as most of them soon nodded back to her in reply, still feeling un-easy about the danger that could possibly be heading for them and their little town, but also having faith and knowing to trust in their Princess was the best thing they could do right now, until Lighting Dust was found and stopped. Questions now starting to arise from the crowd as they were all still feeling unsure about everything that was going on, and how they should go about their everyday lives even though their little town could very well be in danger soon enough. It not being long before Twilight was getting a little overwhelmed with all the questions which unfortunately right now she just didn't have the answers to most of them. "Princess Twilight, why is this happening, why do the pegasi up in Cloudsdale hate us so much?" A rather young mare asked, catching Twilight's attention as she turned to the mare and gave her a slightly concerned expression as she saw the look of worry that the mare was wearing at the moment. Glancing back to Dash as the pegasus just looked back to Twilight with a nervous expression, knowing that this was never going to be easy to explain to the ponies of Ponyville. The Princess just turned back to the young mare as she sighed, before giving her an reassuring, small smile now in return. "I'm afraid I don't know...but I do intend to find out soon enough," She stated giving the mare a confident expression as she caused the mare to widen her eyes a little, before she soon nodded back to her slowly in reply, still seeming to have a worried look on her face at the moment. As Twilight was asked more and more questions, before Dash, Applejack and the others all came over to help the Princess, diverting the crowd's attention from Twilight as much as they could, while she was thankful to them all for doing so. .... A couple of hours passing as things had finally calmed down after a long while, the crowd of ponies soon dying down enough for Twilight, Dash and Spike to escape from all the questioning, Applejack and the others helping them as they would be sure to answer any questions that the remaining ponies asked, as Twilight thanked them all before she left along with Dash and Spike, as they all headed back to the library together. Spike starting to clean up the kitchen from breakfast as he knew they would be having lunch soon enough, while Dash lay down on the floor once her and Twilight had entered the library, "Man, those ponies sure can talk, I couldn't even hear myself think. I don't think we've got that much attention from this town since news first got out about you and I being together Twi," the pegasus stated as she looked back to her marefriend and gestured for her to come and lie beside her on the library floor. Twilight just smiling slightly as she sighed and came to lay down beside Dash a moment later. "Well considering the news we just told them all about, they are bound to be confused and ask us questions about everything, after all once we found out the truth we were probably feeling the same as they are right now" the Princess said as she glanced away from Dash as she thought about all the questions that the ponies of Ponyville had asked her, a good few sticking in her mind it seemed as her smiled soon faded, causing Dash to look to her with a slightly concerned expression now. "Hey Twi?" Dash caught Twilight's attention as she rested a hoof on the Princess's shoulder, and caused her to turn back to her a momenter later. "What are you thinking about?" The pegasus asked as she could clearly tell that something was on Twilight's mind right now, that seemed to be bothering her at the moment, Dash resting a hoof over the Princess's as she gave her an understanding expression while Twilight just sighed slightly looking back to Dash with a small smile in return. "It's nothing, it's just...a few of those questions really did get to me I guess," Twilight simply shrugged her shoulders as she glanced away from Dash for a moment, causing the pegasus to look back to her with a questioned expression. "What do you mean Twi?" "Well...we still don't know just why Lightning Dust, and those other pegasi from Cloudsdale are doing this, I mean they've got to have some reason for wanting to cause all the pain they have right? When I went to Cloudsdale, Before we went to go and see Princess Celestia, I did ask them why they were choosing to help Lightning Dust, but they didn't really answer me," Twilight explained as she let another sigh leave her lips, while she thought about when she talked to that group of pegasi up in Cloudsdale, and wondered just what their reason was for doing all that they had along with Lightning Dust. Dash just looking concerned to Twilight again as she thought back to the afternoon that she got hurt, and remembering what Lightning Dust had said about the ponies of Ponyville, 'Just where was Lightning coming from with what she was saying back then?' she wondered as she sighed a little as well, before she looked back to Twilight, and knew this matter was most probably going to stay on her marefriend's mind for quite some time as these things always did until they were pretty much resloved and she didn't need to worry about them anymore. The cyan mare soon shaking her head as she just glanced back to Twilight, and caught her attention a moment later, "I know I'm going to regret asking this, but...what do you want to do Twi?" she asked causing Twilight to turn back to her, the Princess giving her a curious expression, seeming to be wondering what she meant at first, before she just lowered her voice and looked nervous now, while Dash just raised an eyebrow to her marefriend in response. Twilight seeming to just be thinking for a few moments as she looked down to Dash's hoof resting over her's, "Well I know there isn't really anything more we can do to help putting a stop to Lightning Dust's plans while she's still missing at this point, but...she isn't the only pony we have to watch out for, what about those other pegasi that are up in Cloudsdale right now? Just what part do they play in all of this? Shouldn't we...find out that much at least?" the Princess nervously asked as she looked to Dash with an anxious expression, having a feeling that she already knew what her marefriend's answer was going to be, as the pegasus just stayed silent while looking back to Twilight with a raised eyebrow still. Seeming to not get what Twilight was hinting at for a little bit, before she soon widened her eyes and caught on to what her marefriend was trying to tell her without being that obvious as she just turned away from Dash and nervously bit her bottom lip, while the pegasus now rolled her eyes, and could see just what the Princess was getting at. "You want to go back up there again, don't you?" She asked as she sighed deeply and simply got a small nod from Twilight in reply, Dash knowing that they would eventually have to go back up to Cloudsdale again, but going back so soon after Twilight had almost got attacked, and when Lightning Dust was still missing was putting her off quite a bit. However she could see just where Twilight was coming from at the moment, as the Princess just continued to look back at her nervously. "It's just...even if Lightning Dust is caught and stopped, that doesn't mean that all our problems go away, after all the two towns are still not even close to making peace or trying to start a fresh at all. So while I know the danger of going back up there right now...I honestly don't see another way for us to sort what's really going on here. Our goal has always been to end this feud between the two towns right?" Twilight looked back to Dash as she gave her another anxious expression, unsure if the pegasus would agree to this idea of her's at all. Dash just narrowing her eyes a little, before she glanced away from Twilight slightly now. "And I guess we can't do that by just sitting and waiting around here, can we?" she replied as she glanced back to Twilight and caused her to widen her eyes in surprise now, as she clearly wasn't expecting Dash to agree to them trying to go back up to Cloudsdale again, seeing Dash letting a small smile form on her lips as she moved closer to the pegasus and made her turn back to her again. "Really, we can go Dash?" the Princess asked as she looked to her marefriend with hope-filled eyes, as Dash just nodded a moment later in reply, and caused Twilight to smile back to her now. "But we're taking the guards with us this time," Dash warned as she wasn't going to risk either one of them getting hurt or be in danger of getting attacked again, so bringing the two guards that had been sent to protect them specifically would be the best way for them to prevent that right now, but it meaning that they could still go to Cloudsdale and maybe finally get some answers. Twilight just nodding in return as she herself had no intention of putting either of them in danger, and this time they would take precautions just in case things did get a little out of hand at all, 'I know we might have trouble once we go back up to Cloudsdale, but I'm the ruler of that floating city just as I am for this little town, so if there's a probelm between them that's been going on for this long, then it's about time that I got to the bottom of it,' the Princess thought to herself as she looked determined now. Her and Dash soon telling Spike just where they were going, and saying not to bother making any lunch for them, before they said their goodbyes to the young dragon, and began to head off to Cloudsdale, Dash traveling on Twilight's back, while the two guards that were sent to protect the two were now following along behind them, both of them being sure to stay alert at all times once they would enter the city that floated just above Ponyville. .... The journey to Cloudsdale not taking them all that long as once they had entered the city, they stuck to the outskirts as to not draw much attention to themselves. Twilight soon landed on a cloud and let Dash down, while the pegasus looked around her hometown, wondering where those pegasi that hurt her were, and how long it would take them to find them all, as she remembered there were quite a lot of them back when Lightning first introduced them to her. "So what's the plan here Twi?" Dash asked as she was hoping to not get noticed by any of the residents in the city, while also still trying to see if she could spot any of the pegasi that she knew had been helping Lightning out with her plans. "Well I was thinking that in order for us to find these pegasi we might need to split up with one guard following along side us, since we can't be sure that the pegasi that we are looking for will all be together," Twilight explained as she too was looking all around the city, while the two pegasi guards stood to attention on the cloud, waiting for orders it seemed at the moment. Dash just nodding back to Twilight in reply, having a bit of an un-easy expression, as she didn't really want to split up from Twilight, but kinda guessing that it would be good for them since they could cover more ground and maybe have a better chance at finding those pegasi that they needed to speak with. However it seeming that Dash didn't have to worry about that for too long as the sound of a rather familiar voice caught their attention and caused them to both turn their heads to where the voice had come from now. "And just what are you doing back here, didn't you get the message the other day?" a female pegasus called out to Rainbow Dash as she and three others now came to land on the same cloud as Twilight and Dash, all four of the pegasi standing in-front of Dash while she just gave them all a stern stare in return recognising them all almost instantly as some of the pegasi that were helping out Lightning Dust. "Or do you just want us to give you another beating?" The mare that had called out to Dash asked as all four of the pegasi smirked now, while Dash just bared her teeth a little, wanting to wipe those annoying smirks off their faces, but refrained from doing so as she knew it wouldn't get her anywhere. Sighing slightly as she felt Twilight's hoof on her shoulder, and backed down stepping away from the four other pegasi, while the one that had just threatened her was raising her eyebrow in question a moment later. "We're not here for a fight alright?" the cyan mare stated as she let Twilight step forward in-front of her now, while the other pegasi all frowned a little, seeming to be wondering just what was going on, and what the other two were really here for. "We're just here for some answers from you all," Twilight added as she looked to the four pegasi with a stern expression, while they all just stared back to her blankly in reply, obviously not thinking very highly of her even though she was their Princess and ruler. "You again? What kind of answers are you talking about?" the mare that was just talking with Dash asked as she rolled her eyes a little upon seeing Twilight again, which caused both the Princess and Dash to glare slightly back at her in return. "Well we can't really get the answers that we want when there's only four of you here right now, after all I know there were many more of you when you all helped Lightning to almost break my wings," Dash stated as she chimed in again, causing the other pegasi to look back to her a moment later, Dash just giving the pegasi a stern stare still, while the mare that had just been talking to Twilight soon narrowed her eyes, before she looked to the other three pegasi and made a gesture to them with her head. "Go and get the others," She instructed as the other three pegasi soon just nodded and flew off without much of a second thought, making it easy enough for Dash and Twilight to guess that this mare that had been talking to them both had most likely been put in charge of things after Lightning Dust had left and gone missing. Twilight and Dash now being left along with this one pegasus, as they all just stared sternly to one another while they waited in silence, and luckily them not having to wait for very long it seemed, as only a few minutes had passed and the other three pegasi had returned, bringing along the rest of the group that had been helping Lightning out with her plans so far. "So we're all here now, what did you want to ask us, Princess?" The mare that had instructed the others to come asked as all of the pegasi narrowed their eyes to Twilight and Dash, while the two looked around at them all in return, giving them slight glares before the Princess soon looked to the mare in front of her, and decided to direct most of her attention on her rather than all of the other pegasi, as she knew Dash and the guards were keeping a close eye on them all, knowing to be watchful to see if any of them were starting to close in on Twilight or anything like that. However the other pegasi hovering on the outside of the cloud, not seeming to even try moving to attack the Princess at all, as it was quite obvious to them that there wasn't much point to them trying anything, when they would be stopped in no time by the two pegasi guards that were currently being very alert while being around them right now. "I came to ask you all why you are doing all this? Why are you helping out Lightning Dust like this?" Twilight asked as she sighed slightly and softened her expression now, deciding that it was better for her to try and approach this in a civilized manner, after all she knew hassling the pegasi wasn't going to really get her anywhere at all at the moment. "You want to know why, and just why should we tell you that?" the mare in charge just raised her eyebrow again, as Twilight felt a little anxious, before just shaking off that feeling, knowing she couldn't let her guard down, and just had to keep pushing until she eventually got the answers that she was looking for, although she kind of guessed doing that would definitely take her some time. "Well, maybe we can help you?" Twilight suggested in a polite tone, causing the small crowd of pegasi all to just glare to her, as the mare standing in-front of the Princess bared her teeth a little in response. "And just why would we ever want help from you?" "Tell me, do you really want to keep living like this? Don't ever want to end this feud between Cloudsdale and Ponyville, and try to get along with the ponies down there again?" the Princess asked as she tried to reach out to the pegasi as they all just shook their heads in response as it seemed like starting a fresh with the ponies in Ponyville just wasn't something they were going to be willing to agree with. "Why would we ever want to try and get along with them? All they ever did was try and run us out of their stupid little town with no reguard to our feelings at all," the pegasus in charge stated as she obviously looked angered now, while all the other pegasi nodded in agreement clearly having the same feeling towards the ponies of Ponyville it seemed. Causing Dash to just look confused however as she tlitled her head a little in return. "I honestly don't see where you're all coming from with that, after all the ponies from Ponyville have always been very welcoming to us, we were the ones that weren't willing to try and get along with them all," Dash stated as she really couldn't remember the ponies from the town below ever being anything but humble and kind towards the pegasi of her hometown, causing the other pegasi to all just roll their eyes in response to her now. "You just don't get it do you?...you...you just wouldn't understand," the mare in charge stated in a lower tone as she sighed and looked away from Twilight and Dash for a moment, while the two glanced to each other with slightly nervous expressions, before the Princess turned back to the small crowd of angered pegasi and caught their attention with another question now. "Then help us understand," she gave the pegasi a kind expression, letting them know that she was willing to listen to whatever they had to say, and wasn't going to judge them for it or anything. Seeming to make the pegasus in charge hesitate for a few moments, before she just continued to speak in a low voice in return. "Honestly I know you may think that all the ponies that live down there are kind and welcoming, but you couldn't be more wrong, after all some of them...they were just horrible to most of us, and they clearly didn't want us around at all," she repiled as she bit her bottom lip and seemed to be getting more angered by just talking about the ponies of Ponyville now. The other pegasi all nodding their heads in agreement, it looking like they were all letting their guard down a little as they were clearly more focused on thinking about those ponies living below them that they hated with such a passion it seemed. 'They all look so resentful at the moment, just...just what happened with them and the ponies of Ponyville to cause them to feel this way, and eventually cause this feud between them all to begin?' Twilight questioned as she thought for a few moments, always having a feeling that there was more to this feud between the two towns than she had already been told, and now she could see how maybe she just might finally be getting to the bottom of how it all began.