//------------------------------// // Chapter Six - We Make Our Own Magic // Story: Many Happy Reunions // by EchoWing //------------------------------// The remainder of the afternoon was a flurry of activity as more than a few ponies prepared themselves. As word spread about the party, more and more of the town grew eager for it. Not all of them knew the ponies whom the party was being thrown in honor of, but few cared – one didn’t miss a Pinkie Pie party. So far as things went for the ponies of honor, the three had found themselves ushered to Carousel Boutique where Rarity had swiftly seen to giving them proper accoutrements for the event. Both Sour and Quiver had practically gotten new outfits forced into their hooves and sent on their way, though neither offered much in the way of complaint with how they looked in them. “I didn’t know you worked with stallions-wear.” Sunrunner gave her host an appreciative smile as Rarity busied herself taking measurements. “Guess that’s another feather for your cap.” The fashionista gave a slight smile as she winced. “Well, I can’t take all the credit. I reached out to a business associate for assistance with Quiver’s formal attire. He and I both agreed that stallions needed much less in the way of frills than a lady would, and I’m glad I went with simple black. Though a deep brown would have worked just as well.” She frowned as she admitted, “Though I do wish that Quiver had included the tie.” “Well in his defense, life’s taught him to be paranoid.” The pegasus extended her wings as Rarity continued her measurements. “Quiver’s probably convinced that a long necktie will present a choking hazard, or an easy way for someone to strangle him.” “Well, from that perspective…” Rarity frowned as she finished her measurements and set aside her tape. “Sunrunner, may I admit something to you?” At her guest’s nod, the unicorn continued, “Darling, I find myself in two places with the two of you. On the one hoof, I feel terribly sorry for the both of you, given the hardship you’ve both had to face. Quiver especially in light of the abuse he’s suffered. But on the other, I find I’m rather jealous. Despite all the adversity you’ve faced, you had one another. And after all this time, you’ve found each other again, and are still very much in love.” A rueful smile spread across her face. “It’s the fairytale romance I’ve always hoped for.” Sunrunner gave the mare a smirk. “Rarity, don’t romanticize it too much. You said it yourself, Quivs and I have both had a lousy time of it.” Her expression grew warmer as she added, “Besides, a mare like you? I’m surprised there aren’t stallions beating down the door to get to you.” “Yes, well, I’ve a strange suspicion that I may well be my own worst enemy in that regard.” Rarity frowned. “I haven’t exactly been silent about the stallions that I’ve had an attraction towards. Ponies of sophistication and taste, or so I’d been led to believe. I’m guessing that you’re aware of how things went with Prince Blueblood?” Her guest nodded, and she continued, “Well, that was hardly the last. There was a more recent incident involving another stallion, Trenderhoof. I honestly thought that I had a chance with him, but…” “He wasn’t interested.” “Worse, he became infatuated with Applejack at first sight.” Rarity let out a very un-ladylike groan at the memory of that occasion. “It was as if I became invisible the instant he laid eyes upon her and…” She noticed the disapproving look on Sunrunner’s face. “What?” “Permission to be blunt?” At her host’s nod, the pegasus explained, “Rarity, I don’t think Trenderhoof was genuinely attracted to Applejack. Infatuated with his image of her and her lifestyle, maybe, but not to the degree that he was willing to get to know her as a pony. I mean, have they kept in touch?” “Well, no, and I imagine part of that involved Applejack making it firm that she wasn’t interested in him. He took it rather well, and even apologized for not realizing my infatuation with him. But still, can you blame me for being infatuated myself? He’s a trendsetter, he tells ponies what’s what…” “He’s a hipster. Granted, from what you’ve said he’s not the worst stereotype of that particular group, but still, he’s got a tendency to embrace the superficial without really getting into the nitty-gritty of what makes something what it is. He spends more time going around telling ponies what they should like than he does finding things that he likes for himself. It’s good that he’s fulfilled, but I doubt he’s gonna find anyone to share that life with anytime soon.” She gave a sad smile and admitted, “And I think you might have a similar problem.” Rarity turned to her in shock. “Darling! I can forgive being blunt, but I certainly hope you can defend yourself!” “Rarity, nopony can deny that you’re a wonderful pony. You’re the bearer of the Element of Generosity, after all, and you stand up for others and help to bring out the best in them the way you know how. Your dresses are beautiful, plain and simple. But the more you set your sights on stallions like Blueblood or Trenderhoof, the more you’re going to lose sight of ponies who can make you truly happy, and the more they’ll think they can’t measure up to your standards.” She smiled as she added, “Don’t get me wrong, I’m proud of what Quivs has done for himself, but I didn’t fall for him because he fought off timberwolves. I fell for him because he was a genuinely nice guy, because he stood fast for what he believed in, and because I loved his enthusiasm for the things he loved.” She gently nudged the mare before her with one hoof and added, “Good taste in friends doesn’t hurt much either. Something tells me that if I hadn’t come along, he’d have a soft spot for you.” Rarity blushed slightly at that. “Well, that is flattering.” The blush faded as she sighed. “Though I fear you might have a point there. As it is, the only open admirer I’ve had for some time is Spike, and I’m honestly unsure of how to treat that. Don’t get me wrong, I do appreciate how he feels about me, and I do care for him greatly, but I’m uncertain how to treat it.” “Because he’s a dragon?” “At first, yes, but it’s more to do with him being so young at this point. I’m a grown mare, and while Spike’s rather mature for his age, he’s still younger than my baby sister. I would talk with him about it, but I don’t want to break his heart.” “That might be a risk worth taking.” “I suppose.” Rarity sighed, then admitted, “I do hope that’s the only issue you have with me. I’d hate for you to accuse me of being manipulative.” Sunrunner smirked. “Haven’t gotten a reason yet. Still, you wouldn’t be nearly as bad as Primrose.” “Perhaps not, but one can still be manipulative without being deliberately hurtful.” She shook her head and made her way to a wardrobe. “Anyway, I apologize if it seems like I’m giving you a cast-off, but I do have a dress that I think will be perfect for you after some alterations. It’s something I made after considering ideas for your cousin…” The pegasus turned alarmed. “Whoa, Rarity! I can’t accept anything that you made for Shims!” Rarity smiled. “Relax, darling. I had plenty of ideas for her outfits, and Sunset and I have already discussed the matter. She is fine with you getting one of my designs for her, and if she were here, she’d insist on you wearing it. But at least look at it before you make a final decision, hmm?” Sunrunner frowned uneasily. “Fine, but…” The wardrobe opened, and her eyes went wide at what was inside. “…wow.” Rarity grinned. “I had a feeling you’d like it.” - “I don’t know what to think of this.” Sour Sweet frowned as she looked herself over. “On the one hoof, I’m having flashbacks to all those pageants Mom had me take part in as a kid. On the other…” She smiled. “This does look pretty good.” Thanks to Rarity, Sour had found herself with a fairly sensible dress that she could wear to formal occasions, colored in such a way that the upper portions complimented her coat while the actual gown matched her indigo eyes. A few bits of jewelry as well as some functional accessories, and she felt ready to be seen. “I just hope you have a little something hidden away on you just in case.” Quiver stepped out from where he’d been changing into his own attire for the evening and added, “Call me paranoid, but something tells me we’ll have some trouble before the night’s out.” He noticed the surprised look on her face. “What?” “Nothing, just…” Sour smirked. “Warbler’s gonna love this.” Quiver, much to his relief, had been blessed with a plain suit, though one that was a good fit to his frame. A white dress shirt, black vest and jacket covered much of his frame, and he had to admit, it did feel good wearing it. A quick bit of combing and some product to straighten out his mane, and he actually looked fairly presentable. “I hope so. As nice as I look, I doubt I’m gonna make this a regular thing.” He smiled as he looked himself over once more. “I do like the vest though. Makes me look sophisticated. All I’m missing is a watch on a chain, or a fancy scarf.” Sour shook her head. “Leave that kind of thing to the nobility, Quiver.” She stepped forward and gestured him out to the gathered crowd. “Come on. Like it or not, we’ve got us a shindig to get through.” - Indeed, there was a growing crowd on the fairgrounds near Ponyville. It had played host to a number of gatherings in the past, most of them one party or another hosted by Pinkie Pie, and even as the crowds gathered, she and her friends were getting the last bits in place, with some eager bits of assistance. “…An’ that’s the last’a the treats.” A trio of fresh apple pies were levitated onto a table as Applejack watched with satisfaction. “Some from me, an’ plenty from Pinkie. Hopefully there’ll be plenty fer everyone.” “Oh I imagine there will be more than enough for everyone.” Rarity surveyed the foodstuffs before them, then gave their smaller helpers a smile. “Especially considering the help we had in getting it here.” The three Crusaders managed proud smiles as Apple Bloom admitted, “Well helpin’ out’s the least we can do, considerin’. ‘Sides, we’d be helpin’ either way, considerin’ what happened last night.” “And much better to be providing assistance of your own volition rather than being forced into it.” Heads turned as a familiar middle-aged stallion and two of the Crusaders’ schoolmates approached, the latter pair with uneasy expressions on their faces. “If nothing else, it makes the job go much easier when you’re in a good mood.” Applejack laughed. “My sentiments exactly! Good seein’ ya, Mister Rich. Little surprised, but Ah ain’t complainin’.” Filthy Rich chuckled. “Well, I only thought it right to attend this gathering in light of the actions of those being honored. I owe them a debt I may never be able to repay. Speaking of which.” He turned to his side and softly beckoned, “Diamond?” The filly nodded and hesitatingly stepped forward. “May Silver Spoon and I have a minute alone with the Crusaders? Please?” The two older mares exchanged glances, then gave their charges worried looks before they nodded. “Alright, but keep in earshot.” Applejack gave Rarity a nod, then turned her attention back to Filthy Rich as the fillies moved off to one side. “Hope you can forgive our caution.” “Given their history with your sisters, it doesn’t surprise me.” There was clear regret in his voice at that. “I haven’t seen Princess Twilight. Is she on her way?” “Should be. Twi just had some things to take care of before she came.” The mare turned quiet as she asked, “How’ve things been since last night?” “I’m still figuring that out for myself. I had the staff clean out most of her belongings today, everything that could easily be packed away and removed from the house, while Randolph was looking after Silver Spoon and I Diamond. Regardless of how things go, that mare shall never set foot within my property again.” The stallion frowned sadly. “I thought the day Diamond was born would be the most exciting of my life. Clearly, the Maker had other plans. I’m still not sure who I should be unhappier with in all of this, myself or Spoiled.” “Way Ah figure it, she was the rotten apple in this bushel.” “Yes, but who was the one who allowed her to spoil Diamond? I’ve already gotten the process started on divorce proceedings, but something tells me that Spoiled will fight it, even if her own hooves are full with her criminal case.” He glanced over at his daughter. “I can only hope that I can repair whatever damage I’ve caused.” Applejack gave him an encouraging smile. “Ah’d say you’re off to a good start.” Filthy Rich’s frown only deepened. “I only hope that you’re right.” - “I guess I’m the last pony the three of you want to see, considering.” Diamond Tiara had the courtesy to look ashamed as she stood before her three victims. “I mean, I did cause you a lot more trouble than I had any right to.” Scootaloo frowned, but kept her response to herself. “I get the feeling an ‘I’m sorry’ isn’t going to make up for anything I did, and you’ve got every right to be mad at me about all of it.” “At both of us.” Silver Spoon was of similar temperament to her friend. “Diamond might’ve been the one in charge, but I still helped her.” “But I am grateful that the three of you came looking for us. It’s more than we deserved, and way more than I deserved. Thank you for that.” A tense silence followed as the Crusaders considered what their tormentors had said, before Scootaloo finally spoke up. “There’s a lot of things you didn’t deserve. Dealing with that mom of yours was one of them.” Apple Bloom gave the pair a half-smile. “Might be a while before we forgive all the stunts you two’ve done pulled, but it ain’t impossible fer it to happen.” The two former bullies looked at one another in surprise before relief formed on their faces as Diamond sighed. “We’ll take it.” She then gestured towards her saddlebags and added, “Anyway, I hope you don’t mind us wanting to give Mister Quiver something for what he did.” Sweetie Belle shook her head. “We’ve got something for him too.” Scootaloo giggle-snorted. “More like you’ve got something. Button Mash better look out, he’s got competition.” Before the unicorn filly could protest, a light tapping noise sounded from the stage’s speakers, and their vision was drawn towards the stage as Pinkie Pie called them to attention. “Good evening everypony, and thanks for coming!” The crowds gathered in as the party pony continued, “A while back, a stallion came to visit Ponyville and told us all a nice little story that he’d wrote. He liked it here so much, he came back to stay a little while later, and since then, he’s become a part of our little family. And tonight, we’re here to celebrate him and two ponies who’re near and dear to his heart. First and foremost, please welcome Quiver Quill!” The stomping of hooves in applause heralded Quiver as he stepped out onto the stage. His new formal attire helped to give him an air of confidence as he stepped towards the microphone and accepted it from his friend. “Thank you, Pinkie.” He turned towards the crowd and gave a nervous smile as Pinkie jumped off and joined the audience. “Wow. When Pinkie told me she was putting this together, I really didn’t expect this much of a turnout. Then again, who passes up a Pinkie Pie party?” He gave a nervous chuckle and continued, “Anyway, thank you all for coming. I can see quite a few ponies among you whom I’ve met personally, and quite a few that I’ve seen in passing. For the former, I’m glad to see you here. For the latter, well, hopefully I’ll get to know you better. For everyone, well, I hope that as good a welcome as I’ve received, you’re able to do the same for the mare I’m about to introduce. Everypony, please welcome my cousin, Sour Sweet.” The mare stepped onto the stage to her own applause, and Quiver explained, “You’ll be seeing a lot of her, especially if you come by the Golden Oak Library. As of this Monday, she’s starting work as Princess Twilight’s new assistant.” Sour leaned towards him as Quiver moved the microphone closer, and she took a moment to smirk and remark, “Assistant number three. I’m right under an owl in the pecking order.” That elicited a laugh from the audience as Quiver reclaimed the microphone. “Don’t give her too much trouble, folks, trust me. Anyway, I’m also very happy…” He paused as music began to play, and smiled. “…To introduce somepony very special. Fillies, gentlecolts, kindly welcome Sunrunner.” The curtains behind them parted as Quiver and Sour backed to the sides, and Sunrunner was revealed to the audience. Quiver’s eyes went wide as he saw her step forward, and an awestruck grin spread across his muzzle. Her gown was colored deep red, with orange and yellow along its trails. Its collar was also orange, with yellow frills and decorated with small rubies and pink diamonds. Small pink slippers adorned her rear hooves, while long pink stockings were on her forelegs, and a tiny decoration that resembled a red rose was clipped just below her right ear. Her eyes caught his, and she smiled right back. “Thanks, Quivs.” Her attention turned to the gathered crowd. “Some years ago, somepony very special came into my life. We grew close, both as friends and as something more, until circumstances far beyond our control tore us apart. Before that happened, he wrote me a note. It was something I wasn’t able to answer, until now.” Spotlights shone upon her, and she began to sing. “There was a colt…” It took Quiver longer than he cared to admit to realize that Sour had backed almost all the way off stage, and had effectively surrendered it to the two of them as she continued to sing. Midway through the verse, she turned to him and affectionately booped him on the nose, and then raised her hoof towards him. On instinct, he responded in kind, and the pair smiled as she continued the song. “…And be loved in return.” As she sang, she inched closer to the point that when those final words were recited, there was hardly any space between them. With smiles upon their faces, the two ponies leaned forward in contented bliss, their muzzles just barely touching as the crowd swelled… And then Quiver noticed something out of the corner of his eye, some sort of large round projectile like a dodgeball shooting towards the two of them. Sunrunner noticed it too, and the two backed off in surprise just as a ray of magic collided with it and sent the ball flying off into some nearby trees. Upon impact, it exploded into a fine red mist, and the few ponies who were on the fringes backed off with a few going into coughing fits. They hardly had the time to thank Sour for her intervention before a familiar voice called out from the crowd. “Move aside, peasants!” Thorned vines sprouted from the ground in the middle of the crowd and grew into a wall that divided it in two. The wall then split, forcing the divided ponies back and clearing out space in the middle as the mare responsible stepped forward with a sneer on her face. Sour glared as she joined the couple onstage. “That her?” Quiver nodded as Sunrunner glared at the intruder. “Primrose Thorn.” “Blunder Bill!” Any cheeriness in her voice was false as she slowly closed the distance with the stage and ignored the other two ponies alongside her target. “How rude of you, throwing your own little with Chum-Scummer just to spite the rest of us back home! And we had such wonderful things planned for you!” “Like that little prop a second ago?” Sunrunner spat back. Primrose’s response was to telekinetically yank both mares off the stage and onto the ground, then entrap them in more thorny vines. Hot Trail and Roxy then emerged as if on cue, the latter grinning as the former stomped on the two vulnerable mares as Primrose continued her tirade without missing a beat. “And High Note was so looking forward to seeing you! How could you disappoint him?” Her eyes locked on his as she added, “I remember how much of a special relationship the two of you had, after all, and I know how much he’d love to see you again.” Quiver’s eyes never left hers. He stood, impassive as a statue, betraying no emotion, until his eyes closed… and he threw his head back and started laughing. It was a light, quiet laugh at first, but it swiftly grew into a wild cackle that alarmed many within the crowd. “Remembering all the good times?” Primrose continued to smirk in arrogance as she pressed on. “All the fun we…?” “I’m laughing at you.” All trace of mirth was gone from the stallion’s voice as his gaze fell upon the unicorn before him. “At how pathetic you are. You come here today, with your flunkies and your bravado and your foalish antics, and for what? Your own sick amusement. The only good times had were yours, when you and the rest of your sadistic little bunch had your twisted playtime. You shoved me into doorframes, tripped me up, put me down every chance you got. You assaulted Sunrunner, sheared off her mane and walked away because your daddy was the mayor and our principal was a gutless plot-kisser. And for what? Shits and giggles.” His eyes narrowed dangerously as he declared, “Well it ends here. Do yourself a favor, Primrose. Gather up your merry little band of sociopaths and leave, while whatever you have that qualifies as dignity is still intact.” The tableau held for all of a second before Primrose smirked, enveloped Quiver in a pale pink aura of magic, and pulled him off the stage in an arc that send him hurtling over her head and impacting hard into the ground some distance behind her. Quiver landed with a sickening thud and a gasp from the crowd, but so far as he could tell, none of his bones had been broken. He tried to get to his hooves, only for another one to slam hard into his neck and leave him gasping for air as another familiar voice all but bellowed in his ear, “Hey there, fag!” Primrose turned around and smiled at her coltfriend as he held their victim at his mercy. “Pathetic, am I? Brick, be a dear and break him.” Brick Wall smirked as he raised his hoof to deliver another hard blow to Quiver’s neck, only to find himself getting bucked hard in the side of one leg by a small pair of hooves. He turned around to find Diamond Tiara attempting to hit him hard with her back legs as she shouted, “You leave Mister Quiver alone, you…!” The filly’s cries were cut short as the much larger and much stronger stallion kicked her aside like a particularly annoying small animal. Her tiara was knocked off her head as she bounced once on the ground, then came in for a hard landing. She tried to regain her footing only to be held down by more thorny vines as Primrose approached. “Oh, what’s this? I didn’t think you could sink so low.” “You leave her –!” Quiver’s words were cut off once more as Brick slammed his hoof into Quiver’s throat. The mare let out a cruel laugh as she picked up Diamond’s tiara in her magic. “And how cute! A fake little crown for your little princess!” She smirked evilly, and the crown all but disintegrated in her magic. “And you call me pathetic.” She stood up and shouted, “Listen here, all you freaks and weirdoes and retards of Dirtville! I’m Primrose Thorn! My father is the mayor of Indianapoloosa! My mother has made and broken more careers in more industries than any of you have the brain cells to count! I have everything, and when I want something, I get it! So if any more of you try to interfere with me putting this pathetic little shit in his place, then…!” She was interrupted as a thin needle pricked her flank, another striking the same place on Brick. “You should have heeded my friend’s warning, madame.” The two jumped back in shock to find that several ponies had cut through Primrose’s barricade, among them Rarity, who had a small cloud of needles, cutlery and assorted other sharp objects hovering around her in her magic. “This is Ponyville. And we look after our own.” The prismatic pegasus that hovered overhead gave a defiant snort as she called, “Yeah, so get lost!” Primrose looked over the collection of ponies that had gathered, mostly adult mares but with one earth pony stallion of similar build to Brick and a second, this one a pegasus of similar build to Quiver, among them. A few foals were even gathered around her target’s little protector, which made her laugh even more. “Oh, you want to help him? You should worry about yourselves. Brick?” The bulky stallion sneered, then whistled. From the fringes of the crowd, a dozen earth pony stallions of build similar to his shoved and crowded their way through the group and clustered around him, all with expressions on their faces that spoke of eagerness that one could almost call bloodthirsty. He peered down at the stallion beneath his hoof and smirked. “Remember some of them, fag?” He took a second to press his hoof further into Quiver’s neck as he looked up and shouted, “Say ‘hi’ to my friends! We call ourselves the Wolf Pack!” “And you think you’re the alpha then? Where I’m standing, you’re more like the beta.” That got Brick to drop his smirk as he looked around for the source of the taunt. He found it as his Wolf Pack parted and another stallion stepped into view, a pegasus of similar size to him with a light olive coat with his mane in a buzz cut. “You say something, fag?” “Somewhat lacking in vocabulary too. Tell me, is that the only insult you know?” The stallion narrowed his eyes. “You and your friends should have…” His boast was cut short as Brick Wall took him by surprise, charged and attacked. As his pack cheered, the one closest to Quiver planted his hoof where Brick had and Primrose stepped forward, Rarity and the group with her forgotten as she enjoyed the show. Brick laughed as the stallion recovered himself, then punched him once, twice, thrice before he shoved him hard into a good-sized tree and pressed him into it. For all the pegasus’s bravado, he was nothing compared to… The stallion looked him in the eyes, braced his wings against the tree, and looped his forelegs between Brick’s own. With barely any effort, his opponent pushed Brick back and forced him to stagger on his hooves. Confidence turned to surprise, then shock, before the stallion loosened Brick’s grip and delivered a hard jab to where Brick’s neck met his shoulder. Brick cried out in pain as he inched back, the Wolf Pack’s cheers behind him silenced. The pair briefly circled one another before the bully attempted another attack, only for the stallion to evade and land two hard blows in quick succession with his forehooves. Brick turned to his side in a daze, and left himself open to a hard blow from one of his opponent’s rear legs as it struck his abdomen. He tried to turn back to the pegasus, only to continue being pounded by blow after blow, the assault pushing him back against the same tree he’d struck the pegasus against and nearly tearing it from its roots. The pegasus then grabbed hold of him by his front hooves and threw him through the air, and thus left Brick a groaning mess on the ground. The stallion’s attention turned to the rest of the stunned Wolf Pack, but before they could charge to avenge their leader, a mare’s voice chuckled. “Oh, that was such a perfect opening! Seriously, Wolf Pack!” Roxy and Hot Trail turned to find a silvery grey mare with an indigo mane and sunglasses standing near to them as she shouted, “Nice work, Silv-!” Roxy punched her hard in the face, shattering the glasses covering her eyes. “Get lost, freak!” Hot Trail was about to laugh at that, but ended up screaming instead as the mare turned back and hissed at them, batlike wings outstretched and fangs glistening in the late afternoon sun. She then pounced on Roxy, punched her hard in the face and pushed her limb to one side before she landed another blow to the mare’s sternum and sent her flying back, then followed by giving the pegasus a hard buck to her face. It only got worse as Sunrunner and Sour Sweet tore their way out of their thorny bonds as the latter smirked. “Hey Boo. Heard you and Chuckles were around town.” Pixie Dust turned back and smirked as Roxy roused herself and Hot Trail tried to bring herself out of a stupor. “You’re just lucky Pinkie invited us to this little shindig. By the way, nice shot there earlier, Two-Face.” “Shame I couldn’t do a return to sender.” Sour then fired off two bolts of magic from her horn and sent the two bullying mares flying towards the rest of their party. “Hey! You really want to continue this?!” The gathered band of bullies looked between Silver Bullet, who’d soundly dispatched their supposed leader, to the rest of the gathered ponies against them. Primrose smirked. “I’d like to see you try and stop me!” Off on the side manning the sound system, a blue-haired unicorn sighed and set a record to play. If there was to be a brawl, then at least it would have appropriate music to go with it. The rest of the Wolf Pack had apparently decided to go after the softer targets, and charged the mass of Ponyville natives. The first to reach them realized their mistake as Rarity delivered several quick blows to his face, pausing to shake her mane aside before landing another buck and knocking him into a daze. A second was sent flying by a two-hoofed buck from Applejack, and two more by Big McIntosh. Even as his comrades came in from the outside, Flash Sentry held his own among the civilians. He landed one blow against an opponent, then a second to another as he kept them off-balance. A third found themselves caught in a cloud of confetti and streamers, and the stallion grinned. “Nice shot, Pinkie!” The party pony grinned and gently patted the gigantic party cannon before her. “All thanks to Big Bertha!” Another of Primrose’s posse was swiftly dispatched by Rainbow Dash, while another was momentarily blinded by a flash of light from Lyra Heartstrings’ horn before she slapped him hard across the muzzle with one hoof. Another tried to attack the unicorn from behind, only for her to form a glowing golden construct in the shape of a hand and sucker-punch him with it. Primrose watched all of this with a growing level of disgust, but the sound of vines being torn from the ground distracted her. She turned to find a quartet of fillies struggling to rescue Quiver’s would-be hero, three blank flanks and one silver-haired nerd with glasses, and smirked. “Oh you stupid little…” “How dare you.” She rolled her eyes and turned to the newest distraction. “Oh come on, who else…” What awaited her was perhaps the strongest Stare Fluttershy had ever performed, easily equal to the one she’d unleashed less than a day prior against Spoiled Milk. “How dare you!” Her gaze shifted to the stallion keeping Quiver pinned, and she sternly ordered, “You! What do you think you’re doing?!” The stallion went visibly pale as he protested, “Um…teaching a fag…” “And that’s another thing! You should be ashamed of yourself, using language like that! Would you use that horrible word in front of your mother?! Now explain yourself again, and no slurs or vulgar language!” “No ma’am! Yes ma’am!” came a much squeakier reply. “Brick asked me and the guys here because he wanted to rough up a pony who he thought deserved it!” “And do you know for a fact that Quiver Quill or Diamond Tiara or anypony here deserved to be ‘roughed up’?! What have they ever done to you?!” As the bully stammered and attempted to answer, Fluttershy firmly ordered, “Take your hoof off him this instant!” He complied and then sat down and tried his best to make himself look as small as possible, before her attention turned back to Primrose. “And I could ask you the exact same question! How dare you harass my friends?! How dare you come here and disrupt this nice party and spoil everypony’s fun?! How…?!” Much like Spoiled Milk, however, Primrose Thorn was unfazed by the Stare, and she slapped Fluttershy across the muzzle. The crowd gasped at this, and while the melee surrounding them had halted at the yellow pegasus’s scolding, the mass of bullies and their opponents stood in shock at Primrose’s actions. “You really want to know?” Primrose sneered as her horn lit up with magic, and additional vines shot forth from the ground, bound everypony who’d risen against her and forced them tight to the ground. “Come to think of it, the answer’s pretty simple.” Her vines squeezed hard on Quiver as she admitted, “Not a damn thing.” Her attention went to him as she continued, “You remember that first day in school, Putrid Swill? I sure do. I remember you getting introduced to the class, right after me, and saying that you wanted to make some friends.” Her sneer deepened. “And then you tripped over your own hooves. It was hilarious.” She stood imperiously over him and continued, “Now, not too long before that, somepony was stupid enough to deny me something that I wanted. Somepony with power. Well, I was the one with the power there, and you know what they say about doing onto others.” “That isn’t the quote and…!” She ignored Quiver’s protests and piled on the pressure. “And then you had the nerve to get your cutie mark before me. Seeing you suspended for a week was nice, until your little white knight tried to come to your defense. And if one pony tried something like that, then another might. So I had to put her in her place.” She turned her gaze towards Sunrunner and laughed. “You remember that, don’t you Chum-Scummer? That nice little manecut I gave you? I remember how you looked the next day I saw you in class, looking like some thick-jawed jarhead!” “You’re just…!” Sunrunner’s retort was silenced as Roxy stomped hard on her side with a snicker. “And I remember all the time you two spent together, and the goo-goo eyes he had for you.” She smirked and admitted, “And that’s when I pointed High Note at you. I had him figured for a fag from day one, and told him that Blunder Bill here was just waiting for somepony to help him out of the closet.” She turned back to Quiver and continued, “It was a lie, of course, but if I was lucky, I’d drive you two apart and get you arrested for a hate crime in the process. I thought I’d only gone halfway, until now.” Her gaze went to Rarity. “You know, I had something else in mind for you. I think what you’re getting instead will be worse. But then again, you deserve it.” Her horn flared further, and every pony ensnared in her vines found their limbs painfully stretched out and within easy reach of one of her associates. “They call this place the Friendship Capitol of Equestria. Well, it’s time this town learned that some ponies aren’t worth being friends with.” She gazed over the crowd of bullies and barked, “If they’re a unicorn, break their horn! If they’re a pegasus, break their wings! That bat-pony there? Rip her membranes out! The earth ponies? Break their legs! And that includes the fillies!” Her gaze turned back to Quiver as she finished, “And since all of this started with you, you’ll go last.” She leaned in and laughed. “And after today, you’ll never have friends.” As the majority of the Wolf Pack gazed over the gathered captive ponies and considered whom they’d start with, the crowd looked on with horror. More than a few ponies looked ready to jump the barricade and attack en masse, but stopped as flames swept over the vines that had sprouted up, both to block their progress and to hold down Quiver and his assorted rescuers. As their attackers stepped back in shock, the wave of flame swept upwards as a winged equine form swooped into view above them with a dragon upon her back, fire spewing from his maw and being shaped and manipulated by her magic. She curved around and came in for a smooth landing opposite the stage near where Brick lay attempting to regain consciousness, and the dragon jumped off her back as she declared, “Nopony gets to tell anypony that they can’t have friends. And nopony hurts my friends and gets away with it.” She flared her wings and ran a hoof on the ground in warning. “Now get lost!” The dragon at her side crossed his arms and glared. “What she said.” Primrose was briefly taken aback by the pony before her, but smirked as she charged her horn. “You first.” A bolt of magic shot from her horn, directly at the newcomer. The magic was halted by a shimmering shield of raspberry light, which faded to reveal the newcomer’s own horn still glowing. The glow only grew more intense as she glared at Primrose, briefly reared back her head, and then fired a far more impressive burst of magic back in response. Everyone present covered their eyes, and Primrose herself winced as the counterattack made impact. When everyone uncovered their eyes, they looked upon Primrose to find that she was glowing in raspberry light. The glow was swiftly fading, but it remained at its strongest around her horn. A fleeting instant of surprise crossed her face before she smirked again at the newcomer and readied another spell…only for her horn to sputter and spark uselessly. She tried again to charge her magic once, twice, thrice, each time visibly struggling in such a way that she was beginning to look constipated. She finally gave up and, between heaving pants, glared at the pony before her. “What did you do to me?!” “I’ve nullified your magic.” The pony stepped forward, her gaze firm and fixed and her wings remaining outstretched. “It’s disabled. It could be weeks or even months before you’ll be able to cast another spell.” Primrose attempted once more to use her magic, and glared at the mare before her as she failed. “How dare you?! What gives you the right to do this to me?!” She looked about at her two associates and the rest of the Wolf Pack and barked, “What the rut are you standing around gawking at?! Get her you retards!” The stallion closest to her gulped and protested, “But she’s a princess…!” “Who cares?!” “Me, for a start.” Primrose whipped her head back to face the latest newcomer and shouted, “Who asked you, you rutting –?!” She stopped in shock at the mare she’d just started cursing at, and those among her associates who were still conscious looked upon the mare in question with abject terror. Most everypony else present gave a respectful bow instead. “Primrose Thorn.” Princess Celestia’s voice lacked her usual warmth, and was instead hard and cold as ice as she regarded the unicorn before her. “I see you’ve changed very little in the years since you and I last met.” Primrose attempted to regain herself and smirked. “So you remember me then.” “Very clearly. I remember how you were among a number of potential students for my school. I also remember that you’re the first one who walked through my doors and absolutely refused to take the practical portion of the entrance exam.” The mare scowled. “You wanted us to hatch a dragon’s egg! What kind of test is that?!” “I wanted you to try and hatch a dragon’s egg. I wanted to get an idea of your imagination, your ability to think outside the box and try new ideas. One student that day surprised me and performed an advanced spell the likes of which few adult unicorns, let alone one her age, could perform, and years later, another student actually hatched that egg and brought new life into this world, but you? You steadfastly refused, and demanded another, different test, otherwise your family would raise a fuss over it.” Celestia’s eyes narrowed as she amended, “A part of me had hoped that you might have shown a change of heart since then, but clearly, that hasn’t been the case.” Primrose’s scowl turned into a cruel smile. “Oh, I have had a change of heart. If I had it to do all over again, I’d have smashed that damn egg to pieces.” The crowd watching barely had a second to process that before Spike breathed, “I hatched out of that egg.” As ponies all around her gasped, Primrose sneered and decided, “Well, I guess I get to fix an old mistake then! Brick!” Spike wheeled around to see Brick Wall back on his hooves, towering over him with one hoof raised as if to smash the little dragon underneath like an insect. The bulky stallion brought the hoof down with an evil grin, only for the dragon to wink out before he could make contact. He barely had a second to notice the dragon reappear at Celestia’s side before Twilight appeared before him, a cold look in her eyes. Alicorns, as most ponies knew, had the magical abilities of all three tribes – the versatile magic of a unicorn, the strength and endurance of an earth pony, and the flight and weather manipulation of a pegasus. Exactly how strong they were compared to ponies of the other tribes was unclear, even moreso given that only half of the known alicorns were born that way. What was clear, however, was that the ascended ones would gain the magical abilities of the other tribes, and that time would be spent learning to control those talents. Twilight’s inclination right now, however, was not for controlling herself, but for dispensing some well-deserved payback as she spun about and delivered a hard buck to one of the bully’s knees. Brick Wall had already been battered and weakened as a result of his fight with Silver Bullet, but this was the last straw as the bully let out a scream that would make Wilhelm take notice, and his right front leg bent in a way that nature never intended. Another quick teleport, and Twilight was right back in Primrose’s face. Her horn glowed, and the unicorn before her soon felt pressure about her neck the likes of which she’d never known. The princess narrowed her eyes and growled, “Not as much fun when the victim fights back, is it?” “Twilight.” The young princess paused at her mentor’s firm voice. “That’s enough. Let her go.” At Celestia’s command, Twilight released Primrose and left her a gasping mess, then backed up as Spike rushed to her side. The elder alicorn then called out to the gang of bullies, “I hope that all of you are proud of yourselves. Whatever careers or livelihoods you’ve built? You can now officially kiss them goodbye.” Primrose recovered herself enough to scoff. “Really? You’re going to charge us? With what?” “For starters? Several counts of assault, for all of you.” A marigold-colored mare stepped to the princess’s side and continued, “Along with conspiracy to commit assault, disturbing the peace and destruction of public property, and those are just the local charges.” She smirked. “Says who?” “Says me. The local district attorney.” Primrose smirked at Legalhawke’s statement, but the smirk faded as Celestia chimed in, “And that doesn’t include charges on higher levels. Last I checked, assault upon a member of the royal family is a federal offense.” She raised her voice and turned her gaze on the rest and smiled. “And conspiracy to commit assault carries the same penalties as the assault itself.” Now the alicorn’s horn glowed, and manacles formed around the hooves and wings of everypony in Primrose’s group, a horn ring finding itself at the base of her horn for good measure. “But I think Ponyville can have first crack at all of you.” The personal guard of the Princess of the Sun emerged from the crowd and aided those few members of the Ponyville police present in rounding up the beaten and defeated gang of ponies, one even procuring a wagon to assist. As Primrose was forced onto one with Roxy and Hot Trail, she turned back and sneered at the princesses, at the crowd of Ponyville natives, and at Quiver especially. The effect was lessened when the cart took off and ran over a rock very quickly into its trip to lockup, and she was knocked to one side with a pained grunt. All of that done, Celestia sighed, smiled, and added, “Now then, assuming there’s no serious injuries, I believe we have a party to get back to.”