Apple Bloom was angry beyond belief. But she couldn’t believe that she didn’t think of it before – why bring anypony back to life? She and Gilda could kill them all now and destroy any evidence of these lifesaving mixture. She didn’t know if some other pony had knowledge of conjuring up the spell. Apple Bloom would need to spend her whole life fighting against anyone who might have known how to put it together. It was best for Apple Bloom to take control of it. She would decide who lives and who dies. She just needed to force these ponies to tell her how she can make it work.
“Alright then”, said Apple Bloom, “y’all think you’re so goddamn smart for tricking me like that. Why could you bring somepony back to life and ah couldn’t do it?”
“Aww”, cooed Twilight Sparkle, “I thought you wanted to figure this out on your own.”
“Ah know you did something with your magic. Ah need to know what that is. And frankly, ah don’t have a lot of time to deal with you traitors.”
Starlight Glimmer stirred awake. She looked completely confused.
“Ah, Starlight Glimmer”, said Twilight acting like a total nerd, “I see that you’re awake. We brought you back to life. I’m honored to meet you – I read your research paper on time travel and found it most fascinating and we really could use your help.”
Starlight Glimmer noticed Apple Bloom and Gilda – she glared at them.
“What are these two doing here”, asked Starlight Glimmer, “I’m doing nothing to help them out.”
“We’re not on their side. In fact, we are trying to stop them from committing more evil deeds”, said Pinkie Pie.
“Twi”, said Apple Bloom, “this Starlight Glimmer is even more of a dictator than ah am. She ruled over an isolated village in Equestria and took away ponies’ cutie marks with her magic. Ah freed those ponies and gave them their cutie marks back. They are now in Canterlot.”
“I was surprised to hear that there were as many as 50 ponies who supported your power, and now I know why. Starlight, is there any truth to this?”, asked Twilight.
“Long story”, responded Starlight, “but no use for me hiding what I have done. I wanted to create a society for those who wished to live in harmony and equality. I found ponies who were willing to join me in this – all was good until Apple Bloom and Gilda visited my village and took it all away.”
“She took away all of the ponies’ cutie marks and turned them into = signs. She kept her real cutie mark and concealed it with an = sign. This bitch is more despicable than me”, said Apple Bloom.
“I haven’t killed a single pony”, responded Starlight, “how many have you killed at this point? A thousand?”
“Ah want to make Equestria a better place. All you care about is taking power over your tiny cult. You know what. Ah should thank you. Now ah have 50 loyal followers who will keep me powerful. They are already working on rounding up anyone who dares try to overthrow me. Ah am a hero. You’re a hero to nobody.”
Twilight looked disappointed. She had no clue her time travel genius was also a power-hungry totalitarian.
“Umm”, said Twilight looking uncomfortable, “we could really use your help – Starlight, if you figured out time travel.”
“Oh, I sure did”, responded Starlight, “I can help turn back the clock on quite a few things. Princess Celestia will be back in power and Apple Bloom’s crimes will be undone. There is only one thing I ask in return.”
Apple Bloom snickered. Would goody-goody Twilight Sparkle actually go for Starlight’s deal?
“I will bring Our Town back to what it once was”, said Starlight, “Our Town will also remain independent from the Equestrian Empire and will be its own jurisdiction. I don’t think Celestia knew or cared about Our Town. Apple Bloom, being the power-hungry sociopath she is, found Our Town and destroyed it. Believe me. She didn’t do this for the goodness of anyone for herself.”
“I believe you”, responded Twilight, “we are quite familiar with Apple Bloom’s tactics.”
“So once I save Equestria – you probably won’t even remember Our Town since time will have changed. But a world where we live in harmony without differing cutie marks shall exist, agreed?”
Twilight twitched.
“Ah will never take away a pony’s cutie mark”, said Apple Bloom, “Starlight Glimmer is asking for far too much. Ah just want ponies to respect that ah am the grand ruler of Equestria. Yes, it is sad that so many ponies have died – but the killing can step if y’all would just obey me.”
“You have my word, Twilight”, said Starlight, “I will fix all your problems. Look at everything around us! There isn’t even real day or night since Apple Bloom is too lazy or uncaring to raise the sun like a true leader would.”
“Like you give a damn. Gilda, tear this bitch apart like in half like you did last time. Ah am tired of this.”
“Oh certainly, I thought you would never ask.”
Apple Bloom had her killing machine. She would always win. She watched with glee as Gilda had Starlight Glimmer cornered. None of these weaklings would stop her. She was all powerful and all was good.
Suddenly – Gilda froze into place. What the hell?
A being had appeared out of thin air – more like a nuisance. Discord.
“Oh hello, everypony”, said Discord, “so sorry to be late to the game. I had so wanted to be neutral.”
“Neutral? Against a murderous tyrant?”, asked Twilight exasperated, “Discord – you could have stopped all of this long ago!”
“I was hopeful that Apple Bloom would turn over a new leaf and be reformed. But it appears that this filly or whatever she really is will not reform.”
“At least you got one thing right”, said Apple Bloom, “ah am who ah am, no regrets. This loser spent all of his time trying to taunt and troll me. Y’all should be mad at him if you hate me so much.”
“I could end this all now – a Discord ex Machina. Ooh, I like the sound of that.”
“Please Discord”, said Twilight, “Apple Bloom is destroying Equestria. Do whatever you have to do.”
Apple Bloom was nervous. The draconequus could easily destroy Apple Bloom – except she had been training up on a spell of her own just for this.
“Ah would be careful, Discord”, said Apple Bloom, “ah know that your species can be defeated one way. And of course, ah have learned a spell just for that.”
“Oh, petrification. There are many different kinds. Did you learn the right kind?”
“The right kind? What the fuck are you talking about?”
“It took over a decade for Celestia and Luna to figure out how to turn me into stone. You’ve only been an alicorn for ten days.”
“In case you haven’t noticed, Discord”, snarled Apple Bloom, “ah am smarter than both Celestia and Luna. In fact, ah am smarter than you. Ah have this all figured out.”
“Okay”, said Starlight Glimmer, “I’m sorry but I am really confused by all of this.”
“That’s because you holed up in Our Town enslaving ponies. Discord, why don’t you take care of this tyrant instead? She is a robber of cutie marks.”
“Eh, not a big deal to me”, responded Discord with a shrug, “I’m not a pony – remember?”
“Ah didn’t want to have to do this, Discord”, said Apple Bloom with a smirk, “ah might not be able to turn you into stone just yet – but ah know your other weakness.”
“You wouldn’t dare”, growled Twilight Sparkle, “anything but that..”
Apple Bloom let out a whistle.
“Ah just called out the timberwolves”, said Apple Bloom, “the same kinds that killed my mother. They have a new target now – Fluttershy. Ah estimate they are about a half hour away. Do anything to destroy me and Fluttershy will be dead.”
Discord was at a loss for words. Good.
“Ah know you don’t want to do anything to harm Fluttershy, now do you?”
“No, I-i-i-I don’t”, said Discord clearly exasperated.
With a wave of her horn, Apple Bloom unfroze Gilda.
“Don’t kill Starlight Glimmer yet”, said Apple Bloom, “we are seeing what Discord will do. You can destroy me right now. You can turn me into a filly without alicorn magic – but you will have a dead Fluttershy too.”
“I am sorry”, responded Discord with tears, “I can’t risk Fluttershy being killed.”
“Excellent”, responded Apple Bloom, “those wolves will be on a loop – meaning that they will kill Fluttershy within a half hour of you doing anything to hurt me.”
“You monster”, growled Twilight, “we will figure out how to defeat you.”
“Ah would like to see you try. Good luck with time travel from a megalomaniac you can’t trust.”
Apple Bloom and Gilda then exited.