//------------------------------// // Riot // Story: Speak Up // by doomie-22 //------------------------------// It was complete, unrestrained, unadulterated chaos outside the courthouse. As Starlight made her way outside, surrounded on all sides by various members of the royal guard, the crowd gathered around the courthouse that were currently trying to get their hooves on Starlight had to be restrained by other members of the royal guard. With a smug smile on her face, Starlight made her way past the crowds and, once the royal guard were certain that she was safe, she used her magic to teleport away just before anypony could grab her and give her the pummeling of a lifetime.  Meanwhile, as Twilight and the others exited the courthouse themselves, the crowd gathered around the courthouse was much more gentle, as nopony was making any attempts to get their hooves on the group. Feeling utterly dejected, Spike rode atop Twilight’s back, surrounded by his friends and loved ones as they made their way past the crowd and down the road that would ultimately lead them to the train station. Nopony spoke, partly because nopony was in a particularly good mood. Celestia had declared Starlight innocent of any wrongdoing, and everypony was feeling hostile and angry. As far as they were concerned, by giving Starlight a not guilty verdict, she had inadvertently put all of Equestria at risk by letting a known criminal go free, thus putting their children at risk of being kidnapped and put through the same turmoil that she had inflicted upon poor Spike, who had yet to fully recover from his ordeal, and none of them thought that the events that had happened today would do anything to help in that regard.  Up above the group, both Fluttershy and Rainbow Dash flew, the former looking utterly crushed while the latter looked as if she would’ve liked nothing more than to punch somepony in the face, if for no reason other than to get out some of her pent up aggression. Fluttershy glanced down at Spike and Rainbow Dash, despite herself, gave the little dragon a sad look. Just before the group had left, she had flown up to Celestia, reared back her head, and had spat right in Celestia’s face, then had said, “You sit on a throne of lies! You sicken me!” She supposed that she should have felt remorse for this course of action, but she couldn’t help but feel quite proud of herself. After the events of today, no longer would she be loyal to the princess. However, the other princesses had nothing but her complete devotion, particularly Twilight and Cadence since, after all, Cadence was considered family.  It was around lunchtime by the time the group exited the courthouse, yet nopony, not even Pinkie Pie, felt like eating anything. Needless to say, not a single pony was in a good mood as they headed back home; if anything, everypony was in quite a foul mood, none more so than Twilight and her friends, but especially Spike, the dragon choosing to sit by his lonesome on the train ride home. Applejack attempted to console him by wrapping a hoof around him, giving him a warm hug, and told him how sorry she was that things hadn’t turned out how they wanted. He managed a grateful smile and gave her his thanks.  Most ponies were avoiding Rainbow Dash, and for good reason. She sat, gnashing her teeth, seething with rage as she sneered out the window she sat by. Cautiously, Twilight approached and put a comforting hoof on her back. She snapped her head around and, scowling, snapped, “Don’t touch me.”  “Sorry.” Twilight set her hoof down and looked at Rainbow Dash with concern. “How are you holding up? Are you doing okay?”  “No, Twilight, I am not okay,” Rainbow Dash replied.  “I advise you to talk about your feelings, darling,” Rarity said, turning around in her seat to look at the pair. “It’s not going to do anypony any good for you to bottle up your feelings like this.” She popped a few chocolates into her mouth.  Applejack nodded in agreement. “Come on, Dash, you can be honest with us. You can tell us anything.”  Rainbow sighed. “All my life . . . I’ve vowed that I would always be loyal to the Princess. But after today . . .” She shook her head. “I don’t think that’s no longer possible.”  With a pop and a flash of light, Discord was suddenly with them on the train. “I agree,” he spoke up, “and oddly enough, I was just beginning to like Celestia too.”  “Well, you can’t really blame Celestia for her ruling, darling,” Rarity said.  “What!?” Rainbow snapped her head up to glare at Rarity. “You agree with her!?”  Rarity shook her head. “Oh, goodness, no, Rainbow, I’m just saying that I can see why she ruled the way that she did. We simply didn’t have any evidence to back up our claims. Of course she’s not going to side with us, especially not when we acted like an angry mob.”  Rainbow Dash scoffed. “That wasn’t an angry mob! I’ll show her what an angry mob looks like!”  “Calm down, Rainbow,” Twilight said.  “Don’t tell me what to do,” Rainbow growled.  “That’s enough,” Twilight snapped, sneering. “We’re all upset too, but you don’t see us biting each other’s heads off, do you!? I understand why you’re upset, but that doesn’t give you the right to take it out on all of us!”  Rainbow Dash exhaled heavily through her nose, yet nodded her head. “Understood,” she said simply, turning her head back towards the window.  “We gave it our best shot, y’all,” Applejack said, “and our best just wasn’t good enough. Tough luck. That’s life. But I’ll tell you this right now, I see that girl in Ponyville, there ain’t nothin’ stoppin’ me from beatin’ her to death!”  “Mm-hmm,” Rainbow Dash agreed, nodding her head, giving Applejack a smile.  “No, no,” Twilight said, shaking her head. “That puts you in the wrong. Two wrongs don’t make a right and ––” “Oh, for the love of ––” Rainbow Dash groaned. “Can the sappy friendship speeches for one day, will you, Twilight!”  “Girl, I oughta ––” Applejack began, stepping forward threateningly.  “Hold it,” Spike spoke up. “Look, we’re all really upset right now. What say we take a few days to cool off and then regroup, see how everypony’s holding up after that? Besides, none of you have more of a right to be pissed off than I do.”  “Little fella does have a point,” Applejack agreed.  “Alright,” Twilight said. “We’ve all been up since late last night. What say we all take a nap? I think we’re all a little on-edge due to lack of sleep. We’ll feel better once we get rested up.”  “Sounds good to me,” Pinkie Pie said, yawning.  “Don’t gotta tell me twice,” Applejack agreed, pulling the brim of her hat over her eyes.  Discord looked over at Spike and quietly said, “Spike, I’m sorry. I take it guys’ night is off the table for this evening.” He wasn’t surprised when Spike nodded his head. To Fluttershy he added, “Fluttershy, I think an impromptu afternoon tea party is in order.” At Fluttershy’s nod, he snapped his fingers and the two of them vanished.  “Well, sister,” Luna said, “if you thought things were bad after Cadence and Shining Armor’s wedding, you’d better get ready.” She chuckled darkly. “Twilight and her friends – strike that, scores of ponies – are going to want your head on a platter. I think I’ll go ready the guillotine.” She turned and began walking away, still laughing in that same dark manner. “Pleasant dreams tonight, sister. Oh, I haven’t laughed this much in years.”  “Really?” Celestia barked, raising an eyebrow, “because I seem to recall you telling me not to kill her yourself. Isn’t that what you said to me earlier? Every time I looked over at you, you were shaking your head.”  Luna coughed into a hoof. “Yes, well, that was before I was aware of her crime.”  “What!?” Celestia’s eye twitched. “You are the Princess of the Night! How could you not know about her crime! If the accused is indeed guilty, then surely the victim must have dreamed about it a number of times!”  Luna nodded. “Oh, yes, I’m definitely sure of that, but what’s done is done. It cannot be helped.” She smiled. “Oh, wait until the Higher Council gets a load of this! They are going to be pissed! Oh, I’m sure Majesty is fit to burst with how angry she’s bound to be!” Still laughing, she made her way back inside the palace.  Meanwhile, Celestia watched Starlight teleport away from Canterlot with a flash of her horn. Despite herself, a proud smile came to her lips and she shook her head in amusement. “That girl never ceases to amaze me,” she said to herself before turning and retreating into the palace once again.  Upon reaching Twilight’s castle, the Mane Six each made their way to the throne room, taking a seat in their respective thrones, each one sneering down at the table in front of them, each shaking with rage.  Tempest suddenly entered the room, carrying a tray containing eight teacups and a teapot. “So, how ––” “Piss off,” Rainbow Dash shouted.  Tempest jumped. “Oh, well, alright, then. I, uh, I guess I’ll leave you alone, then.” She cleared her throat. “Excuse me.” She turned and walked out of the room.  Applejack shook her head, being the first to finally speak up since the end of the trial. “Damn that Celestia! What in the hell is she thinking!?”  “See?” Rainbow Dash said. “This is exactly why I said Majesty should’ve been leading this case, because I knew this would happen!”  “Oh, Majesty would’ve given her a guilty verdict in a heartbeat,” Rarity agreed, flicking back her hair with a hoof. “No doubt about it. The trial would’ve been over in less than five minutes had Majesty been presiding over the case.”  “Mm-hmm,” Rainbow Dash agreed, nodding her head. “Spike, I am obligated to keep loving you, so I will therefore take my rage out on my own body.” Flapping her wings, she took to the air, heading to the nearest window. Turning, she said, “I think I’m going to go visit my parents for a while. Fluttershy, you want to come with?”  “Sure,” Fluttershy said. She gave Spike one last concerned look, then followed Rainbow Dash out the window and towards Cloudsdale.  “Anypony hungry?” Twilight asked. “How about lunch?”  “Mm-mm,” the group replied, shaking their heads.  Twilight gently nudged Spike. “Spike, how about you? You want something to eat?”  “No, Twilight,” Spike said quietly, staring down at his folded hands in his lap. He suddenly hopped down from his chair, heading towards the door. “I just want to be alone for a while. Is that okay?”  “Of course,” Twilight said, nodding her head, “but, just to be safe, I’ll have Tempest stand guard.”  Spike didn’t argue with her. He made his way out of the room and down the hall.  “Well, I guess I’d best be gettin’ back home myself,” Applejack said, getting up from her own throne. “I’ll see y’all later.”  “And I as well,” Rarity said, heading towards the door. “I need to get back to the boutique. Lots of orders to fill, you know.”  “I should probably go check on the twins,” Pinkie Pie said. “See you later, Twilight.”  “Yeah, okay,” Twilight said. “Guess I’ll be seeing you around, Pinkie.” She sighed. She was in such a depressed state that she didn’t even feel like reading. Silently, she wandered to her bedroom. Flopping down, she tightly hugged her pillow and began to cry within it.  Nopony felt like eating until around dinnertime. The group met up once again at Twilight’s castle, each taking a seat around the dining table. Despite none of them feeling particularly hungry, they agreed that they should at least try to eat something. It seemed Rainbow Dash had spent the better part of the afternoon gorging herself like mad, hence what she meant by taking her rage out on her own body, because the pegasus’ belly had distended considerably since she’d left the castle earlier that afternoon. Nopony made a comment on this, however, as they went about fixing their plates and drinks, Rainbow Dash and Applejack both piling a great heap of just about everything that was available to them onto their plates before sitting back and, tying napkins around their necks, beginning to dig in along with everypony else.  It was in the middle of the meal that Tempest walked in with the evening paper, a copy of The Ponyville Chronicle, setting it down in front of Twilight, who craned her neck to begin reading the article underneath the headline.  “‘There was panic in the streets of Ponyville today when Celestia declared Starlight Glimmer, the former pupil of one Twilight Sparkle, the Princess of Friendship, who had been accused of sexual abuse towards a minor, innocent and had her cleared of all charges. Starlight had no comment for the press as she made her way out of the courthouse just minutes after the verdict was given, only to suddenly teleport away as soon as she was a good distance away from the press. Her current whereabouts are unknown. A bounty has been placed on Starlight’s head. Anypony who can find and kill her will receive a large sum of money. All of Equestria is currently on a manhunt for Starlight Glimmer. “‘Naturally, ponies were none too pleased at the verdict, none more so than the ponies of Ponyville. Reports of looting, violence, and robberies have been pouring in ever since the trial ended earlier today. Several parents and other groups are clamoring for Celestia to be removed from her position as ruler of Equestria, by force if necessary, whereas others have taken a much more violent approach, several of which have requested that Celestia be made an example of by being publicly executed in the middle of Ponyville. Others have said that Celestia shouldn’t bear the sin of Starlight Glimmer, as they have requested that Starlight Glimmer herself be made an example of by suffering the same punishment. But this wish may not come to fruition, as there may not be much of a Ponyville to speak of, as several ponies were quoted as saying, ‘Tonight, Ponyville burns.’”  “Nopony’s going to be torching anything as long as I’m around,” Rainbow Dash said proudly, folding her hooves across her chest and sticking her nose in the air.  “You might want to rethink your position on that, sugarcube,” Applejack said from the window.  Rainbow Dash looked over at her curiously. “What are you talking about?”  “Come take a look outside,” Applejack said, gesturing for her friends to come over. “Check it out. Ponies are fucking pissed off about this.”  This was a complete understatement, as complete warfare had broken out all over Ponyville. Ponies, desperate to take their anger out on something, had resorted to setting houses and various businesses on fire. Fights had broken out within the streets, whereas others, as the news report had stated, had taken to robbing former friends and neighbors and threatening others with violence. The group could do little except watch the hellish nightmare of the chaos unfold. Over the various screams of fright from parents and little children rose shouts of ponies calling for Celestia’s death, pumping their hooves into the air as they rallied to have Celestia beheaded and have her severed head placed in the middle of Ponyville as a grim reminder to all those who dared to defile a child the likes with which Starlight Glimmer had. And yet still others, rather than take their anger out on their neighbors and friends or even Celestia herself, cried for the death of Starlight Glimmer, requesting that she be publicly hanged in the middle of Ponyville and her corpse left to rot, while the vultures feasted on the flesh of her dead carcass. Others suggested she be made to suffer by everypony taking turns gangbanging her, insisting that Spike be the first one to take part in this activity.  “Jeez, and I thought things were bad when I switched all of your cutie marks,” Twilight said. She shook her head. “This is even worse.”  “What are we gonna do, y’all?” Applejack asked.  “I don’t know,” Pinkie Pie said, “but I’d better get home to check on the twins, just to make sure they’re okay.”  Rarity gasped. “I just remembered! Sweetie Belle is staying over at the boutique tonight! I’d better get there and make sure she’s safe.” She followed Pinkie out of the room.  “Not much we can do, Applejack,” Twilight said in response to Applejack’s question.  “What?” Rainbow Dash cried. “What are you talking about? You’re a princess. You practically run this town!”  “Rainbow, I can’t even get a taxi in Manehattan,” Twiligh replied. “What in Celestia’s name makes you think they’re going to listen to me? Besides, shouldn’t Mayor Mare be doing something about all of this?”  “Reports say that Mayor Mare is currently hunkered down behind her desk like a frightened little foal,” Tempest said. “I just came from there myself to speak with her. According to her, Majesty is not the least bit happy about what happened today. She herself is asking for Celestia to be removed as ruler of Equestria.”  “Well, if I know Celestia as well as I think I do,” Twilight said, “she won’t go down without a fight, I can tell you that right now. If they want to take down Celestia, they’re going to have to fight like hell. They can try, but there’s no way they’re going to be able to take down Celestia.”  “Seemed pretty easy for Chrysalis,” Rainbow Dash said.  “Celestia was overpowered,” Twilight replied.  “Come to think of it,” Rainbow Dash went on, “it seems Celestia is always getting taken down relatively easily. Seems to me she’s not as great and powerful as you say, Twilight.”  “Somepony call me?” a voice asked.  Twilight and the others turned to see Trixie standing there, her head held high with a smirk on her face.  “I can’t believe I’m saying this,” Rainbow Dash said, “but I’ve never been more glad to see Trixie.”  “Where have you been?” Twilight asked, walking up to the mare.  “Oh, you know, here and there,” Trixie replied. “But I’m back, for good this time.”  “I’ll let you come back on the condition that you never do that again,” Twilight replied.  “Deal,” Trixie replied. “So” – she looked around – “where’s Spike?”  “He’s currently in his bedroom,” Tempest said, “and he has requested that he not be disturbed. For the time being, he just wants to be alone.”  Trixie nodded. “Completely understandable.” She nodded towards the window. “Have you guys seen outside?”  “Oh, yeah, believe me, we have,” Applejack said. “All Tartarus has broken loose here in Ponyville.”  “Mm-hmm,” Tempest said, nodding her head, “and ponies won’t be satisfied until they have either Starlight or Celestia’s head on a platter, preferably both.”  “I’m honestly surprised ponies aren’t storming Canterlot right now trying to get their hooves on Celestia,” Trixie said. “Enough about that, though.” She took a step forward. “Does anypony know where Starlight is at this very moment?”  “If I had to guess,” Twilight said, “I’d say she’s most likely back at her old village or in Sire’s Hollow. Most ponies don’t know where those places are at, much less that they even exist, so she probably figured she’d be safest at either of those two places. The only ponies who even know about those places are me and my friends” – she pointed at Trixie – “you, and Sugar Belle.”  Trixie blinked in confusion. “Sugar Belle?”  “Yeah,” Rainbow Dash said. “She and Big Mac got married recently. You didn’t know that?”  “Wait, you mean to tell me that the two of them dated and got married?” Trixie asked.  “You seriously didn’t know that?” Applejack asked.  “No, I had no idea,” Trixie replied.  “You really need to get out more,” Rainbow Dash said.  Trixie suddenly glared at Applejack. “If I were you, I would get my sister as far away from her as possible. Remember that Starlight’s a cult leader. She more than likely brainwashed all of her followers to follow her way of thinking.”  “Yes, we’re well aware of that fact, Trixie, thank you,” Twilight said. “That’s why her followers see her as something of a revolutionary.”  “Big Mac’s been made fully aware of the current situation,” Applejack assured Trixie. “After all, he is friends with Spike and Discord. It’s only natural that one of them would tell him about what’s going on. Hell, he’s already filed for divorce.”  “You’re kidding me,” Rainbow Dash said. “That fast?”  “Big Mac may not be much of a talker,” Applejack said, “but he’s a pony who can get things done and get ’em done quick.”  “And how does Sugar Belle feel about all of this?” Twilight asked.  “Who cares how Sugar Belle feels about all of this?” Rainbow Dash cried. “She’s one of Starlight’s minions, so of course she’s going to try and get her hooves on Apple Bloom.”  “The only reason she hasn’t been able to is because Big Mac, Granny, and I are always around Apple Bloom,” Applejack said.  “Don’t forget, though, that, like Starlight, Sugar Belle is a unicorn,” Twilight said. “She could easily get Big Mac and Granny Smith out of the way.”  Applejack laughed at this. “Oh, please. Big Mac’s twice as big as she is. He could easily overpower her no problem. I mean, for crying out loud, Twilight, you’re talking about a pony who once had enough strength to pull a house and that didn’t slow him down one bit.”  “That’s true,” Twilight replied.  “Well, I’m not waiting for Starlight to make the first move,” Tempest said. “I say we hunt this cunt down and give her what for.”  “Hear, hear,” Rainbow Dash agreed, pumping her hoof into the air.  “No,” Twilight replied. “We’re not going to take the law into our own hooves. We would be just as guilty as Starlight. Two wrongs do not ––” “Oh, shut up,” Rainbow Dash hollered. “Who cares about the consequences? Yeah, we might have to do a little jail time, but it’s worth it if it means protecting our kids from that monster!”  “I agree with Dash,” Applejack said.  “Same here,” Trixie said.  “I’m all for it,” Fluttershy said, raising a hoof.  “And while we’re at it,” Trixie said, snickering evilly, “I say we kill each and every single one of her followers and then burn that village down to the ground!”  Twilight gawked at her. “Trixie, what in Equestria has gotten into you?”  “What!?” Trixie cried. “Tell me I’m wrong! Besides, nopony would miss them and that village is barely a blip on Equestria’s map. Nopony would even notice them missing.”  “Yes,” Rainbow Dash cried. “I am all for this! Let’s do it! Let’s do it!”  “I’ve been rearing to kick somepony’s teeth in all day,” Applejack said, kicking her back legs.  “Listen to all of you,” Twilight cried. “And you dare to call yourselves the heroes of Equestria? We’re supposed to represent the Elements of Harmony!”  “This isn’t about the Elements of Harmony or upholding some moral code, Twilight,” Rainbow Dash shouted. “It’s about delivering swift, hard, cold justice! That cunt obstructed justice and it’s about time she paid her dues for her crimes! I’m not about to go to bed at night knowing that that monster is still out there! I just couldn’t live with myself knowing that I didn’t do anything to protect our kids! I wouldn’t be able to get a wink of sleep! But you’d rather just let Starlight go on her merry little way like nothing ever happened, like you don’t care that she raped and abused your little brother for over a year right under your nose! Ow!” She cried out in pain, tightly gripping her muzzle from where Twilight had smacked her across the face. “How dare you!” Twilight yelled as she glared up at Rainbow Dash. “I care about him more than you could ever know! He’s practically a son to me! Yes, I’m beyond pissed too about what happened, but I’m not about to go out and commit murder just because I think I got cheated by the system!”  “It’s not murder if it’s warranted,” Rainbow Dash replied, glowering at Twilight while she rubbed her nose. “It’s more or less justifiable homicide.”  “That is true,” Tempest agreed.  “Hmm,” Rainbow Dash said to herself, stroking her chin, “I wonder what Nix would say in this situation.”  “What was that?” Twilight asked, raising an eyebrow.  “Nothing, nothing,” Rainbow Dash said. She yawned and stretched. “Listen, it’s late. I think I’m gonna go crash at my parents’ place. It’s too crazy around here. I’ll see you guys later.” She smiled at Twilight. “No hard feelings?”  Despite herself, Twilight smiled and wrapped Rainbow Dash in a hug. “No hard feelings. But you need to stop taking your anger out on all of us. We don’t deserve that. It’s not our fault Starlight was declared innocent.”  Rainbow nodded. “I know. But, still, you didn’t need to hit me.” “You’re right. For that, I apologize.” “Hey, to make it up to you, you’re more than welcome to come to my parents’ place for breakfast tomorrow. My mom makes the best food you’ve ever tasted in your life.”  Chuckling, Applejack playfully poked at Rainbow’s paunch of a stomach as she said, “Sugarcube, if I were you, I’d think about laying off your mama’s cookin’ for a little while.”  Blushing, Rainbow Dash rubbed the back of her head. “Heh, yeah, I guess I ate a little too much today.” She belched and gave her chubby belly a few playful pokes. “I tend to overeat. It’s not my fault if my mom’s cooking is so good. But my parents have always liked the fact that I have a bigger appetite than most, and they have a tendency of overfeeding me.”  “Well, that just comes with being an athlete,” Applejack replied.  “You got that right,” Rainbow Dash agreed. “I’d invite you too, AJ, but, uh . . .”  “Oh, right,” Applejack said. “No wings.”  “I’d be more than happy to use that cloud-walking spell on you,” Twilight offered.  “Thanks, honey, but I’d think it’d be best if we all just avoided each other for the time being,” Applejack said, “at least until this whole mess blows over. We all need to take some to cool down and get our heads on straight. And, Rainbow, you be sure to be careful on your way home.”  “You too,” Rainbow Dash said. She turned to Fluttershy. “Hey, Flutters, how about you crash at my parents’ place too? It’ll be like a sleepover, just like when we were kids. Besides, I’d sleep better knowing that you were safe with me. Don’t want you getting caught up in some robbery or anything.”  Smiling gratefully, Fluttershy took to the air. “Are you sure my animals will be all right?”  “Are you kidding?” Rainbow Dash asked as they started flying out the window. “That little rascally bunny of yours can handle anything. He’ll be fine.”  “I’d be more than happy to escort you home if you’d like,” Tempest offered Applejack. “It would be my pleasure.”  “Well, if you’re offering, can’t really say no, can I?” Applejack said with a chuckle.  “Let’s get going, then,” Tempest said. Upon reaching the door, she stopped and turned her head to address both Trixie and Twilight. “Tell Spike I’ll be back soon. I shouldn’t be gone long.”  “He’s probably asleep by now,” Twilight said. “He probably won’t even know you were gone.”  “Still, do me a favor and check in on him, will you?” Tempest asked.  “Of course,” Trixie replied. “Hurry back!”  Contrary to Twilight’s belief, Spike wasn’t in bed at all. While the others had been preoccupied with their arguing, he had taken it upon himself to sneak out of the castle and board a train to Starlight’s old village. It was still relatively early in the evening. He figured that by all accounts Starlight and her clan still should’ve been up, most likely celebrating Starlight’s victory earlier that day. Sure enough, as he looked down at the little village a couple of hours later, the group was indeed celebrating, ponies laughing and talking as they cooked food and guzzled down beverages. Spike made his way down, going out of his way to not be seen by hiding behind various rocks and trees until he made it to Starlight’s house, slipping inside through an open window.  He ducked down underneath a table as he heard Starlight exiting a room. He watched as the pony strode over to the front door and puffed out her chest before exhaling and saying, “Time to make my grand entrance.” It was here that he made his presence known, crawling out from underneath the table, standing up to his full height and saying, “Your grand entrance, huh?”  Gasping, Starlight spun around and locked eyes with Spike. “You! I don’t believe you were invited.”  “I’m onto you, Starlight,” he said.  Starlight chuckled. “My, my, you’ve certainly grown some balls since the last time we met, haven’t you? Tell me, did your testicles recently drop or something?”  “Shut up.”  “Ooh, great comeback. You’re still chasing me, I see.”  “You’re the one who’s still obsessed with me.”  Starlight raised an eyebrow. “Is that what you believe? Well, how do you know what to believe, Spike? Maybe I’ve moved on from you. Maybe you’re the one who’s obsessed with me. After all, I didn’t suggest you come here, now, did I? But, then again, perhaps I haven’t moved on from you. Maybe I’m still as obsessed with you as I was before I first left Ponyville. Of course, it could also be that you’re just paranoid.”  The word “paranoid” in this sentence was suddenly reverberated all around Spike, and he turned to see that the front door to Starlight’s house had been opened, allowing all of the occupants outside to hear this conversation.  “By the way,” Starlight said, smiling at Spike, “did you know about my latest spell?” She tapped her horn. “It allows me to transmit audio to whomever I wish, to however many ponies I like.” This comment was met with a round of laughter from all those present and Starlight, still smiling, spoke to the crowd: “Fillies and gentlecolts, I’d like you all to meet the Great and Honorable Spike the Brave and Glorious.” She cupped a hoof over her mouth and added, “He’s here because he didn’t get a conviction.” She winked while another round of laughter erupted from the crowd.  Spike merely glared at Starlight. “You can laugh and mock all you like, Starlight, but you and I both know that I’m going to put you away.” He stepped forward, getting in Starlight’s face as he added, “Because you can’t help yourself. You can’t stop.” Starlight was left with no response other than to glare back at him. He walked past her and addressed the crowd. “Do any of you know who your leader really is? Because I could tell you things about her that would make your skin crawl.”  Whatever those things were, Spike never got a chance to say what they were because Starlight grabbed him by the arm, leading him away from the others until they were out of earshot. “I don’t know what kind of game you’re playing at,” she hissed, scowling down at him, “but you have no business being here. We’re trying to have a party and here you have the gall to come chasing after me simply because you didn’t like the verdict Celestia gave? Well, too bad. I won. You lost. Get over it and move on with your life already.”  “You don’t seem to get that I was just a little kid. You ruined my life. You raped me.”  Starlight grinned, raising an eyebrow. “Yeah. And?” She chuckled. Spike blinked. “So you admit it? Just like that?” Starlight shrugged. “I figured I must’ve done something wrong if you insist on keeping on punishing me.”  Spike sneered. “You didn’t say that in court today.”  Starlight smirked. “No, I must’ve done something right too if you keep coming back like this.”  Spike chuckled in amusement. “I’m not coming back.”  “Well, I can’t say I blame if you want some more of this.” She suddenly turned, lifted up her tail, and shook her rear at him.  “Excuse me?” “Listen, dragon, go home. Talk to your griffon girlfriend. But I’ll tell you what, half-pint: if you’re ever feeling horny and that snobby bitch Rarity won’t give you the time of day and you want to have some fun, come find me. I’d love to have another ride on that marvelous cock of yours. You were a great fuck.” She patted his cheek, then, turning on her heel, made her way back over to her friends.  It was past midnight by the time Spike got back home to the castle. He slipped inside, silently shutting the front door and making his way to the kitchen to grab a midnight snack. Opening up the fridge, he bent down and leaned forward.  “Nice night out for a walk, isn’t it, Spike?” a voice asked.  He jumped, bumping his head on the shelf above him. Groaning in pain, he stepped back away from the fridge and turned to see Tempest standing there. “Stop doing that!”  Tempest chuckled. “My apologies.”  He turned back to the fridge, removing a Tupperware container that contained a healthy helping of banana pudding. He removed the lid and retrieved a spoon from the drawer in front of him, then seated himself down at the kitchen table and began chowing down.  Sighing, Tempest sat down beside him. “Spike, I’m sorry about what happened today.”  He swallowed a mouthful of pudding before saying, “Why? Because you lost your stupid bet with Rainbow Dash?”  Tempest shook her head. “No. Because you’re hurt.”  He scoffed. “You wouldn’t know anything about it.” He popped another spoonful of banana pudding into his mouth.  Once more, Tempest sighed. “You know, Spike,” she said, “growing up I never saw much of my parents. They could barely take care of themselves, so taking care of me was out of the question.” She glanced down at him. “I’m not sure the pain that caused ever goes away.” She suddenly turned his head to face hers, then tilted his head so that they were locking eyes with one another. “But I do know that you can’t go through thinking everypony you meet will one day let you down. Because if you do, a very bad thing will happen. You’ll wind up like me.” She glanced up at the clock. “It’s getting late. I’m going to bed. Enjoy your snack.” With that, she got up and walked out of the room.  Over the next several days, Spike received much more attention and affection from all those around him than he usually did. Rainbow Dash and Trixie, who usually delighted in picking on the little dragon just to get under his skin, were acting uncharacteristically sweet towards him, Rainbow Dash inviting him to a Wonderbolts show in Manehattan free of charge and Trixie even went so far as to offer to clean his room for him and serve him breakfast in bed. Even Rarity, who usually deemed her relationship with him as a completely platonic one, showed up at the castle one day with a sack filled to the brim with unused gems, stating that she had no use for them and probably wouldn’t need them. Her only stipulation with her giving them to him was that he promise not to eat them all in one day. He promised her that he would try his best to restrain himself. At one point, even Applejack invited him to a cider tasting along with her, Rainbow Dash, Pinkie Pie, and Maud, but, given that the cider was alcoholic, he declined, only to be embarrassed when Rainbow Dash blatantly reminded him that it wouldn’t have been the first time he’d gotten drunk. Even Quibble Pants stopped by to play a few games of chess with him, and the little dragon suggested that he come over for one of his usual guys’ nights with him, Discord, Big Mac, and Shining Armor upon finding out that he was as big a fan of Ogres and Oubliettes as they were. Quibble Pants seemed delighted at this idea and promised that he would.  For Spike, while all this attention and affection was absolutely wonderful, it was also quite smothering. It was weird. Most of the time he didn’t want anypony bothering him. He just wanted to be by himself. However, any time he found himself alone the loneliness got to him so badly that he eventually went looking for somepony to hang out with. Worse yet, thoughts consumed his head and buzzed around his brain like a swarm of angry twittermites. He had been wronged on more than one occasion, that much was true, and he felt that Starlight should’ve paid for her crimes against him, but, alas, he couldn’t bring himself to take the law into his own hands, as he would surely be punished for it. And then ponies would have all the reason more to want Celestia dead. He couldn’t blame them, really. What Starlight had done was wrong and had hurt him greatly, but to have Celestia, a pony whom he saw as something of a mother to him in the same way as he saw Twilight, declare Starlight innocent had hurt all the more, to the point where it felt as if Celestia had torn out his heart through his mouth and had trampled all over it. Yet he knew that Celestia was not on any one pony’s side; she had merely been doing her job, nothing more, and she had been correct in saying that his case was extremely weak as he had presented little to no evidence at all regarding his allegations, the only defense he had going for him being his word and his word alone, and that surely hadn’t been enough, at least not enough to get a conviction.  Still, he couldn’t help feeling that Starlight needed to be reprimanded for what she’d done to him, but he could never bring himself to go through with actually killing her, as it wasn’t in his nature to do anyone any harm. Starlight was at least correct about that much. Sure, it may have been in Ember or Garble’s nature to do such a thing, but he, being raised by ponies his whole life, had a much more gentler nature about him that wouldn’t allow him to harm another living being. Despite killing and fighting being in her nature, Ember had adopted a much more gentler attitude thanks in part to her not only spending so much time with Spike but also with Twilight and the other ponies that made up Ponyville.  Things in Ponyville hadn’t simmered down at all. Ponies were still aggressive and hostile towards one another as a result of the trial. It made going out downright depressing, ponies being rude and insulting and calling each other names. A fight had broken out the other day when one pony had cut in line at Sugarcube Corner and it took the efforts of Pinkie Pie and Mr. and Mrs. Cake to break up the fight. The only relief that anypony could get from all of the chaos was by going to the local spa. Spike, like many of his friends, found himself venturing to the spa on most days, enjoying a relaxing back massage, as well as the sauna. If nothing else, it helped get his mind off things.  The bedlam that had broken out within Ponyville had left the Apples worried, fearing that they would have to cancel the family reunion that year, if for no other reason than to protect their kin from getting hurt, lest another fight should break out. However, Granny Smith insisted that they hold the reunion anyway, as the reunion would be held at Sweet Apple Acres, far away from all of the hullabaloo and thus, nopony would be at risk of getting hurt. In the end, the Apples agreed, which delighted Apple Bloom to no end as she was looking forward to seeing Babs yet again.  It was during the family reunion that Spike found himself overlooking the festivities from a nearby hill, sitting underneath a tree. Hearing footsteps, he turned his head to see Rarity standing there. “Hey, Rarity,” he said. Rarity didn’t answer him, instead choosing to sit down beside him. “They’re having a family reunion over at Sweet Apple Acres today.” He grinned. “Sure looks like a lot of fun.” After a moment of silence, he added, “Listen, Rarity, I’d really like to thank you and the others for all the help you’ve been to me these past several days.”  “Oh, yeah,” Rarity replied, rolling her eyes. “A great deal of help we’ve been to you.”  “No, I mean it.” His hand shaking, he reached over and gave her foreleg a light squeeze. “I really appreciate all of the efforts you guys have gone to in trying to make me feel better.” He shook his head. “I’m so sick and tired of being dumped on. Just once I’d like to . . . just win at something. You know I’ve never won at anything my entire life?”  Rarity smiled, reached down to lovingly stroke his scales. “Ah, come on, Spike. You’re cool, as Rainbow Dash would say.”  Spike rolled his eyes. “Oh, yeah, I’m cool, alright. Being humiliated by that psychopath in public was really cool.”  “Hey, at least you stood up to her,” Rarity said. “Nopony else had the guts to. We should’ve backed you up!”  “Rarity, when are we going to start sticking up for ourselves?”  Rarity didn’t say anything at first. Then, after giving it some thought, she replied, “Right now, Spike. How about right now?” Spike, beginning to feel excited, suddenly sprang to his feet, a determined look on his face. “Yeah! Let’s go round up everypony and go kick her ass!”  “Yeah!”  He sharply turned on his heel, intending to begin running towards Ponyville, only to be stopped by Rarity pulling him back with her magic.  “Whoa, hold it, Spike,” she lightly scolded. “Hold it, hold it, hold it! Look, we’ve got to be smart about this. If there’s one thing that being a fashionista has taught me it’s that there’s some proper channels that you have to go through. But, with any luck, we’ll be able to dispose of Starlight properly. She is one and we are many.”  Spike grinned. “Yeah, she’s not so tough!” He held out his hand, palm open, and Rarity, smiling, happily slapped it.  “I’m still not too sure about this,” Sweetie Belle said. She, Scootaloo, Apple Bloom, Diamond Tiara, Silver Spoon, and a majority of their friends stood within the Cutie Mark Crusaders clubhouse, once again going over the plan that Apple Bloom had cooked up.  “What’s there to worry about?” Scootaloo asked. “We’re just inviting Starlight to a hike in the woods.”  “Still ––” Sweetie Belle began.  “Enough,” Scootaloo said, putting a hoof to her friend’s lips. “We’ve got nothing to worry about. This is a cleansing hike.”  “But what if Starlight tries using her magic?” Dinky asked.  “You needn’t worry about that,” Sweetie Belle said, grinning, “because I’ve got this!” From her saddlebag she produced a ring.  “Oh,” Silver Spoon said, nodding her head. She tilted her head in confusion. “What is it?”  “It’s a magic dampening ring,” Sweetie explained.  “I’ve read about those,” Dinky said. “They prevent unicorns from using their magic.”  “Exactly,” Sweetie said. “We just slip this on Starlight and she’s pretty much helpless.”  “And how exactly do you propose we get it on her without her noticing?” Diamond Tiara asked, folding her hooves across her chest and raising an eyebrow.  “We’ll think of something,” Sweetie said, tossing the ring in the air and catching it. “I’ll demonstrate how it works. Any takers? How about you, Dinky?”  Dinky shook her head. “Sorry, but I’m still a novice when it comes to magic. There would be no point in me doing it since I can’t really do any magic anyway.”  “Alright, then, I’ll do it.” Sweetie slipped the ring over her horn. She attempted to levitate the book the notebook that Apple Bloom had laid out in front of her. She strained and strained, sweat running down her face, her cheeks puffing out, her face turning red with the amount of concentration she was putting into her effort to lift the book, only for her efforts to be in vain as the book remained right where it was. She suddenly collapsed, falling flat on her belly in a heap. “Interesting,” Silver Spoon said, stepping forward and tapping Sweetie’s horn. “So you can’t do any kind of magic at all?”  Sweetie Belle got to her hooves. “Nope.”  “Fascinating,” Button Mash said.  “Alright,” Apple Bloom said, setting the quill she’d been writing with aside. “I think we’re all done. Now all we have to do is get this letter to Starlight. Our best bet is probably Sugar Belle. The only drawback is that I have no idea where she is. Big Mac, Granny Smith, and Applejack kicked her out a couple of days and I haven’t seen her since. But, luckily Big Mac is delivering divorce papers to Sugar Belle in Starlight’s village this afternoon. I could probably talk him into delivering it to Sugar Belle.”  “They’re still on speaking terms?” Scootaloo asked.  “Er, more or less,” Apple Bloom replied, nervously smiling and rubbing the back of her head.  “I still don’t think this is such a good idea,” Sweetie Belle said. “We could get in a lot of trouble for this.”  “We’ve got everything planned out to the tiniest detail,” Dinky said. “Nothing can go wrong.”  Sweetie Belle sighed. “If you say so . . .”  As Dinky predicted, the plan went flawlessly. Apple Bloom was able to mix the letter she’d written in with the divorce papers that Big Mac was delivering to Sugar Belle, the stallion making it quite clear that the trip to Starlight’s old village was strictly a business-related one. The papers were delivered as planned and Sugar Belle, noticing that one envelope was addressed to Starlight, promptly delivered it to the pony in question, who had no issues whatsoever with meeting the group in Whitetail Woods. She appeared as requested, teleporting in front of the group of children, all of whom had camping gear strapped to their backs.  “Alright, let’s get movin’,” Apple Bloom instructed, turning and beginning to walk along the trail.  “By all means, lead the way,” Starlight said.  “You got it,” Apple Bloom replied over her shoulder.  In silence, the group marched along the trails, ducking out of the way of low-hanging tree branches and stepping over sharp rocks. It seemed the silence was too much for Starlight to bear because she suddenly spoke up, saying, “So, what made you guys want to get together?”  “Well, Twilight and her friends gave you a second chance,” Scootaloo said. “We figured we might as well do the same.”  “Hmm, very mature of you,” Starlight replied.  “Yeah, right,” Diamond Tiara hissed to Silver Spoon’s ear. “Fat chance.”  The group continued on in silence. At one point, Skedaddle almost ended up falling into a pit that was unseen thanks to the fallen leaves covering it, but was quickly rescued by Rumble before he could fall in, to which he thanked Rumble, who merely replied, “Don’t mention it.” They finally came to a halt on a cliff overlooking the western side of Ponyville.  “Perfect,” Apple Bloom said, sitting down on her haunches. “Let’s stop here and rest for a while. I’m sure we’d all like to get a bite to eat and something to drink.”  “Good idea,” Starlight said. “I say we keep this hike going indefinitely. Let’s take an hour-long break and then we can start climbing that thousand-foot cliff.” She nodded towards the cliff in question.  “With no rock climbing gear?” Kettle Corn asked.  “I know you can do it,” Starlight said encouragingly.  “We don’t want to rock climb,” Button Mash said. “We want to have fun!”  Starlight grinned. “Button Mash here wants to have some fun.” She rotated her neck, popping it. “Alright, Button Mash, let’s have some fun.” She turned sharply on her heels, taking off at a sprint towards the edge of the cliff, leaping off it, grabbing onto a tree branch that protruded over the cliff’s edge, doing several swings around it.  “Holy shit,” Pipsqueak cried.  “Whoo-hoo!” Starlight shouted. “I’m on the top of the world!” Still holding onto the tree branch, the stretched out her body along its length. “How’s this for fun, Button Mash? Scootaloo, you little daredevil, why don’t you come out and join me?”  “Oh, yeah, I’m on my way,” Scootaloo said.  “She’s going to get us killed,” Silver Spoon hissed to Peach Fuzz. “We’ve got to do something about this!”  “Yeah, but what?” Sweetie Belle asked.  “What’s that, I missed it,” Starlight said, leaping back in front of the group.  “Oh, uh,” Sweetie said, “I was just saying that, uh, we need to relax a little.”  Starlight nodded. “Good idea. Why don’t I teach you all a little something about yoga?”  “Uh, yeah, sounds great,” Apple Bloom said.  Minutes later, Starlight stood in front of the group attempting to teach them various poses, seemingly unaware of the fact that nopony in the group was paying attention to her.  “Hey,” Diamond Tiara whispered to Apple Bloom, “I say screw the plan. Let’s just push her over. There’s not a jury in all of Equestria who could convict us.”  Apple Bloom shook her head. “No, too messy. We can do better.”  After over fifteen minutes of doing yoga, Starlight resigned herself to sitting down, cross-legged, silently meditating to herself. Her ear twitched, hearing the group of children beginning to clamor. She concentrated harder, attempting to drown our their squabbling. After three separate failed attempts at doing this, she finally cursed underneath her breath and, getting up, walked over to the group and bellowed, “Hey! Who’s causing all of the commotion, hmm?”  “Well, we’ve been having something of a debate,” Apple Bloom said. “I have a question,” Scootaloo said, raising a hoof.  “Go ahead, Scootaloo, ask away,” Starlight said with a smile.  “Is it true that you can do a sit-up if you can’t see or hear?” Scootaloo inquired.  “Yes, Scootaloo, it is possible,” Starlight said with a chuckle.  “Well, Rumble says it’s impossible.” Scootaloo nodded at Rumble, who nodded his head.  “Well, why don’t we rock Rumble’s world?” Starlight suggested. She laid down on her back, folding her hooves behind her head as she said, “There are so many myths about the abdominal muscles. I’m happy to put this one to bed.”  Scootaloo grinned as she wrapped a handkerchief around Starlight’s head, covering her eyes, and tying it in a knot behind her head, looking up at Rumble and saying, “See, Rumble, I told you.”  “Now, remember, Starlight,” Apple Bloom said, “don’t get up until we reach three.”  “Yes, yes, yes, I know all the rules,” Starlight said.  “Okay, good,” Apple Bloom said. She took the magic dampening ring from Sweetie Belle and carefully slipped it onto Starlight’s horn.  “One, two, three,” the group cried in unison.  As soon as Starlight sat up, Babs struck her in the side of the head with a heavy two-by-four. She groaned, falling over onto her side, then, as if nothing had happened, she leaped to her feet, ripping off the blindfold and turning around, glowering at them all. “Alright, which one of you little shits just signed their own death warrant!? Well, come on, speak up!”  Babs raised her hoof, looking quite pleased with herself as she said, “Uh, that would be me, ma’am.”  Starlight gritted her teeth. “Why, you little pig-headed cunt, just wait until I get my hooves on you!”  Immediately, Babs turned tail and ran and Starlight gave chase while the group ran after the two. While she may not have had the magic of a unicorn or the speed of a pegasus, Babs was still quite speedy for a filly her size and age. She glanced over her shoulder to see that Starlight was right on her heels. She grinned to herself, leaping over a branch, only to gasp in surprise upon seeing that she was heading straight towards another branch that was in her way. She had no means of stopping, resulting in her crashing face-first into the branch and falling flat on her back on the ground. Groaning, she lifted a hoof to her nose and pulled it away to see that she was bleeding. Hearing the rustling of leaves, she quickly rolled over onto her stomach and looked up to see Starlight grinning down at her a couple of feet away.  “That should teach you to watch where you’re going next time,” the mare said, stepping forward. Ironically enough, she tripped over the branch that Babs had leaped over due to her not watching where she was going and, with a gasp, she fell forward, falling into the pit that Rumble had saved Skedaddle from earlier. She groaned, rolling over onto her back to see over a dozen eyes staring down at her.  “My friends,” Apple Bloom said with a grin, “we have reached the point of no return.” Along with the others, she cheered uproariously as she traded hoof bumps and hugs along with the rest of them.  “Did you talk to the ponies at Child Protective Services?” Ember asked Cadence. Cadence nodded. “Yes. They said they’d be more than happy to come out and investigate, but they can’t come for another two months.”  “Two months!?” Ember cried. “That’s too long!” She shook her head. “Thorax, what did your brother say?”  “Well, as far as he’s concerned,” Thorax said, “he thinks it’s dicey. We have no hard evidence.”  “Hard evidence!?” Ember said. “Starlight’s the hard evidence, just take one look at her!”  “That’s what Pharynx said,” Thorax replied.  “So, basically, we have nothing,” Ember said.  Thorax nodded. “Basically.”  “Hey,” Sunburst said, walking up to the group. “Have you guys seen Starlight anywhere? That cunt owes me six hundred bits! I’m gonna kill that bitch!” He shook his head, grumbling, “Busting my ass off around here for nothing,” as he walked off.  “Hmm . . .” Ember said, stroking her chin. “Yo, Sunburst, wait up!” Flapping her wings, she flew over to the unicorn. She briefly spoke with him before turning and flying back over to Thorax and Cadence. “Well, he agreed to it, but the only problem is that he wants a lot of money.”  “Uh, how much money?” Cadence asked, raising an eyebrow.  “A lot more than they pay royal crystallers, that’s for sure,” Ember replied.  “How about a bake sale?” Thorax asked, licking his lips. “I bet that would bring in a lot of money.” “Hey, is that Apple Bloom?” Ember asked, pointing.  Both Thorax and Cadence turned their heads to see Apple Bloom sprinting towards them. The filly was breathless by the time she reached them.  “Apple Bloom,” Cadence cried. “Are you all right? Where have you been all day? Your sister’s been worried sick.”  “I’m fine, I’m fine,” Apple Bloom said between pants.  “Good,” Cadence said. “Well, we’re still working on a plan to get rid of Starlight.”  Ember grinned. “Just wait ‘til you hear what we’ve come up with.” “Oh, that’s great, guys,” Apple Bloom said, “but, uh, we already came up with a plan of our own.”  “You did?” Cadence asked. “That is so cute.”  “Uh, yeah, whatever,” Apple Bloom said. “Come with me.”  “Hey, Sunburst, come on,” Thorax called. “I think you’re gonna want to see this.” He chuckled and added to the others, “This ought to be good.”  Apple Bloom led the group to the barn at Sweet Apple Acres, where Sweetie Belle, Scootaloo, and Babs were standing guard.  “I’ve got a very bad feeling about this,” Cadence said as they approached.  “Just try to stay open-minded,” Apple Bloom said.  “Password?” Babs asked once they’d reached the entrance.  “Cranky Doodle,” Apple Bloom said.  Babs opened the door, revealing Starlight situated at the back of the barn tied to a chair within the confines of an enclosed area that was closed off by a chain-link fence that was lined with electrical wiring, the electricity of which was provided thanks to a bug zapper. The mare sat, her face beet-red with rage and frustration, her mouth gagged and taped shut, growling and violently twisting and turning in a futile attempt to escape, her tail thrashing along the floor, scattering dirt and hay in every direction. She would’ve used her magic to escape had she not been wearing a magic dampening ring.  “Oh, my Celestia,” Sunburst said, his jaw dropping along with the others. “This is unbelievable.”  “So, uh,” Apple Bloom said with a grin, “what was your plan?”  “What do you guys think you’re doing!?” Thorax demanded as they began approaching Starlight.  “Uh, getting back at Starlight?” Scootaloo offered.  “This is great,” Cadence said joyfully.  “What are you talking about!?” Thorax cried. “This is insane!”  “We had to do something,” Sweetie Belle said. “She completely snapped!”  “She was swinging from a branch,” Silver Spoon said.  “She was going to make us climb a mountain, with no rock climbing gear,” Dinky added.  “You guys, you can’t kidnap the former student of the Princess of Friendship!” Sunburst said. “They give ponies the chair for this kind of thing!”  “It was self-defense,” Babs said. “You’ve got to believe us!”  “I believe you,” Cadence said.  “Alright,” Thorax said, stomping a hoof. “This is going to end right now!” To the cries of the dismay of the various children gathered around, the Changeling stepped toward the enclosed area, only to be halted by Biscuit. “Out of my way, Biscuit!” When the colt didn’t budge, he rolled his eyes and said, “Cranky Doodle.” Immediately, Biscuit stepped out of the way. Thorax unlocked and opened the door and stepped inside, bending down low so that he was eye-level with Starlight. “Starlight, I am so sorry about this! I’ll untie you right away!” He reached out and pulled the duct tape off Starlight’s mouth and fished out the dirty sock that was stuffed in her mouth.  She inhaled deeply, breathing heavily before saying, “Thank you. You know, when this is all over, I’m going to deliver a well-placed kick to your dick to stop you from ever having children again, you worthless piece of shi ––” Her swear was cut off by Thorax aggressively stuffing the sock back in her mouth, followed by taping the duct tape back over her mouth. He turned his head to glance at the crowd of children and adults standing behind the chain-link fence. “Are these ropes tight enough,” he said, “because we can get more if we need ’em!” His statement was met with an uproar of applause and cheers from the children. He turned back to Starlight, glowering. “I was going to help you out, but now . . .” He leaned forward until he was right next to her ear and said, “Now I’m gonna have to take you down!” Standing back up and walking back over to the door, he grinned, looking quite pleased with himself as he said, “I always wanted to say that to somepony! Alright, guys, looks like our best course of action is to just ride this thing out. Now, I think there might be a way out of this that doesn’t involve any of you getting in trouble, but if we’re going to succeed, we’re all going to have to stick together and work as a team.” His attention was momentarily brought back to Starlight, who, as a result of her constant kicking and thrashing about, ended up falling onto the floor on her side, much to the amusement of the children as they laughed at her misfortune.