//------------------------------// // Chapter 3 - Generosity // Story: The Equestrian Revolution // by Synclair //------------------------------// Chapter 3: Generosity   Rarity’s Palace was out of place with all the yellow, orange, golden and rustic colors that Manehattan was enshrouded in. It was white and glistening with diamond imperial arches and diamond decor. A large poster of Discord was scrolled in the center of the massive palace with Rarity giving a smile behind him. An army of zebras circled the castle 24/7 and I spotted the purple mane of the illustrious Rarity looking longingly out her bay window.   The inside was flash. Diamond and marble was what everything was made out of. Anything that was cloth was lilac silk. Large portraits of Rarity and her little sister Sweetie Belle, who I adored, lined the walls and zebras guarded each door and archway. There was one zebra for every two steps on the grand staircase. Brass Tacks seemed to be in awe of everything, Elven Spices just kept her eyes on the zebra and showed her disgust towards them.   Kiara’s room was filled with knick-knacks and doo-dads. Brass Tacks was busy musing at everything and asking if he could touch things. Mechanical and arcane magic science books cluttered her worktable, as well as tools and goggles. Silver-Lined showed me a picture of the two of them. After all this, I was still on his back.   “So you’re going through with this?” Kiara asked.   Silver-Lined brought a hoof to his lips and shushed her.   Kiara raised a brow, “What? I asked them to not bug my room, they still did. You know how I am with technology... I got rid of all the surveillance in this room anyways.”   I hopped off of Silver-Lined’s back and trotted around the vast room. Plans and blueprints lined the walls. I looked up and of course, more blueprints and plans lined the ceiling as well! A metal sculpture of Discord was placed on her workbench and a zebra toy figures. Elven Spices lifted me up onto the workbench and I began to play with the zebras.   “Don’t touch those!” Kiara shrieked.   Everypony flinched.   She looked at everypony nervously, “Those aren’t toys, Glace, sweetheart,” She said and began to gather them up. I kept one in my hoof.   “What are they for?” Elven Spices asked.   “I couldn’t just disobey Rarity unless I wanted to die. She ordered me to create sculptures of Discord and his zebra army. I even started creating a few pony sculptures but Rarity threw those away... I don’t know why,” Kiara replied while placing her hooves on the Discord statue.   “I don’t worship him,” Kiara added, “it’s just my job to create things people request... and repair things.”   Silver-Lined let me hop on his back again, “Yes, to answer your previous question, the revolution is still in its minor stages. We need more recruits.”   While they discussed the revolution, I hopped off again and left the room. The zebras wouldn’t have minded, right? As long as I didn’t touch anything I was okay. I kept the zebra figure in my mouth as I walked. They all seemed to be glaring at me while I wandered up the stairs. It took all my strength to jump up on one step alone.   The palace was full of corridors and stairs. I just kept on going up. Each floor contained less zebras than the previous one as I kept on going up. Eventually I reached the staircase leading towards the top floor and standing there was Rarity. She was walking slowly with her head hanging low. I made a noise to get her attention, a meow.   “Opal?” She asked and turned around.   Her eyes widened as she saw me.   “W- What are you doing here you foul foal?” she asked.   I crouched against the ground, feeling scared. Rarity gave a sigh and walked towards me. She seemed to be strutting, one hoof in front of the other and her hips swaying gracefully with each movement. Her volumized mane bounced with her. She nudged my horn with her muzzle.   “Get up, darling,” she said kindly, “you simply must be more careful. These zebras don’t care much for foals.”   She guided me up the steps. It was her very own Queen Quarters, complete with glass walls. Her palace was bigger and taller than the Canterlot Castle which was in the distance. Pink cotton candy clouds dotted the landscape and burnt land scarred parts of Equestria. Looking down upon Manehattan, there was nothing to see but a thick brown haze.   “What are you doing here Rarity?” I asked.   She sighed, “I ask myself that question everyday,”   Her gaze was fixed on the setting sun. A tear dropped down her cheek and I brushed it away. She then asked for my name and I responded.   “Glace,” she mused, “what a beautiful name with a cute cutie mark match. Where are you parents?”   I fell silent and she gasped.   “Oh, darling, I’m so sorry...” she whispered.   “Glace!” Silver-Lined’s voice rang throughout the palace.   The booming stampede got louder and louder as they progressed down the hall and up the stairs. Silver-Lined, Brass Tacks, Elven Spices and Kiara all stood there with zebras holding guns to their heads. Rarity gasped and slapped me before shoving me to the ground. I cried.   “I- Oh my Celes- I mean Discord! Oh my Discord what in the hay is going on here?” Rarity gasped melodramatically.   The zebras said something in Zebra.   Rarity sighed, “Right, okay... I still need to learn Zebra. Leave, you zebras, before I inform Discord of your incompetence, leave the ponies with me,”   The zebras obeyed.   “Oh goodness, Glace I’m so sorry. I have to be so convincing that I’m an evil pony or else Discord will...” Rarity choked on a sob and recomposed herself quickly.   “Rarity, what is going on?” Kiara asked.   Rarity explained.   Since Discord’s release and conquer, he called upon the Rarity and the other five ponies – Twilight Sparkle, Pinkie Pie, Rainbow Dash, Fluttershy and Applejack. Each of the six made a deal with Discord to spare there lives and the lives of loved ones. Rarity made a deal to supply him with manufactured items. But Discord’s play on the deal was that she had to act horrible towards everypony and dictate them till their brains melted and their hooves bled... if she showed any act of generosity, Sweetie Belle was to be executed publically.   “Do you want to come with us?” I asked.   “Did you not listen? If I even do one act of kindness in front of these zebras, Sweetie Belle will die... I wouldn’t be able to live with myself,” Rarity said. “What deals did the others make?” Elven Spices asked.   Rarity just shrugged before sprawling across her bed.   “If we were to get Sweetie Belle back,” Silver-Lined said, “then you’ve got freewill?”   Rarity thought about it. “Yes but...”   “We’d be able to turn Manehattan into a revolutionized capital, you’d be able to help us and best of all, you can be generous again!” Silver-Lined said.   “She’s all the way in Trottingham... I don’t even know where that is,” Rarity said.   “Look no further,” Kiara intervened, “the prisoners convoy is making its transfer tonight. Pretty sure I heard the zebras talk about Sweetie Belle on this convoy.”   “Why Canterlot?” Rarity asked. “Ponyville is the Capital of Chaos now, all prisoners are usually transferred there from Trottingham.”   “The Canterlot Palace is being used as a brothel and-” Kiara was interrupted by Rarity shrieking.   “She’s so young! You have to do something!” Rarity said, “You must! You must!”   Silver-Lined gave a large grin. “That’s what we’re going to do.”   “This first strike will mark the beginning of the revolution...we’ll free Sweetie Belle and all the other prisoners!” Silver-Lined cheered, “that should strike some fear into Discord.” * * * The Capital of Chaos – Discord’s Domain “The convoy has not arrived at Canterlot,” a zebra reported. Discord twiddled with a ball of yarn in his paw and claw and let out a discontent grunt as a reply. “The Canterlot Brothel has not many fillies and mares, not a lot,” Discord laughed and threw the ball of yarn at the zebra. It appeared that the ball of yarn, though looking soft and plush was as hard as a diamond as it knocked the zebra out cold. “That wasn’t even a good rhyme!” Discord said playfully. Discord felt a creeping suspicion. What was he going to hold Rarity against now? He couldn’t just kill her. She was supplying him greatly although her outfits were useless and kiddie. May as well let her have her fun, he thought. He drank a glass and the water turned to fire. Surely the disappearance of Rarity’s sister will drive her to disobey. Discord rubbed his beard. As he thought, he called in another zebra. “Hey, what rhymes with orange?” Discord asked the zebra. No response, just a nervous look. “Wrong answer,” Discord said and with a snap of his fingers, the zebra exploded. * * * Brass Tacks and Elven Spices led the convoy back to Trotten while Silver-Lined, Kiara, Sweetie Belle and I went back to go see Rarity. We had to meet her outside the city walls so the zebras couldn’t see Sweetie Belle. Rarity and Sweetie Belle hugged each other for a long time and cried. “I really didn’t want to make soup, Rarity!” Sweetie Belle sobbed. Everypony exchanged confused glances and then laughed. I didn’t get it. “What do we do about the zebras? There’s so many of them,” Rarity asked. We thought about it. “Not too sure, we can keep Sweetie Belle in Trotten if you like until we sort this out,” Silver-Lined suggested. Rarity looked at Sweetie Belle who shook her head. Rarity looked at us sadly, a tear which sparkled like her three diamond cutie mark slid down her cheek. Sweetie Belle was clutching onto Rarity’s leg and I put a hoof on her back and then stroked her mane. Sweetie Belle turned around to look at me and smile. “I... I could try sending the zebras back to Discord, saying that I know how to rule Manehattan with a tight hoof! But I’m pretty sure the zebras are only here to keep an eye on me rather than make sure everypony is working hard... I’ll try it... wait here,” Rarity said. Rarity’s voice came out strong and bold. The zebras raised a brow at each other at first before one of them cheered about having a bonfire and drinking all day. I counted over thirty zebras leaving Manehattan, Sweetie Belle only counted fourteen before she lost count. She smiled at me again and pecked me on the cheek. I couldn’t help but blush. Rarity returned and let Sweetie Belle ride on her back. “Somepony, somezebra is going to inform Discord,” Rarity said, “if he comes here and sees Sweetie Belle...” “If the zebras are sent back, round up some workers who want to be a part of the revolution and are willing to fight. Line them up just inside the gates so once the zebras enter, they’ll be walking into a death trap,” Silver-Lined said. “What if they don’t listen to me? They all hate me,” Rarity said. “Nopony hates you; they’re just tired of working. Let them have a break and during that break, let them know of our situation. They’ll love you in no time,” Kiara reassured. With that, Generosity was on our side. Rarity agreed to supply Trotten with tools and weapons for as long as she can until Discord comes. We agreed to stay with her for a while longer to see if anything would change. We stayed in Manehattan while she gave her speech too, everypony cheered and a glimmer of hope was in everypony’s eyes. A few zebras returned, but there was more to come, no doubt. “Twilight Sparkle knows a spell that creates a bubble which Discord can’t penetrate... if we can generate that around Manehattan and Trotten... it would grand. The fight wouldn’t be so one-sided,” Rarity said. “Do you know where we can find Twilight?” Silver-Lined asked. “You’re going to have to ask somepony else... It’s been a while since I’ve seen any of them,” Rarity replied solemnly. “Alright, thanks Rarity,” Silver-Lined said, Kiara nodded and I smiled. Rarity waved us off, Sweetie Belle gave me another peck goodbye.