The Stars
Ch. 1 Dawn
"Wake up, you good-for-nothing lay about!" a more yellow than orange pony with a leaf-green mane snapped through the door, "the Loggs’ house ain't gonna build itself, ya' know."
"Ugh, is this Daisy again?" the door replied, sounding as if it just had woken up.
"We should just leave her," Daisy's companion, Barbra, suggested. "Even when you do drag her out, she just messes everything up."
"I know, but I can't," Daisy said. "If she doesn't come to work, then I get demoted. Do you know how embarrassing it is to get demoted? In fact, if it wasn't for Serene, I would be the Assistant's assistant right now. I don't know why Cookie had to put that bum on my team."
"It's probably because of your great leadership skills," Barbra said, rolling her eyes.
"That is true, I am a pretty good leader an' all, but nothing I do will ever get that useless lay-about to work. Get up, you lazy old mare!"
"Go jump in a lake, Daisy," Serene replied.
"Grrr! Serene, if you don't get out here in three seconds, I'm busting down this door."
"Right, just try it," Serene challenged.
"One."
"Uh, Daisy," Barbra said, fiddling with the knob on the door.
"Two."
"Daisy." The latch clicked.
"Three." With all her might, Daisy bucked in the door. It let out a slam that rattled the old, boarded-up hovel Serene called home.
"The door was unlocked," Barbra flatpanned.
"Oh well. Serene, you better get out here or..." A low growl interrupted the mare. The ponies in the doorway ceased up. Two green lights floated in the darkness, and stared at the intruders.
"So, I see you've met Dusk," Serene said, as she approached the foreboding sound. "He's a timber wolf, you know. His kind rules the night, and for good reason, too. He's stronger than ten manticores, his bite can rip through trees like paper, and he can catch almost any creature in Equestria, including ponies. But you don't have to worry about him, though. He sleeps through the day, so he's not a threat to any pony. Oh wait, he's not asleep right now, is he?" He barked, unfreezing them, and sending them out screaming in terror. Dusk jumped for the door, eager for a good chase, but Serene closed it before the wolf could get through. Luckly, for the fillies, the hinges were still in tact.
"That ought to teach her to bust down my door," Serene assured herself. She chuckled a little. It was fun to scare ponies, especially Daisy. She turned away from the door, and looked at her dark shack. This place would have made a good home, but it was abandoned a long time ago. There wasn't much left in it, just a table with a few chairs and beds in the two bedrooms. At least, there used to be two beds; one of them had to be thrown out, it was getting too old and dusty. There was a lot of stuff getting old and dusty from disuse. Most of the cabinets in the kitchen were like this. Only a few them actually had something in them. You really don't need a lot when you live alone, or when you don't have many friends.
But it wasn't her fault that all of them slept when she was awake. Then again, she could actually try sleeping during the night, and going to work. Maybe then she'd make some friends, and she would also have more money to fix the place up, so they could come and visit. But that would mean she would have to ignore her special talent, and who she is. Was it worth sleeping through the day, just so she could study the beautiful night?
Dusk could see his master was doubting herself. She got in moods like this often, and he couldn't stand it. He walked up to here, and placed a paw on her back.
Looking up, Serene said, "You're not a scary wolf, are you?" She smiled, rubbed Dusk behind his ear, and then trotted off to bed.
The slits of light that peered through the boarded-up windows faded. It was the time they had been waiting for. Serene grabbed a saddle bag filled with peculiar items like mushrooms that sparkled, flowers that glowed, and a loaf of bread. She took a diary and quill that laid peacefully on the table, and stuffed them along with the other provisions. Dusk got up from his usual spot, well rested and ready to go. Serene pounded her hoof with a commanding air, and said, "Dusk, lick." Dusk quickly obeyed his master, and licked both of the mare's closed eyes. When they opened, they emitted a faint green glow.
Careful that no pony had been watching, Serene exited her house and headed toward the Everfree Forest; her loyal companion eagerly following her.
A little less than a mile from Serene's secluded shack was Foalshire. It was a prosperous town, especially after the creation of Equestria. The streets rested from the daily traffic of store keepers and patrons, while the houses slept through the night, concealing their masters in warm comfort. But peace would not remain.
A gust of wind twisted the head of a sleeping stallion, decorated in dull steel. The night guard snapped to attention. "Who goes there?" He turned his head about, trying to identify the source of the disturbance. When he saw nothing, he leaned against a wall, and continued his slumber.
Arooooooo!
***
Daisy Sure lived in Foalshire. Being the town's only contractor, she lived in the lap of luxury. Her small, two story mansion was adorned with only the finest upholstery, the most comfortable carpeting, and the most eloquent, hoof carved tables in all of Equestria. It wasn't just vanity that drove her fascination for furniture, but her dreams of becoming Chancellor of the Earth Ponies. She figured that a Chancellor would need the best when entertaining high society.
Daisy slept in a four post bed, elegant drapery adorning the fine workscoltship. Daisy stirred from her sleep. She stretched out her hooves and let out a quaint yawn, but something didn't feel right. She slowly looked up.
Bwak. "Ahhhh!" she screamed, and frantically waved the chicken out of her green mane. "What the..." She rubbed her eyes to check her vision, and she couldn't believe what she saw. A sea of white, clucking chickens loitered about the room. There were chickens acting as bed sheets, covering Daisy in a flurry of feathers, but it didn't stop there. Chickens were on the window cell, like a bunch of tacky knick-knacks. They lined the dresser, the night stand, and all of Daisy's beautiful gowns.
"Shoo, go away, GET OUT OF HERE!" she yelled. She chased them out of the couches and off the chairs. She whacked them off the tables and the comfortable carpeting. She gathered them into the entryway, and gave the pile of clucking feathers a tremendous shove. A wave of chickens formed, and burst through the fine, mahogany front door. After she kicked out the last pecking poultry, she discovered a horrible sight.
The benches surrounding town had been adorned with bite marks, carpets soaked with liquid hung out to dry, destroyed furniture was callously thrown outside ponies' doors, the walls of unfortunate buildings had been completely demolished, and then there was the chickens. They seemed to own the place. Flocks gathered under every tree, broods under every bench, which was still standing, and peeps after peeps of chicks ran after their mothers. The clucking and the bawkawing flooded the air with pestilent sound waves. Loose feathers seemed to cover every square inch of grass and dirt.
"Every pony, every pony please," Assistant Smart Cookie shouted over the crowd, standing at the half-chewed podium. "Now listen to me. The Chancellor an' I are gonna figure out what in tarnation's going on around here. Now, if ya' all could... com' on now just... if ya’ all would..." Every pony was still to engrossed in the happenings of last night, chatting on about how they lost a chair, or a lamp, or a wall. "EVERY PONY QUIET!" the Assistant shouted. The crowd fell silent, every pony eager to hear the Chancellor's Assistant had to say. "Now, I know you're all upset, but me an' the Chancellor are gonna figure this out. 'Til then, y'all need to calm down." She then left the crowd to their own devices.
"We're doomed," one pony commented.
***
Smart Cookie opened the door to town hall, and found that the chickens had not spared this place of government. Amidst the sounds the chickens had made, the Assistant added, "Chancellor? Chancellor Pudding Head?" In the center of the room, a pile of chickens began to sound up, and flap their wings. From the flock emerged a pink pony sporting a chicken on her head.
"There you are, Assistant Smart Cookie, I've been looking all over for you."
"In a pile of chickens, your chancellorship?" Cookie retorted.
"Yeah! You'd be amazed at all the things that can be done with chickens. I've got my chicken hat, chicken shirt, chicken pants, chicken pot pie (a chicken next to a pot next to a pie), chicken dance (trained chickens dancing a jig), and, finally, eggs." Pudding Head proudly showed her assistant the pile she had accumulated in her arms.
"That's great, Chancellor, but every pony's wonderin' what you're gonna do about these dog-gone attacks," said Cookie.
"Oh, tell them not to worry, I've already taken care of that."
Assistant Smart Cookie drew her head back in shock. Usually, the Chancellor let Cookie handle these matters. "Might I ask how, your Chancellorship?"
"Sure!" Pudding Head put on a big smile. Cookie waited for her response. There was a sort of awkward silence, as there had often been between her and the Chancellor. She was a weird one, indeed. The Chancellor was always being eccentric, and strange, and always making jokes. Cookie would always have to decipher the strangeness of Pudding's behavior. It annoyed her that Pudding Head could never be straight with her.
"How?" Cookie asked, finally figuring out the reason for the silence.
"Well, I've sent all the guards home to sleep, and had the bakers bake pies," the Chancellor replied.
"Pies, you're Chancellorship?"
"Blueberry pies," added Pudding Head, as she picked one up.
"Might I ask why?"
"Sure!" The Chancellor put on the same smile as before.
"Ugh, why?"
"Because they're sticky, stain-y, and..." she said as she took a bite, "... tasty!"
Even though she was weird, Chancellor Pudding Head always had a plan, it just took a little bit before Cookie could figure what it was. "Oh," she realized, "the guards are asleep so they can stay up all night an' guard the shire, an' the pies are fer stopping the intruders."
"Yep, you sure are one smart cookie, Smart Cookie," the Chancellor complimented, as she conga-lined with the chickens.
***
"Come on boy," called Serene. She was out for her usual night expedition. Her head crept smoothly out through the door frame. She looked left, and then right, noticing that the town was lit up. "That's weird," Serene said to herself, "usually every pony in Foalshire is asleep by know. You go on ahead into the forest, Dusk, I'll catch up with you later." Reluctantly, Dusk did as his master ordered.
Serene found the darkest alleyway to see what was going on. She didn't want any pony to see her out at night, it being unnatural for a pony to be up this late, except guards. Luckily, she could use her dark blue hide and deep purple mane to conceal herself in the shadows. She squinted her eyes to hide the green glow of the slobber sight Dusk had given her. Then, two guards, armed with baked goods, walked by. She followed them, using the dark points and the shadows cast by candles to keep her presence unknown.
"... and when I went downstairs, the throw pillow my sister made for me was torn apart," one guard said. "I have to admit, I've never really liked it."
"Not a big fan of your sister's taste in upholstery, are you?," the other replied.
"No. Aw-well, I guess one good thing came out of it, I get to have some better furniture around the house." Both ponies chuckled at the silver lining. Ponies and their furniture, something Serene never understood, mostly because she didn't have much in the way of it.
"So, who'd you think did all this vandalism?"
"Don't know, Russ. Aren't the Pegasi known for doing stuff like this to us Earth Ponies, you know, just to show us who's boss?"
"I've seen a lot of Pegasi pranks in my day, Buckler, and they're nothing like this," Russ corrected. "They usually hide things, replace the ink with the invisible type, soap our front door steps, stuff like that. And, besides, they're clumsy and loud, an' wouldn't be able to pull something this big without waking the whole town. This seems like something the Unicorns would do."
"Well, why would the Unicorns do it?" Buckler asked.
"This might be their idea of a prank, or to show their power, the snobs. They think that they can push us around with their magic just because we don't have any. Huh, I'd like to see them try an' grow a crop," retorted Russ.
"But I thought we were at peace now."
"Trust me, it will take more than changing the name of the land to bring 'peace' between the Three Tribes."
Serene got sick of the prejudice, and broke off from the guards. It was stupid how ponies would blame each other. It was always the pegisi's fault when some pony's flowers died of dehydration, or the unicorns' fault for not giving it enough sunlight. Even when the complaints were legitimate, they were still annoying. Serene turned around, when a gust of wind past by.
"Did you hear that?" Buckler said.
Alarmed, Serene headed for the hill overlooking Foalshire. The sound of hooves were following her. She glanced over her shoulder, but there was no pursuer, only the shire. Relieved that no pony was chasing her, Serene looked down at her home town, admiring the play between light and shadow. Foalshire was beautiful at night, and so peaceful, too. It was a shame no pony would ever see it.
She noticed something moving down there. In the shadows, was a mysterious creature. It looked like Dusk, but it was too far away to be sure. She could go down and check it out, but that would risk an encounter with the guards. Guards weren't too friendly around here, and besides, the hill was a better vantage point anyway.
"What do you think that is?" Buckler asked, twitching his ears.
"What?" Russ's hearing wasn't what it used to be.
"That sound," Buckler explained. There was a faint noise of something gnawing at a wood bench. "Here, let's check it out."
They drew closer to the sound. An outline appeared in the darkness, and, as the ponies crept in, green lights flickered in the distance.
"What is that thing?"
The lights took note of the whisper, and were now facing the two guards, stricken with fear. Buckler slowly reached to draw his pie, when the lights exploded. "Buckler!" shouted a doomed Russ as he was dragged off into the night.
"Rusty!" Buckler tried to pursue the assailant, but was intercepted by another set of lights. The lights crept in. Under a burning candle, they took form. It had a body of a wolf, made up of an abstract placement of twigs and branches. It's teeth were a single piece of timber, saliva lightly coating the set of daggers like a wood finish. A low rumble protruded from the thing's mouth, freezing the guard where he stood.
Ruff!
As if the beast said "run", the stallion bolted deeper into town, the wolf eagerly following after. The colt was at full gallop, rounding corners, jumping benches, all in hope of shaking his pursuer. Carefully, he grabbed a pie with his mouth, and let it loose over his shoulder. The wolf twitched its feet, and weaved clear of the projectile. Sweat ran down his face, his legs started to feel heavy, his eyes dreading the demise that was soon to come. In a last attempt to end this chase in his favor, he bit a pie from its holster, lifted it high in the air, and, using every muscle he could find in his neck, let loose the tasty spear.
Splat!
The pie hit the beast square in the face, causing the wooden wolf to come to a screeching halt while the stallion got away. The victor looked back to appreciate his work, relief and pride filled his chest. "Whew," he huffed, "That was-"
Wham!
The proud colt had struck a wall, leaving him sprawled all over the ground. His head pounded, his legs ached, his heart raced. Using what little strength he had left, he lifted his head. There it was. The fearsome creature with its blueberry stained face. Every feature of the animal's mug was revealed to the collapsed colt; its breath brushing his snout with the smell of sawdust and pine. The creature bore its teeth once more, the candle light played with its smooth saliva coat. Buckler tried to pick himself up, but the wolf stepped on his shoulder, pinning him to the ground. Trapped, his body let out a primeval scream. The wolf grinned, taking extreme satisfaction from the surrender of his prey, and let out a victorious howl. A blue glow poured through its lips, and then shined through every crack and crevice in the true victor's body. The light became brighter, until it turned into a spectacular blue flame, its brilliance seconded only by that of the sun. And, as soon as the fire lit, it vanished, taking the wolf with it.
Dumbfounded, the guard gathered himself, got up, and began walking.
"Russ, Russ!" he desperately cried. A fatigued Buckler heard a shiver from the alley way, the kind that made a pony's spine tingle. "Rusty?" Buckler peeked his head around the corner, and saw his poor compadre curled up on the ground shivering, and covered in a clear film.
"So... much... licking."
***
The feathers were gone, but a sea of sticks replaced them. Foalshire seemed to be flooded with parts from every type of tree in Equestria, each with its own hues, grains, and forms. Complaints were sounded from every corner of the small town, every pony shouting of the same atrocities that occurred the night before. Their murmurings and whining evolved into a ravenous crowd outside town hall. They were hungry for answers.
"Chancellor!" snapped Smart Cookie at a pile of sticks, one of many in town hall. Chancellor Pudding Head popped out of the pile of tree limbs, wearing a hat made of sticks.
"I never knew it would be so hard to keep up with the fashion around here. It seems-"
"Chancellor, this ain't no time for yer funny business," the Advisor interrupted, "Every pony in town is raving mad outsid' our very doorstep, an' here you are jus' foalin' around!" Pudding Head was taken completely off guard by her Assistance's impatience.
"Well, how'd it go?"
"With what!" Now Smart Cookie was livid. No pony could blame her, though. She lost her grandma's old teddy bear in the attacks.
"With the guards," Pudding Head said, shrinking away from the mad mare. Smart Cookie caught herself, took a deep breath, and calmed herself. Shouting at Pudding was not going to make anything better.
She proceeded with the report. "I won't sugar coat it er nothing; they were defeated eas'r than a two-legged dog at a horse race. Now look here, I know a pony..."
"I know a pony, too." A fall-yellow filly with a green main full of sticks barged into the hall. She was not happy. "Who, might you ask?" continued Daisy. "What kind of pony could have done such a thing? Well, I'll tell you what kind; it's that lazy, good-for-nothing Serene!"
"Whoa there, Daisy, we can't just have ponies comin' in here an' accusing each other , it's not civil."
"Why not? It makes things so much more interesting," corrected Chancellor Pudding Head.
Smart Cookie continued. "Do you have any evidence of her doin' any of these crimes?"
"Evidence!" Daisy exclaimed, "There is nothing but evidence against that dark glob. She never lifts a hoof to help any pony but herself. Not a week ago had I asked her to help us build an orphanage, and she told me to jump off a cliff."
Pudding gasped, "That's horrible."
I never knew we had an orphanage, the Advisor thought.
"And when I tried to insist, she threw a bucket of water at me and told me to chill out and get a life."
"That's awful."
Well, Daisy can be kinda pushy.
"And, when I asked her ever so politely to fix that mess of a home, she told me she would, as soon as I fixed that mess of a face," Daisy said with a small sob.
"She sounds horrible," the Chancellor decided.
"Look you can't go accusing people of crimes jus' 'cause you don't like 'em," informed the Assistant.
"Oh, that's just the tip of the iceberg," Daisy informed. "Sometimes, I see her sneaking out at night sometimes, and when I do, her eyes glow green."
"Hey, didn't one of the guards mention something about green, glowing eyes?" the Chancellor asked.
"See, see!" Daisy exclaimed, "and that's not the worst part. The worst part is that she keeps a ferocious beast named, named... Oh! It's just too terrible to say."
"What is it?" Pudding Head said, pulled in by this tragedy. Cookie couldn't believe that the Chancellor was actually being drawn in by this.
"It's Dusk," cried Daisy, turning on the water works. "It's the most terrible thing you've ever saw. It has these green-glowing eyes, a body made of sticks, teeth that could chop through trees in one bite, and a bark, a horrible bark that scares the living daylights out of ya!" the distressed mare orated. She berried her head in her hooves, bawling, while concealing a smile in the darkness she created.
"I guess we can go talk ta Serene. Maybe she knows something 'bout what's happenin' to Foalshire," Smart Cookie suggested.
"Talk to her!" Daisy exclaimed, "talk to that thing?"
"We have to, it's only fair," the Assistant reminded.
"Fair? This is no time for fair. Look at what she did to the town!" Daisy continued to cry. The leaders' attention turned to the windows surveying their poor city. Lines of carpets hung out, trying to dry from mysterious puddles that had found their way into homes, mountains of ruined furniture adorned every doorway, and the wooden parts of trees eclipsed the ground.
"Yeah, Daisy's right," the Chancellor affirmed, "We need to do something, not talk."
"Don't get ahead of yourself, Pudding. I know Serene an'..."
"You know that horrible beast?" Daisy shouted through her sobs. Both Daisy and the Chancellor stared at her.
"Well, uh, I've met her a couple o' times, an', like any pony, she can be reasoned with."
"You can't reason with her, she'll just send out her attack dog," Daisy accused. "She's-"
"I've made a decision," the Chancellor interjected, "We will see this Serene, and then I'll-"
"Throw her in the dungeon?" hoped Daisy.
"We don't have a dungeon," Cookie infromed.
Daisy tried again. "Put her in stocks?"
"We don't have stocks," the Advisor reminded.
"Banish her?"
"Banish her!" exclaimed the enthused Pudding Head. "Oh wait, I mean, I will make a smart and leader-ly like decision."
***
An ominous rasp played on the old door. "Open up, Serene," Daisy chanted.
"Go away, Daisy," the door responded.
"The Chancellor's here to see you," Daisy sung. Hoof steps emanated from the closed passageway. Clicks and clacks were heard between the door and its jam. It opened.
"What, Dais... oh." A shocked look ran over the night-blue mare's face. Serene thought Daisy was lying to try and get her out, but the presence of the town's leaders and half the town corrected that assumption.
"Um, if it's about me not working..."
"Serene Radiance," announced the Chancellor in her most chancellor-ly voice, "You have been accused of abiding and aiding the enemy."
“Wait, weren’t we sup-post to just talk to her?” Smart Cookie whispered to the Chancellor.
“I am,” the Chancellor replied.
"What?!" Serene exclaimed.
“She means...” the Assistant tried to explain.
"I know what she means," Serene snapped. "It just who, how... Daisy," Serene concluded, with a scowl and a stare at her prosecutor.
"How do you plead?" the Chancellor continued.
"Not Guilty. I would never do something so vile, not in all my life!"
The crowd began to sound. "Who is this pony?" some wondered. "I've never seen her around," others stated.
"Look, look!" Daisy ran into the shack, shoving Serene aside. "She's keeping one of the wolf things that's been attacking us, right in her very home!" Daisy pointed at a corner, but the boarded-up windows kept any light from revealing what she was pointing at. The crowd responded with murmured confusion.
"Hey, you can't just...," Serene protested.
Frustrated at the confusion, Daisy kick the lump. Immediately, two green-glowing eyes came into fruition, a set of daggers with a wood finish set into the mare's leg. The crowd gasped.
"I've seen those eyes," one shouted, "I saw them rip up my neighbor's home."
"Those are the same set of eyes that took my couch," another said.
"He almost took my best friend away from me," a voice familiar to Serene added.
The dog released his automatic grip. A wave of shame crushed the poor animal, and sent him cowering in the corner once comfortable.
"See, she's keeping those vicious things in her house," Daisy restated.
"But Dusk is not bad," Serene quietly protested.
"Did you see what it did to her leg?"
"And those eyes."
"Its a monster!"
"It doesn't belong here!"
"They both don't belong here!"
"Throw 'em in the dungeon!"
"Clap 'em in irons!"
"Banish the outsiders!"
"Banish the lovers of night!"
"Banish them!"
Soon the crowd was overtaken by the simple phrase, "Banish them". Serene always felt that she was strange, even unpopular. This bothered her, but the crowed shouting at her wasn't like feeling. It was different.
"Banish them," the crowd cried.
It was darker.
"Banish them," the crowd chanted.
Then it all stopped. The Chancellor had raised her hoof for silence.
"Serene Radiance, you are here by banished from Foalshire. May no pony show you kindness or friendship under penalty of law."
"Fine." Serene's voice cracked. "I never liked it here anyway." Serene's voice lied. "Come on, Dusk." Dusk crept back, deeper in the corner. He felt this before. He knew what was going to happen, and he didn't want it to happen. Then he looked at Serene.
"Com’on, Dusk." A voice commanded.
He knew he had to forget himself and remember his master. He knew something was wrong with her, and he would have to cure her. He grabbed a saddle bag off the table, and ran through the back door to avoid the crowd.
"Dusk..." a voice faded. She looked into the empty home. It now had only a few chairs and a bed. She ran.
"Serene, wait!" Smart Cookie beckoned, but it was too late. Serene was gone.
The Chancellor spoke. "Now, I want..."
"PUDDING HEAD, YOU IDIOT!" Cookie could hold it back no longer. "You just went an' banished the only hope we had! Serene was the only one who had any idea what..." Cookie stopped. The crowed stared.
"Why would you ever want that monster back? Unless you were friends with that thing," Daisy accused. Every pony gasped. Smart Cookie? The Chancellor's assistant, hand picked by the pony council to be second in command of the Earth Pony Tribe? Surely this was not her.
"Is this true, Smart Cookie?" Pudding Head asked.
"Yes, I am friends with Serene," she said, ashamed. "But she's not all bad, she's only a little grumpy when ya wake her from her nap, that's all. An' she knows a might bit about the night, too. I'm sure if we just apologi-"
"Apologize? Apologize for what?" Daisy got an evil plan in her head. "Apologize after she ruined our town?" With Serene gone, now she would be the greatest leader in all of Foalshire. "Apologize after she plagued us with those beasts." And with the Assistant's seat open... "Apologize after her little monster bit my hoof?"
"Well, you did-" Cookie almost rebutted.
"If any pony should apologize, it should be you, for ever being friends with that mare," commanded Daisy.
Cookie's heart raced. Confusion ruled her mind for a second, but then memories of the late night dinners, Dusk licking her hooves, and the talks Serene and Cookie shared rushed through her head. Even though Cookie had only known her for a while, she knew Serene wouldn't do any pony harm. She knew to apologize would be to betray this idea, to betray her friend. To apologize would be wrong. Smart Cookie stood tall.
"I won't. Serene's my friend; apologizin' fer that would be a down right lie."
"She's unrepentant!" Daisy said with a cheer, "She must be banished."
Every pony was conflicted. Banish the Assistant? The crowd murmured in confusion, with a sprinkle of amazement.
"I would never follow a pony that was friends with Serene." A colt pushed through the crowd. It was Buckler. "I was chased all over town by death itself. I saw my friend, the once proud Rusty Shield, reduced to a shaking lump because of Serene, and now, you won't even say that you don't like her?" He spat at her hooves. "Your not my leader. Banish her!"
The crowd took a mere second to judge, and gave the sentence.
"Death to the night," one cried.
"Get rid of the sympathizer of the dark," another added.
"Banish her."
It was the simple phrase that the crowd chanted. It was the simple phrase that the Chancellor had to follow. She raise a hoof.
"Assistant Smart Cookie, I banish you from Foalshire. May no pony show you any kindness or friendship under penalty of law."
She was shocked for a second, but then knew what she had done. She had stood up for Serene, and there is no shame in standing up for your friends. Cookie held her head high, and eyes fixed straight on the road ahead, proudly walk out.
"What do we do now?" the crowd wondered.
"Choose a new assistant," Pudding Head replied.
Special Thanks to my editors, WhatTheMoo and Rill, the artist that lives above my dorm, and my family (For putting up with my pony obsession).