Chapter 31
Bronwyn looked around as she slowly stood up, amazed that she was back in the Enforcer’s Order Hall. She’d lost access to it long ago when the UAD returned, which was when she’d also been split up from the other Enforcer’s.
But to be back after all this time, she felt a sense of relief and comfort wash over her. This brought her closer to reuniting with her friends again.
Turning her attention to the young mare, she again took notice of the Mark of the Enforcer. She had questions, but first she asked the most important one.
“Are you okay, Summer Breeze?” She asked as she kneeled down next to her, watching as her wounds were still slowly healing.
“I will be,” she mumbled, still looking a bit shaken up with her battle with Jun.
She still looked the mare over, making sure there was no real damage done to her. Luckily it appeared the worst of it was a mostly healed tear down her entire underside, with a nasty scar on her face already healed.
Satisfied she would be okay, the woman stood up, glancing around the door some more. “Alright, Summer, tell me how you became an Enforcer.”
“Oh, another Enforcer used an item to make all of Phantasm Troupe Enforcer’s,” she said as she stood up fully.
“Who was it?!” Bronwyn asked as her head snapped back to the young mare, excitement clear on her face.
“Um, Loric,” she said, a grimace on her face.
Bronwyn started to say something, but then she noticed the look on the mare’s face. “Where’s Loric?”
Summer Breeze looked away from her, “he died.”
This shocked Bronwyn to her core as she took a step back and collapsed to her knees. “That’s not possible… not Loric…”
“Champion inflicted a terrible wound on him and he passed away some time later,” the mare said as carefully and straight to the point as she could. “He died peacefully though, at the grave site of his friends.”
The woman just sat there, barely processing what she was hearing.
“His wandering Ego,” Summer Breeze continued, wanting to get all of this out now, “is inside of Shayla.”
“His Ego chose Shayla?” Bronwyn asked in a hollow voice, a ghost of a smile on her face. “That’s good then…”
“Do you need anything?” Summer Breeze asked as the woman continued to stare off into nothingness.
“No,” she replied in an empty voice.
Behind them another portal opened and Dude came flying through it, yelping as he bounced off of the floor.
“Dude!” Summer Breeze yelled as she ran towards him, jumping and sliding on her knees up next to him. She looked him over frantically as he laid there breathing heavily, his horn was also clearly burnt out. She began to try and heal the gaping wound in his back leg, but it was slow going.
Then she realized something as her body began to shake, “where’s my brother?! Is he okay?!”
“Nightstreak is okay,” Dude reassured her in an exhausted voice. “Trixie took him somewhere safe.”
She let out a sigh of relief as she stopped shaking so much, “what about the others?”
“I don’t know,” he grunted, sitting up forcibly. “Summer, they took your dad.”
“What?!” She yelped in surprise. “What do you mean they took my-“ then she remembered what happened to Starch. “But why?! They took Starch too!”
“I don’t know what’s even going on,” he groaned, pushing himself up to all fours, wobbling a bit as his body threatened to give out. He was beyond exhausted at this point.
“Stay down, Dude,” she commanded, forcing him back down.
“I need to get to Nightstreak and the others,” he protested, but his body betrayed him as he was no longer able to get up.
“We’ll get them,” she assured him. “But we need to wait a bit. If we go back out there right now we’ll probably get killed.”
“Damn it,” he growled as he weakly slammed his hoof on the floor.
She sighed as she looked over at Bronwyn, who looked very forlorn as she stared off into nothingness.
“Oh this is a mess…” Summer Breeze muttered as she stood up and went to look for Luzzumi.
ooo000<^>000ooo
An hour after the battle
Flippy Dew frowned as she stood above her dad as he laid on the makeshift bed, all the ponies around them yelling orders to each other. They were currently in the Everfree forest, where Calypso and Doc had set up an impromptu evac zone, using it as a rallying point for any ponies fleeing the fighting.
But from the sounds of it the fighting had died down long ago.
Ponies were steadily streaming out of the destroyed town, heading for the little camp in search of aid and comfort. Luckily the hospital staff survived the destruction of the hospital as they rushed around, making sure everything was set up and running correctly.
Watching everyone run around and being useful made Flippy Dew feel a bit useless, as she just sat by her dad as he rested. Doc had healed his wounds, but they’d still taken a tow on her dad's body. Which resulted in him needing to sleep it off.
“Dewy!” a female voice called out, causing her to whip around and see her mother, Ditzy Dew, rushing towards.
“Mom!” Flippy Dew screamed as happy tears began to pour down her face, jumping up and flying into her mothers embrace.
“Oh I thought I’d lost you!” her mom cried, holding onto her daughter tightly. “I heard that you were last seen fighting that Griffon monster!”
“Dad saved me,” she said as she broke the hug and pulled her mother over to where her father lay.
“Oh Cody!” her mother exclaimed as she fell down by his side, taking his hoof in hers.
Now that her mother was here, she felt like she could leave and see if her friends were here.
“Mom, I’m going to go find my friends,” she said, patter her mother on the shoulder.
“Don’t leave camp, please,” her mother said, giving her a pleading look.
“I won’t, mom,” she said with a little smile as she lifted into the air and began to fly around.
It took her a little bit but she eventually found both of them laying near each other on the makeshift beds.
Both were awake, and neither one looked like they felt that great.
“Guys!” she exclaimed as she landed between their two beds.
“Dew!” Roxxy yelled, leaning over and pulling the other mare into a tight hug. “I thought your dumbass got killed!”
“Almost did,” she laughed as she returned the hug.
“Flip, you seen my sister or Dude?” Nightstreak asked, body covered in massive bruises.
She broke the hug and turned to him, shaking her head. “I’m sorry, I’ve only found you two so far,” she said as she walked over and hugged him, causing him to wince in pain.
“Can you go find them?” he asked as she leaned back.
“I will,” she promised, slugging him in the shoulder.
“Careful!” he hissed, groaning as he rubbed the bruised area.
As she began to continue searching, a loud boom was heard high above them, causing everyone to look up.
In the sky they saw Champion slowly descending towards them, and from the looks of it, he did not look pleased.
“Champion!”
“Did you get them, Champion?!”
“Is it safe now?!”
The gathered ponies all yelled questions to him as he landed.
“Silence everyone,” he said in an authoritative voice. “I have news.”
Everyone went silent as he stood there, a solemn look on his face. There was a flash right behind him as a female unicorn appeared with what looked to be a News Team.
The ponies ran around Champion and quickly set up a camera as they seemed to be getting ready to go Live.
“What’s going on?” Nightstreak asked as the three of them stared in confusion at the scene before them. The rest of the crowd was just as confused, but no one said a word.
Once the News Team was set up, they gave a signal to Champion as he cleared his throat loudly.
“The attack on New Ponyville has ended,” he announced, getting a roaring response from the crowd. “But it was a ruse, to distract me from the real threat. And I regret to inform you, all of Equestria, that it worked. I have failed.”
He tilted his head to the side, tears rolling down his face, looking very dramatic. “The Princesses, my mother and aunt, are dead.”
The crowd went silent as everyone stared in shock at him. After a pause, someone in the crowd screamed, which broke the tension as everyone began to wail loudly.
“I am so sorry,” he yelled to everyone, looking absolutely regretful. “But there’s even worse news.”
Slowly everyone quieted down enough for him to continue.
“We’ve been betrayed, by those we trust the most,” he said loudly.
“I don’t like where this is going,” Roxxy muttered, a frown on her face.
“I’ve been following a few leads over the last few years,” Champion began, taking on a more serious tone and appearance. “I didn’t want to believe it, but everything pointed to one outcome. Yet I tried to disprove it, which has cost the Princesses their lives.” He held his head high as the female unicorn next to him gave a nod. “Everypony. Equestria. This entire event, the attack here, the death of our beloved Rulers, was set in motion and perpetrated by Bronies.”
Everyone gasped in horror, while a few began to look a bit uncomfortable.
“Not just a group of Bronies,” he stated loudly. “But ALL Bronies. I have uncovered horrible evidence that everything we know is a lie! Bronies came here to rule this world, not live among it! We have been tricked, bamboozled!”
“What?!” someone yelled out, followed by a few in the crowd yelling their own questions at him. But he ignored them all.
“My Father, the late Prince Frederic found out about this plot and he tried to stop it, but he was killed for his efforts! He was not killed by the Watcher, but by Lance Greenfield and his friends!”
This caused the ponies to go ballistic as they seemed to be believing every word their Hero was saying.
“Oh fuck…” Roxxy mouthed as the crowd around them began to get restless, the events of the day already had everyone anxious and agitated. This revelation was just the final straw for a lot of them.
“As I have found out, using my TRUTH POWERS, all Bronies were in on this. A massively coordinated attack that was supposed to end with my death as well. But I foiled their plans and freed the minds of those they enslaved to attack us today.”
As he said this a few creatures appeared right behind him. It was the ones who’d just attacked the town!
They were all in their normal forms now, no longer appearing to be Demonic at all.
Everyone gathered began to panic, but Champion held up his hoof, calming them down.
“These are the victims of the Bronies,” he said, casting a hoof over the gathered group behind him. “Each one was under the direct control of one of the Bronies in this town. They were just pawns in this game, victims like the rest of us.”
The crowd still looked unsure, but they trusted Champion completely. He was their Hero after all, and now their new Ruler.
“What are we going to do about this?” someone up front asked.
“I’ve already taken the necessary steps to ensure this attack does not go unpunished,” he said, nodding to the female unicorn.
She stepped forward and her body began to glow red as she raised into the air.
“Do not be alarmed,” Champion said to the panicked crowd. A few ponies in the crowd were suddenly surrounded in crackling energy as ponies began to panic and scream.
“It is okay, my little ponies!” he yelled loudly, “we are just imprisoning all the Bronies among you. If we do not, their next plan involves killing entire cities of ponies to get what they want!”
“Dad!” Flippy Dew yelped as she looked in the direction of her parents, seeing that her father was one of the ones encased in the crackling energy.
Champion looked at the camera crew, giving a determined smile, “I request all citizens of this great nation follow my lead. Report any Bronies you know to the authorities and we will make sure they do not hurt you or your family ever again.”
The crowd of ponies began to cheer, throwing insults and jeers at the ones who were being raised into the sky encased in the crackling energy. All at once, they all made a popping sound as they disappeared, removing all the Bronies from the crowd.
“What about their spouses and kids?!” someone yelled out in a panic.
The ponies around the three friends began to step away from them, giving them dirty looks.
Champion looked at the unicorn, who just gave a nod.
“You are right, we can not take any chances. From here on, any one related to a Brony MUST be turned in. Anyone found to be protecting a Brony or their family will be treated as a traitor to Equestria!”
The crowd began to get rowdy as they began to push the accused ponies in question around, yelling for Champion to come get them.
“What do we do?!” Nightstreak asked in a low voice, the crowd screaming at them as they began to push towards the three ponies.
In the background the female unicorn began to rise into the air again, her red energy crackling around her body.
Flippy Dew watched as ponies all around them began to get encased in the red energy, knowing it was only a matter of time before she and her friends were trapped in it as well. She cast a glance to see her mother also being raised up, knowing she had a tough choice to make.
“Ah fuck!” she cursed as she pulled out her Order Hall Dagger, just as the crowd began to throw things at them.
“Dew, we can’t just leav-” Nightstreak began to say, but a bottle crashed into his face, shattering into tiny shards. “AH my fucken eyes! Get us out of here!”
She ripped a portal open right in front of herself as she grabbed her two friends and dragged them through the portal, just as the crowd surged towards them. The portal snapped shut behind them, cutting off the awful screams of the angry mob.
“Guys?!” Summer Breeze yelled as she rushed towards them. “Are you okay?!”
“No,” Flippy Dew said as she fell to her knees, tears streaming down her face.
“What happened?!” Summer Breeze asked as she attached her Ego to all three of them, trying to heal them the best she could.
Roxxy wiped her face as she shakily stood up. “Champion happened.”
ooo000<^>000ooo
“Everyone?” Dude asked dumbfoundedly as he and Nightstreak sat together, pressed into each other's embrace.
“Everyone,” Roxxy confirmed solemnly, looking around the table at everyone. “Champion made up some bullshit about all the Bronies being these scheming evil creatures, and everyone just ate it up.”
“From the looks of it,” Nightstreak growled, “Champion is the one who led the attack. He’s probably the one who killed the Princesses as well.”
Dude groaned as he laid his head against his partner, “this is so fucked…”
“What are we going to do though?” Flippy Dew asked, her face still coated in tears. “Champion just made Bronies criminals, and it looks like all of Equestria will go along with him. So that means we’re criminals.”
The group went silent as the situation sank in. They couldn’t go home, and everyone they know has either been captured or turned against them.
“I’ll tell you what we’re gonna do,” Roxxy said as she slammed her hoof down and stood up, “we’re going to figure this shit out, and then we’re going to make him pay for what he’s done today.”
“If any of you step out of here and try to face him,” Bronwyn said as she sat with her arms crossed. “Then you will die. Just like Loric.”
“Stop being a downer,” Nightstreak said, getting a glare from her. “I’m sorry. But we have to do something. We can’t just sit here and let him win!”
Bronwyn looked at Luzzumi, who gave her a reassuring smile, cauisng her to let out a heavy sigh.
“Okay,” she said, shaking her head. “But you all need training, and lots of it. We’ll use the Enforcer’s Time Chamber to train. Time works differently there, as a day here is a year there.”
Everyone looked unsure, so she added, “fatigue does not exist there, and it doesn't affect your aging process at all. You gain all the benefits without any of the drawbacks. This is the only way you guys will be able to even stand a chance against Champion or any of his new goons.”
“Well,” Roxxy began, looking at her friends. “What do you guys say?”
“I’m in, of course,” Summer Breeze said with a determined nod.
“Enforcer’s Time Chamber?” Nightstreak chuckled, “sounds like that Dragon Ball shit Shayla is always going on about. I’m down.”
“Me too,” Dude chuckled, bumping hooves with Nightstreak.
Flippy Dew had a determined look on her face as she gave a sharp nod.
“Wonderful!” Luzzumi exclaimed as he rushed for one of the passages. “I’ll get tha gear ready at once!”
Bronwyn stood up as well, heading for the living quarters. “I have plenty of training manuals that will be of use to you all.”
“Oh great, we’ll be reading in there,” Dude groaned as he slammed a hoof into his head.
The others chuckled at his reaction, the tension still in the air, but at least they could still laugh with each other.
“I wish Shayla was here…” Flippy Dew suddenly said, getting everyone’s mood to fall even more.
“I know,” Roxxy said, putting a hoof on her shoulder. “But you know what she’d say right now if she saw all of us looking all dejected?”
“You pussies, get up and move forward!” Nightstreak suddenly yelled out, causing all of them to start laughing loudly.
“Okay then,” Roxxy said as she wiped a tear from her eye. “Let’s keep moving forward.”