The day after I took the book, I came across Twilight in the road.
She looked up at me and said "Hey, Rainbow, got a minute?"
I gulped, then flew down and replied "Uh, yeah, sure...what it is it?"
Twilight nervously rubbed her hooves together and said "Um, well, I was wondering if you were okay after all that Mare Do Well stuff...I was worried it might've hurt you."
I made a fart noise with my mouth and rolled my eyes, then said "As if! Mare Do Well's great. And besides, I'm a race and stunt pony. Mare Do Well can do all the lame hero stuff."
Twilight smiled and said "Thanks for the reassurance...I think Mare Do Well will be returning soon!"
I for a moment looked panicked, but calmed my face and replied "Oh cool! Cool...cool...well I've got weather to clear, so...see ya!" I flew off in a hurry and cleared some clouds. It seems like Twilight hasn't even yet discovered her book's missing...which is good news for me!
Later that week, after making sure to keep up appearances going on dumb outings with Fluttershy and Pinkie, it was the night before the robbery, and it was a tense meeting at the villainous treehouse.
Shining Star, in his dark hooded cloak silver and gold stars, tossed a black and red artifact to Magnificent Empress and said "Here you are...the alicorn amulet! It cost a pretty pony and took a few favors being pulled...but I think with this, you'll be able to rob that bank almost by yourself, and then enact proper revenge on Twilight. Oh, and say hi to Rarity for me..."
Magnificent Empress, in her black cloak and ruby-studded blackened metal crown, chuckled and replied "Understood...I'll be out practicing. So who'll be staying to make sure things go smoothly?"
King Chaos, in his sparkling purple and green unitard, replied "Gilded Gobbler and Dr. Ego, of course. They're no use in Canterlot, they'd draw the wrong crowd and be too obvious for our...bribery. They'll pretend to be innocent townsfolk that you made serve you. Do try to be convincing, you three..."
I shouted "Can do!"
Gilded Gobbler, in her sparkling gold bib and mask that covered everything from her chest up except her beak, simply smirked.
With everything all planned out for tomorrow, we went home to make individual preparations.
The next morning, I put on my Dr. Ego outfit early, and headed out to the meeting point, an alleyway across from the bank.
I cleared my throat. "We ready?"
Magnificent Empress nodded, then teleported us all directly into the bank.
I shouted "Nopony move!"
It was early in the morning, so only one teller was there, a white unicorn named Twinkleshine with pink hair. She was helping some brown colt I think named Button Mash.
The Magnificent Empress stood tall and shouted "Give us all the bits, or...FACE THE WRATH OF ME! The great amazing, Magnificent Empress!"
She gulped and said "Okay, Okay.. take it!" she grabbed a huge white bag, filled to the brim with bits and threw it at the Magnificent Empress.
However, a large brown stallion, who looked like Caramel with his darker brown mane and tail, but Big Mac-sized, stood at the vault entrance and shouted "You aren't gettin' all the bits!"
I saw Magnificent Empress' dissolve and be replaced with an angry grin, her blue horn started glowing a bright red, and then zap! Her magic made the stallion's entire body be made...out of pastries and candy!
The stallion started investigating his hooves and face, freaking out, when Gilded Gobbler came up to him and licked her lips.
Gilded Gobbler grabbed his snout, said "I got your nose!" then pulled it off and ate it!
The stallion screamed and tried to kick her away, but she made quick work of his legs, leaving him helpless on the floor.
I felt a tap on my rump and turned around to see Magnificent Empress with an annoyed look. She said "Come on, it's impolite to stare, and we have work to do."
Twinkleshine rushed to open the vault with the keys, and then cowered under a counter.
I gave a glance to Gilded Gobbler eating some pieces of chocolate that I hoped were from his tail before nodding, and started opening the bank's chests to reveal bags of bits.
As Magnificent Empress teleported the bits to our hiding spot for them, I looked again...
Gilded Gobbler gave me a smug look as she ripped off his head...it came easy, with his neck made of bread, and he gave her a pleading look for mercy. Gilded Gobbler simply licked her beak before swallowing it whole.
I shuddered, but took a deep breath and trotted out with the other two.
Twilight sipped her tea on her balcony while reading a book.
Suddenly, Princess Celestia then flew down and said "Twilight sparkle, my faithful student. May I talk to you, please?"
Twilight rolled her eyes and said "Sure princess, what is it?"
Princess Celestia smiled and said "I have...a test for you..."
Twilight turned to Spike and yelled "Spike! Get my paper and quills!"
Rustling could be heard as Spike replied "On it!"
Princess Celestia cleared her throat and said "Now then...there's trouble in Canterlot, ill talk of me, possibly even a revolution. Could you come and find where it's coming from?"
Twilight raised an eyebrow and asked "Is that really necessary? I mean, surely, ponies aren't going to...overthrow you, right?"
Princess Celestia nodded "Perhaps not, but it can't hurt to be prepared. With a neck this long, it wouldn't be particularly hard for them to take my head of...and besides, you've been spending too much time helping ponies around in this town..."
Twilight blinked and pondered, with a hoof on her chin "Too much time helping? Well uh...but isn't it important to fight evil here, down on the ground? I mean, Flim and Flam's cream...it made so many ponies sick with weird inflammation and...the trots, and Cherry Punch even died from that..."
Princess Celestia chuckled and quickly put a hoof to her mouth, then said "Right, um, sorry, I think there's much value in learning from ponies here, but being a princess requires dealing with the real problems, not chasing a few bad businessponies and their misdeeds. Please, come to Canterlot."
Twilight sighed and said "Yes princess..."
Princess Celestia used a spell that teleported her back to the castle. Twilight rolled her eyes and said "Come on Spike, we've got a revolution to stop, I guess..."
Our next stop after the bank was the Ponyville jail...where Flim and Flam were awaiting trial.
I cleared my throat and asked "So...think we can just bribe the guards? We've got like a million bits!"
Magnificent Empress put her hoof to her chin and said "Worth a shot, who do ya think's guarding this place, anyways?"
Gilded Gobbler shrugged and said "Could be somepony we can't bribe...I've got an idea." She then whispered into Magnificent Empress' ear.
Magnificent Empress smirked and said "Ooh, I like it...well, let's get on in there..."
As we walked in, the jailhouse seemed...oddly empty, and the only pony around outside was Lyra, who seemed to be trying to hide in a bush.
I spoke up and said "Do you think they know we're coming?"
Magnificent Empress nodded and replied "Yeah..." She scanned the room with her red magic and then shot a beam up at the ceiling!
Suddenly, a pony dressed in a black jumpsuit, with goggles on her forehead yelled "HALT! WHO ARE YOU THREE?" By her voice, I could tell it was Bon Bon.
Magnificent Empress quickly replied "We uh, were told by Princess Celestia to retrieve Flim and Flam..."
Bon Bon said "Oh, as if! I was alerted the moment you robbed the bank! Now let yourselves get taken quietly and I won't have to hurt you..." She pressed something on her watch, and suddenly it shot out a net that went around Gilded Gobbler, then another around Magnificent Empress, and a third around me!
I struggled, but couldn't move at all. This was bad...
Magnificent Empress cackled as she casted a spell on Gilded Gobbler, making her start to growing larger. Magnificent Empress however seemed to get tired from casting it.
Gilded Gobbler roared as she became big enough to break free of the net...and could barely fit in the building.
Bon Bon gulped and said "Well that's new..." She then hopped around to dodge as Gilded...Mega Gobbler tried to smash each spot she went.
I thought quickly and realized we were gonna lose...so I shouted "Hey, Gobbler, free us!"
Mega Gobbler took a moment, growling, and slashed me and Magnificent Empress' nets with a claw. Unfortunately, Magnificent Empress wasn't very awake at all.
I flew at Bon Bon, but she shot something else at me, and it started shocking me! I could barely move as I got it off, shouting "Youch! Hey Gobbler, teamwork time...and do whatever it takes!"
As Mega Gobbler nodded, I charged again.
Bon Bon threw balls that exploded into sticky goop, but I dodged them and just kept flying around. She seemed confused at what I was doing...until...
Mega Gobbler grabbed her and licked her lips, then used a claw to cut off all her clothing and gadgets.
Bon Bon gulped and nervously laughed, then said "Uh...I don't taste like my name?"
Mega Gobbler promptly started gobbling her down.
Bon Bon squirmed and...peed as she was swallowed up, making me giggle.
Magnificent Empress trotted over to us and said "Heh, looks like we found out which filling was in that bon bon...now let's get the brothers."
The two of us trotted forward into the hallway, since Mega Gobbler couldn't fit, and found the cells. Flim and Flam were there playing harmonicas, and whichever one had the mustache piped up "Hey there, you wouldn't happen to be in need of some...business ponies, would you?"
Magnificent Empress smiled and replied "Oh, I think we would be...if you don't mind a bit of destruction along the way."
Flim and Flam looked at each other and grinned as Magnificent Empress tore off the cell door with her magic.
Magnificent Empress cleared her throat and said "Now boys, play it cool, I'm gonna teleport you to a closet in Town Hall. I'll be there shortly to grant your official pardons..." She then teleported them.
We walked out, but as soon as we were out the door of the building, I again noticed Lyra, and this time she was talking to Thunderlane with a worried look on her face...
Thunderlane flew right up to us and said "Okay, what exactly is going on here?"
Lyra added from afar "Is Bon Bon okay? I'm worried!"
I stammered out "I uh...w-well uh..."
Thunderlane squinted and looked closely at my mane. "Wait a minute, you're..."
Mega Gobbler promptly grabbed him and shoved him headfirst into her beak.
My jaw was hanging low, Thunderlane was a good friend of mine!
Gobbler didn't seem to care...in fact she was licking at his rear areas with a grin, teasing me!
I always was kind of into him, and this was kinda...ugh! I turned away to Magnificent Empress and asked "Hey, could you turn her back? Like...right now, please...?"
Magnificent Empress rolled her eyes and waited a moment for Mega Gobbler to finish before zapping her again with her bright red magic...
Mega Gobbler's eyes went wide, and she suddenly coughed up large round things...made of the bones of the eaten ponies, mixed with their fur, manes, tails, and some black feathers from Thunderlane's wings.
I gasped in horror at the realization both were actually dead already.
Lyra screamed and ran up, but kept her distance, just behind Gobbler. She looked to Magnificent Empress said "C-can you save her, p-please?"
Magnificent Empress tried to speak up, but was interrupted as the shrinking Gobbler grunted, squatting a bit, and pooped out a huge mass of white and brown.
Lyra broke down crying on the ground.
I dragged Gilded Gobbler away from the scene, around a corner, and yelled "WHAT THE HAY? I...I understand Bon Bon, as horrible as that was just now with Lyra, but Thunderlane?"
She coughed out some more of Thunderlane's feathers and angrily replied "Oh come on, Dweeber Ego, he found out your secret identity. If you had just planned better and made sure nopony could recognize your mane or tail... Thunderlane Thunderlane wouldn't have to die. You should really be glad that my digestion in that form was instant, I saved your sorry butt, dweeb!"
Magnificent Empress gave me a glare.
I sighed and said "Sorry sorry, what...I meant to say was...good job Gilded Gobbler, and...thanks!" I felt guilt tapping on my shoulder, begging me to listen to it.
Gilder Gobbler said "Now let's get out of here...we need to get out of costume while Empress takes over."
Magnificent Empress headed inside the Town Hall and tossed a secretary stallion across the room, then yelled in a demanding voice "I, the great Magnificent Empress, demand control of the town!" To emphasize her point, she turned the secretary stallion into a pie, and threw it at the wall, where it splattered and slowly slid down... She smirked and licked at the pie filling, making noises of satisfaction.
Mayor Mare was scared, her body was shaking like if she was freezing on a winter day. She then raised her hooves up and yelled "Okay, okay.. you can have it..."
Magnificent Empress chuckled and said "Oh, and don't worry...he's not dead, but you'll need my magic to save him in the state he's in..."
Soon, Mayor Mare sent out ponies to announce a change of leadership. With the crowd gathered, she led Magnificent Empress onto the stage.
Magnificent Empress yelled in the microphone "ATTENTION PONYVILLE: I THE AWESOME, MAGNIFICENT EMPRESS AM YOUR NEW RULER! IF ANY OF YE WORTHLESS AND WEAK MORTALS STEP OUT OF LINE, I WILL UNLEASH THE MONSTER THAT ATE BON BON ON YOU ALL!"
Lyra, who was in the front row, started hyperventilating. The rest of the crowd gasped and started gossiping between each other. Pinkie Pie in particular was not happy about this, as her fluffy pink mane deflated like a balloon.
Glida and I smiled as we heard the news and we gave each other a hoof/fist bump. Now, we controlled Ponyville, and can do anything we want to shape and craft it like a peice of clay.
Glida said, in a confident tone, "Finally, a ruler who isn't a dweeb! Maybe she'll even let me eat some!"
I started to have second thoughts about this, but chuckled nervously, replying "Right...that's...a good thing..."
Gilda hugged me from the side and I shivered.