//------------------------------// // Chapter 15 - Those That Remain // Story: Changing Our Destinies // by silent_user //------------------------------// They couldn’t take the train. When asked why that was the case, the station attendant had just looked at them as if they were stupid before telling them with a sweet voice, "It seems a bunch of workers didn’t show up today. I wonder what happened to them?” I suppose an event like this does screw up their complicated operations. It hadn’t stopped them for long. Quickly a chariot was organised, enabling them to make their way towards Canterlot anyways. We will be there soon. Anxiety slowly crept up on her. What will we be waiting for me there? “And if she did order this?” Amaya broke the silence. “Princess Celestia is a kind and collected ruler. She would never kill ponies in mass like that.” Candy immediately rattled off. “But what if she did?” The bat pony was giving her a look of pity, already fearing the answer. Why are you looking at me like that? “Then she had a good reason for doing so. A reason I am not aware of right now.“ To her irritation, Amaya seemed even more troubled by the answer. The filly shifted around. “Wouldn’t you have ordered them to defy her, then?“ Not intentionally, though! She stayed silent. "Would you support her in this if it turns out that she wants this?“ Amaya probed further. Without any hesitation. Yet it was apparent that the young bat pony was looking for a different answer. "I can't possibly answer that without knowing the reasons,“ she responded diplomatically. Despite that, Amaya continued to look unhappy. “Look, Amaya. It's not that Princess Celestia isn't capable of such a thing,” Candy admitted. “It’s the fact that she loves us, which is why such an act is simply out of character for her.” The little filly hesitated before staring her right in the eyes. “You sound just like them.” *** How was one to kill a filly? Their colleagues had pointed them to a small room, where Rarity, Applejack and Fluttershy were sitting together, eating breakfast. Or rather, they had been until they entered. Now they were just staring at them. “The princess has requested your presence, Fluttershy.” It would probably be best to separate her from the other fillies first. “Ok. Umm, thank you for telling me." She stood up, making their way towards the guards. Yet, before she could reach them, Twilight teleported in. For a moment, the alicorn simply glared at the guards. Then she teleported away with their targets in another flash. They had hesitated and, as a result, failed their princess. *** “Uff.” They landed on desolate ground. “What was that about!” “What do you think you are doing!” Twi just saved your life. Rainbow rolled her eyes at their complaining. “You ok, Spike?” The dragon seemed dazzled, trying to crawl away from her towards Twilight. …He is just a child. It isn’t his fault, nor is it Twi’s fault. “Dashie, I don’t feel so good.” Twi? Only now did she notice the sudden silence of everypony around her. Her head turned towards the alicorn. Blood was running down her nose. As if she was in a trance, Twilight moved her hoof towards it, resulting in it, too, being immediately covered in blood. “Oh.” The filly glanced at it. Then her eyes rolled back. Twi! The alicorn collapsed, but before she made contact with the ground, Rainbow had caught her. Twilight lay dead in her wings. But only for a moment. Forcefully Rainbow was pushed to the side, with Fluttershy grabbing Twilight, laying her on the ground, and immediately checking the alicorn's vitals. Yet before she could do anything further, Rainbow had recovered, jerking her away in return. "She will be fine." “…Rainbow, I don’t think-“ “She will be fine!” Rainbow shouted from the top of her lungs. Rarity and Applejack just looked at the entire exchange in disbelief, once again feeling like they were in the wrong place. “Just let me be with her," Rainbow muttered before turning away to Twilight. “I am sorry.” Fluttershy began walking away, honouring her request. There was nothing else she could do. The other fillies followed her. And if she doesn’t wake up? Rainbow looked at Spike, who was still trying to cross the distance, with a mixture of fear and desperation on his face, as well as anger that she wasn’t helping. You would die, and even if you don't… I-I don’t- I can’t take care of you alone… I don’t want to take care of you alone. I don’t want to be alone… I-I-I… If you don’t wake up, Twi, then I… I don’t know what to do. Before she could contemplate further, the alicorn in front of her opened her eyes again, with breathing as well as heartbeat following. Having finally crossed the distance alone, Spike crawled onto Twilight. "Spike… Dashie…“ “You can't keep doing this to me, Twi! I was scared! What if one day you don't wake up!“ Rainbow was crying uncontrollably by now. “I am not going to die. Not when I have such a beautiful family waiting for me,“ Twilight assured her, using a wing to stroke her. “Don’t say that! We need to be more careful! Your son's life depends on it! My life depends on it!“ Twilight looked taken aback. I-I should have said that. A face of sheer horror stared at her. “Dashie… you know that I would want you to go out there and be happy if I died, right? I would want you to-“ Rainbow had given her the most brutal slap she had ever given to anypony. “You think I can just move on without you after all of this! Because I certainly don’t think I can! Whatever happens, you will be there with me for the rest of my life! One way or another!” she screamed, with ever-increasing sobbing. “Dashie! D-Don’t be stupid! There are so many beautiful things out there despite me-“ There aren’t! There aren’t! There aren’t! “Such as! Back in my supposed home, there is nothing left for me! Nothing! Nothing! Nothing! The few things I had remaining, she has taken away!” “…“ Twilight looked around frantically, trying to come up with a response to that. That’s what I thought. “What about Fluttershy?“ Twilight offered, seeing the horrified face of the pegasus in the distance. The only reasons she hadn't made it towards them were the two other fillies stopping her, apparently thinking that it would be better for Twilight to handle this on her own. “Do you think she will be able to replace you! Replace my parents! Replace the home I will lose!" The only thing the purple filly had managed to accomplish was for Rainbow to further think about what else would happen now that her parents were gone. "They will bring me to the orphanage! My life will be even more miserable than ever before! I will still be banned from flight camp! What kind of life would that even be! I already hated it before!” Then another thought crossed her mind. “You know, if you died, your mother would never forgive me anyway, so I suppose it wouldn't even matter!“ “…“ Panic began rising up in Twilight. Rainbow had obviously meant every word, and she had nothing to counter with. This world is harsh. I am not strong enough to live in it all alone… Without parents… Without a home… Without you… She took a deep breath, trying to reign her emotions in. “Twi-“ “Wait for me.“ Huh? “Death won’t stop me. Even a real one.“ Twilight looked at her as if it was the most obvious thing in the world. “Should it take me, I will still find a way back to you.“ Y-You would never be able to do that! “Spike, Dashie, all you need to do is wait. I will find you wherever you are.“ She enveloped the little dragon in her wings. “And if it takes you as well, then we will return together.“ You are mad, Twi… Mad enough to succeed. Navigating around Spike, Rainbow buried her head in Twilight’s chest. “I will wait, Twi,“ she mumbled. “I promise.“ “I won’t let you down, Dashie.“ I know. *** How can they look in the mirror? How can they live with themselves? What causes a pony to partake in this oppressive regime? Why aren’t we rising up? The answer was always the same. Princess Celestia. Because she holds all the cards. Because she has power, and we don’t. Yet the princess was also the solution. Without her, we can be free. Without her, we can be happy. Without her, Equestria will be better. Without her, the system will fall apart. She took another look at the guards patrolling the street. We need to rise up! Together we are strong! She knows that. That’s why she is doing all of this. Fear. Fear of her own subjects. It would be impossible to coordinate in secret, and open defiance was doomed to fail as long as she was alone. It’s the same for them, too, isn’t it? Is that why we all move along, not bothering to stand up against her oppression? Because we are all alone? Because she makes it impossible to organise any meaningful resistance? She didn't need any confirmation. After all, she herself was moving along only for that reason. Yet that didn’t mean that she couldn’t dream about forming a resistance. And it will forever be a dream in my mind… The only domain nopony can control. The guard wasn’t the threat everypony was concerned about. What they were concerned about instead were the spies in their midst. Normal-looking ponies who went to work every day just like they did. Unlike them, however, they were always listening, ready to report them to the crown at a moment's notice. Everypony could be one. Or maybe it is just a rumour spread by her. It didn't matter. The fear of your closest friend being a spy was everything that was needed to prevent any form of secret resistance from being formed. In fact, it had resulted in the creation of the golden rule. Never talk about politics. I could hear their screams. I could see them dragging ponies away. Only a few ponies were in positions where they could achieve meaningful change. A position like Princess Cadence had once held it. She is the reason for all of that, isn't she? Did she really try to seize power? Is that why this all happened? Did Princess Celestia get afraid, deciding to kill all those who might follow Cadence's example? Once again, it didn't matter. If the remaining newspapers were to be believed, Cadence was dead now anyway, as were all the other ponies who had been on Celestia's lists. Stupid Cadence! Princess Celestia is showering you with anything you could want, yet this still wasn’t enough for you! All those deaths are on you! Another issue. All those who could affect change are wicked ponies! Societies garbage! That's probably a main criterion to join that dictator's inner circle! Yet that wasn’t entirely the truth. It never was that simple. Those few who are good ponies… the princess twists them. She bribes…, threatens…, blackmails…, In the end, they all chose to stay in line rather living the good life, deciding to think of themselves rather than others. Would I do the same if I was in their position? It was time to stop thinking about these things. Her workplace was in sight. I wonder, does anypony actually believe in Celestia? But she couldn't stop. Absent-minded, she showed the guard at the door her badge. In return, she received a questioning look. They had known each other for a few years now. It had resulted in him no longer requiring her or any of her coworkers to show their badges, despite it being a violation of protocol. I wonder... did he participate last night? He waved her through with a hurt look, and she quickly entered. Only to be immediately confronted by a coworker. "Morning, Dandelion. Have you heard anything about Summer?” he forced himself to say with a smile. Isn’t she here yet? “No. Why?” she asked, confused. “All right. I suppose there is nothing to worry about. There are many who didn’t show up today, choosing to stay with family instead,” he tried to reason. "After what happened, coming to work simply doesn't seem to be a priority." Summer doesn’t have a family. “Why ask about her specifically, then?” Dandelion inquired. “Oh, well… It's just… Canterlot has promoted you,” he mumbled. “Canterlot has promoted you.” Immediately she rushed past him towards their shared office, smashing the door open. You destroyed the door. What now? Hesitantly Dandelion made her way to the table, not knowing what she was expecting to find. She was the one who convinced Summer to always look the other way. Convinced her not to put up a fight when the ESS demanded Jacqueline. And when she had seen the guards dragging ponies out of their houses, she couldn’t help but smile, knowing that at least they would be safe. That while they despised the rules, they had stuck to them and hadn’t made themselves targets. That sacrificing their morals had been worth it. Now, however, she was staring at a formal complaint that Summer had filed. A complaint she hadn’t told her about. A complaint that explained her absence. An absence that would last forever. *** “Come on! Tell me! Was Spitfire arrested as well?“ “Yes.“ But… How! She would never work together with the captain! Yes, Spitfire always seemed close to him, yet he was pretty sure the mare only wanted his position. At least in private, she always seemed repulsed by Captain Wind Rider. “I don't know the details, but Canterlot has just ordered her name to be taken off the roaster, her position to be filled by another pony, and the ESS has sent agents to collect all records about her.“ That doesn’t line up with the timeline. Why only order it now? “Is there anything else?“ "They also want us to take her off the payroll.“ So, they didn’t tell you she was arrested for the same reason as the captain. We are only assuming she was. “There must be something else! Come on!“ he urged his friend. “I don’t… you know there was something,“ his friend remembered. I knew it! “Yesterday evening, the Royal Guard made an emergency inquiry.” The… royal guard? Why them? They aren’t responsible for these kinds of things. They only ensure the princess's direct security. “They asked us if Spitfire has any connections to Rainbow Dash.“ The pegasus that was foalnapped by Twilight Sparkle? “If she has ever been seen with her… any hint that the two know each other. “Well… We, of course, told them no. After all, it was the truth, or has she ever mentioned Rainbow Dash to you?“ She didn’t. “How did they react?“ he asked, troubled by the new development. “Obviously, we gave the wrong answer. They told us to be prepared to find a replacement for Spitfire … which I guess they confirmed today.“ How does that make sense! “This isn’t your fault. Honestly, I, too, would have assumed that her not knowing Rainbow Dash was a good thing,“ he assured his friend. In response, he received a thankful look. “What are you going to do now?“ “I don’t know. Probably visit her family,“ he mused. “They have been taken by the ESS,“ his friend informed him. I should have expected that. “Visit her in prison?“ he suggested. Only to be shot down again. “I asked. They said that wasn’t possible. Wouldn’t even tell me where she is now.“ “I… will think of something.“ “Look, I need to return to my duties… don’t do anything stupid, ok?“ his friend pleaded. “Don’t worry, I won’t,” he assured him. “Also, thank you… I know how much trouble you could get into for this.“ “Don’t mention it. What are friends for? Especially the ones in the administration." Laughing, the young administration worker made his way back towards his office. Soarin, however, stayed, unsure how to proceed next. Spitfire had always been very secretive when it came to her private life, a trait that seemed to bite her in the butt now. We promised to stick together, Spity… And I certainly won’t break that promise! *** When she had first seen the heavily armed guards, she had immediately assumed that a coup had taken place. That hypothesis, however, was discarded when they rushed towards her informing her that Princess Celestia was already expecting her, apparently very angry at hearing that she had tried to leave the country. That’s what I get for diligently instructing my agents to always report everything. "Anything else I should be aware of?" “…” “Anything else?” The guard in front of her was seemingly trying to determine if he should answer truthfully to her. “The princess is angry… our ranks have been infiltrated.” I knew it! “And her daughter has made a run for it, enabling two rebels to escape in the process… Honestly, I am unsure about the last part.” He hadn’t been able to piece together the story since he had only heard bits and pieces. What was clear, though, was that Princess Twilight ran away and that Princess Celestia was screaming bloody murder as a result. D-D-Daugther! "Did you say, daughter?" Candy asked, trying to keep her world from collapsing. Surely, he misspoke! "Yes. Princess Twilight." …That's why she wanted her so badly? A burst of anger grabbed her. She shoved the guard out of the way, making her way towards the castle, Amaya following her. “Candy? Is everything all right? You are seething,” the worried filly asked her. “I am fine!” she snapped. “Just follow me or something.” Daughter… “Good morning, Director. Please-“ She teleported herself and Amaya to the other side of the large reception area, slipping through the big door and sealing it shut before anypony could react. "Candy! What are you doing!" Amaya protested while still diligently following. Refusing to surrender weapons would undoubtedly result in them raising the alarm, yet it didn’t matter to her. Whatever they threw at her, she was confident she could take it. Daughter! Still, she increased her pace, not wanting to give the princess an opportunity to prepare herself. Quicker than expected, the throne room came into sight. You better be in there! Incredibly the guards didn’t stop her. Weren’t they aware of her skipping the checks? Even if that was the case, her weapons weren’t hidden. Candy barged inside. *** Amaya didn’t follow. Without Candy noticing, the guards had prevented the filly from entering. You came back... This is the second time you did. “Morning, Candy. I would like to say that I am happy to meet you, and until a few minutes ago, I would have been." Celestia was heavily annoyed. “However, I don’t appreciate you putting my guards on edge like that. Pray tell me why you felt the need to come in here with weapons?” Candy just stared at her. “What even gave you the right to leave? Just because you quit the EBI doesn’t mean that-“ “You think I am your property? If I want to leave, then I get to leave!” The unicorn screamed. “E-Excuse me?” Celestia was taken aback. If there was one pony she would have expected to never snap at her, it would have been Candy. “You rejected me!” Candy reminded her, voice full of hurt, betrayal, and pain. “What has-“ ‘”That’s your right! But you shouldn’t just expect me to go on like normal after that!” Her EBI Director was getting more and more agitated by the second. “You said that your feelings wouldn’t-“ “And they won’t. Because I no longer-“ “You do! You didn’t give me-“ A letter was levitated to her. “It has gotten quite wet, but you should be able to make out the general message,” Candy mocked the princess that broke her heart. A princess that couldn't believe what was transpiring right before her eyes. Incredulously she looked at the tear-stained resignation for a moment before teleporting it away. “You are bluffing.” “Am I?” What was it that she was hoping to accomplish? It was not like the alicorn would forsake her true love for her. “I-I can have you executed for that!” Celestia was getting frazzled, seemingly unable to handle the situation. “You can have everypony executed for any reason, including none at all,” Candy simply shrugged in response. Finally, the princess asked the question she should have started with. “Why are you acting like this?” “You kept your relationship a secret! All this time, I disillusioned myself just because you couldn’t be bothered to tell anypony about your secret affair!” Candy accused her. And still, the unicorn didn't know what her goal was. You are jealous. Deeply jealous. That realisation, however, only resulted in her own anger surfacing. “Are you stupid! You think I would ever let a filthy stallion touch me! I can't recall what happened anymore, but I bet me not enjoying it was part of the reason for me erasing my memories of it! I needed a bearer for Magic, and since nopony seemed capable of wielding it, I had to create one myself! It isn’t my fault that you were not able to help me in that endeavour, and might I add, still a minor!” “Who is he!” Candy wailed. “I demand a name!” Would that make her happy? Killing the pony that had stolen her only love from her? You are lucky that I don’t care about him, or this would be the point where I would have you killed for threatening the royal family... probably. “Are you even listening!” she was getting severely frustrated with this new version of Candy. “Let me spill it out for you! Buck the noble code! Buck the stupid etiquette! Those things were always just about my public image! An image of a pony that never existed! I am gay! Twilight's father was a tool and nothing more! A tool that was probably so disgusting to use that, like I already said, I erased my memories afterwards, which is the only reason you won’t be getting a name!” This time the message seemed to have reached the unicorn. “So, you would have at least considered me?” Dear god. “Is that the only thing you took from that?” she groaned internally. “Would you have considered me?” Candy asked more forcefully. “You are missing the point! I needed a child, not a lover!” The conversation was getting extremely uncomfortable for her, causing her to stand up and wander around in front of throne in distress. “But if you had wanted a lover, would you have considered me?” the unicorn pressed on, much to her dismay. What is it that you are hoping to accomplish? “No. You were a minor at the time.” she dodged the question once more. So, Candy changed it once more. “If you needed a lover today, would you consider me?” No. It would be unethical. “My princess?” Celestia raised a wing, pointing towards the door. “Candy, you need to leave. I accept your resignation… I think it’s best if you do indeed leave the country altogether like you planned anyway.” But the unicorn didn’t move. “I will leave once you have answered.” I don’t want to answer. “Candy… I will have you executed. Don’t doubt me.” she tried threatening again. “You should have seen what I am capable of on your way here.” “I have always known what you are capable of. I have seen it my whole life,” Candy shrugged. “You want me executed? You will have to do it yourself then since I am more than able of taking out your decorations,” she stayed firm, utterly convinced that Celestia was bluffing. D-Decorations! “Fine. The answer is that you are a child in the body of a mare that has been indoctrinated by her princess to love her in an attempt to create a more loyal and competent soldier. An experiment which failed miserably. I mean, just look at yourself. Not to mention that you burned the whole facility down, with your overseers still inside, you sadistic madmare. If you hadn’t surrendered yourself willingly, I promise I would have found you and snuffed out your miserable existence right then and there. Now get out.” Once again, her wing was pointing at the door. Candy, however, only gave her an innocent smile. “You still didn’t answer the actual question.” “Oh god, dammit!” Celestia wailed. “You don’t count! You have been thought to love me! I don’t want that! I would want a pony who loves me without indoctrination!” “See… that wasn’t so hard.” Disturbingly, the smile remained unwavering. It was, you ungrateful brat. “Farewell, Celestia.” With those words, Candy turned around, ready to be never seen again. Panic rose once more. “Wait! I was merely angry! I don’t want you to actually leave!” “Why?” The unicorn in front of her asked, still facing the door. You really can’t see it? “Do I need to give a reason?” Celestia tried playing the princess card. “No, your majesty. You don’t,” Candy admitted to her delight. “The sadistic madmare would still appreciate one, though.” I didn’t mean it like that… The princess gave her a look of pity. “Candy, I appreciate you. I really do. It's just…." “I am a reminder of your failures? A loyal robot not capable of independent thought? Loving you because your monsters shot over their target when torturing me?” Partly yes. One more reminder of my constant failures. “I am bent but not broken. I know what I want. I know who my enemy is. I know who my friend is. “I know who my love is.” Candy… Finally, the unicorn bothered to face her again. “Haven't you wondered why I killed them all but never went against you? Are you so blinded by your sun that you can't see it?” They brainwashed you. That’s why. And that’s what I wanted them to do, after all. Candys’s face fell. “I have been thorough. Your trust in me was misplaced. I strategically used my position to track those who escaped down one by one. Those who had retired by the time I finally managed to free myself… those who had vacation… those that were Ill… I got them all. Only death was enough to protect my demons from me…." Y-You… You tricked me? I can’t believe Sneak had been right about you after all! “Yet I never went against you. Not even when I was finished with all of my demons. Tell me why!“ Candy grabbed a knife. You are insane! “G-“ The knife whirled past her. Only a quick shield had been able to offset it from its original target. “Traitor!” Celestia shouted in disbelief. “When I am done, that image of a mindless slave will be gone!” Candy proclaimed. “You tried to assassinate me!” She glanced at the knife that was now stuck in the wall. You don’t even know that I am immortal and not just ageless! “And I will do it again! I will do it until you see me for who I am!” Candy grabbed another knife. Yet the constant screaming without enchantments active had made it easy for their conversation to be overheard. Now convinced that their princess was in danger, her guards rushed into the room, ignoring their original order. Only to immediately collapse once their necks had been snapped with the magic of the princess they had sworn to protect, easily overpowering them. No… “Candy! Stop!“ Celestia felt tears creeping up, thanks to the sudden, horrifying turn of events. “I said you will have to do it yourself!“ Candy shouted, no mercy or regret in her voice. “A new dawn has come!“ The previously raging mare became motionless. “Your wish is my command.“ Having entered with the guards, Amaya finally dared to rush towards her. “Candy!” Not far behind were reinforcements. Quickly Celestia pointed at the filly. “Arrest her for the-“ …Are those tears? Indeed, Candy seemed still, yet there were tears rolling down her eyes. Eyes that were squinting at the filly Celestia planned to blame for her actions. A-Are you still conscious? Y-You shouldn’t be! It seemed that letting the spell stay dormant for so long had resulted in a loss of its effectiveness. Celestia was contemplating the situation, unsure what to do. While she did that, her guards were circling around the young bat pony that cowered in front of a still motionless Candy. “Kill her!“ *** How could this happen? Fluttershy had left with Applejack and Rarity, wanting to give Rainbow a bit of time to mourn her loss. Now she was checking on a giant bug-like pony that had ended up in their near vicinity while the two others were simply staring at the display from a distance. At least that… creature is alive. "You can't keep doing this to me, Twi! I was scared! What if one day you don't wake up!“ “Dear Celestia…” “Whoa…” What now? She turned her attention away from the unknown creature towards Rainbow and a Twilight that seemed very much alive. “B-But I checked?” she mumbled. “Maybe you made a mistake? Rainbow did kind of prevent you from doing your job,” Applejack offered. I suppose… “When they said alicorns are immortal… what if they really meant immortal?” Rarity contemplated in disbelief. “What if they didn’t mean just ageless?” …could that really be? While they were pondering the implications of Twilight being alive, Rainbows screaming continued. "You think I can just move on without you after all of this! Because I certainly don't think I can! Whatever happens, you will be there with me for the rest of my life! One way or another!" No… “She didn’t mean that, right?” Applejack asked uncertainly. "Of course not! She is just in shock! Everypony would be!” Rarity insisted. But what if she did? Why am I certain that she did? "Such as! Back in my supposed home, there is nothing left for me! Nothing! Nothing! Nothing! The few things I had remaining, she has taken away!" It was more than enough confirmation for Fluttershy. She jumped up, trying to dart towards her suffering friend. Yet, a strong tuck on her tail prevented her. “You will only make it worse!” Applejack reasoned. “I have to agree. In times of distress, a pony needs those they hold close to their heart." Rarity made her way in front of her. "For Rainbow, that is obviously Twilight.” But I am her friend! “Do you think she will be able to replace you! Replace my parents! Replace the home I will lose! They will bring me to the orphanage! My life will be even more miserable than ever before! I will still be banned from flight camp! What kind of life would that even be! I already hated it before! You know, if you died, your mother would never forgive me anyway, so I suppose it wouldn't even matter!“ “Look, Fluttershy… she obviously didn’t mean-“ “No, it's ok.” Fluttershy slumped down in defeat. “You are right. She needs Twilight, not me.” Maybe I should just cut my losses... No! She returned to check on the unknown creature they had found. Twilight is your friend! You don’t get jealous of friends! Rainbow is your friend! You need to support them when they are at their lowest! Not hold it against them! “If you want to talk about it…” the two fillies offered. “That’s very kind of you.” She smiled at them. “Thank you. If you don’t mind, I would like to take you up on the offer at a later point." “Fluttershy dear, might I ask you something?” Rarity seemed to have gotten agitated for some reason. Did I do something wrong? I-I didn’t offend you, did I! Stupid! They expected you to say yes! Or did they want me to turn them down? “Ummm, sure?” she still hadn’t decided on what it was she did wrong. "Do you know that thing, or why are you helping it?" Oh… “Well… I figured they needed help, but now I believe they are just unconscious.” Fluttershy responded, taken aback. “Whoa, Nellie! It could be dangerous!” Applejack interjected. “But-“ “I have never seen such a strange animal, you?” Rarity interrupted her. Well… I don’t know what species they are as well, yet that doesn’t mean we shouldn’t help. “You think it belongs to Twilight? Like that dragon?” Applejack offered. “Why are you talking so strange, Fluttershy? Why are you referring to it as they?” The two fillies finally gave her a chance to talk. “Ummm, if you don’t mind, I think we shouldn’t talk about them like they are an object or a wild animal. For all we know, they could be sentient, like Spike,” Fluttershy cautioned them. It reminded Rarity of her disastrous first meeting with the princess. “You are right, Fluttershy. That was unbecoming,” she admitted, embarrassed. “Furthermore, I believe we should help everycreature, no matter who they are. I wish the world was different, but the fact is, with almost everyone, we will only get kindness by showing it first,” Fluttershy lectured them. “If you don’t show it, they won’t show it either. Also, would you just have left them here to die if they had needed our help? Would you have been willing to kill them after finding out that they were just unconscious? Or would you have waited until they inevitably woke up? What would you have done then? If they were dangerous, wouldn’t it be better to show them that you aren’t? Wouldn’t you want them to see that you mean no harm? "Who knows, maybe it would be the first step on their path to becoming a better creature if they were indeed malevolent?" Sometimes that one show of kindness is all that is needed for a creature to better themselves. “If we all just think about ourselves, we will wake up in a dystopia, that I can promise you,” she finished. Wait! Did I really just say all that! “…I must say, I didn’t expect you to get so worked up about this,” Applejack grinned. “That was quite impressive. Maybe you should behave like that more often instead of always being so timid?” But- “Applejack is right. This will definitely leave a lasting impression. A good one,” Rarity, too, smiled, still a bit embarrassed for her earlier behaviour. The ponies back home didn’t like it when I became assertive. Why are you different? “Umm… I will keep that in mind. Thank you,” she tried moving on before she would be forced to think about this further. “Now, in regard to your original question, if you look at their sexual characteristics and compare them to ours, they seem to have those of a stallion as well as a mare. That’s why I chose not to assume.” To her surprise, the two fillies in front of her had gotten beat red. "Ok," they just answered while avoiding eye contact. What was wrong with that? It's not like I stared at them intentionally! I was just checking if there were any injuries! "Hey, are you ok?" Twilight and Rainbow had made their way towards them with the young dragon on Twilight's back. We should ask you that. “Yeah, we are fine. You?” Applejack answered first. "…We will manage." Came the less-than-convincing answer from Twilight. Will you, tough? “What about Isabella?” Rainbow shifted the topic. So, they are a she? “What about me?” “Aaah!” Fluttershy jumped back. “Why does everypony always have to scare me like that!” The changeling picked herself up. "Look, about earlier…." “I could have died.” “Yes, but-“ “They could have tortured me.” “I know-“ “My Equestrian family is now cocooned.” “I didn’t-“ “My cover has been blown.” “Just-“ “We missed the best chance in centuries to take out Celestia.” “Let-“ “They are now actively rooting out changelings among their ranks, resulting in our intelligence network being destroyed, while dozens of my brothers and sisters are facing the same loss of their family and cover.” “…” “All of-“ “If you say one more word, I will cut out your tongue.” Twilight looked at her as if it was the most obvious thing in the world. "You want to find out just how essential to your mother you are? If you ask me, she won’t forego an alliance with an alicorn just because I hurt a brat she secretly doesn’t even like.” What are they talking about? I feel like we are missing a big chunk. What was clear to her, though, was that Rainbow had done something Isabella was quite mad about, and now Twilight was mad at the changeling for trying to make Rainbow feel bad as a result. Maybe I should inter- “How dare you! Mother loves me!” Isabella insisted, yet she didn’t seem really angry at Twilight for some reason. "You are protecting her. I understand.” "You are right! I am! Nopony gets to talk to her like that! You want to ask the last pony that dared to do so!” She mustered them all, causing them to bow their heads. “That’s right! Know your place!” Know our place? “Yes, princess," Rarity muttered, submissive. This time Twilight felt quite pleased with hearing herself referred to as such. Does it really make you happy to hear that? I didn’t think you were that kind of pony? What changed? Smirking, the purple filly returned her attention to Isabella. “You pressured us. That is your fault. You should have considered the possibility of her not being able to handle it.” “That doesn’t excuse-“ “It does.” The young alicorn didn’t leave any room for discussion. “It does because I said so, understood? You don't get just me. It's either Rainbow and me or none of us." “Very-“ Magic grabbed Isabella, choking her. "I know what you are thinking right now!" Twilight screamed with a sudden burst of rage, putting a shield around them so that the others couldn’t interfere. Immediately, Spike began biting her. "This needs to be said, Spike! To protect what we have!" To Rainbow's surprise, it worked, and the little dragon stopped his assault. With a victorious smile, Twilight continued. "If I find out you replaced her, I won’t come for you, Chrysalis! You hear me! I will slowly track down your children one by one and torture them to death with the most brutal methods imaginable! None of them will be able to come close to my angel! No mind magic you can muster will prevent me from finding out! None! I don’t care that we worked together! You don’t get to fool me again! I won’t allow it to happen-” “Let her go!” Fluttershy stared right at a now motionless alicorn. “I said let her go!” Why isn’t this working! Isabella had stopped squirming by now. “You need to let her go! She is suffocating!” “Twi… Fluttershy is right,” Rainbow chimed in. “I don’t want her to die.” Magic disappeared, causing the changeling to fall to the ground, gasping for air. How could you do this to her? She nearly died… Did you say they planned to replace Rainbow? The blue pegasus rushed to a disoriented Twilight, enveloping her and Spike with her wings. “I am here. Twi… I don’t know what you were referring to. Chrysalis didn't trick us... I think? You are letting the future confuse you again. None-“ "It happened! I saw it happen! I felt everything! After your death, she planted a fake you, and in my stupid longing for you, I didn't see through her ruse! I was just happy at the thought that you somehow survived!” Twilight wailed. “They replace ponies! They would have done that to you! Why wouldn't they? It is the perfect way to manipulate me into doing their bidding!" She jerked away from Rainbow. "You have demonstrated that you aren't trustworthy for them, and they certainly don't need you! Tell me I am wrong, you manipulative insect!" “We won’t do it! We won’t do it!” the barely recovering changeling insisted. “I believe-“ “Yes! Now she is saying the truth, Applejack!” Twilight interrupted her. “Now that I have given them a glimpse of what would happen if they did! Now that they are afraid of my wrath! Of my power! Because that’s all that matters! Power! Because I can make their dreams come true!” Twilight faced the frightened changeling again. “I can make it true, but I can also destroy it. Don’t forget that. Now, why don’t you tell dear Applejack if you planned to replace Rainbow before I began outlining the reasons why that was a bad idea." “I assure you we never even thought of doing that!” Isabella began backing away. “Applejack?” Twilight was awaiting her verdict. “…” You need to tell her that it was the truth! But Applejack didn’t, resulting in only one conclusion. “If you think you can take her away from me, then let me be the one to take something away from you first!" Fire engulfed the purple filly, a massive blast of magic making its way to the running changeling, a green aura appearing around Isabella, yet being quickly extinguished by purple magic. You only have one shot at this! “Do you think Chrysalis is more likely to spare Rainbow if you kill her!” The ball of magic disappeared only seconds away from impact. “I suppose she isn’t.” She definitely won’t… Whoever she is to her. Flames, too, disappeared, and the changeling was levitated to Twilight once more. “I trust we won’t have any issues?” “No issues! No issues!” Only the hivemind was protecting her sanity at this point. “Good.” The purple alicorn looked pleased with the result, much to Fluttershy's horror. This isn’t the way to resolve conflict! “Now, where are we?” Twilight finally took in their surroundings. “You are the one who brought us here,” Applejack reminded her. “I did?” The alicorn seemed even more confused. “So… we are lost?” Rarity sighed, displeased at the revelation. “Why even teleport us away?” “Princess Celestia wanted to kill you. Twi saved your life,” Rainbow defended the purple filly. She… wanted to kill us? But why! What did we do! Before the inevitable protest came, Rainbow followed up. “No, I don’t know why. Believe it or don’t. It doesn’t matter to us. We know what happened. She ordered your death right before our eyes.” But she is the princess! What will we do now! Nowhere will be safe! “Seems like siding with her for a small bribe wasn’t worth it, was it?” Rainbow mocked Applejack. “…” The earth pony stayed quiet. It's effective, isn't it? No matter how much I, or anypony for that matter, may despise it, after a display like this, Twilight has ensured that you can behave in any way you want… Nopony will be holding a mirror in front of you. Not when an alicorn has given you a blank check. “We are near a rock farm. Follow me.” Isabella began leading the way without waiting for a response, quickly increasing the distance between herself and Twilight. Together they made their way towards it.