//------------------------------// // Chapter 26 — The New Regime // Story: Dictators Of Ponyville // by Dragon-In-Black //------------------------------// After the invasion of Ponyville, many had tried to reason with the three Crusaders but they had all been ignored. The Crusaders refused to listen to any pony’s apology and stated that it was their fault for being immature. Twilight, who was the newest Princess of Equestria had tried to reason with them that they were too young to know what they were doing and to come again when they were adults. They had laughed in her face while pointing their hoof at her as if she was a circus clown. “Do you believe we will stand down just because Equestrian law says we’re minors?” Scootaloo tried to stifle her laughter at the ‘smartest’ pony in town. “Well, no, I don’t expect you to, but you cannot rule Ponyville you’re too young and don’t know what you’re doing. Look, I’m sorry about putting up that forcefield it was highly immature of me, I should have dealt with you three like a mature mare,” Twilight sighed and hung her head. The Crusaders stared at one another before giggling. “Princess Of Fiendship we do not accept any form of apology from you or any creature in town. You say we’re too young to rule? We disagree. You see, I don’t know or care why you became a Princess, but if that’s how you treat some pony due to a secret getting leaked, then I feel terrible to the pony who will feel you’re tyrannical hoof when they decide to make fun of you on paper. I don’t see Princess Celestia or Luna banishing their subjects for spreading rumours about them, instead, I’ve heard that they find it funny,” Sweetie Belle replied in a cold tone her eyes were as icy as Yakyakistan. Twilight flinched at the tone used. It wasn’t a friendly tone at all. It was so un-Sweetie-like. The constant insult they threw at her for being Princess of ‘Fiendship’ stung and always brought her close to tears. “Now, we're gonna have to do this,” Sweetie Belle spoke and pulled out a ring and placed it on Twilight’s head. The Alicorn’s eyes widened in fear as she knew what that ring was. “Girls! Where did you find this ring?!” She in her panicked state asked while looking at them. They smirked. “Oh, you see, in the Badlands there are no laws or rules. Because of this, you can find all sorts of things there. Dark magic books, illegal weapons, potions, cursed jewellery and rings preventing unicorns from producing magic. You can find a lot of stuff there!” Scootaloo said with a smile on her face that was anything but friendly. Twilight during the explanation tried to pry the ring off with her hoof but failed miserably. “Please take it off I promise I won’t use magic against you!” Twilight asked while panicking due to her not feeling her magic. Applebloom chuckled. “Why would we do that, Twilight? Ya ain’t the only unicorn in town that has the ring!” She chuckled when she saw the horrified look on the Princess’ face. “Girls, please I don’t know why you think this is necessary but you don’t have to do this!” The lilac mare pleaded with her hoofs out and was on the floor begging the three fillies. They were inside of the office that once belonged to Mayor Mare but they had kicked out the old mare and had arrested her for ‘crimes against the regime,’ not specifying what the mare had done. “You don’t know? Twilight, they say you’re the smartest pony in town and you cannot figure out why we find this necessary, you are as feather-brained as Rainbow Dash.” Scootaloo muttered with distaste. “The reason we have the rings in place is because we are preventing unicorns from channelling their magic. The reason is so that they cannot overrun the regime or contact any outside help. But also to feel helpless,” Sweetie Belle answered with a blank look that the other two adopted. “Helpless? Why?” “Because we felt helpless when no pony wanted to hear us out. We felt so alone, abandoned by ‘adults’ who in reality acted like fillies and colts!” Scootaloo angrily replied. It was then it came crashing down on Twilight. They were angry. They felt abandoned by every pony and they want the others to feel the same. So it must mean that they will simply have their small revenge and then everything will go back to normal! She would act as if she agreed with them for now. “Okay then, Supreme Leaders I apologise on me and Spike’s behalf for putting up the forcefield.” Twilight mentally smiled, soon everything would go back to normal. The three fillies face-palmed at the older mare. The lilac Alicorn noticed this and frowned. “What?” She asked. “You really don’t know?” Sweetie Belle asked while shaking her head at the older mare. She almost felt sorry. Almost. “Know what?” Twilight was getting worried and panicked with each passing second. “Spike is the lieutenant of the Crusaders Democratics Party, he’s part of the regime,” Applebloom explained with a blank look and grinned when she saw the horror on the bookworm's face. “...What? Why…why would he side with you three?!” She asked, feeling the panic coursing through her veins. It couldn’t be possible, right? They just made up a little white lie that even Applebloom could say. “Why don’t you ask him yourself?” Scootaloo asked with a smirk. “Lieutenant! You have a visitor!” The doors to the office opened, revealing a purple-scaled dragon wearing his usual uniform that showed his rank within the party he was proud to be part of. His eyes widened and his mouth dropped slightly when he saw Twilight. Scootaloo smirked and decided to sit by her desk. The office had three desks, one in the middle and two by the left and right when you entered the door. There was a coffee table with two sofas and two chairs made from black leather. The coffee table was made from oak wood. The walls were painted in different colours. Scootaloo who had the desk in the middle, decided to colour her wall orange while Applebloom decided to colours her yellow and Sweetie Belle chose white. Applebloom followed her friends’ example and sat by her desk which was to the left and Sweetie’s to the right. “Uh, hey Twilight, how’s things?” He asked unsure of how to talk to her. Twilight didn’t know what to say or think. The dragon she hatched, her little brother and assistant, has sided with the Crusaders! But… maybe he had realised that the fillies simply wanted revenge and decided to play with their charade? Yes, that must be it. “Spike… where have you been mister?!” Twilight asked in a panicked state. “Twilight… don’t you remember when Princess Luna asked for my help? I was to be sent out to retrieve the Crusaders as you can see, I accomplished my mission.” Spike explained with a neutral look on his face. The Crusaders watched from their desks and giggled quietly to themselves as they watched the librarian splutter nonsense. “Accomplished… ACCOMPLISHED?! Spike! They took over the entire town, how is that a mission accomplished?!!” Twilight shouted, which made the Crusaders openly laugh as the young Dragon sighed. “She only told me to retrieve them back and I did, so mission accomplished,” he muttered and turned around to walk out of the office after he bowed to his leaders. “Oh no you don’t mister! You’re coming with me!” Twilight tried to use her magic but failed which made her agitated. Why didn’t her magic work?! She looked at her horn and saw the ring. “Oh, that’s right, I still have the ring,” The Alicorn started walking out of the office but was stopped by a call from Scootaloo. “Princess,” the filly called out, causing Twilight to stop but she didn’t turn to look at them. “If I hear or see you try to hurt the lieutenant, you will be thrown in prison with your head first. Understood?” The Alicorn nodded and walked out of the office without saying a word. After that disaster of a conversation, the Crusaders made a few public speeches about how great Ponyville is and how the regime would make it better. Scootaloo spoke of how the military would be the strongest the planet had ever seen. Applebloom explained how the farms would produce all kinds of food that would keep them well-fed and never have to worry about hunger. Sweetie Belle explained how there would be entertainment such as music, books, and theatre but that there would be a few changes here and there but she didn’t explain what. The unicorns became depressed when they couldn’t use their magic but they felt that it was what they deserved. One unicorn in particular, Rarity, didn’t say anything when soldiers had come to her boutique and explained the requirement of the ring the Supreme Leaders had decided. She silently lowered her horn and they placed the ring on her and left. She didn’t try to take it off or fight back. The pegasus ponies weren’t much better. The pegasi were strictly forbidden from flying. They had been given a vest that covered their wings which they had to wear at all times to not fly. Many pegasi tried to rebel but that was put to a stop when the soldiers threatened to cut off their wings. They had then listened to everything the regime had seen. The only ones that didn’t need to wear anything were the earth ponies. That didn’t mean they didn’t feel as depressed as the unicorns or pegasi. They also felt guilty for what had happened and would do anything to apologise to the three… Supreme Leaders. The first big change had been the atmosphere in the small town of Ponyville and the look. In the building where the three leaders lived were giant pictures of the three Crusaders. It depicted them as strong leaders with a red background and smaller ponies beneath them marching with spears. At the front of the building was a flag that depicted two swords crossing each other and to the right top corner was a hammer and sickle crossing each other. In the middle was the text; Crusaders Democratics Party. Every citizen of Ponyville had been given a flag that represents peace and prosperity, meaning the flag the Crusaders gave. Even their former school had been given a flag to raise in the morning which Miss Cheerilee had been tasked with. The citizens had been silent when they had been given the flags they simply bowed in gratitude and accepted their new rulers. What more could they do? There was nothing they could say that would break through to them. They had tried different things like saying sorry and trying to throw a party but it hadn’t worked. The soldiers were also very protective of their rulers and always praised them as if they were the Princesses of Equestria. Because they had new rulers, it meant that they paid their taxes to the Crusaders which made a few citizens angry that they paid fillies but they couldn’t do or say anything for fear of being thrown into prison. They pay the normal price they would pay and the Crusaders were happy with that. At least they believe so, because the Crusaders hadn’t sent any mail about a new tax system. Yet. There were a few ponies who had nothing against the regime which was Dinky Whooves who was the young sister of Derpy Whooves. Then there was Snips and Snails who didn’t have a problem with the new rulers and in fact, believed that this would lead to a new and improved Equestria. It must be so because that’s what they had said in their speech. The other ponies were the fillies and colts from their school who believed that it was best to allow the Crusaders to guide Ponyville and Equestria into a new dawn of peace and prosperity. While the main six were vehemently against the regime, they knew they couldn’t do anything. Twilight had voiced that it was most likely a revenge plot that would end in a week when they realise how difficult it is to run a country and would return the power to Mayor Mare. Fluttershy and Pinkie weren’t certain about that and pointed out that the Crusaders didn’t start a political party and army for no reason. It would take a lot of work and dedication to continue to work like they were doing. Rainbow Dash, Applejack and Rarity didn’t say anything on the matter so it was unknown what their opinion was. Ponyville had turned into a dictatorship and the Crusaders were the Dictators Of Ponyville.