Rainbow Dash and Applejack raced as fast as their legs could carry them into the center of Ponyville. Applejack couldn't see any signs of trouble though. "You aren't leading me on a wild goose chase by any chance are you?" Applejack asked Rainbow Dash.
"I'm telling ya I saw signs of trouble and I mean big trouble." Rainbow Dash said "Look there."
Applejack couldn't believe her eyes, ponies were bowing down left and right in front of Rarity. Something was wrong.
"That's right bow down before me." Rarity said "After all I am a descendant of Star Swirl the Bearded and I would expect no less."
"I can't believe it but I actually called it. Rarity let all that glory go to her head." Applejack said.
"Well what are we suppose to do now?" Rainbow Dash asked.
"It's simple we round up our friends and anyone brave enough to support us and talk some sense into Rarity." Applejack said.
"That's easier said then done." Rainbow Dash said "Just take a look around."
Everypony in Ponyville including The Mayor was bowing to Rarity. Pinkie Pie and Fluttershy were among them.
"Why is everyone simply bowing to her?" Applejack asked "I mean I get that she's a descendant of Star Swirl the Bearded but I don't think that would just prompt them to bow down."
As if to answer her question Rarity pointed towards a random pony in the crowd. "You there. Why are you not bowing down?"
"Maybe because I don't feel like it." the pony replied. Applejack and Rainbow Dash couldn't make out who it was but the voice told them it was most certainly female.
"You dare defy me?!" Rarity said "I'd think twice if I were you. With my new title I could easily ruin your reputation, nopony within a hundred miles would come near you."
"You think so huh?" the pony asked "Well go ahead and do your worst, I'll never bow to the likes of you. I only bow to the Princesses and last time I checked you weren't one of them."
"Don't say I didn't warn you." Rarity said "My loyal followers, show this mare what happens to those who refuse to respect me."
Applejack and Rainbow Dash could only watch as the crowd began to close in on the mare. "We've got to do something!" Rainbow Dash said.
"But what can we do?" Applejack asked "If we oppose Rarity we'll suffer the same fate as that mare."
"Well perhaps Rarity will come to her senses when she sees that two of her friends are opposing her." Rainbow Dash said and flew off.
"Rainbow Dash No!" Applejack shouted and ran after her. Somehow the two of them managed to get to the mare before Rarity and the crowd did. The mare was a unicorn with a mint green coat, mane, and tail, with a golden lyre for a cutie mark.
"What's this?" Rarity asked "Do you two mean to tell me that you support this mare?"
"You bet we are." Applejack said "We're not going to just lay down and let you treat us like dirt! Isn't that right Rainbow Dash?"
"Yeah!" Rainbow Dash said (Somewhere a certain pegasus stallion got the strangest feeling but he quickly dismissed it) "We ain't afraid of you!"
"Oh you will be." Rarity said "Isn't that right my followers?"
"No one insults Miss. Rarity and gets away with." a stallion said.
"Traitors must be destroyed!" another pony said.
"Rarity please, stop this foolishness." Applejack pleaded "You're acting worse then when you were under the influence of Discord."
"Oh Applejack, you and your short sighted views." Rarity said "These ponies here have chosen to worship me on their own free will."
"And by that you mean you 'Forced' them to!" Rainbow Dash said.
"Your claims are as foolish as you are Rainbow Dash." Rarity said "I can't be blamed for the decisions that other ponies make. If they chose to follow me then it was their choice alone, I simply helped them make up their mind."
"Rarity I'm begging you, please stop!" Applejack pleaded "This isn't like you."
"Face it Applejack there is nothing you can say or do that will convince me." Rarity said "Now please stand aside and let me deal with this pathetic fool that dares to be stupid and defies me."
"Come on guys you've got to support us!" Rainbow Dash said "Surely you recognize this has gone too far right Fluttershy? Right Pinkie Pie?"
Fluttershy and Pinkie Pie said nothing. They knew Rainbow Dash had a point but they were too scared of what Rarity would do them to say anything. They also knew that Rarity could potentially brainwash them if they resisted.
"You see? You're all alone." Rarity said "So what's going to be? Are you going to stand down or do I have to make you?"
"Catch us if you can Rarity!" Rainbow Dash said and she, Applejack, and the unicorn took off. They raced through the crowds and headed for Sweet Apple Acres.
"What are you waiting for?! After them!" Rarity shouted. The crowd didn't need to be told twice.
"Thank Celestia you two showed up when you did." The unicorn said while running "It's nice to know I'm not the only one who thinks Rarity's antics have gone too far."
"Who are you?" Applejack asked.
"Name's Heartstrings, Lyra Heartstrings to be precise." Lyra said "I know all about you and your friends."
"Why are you opposing Rarity?" Rainbow Dash asked "Rarity seems to have the whole town under her influence.
"Because Rarity's taken something very dear to me." Lyra said.
"What's that?" Applejack asked.
"My best friend Bon-Bon." Lyra said "She went into town to pick up groceries but she never came back."
"Rarity must have gotten to her." Applejack said "She's really letting this whole descendant of Star Swirl the Bearded go to her head."
"No way!" Lyra gasped "She was telling the truth? I thought she was just making it up."
"As much as we wish we weren't we are." Rainbow Dash said "Why's this so shocking to you? The whole town should know by now."
"Because I happen to be a descendant of Star Swirl the Bearded as well." Lyra said.
"For real?" Rainbow Dash asked.
"Yep." Lyra said "I just got a notifcation this morning. And apparently my great grandmother was a hoofmaiden for the Princesses."
"Wow that's amazing. Too bad you're related to so many other unicorns." Rainbow Dash said "I can name three more besides Rarity off the top of my head."
"Not to change the subject but what are we going to do when we reach Sweet Apple Acres?" Lyra asked.
"We're going to send a letter to Twilight and have her come down here and fix this mess." Applejack said "At this point she's the only one I can think of other then Princess Celestia or Princess Luna who can solve this problem."
"And you think she can help us?" Lyra asked.
"Let's hope so." Applejack said "Otherwise we're doomed."
"Hey look there's Sweet Apple Acres now!" Rainbow Dash called out. And she was right, the signature barn was still off in the distance but that distance was getting shorter and shorter with each passing second as was the noise of the crowd.
"We have them now!" The Mayor shouted.
"Quick to the Anti-Mob Shelter!" Rainbow Dash said.
"There is no Anti-Mob Shelter here!" Applejack said.
"So what do we do?" Lyra asked.
"We're gonna go inside and lock the doors and windows. That should buy us some time!" Applejack said.
"Good idea!" Lyra said. Wasting no time the three did just that. A few seconds later the crowd began pounding on the front door.
"We have you surronded!" Rarity declared "Come out with your hooves over your head!"
"Ain't any of them darn whipper snappers ever heard of the term beauty sleep?" Granny Smith said "In my day we never had any of these sort of things going on."
"Where are Apple Bloom and Big Macintosh?" Applejack asked.
"Now don't you worry about them Applejack." Granny Smith said "They took off as soon as they saw the crowd coming. They're probably hiding out in the barn with Winona, waiting for the crowd to go away."
"That's good to hear." Applejack said.
"Me personally I don't give a hoot about all this Star Swirl the Bearded nonsense. It's just a bunch of hoopla over nothing." Granny Smith said "Though I admit you and your friends certainly know how to liven things up around here. It seems like there's never a dull moment anymore. I know for a fact that Ponyville was never this active back in my day."
"Granny Smith you never cease to amuse me." Applejack said and set to work on writing a letter.
Twilight please come quickly!
Rarity's gone crazy and she's somehow made the whole town into her own personal army! You've got to put a stop to this nonsense before somepony gets hurt!
By the way we've found out that Lyra Heartstrings is also a descendant of Star Swirl the Bearded.
Applejack
"How are we gonna get that letter to Twilight?" Rainbow Dash asked "Even if there's an avialable pegasus that crowd will jump on us the instant we set foot outside."
"We need a distraction." Lyra Heartstrings said "And I volunteer to be said distraction."
"Are you crazy?!" Applejack said "There's no telling what the crowd will do to you!"
"Well it's either that or we wait until Rarity orders them to break down the door and swarm this place." Lyra said "At least this way we've got a chance of getting through to Twilight."
Rainbow Dash and Applejack couldn't aruge with that. Reluctantly they allowed Lyra to go out.
"Look here comes Lyra now!" a pony in the crowd shouted.
"Do you surrender?" Rarity asked.
"Not on your life!" Lyra said.
"Then you leave me no choice." Rarity said "Get her!"
The crowd pounced on Lyra who proceeded to use her magic and her hooves to try and fend off her attackers. If she was only intrested in herself she could've teleported away before anypony could stop her, but alas she was only trying to buy time for Rainbow Dash to fly out to the mail box and drop off the letter.
It worked like a charm. Everyone was so focused on Lyra that they didn't notice a Rainbow blur zip past them, head straight to the mail box, and come back.
"The letter's in the box." Rainbow Dash said "Now all we can do is wait and hope for the best."
Lyra fought valiantly and lasted for quite a long time. But in the end she was captured and brought before Rarity. "It's not too late to save yourself you know." she said, a hint of deviousness in her voice "If you agree to bow down to me and help me capture the remaining traitors I might spare you."
"I said it once and I'll say it again, I will never bow to the likes of you." Lyra said "Do your worst Rarity."
"Okay you asked for it." Rarity said. She whistled to two stallions who brought forth a wooden desk. Rarity gave them Lyra's measurements and they proceeded to drill three holes. One big hole in the center for Lyra's head and two smaller ones nearby for her hooves. Once the holes were finished Rarity used her magic to push Lyra through them.
"Let this serve as a warning to others." Rarity said "Anypony foolish enough to resist me shall suffer the same fate." The loud cheers of the crowd that followed would've made the royal Canterlot voice sound pale by comparison.
"Please get here soon Twilight." Applejack thought to herself "Cause I don't know how long we can hold out."