//------------------------------// // Stealing the Spotlight // Story: Appledashery // by Just Essay //------------------------------// As the crowd of gathered citizens fled the Coronation, dozens upon dozens of angry ponies flooded in. Filthy Riches and Braeburns barreled through surprised guards. Zecoras and Granny Smiths kicked fetlocks. Pinkie Pies and Rarities threw fruit cakes. Stu Leaves dodged the blasts from several guards' guns and kicked a wall of stage decoration at them, knocking them completely off the ampitheatre. Gustave and Donut Joe rushed over to him, and the three stood flank to flank, battling the incoming reinforcements. Meanwhile, Flim and Flam were still trying—however awkwardly—to get disentangled with one another. "Damnation!" Flam sputtered, wheezing towards the sky. "Air!" he hollered. "Air support! On the double!" "What he said!" Flim wheezed. Engines could already be heard revving. Mulia Mild slammed a potted plant over a guard's head, then looked across the grand melee to see rotary blades spinning. "Gyrocopters!" She shouted towards the stage. "Gyrocopters inbound!" Stu Leaves punched a guard and glanced over, sweating. He cupped two hooves around his muzzle and shouted towards the sky: "Birds a'flight!" The air reverberated with a veritable flock of incoming aircraft. No less than six gyrocopters came gliding down the main street, turning about to descend on the riotous group who had invaded the ampitheatre. They were less than two blocks away when—suddenly—dozens of ponies sprouted up along the rooftops. They flung bricks, silverware, nets, and all manner of metal knick-nacks. Inevitablly, this encumbered one or two gyrocopters. The pilot constructs yelped, losing control—bashing into one another. Soon, the entire flock plummeted, crashing into the street and forming a brilliant fireball. As guardsponies fled—shrieking—Apple Jewell winced. She watched with a horrified expression as ponies fought ponies on all sides. A group of guards rushed up to escort her out of the site—only to be knocked aside by a pair of Big Macintoshes. The big stallions snarled, then turned towards Apple Jewell with a soft expression. As soon as one opened his mouth— ZAAAAP! Queen Shindig blasted them several meters away with a well-aimed energy beam from her horn. "M-Mother!" Apple Jewell stammered. "Come, child!" Shindig telekinetically tugged the mare along with her. "Your loyal brothers can handle this! We must get you somewhere safe, my darling—!" "Shindig!" Stu Leaves slid to a stop, blocking their exit. He panted and sweated, yet stood his ground before them while chaos continued to unfold all around. "This was inevitable! And you knew it!" "I've no idea what you're talking about, cretin!" Shindig frowned, aiming her horn at him. "I had shown you mercy already! That was my first mistake! And my last!" "I don't know what the brothers have done to make you believe in this fantasy, but it must end!" Stu exclaimed. "Please, you can put a stop to this! Just let go of Applejack!" "Her name is Apple Jewell!" Shindig hollered. "And she is the Cider Princess of Philanthropy!" Apple Jewell clung to Shindig, trembling. Meanwhile, the Princess gazed at the various familiar faces battling all around her. A lump formed in her throat, and she clenched her jaw tight. "She's a victim in all of this, Shindig!" Stu shouted. "For all we know, maybe you are too! But if I can only save one of you..." He trotted forward with a frown. "...then let it be." "Not one more step!" Shindig hollered. "I swear, I will—" "Mother..." Apple Jewell brushed her hoof across Shindig's leg. "Please. We must end this." "Not another word, child—" "Mother, can't you see?!" Apple Jewell pointed. "These are the ponies I've recognized! Something has... has broken through." She grimaced. "I feel as if something is catching up with me..." "You're... y-you're merely confused, child," Shindig wheezed, trembling. "This... all of this... it is good." "But there's somethin' better than good, Mama," Apple Jewell said. "And it starts with bein' honest with ourselves." Shindig bit her lip, staring across the battle. Stu gulped. "Will you reason with us?" He took a bold step forward. "Will you please let us—" FLASH! A beam of magic hit him in the side. "Aaaaugh!" Stu flew off, bouncing off the side of the stage. "Ooof!" Apple Jewell gasped. She turned to look. "Frederick! Felix!" The two brothers marched towards Stu's body, shocking him with beams of magical energy. The air and landscape around them rippled as the dual dreamers unleashed pure chaos on the stallion. "Aaaa-aaaaugh!" Stu writhed in pain, curling up into an agonized little ball. "It's over for you, Rook!" Flim hissed. "There will be no waking up!" Flam added. "Flim! Flam!" Shindig frowned. "You've neutralized him already! Cease this torment at once! We are not monsters—" "Silence, Mother!" Flam frowned in the alicorn's direction. "We've been too merciful as it is!" "These underworlders want to usurp the paradise we've built!" Flim added. "Well, it's time that paradise crushed them to a bloody pulp." Flam's eyes flickered, and he compressed the fabric of the dreamworld into a bludgeon that spiraled violently towards Stu Leaves. "Starting with this ignoramus here—" There was a loud, high-pitched whistling sound. Mulia Mild looked towards the sky. "Look—!" Fwooooooooooosh—POWWW! A blue streak landed on the stage, blocking the brothers' projectile. "Aaaaaugh!" Flim and Flam flew back, as did every guard and pony within screaming range of the stage. Donut Joe and Gustave yelped as they fell to the side. Epcot rushed to Mulia's side, helping the mule up as both gaped at the scene. Rainbow Dash slowly stood back up, her legs positioned in a fresh crater and brimming with spectral energy. She spread her wings, summoning another bout of thunder. Apple Jewell stared, breatheless. Flim and Flam got up, only to gasp at Rainbow's presence. "Oh no..." Rainbow turned towards them, ruby eyes sparkling. She smirked. "Oh yes."