Slender fingers flipped through page after page of dry legal language, checking the bottom of each page to make sure it had been filled out properly. Princess Twilight Sparkle sighed. Even for her, this was tedious work, but she knew it was important. This latest treaty with Maretonia would ensure the safety of Equestria for as long as it remained in effect, and may one day lead to the elimination of the Disharmony movement.
No one remembered the beginning of the Disharmony movement, except for Princess Celestia and Princess Luna. Even Princess Cadance was too young to remember a time before the invisible threat had closed its grip around Equestria. History books told of days long ago when people were free and happy, when they could live without fear, when Celestia could rule by simply raising and lowering the sun each day, instead of being forced to martial law in an attempt to protect her subjects from the agents of Discord, the evil and destructive ringleader of the Disharmony movement.
Discord was the phantom menace that plagued Equestria. He had never been captured, never been photographed, but legends said that he was practically omnipotent, that he had magic even stronger than Celestia's, that he could destroy Equestria with a snap of his fingers if he chose, but preferred to let it rot in chaos instead. He had eyes and ears everywhere; nobody knew who might be an agent of Disharmony.
Celestia did not take this internal threat lightly. It was impossible for the average person to detect a Disharmonizer, but Celestia had magic that could identify them. If someone suddenly vanished from their home, their neighbors would whisper about how glad they were that Celestia had caught the traitor, and wondered how much the Disharmonizer had already told Discord about them. No one was safe while Discord was still on the loose, and his reign would never end peacefully. Discord was immortal, like the Princesses, and he had been threatening Celestia's reign for over a thousand years.
Hopefully, Twilight thought, as she ran a hand through her purple bangs, this new treaty with Maretonia would bring an end to Discord's reign of terror. Maretonia's biggest export was heavy weaponry, enough to blow the entire Disharmony movement right off the map.
"Twilight." A voice made the princess look up to behold her ruler, Princess Celestia. The woman was nearly six feet tall, with broad shoulders that seemed to carry the weight of the world. Her skin was pale and the hair that tumbled over her shoulders was striped with pink, blue, and green. She wore a flowing white dress, decorated with a golden sun at the hip. Her face was grim, and the pink irises of her eyes flashed with worry. Twilight frowned.
"What is it, Princess?"
The monarch crossed to the stained-glass window on the other side of the room and gazed down at Canterlot. "Reports of new riots breaking out in Ponyville."
Twilight winced, setting the treaty aside. This was the third riot in as many months across Equestria. It stung even more to know that these were happening in her hometown. "I'll go at once and calm things down."
Celestia nodded, and Twilight headed for the door, but before she could reach it, the princess called to her again. "Twilight?"
The purple-haired woman turned to look back at her leader, who still stood with her back to her.
"Am I doing enough to stop this?"
Twilight opened her mouth, but no sound came out.
"My subjects resent my security measures. I am beginning to think I am as feared and hated as Discord."
After a moment's hesitation, Twilight shook her head. "Princess, without you to protect them, Discord would destroy everything. Even if they don't understand, they're alive because of you."
Celestia sighed, and turned to Twilight with a smile. "You're right," she murmured. "I will continue to do what is best for my subjects, even if they object."
Twilight smiled at her for a moment longer, then turned and hurried out the door.
In Ponyville, hundreds of people were pressing against the doors of Town Hall, where Mayor Mare had barricaded herself. Fists pounded against the walls and windows, and angry voices chorused, "Let her go! Let her go!"
"I can't!" the mayor wailed, although she knew no one could hear her. "She's a Disharmonizer!" She glanced back to where two burly guardsmen were holding a struggling child, who couldn't have been more than seven.
In a flash of magic, Twilight appeared on the steps of the Town Hall bellowed, "STOP!"
The citizens of Ponyville were silenced, and stared at their princess. She glared down at them. "What's going on?"
"They took Twist!" the crowd shouted. "They're going to kill Twist!"
Twilight blinked. Why on earth would they have taken Twist? She motioned to the crowd to wait, and teleported herself inside the Town Hall, in front of the Mayor, who had broken down into nervous tears at this point. When she saw the princess she screamed. "Your highness! Tell them to stop! I am only doing my duty!"
"Kidnapping children?" Twilight raised an eyebrow.
"She is a Disharmonizer!" Mayor Mare wailed. "It's my duty! My duty to Princess Celestia! To Ponyville! I must protect my citizens from Discord!"
The princess looked over at the little redheaded girl, whose purple-rimmed glasses had been broken in the struggle. "She is too young for the usual punishment," Twilight declared. "Send her to Canterlot under heavy guard for Princess Celestia to sentence. But make sure she is closely watched."
"Th-thank you, printheth..." Twist gasped as the guards turned and carried her away.
Twilight pulled out her handkerchief and wiped away the makeup that was streaming down the Mayor's face. "You are very brave. Doing your duty even when it is unpleasant is the sign of a good leader." Then Twilight turned and walked out the front door to face the crowds.
"The traitor will not receive the usual sentence," she announced, to the relief of many faces in the mob. "However, as she is still a traitor, she will be taken to Canterlot, and Princess Celestia will judge her case." To the roar of protest, she said, "Celestia is just and fair! She will not allow anyone to suffer needlessly! But we cannot allow Disharmonizers to go unapprehended, no matter their age or importance! If we allow her to remain among us, she could bring Discord down on the entire city."
The discontent quieted, and although many faces were unsatisfied, they seemed to accept that Twilight spoke the truth, and slowly dispersed. The princess sighed, and trudged home to her own castle.
A green-haired teenager with enlarged canines greeted her. "Did they take Twist?"
Twilight nodded silently, dropping into a chair and burying her face in her hands.
"Are they going to shoot her?"
"I don't know. Celestia will judge her case individually. Spike, how can a seven-year-old girl be a Disharmonizer?"
Spike shrugged. "Little kids are a lot more capable than we think, sometimes. I've broken up gangs with kids younger than her in 'em."
Twilight groaned. "Is this what Equestria is coming to?"
"You talking about Twist?"
Both of them looked up to see a woman with rainbow hair and a tattoo of a lightning bolt on her bicep leaning against the doorframe.
"Hey, Rainbow Dash," Spike said. "Yeah, it's pretty weird, isn't it?"
"It's bullshit, Spike." Rainbow marched in and took a seat next to Twilight. "Twi, the Crusaders knew Twist really well. They swear she never even mentioned the Disharmony movement, and she can't keep her mouth shut about anything. There's no way she was an agent. There's been a mistake."
Twilight frowned. "What?"
"She's not a Disharmonizer, Twilight. I don't know who reported her, but it's a pack of lies."
"Yer darn right it is!" A broad-shouldered muscular woman with a sun-darkened face stomped into the room in muddy cowboy boots. "Apple Bloom hasn't stopped cryin' since they took her! I've met Twist a few times myself, and she ain't no Disharmonizer!"
"Sweetie Belle has assured me of the same thing!" announced a pale, slender woman with impeccably styled purple hair. "If they shoot that darling little girl--"
"Nobody's shooting anyone!" Twilight screamed, at her wits' end. "She's being taken to Canterlot for a trial and a sentence--"
"As if that'll stop her from getting executed?!" Rainbow Dash demanded.
"Um," a tiny voice piped up, and a petite pink-haired woman poked her head in the door. "If she's having a trial, that means there can be witnesses, right?"
"Yeah!" squealed a voice behind her as a woman with masses of pink curls bounced into the room. "She can have people defend her!"
Applejack stomped her boot. "Well, Apple Bloom'll testify!"
"So will Sweetie Belle!" Rarity announced.
Rainbow Dash sighed. "I bet I could get Scootaloo to come, too."
Twilight stood up. "Well then, we'd better get to the train station before they leave for Canterlot."