Chapter 2 – Democratic Domination
Starlight Glimmer stood in her living room as the two stallions pulled Soldier through her front door. He grunted as his body was dragged across the stairs and through the doorway. Starlight gestured to her left at a bench standing under an equal sign picture. “Drag him over there.” The stallions did as told, pulling Soldier over to the bench as close as they could before untying themselves from the mad man. “Good.” Starlight nodded. “I can handle him from here, thank you gentlecolts.”
The stallions nodded back to her and left her home, smiling proudly as they went, and shutting the door behind them. Soldier rolled around on the floor in an attempt to right himself up, but the rope refused to let him. In doing this however, Soldier was able to see the layout of the first floor. To the right wall was a bookshelf, and after that was a table sitting under a window. To the left wall was the bench he was next to, then a doorway to the bathroom just beyond it. Finally, tucked in the corner of the living room was a fireplace.
Starlight turned to Soldier with a malicious smile. “Oh your effort is admirable. Futile, but admirable.” She placed a hoof on his chest and pushed down as hard as she could. This did not deter Soldier from his rolling or muffled shouts in the slightest. “Solid like a rock, much like your brain I suspect.” Her horn glowed and all the curtains in the room drew themselves shut at her command. “That might be the only good thing about you.”
She backed off of Soldier to only lift her horn and forcing him upright into a sitting position so his face was more level with hers. She then slowly began to remove the rope from his mouth. It was soaked with saliva, and martyred from a set of large pearly whites. Soldier was patient and silent until the rope had been completely removed, then his voice thundered. “BITCH–!”
He was silenced by Starlight’s magic, and her smiled widened at his insult. “You know, I could use some muscle around here.” She looked to the ground slightly disappointed. “Ponies lose any excessive strength to enforce physical equality,” She looked back up slightly more cheerful. “But that’s seldom an issue.” She leaned in close to Soldier with half lidded eyes. “You on the other hoof, can help subdue any ponies who prove to be more…”–For a moment she glanced upward in search of the appropriate word–“...Difficult, shall we say? Newcomers who are hesitant to accept our ways, and perhaps citizens who need to be reminded of what we strive for?”
Starlight replaced the rope in Soldier’s mouth by prying it open and crudely tying it back. She then let go of Soldier and he fell back to the floor again with a grunt of pain. “I’m going to ask you a question.” She stated while talking a few steps away. “Let’s see if you're smart enough to know the answer.”
Soldier did nothing more than growl behind his lips.
Starlight giggled deeply. “Good.” She turned away from his face. “How much do you value the wellbeing of your friends?”
Soldier rolled back and forth and even tried to kick her by hopping on the floor like a big fish. “A lot?” Starlight raised an eyebrow and a smile. “In that case,” She leaned close to Soldier’s face. “I’ve always wondered what it would be like to use an alicorn feather for a quill, I’m sure Twili–!”
Soldier suddenly jerked his head forward in a bruising helmet headbutt. Starlight fell on her rump recoiling in surprise and pain. She put her hooves to her forehead whilst groaning and hissing. “Uuugh!-Sssss...”
Starlight however, then started giggling. “Hahaha, Oh! You and I could play this game all day!” She shook her head and returned her hooves to the floor, after momentarily checking them for blood. "I'm not saying we will,”–She looked up with an evil smile and levitated Soldier back to a sitting position–“But just to make things even…” She calmly trotted up to him and removed his helmet from his head using her mouth. She could now see Soldier’s rage filled eyes, glaring untold physical curses into her soul. Ignoring this, Starlight then magically grabbed and threw his head down between his legs and into the floor with a dull and sudden "Thwump!"
The helpless man groaned from such an impact, and a big blob of a bruise was already visible on his shaven head. The wooden floor had a small corresponding dent in it.
Feeling that karma had been served, Starlight sat him back up to replace the helmet. “Now you should get acquainted with your bed." She levitated Soldier off the ground and began trotting towards the stairs. "It might be a little small, but I take it you're not the type to complain about such things."
Soldier looked around him frantically for something he could use to unbind himself, but the rest of the house was once again simple and minimalist. They passed through a small hallway dividing the master bed from the guest bed. The guest bedroom itself was very simple. One bed sat at the back right corner of the room, and one nightstand stood on its left side. There was no closet, no bathroom, with only one window with a view of the barren landscape.
Starlight threw Soldier down on the bed, which creaked and groaned from such a sudden impact. The mare went beside the bed and patted her hoof on Solly’s helmet. “There, there my soldier, you will be one of us soon enough.” She began to walk towards the doorway. “Now, I’m going to take a small rest downstairs.” She waved her hoof. “Rest well!” She shut the door behind her and a loud click signified that a lock was in place.
Starlight paused for a moment to listen outside the door. The sounds of Soldier’s grunts and the loud creaking of the wooden bed came from within. Smiling, she began to trot downstairs. “I think I’ve accomplished enough today to treat myself!” She continued downstairs into her living room. She trotted to the door on the right wall and opened it, revealing its largely dry food contents. There were potatoes and a small variety of greens, but nothing substantial.
She levitated a bottle of moonshine from the cabinet and two glasses. “I’m curious to see if he can break free.” Her ears twitched as the ceiling made continuous noises from the captive. She giggled and poured herself a shot. “I’ll admit it’s been nice having something exciting happen around here for once.” She then set the other empty glass on the stone shelf of the fireplace where it landed with a light, "Plink!"
Starlight looked back up at the ceiling, and lifted the shot glass to her lips, but just as she did so, the din of the upper floor went silent. Starlight paused, and narrowed her eyes in suspicion. A few moments passed, and no more sounds could be heard. Starlight then shrugged. “Must’ve given up.” She released a satisfied “Humph!” And drank her shot.
Then there was an explosion.
It shook the whole house and completely caught Starlight off guard just as she was swallowing. This shock sent some liquid down the wrong pipe, and put Glimmer in a coughing fit while the strong alcohol burned in her throat, causing her to drop the bottle and glass in the process. The glass shattered on the floor.
Suddenly Soldier came barreling down the stairs completely free with a vengeful smile on his face. Smoke was rising from his figure even though no signs of fire damage seemed apparent. “Hello again!” He did not hesitate any further and lunged at Starlight.
She quickly reacted and summoned a force shield to block an incoming blow. Soldier’s shovel bounced off it as if it were hitting solid steel.
Seeing the bottle of moonshine spilling on the floor, Soldier picked it up and jammed the open end onto Starlight’s horn just as she prepared a new spell in hopes of somehow nullifying the magic.
Her magic was indeed interrupted, and it sparked from her horn while pushing back against the bottle held in place by Soldier.
The bottle filled with pressurized magical energy and exploded into hundreds of pieces. The magically induced shine was sprayed on Starlight more than Soldier, but the blast pushed them both back onto the ground disoriented.
The strong smell of the alcohol flooded into Starlight’s nose, and her head pulsed like a jackhammer.
Soldier got right back up and once again lunged at her. This time he managed to grab her by the throat. He lifted her off the ground and began to squeeze harder in a deadly chokehold. Starlight flailed in panic and pain. Her voice was inaudible apart from what little air that managed to escape.
Soldier scowled. "Stars and stripes beats hammer and sickle!" Starlight’s horn suddenly flashed a bright light. "Ah!" The light dissipated, but Solly's helmet was gone, and he had his eyes harshly closed. “I can’t see!” He then felt his grip fail once again when magic took over his body.
Starlight was staring daggers at him. "There's a first time for everything you disgusting patriot!" She dropped herself safety to the floor, and threw Soldier to the ground. "I want to hurt you so much, but I think the best form of punishment should be left to irony." Her horn glowed brighter and her magic suddenly struck him between the eyes. “It’s about time you switch sides!” Soldier’s eyes widened and spaced out as the magic dug deep into his head. "Fight it all you want! My magic is too powerful!"
She watched as his eyes twitched and his body spasmed and struggled. Seconds passed as she reveled in Soldier’s suffering, and a smile of large and maniacal portions shone on her face. “Now,” She carefully asked, switching off the magic. “How’s about you give a big smile for me? Hmm?” For a few seconds he did not respond, but then, Soldier lips began to curl upward in a large grin. Starlight gave a warm smile and gently rubbed Soldier’s shaven head. “I figure your friends could use some convincing, and let’s be honest, what better way to do that then show you off?” She glanced at her moonshine soaked figure, and yelped in surprise when she noticed that the liquid had spilled over her flank.
The Equal sign was dripping off her fur revealing a different cutie mark.
"You didn't see anything!" She yelled at Soldier while backing into the bathroom next to the fireplace in a swift panic. She slammed the door once she was completely inside.
Soldier's gaze did not change. "I saw nothing…”
Twilight sat in the correction house inspecting the speaker that had fallen to the floor. “I don't think this can help us either. It’s just a regular speaker.” She let it drop to the floor and began pacing again.
Pinkie flipped through pages of books provided on a small shelf. They were all exactly the same, pictures of an equal mark. As for everypony else, there was nothing to do but sit and think. Rainbow Dash was still leaning against the worn door. Her eyes were closed, and her voice was dull and dry. “This is by far the worst thing ever!”
Happy enough just to have a conversation in the midst of nothing, AppleJack provoked an answer. “What makes ya say that?”
“I’m trapped in a small room, and I hate being trapped in small rooms!”
Rarity chimed in. “I didn't know you were claustrophobic?”
Dash lightly shook her head. “No, I just enjoy the outdoors, the ability to spread my wings and feel free.” She smiled and opened her eyes. “Like Solly, I know for a fact he hates feeling trapped.”
Fluttershy giggled. “Remember when you and Soldier played tag? During our picnic?”
Dash laughed. “Haha! Yeah! He’s one quick jumper!”
Twilight stopped pacing for a moment to look at Dash and comment. “He also punched you in the face.”
“Yeah,”–She waved her hoof nonchalantly–“but I bucked him in the gut, so we were even.”
Rarity began to pout. “I should’ve asked him for one of his hats.” She looked back at her cutie mark. “It would remind me of what should be fashionable!” Her mark darkened in a siphoning glow.
Pinkie folded her ears back and closed the book she was reading. “I just hope he’s safe…”
Rarity quickly added. “Yes, that too. But I’m not so worried about that. He is the only one I know to single hoofedly take down an entire pack of Diamond Dogs, with a pickaxe no less!” Her ears perked up. “Oh! Pinkie dear, you were saying something about Soldier earlier.”
“About his safety? I just said that silly!”
Rarity’s eyes fell to half lidded. “No, before that.”
"Oh!” Pinkie closed her book. “Soldier was telling me about how worried he was about us!"
Rainbow raised an eyebrow. "How worried?"
Applejack also had a brow raised. "He don't tend ta be sincere."
"He was!" Pinkie did her best impersonation of Solly, which meant lying on the floor pretending to be tied up. "I'll eat my own leg before I let these ponies win, but I'd also eat my leg before any of you get hurt."
Pinkie switched back to herself, quickly standing up and talking to the spot where she just was. “Don't you worry about us, you just focus on pushing forward.”
She then got back on the floor. "You girls mean a lot to me."
Pinkie stood up and blushed. "Are you getting soft on us?"
"The only thing getting soft, will be Starlight's bones when I turn them to dust!" Pinkie remained on the floor, but ended her impersonation. “That’s how it happened!” Pinkie’s equality mark darkened. “I guess…”
"Aww!" Fluttershy cooed. "He can be such a sweetie!"
Rarity tilted her head in slight confusion. "In his own crass way, yes."
Applejack looked out the window. "Sun's going down, and Ah don't know how cold it gets round here."
Twilight glanced over at AJ. “We’re in the northern corner of Equestria, so it could get pretty cold.”
Pinkie raised her hoof. “Oh!” Her mark darkened again and Pinkie lost her enthusiasm. “We could sleep in pairs.”
“Three by three?” Rarity suggested.
Fluttershy put her hooves together in a hug motion. “We could sleep like penguins! All huddled together!”
Dashie raised her hoof. “Not in the center.”
Pinkie stared Soldier in the eyes. After waiting to see him for a whole night, all she was left with were eyes that had been deprived of everything about the communist hating, hippie killing, rocket tossing patriotic maniac she cared for. Soldier slowly reached into Pinkie’s mane and she could feel him grab hold of her Righteous Bison. “Solly!” She whined as it was pulled out. “That was your gift, to me! At my birthday…”
“I’m sorry Pinkie,” He said, clearly not feeling any sort of emotion from taking back the gift. “But guns are bad. You could get yourself hurt!”
At this point Pinkie’s eyes watered and her lip quivered. So she gave Soldier a quick remorseful hug before trotting back to the prison cottage. Rainbow Dash accompanied her and placed her wing over Pinkie’s back to try her best at comforting the sad party mare. Pinkie paused one more time and looked back. She asked in a low and sad voice, “Moonshine?”
Soldier answered her question, but still didn't recognize her displays of emotion. “Moonshine? Stuff’s great!”
Pinkie give a small smile, and she wiped her eyes of the water that was collecting. She was happy to see that a little bit of him managed to survive whatever brainwashing he had been put through. Turning back, she trotted into the jail house.
Rarity clenched her teeth and growled at Starlight. “What ever you did to him was not by his choice!”
Starlight walked up to Rarity and patted her cheek like a cruel stepmother addressing a little child, “Oh hush now! Why would I do that?”
Rarity’s eyes flared up as she leaned forward aggressively. “Why you little–!” Twilight placed her hoof on Rarity’s shoulder and began to pull back. “He had a-a damn good sense of fashion! You–You!” She was visibly restraining herself. “Ugh!” She trotted back inside with her body fuming.
Applejack shook her head at Soldier, whose expression had not changed during all this. “That just ain't right…” She followed Rarity back inside.
Fluttershy kicked the ground with her hoof hesitantly. “Um…” She glanced at Twilight who made a subtle nod. “I would...like to join.”
“Fluttershy!” Twilight acted surprised. “How could you!”
She trotted toward the cheering crowd of equalists. “If giving up my cutie mark means I get to stay in this lovely village with these lovely ponies, then I’ll do it!”
Twilight acted depressed and slowly trotted back inside the house, and Starlight shut the door behind them. “We have a new friend everypony!”
Fluttershy was then surrounded by cheering villagers who welcomed the shy mare into their society. Soldier simply walked up to her and plucked her from the ground. “You made the right choice Fluttershy! I am happy for you!”
Starlight trotted up beside Soldier. “You will be staying with Soldier and I until a new cottage can be built for the two of you!” She began trotting towards her house and the pair of newcomers followed, with Solly still holding Fluttershy in his arms. “Double Diamond!” She called.
The stallion came up beside her. “Yes?”
“Get the spare audio equipment for the correction house, I want it installed before nightfall.”
“Of course!” He trotted off to do as she said.
“Now,” Starlight opened her front door and stepped inside. “Come inside for some breakfast!” Starlight pulled the table away from the wall for such an occasion. However, there were no chairs.
Fluttershy was released from Soldier’s cold grasp. She stood at the table and rested her hoof on the table’s edge. She saw Glimmer open the cupboard and retrieve a few plates and some food that was then placed on the table before her. Flutters looked down at the plate. “Oh…” Her face fell. “More of those muffins…” Three grey muffins sat on her plate, looking about as appetizing as the wooden floor. In fact, the floor probably would taste better.
Soldier’s hand came over her shoulder and placed a handful of hay on her plate as well. “And hay!” He said smiling. “Can't forget the hay!” Fluttershy had no idea where he had gotten it from, given that he hadn't gone over to help Starlight.
Starlight Glimmer sat down on the opposite end of the table with her own plate of muffins and hay. “Come and eat with us Soldier, I’m sure you’re famished!”
“I apologise Starlight,” Soldier said, “but I need to use the facilities, please excuse me.” He saluted before making a brisk retreat to the bathroom.
Starlight raised an eyebrow as her gaze followed him. “Hope he won't be too long.”
Fluttershy looked at Starlight and smiled meekly. “Well, um, I’m pretty sure he will be.”
“What makes you say that?”
“American indigestion, well, that’s how he puts it anyway...”
Starlight stared at Fluttershy, trying to see if she was being serious. Flutters just slowly began to eat the hay, prolonging the muffins as much as possible. After a moment Starlight just shook her head and began eating the hay as well. “Tell me,” She asked between bites. “His recent convergence aside, how did he become friends with the likes of you and your ex-friends?” She looked up from her plate at Fluttershy.
Flutters answered with a meek shrug. “Oh, he might have been a little crazy, but his heart was always in the right place...Well, he still pointed his guns at whatever he wanted, but his heart was in the right place.” She stared off into the distance remembering the past. “One time, a mean unicorn named Trixie tried to enslave Ponyville and exile Twilight, but Soldier...” Fluttershy’s ears folded back.
Starlight was anxious. “Yes go on.”
“He broke her nose...twice.”
“…”
“And you remember the attack from Lord Tirek?”
“Yeah?”
Fluttershy fiddled with her hooves. “Let’s just say he…um…” She blushed. “Won't be having children anytime soon…”
Starlight winced at the suggestion. “Oh my! He is not afraid of anything is he?” She bit into one of her muffins.
Fluttershy smiled warmly. “The only thing he fears is us getting hurt,” She then looked at the bathroom door. “and he’s really sweet that way.”
From behind the bathroom door sounds of splashing water sounded. Followed by Soldier groaning in constipation. Starlight waved her hoof at Fluttershy. “Dont worry about the muffins! You get used to them!” She levitated a bottle from the pantry. “Moonshine? I just got it today.”
“No, thank you.”
Starlight shrugged. “I hope you don't mind sharing a bed?” She poured herself a shot.
Fluttershy swallowed her second bite of hay. “With him? Not at all!”
Starlight drank her shot in a swift motion. “Mmm...Good.”
The bathroom door was suddenly slammed open, and Soldier stood there as happy as before. “I’m back from the toilet and everyone’s still happy! Yay!”
Starlight looked to Soldier. “You should really eat something–” Her nose wrinkled as a pungent smell slowly made itself apparent. “By Celestia! Shut the door!”
Soldier closed the bathroom door behind him, and Fluttershy glared at him. “Did you clean up after yourself?”
“Yes! My bathroom and hygiene etiquette has been enlightened with equality.”
Fluttershy folded back her ears in moderate surprise. “...Good to hear…”
It was early into the night. The stars were out and the sky was cloudless. The little village seemed at peace, and for the most part that was true. However, Starlight Glimmer’s home was not at rest. The chimney was active, but not in the way of an active fire. Strange noises came from within, and suddenly a butter yellow pony popped her head out from it’s ashy walls. She coughed up some soot, and rapidly shook her body clean of the ash that had clung to her coat and mane.
With her body mostly clean, Fluttershy glanced left and right in her typical fear. “Get the cutie marks back, that’s all you have to do!” She whispered to herself. “I can't help Soldier, but I can sneak through the dark…” Her expression and voice got progressively more timid. “To that spooky old cave...with the scary magical staff...and get the cutie marks back…” She carefully climbed out of the chimney with her pupils the size of grapes. “I thought Soldier would never fall asleep, instead of counting dead...hippies...he just wanted to count sheep!” She looked down at the roof slightly confused. “What’s strange is why I find that concerning?”
Fluttershy suddenly paused at the sound of Starlight’s voice. “Excellent work Double Diamond!” Realising that the voice was not addressing her, Flutters quickly flew to the edge of the roof to peer over the front door.
Diamond was standing outside the front door, behind him was a wooden box of glass jars. He wasn't smiling. In fact, he was confused, and frowning slightly. “Of course, but I don't understand why you wanted me to bring them here?” Starlight levitated the box of jars over Diamond and behind herself as she walked into her home followed by Diamond. “Fluttershy is one of us now, surely she can be trusted?”
The door shut behind them, so Fluttershy moved over to the left side window. Starlight levitated one of the jars out of the box. It contained Twilight’s cutie mark, so Fluttershy could only assume that the other marks she was after were also in that box. “This one belongs to a princess, it could be very important to our cause…” She stared at the mark in cruel admiration.
“But if Twilight Sparkle becomes our friend, then what do we care about this old cutie mark?” Diamond asked, still not sure about this course of action.
“I just want to keep these close until everything is...settled.” She flashed a confident smile, and then looked back at her guest. “You may go, Double Diamond.”
Fluttershy watched as he left the building, looking back once as if concerned for the well being of his friend and leader. She then looked back through the front window, and her suspicions were confirmed. All six cutie marks were inside their own personal jars. “On dear! How am I supposed to get the cutie marks back now!?”
Looking for an opportunity of some kind to appear, she watched Glimmer go upstairs. Fluttershy sat there in thought for a moment before being interrupted by a shout. “Ow!” Hearing it come from upstairs, she flew to the second story bedroom window. She saw a wooden bucket roll across the floor and Starlight covered in water. She was quite peeved with herself, “Starlight, you clumsy fool!” She set the jars down on a nearby table, upon which a towel also sat neatly folded. Starlight took this towel and began drying herself off. “Two days in a row! I should be more careful!”
However, when was done drying her flank and put the towel aside on her bed, her equal cutie mark was no longer there. Instead, a different cutie mark, one of a small lavender and white sparkle, and two turquoise swirls. Using some simple makeup, and a stencil, Starlight hid her true mark with powder the same color as her coat, and black makeup for her false mark.
Fluttershy gasped involuntarily. All this time her mark was a ruse, a lie. But Flutter’s gasp was loud enough for Starlight to hear it. She snapped her head at the window, but the pegasus was gone. Starlight trotted over to the window and looked outside for any sign of the culprit. There was none, for Fluttershy had hid under the roof frame below it.
Starlight turned away from the glass, and shut off her light, presumably to go to sleep. Fluttershy heard the click of the light and began to hover away from the wall, far more worried than before. “Oh no!” Now she had to figure out a plan, to reveal Starlight’s false identity.
Starlight looked at her weary captives in pride as they walked out of the correction house, the crowd of ponies standing before them. “I’ve got a good feeling about today!” The remaining ponies were tired from having the repaired recording prevent a restful sleep. “So, do any of you have anything you’d like to say?”
Twilight saw Soldier standing beside Starlight, and Fluttershy beside him. He was holding a large coffee mug, from which he took a sip. Inhaling deeply, Twilight straightened her body so that she was standing tall and proud. Following her example, the rest of her friends stood at attention.
The five ponies softly parted their lips. In beautiful harmony, they began to sing the United States National Anthem.
“Oh, say can you see, by the dawn's early light.
What so proudly we hailed, at the twilight's last gleaming?”
As they sung, Starlight raised an eyebrow as she was completely caught off guard by this.
“Whose broad stripes and bright stars, through the perilous fight.
O'er the ramparts we watched, were so gallantly streaming?”
On a hunch, Starlight snapped her head in the direction of Soldier, who was not smiling, and his eyes were dead focused on the chorus of five. “Soldier?”
“And the rockets' red glare, the bombs bursting in air.
Gave proof through the night, that our flag was still there.”
“Soldier!?”
“Oh, say does that star-spangled, banner yet wave
O'er the land of the free–!”
Starlight shouted at the top of her lungs. “QUIET!” Her thundering voice startled the singers into silence. “Do you think a simple song will change anything?!”
Fluttershy sang out from beside Soldier, much to Starlight’s disapproval. “And the home of the brave!” Double Diamond tried to pounce at her from behind, but she was fortunately quick enough to fly out of the way and land beside her friends, standing as proudly as they.
Starlight’s left eye twitched. “Fluttershy?! I knew you couldn't be trusted! Why do you ponies remain blind to the blatan–!” PANG! Starlight fell to the ground with the imprint of a shovel head on her mane.
“GOD BLESS AMERICA!!!” Soldier stood tall with his shovel raised to the sky. He then lifted his coffee mug and threw it violently down onto Starlight’s body, where it shattered from such force. Moonshine spilled over Glimmer’s form, where it also washed off the makeup concealing her cutie mark.
The crowd gasped at the sight of the colorful mark, and Soldier picked up Starlight and began holding her so that all could see her flank. “Her ass is a lie! Look at it! She’s been playing all of you like cards in a rigged game of communist poker!”
Double Diamond looked at Starlight’s flank with betrayal. “How could she? She said that cutie marks were evil!”
Party favor walked up beside him. “She said the only magic we needed was the staff of sameness!”
Soldier threw Starlight on the ground in frustration. “Open your damn eyes! That wooden piece of shit is nothing more than a ploy!” He pointed out to the crowd. “You all saw her take me into her house! The only reason I didn't break her spine is because she had the power to brainwash me!” He looked down at the ponies with a cold stare. “Do I look like that type of maggot that just gives in?!”
He let the question hang in the air for anyone to respond to. There was no disagreement, but Sugar Belle did call out, “How did you wake up then?”
“I answered the call of my national anthem!” He turned around to face the mane six, audibly proud for what they had done. “Nopony knows me better than my team! Your singing was like George Washington himself coming from the heavens to kick my cupcakes back in line!” He looked back to the crowd. “I know that some of you got the receiving end of my fist yesterday, but I was doing it to protect my team! My friends.” He then walked over to said friends, turned on his heel so that he could still see the crowd, and knelt down. “Without these adorable maggots,” He gestured to his left and right. “I’d be a lone wolf in the wild.” Soldier felt his friend's embrace him in a group hug.
Starlight then began to wake from her induced sleep. “Ughhh…”
Twilight saw Soldier scowl and reach for his shotgun, and shouted. “Wait!” Solly paused and looked up at Twilight, who stuttered to find a good excuse. “You-uh, should…”
Rainbow Dash flew up to Soldier and whispered in his ear. “Looks like these ponies need to be shown what it means to be free.”
Solly looked around him. The villagers were confused and hurt from Starlight's betrayal. He could see the fury burning within their hearts, and Soldier knew then that he had to lead the rise of democracy.
Soldier stood up shouted to the crowd. “You want your tattoos back!? To be free of the lies that this,” Soldier walked over and roughly picked up Starlight's body. “Son of a bitch has fed you?!” The villagers looked at Starlight’s awakening form, and the more they stared, the more then began to swear against their leader in a murmur that slowly began to grow louder. “Answer me maggots!”
He got his response in a passionate cheer, “YEAH!”
Soldier threw Glimmer on the ground like a football. “Then let’s get your ass tattoos back!” He pulled out his rocket jumper and shouted as he blasted his way towards the cutie vault cave. “Charge!”
The villagers yelled behind him and followed the rocket jumping maniac. Twilight looked at Rainbow Dash dumbfounded. “Rainbow! Do you realize what you’ve done!”
“Yeah, I kept Soldier from killing a pony in front of an entire crowd!” She puffed out her chest in pride.
“No! You just sparked an American Revolution!”
“Is that a bad thing?”
Twilight shook her head. “I don't know!”
Starlight began to groan again. “Ohhh...I don't feel so good…” She opened her eyes and glanced around. “The hay happened?” She saw a largely deserted village, and six smug mares looking down at her. “What are you looking at?!” She slowly stood up, and sniffed the air. “And why do I smell moonshi–” Glimmer’s eyes widened and her neck snapped at her flank. “Oh!” She looked around at the deserted area, her eyes filling with rage. “Oh! That war animal will burn in Tartarus!”
“Too late.” Rarity declared. “He’s already on his way to the vault.”
Starlight growled at Rarity causing her to shrink back. “This isnt over yet!” She began galloping towards the safety of her home.
Rainbow Dash reared up. “Come on guys!” She started flying towards the cave. “Let’s get our cutie marks back!”
Fluttershy called out. “Our cutie marks aren't in the vault,” She pointed at Starlight’s house. “They’re in there, with her!”
Soldier made a solid landing at the entrance of the cave. Glancing behind him, he saw the villagers quickly catching up. He then ran inside the cave and pulled out his beggar's bazooka. He looked at the vault within its blue hue, not in admiration for its craft, but in a patriotic scowl that spelled its doom. The other ponies stopped behind Soldier, who shouted for each rocket he loaded. “U.S.A!” He released the trigger, causing the three rockets to fire out in rapid succession. “Maggots!”
The vault stood no chance against such a barrage, and it exploded in a beautiful rain of glowing dust and shattered glass. The marks from within burst forth on their own, homing in on their original owners. A mark of three snowflakes landed on Double Diamonds flank, causing his body to glow in a bright light. It faded, leaving him with his original carefree hairstyle, and his personality and talents restored.
Each pony smiled in delight as their mark returned to their side, but Soldier was staring at something else glowing among the display.
The so called Staff of Sameness had caught fire from the explosion, and quickly began to crackle and burn like the dry peice of wood it was. “You will not be missed demon staff.” He turned around and began to walk out of the cave. Cutie marks soaring over him to find their owners. “Time to carry out some capital punishment!”
He hears Sugar Belle call out from behind him. “Soldier?” He turned around, and saw the villagers stand proudly. “I don't know much about this Democracy you spoke of, but if you're a testament to its strength,” She looked left and right at her fellow ponies, “Then we’re willing to give it a try!” They all nodded in agreement.
Soldier could do nothing more than give an honest smile. “Then let’s go catch ourselves a commie!” He motioned forward. “Move out!”
Meanwhile down in the village, the main six struggled to break into Starlight’s home. Applejack bucked against the door, but without her apple bucking talents the door remained where it was. Rarity pawed at the door in a feeble but amusing attempt to beat it in. The rest of the ponies stood around the windows, trying to figure out how to get inside.
“Atten-tion!” Soldier called out from an overlooking hill. His friends looked up, and saw him standing there with the villagers alongside him. “Did somebody order some democracy!?” He readied his rocket launcher, and the main six knew to immediately take cover away from the house. “Express delivery is free!” He pulled the trigger and a rocket flew straight at the front door. The explosion tore apart the wooden entrance in a rain of splinters.
Ponies rushed inside the home, pushing over books, looking under tables, any place that could hold a cutie jar. Fluttershy went straight for the master bed, and peaked through the door out of fear that Starlight could still be there. “The’re gone!” She exclaimed, pushing the door open the rest of the way. “They were right over there!” She pointed at a clothes drawer.
Soldier pointed through the doorway. “She’s escaped!” The bed had been turned over, revealing a pathway down into the ground. “She may be fast, but my bullets are faster!” The search party ran down the stairs and into the tunnel.
They came back to the surface from a tunneled out rock not too far away from the village. Everypony looked around to try and see where she had gone, but then Rainbow pointed to the north. “Look!”
The faint outline of a unicorn was galloping along a winding road towards a mountain. Unable to see such a distance, Party favor pulled out a balloon from seemingly nowhere and made it into a pair of balloon binoculars. Somehow they actually worked. He could see Starlight pulling a wooden cart filled with the cutie marks along the path. “She headed towards the pass!” He lowered the binoculars. “If she makes it into those mountains, we’ll never find her!”
Pinkie took the binoculars out of curiosity. “These are amazing!” She adjusted the zoom, causing the balloons to stretch and contract.
Sugar Belle look at Soldier. “If she makes it in the caves, the cutie marks will be gone forever!”
Soldier pulled out his Concheror and slung it onto his back. “Then lets move up!” He blowed into the conch and the box on his back deployed an American flag instead of the standard yellow symbol. The ponies and Soldier suddenly felt a big burst of energy swell inside them, and the group charged forward with enhanced speed of the buff.
However, with their cutie marks gone, the mane six could only run and fly at a constant and slow speed. Dashie tried with all her might to fly as fast as she could, but found that Soldier and the villagers rushed passed her. “Aw c'mon!” She whined.
With the enhanced boost it wasn't long before Starlight found herself being closely pursued by the patriotic platoon. She turned around and scowled at her once loyal followers. “Are you willing to give up everything because of these strangers!? And a stupid flag!?” She charged her magic and shot a small patch of snow hanging from a cliff. It fell to the ground downing the blue pegasus.
Soldier however was managing to keep up with his now equipped Air Strike launcher. “You're gonna be sent home to your momma in a BOX!” Starlight ran faster had he was gaining on her, and felt fairly confident he meant what he said. Between bounds, Soldier fired a pair of rockets at Starlight. The one of them managed to hit the cart wheel, shattering it and the rest of the cart to pieces.
Starlight stumbled and fell, but managed to catch the jars of cutie marks that miraculously survived. She turned around and fired at a thin portion of the ground. The explosion destroyed the bridge between the two cliff faces. The ground below waited in a cold wind that would spell disaster to anyone who fell in. This did little to stop the American jumper. It did however stall his reinforcements.
Starlight was now nearing the cave entrance to the deep mountains, but stopped in her tracks. She turned around to face Soldier, who was about to land on top of her. “Got you now magg-aaahhh!” He was thrown to the side by levitation, and landed harshly on the ground. “...Damnit…”
“You are one stupid creature!” Starlight proclaimed, “And you can credit your ignorance to your failure!”
Soldier stood back up, default Rocket Launcher now in his hands. “You are nothing but walking vomit!” He fired a volley of explosives.
Starlight drew up a magic shield to protect herself, and barely held it steady against the short barrage. A headache pulsed through her head, but the shield remained standing. She looked up to see a cloud of smoke and snow obstructing her vision. Starlight listened, and on cue she could hear another rocket be fired.
However, what came through the haze was no rocket, but Soldier himself was flying through the smoke. With a silver pickaxe in hand. He swung down and struck the shield. The magic couldn't withstand the nullifying power of the Equalizer, and it dispelled in a large pulse wave. Throwing the opponents away from each other.
Starlight flew into the rocky wall behind her, and the cutie jars were shattered open. The marks flew into the sky to find their owners.
Starlight opened her eyes wide at the sound of the shattering glass, and saw the marks fly away. She had lost. Everything that she had worked so hard for had been taken by a man who was more insane than she was. Starlight Glimmer wasn't down yet. In a sudden wave of anger, she conjured a lethal energy beam that swirled with magical force around her horn in a dramatic and foreboding manner.
Soldier was just getting up from the floor, shaken but not yet deterred. He looked up and saw her horn glow with power aimed directly at him, and his scowl deepened. He could see Starlight wear a smile of vengeance and insanity, one that only sought to destroy the man who ruined her plans. In his last moment, Soldier reached for something on his belt.
The spell fired from her horn in a concentrated beam moving at dangerous speeds. Whipping through the air like a bullet. It made full contact with Soldier, blasting the man and surely to tear through his body and leave nothing behind but ashes and blood.
So it was a complete surprise to her when Soldier simply ran up and slugged her in the face.
The crazed man was glowing a bright red and his eyes burned yellow like Celestia’s sun. He pinned her to the ground, and began throwing fist after fist onto her body. “You made me forsake America!” He then grabbed her by the tail and threw her around like a flail, before smashing her into a stone wall. “You threatened my team!” He kicked her repeatedly with extreme prejudice and rage. “You! Made! Me! A! Commie!”
“SOLLY!”
Soldier paused at the sound of Twilight’s voice, just as the Ubercharge was wearing off. He looked up, and saw that his team and the villagers had caught up. “What?! You expect me to let her live!?” He pulled out his shotgun and pointed it at Starlight. “She will not be missed!”
Starlight Glimmer was beaten to hell as it was. Her face was bruised and bloody, which could also be said about the rest of her body. Her nose was crooked and one eye was swollen purple. The likelihood of internal damage was high, but that fact that she was still conscious was a testament to her physical tolerance. Albeit now all she could do was stare down a shotgun barrel. “How…?” She squeezed out with a gravelly and weak voice. After all this time, how had her magic now proven ineffective?
Soldier patted a tan canteen on his belt. “Power up canteen! Always keeps me in the fight!”
Pinkie trotted up beside Soldier while trying not to look at Starlight. “Let her run Solly, with luck she’ll come back.” She stood up on her hind legs and rested on Soldier’s arm. “Perhaps in some later episode.” Soldier looked at Pinkie. “Then we can have a sequel, and you will get your desserts.”
Soldier stood there pondering this question. “Mmm–Gah!” There was a flash of blue light, and Starlight was gone from her spot on the floor. Soldier quickly turned to look at the cave entrance, where the galloping of hooves could be heard. He then sighed deeply, rubbed the his temple with his left hand, and turned to the audience. “Hasbro, if you don't make an episode where she comes back, then I will personally leave this dimension and kick your ass! I’m looking at you McCarthy!”
Twilight looked over Soldier’s shoulder. “Who are you taking to?”
“McCarthy and Larson. Mostly McCarthy.”
Double Diamond looked around, the weight of Starlight’s rule completely lifted from his mind. “This is a chance for all of us to get to know each other again, like it’s the very first time!” The other villagers smiled back at him.
Party Favor pointed at Soldier. “And we can use democracy to govern ourselves!”
Sugar Belle put a hoof to her chin. “But we need an actual name for our village, hmm…” She raised her hoof when an idea struck her. “I know! We can call our village, Amareica!”
There was silence following this proposal, and the main six slowly turned their heads towards Soldier, who had a big goofy grin on his face. “Today, is a good day!”
The town of Amareica was dressed with streamers, ribbons, and other such party decorations to celebrate their freedom of Equalism. Of course, Soldier had done his part as well, decorating the town with American flags that were over every house, flowing proudly in the wind.
The seven heroes stood at the entrance of the village looking at the celebration. Pinkie smiled at the fun ponies were having. “Now those are real smiles!”
Suddenly, the ponies felt their cutie marks glowing in repeated pulses. “Ah’m never gonna get used to that.” Applejack stated, glancing at her flank.
“I think it’s divine.” Rarity chimmed.
Fluttershy looked at Twilight. “Does that mean the map is calling us somewhere else?”
Twilight looked back to the town. “I think it means our work here is done!”
“Looks like you were right Twilight!” AJ remarked. “The map did have a reason to take us here.”
Soldier shouted. “Of course it did! We were sent here to teach the true meaning of friendship, and spread the magic of America!”
Twilight smiled at Soldier. “Whether the map is aware of your presence or not, I’m touched by your bravery and concern for us, Solly.”
“Concern…” Soldier rubbed the back of his neck. “Well…I can't imagine my life here without my new team, you girls mean the world to me!”
Touched at this rare display of emotion, Soldier suddenly felt his friend's embrace him in a group hug. “You know what?” Rainbow Dash started. “Having a psycho patriot for a friend is probably the best thing that ever happened to us tough guy!”
Soldier hugs his friends back. “Thanks girls!” The hug broke. “Now if you excuse me! I’m gonna have my apple pie!” He charged towards the food table in a fit of laughter where Sugar Belle had a large pile of pies waiting.
Pinkie Pie ran after him. “Save some for me!”
Rarity smiled as she watched the rest of her friends leave to enjoy in the festivities, but then turned to look at Twilight. “Darling, what if the Cutie Map did send us here with Soldier on purpose?”
Twilight looked at Rarity confused. “How could that be? He doesn’t represent an Element of Harmony.”
“Yes, but Soldier has stood alongside us for such a long time.” Rarity put a hoof to her chin. “Perhaps the Tree of Harmony somehow is more self-aware than we give it credit for?”
Twilight shook her head at Rarity and spoke ominously. “If that’s the case, then Soldier’s destiny might be greater than any of us realize.”