A Good Pony
by
Mudpony
"Could you open the curtains?" Diamond Tiara asked her maid.
"Of course, ma'am," the maid replied, temporarily ceasing her brushing of Diamond's mane to do as requested.
Diamond looked out upon the town. It would be nice when it returned to normal, she decided. For six years, the fighting had been going on across Equestria. At first, there had been some large actions, but those had quickly enough died off. Instead, the war had evolved into a series of guerrilla actions, quick raids and terror strikes. But that was over now. The last rebel stronghold had fallen just last week. Soon, there would be peace again. The thick smoke from the forge could cease, and the conscripted laborers and soldiers allowed to return home.
"I'll never understand why they kept fighting so long. They had to have known they couldn't win. Why couldn't they just have accepted the new order?"
She felt a sudden tug on her mane as her maid failed to take proper care to be gentle. Before she could chastise the maid though, she apologized and resumed brushing more carefully, the strokes light and tentative, as if the maid expected her to lash out. Ordinarily, she might have, but not today.
"No, it was my fault. I forgot that your sister was one of those that went north to try and stop him when he first returned. A shame." She let her mind wander to this weekend and her upcoming nuptials. "I bet she could have made me a truly stunning wedding dress. I miss her designs." She sighed. "So much lost for no reason."
The brushing ceased, and a mirror was held up for her to use. She shifted her head a bit, checking out her mane from different angles, and nodded, satisfied. It was important that she looked good. Her fellow ponies needed her to, to remind them of what was possible, of the better days ahead now that the last vestiges of resistance were dealt with.
She felt her tiara's familiar form settle on her head. It wasn't the one she had worn when she was a filly. This one was larger, more extravagant. It had been a gift from her fiance when he had asked her father for her hoof in marriage. She'd only be wearing it a few more days, she thought, and then... then she'd be wearing the golden crown, with its ebony inlay and rubies, as she took her place beside her husband.
Her eyes drifted over to the center of town. Rows of chairs and benches sat there, ready to be used by guests from all over the country. Banners hung, stirring slightly in the soft spring breeze. A few vases were in place, but they sat empty. The flower arrangements would be brought in at the last minute, to ensure they were as fresh as possible. And there, behind where she and her fiance would be standing, a large wooden crate covering the latest permanent addition to the town square. It was the town's gift to her for her wedding: A large statue of herself and her fiance.
Her wedding would be more perfect than she had ever imagined. Her lips tightened in a small frown. Well, except for one thing. Silver Spoon would not be there as her mare of honor. She had tried to find her best friend, but even her fiance's best servants had been unable to track her down in the war torn land. She hoped Sil was alright, that nothing had happened to her. And that somehow, she could still be found in time. If not, her maid would be her mare of honor. It was the least Diamond could give her in return for her service these last few years, even if she had originally only taken her on out of pity.
Turning to her maid, Diamond Tiara spoke again. "I imagine Captain Dread is eagerly awaiting our arrival, Sweetie. Shall we?"
Her maid rushed to open the door for Diamond Tiara, and the two mares headed downstairs and out the door, where Captain Dread was indeed ready to depart, his squad in perfect formation, the metal polished and leather shined.
Diamond didn't really see the need for such a sizable escort. This was her hometown. Nopony would let her come to harm here. Her fiance had pointed out that he worried an enemy of his might try to get to him through her, and so she allowed it, to ease his mind. He had enough things to occupy it already, with an empire to run, and she didn't want to add more to it.
The coachpony held the door open for her. She settled herself inside, her maid at her side and the captain opposite at her. At her signal, the captain gave the order and they proceeded at a walking pace. She'd have preferred to go faster, but she knew the captain wouldn't budge. This way, he insisted, his guards had plenty of time to spy out approaching threats, weren't tired if it came to a fight, and the ponies pulling the carriage stayed fresh, in case they needed to make a run for it. It all seemed rather silly. Truth be told, she figured he just wanted to make sure his soldiers didn't get too much dust on their gear.
Out of the window of the carriage, she watched the town go by. The buildings were dirty, the bright and cheerful colors of yesteryear covered by the soot of the forge, or faded due to neglect. Too many ponies called away by the war. Nor were there plants to liven things up. The gardens and flower boxes lacked the usual life they should have shown in spring. Too much neglect, she supposed. A sad state of affairs when earth ponies neglected their plants. Of the trees that had once lined the streets, only stumps remained. They had been cut down to fuel the forges two years ago. She'd have to talk to her fiance about having new trees planted when the forge shut down, she decided.
A few ponies stood off the side of the road, their gaunt forms reminding her of scarecrows. None looked happy, though a few offered up a feeble cheer. The poor things, she thought. They'd suffered so much due to the pointless resistance. Her eyes latched onto one particularly poor specimen. None more so than the foals.
"Stop the carriage please, and have your guards let him through, captain," Diamond said, pointing to the colt.
"Ma'am?" he asked.
"I should hardly think such a little one is the sort of threat my fiance is worried about. But if he proves too much for you to handle, my maid can no doubt help you secure him."
Grudgingly, the captain nodded and gave the order. The little colt cautiously approached. She smiled at him.
"What's your name, little one?"
"My name?"
"Yes. What do your parents—" She paused at his flinch. "What did your parents call you?" she asked.
"Bright Skies," he said.
"An auspicious name. Soon we will have bright skies, Bright Skies, now that this pointless war is over. And until then, here's a little something to brighten your day." She gestured for her maid to offer the colt some coins, and Sweetie did as Diamond asked. "Now, begone, Bright Skies. Go and buy some food. Maybe even some candy," she said with a wink.
The colt looked at the bits, scarcely able to believe his luck. He turned to leave, looking behind him several times as he did so, as if he was expecting this all to be a joke at his expense, that at any second Diamond might order her guards to seize him and return her bits. Like she would do such a heartless thing however. No, she wanted nothing more than to ease the lives of such orphans, of all of the ponies forced to deal with the pointless suffering the resistance had brought to Equestria.
Her good deed done, Diamond asked the captain to have the carriage resume its progress and turned her head to look out the window on the other side. She did not notice the captain's head gesture or two of the guards detaching themselves from the column, heading in the direction the colt had gone.
Ahead, she could see more guards. Her fiance was here at the soup kitchen, so security was tighter than usual. From the flashes of the cameras, a few members of the National Press Corp were there as well, no doubt there to report on the good deeds of Equestria's ruler. There weren't as many as there would have been at such an event before the war, but perhaps now that the war was over, that too could change. Without the worry of the enemy using the press to undermine civilian moral and pass information, there would be no reason not to allow some private news agencies, right?
The carriage stopped, and the coach pony opened the door. More cameras flashed as she stepped out, and the ponies waiting in line gave her a ragged cheer, to which she responded with a wave. Her guards escorted her inside, and she smiled as she saw her fiance, increasing her pace.
He looked so handsome, with his grey coat, black mane, curved horn, and the silver armor, complete with a red cape with a white trim. She approached him and gave him a quick nuzzle. "Husband to be," she said, giving him a wink.
"My bride," Sombra responded.
Her fiance greeted, Diamond Tiara gave a brief nod to the mayor and her aides, here for this important visit, before turning her attention to the pony who ran the soup kitchen for her ever since the schools had been shut down for the duration of the national emergency. She gave Cheerilee a quick hug.
"Lots of ponies needing a good meal tonight, Miss Cheerilee," she said. "I hope we've got enough for all of them."
"We'll make it work. We always do," the former teacher responded.
"Shall we start, dearest?" Diamond asked Sombra, and at his nod, the guards opened the door and ponies began to trickle in. Each pony got their bowl of soup and slice of bread, then bowed deeply to their ruler, before finding an empty place within the hall.
Soon, there was barely an empty place left, and Diamond looked toward the serving station, expecting to see the end of the line. Instead, it continued unimpeded out the door. She looked back toward the eating ponies, then over the line again. So many ponies. It saddened her. So many she knew. That was Roseluck, and behind her Peachy Pie. There, almost to Sombra was… a pony in a cloak, clenched tight around her to keep warm in the nippy spring air. But there was something familiar about her. Something about the color of her coat, what little showed from beneath the cloak.
Diamond pushed her way through the ponies toward the cloaked one. With a swift move, she flipped back the pony's hood and gasped with surprise. Her wish had come true! It was Silver Spoon. She squealed with glee and readied herself for a bump-bump-sugar-lump-rump. In her friend's face she saw a flash of horror at being revealed, and then Silver Spoon made a desperate move toward Sombra.
The spears of his guards found her before she could make it to him, and she collapsed to the ground as guards cleared the area around Sombra and the downed pony, flipping tables over and shoving ponies away. More guards poured in, and soon Diamond's party was protected by a hedge of spears.
She noticed none of this though, as she slid over to where Silver Spoon lay mortally wounded. She wrapped her forelegs around her dying friend, anguish wrought on her face. Blood trickled from Silver Spoon's mouth, and Diamond used a corner of the cloak to try and wipe it away.
"Clever. And desperate," Captain Dread said from over her shoulder. "A localized explosive device. Bit activated. Clamp to activate, release to trigger, most likely. Probably take out everything in a four foot radius and not so much as singe a hair beyond that. How did you know she was a threat, ma'am?"
"I… I didn't," Diamond replied. She felt the touch of Silver's hoof upon her own.
"How could you protect him, Diamond?" Silver Spoon gasped, splattering blood on Diamond Tiara's face. "Are you a willing part of his evil?" She coughed once more, then shuddered, breathing her last breath.
Diamond pulled her friend's body close. "I wasn't… I was trying to greet a… I'm not evil. I'm a good pony."
In front of her, Sombra laughed. Strange how harsh and cruel it sounded. Strange how she'd never noticed that in his laughter before. "Good. Evil. These things are irrelevant. They are not real. Do you know what is real? Power. The strong rule, and the weak serve. That is how it has always been and always will be." He rested a hoof on her shoulder. "You have done well, my bride. You may ask of me one boon."
Her grief addled mind barely comprehended the request. She mumbled something, while softly rocking back and forth, still holding Sil's body close. The hoof lifted off her shoulder and Sombra moved away. She heard him decree to the mayor that the trees would be replanted within the day. Or else. He didn't actually say the last bit, but she heard it there nonetheless.
Had Sil been right? Was she evil? Was she supporting a tyrant? No, it couldn't be. She was good. She helped ponies. She gave to charity. Once they were married they'd make Equestria a happy place again. The trees were going to be replanted because of her. And the ponies knew she cared. They cheered when she went past, even if they were tired. They'd made her a statue. They wouldn't have made her a statue if they didn't know she cared, right?
She lowered Silver Spoon's body to the ground and turned to her father. She looked at him, really looked at him. When had he gotten so old, she wondered? "I'm a good pony, right?" she asked softly.
"Of course, my princess. You're the best pony in the world." That waver in his voice. The slight twitch of his ear. Her eyes widened and she felt like she'd been kicked in gut by a team of mules. He… He didn't believe what he was saying. Her own father... didn't believe... she was good.
Turning her head, she looked pleading at her maid. Sweetie had been with her these last few years. Surely she'd know the truth. The maid though refused to make eye contact, suddenly very interested in a knot in the wainscoting. She turned her head toward the ponies of the town. They stared back at her blankly from behind the line of guards. The validation she was looking for was not there, though in several there was… hatred. They hated her?
She looked away, unable to meet their gaze, and found herself looking towards another familiar face. Reaching out her forelegs toward her former teacher, she asked again, "Am I a good pony?"
Her former teacher gave her the slightest of smiles, tears trickling down her cheeks. "Yes, Diamond," she said, "you are a good pony."
There was no deception there that Diamond could make out. Only a wealth of sadness and regret. Diamond Tiara looked down, ignoring the tears that trickled down her own face before falling upon her friend and mingling with the blood.
Her hoof gently traced the side of Silver Spoon's head. "I'm sorry, Sil," she muttered, barely audible. She lifted her gaze to meet Cheerilee's. "Thank you," she said.
With a swift move of her hoof, she slid the device free of Silver Spoon and tossed it upwards, catching the bit between her teeth and clamping down upon it, before hurling herself at her fiance.