Rise of an Empire, Fall of Another

by Kyuubi325

Chapter 30

Equestria
Ponyville
Barnyard Bargains
Store room
10:00am

Carrot Top, Big Mac, and Filthy waited for Daisy and Rose to show. Ever since Carrot got the news from her little nephew she had placed a high alert on her ponies. She wasn't in a good mood and every pony in the room knew it and kept their distance from her almost looking like they were huddling on the other side of the table. It had been awhile since they all sat down together in the old store room. Luckily despite the increase of goods Filthy kept just enough space to have their meetings. The oak door slowly opened with Rose and Daisy trotting in and sitting at the table.

"Now that we are all together I think this is a good time to talk abou-" Filthy was cutt off before he could finish.

"What the Tartarus were you drug mules thinking?!?" Carrot slammed her hooves on the table while glaring at the two stone faced mares in front of her.

"Getting our baby sister back" Rose said evenly. "Anyone dumb enough to mess with the family gets a mulched for our crop." She says simply while her and her younger sister Daisy sat at the table.

"Ya our baby sis is suffering all alone! Your telling us that we can't bust her out? It's no secret that the guard is a pain in all our sides!!" Daisy yells after her older sister finished talking and snorts.

"So you just decided to start a war!!! That has to be the most idiotic thing I have ever heard!!! Sister or not sending in waves of drug crazed maniacs!!! Do I have to remind you that one of the Guard stallions was sent by Celestia herself!!! Do you two think we are ready to have the entire Equestrian army come down on our heads?!" Carrot shouts making the remaining flower trio flinch but remain glaring at her.

"So what do you expect us to do? Hmmmmm? Just let our little sis be locked up in that slum they call a guard post?" Rose says evenly.

Carrot was about to start up before Big Mac cleared his throat loudly making the three mares look over at him. "Ah believe I have a solution to this that will get your little sis back and avoid turning Ponyville into a war zone..... Y'all familiar with the Occupy Manehatten square protests?" He asks smiling softly pulling out an old newspaper and throwing it into the old table.

"Yes..... If I recall they were about the wide spread corruption in the city. The mayor, guard stallions, and government officials were all targets of the protest." Filthy starts to think as he straitened his plain white suit.

"We can get two birds with one stone." Big Mac smiles. " It ain't no secret that Mayor Mare is slowly getting a backbones with dat new guard in town. She has ta go" Mac says solemnly. "Filthy y'all still got those files? I'm thinking dat we leak them to our favorite locally run press." Mac says smiling.

Filthy's eyes widen and he smiles. "Of course I do that mare has plenty of skeletons in her closet we can burry her and the guard. Maybe get a few more guard stallions willing to be on our pay roll." He says leaning back while lighting a cigarette in his mouth.

"But what about our sister?!?" Rose and Daisy yelled.

"You two are high right now aren't you?" Carrot face hooves. "We are gonna turn your little sis into a poster pony and make the local government and guard stallions into criminals if only in the minds of the towns ponies." Carrot says a bit annoyed.

"If it gets our little sister back then we will hold..... But so help us if we don't get her back we will turn that guard post into a blood bath..." Rose gets up while Daisy seems to catch on before getting up and following her out.

Equestria
Canterlot
Canterlot Castle
12:11pm

Celestia was pacing back and forth in the great hell her sister had been making her worry. On top of the upcoming meeting with the Emperor she was a wreck. She wasn't sure how much worse things could get, one of the Elements was in prison, Equestrias economy was on a knife edge, tensions were rising between the difference races and different classes. It was all falling apart before her eyes. Where had she gone wrong? She wanted Harmony but it seems every attempt to create it lead to disaster.

She slowly sat on her thrown and took a long sip of tea to try and calm herself. "I give them the history they deserve, the land they cherish, all the love and guidance I can give but..... While they are sweet and kind on the surface it seemed like her beloved ponies were all poison under the skin." She takes another sip. Maybe she was being over dramatic but she saw them all as her children and not her subjects. Luna always disagreed with her but she couldn't help it. "Luna always said that was my true weakness I suppose.... Though she was one to talk.... She saw her Thestrals as her children......." She sighs as she looks around the empty hall before getting up and slowly trotting to her sisters room.

It took awhile to get to her sisters room the great moon themed doors still closed and likely barred from the other side. "Luna?..... Dear?...... It's me..... You can't hide in there forever..... At some point you have to come out and face the world..... I know it's hard and I can't imagine what you are going through right now...... But you don't have to go through this alone...... I'm always here for you....... Your just have to let me in...." She sat there for awhile hoping that something would change. She hadn't come out for days they only sign that she was still there was the dumbwaiter in her room that came down to the kitchen with clean plates after sending up meals.

"Oh Luna......." She says sadly knowing that today wasn't the day her sister would come out but decided to stay a little longer.

Equestria
Ponyville
Foal Free Press
3:31pm

Featherweight was currently besides himself trying to figure out what to write about. Since the Gabby Gums incident the Foal Free Press had declined back into just an activity for miss Cheerilees class to get extra credit. Sure Diamond Tiara was a tyrant with the school paper but they were pulling in enough bits to get a new printing press! Now just to by the ink they had to have bake sales. It was depressing at least to him, the Foal Free Press even just for a few weeks was the biggest paper in town to being something that costs just trashed after reading the little comics he wrote into them.

"Featherweight! We have a new exclusive! Check it out!!!" Shady Daze ran in as he nearly ran into Featherweights desk before pulling some photos out of his saddlebag and throwing them out in front of him.

Featherweight started looking through then taking time to take them all in and a unusually large grin slowly grew on his face. "Shady? We have our newest headline....." He started rubbing his hooves together. "Get me pictures and plenty of them don't let them even sneeze without you getting a photo and get Diamond out here! We need that printing press at full speed I want a paper for every pony in town!"

Shady nodded his head running off.

Zebrica
New Timbuktu
Kawah mine
Crater
3:51pm

Rainbow coughed while wearing the ill fitting mask the toxic gasses surrounding her while she shoveled the hard yellow rock into a mine cart. The thick gas that blew up from the vents made it hard to see more then a few hoof lengths in front of her. Even with the cheap mask she could just smell the rotten eggs from the toxic gas she just hoped it was in her head. The worst part was the heat she was sweating worse then when she was in the Wonderbolts Academy. He whole body aches and burned from both the labor and the hot gasses that surrounded her.

"Two more cart fulls Rainbow..." Gàbrel said his voice muffled by his gas-mask his eyes distorted through the cracked lenses on the leather mask. "Come on we gotta push this up to the conveyor...." He says while she drops her shovel and starts to help him push the heavy cart up a hill.

"Why..... Hrrrrrk......" She felt the cart shutter as they finally started to slowly move "can't we...... Huff........ Have one..... Irk..... of those engines down here?.." She asks while they slowly push it up her own voice sounding weird because of the mask.

"Natrual gas.....the.... Vents spew it out along with sulfuric gasses...... One stray spark....... Boom...... They will be scrapping us off the walls........ Even these manual carts aren't safe.... The metal wheels sometimes......" He stops for a moment as the ground rumbles again and doesn't move for a few moments. "Spark....." He sighs in relief.

"Mind telling me why...... Rrrrrr.....you didn't tell..... Huff..... Me earlier?...." She asks as they get the cart moving again.

"Didn't want to ruin your first day." Says cheerily while they get closer to the lift as it moved through the shafts to about 36 meters up through stone to the piles that would be processed topside. "Tip it over." He says as they stop infront of the moving belt and he locks the carts break.

Rainbow took a moment to try and catch her breath through the heavy mask her lungs begging for air after moving that dam cart. "A-any idea what they use this for?...."she pulled the catch and struggled a bit to tilt the bucket forward while Gàbrel started using his glove covered talons to move the hard sulfur onto the belt.

"Fertilizer, fungicide, pesticide, medicine explosives, gunpowder, ect.... I'm a warrior not a chemist so don't ask me how it all works all I know is that this stuff seems to be used in everything...." He says while he moves the sulfur onto the belt.

"Has any.... Body ever..... Gone on strike?" She asks while he lookes over at her and starts letting out wheezing laughter while he continues to work.

"Oh and do tell me what we have to leverage? We have only just enough filters to get through the day, the only safe areas down here would only last as long as they kept the air pumps on and we are all serving life sentences. We strike we die within a day or so. What do you think this is? Cloudsdale Weather Corp?" He chuckles while he continues to work.

"So that's it?..... We either die in the pit or die here?....." She said while struggling to get the bucket to tip forward just a little bit more.

"I wouldn't say that......" He said while he finished cleaning out the bucket and Rainbow let it fall backward. "Carful! One spark and boom!" He yells.

Zebrica
New Timbuktu
Temporary Equestrian Embassy
5:13pm

Twilight staggered back into the sparsely furnished fencer off Adobe building with a simple grassy yard and double doors. An equally exhausted Blueblood and Fancy. She slowly made her way over to a lounging couch and collapsed on it while the two nobles rested on reclining chairs. After taking her time to slowly close her eyes and take a few deep breaths she opened them and looked around the large spacious room.

"Spike?......" She croaked out ER voice a bit sore from all the talking and interviews she had to do in order to try and prevent tumors from spreading further.

"In the kitchen Twilight!" The young Drake came into the room pushing a small cart of hors d'oeuvres. "Cucumber bites, Quinoa and Vegetable Stuffed Mushrooms, Feta and Radish toasts, and Tomato Tartlets."he said as he pushed the cart near the lounging ponies.

Blueblood perks up smelling the hors d'oeuvres and licks his dry lips. "Anything to drink?... My throat is like the salt flats of Appaloosa." He asked while Spike just nods his head pouring out some fresh squeezed kiwi juice from a jug into a tea cup.

"Ice? We have a Fresh block from the mountains." Spike asked while Blueblood shakes his head.

"Should I wait any longer I fear I would turn to dust." Blueblood instinctively tries to levitate the tea over to himself only for his horn to sputter and spark before he rubs his head as the onset of a head ache starts to hit him. "Spike would you bring it over to me?.... Ever since we came here my horn has been sore...... Casters fatigue maybe?....." He looks over to Fancy who seems to be getting ready to enjoy some of the Feta and Radish Toast.

"Could be something to do with the magic?..... Or lack there of?" Fancy seems to think for a few moments. "Any thoughts Lady Sparkle?"

Twilight seems to think while Spike poured her some kiwi juice. "Well historically our records only go to just before the founding of Equestria I am starting to develop a theory, but I will need more time to check my conclusions. I have already sent a request for some historical documents to Celestia. I'm starting to think that the Darwinist theory's may have a place in it." As she says this the two stallions look at her surprised.

"When has you had time to do anything? We have all been neck deep in politics and paper work!" Blueblood says in shock.

"I'm an insomniac lately....." She says blushing a bit while Spike rolls his eyes.

"That's a way to put it...." Spike grumbled a bit as he continued to serve the food.

"Twilight could you please explain this Darwinism to us some time? I don't think I have ever heard of such a term in Equestria..." Fancy says with interest while getting a bit more comfortable in his chair.

"Your sure? It's apparently still fairly controversial for many." She says while looking over at the two stallions.

"I'll get the book..... Origin of Species right?" Spike asks as he turns to get the book.

"Spike you don't have to get it I think I can explain it with out going into a long lecture." She says a bit tiredly. "Why don't you go out for a bit and have some fun? We were just wired some money from Celestia.... Just use your diplomatic ID........" She says smiling a bit while the Drake nodded before running out. "Don't forget a sun hat I don't want you burning your sensitive scales!" She yells a bit horsely before she hears the door slam shut.

"He seems to be taking things fairly well......" Fancy says while swirling his cup in his hooves.

"Looks can be deceiving Fancy.... I don't have to remind you of Cadences post mortem depression... She was always able to put on a strong face but she was a wreak after the birth......" Blueblood shakes his head. "My cousin always had it in her head that so much as frowning while being the alicorn of love was sacrilegious....." He says as he takes a bite of the stuffed mushrooms.

They soon all finish their decadent meal and relax while they continue to enjoy the kiwi juice. "My that was one of the best meals I have had in ages... Young Spike made this all himself?" Fancy asked trying to start up a conversation again.

"Yes.... Spike may like comic books like any young colt but some of his favorite books to read are cook books..." She says while resting her eyes a bit.

"You know we will likely be here for the considerable future and he seems to have a gift.... I worry about him staying in the embassy while we are out..... You know not more then a few blocks away from us is a cooking academy. I do believe they have a Jr chefs program. He needs extracurricular activities just sitting in here and cleaning up our messes is no place for a child miss Sparkle. Who knows he may even makes some friends." Blueblood says while Twilight seems to digest this a bit in her head.

"You think so?... He always prided himself on being my number one assistant....." She says while sitting up a bit on her couch.

"While that's not a bad thing in its self it's easy to forget that he is still a child... A bit of a mature one for his age but still a child. He needs structure and a good learning environment. You can only teach him so much from books Twilight he needs to learn how to make friends on his own. Perhaps his love of cooking could be the key for him to find lasting relationships." Fancy says while nodding his head a bit.

"I guess your right..... I'm just so used to him being around me.... I guess I never thought about letting him explore his talents outside of my supervision......" She says while wiping her mouth a bit with a napkin. "I'll stop by there to fill out the paper work." She says before closing her eyes to take a well deserved nap along with the two spent nobles.

Zebrica
Duskclift (Newly Founded Immigrant Settlement)
Eclipse
6:13pm

Summers was currently cleaning up after a long day as a prep cook. His hooves were cut, he was stressed, he was tired but for the first time in his life he couldn't wait to do it all over again. He was currently cleaning a few dishes to make a little extra cash.

"Hey Summers! We're all heading out to The Last Horn Tavern for some drinks wanna come?" He turns to see Star Shine without his black apron.

"Nope gotta finish off this plates to get that bonus after all some of us gotta do a little extra to get by." He smiles as he continues to scrub a rather stubborn stain.

The snaggletoothed thestral just smiled "You know Sky Road just got an offer in Timbuktu. Want me to a put a good word in for you? The boss is looking for a replacement already and I know you want to move up from part time employment."

Summer's smiles. "You would do that for me?" While he kept up a smile he was internally in shock.

"Of course! Your talented and you deserve to do more then just cutting up veggies. I can tell you want to do more. You would probably have to shadow Sky for awhile to get into the rhythm but from what Iv seen you have talent." He says while heading to the back door to leave.

Summer's spent the next hour in silence cleaning plates before leaving to head back to the apartment with a togo bag and some left over mellon juice. The walk home was fairly confusing with him having to navigate some narrow streets and more then a few alleyways. They were a bit dirty at times with bits of trash and a few pigeons here and there.

He pulled out of the damp alley way and stopped to trot over to a railing. The road was perched on the side of a massive cliff like the rest of the town. He looked out from the railing seeing the valley below with a river running through the plains and farmland. It was dark but the small farmsteads could still be seen with little lights thinking out of them while the grains swayed in the gentle wind. He then took a moment to turn back and look at the town perched on the side of a sandstone plateau. Looking back when he thought it about it it seemed a little controversial to build a town on top of ancient zebra cliff dwellings. One could still see them mixed in with the more modern adobe buildings built on the ruins of old dwellings. They were fairly tightly packed together with narrow streets and even narrower alleys. This meant a lack of cars but they did have plenty of motorized bicycles and the wealthier locals even had some BMW R32s that rumbled loudly with power and speed.

But the reason he came here? It was full of potential and culture that was diversifying quickly. It was like somepony took Zebrican, Equestrian, and even bits of Britanian culture and mashed it all together.

"Summers!" His ears perk up and turns around to see Pumpkin Patch trotting over to him wearing a constable uniform complete with baton and pistol. "Haven't seen you in while." He smiles trotting over and resting on the railing next to him.

The yellow stallion just smiles tiredly at the thestral while running a good through his mane. "Ya, my new job has me on my hooves nearly all day Iv even lost a little weight." He smiles looking over at him. "How's being a constable treating you?" He asks pulling out a bottle of mellon juice.

"Its..... Different..... Im so used to patrolling Canterlot that it's weird working in a Thestral majority town! I keep expecting some snobby unicorn noble to accuse me of being a blood sucker.... No offense....." He looks over at Summers blushing.

"No offense taken I stopped being of noble blood the moment we handed Twilight our resignations. I'm just a part time prep cook now." He says taking a sip of the mellon juice right out of the bottle.

"I heard at the Tavern your next in line to be an official chef congratulations!" Punpkin passed his flask of Sweet Apple Shine.

Summers passed him the mellon juice before grasping he flask in his hoof and taking a long sip. "Reminds me of the distilled spirits in the Gryphon Kingdoms." He shutters a bit as the high proof booze makes its way down.

"Ya it's still weird having booze sold in the same place as where I buy my food. I mean I still have to sometimes drag a drunk or two to sleep it off but it's not as bad as Celestia always made it sound.... Though Luna more then once would sneak a few bottles to us for celebrations." He smiled at the memory of Luna pouring out mugs of hard cider while in the other room the Celestial Guard was drinking some cheap punch looking bored.

"Haha I know that all too well. I would always have to stand with the guards pretending that I'm having fun. The nobles were the worst though they would always hide a flask of two between them." He says while leaning over the railing to look down at the roads that lead up to the settlement.

"Why does Celestia even bother with the prohibition laws? They don't work and the Royal Guard can barely deal with a protest let alone bootleggers." He looks over at Summers for an answer.

"Pride and want for a perfect society. She won't admit defeat because to her it would mean that harmony has failed." Summers says evenly.

"Hasn't it already failed? The nobles still squeeze the lower classes for every bit they have and the pegisi have learned the hard way that you can price you industry out of existence." Pumpkin as asked while looking over at him.

"She sees it but I don't think she's willing to give up the ghost.... I dunno where she went wrong honestly she's so long lived that only her and sister would know likely and I don't think their willing to tell. Her mistake was wanting too much for us......" Summers says while taking another sip.

Zebrica
New Timbuktu
New Prosost Prison
Wardens office
7:17pm

Inkanyamba slowly trotted into his office and sat down in his rich red leather chair behind his Red Wood desk. He's eyes were close the old stallion tired after signing paper work and putting on a show. As he opened his eyes he looked around his office it was large and spacious with a number of old framed posters on the walls. If one were to look closely at the faded posters they would see a familiar face on them. The zebra wore countless different costumes ranging from haunting masks and cloaks to leaf skirts and fax animal skins holding a spear.

"Life is you stage.... Every persona is as real as any pony on the street." He says as he taking out a large cigar and lighting it.

He turns his chair looking at an old newspaper framed and hanging on the wall as his mood sours. "No matter what the naysayers say." He says as he turns his chair all the way around to look out his large bay window that over looked the pit seeing the cage full of prisoners being lowered back into the pit. He spots the faded rainbow mane of his favorite inmate. "Looks like she survived her first day in the mines..... Heh..... And here I thought she would just be another flash on the pan....."

"Inkanyamba? I have you dinner ready....." He turns to see Khari a young zebra recruit from a nearby village he was still fresh from training.

"Bring it in Khari.... Just rest it on my desk....." He says while leaning back looking out the window.

"Is that all sir? I'm about to clock out...." The young zebra asks.

"Yes have a good night....." He says sighing hearing him leave.

He waits a few moments. "The prison is my stage now....."

Comments

[drake565]

The situation in Equestria is staring to look like pre-WW1 Europe, all it needs is a spark.

[Mr Dorito]

7610941 Indeed, let's say, the assassination of a Britannican archduke?

[drake565]

7611113 Maybe, or the shit going down in ponyville will hit boiling point and cause a nation wide revolt.

[MysteriousOtaku]

7621089 most likely will abdicate the throne and have a mass migrations of threstrals to britanian or zebra lands to properly care for them

[Architect Ironturtle]

This story is rough. Good, but rough. You have a tendency to repeat yourself, so as a challenge for the next chapter, try using each noun no more than once every few paragraphs.

[Viperking0]

He waits a few moments. "The prison is my stage now....."

Alastor, is that you?

[Spiritus Arcane]

post mortem depression

Pretty sure you mean post partum here, since post mortem would mean 'after death.'