37. Spoiling The Fun
1 day left before the storm
The sun barely had time to rise from the horizon that Looking Glass already busted in the hospital, asking the same question as always. “Has Blossomforth awaken?" Every time, he was told no, and then he left. Today, however, was different.
“She has, Mister Looking Glass. I assume you want to question her?”
The dark blue unicorn’s brows furrowed. “Yes, it’s extremely important. Far more than you can imagine.”
Thus, he was back in the hospital room he left a couple of days ago. It still looked mostly the same, with all the furniture being in the exact same location. Unsurprising, considering the patient was comatose the entire time. His tired amber eyes rested on the weak form of the pegasus. She looked to be in much better condition than when she was brought in. Her wings were still hurt, however, but the biggest wound was sealed.
Blossomforth was agitated by all the attention. Her eyes were wide open, a mixture of confusion and fear. She had so many questions but alas, too weak to ask any. The beeping of the machines and the hospital bed she was lying in reminded her that the horrors she experienced were all too real. The only good thing was that she was out of this nightmarish town.
“Blossomforth.” A familiar voice of steel called out. Looking Glass took center stage, shoving the medical staff out of the way. “Do you still remember what happened?”
“Hey, leave her be! She’s just woken up!” The nurses shouted but were quickly shut up by a single glare from the intimidating, muscular stallion.
“It’s too important to wait, I’m afraid. Blossomforth, tell me about Anarchy’s lair.” He took out his notepad, prepared to scribble down at light speed. “I know there are other hostages in there. If you cooperate, we can save them.”
The mare blinked, hopelessly confused and lost in time. She stared at the stallion’s side, wondering why he was standing perfectly still with his suit on despite being nearly murdered before her very eyes.
The perceptive unicorn noticed, rubbing the spot where his injury was and still is. “I see you haven’t been told yet. Blossomforth, you’ve been in a coma for a week.”
For a week.
For a week...
For a week.
Blossomforth sat there, mouth agape. Her pupils shrank in horror as she grasped at her head, noticing it was nowhere near as damaged or painful as before. He wasn’t lying, a full week has passed. Her head drooped alongside her hooves, her eyes now empty of any thoughts or feelings.
“I know it’s a lot to take in, but you need to tell me what you know if you want us to save them. For starters, where are they hiding in Canterlot?”
Of course, Looking Glass already knew the answers to each of the question he was going to ask. But thanks to Blossomforth’s testimony, he can finally take action at the request of Princess Luna. And like the cheeky unicorn he is, he can add the information he himself gathered as the Crimson Mask by placing it under the mare’s testimony. Everything was coming together now, and it was pleasing him immensely although, time was running out.
The storm was scheduled for tomorrow, and that’s the moment Anarchy would strike. With how little time they have, they’ll be forced to start their raid tomorrow, right when he would make his move. The ominous future was scaring him, but nopony can ever know that. It was his secret, and one the mask shared.
And so he listened to her story and noted it all down. With this information, he can finally organise the raid and keep his alter ego in secrecy.
Olive woke up in a cold sweat again. That chilling sensation was gone in the blink of an eye, however, when she felt a tender hoof gently shaking her.
“Good mornin’, sugar cube. Ah just wanted to make sure ya wouldn’t be late like yesterday.”
Olive blinked; her tired eyes unwilling to stay open.
The mare’s soft voice giggled. “Now don’t ya fall asleep on me!” She gently picked the filly off the bed, cradling the little pony in her hooves. “Ah promise Ah’ll let ya sleep for as long as ya want in the weekend.”
“School’s becoming stressful.” Olive complained weakly.
“The classes or yer relationship with the other foals?”
The tender voice of her mother brought some much-needed comfort in the early morning. Every time she did anything, it felt like the weight of the world rested on her shoulders. Home was the only place where she felt relaxed, like there was no way she could hurt anypony with her wimpy emotions. “The other foals...”
Applejack smiled softly, rocking the filly in her legs. The little unicorn didn’t care that it made her look like a baby. It just felt so, so nice...
“If somethin’s botherin’ ya, ask away, sugar cube. That’s what Ah’m ‘ere for.”
Olive broke eye contact, staring at her own hooves, glued to her frail looking body. She groaned, fidgeting with her mane. “I, uh, I-I think I might have ruined a friendship.”
Applejack didn’t look so convinced. “How can a precious little pony like ya ruin a friendship?” She brought Olive closer to her heart, closing her eyes. “Ya don’t destroy things, sweetie. Ya brighten our days, and you will shine some light on theirs.”
Olive listened to the calm beat of her mother’s heart, letting its soothing melody ease her worries. “A-Are you sure? Because of me, Diamond Tiara yelled at her best friend in front of everypony.”
“Olive, ya can’t control every little thin’. Diamond chose to yell, and most likely not because of ya. Might not have been the right choice, but it was somethin’ she most likely wanted to say fo’ a long time. By now, ya should know that it takes more than an argument to ruin a strong friendship. If these two really loved each other, then they’ll be willing to forgive themselves.” Applejack pulled Olive away, pushing away the white mane hiding the filly’s right eye. “Of course, ya can always help Diamond Tiara deal with the situation and Ah know ya will. Ya’ve got nothin’ but kindness in yer beautiful eyes.”
This day had an interesting weather, at least to Olive. The sky was cloudy, filled with nothing but white and grey spots. The sun was a singular glowing dot amidst the sea of clouds patrolling the air. The most noteworthy part was the fog. Strong enough to hide Canterlot from her position, it added an air of mystique to a town that she was somewhat familiar with.
Many ponies would consider this weather ugly, depressing, but Olive? She loved it. The little unicorn had fun coming up with all sorts of creatures that could be hiding in the mist, or imagining how the buildings looked like when they were covered in the thick fog. To her, this weather was a creative mind’s dream come true.
It did wonders to improve her mood before coming to school.
“Mah mah, ya sure look rather upbeat today!” Applejack commented. “Not even this weather seems to be putting a dent in it!”
Olive giggled. “I love this weather! It’s so pretty!”
“Oh, really?” Well, Ah can’t believe Ah’m still learnin’ somethin’ new ‘bout ‘er! This filly really was an oddball, and Aj loved it. Truly everything about Olive stood out from the ponies of this town, that giant scar being the clearest distinction.
“Ah find it rather freaky.” Apple Bloom said, cringing at the sight of the Everfree forest on their right. Everypony was more afraid of them ever since they’ve heard about Applejack bringing in a filly on the brink of death. Nopony ever figured out what gave Olive these wounds, but Aj had her guess. Surely, it had something to do with her fear of large white stallions. She should ask Looking Glass if she knew anything about the attack. Her good friend Twilight could surely send him a letter considering he’s often at the beck and call of the princesses.
“The Everfree forest is terrifying. It’s the worst place in all Equestria.” Olive solemnly said, refusing to even glance in its vicinity. “But he’s most likely gone, so it’s safer.”
“Who’s gone?” Apple Bloom pressed, confused but mainly curious.
“Mister Strong-” Olive eyes shot open. She avoided her sister’s gaze bitterly. “The giant white stallion with the plumber’s cap."
Applejack stared at her silently, contemplating what she should do with that bombshell. Okay... Ah think Ah should go tell Twilight ‘bout it. She’ll know what to do next.
Apple Bloom’s innocent questions continued. “Giant? Like, how giant exactly?”
Olive looked visibly more uncomfortable, yet still answered out of good will. “Taller than a train.”
Applejack’s jaw dropped. C-Come to think of it, Ah did ‘ear the hoofsteps of somethin’ big back then. If that’s true, then... how did she even survive that?
“Taller than a train?! Wow, that’ll make ‘im the tallest pony to ‘ave ever existed!” Apple Bloom stared back at the Everfree forest, a chill going down her spine. She imagined just how terrifying it would be to have a pony this big close to her. With a size like that, he practically towered over most of Equestria’s wildlife. He he, Ah’m not goin’ anywhere near ta forest now...
Ponyville School’s playground, a wonderful place where foals come to play in the morning before class. Their giggles fill the town with such joy, the older ponies find some pleasure in observing them, reminiscing of their times as foals. Everypony was having fun, everypony but two in particular.
Diamond Tiara sat by her lonesome on the swings, staring at the sandbox where her “former” friend lied. The two looked utterly miserable, yet unable to stop themselves from staring at each other. The words wouldn’t come, nor would the courage.
“Did you talk to Silver?”
Diamond sighed, barely noticing the pink filly sitting on the swing next to hers. She didn’t, however, notice that Dinky Hooves was also accompanying Olive. “So... you didn’t?”
Diamond Tiara whimpered, looking away. She stopped what little momentum she had built up, feeling even more miserable. “I can’t do it.”
Olive’s eyes widened, distraught. “Why?”
The pink earth pony slumped in her swing, staring at the sand below. “I don’t know what to say or how to do it. I-I don’t know what I have to say to make her forgive me or-”
“Well, that’s easy.” Dinky interrupted innocently, sticking her head out behind Olive. “You just say what you think is right. Like my momma say, you speak from your heart.”
“Speak... from my heart?” Diamond repeated, a faint glimmer of hope in her blue eyes.
Olive smiled; she looked so graceful in that moment. Her beautiful eyes filled with kindness. In that moment, Diamond forgot that she was older than the little unicorn. To her, this filly had wisdom to share. “Yes, like what you’re doing now. To speak from to heart is to be honest, to say what you believe and not what others want you to believe.”
“S-So if I just tell her how I’ve felt all along... then she’ll forgive me?” Diamond said, a voice being not much louder than a whisper. The pain in her eyes slowly left, replaced by a renewed hope.
Olive hopped off her swing and hugged her newest friend. “Five seconds of love!” She tightened her embrace, letting Diamond feel her love. “Do you feel it? It’s my feelings. It feels good to share them with you, so share yours with Silver. I’m sure she needs yours.”
Dinky jumped in, turning this into a group hug. “And even if things don’t turn out the way you wanted, we’ll be your best friends!”
Olive giggled. “I didn’t know it was easy to make friends. I always thought it was complicated, but the Cutie Mark Crusaders taught me that just being nice to other ponies is a good start to making new friends.”
Diamond Tiara’s eyes opened. Never before had she felt this good about being herself outside of her family. In that moment, she realised how good it was to be loved. As the class president, maybe she could extend that love to others who lack it. Today, she learned there were other ways to act as a leader. “O-Okay... I’ll try.”
“Good!” Olive exclaimed happily. “We’ll be waiting here!”
Despite her renewed confidence, the trot to the sandbox was arduous. Every step she took only made her more nervous. Silver Spoon wasn’t looking at her anymore, but it still felt like she did. This filly was no longer the friend she felt so comfortable around. The tension still lingered, and it made it hard to approach her. Diamond Tiara had to look back a couple of times, reminding her of the two fillies’ kind words. As expected, Olive was gesturing her to continue with a giddy smile.
Diamond couldn’t believe that she was indeed gazing at the same filly that cried in class a few days prior saying she was glad to be still alive. That unicorn danced with death and lived. There was no way she could have ever imagined her life was this bad seeing just how optimistic she acted. No matter what happened, she pushed on and made the best of a bad situation.
I can do this.
“S-Silver?”
The silver filly barely threw a glance at her, digging at the sand aimlessly as a feeble distraction. She paid no mind as Diamond awkwardly sat next to her, staring blankly at the sand. The air felt thick to them, almost asphyxiating.
“I...” The words wouldn’t come. She had nothing to cling to for comfort. Nothing except...
I’m sure she needs yours.
“I’m so sorry about yesterday.” Diamond Tiara finally said it. This advance earned a brief look from her hurt friend, only for her to go back to digging at the sand. “It was wrong t-to say that our friendship was shallow. W-Well... maybe it was, but that doesn’t mean we can’t fix it.”
“Forget it.” Diamond was taken aback by the tone of Silver’s voice. It sounded harsh, hurt, betrayed. “You said it yourself, didn’t you? We’re only friends because we come from rich families. We had nothing going on.”
The pink earth pony’s distraught eyes desperately darted towards Olive and Dinky before they closed, supressing the want to cry. “Th-That’s not true. We did have a lot of good times together. I-I only said so because I was frustrated, I-I never should have shouted at you.” Her eyes welled, and she opened them to stare at Silver Spoon, showing the filly her aching heart. “Please, I don’t want to lose you. I need you...”
Silver stared back, shocked. Her hooves stopped tapping the sand. Her body froze, the words ringing in her ears endlessly. I need you...
"I-I don't... want to be alone." She teared up, slowly coming back to life. Diamond was pulled towards her, her muzzle now touching Silver’s. “Am I still your friend?” she asked softly. “Am I?”
Diamond’s smile rose slowly, weak but happy, nonetheless. “We’ll always be friend.”
The filly with glasses wiped her tears away. "I'm sorry I wasn't a good friend all this time. I never truly listened to your rants about home. I never thought they were that important to you. I'm just... surprised you even came back to me." She raised her eyes, confused and distraught. "Why?"
"To be honest..." Diamond paused, staring at the cloudy sky. It seemed to share her sorrow. "I just liked to believe you truly cared about my struggles."
"Well, now you know the truth." Silver said, but surprisingly, she was clinging onto Diamond, refusing to let go.
"I know I should just leave you, probably go to some, uh, better friends..." She couldn't stop staring at the way the silver filly was holding on. Despite admitting to being a bad friend, she was reluctant to let her leave. "But I can't. I don't know why, but I don't want to. I just know I want us to be back together, and hopefully, you'll listen to me this time."
Silver took a deep breath, unable to stop her eyes from tearing up. “I’m sorry I discarded your idea. It sounded personal so... if you want to do it, I’ll be on board. I'll listen to you from now, I promise.” The smile she managed to return was even weaker than Diamond’s, but it was there nonetheless. It was all they really needed to see.
“We’ll have to work hard. We missed a full class to work on it, but we still have enough time to do it. Us three.”
From all the way back at the swings, Olive chuckled. She extended a hoof to Dinky, glancing over her blank flank. “You should join the Cutie Mark Crusaders. Together, we’ll never let anypony be sad again. That will be our secret commando mission.”
The simple-minded unicorn giggled. “That sounds like a really important mission! It’ll be fun!”
“Of course, everything is fun when you have a friend to share it with. Oh, we could also teach other foals the importance of friendship, but that’ll be difficult to do alongside our main goal. We’re going to need the help of every single member.”
“Group mission hooray!”
Back in class, the comic’s project still had a lot of work left to do but the three fillies were confident they could finish on time. Now on better terms, they had a lot of lost time to catch up. Diamond Tiara proposed her idea again, but this time she knew how to end the story.
“-and with the help of her newest friend, finds the strength to go against the queen’s wishes, and live her life the way she wants.”
Olive clapped wholeheartedly. “Incredible!”
Diamond looked to her silver friend, waiting to hear her thoughts.
Silver Spoon smiled apologetically. “It is good indeed. We should go with it.” That genuine answer was all Diamond wanted to hear.
The pink unicorn took out her crayons and placed them on the desk. “I can do the drawings; I’ve practiced at home.”
“I’ll handle the speech bubbles.” Diamond announced.
“And I’ll color the panels.” Silver added.
Olive got to drawing already, her eyes beaming with joy and excitement. The two fillies silently watched the unicorn work her magic, both sharing the same thought, gratitude. Their quiet smiles spoke louder than any words ever could. However, they remembered all the other times they talked to her.
A painful sensation in Diamond’s heart surprised her. It was the first time she’s truly felt something like this... for somepony other than Silver Spoon actually. Then, this feeling carried over to all the times she spoke to the other foals in the class. They all disliked her, and for good reasons. All this time, she brushed it off but now... it hurt to just think about it. She tried so hard to push away the only filly that truly cared about them.
Silver apparently felt the same way, as she spoke up first.
“Hey Olive, I-I just wanted you to know you’re not a blank flank, not anymore.”
The adorable little filly raised her head, perplexed. She glanced over her flank, touching the empty spot where a cutie mark would normally be. “I still don’t have my cutie mark, so I’m still a blank flank-”
“No, you’re not.” Diamond interrupted, smiling gratefully. “You’re Olive.”
Cheerilee stared out the window, into the foggy day, her face dreamy. It made her remember another foggy day just like this one, so many moons ago.
“Something the bother?” Heedful Care asked, observing Olive in the playground. “You don’t seem to be with us again.”
“Hm? Oh, I was just reminiscing about old days again.” Cheerilee muttered, her eyes locked on the cloudy sky. “And if you’re wondering... it’s another memory regarding Jolly Melody. It still feels surreal to me to learn that he mistreated his own daughter. I just... had another image of him in my mind.” She chuckled weakly. “Can you believe it? He used to give out such good advice to ponies... only to then turn out to be worse than us. It’s ironic...”
“Care to share more of your memories? If that’s okay with you, of course. I don’t want to feel like I’m harassing you.”
The cerise mare scoffed. “I’d say you’re doing me a great service, just being somepony I can confide in. I have a lot on my mind right now, it’s hard to stay in the present, you know? I’ just glad you’re here.”
Heedful Care smiled thankfully. “It’s also helping me, so view it as a symbiotic relationship.”
“Now, don’t try to out-teacher me!” Cheerilee mused. “Well, I suppose I can tell you about the first time I ever went to Ponyville. It was on a cloudy and foggy day, just like this one. I was accompanied by my good friend Minuette and as you may have guessed; Jolly Melody.”
Back when she had her first teacher internship, Cheerilee returned to Ponyville, where they had a place for her in the education system. It was thrilling, nerve-wracking, cold but thankfully, she had company.
The chilly wind made her wish she brought a scarf to keep her face warm. Everything was building up to a bad start in this otherwise promising position. The worst had yet to come. Cheerilee was banking everything on this internship to be a success. The competition was fierce in Canterlot, with not many positions available, hence why she looked to her home town for some work.
“Aw, don’t be nervous. You totally got this!” Minuette consoled, her bright smile already lighting up her day.
“I know. I’ve been studying really hard for this, but it’s still so nerve-wracking. I mean, it’s not like I can practice being an actual teacher until I get there.” Cheerilee pointed out nervously, glancing at Jolly Melody occasionally.
Minuette kept her optimistic smile, looking to the sky. “At this point, it’s all about that special spark. Some teachers have that special spark that makes them so beloved. I’m sure you have what it takes to be a good teacher. And even if you have a few downs, what’s stopping you from improving? I’m sure the teachers there will be super happy to have somepony new!”
“Fresh, young and lively. Ravishing even. That’s always desirable with up-and-coming teachers.” Jolly Melody spoke, earning the immediate attention of the two mares. This enigmatic stallion chose to come along with Cheerilee simply because he wanted to visit Ponyville to find the inspiration for his next song. They were thrilled to have him join them.
Cheerilee pushed her mane behind her ear, blushing. “Wow, um, you really think I have what it takes?”
“More than that.” Jolly Melody announced with a comforting smile. “You have something beautiful that I know will make you a great teacher, loved and remembered by all. You see, the most important qualities a teacher can have is kindness and understanding.”
“Hey! You’re both kind and understanding! You’re totally cut up for this!” Minuette exclaimed, playfully hitting her friend’s shoulder.
“Heh, to simplify things, a good teacher knows what love is. Oh yes, love. It’s the most important thing in the world.” Jolly Melody stopped trotting, drawn to a playground filled with foals. “Love comes in many different forms. Some think about romantic love, but that’s not the only form of love. A pony cannot live without love, be it friendship or familial bonds. We all live thanks to their affection. It’s what pushes us to act, to better ourselves.
Look at these foals playing with each other. It’s love that pushes them to have fun, to make new friends. As a teacher, you will spread your love to them, and they will show you their love too. It’s all beautiful, isn’t it?”
Minuette listened intently, her mouth agape. “Wow, are you like, a philosopher in your spare time?”
The purple stallion giggled. “Oh no, I’m just vigilant. Just by observing other ponies, you can learn a lot. You see, I’ve been trying for so long to show you something different every day. You know, just trying not to run out of advice.”
Cheerilee kept her eyes on the foals, Jolly’s words still ringing in her mind. As her friends moved away, she roused herself, dying to learn more. “Hey, do you have more advice for me? I just... feel more at ease when you explain things. I-I-It's just that you sound so confidant in everything, and I find that... inspiring.”
The green haired unicorn smiled. “Sure thing! This advice can apply to any professions, really, but it still important nonetheless.” His face darkened. “Everywhere you’ll go, there’ll be competition. Teachers, musicians, dentists... there always will be competition. Somepony likes to play dirty and trample the others for their own benefit. I’ve seen that happen so many times and always, it happens to kind and innocent ponies.
There will be a time for you two when somepony will come and try to take advantage of your good will. It happened to me too. No matter what happens, never ever let them trample you. Let them know you’re your own master.” He sighed, looking at the moody sky. “Don’t be afraid to fight back. Not everypony will show you kindness, and they won’t deserve yours. It’s all a matter of context.”
“Wow. Talk about a confidant stallion. I’ve only really encountered one that can rival Jolly in sheer confidance.”
Miss Cheerilee giggled. “Oh, let me guess. Looking Glass? That guy always has such a dark and serious look on his face. It’s almost scary.”
“But he’s good natured.” The pegasus said, moving away from the window. “I think we should both know that we can’t judge a book by its cover!”
“Ha ha ha... Yeah.” Cheerilee’s smile faded. No matter how hard she tried, she couldn’t get him off her mind. And how could she? They spent so much time together. She’s learned so much from him, it just didn’t feel right to think he was an abusive father.
The last lesson is self-care. It’s more important than you can imagine. Overextending and trying to please everypony at your detriment is a bad idea. Sure, you might make everypony happy, but you’ll end up dead inside, displeased with your life. Don’t let it come to that.
Back outside in the cold fog, Diamond Tiara and Silver Spoon watched solemnly as the foals left the school happily, each trotting back home. None of them even dared to look in their direction. These two were just ghosts, bad mojos if they even met eye-to-eye. In that moment, Diamond and Silver truly understood what it felt like to be alone, rejected. And they had no right to complain when they brought it upon themselves.
Then, the Cutie Mark Crusaders left, accompanied naturally by Olive. They passed by them, but the pink filly did give them a curious glance. She tapped her sister on the shoulder, trying to get her attention.
“What is it?” Apple Bloom saw her sister pointing at Diamond Tiara and Silver Spoon, not sure what to make of it. “Uh...”
The pink earth pony approached her without warning, her eyes low. “A-Apple Bloom. Sweetie Belle. Scootaloo.”
All three stared at her curiously, they’ve never seen their bully speak this softly.
“I just... We wanted to say we’re sorry, for everything.” Silver Spoon nodded along.
The CMC’s blinked. “Did we hear that right?” Scootaloo whispered to her friends.
“I think so, yeah.” Sweetie Belle responded.
Apple Bloom’s eyes darted around, trying to make sense of this sudden change. “Are ye two really sorry?”
Silver Spoon sighed pathetically. “We don’t expect you to forgive us. We just wanted to let you know that we’re done bullying you for your, um, blank flanks.”
Shocked, the yellow earth pony glanced at her sister with a look that screamed “How did ya do it?” To them, Olive just accomplished a herculean task in just a week.
The pink unicorn smiled at her former bullies. “I already forgive you! We’re friends now, and friends forgive each other.”
Diamond Tiara’s eyes shot wide open, tears welling. She was about to trot away, having accomplished her goal here but a pair of fluffy hooves stopped her.
Olive nuzzled her, wrapping the earth pony in a loving hug. Diamond couldn’t take it anymore, and so she let her tears fall. Once the pink filly opened her eyes, she motioned at Silver to join them. Needless to say, she didn’t protest.
Before this scene, Scootaloo couldn’t stop herself from smiling at the sweetness of her friend. “Well, if you’re willing to be better then; sure, I’ll forgive you two.”
Sweetie Belle hopped in too. “You two could help us get our cutie marks too!”
Apple Bloom scratched her mane. “Uh, are ya implyin’ we make them crusaders too?”
“We should.” Olive said with all the tender sweetness of a mother, finally releasing the two rich fillies from her loving embrace. “We already made Dinky a crusader.”
“We did?” Scootaloo asked.
“I’m a crusader!”
The CMC’s spun around, startled at the sudden unannounced appearance of Dinky Hooves. “I just don’t have the cool cape yet.”
Apple Bloom just stared, surprised. “Huh. We’re getting' popular.”
“I never thought that would happen.” Sweetie Belle muttered.
The tiara atop Diamond’s head didn’t look so pathetic anymore. The pink earth pony looked at it, no longer feeling hatred and bitterness. When she looked into Olive’s eyes, she felt comfort, safety in her. With a smile, she said, “I forgive you fo-”
“Diamond Tiara! What is this again?!”
Everypony froze. Stomping the ground with all the strength of a rhinoceros, Spoiled Rich rudely stepped in, glaring at her daughter. Instinctively, Diamond backed away and lowered herself, terrified.
“M-Mom! I...”
“Why are you still hanging out around them?” Spoiled’s voice sliced her heart like razors. “Did you already forget what I told you yesterday? That, is not the behavior of the elite, to cower before them.”
Diamond looked up to her friends, silently screaming for help in her terrified state. Silver Spoon shared her horror but felt guilt accompanying it too.
I get it... she thought sadly.
“N-No, I didn’t.” Tiara responded weakly.
Spoiled Rich’s brows furrowed; her face darkened as she raised her head in disgust. “And yet you didn’t listen? Diamond, what kind of good fillies don’t listen to their mother?”
“Hey! Knock it off!” Everything went silent for a while except for the hollow wind howling. Olive stepped in front of Diamond Tiara, her head high and mighty as she opposed the taller mare. “Tell me what kind of good mother scares their own filly?”
None of them ever heard Olive this angry before. Her horn crackled with electricity.
Quickly recovering from this show of disobedience, Spoiled Rich growled. “Oh, why you little sh-” The front door to the schoolhouse opened, revealing Cheerilee. “Ah, Miss Cheerilee. It’s good that you showed up. I believe you might have some ‘duties’ to fulfill here with these rowdy fillies harassing me.”
Cheerilee looked down at the seven fillies around Spoiled Rich with an apathic look in her eyes. Then, she lifted them slowly, staring deep into Spoiled. “What harassment? To me, it just looked like they were minding their own business.”
Spoiled jerked back, outraged. “You call that ‘minding their own business’? Look at this one! She's standing in my way and threatening me!”
Cheerilee winced. “Just like how you threatened Diamond Tiara a few seconds ago? The window’s open you know. I’ve heard you loud and clear.”
The foals smiled hopefully; their adoration now thrown onto their teacher. She was their hero right now, the one they desperately needed.
The rich mare stepped over Olive and Diamond, stomping towards Cheerilee. “Do I seriously need to remind you who’s in charge of the school board again?”
“You don’t and honestly, I no longer see what’s so important about it.”
Spoiled Rich scoffed. “I control your income. In other words, I control your career here.” She leaned closer, her eyes beaming with anger. “Punish them.”
To her surprise, the cerise mare shook her head in defiance. “They did nothing wrong. And before you say it; no, I don’t care what happens to me afterward. I’ll find another way to stay afloat, without your ‘help’. This thing we’ve had going for years? It’s over. I’m done being trampled by ponies like you. If that’s all you came for then by all means, make your leave. We have nothing to say to each other.”
The awful mare’s eyes widened in pure shock. She descended the short stairs and laughed, passing by the fillies. “Oh, I’d love to see how you’ll do in the future. Come on Diamond, let’s leave.”
“N...NO!”
Everypony stepped back in shock. Diamond’s yell was powerful, intimidating in its defiance. For the first time, she openly glared at her mother. “I’m coming home by myself.”
Spoiled Rich blinked, flabbergasted. Turning around, she gritted her teeth and silently cursed everypony present. Then, she just left without saying another word.
Diamond Tiara fell, exhausted. Her namesake dropped too, breaking one last time. As she stared at the broken pieces, she chuckled weakly, tears welling in her eyes again. The pink earth pony raised her head, meeting Olive’s beautiful gaze and she smiled gratefully. “I think it’s time I get a new one.”
Ponyville’s marketplace, a popular hot spot for everypony in town. It was always filled with multiple stands, each selling their own niche. Granny Smith often went there to buy her groceries. However, with age, her body weakened, and that simple task became harder with each passing day. Thankfully, she had two lively fillies to lay a hoof this time.
Olive was especially excited today, nearly walking circles around her as she told all about her day with the brightest smile she’s mustered in a while.
“-and then Diamond Tiara stood up against her mother. I finally did it! I helped her and made two new friends!”
Granny Smith patted her head, her slow pace allowing the pink unicorn to dart all around her with all the energy of an excited cat. “Well, sounds like yer doin’ a lot of good with Apple Bloom.”
“A lot more than before!” Apple Bloom specified. “Ah still can’t believe we made two new members of the Cutie Mark Crusaders in only a month!”
The old mare glanced at her, mildly surprised. “Huh? An’ who’s that second new member?”
“Dinky Hooves. Her mother is Derpy, the mailpony.”
“Ah! Derpy must be really happy to ‘ear it!” Her eyes opened further once she spotted the stand she was searching for. “Oh, there it is, girls! We’re gonna be buyin’ some carrots for tonight’s stew.”
Olive and Apple Bloom already made a beeline for the carrot stand, owned by Carrot Top. Who else could it have been? The kind mare greeted them, waiting for the elderly mare to reach the stand. The pink filly already had her nose all over the carrots, smelling them like a curious dog.
“Hey Granny, I think she’s picking the best for you.” She said in a cutesy voice, gushing over the little unicorn.
Olive pointed at a carrot. “I like this one. It smells nice.”
“Does it?” Granny Smith leaned and smelled it. “Hm, ya ‘ave a great sense of smell, youngin’.”
Carrot Top giggled. “May I show you which ones are my best? It’ll save you some time.”
“Sure thin’!”
In the meantime, Apple Bloom pulled Olive away to show her around the market.
“Ah ‘ave some bits on me, so we can buy some treats! Is there somethin’ ya’d like?”
Olive blinked, glancing around the place. “I don’t know any treats. I just ate a lot of meat.”
Her sister cringed. “Uh... o-okay. Ah suppose Ah’ll show ya the best candies. Ah mean, Ah’m sure ya’ll like ‘em since we Cutie Mark Crusaders do.”
“Ah, so it’s a Cutie Mark Crusaders special.”
Apple Bloom snorted. “Somethin’ like that, sis.” The two fillies ran to the nearest candy store, indulging in their foalish desire for candies, treats and the like. Of course, they acted fast knowing that they didn’t have much time before Granny ultimately finished with her carrot picking. The elderly mare can be slow not just in body, but even in mind. So, they galloped around the market, narrowly dodging the ponies who passed by them without noticing. Although Olive missed one in particular and smashed right into their leg.
Falling on her flank, Olive opened her eyes and raised her head, ready to apologise but froze. As her mind processed what she was looking at, her empty expression turned to horror as her face blanched. Light blue coat, dark blue mane, purple eyes, freckles... No doubt about it, she knew this mare, and so did the pegasus. Her breathing accelerated, her mind blacking out. None of her limbs dared to move an inch.
Dreamcatcher blanched; she was looking at a ghost. There were no other explanations. No way could a filly her age has a scar right where they stabbed her, the same manecut and the same pattern of freckles. Yes, she ran into a ghost during her grocery trip in Ponyville. After all, it wasn't the first time she's been to Ponyville since that fateful day. Quite the opposite, she's been shopping there for nearly two weeks already, so how come she never saw that wretched filly until now? What was supposed to be a simple mission to provide food for her group turned into a dreadful realisation. They failed Anarchy. The consequences will be heavy. The world turned to black around them.
In that very moment, the world stopped existing. There was nothing but them in this dark void, eyes locked in horror and disbelief.
We finally got her! Let me have her leg, I’m longing for a bite!
Visions of the past flooded her mind. Visions of the Everfree forest, of the quaking earth and the shouts of her pursuers. She fell on the grass, out of breath and turned around to face them. Oh, there were so many. A blue pegasus landed next to her, her mouth drooling, her sinister eyes filled with nothing but malice. Her jaw opened wide and closed on her leg, and it snapped.
“Sis! What’s takin’ so long?”
Neither one noticed Apple Bloom rushing to pick the pink unicorn up. Neither broke their stare, their eyes refusing to blink for even a nanosecond. It felt like they shouldn’t even be here, together, in this town.
“Uh, s-sis? Is somethin’ wrong?” Apple Bloom followed Olive’s stare, surprised by the sheer terror on the mare’s face. The silence was awkward, oppressive. Ponies passed by, giving the three strange looks but continued with their day. “Olive? Who’s this mare?”
Olive did not hear her. No sounds or movement even reached her head. Dreamcatcher filled the world and soon... Strong Hoof and Anarchy. They know. They now know the truth. When her father wants somepony dead, they die. Those who miraculously survive are pursued until they stop breathing. And now... that same fate was bestowed upon her.
They will come. It was only a matter of time. And naturally, they will send the big gun against her. There was nowhere to run, nowhere to hide.
Strong Hoof was coming.
“Olive!” Her sister shook her back into consciousness. Dreamcatcher snapped out of her trance too, glancing around at the many stink eyes she received before taking off, her face cringing. And just like that, she was gone... and she’ll tell him her daughter lived on.
Terrified, her trembling clanged on to her sister, seeking shelter from the horror she had witnessed. “H-Hey, what’s the matter with ya?” Apple Bloom asked, now feeling scared herself. “Who was that?”
“H-H-He's coming. It’s too late.”
Looking Glass was in a hurry, rushing down the streets of Canterlot, pushing any ponies who stood in his way. Time was of the essence; he couldn’t afford to waste a single second. He had everything he needed, all that was left was to tell Princess Luna about the underground base through Blossomforth’s testimony.
He galloped past the two stallions guarding the entrance who generously let him in without question. Inside, his first instinct was to check out the dining room where Luna was often present at this hour, feasting before her nocturnal journey in the dreamscape. He guessed correctly as Mango was the one guarding the entrance to the dining room.
“Hey, Looking Glass! Fancy seeing ya!” He greeted, a cup of non-alcoholic cider in his hoof. “Have you found anyth-”
“Yes, I did. Let me see Luna.” Looking Glass interrupted quickly in labored breaths.
Mango smirked. “You mean Princess Lun-”
“I know, let me in now.”
The door opened with a loud creak, briefly annoying the detective as he strolled in the dining room like he owned the place, trotting all the way up to the lunar princess, staring at her with his cold amber eyes.
“Have you found anything regarding Anarchy?” Luna asked, finishing her apple before standing up.
Looking Glass nodded, took out his notebook and read its content out loud. Everything from Blossomforth’s experience to his own, albeit masking it as being the pegasus. He detailed all the buildings he found and the identity of the most important ponies there before the shocked alicorn. “They’re right below us.” he concluded gravely. “We need to prepare a raid as soon as possible. Prevent them from accomplishing whatever goals they have in mind.”
Shock now replaced with a fierce determination, Luna nodded seriously. “I’ll gather all the royal guards available and especially my sister. I’d like for you to join us as well considering your fighting record. We can use the extra hoof.”
The dark blue unicorn put away his notebook, nonchalantly feasting on one of the apples on the table. “I have nowhere else to go. The Crimson Mask case can wait a bit longer. Right now, my priority is the same as yours, Princess. Anarchy cannot wait.”
The midnight blue alicorn smiled thankfully, sprouting her wings as a commanding show of respect to her guards. “Then I will begin the preparations. You can rest now; we’ll call you when the time has come. Oh, and I will send a spy to check the caverns before we go, to ensure they’re still there.” She left the room accompanied by a few guards, leaving Looking Glass and Mango by themselves.
In the back, the captain of the lunar princess’s bodyguards looked at his non-alcoholic cup. “Well well, seems like I dodged a bullet there. Can’t imagine going to a raid drunk.”
“I half expected you to show up drunk.” Looking Glass said coldly. “It is indeed a surprise to see you sober for more than a day, but I suppose you’ll take a war more seriously.”
“So you view it as a war, hm?” Mango chuckled, challenging the detective by approaching him and taking a seat on the opposite side.
“It is going to be a war. Anarchy is no ordinary crime lord. He’s much smarter than them, driven not by greed, but by something else entirely.” Looking Glass defended.
“I’m surprised you even view it that way, you know, what with your reluctance to kill. Really, the only pony I’ve ever heard you kill was the Crimson Mask. Talk about a good track record.” Mango poured some wine in a cup, agitating it lightly. “Not a whole lotta blood spilled.”
Looking Glass frowned, pouring some non-alcoholic cider in his cup. “You have no qualms with killing I see.”
The captain of the batponies chugged down his cup. “Don’t get it twisted, I’m not a sadistic killer just because I kill a lot more often than you do. I kill because sometime, there is no other choice. My soldiers are all good ponies. Do you know how hard it is to knock on a mare’s door just to tell the poor thing her husband died? I want to avoid that as much as possible. So, for all their sake, I’ll kill. You don’t have to kill, that can be left to us.”
Looking Glass looked down his cup, hesitant. I think I see now. He kills out of love, not out of a blind sense of duty. “Do you believe you can kill Anarchy? That’s a feat I can see very few ponies achieving.” He took a small sip, cringing lightly at its taste. It wasn’t as good as the ones in Ponyville.
“Hey, don’t tell me you’ve never heard of my exploits. I’m Mango, captain of Princess Luna’s personal bodyguards. Basically, I’m kind of a big deal.” Mango smirked, tapping his helmet. It was indeed a different color from the rest, shinier even. He wore it with immense pride.
Looking Glass could tell he was strong. The batpony was larger than him and probably just as good. It could be seen in his sharp yellow eyes. The only difference in combat between them was that one had magic, and the other didn’t. A unicorn against a pegasus, though the balance of power could be flipped on its head with just one of those magic nullifying necklaces. “Tell me about them.”
The batpony raised an eyebrow, hurt by the stallion’s dismissive tone. “You’re looking at the royal guard that beat the living crap out of a manticore, no armour on. Hey, what about that time I was sent in to bust a pony trafficking ring by Luna and I did, all by myself. Thirty ponies against one, and none stood a chance.”
“So you must have brains and brawns then, impressive.” Thinking back about the buried town, Looking Glass was amused. “Have you ever fought a pony that you’d consider your equal then? Maybe a pony that surpassed you in stature.”
Mango’s face darkened. He leaned closer to the detective, his serious expression threatening the detective. “Are you implying you already fought Strong Hoof? I know about your tussle with Anarchy, but I’ve heard nothing about that big guy. Tell me; where and when did you fight him?”
Looking Glass’s expression remained indecipherable. “I never fought him. There was no deeper meaning behind my question, Mango.”
The captain sighed; his face relaxing. He slumped back in his seat. “Go figure, that’s the first time you’ve said something so simple. Honestly, we’re starting to look like foals arguing about who’s dad’s the strongest.”
The dark blue unicorn chuckled. “Not what is expected of us, but it is fun to discuss. Anything to prepare myself for this battle. We both know it’s going to cost us some good stallions. Celestia knows how many I’ve lost already. I won’t let anypony die.”
Mango stared blankly at the ceiling, sighing. Life as a royal guard wasn’t all sunshine and rainbows. He can still recount all the tombstones he’s visited over the past few years. All the parting words he gave to them, wishing he could have done more. “Aye.”
The unruly ponies deep down in the dark cheered. The town was lit up like never before. All had gathered before their master, excited for the following morning. Weapons, carriages, hostages, all the buildings were emptied. This place no longer had any reason to exist, so they will burn it all down.
Perched on stage, Anarchy admired his work of art with Strong Hoof at his side, the last time he’ll do before he’ll reach the apex of his life. The time had almost come, and he could hardly wait for it to pour. Patience is a virtue, and he’ll be patient no matter how tough it is.
“Good news fillies and gentlecolts, it’s almost time. You all know the plan; you all have the required equipment. Now, you just need to stick to it and never, and I repeat, never deviate and you’ll be fine.”
Despite their excitement, many were nervous. They squared off against many different groups over this almost decade long escapade but tomorrow, they’ll face the royal guard. Countless low lives and criminal masterminds were slaughtered by these mighty combatants. All they had to count on, was their leader’s genius intellect and the wrath of Strong Hoof to give them an edge.
It can be surprising to see how much faith can push a pony to do the impossible. Tomorrow, all the world will hear about it, about their exploit. Although, many of them will perish, not that Anarchy seemed to care. When you lead a group this big, death is nothing but a number in an endless series of mathematical equations.
“Now then, I won’t be taking any questions. You’ve all made your worries clear, so I will repeat it one last time; have faith! I have calculated all the risks and made a final call. Victory is assured, I mean, we don’t have to destroy the royal guard to win. We just have to finish the ritual.” Anarchy announced triumphantly.
“Oh, it’s going to be a death row!” Strong Hoof growled.
“Right...” Anarchy giggled. A bloody massacre on both sides, but fate is on my side. It will be an easy victory.
As the preparations finished, Dreamcatcher flew in, out of breath. Eyes wide open, she landed next to her leader, staring at him in fear. Anarchy’s brows furrowed, his spiky hair rose ominously, shining a bright emerald color across his face.
“Dreamcatcher...” His cheerful tone gone, the blue pegasus quivered before the news she would deliver. Oh so terrible news. “You didn’t come here, crapping yourself, to show me what you bought, I assume? Spit it out.”
“U-Uh, y... b-boss I-”
“Stop blabbering, and just say it.” Anarchy inched closer, growling as he bore his sharp fangs.
“Y-Your daughter... Olive is still alive.”
“...” Silence.
Strong Hoof’s eyes widened, his pupils turning to pinpricks. Anarchy, however, stared blankly at the walls. Then, he chuckled. His chuckled turned to a cackle, his cackle turned to a hearty laugh. It was so bad that he had to leaned on the wall to keep his balance. Each laugh made him cough in agony. And after a full minute, he stopped.
“Oh really now? Strong Hoof?” The white stallion shuddered. “You said you, uh, trampled my daughter, didn’t you? Said you guys ate parts of her, broke her leg and stabbed her... in the chest.” Anarchy turned around with a strangely serene expression. That didn’t last long. In just a second, his face contorted into pure anger. “And she isn’t dead?! Not dead, still alive. In I-In... Where?! Where is she?!”
Dreamcatcher yelped, backing behind the giant earth pony. “I-I-In Ponyville, p-patron...”
“So, she’s not dead. She’s alive, in Ponyville. A town that’s right next to Canterlot. You mean to tell me that during this entire month, you guys screwed up. One thing, you had to get one thing right, and that was killing a foal. A foal! A literally whiny baby! And you failed?! Now we're gonna have to kill her a second time!” Slowly losing his mind, he kicked one of the walls, turning it to rubbles in an instant.
“Oh, Strong Hoof. And here I thought you were reliable.”
The earth pony trembled, terrified despite his massive size. “I-I’m sorry, Anarchy! Please, don’t kick me out! I have nowhere else to go. I-I swear I’ll make it up to you!”
“Make it up? Hmmm... maybe we can work something out.” He turned to face his crowd. “What do you think, everypony? Should we give him a chance? The stallion that failed to kill a defenseless filly?”
Unanimously, they chose “yes!”.
“I see... Well, you’re in luck, Strong Hoof. You get to stay with us, but on three conditions.”
“T-Three?”
Anarchy grinned, his mouth contorting on itself. “Oh yes indeed. Here’s your requirements to be hired again. First: give me the blood of an alicorn. This one’s easy, there’s a certain Miss Twilight Sparkle in Ponyville, the youngest and consequently weakest of the alicorns. Second: Kill any bearers of the Elements of Harmony you come across in Ponyville, also easy for a stallion of your stature. Third and final requirement: Finish what you started. Are we clear?”
Strong Hoof lowered his head in shame, his body burning with embarrassment and fury. Thinking back about that day, he couldn’t believe how he messed up that bad. It was so simple too, he could have easily swallowed her whole, but he didn’t. Too petty was his sentiment of revenge, he left her to die instead of finishing the job. But not this time. He won’t make the same mistake.
His brow’s furrowed, his face as dark as the night. “Loud and clear, boss.”
Anarchy chuckled. “I’ll send a griffon to retrieve the alicorn’s blood. It’ll also be a confirmation of your success. Don’t let me down...
Ever again.”
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Pressure be buildin' up like a volcano here, all sides! And MAN I can't wait to see it burst!!
LONG LIVE VIOLEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEENCE!!!!
and it all has to come crashing down like a sandcastle
, i like it when the naive "friendship" mission bearers get a taste of the real world 
holy shit those are some demands
This chapter really gives me thing to talk about.
As for corrections... except:
In which I think that after "depressing" a period is necessary to separate the first sentence from the question. And that's it. Anything else I could mention would be me looking for flaws with a magnifying glass.
Back to the content of the story.
I think the thing with Silver Spoon was settled too quickly, like, what was the point of fracturing their relationship, if in the end nothing changed, there was no progress, just a quick return to the status quo? I mean, I think I get it, after all, it was a C-point (Silver and Diamon) of a B-point (Olive and Diamon) of the main story (Olive and the Anarchists).
What was Dreamcatcher doing in the middle of the market in a town like Ponyville? It seems I was wrong to be under the impression that they knew Olive was still alive.
And finally: For a villain who appears to be intelligent, it was a tremendous oversight on Anarchy's part not to demand to see her daughter's body to make sure she was dead. That's rule number 1 to make sure your goons did their job properly.
11761480
Yes, the situation with Silver Spoon was resolved rather quickly. I didn't really have much space left for them, so I did the most I could but at least, this ordeal will bring some changes to Diamond and Silver, which will be more noticeable in the next chapters. And yeah, there are a lot of things to keep track of in this story, so if I forget anything, feel free to bring it up.
There was a reason for Dreamcatcher to be in Ponyville, it just seems like I forgot to include it. My bad, I'll fix that right away. She was supposed to be shopping for food in preparation for the storm and seeing as nobody in the story know she's an Anarchist, she can easily go out in public hence why she was in Canterlot's hospital next to Twilight in chapter 24.
And lastly : Anarchy is indeed smart, but nobody is truly perfect. He has his occasional bout of arrogance. I mean, always winning eventually gets to your head and you slowly become overconfident. And, to be fair, he did send a stallion as large as a tree against a small filly. The only thing he didn't take into account was the fact that she had a portion of his power and neither did Strong Hoof. The next chapter will also show why Anarchy as such a strong faith in Strong Hoof, which further explains why he completely lost his marbles for the first time here.
Thanks for the feedback!
we just need a little unity
Lets do it!
Finally she grew a backbone!!!