Chapter One
Three weeks earlier...
As Twilight Sparkle accompanied Rarity and Spike to the main square of Ponyville, she could see ponies arriving from all sides. Fluttershy approached from the opposite side of the square to join Applejack, Big Macintosh, Applebloom, and Granny Smith while Rainbow Dash flew down and alighted next to Pinkie Pie, who was still wearing a chef’s hat.
Twilight had heard the horns of the heralds, which were usually used to announce the arrival of Princess Celestia, but she couldn’t see the Princess anywhere.
Then dozens of palace guards marched into the square and parted to reveal a—rather handsome—unicorn stallion, who purposefully ascended the steps to the podium and announced, “Greetings, citizens of Ponyville. It is my regretful duty to inform you all that Princesses Celestia and Luna are dead.”
Twilight sat down heavily in shock.
“My name is Styxon Stones,” the stallion continued. “As a distant cousin of the late Princess Celestia, I have been chosen to take up the throne and uphold the responsibilities of the Princesses. I have heard good things about Ponyville, and I trust your leaders,” he nodded at Mayor Mare, “to keep it a vibrant, peaceful village even in the face of such tragedy.”
Styxon Stones cast his eyes around the crowd. When his eyes made contact with Twilight’s, the despair she had felt over the Princesses’ deaths seemed to slip away. She could still hardly believe that the seemingly eternal presence of Princess Celestia was gone, but she knew that this new unicorn stallion would take care of the situation.
“His mane is gorgeous,” Rarity whispered.
“I don’t like him,” Spike muttered.
“Spike, be quiet,” Twilight shushed him. “He’s coming over here!”
The announcement seemed to have ended and as the ponies dispersed, Styxon Stones approached Twilight and Rarity. Twilight felt a sudden urge to magically produce a mirror and check her appearance, but resisted it.
“So, you’re Twilight Sparkle?” Styxon Stones asked smoothly. “One of the most powerful unicorns in Ponyville?”
Spike frowned and declared, “She’s the most powerful unicorn in all of—“
“How would you like to be my number one assistant?” Styxon Stones asked Twilight, ignoring Spike. “I could really use a unicorn like you.”
“I—I’d love to,” Twilight answered weakly.
“And who is this beautiful friend of yours?” Styxon inquired, turning to Rarity.
“My name’s Rarity…Mr. Stones,” Rarity giggled.
“Please,” Styxon Stones replied, taking Rarity’s hoof in his own and kissing it gently, “call me Styxon.”
Rarity giggled some more. Spike scowled.
“How would you two like to have dinner with me in Canterlot tonight?” Styxon asked the unicorns.
“Oh my,” Twilight answered, “we’d be honored to.”
Rarity was overcome with giggles. Spike scowled harder.
***
Spike stormed into the farmhouse at Sweet Apple Acres that evening, where Applejack and Pinkie Pie were making dinner and Fluttershy and Rainbow Dash were setting the table.
“Hiya Spike!” Pinkie Pie exclaimed.
“Hey there, Sugarcube!” Applejack greeted him. “Yer jest in time fer—what’s wrong?” She paused, noticing Spike’s expression.
“Doesn’t anybody care that the Princesses died?” Spike demanded.
“O’ course we do!” Applejack responded.
“It’s terrible,” Fluttershy murmured.
“It stinks big time,” Rainbow Dash agreed.
Spike looked from one pony to another, as if waiting for them to say something else. “Is anybody besides me curious how they died?” he finally asked.
“Well I’m sure if it were impor’ant, that studley stallion woulda told us,” Applejack answered. “I reckon it’s confidential.” She looked around. “By the way, where’re Twiligh’ an’ Rarity? I thought we were all havin’ dinner together tonigh’.”
Spike’s expression grew darker. “They blew you guys off for that dumb unicorn,” he grumbled. “They’re having dinner in Canterlot tonight. He asked Twilight if she would like to be his ‘number one assistant’…and he’s putting the moves on Rarity.”
Pinkie gasped.
“Oh Spike, I’m so sorry,” Fluttershy sympathized.
“Bummer,” Rainbow Dash added.
“Doesn’t all this bother anypony?” Spike burst out. “The princesses are dead, some strange unicorn is Equestria’s new ruler, and Twilight and Rarity completely ignored the plans you all made for dinner!”
“Well he wouldn’t be the new ruler if he couldn’t handle the job,” Applejack replied, “an’ I can understand why Twi and Rarity would wanna have dinner with him. He’s a righ’ impor’ant pony now…and he’s good-lookin’ too.”
“He had very healthy teeth,” Pinkie supplied.
Spike sighed in exasperation and hopped into a chair. “If you say so,” he gave in. “What’s for dinner?”
***
The next morning, Spike joined Pinkie Pie and Fluttershy outside Sugarcube Corner to wait for the others to arrive.
When Applejack arrived, there was something different about her appearance.
“Where’s your hat, AJ?” Pinkie greeted her.
“No idea,” Applejack answered. “Have any o’ y’all seen it? I seem to ‘ave misplaced it.”
The other three shook their heads.
“Oh well, I hope it turns up. I feel so naked without it.”
“Oh look, here come Twilight and Rarity,” Fluttershy pointed out. The two unicorns were giggling as if they hadn’t stopped since Spike last saw them.
“Nice of you to show up,” Spike grumbled.
“Oh hush now, Spike,” Applejack looked at him. “We’ll forgive y’all for missing one git-together. How was dinner with that studmuffin?”
Twilight giggled.
“He is such a gentlecolt,” Rarity gushed.
“I’m going to be his number one assistant!” Twilight squealed.
“And while Twilight was getting more food from the buffet—“
“I just wanted more salad!”
“—He took me aside and offered to show me around Canterlot!”
“But haven’t you already seen the sights of Canterlot?” Spike broke in.
“Well, surely I haven’t seen all the sights of Canterlot,” Rarity replied. “And I’ve never had a tour of Canterlot with Styxon Stones before!”
“But you just met him yesterday,” Spike protested. “How great can he be—?”
“He said there are a couple spare rooms in the palace that we could live in!” Twilight said. “This way I won’t have to keep going back and forth from Ponyville to Canterlot.”
“Wait, hold on,” Spike held up his claws. “Are you saying you’re going to be living in Canterlot from now on?”
“Well, we’ll certainly be spending a lot more time there now,” Twilight responded, “but we’ll come back and visit you all, of course.”
“We’re so happy for you,” Fluttershy said, not looking happy at all.
“Applejack, darling,” Rarity said, as if noticing her for the first time, “Where’s your hat?”
“I don’t know,” Applejack replied. “It’s vanished.”
“Please, let me sew you a new one,” Rarity offered. “You’ve had that old ratty Stetson for far too long anyway.”
“Nah, that’s okay,” Applejack refused. “It’ll turn up eventually.”
At this point, Rainbow Dash arrived, still looking half asleep.
“What’s up, guys?” she began. “What did I miss?”
“Twilight’s Styxon Stones’s number one assistant,” Pinkie piped up, “and Rarity’s got a hot date!”
“Oh, okay,” Rainbow Dash said, looking like this information hadn’t quite reached her brain. She turned to Applejack. “Applejack,” she said, finally opening her eyes all the way, “where’s your hat?”
***
Late that night, Pinkie Pie awoke to the smell of smoke.
“Cupcakes are ready!” she announced the second her eyes flew open, then said, “Wait…I’m not making cupcakes!” She glanced at the clock. “Not that 1:21 a.m. is a bad time to make cupcakes…” Her stomach rumbled. “Aw, now I’m hungry!”
She sat up in bed, debating for a moment whether or not to start a batch of cupcakes before she remembered what caused her to wake up in the first place.
“Smoke!” she yelped and burst into the hall, which was lit by an eerie flickering light from downstairs.
“Mr. and Mrs. Cake!” she screamed. “The bakery’s on fire!”
It wasn’t long before the Cakes flew out of their bedroom, Mr. Cake still wearing a nightcap.
“Fire?!” Mr. Cake gasped.
“Are the foals all right?” Mrs. Cake asked.
“I’ll get the foals!” Pinkie declared. “You two get yourselves to safety!”
“Now Pinkie—“ Mrs. Cake began, but Pinkie had already dashed into the foals' room. Arriving at the crib, she grabbed Pound Cake and threw him onto her back, then picked up Pumpkin Cake in her mouth and sprinted back into the hall. When she came to a halt at the top of the stairs, she was dismayed to see that flames were already creeping up the foot of the stairwell. Pinkie frantically searched the area for a way out, and saw a rafter that spanned the kitchen and led to a window.
“Hold on!” she shouted to the foals, and leaped over the railing onto the rafter. Immediately she felt waves of heat rising up to her belly. Pinkie glanced down and gripped the rafter in terror. Below her, the flames spread from one end of the room to the other, maliciously darting up to grab her. The smell of burning gingerbread was overwhelming.
Inch by inch, Pinkie crept along the rafter until she finally reached the window, which she nudged open with her head. Mr. and Mrs. Cake had made it safely outside and were watching in fear from below. With her front legs balanced on the windowsill and her back legs still on the rafter, Pinkie gently dropped Pumpkin Cake for Mrs. Cake to catch.
“The stairs were on fire!” she yelled to explain why she emerged from the window rather than the front door. She then reached back to get Pound Cake and dropped him down to Mr. Cake, who gently set him on the ground and ran off to find a ladder.
Suddenly, the flames reached the stairwell end of the rafter, and it broke, sending Pinkie’s back end plunging toward the flames below. Mrs. Cake saw Pinkie’s head disappear from the window, but her front hooves continued to hold on desperately to the windowsill. Summoning all her strength, Pinkie pulled her upper body up and over the ledge and dangled there until Mr. Cake returned with a ladder.
When Pinkie finally descended from the ladder and the wall behind her collapsed in a shower of sparks, she fell to the ground and gave in to the welcome embrace of the Cakes.
***
The citizens of Ponyville woke up the next morning to find that the fire had spread to four other buildings, but none had been damaged quite as badly as Sugarcube Corner. Fortunately, nopony was hurt.
“I’m so sorry about your house,” Fluttershy told Pinkie Pie as ponies began to gather in the main square upon hearing the herald’s horn for the second time in three days. “Is there anything I can do for you or the Cakes?”
Pinkie Pie’s answer was interrupted by the arrival of Applejack (still missing her hat), Big Macintosh, Applebloom, and Granny Smith.
“Mornin’ Miss Fluttershy, Pinkie Pie,” Big Macintosh greeted them bashfully.
Fluttershy blushed. “Hi, Big Macintosh.”
“Hiya Mackie!” Pinkie said with slightly less than her usual enthusiasm.
“Pinkie, I’m so sorry t’ hear about Sugarcube Corner,” Applejack said. “If there’s anythin’ y’all need, you jus’ let us know.”
“Thanks guys,” Pinkie said. “I think we’re all set for now. Rarity took us in last night and said she’d be glad to host us for as long as we need.”
At this point, Styxon Stones arrived at the main square, this time not only flanked by royal guards, but also followed by three Diamond Dogs.
Applejack narrowed her eyes. “What’re those mutts doin’ here?”
“Greetings, citizens of Ponyville,” Styxon Stones began. “Today I bring good news, and disappointing news. The good news is that I have formed an alliance with our friends the Diamond Dogs. This should end all unpleasantness between Diamond Dogs and ponies in the future.
“When I arrived in Ponyville to tell you all this good news, I was saddened to find out that last night there was a terrible fire. The policeponies have told me that this fire was not caused by an oven, as previously thought.”
“Well of course not,” Pinkie whispered, rolling her eyes. “The Cakes and I always turn off the oven before going to bed.”
“Instead,” Styxon continued, “we are led to believe that the fire was not caused by accident.”
The crowd gasped.
“But who would do something like that?” Fluttershy murmured.
“The policeponies were fortunate enough to find evidence at the scene of the crime,” Styxon said, presenting Applejack’s hat.
The crowd gasped again.
“Hey, tha’s mah hat!” Applejack exclaimed, before realizing what this implied. She paused, and then said, “Now hold on one apple-bucking minute.”
“Nopony accuses mah sister of arson!” Big Mac growled.
“Cool it, Mac,” Applejack said, “Let me handle this.” She turned to Styxon and looked him straight in the eyes. “I didn’t start no fire.”
“Clearly, you must have dropped your hat in your haste to escape the crime scene,” Styxon accused. Ponies began to murmur in agreement.
“Pinkie’s one o’ mah best friends!” Applejack protested. “Why would I wanna burn her house down?”
“The punishment for a crime such as this,” Styxon continued, ignoring Applejack’s protests, “is exile.”
“Couldn’t we just put her in jail for a while?” one of the royal guards asked.
“No, she might burn it down,” Styxon muttered. Turning back to the crowd, he announced, “However, I am not a pony without compassion. If Applejack chooses to be honest with us and confesses to the crime, I would be willing to give her a second chance.”
Applejack glared at Styxon and repeated through gritted teeth, “I didn’t start no fire.”
Styxon looked at her for a moment, and then declared, “It pains me to say this, but for the safety of our fellow ponies, you are hereby banished from Ponyville until further notice.”
Applejack stood her ground.
Then, almost imperceptibly, so that nopony but Applejack noticed, Styxon whispered, “Kill her,” and the Diamond Dogs leaped off the podium straight in Applejack’s direction.
She ran.
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Once again Spike is the only one with any common sense.
1923346 And it's perfectly cannon!
I'm really looking forward to watching Spike barbecue this ass hole.
1931629 Yep, lets just hope they listen to him this time and if not all the glory will go to him when he saves everyone's flanks.
1931831 Well, it seems to me, that everyone is under some sort of spell. Spike's draconian nature might make him resistant, or the his normal cynicism. It might even be because he's not a pony.
1932044 Either way it might just be him and possibly Applejack that has to save the day. Which I believe Spike should do more often in the canon.
First real chapter and the most powerful figures of Equestria are dead. It's like starting a JLA comic with 'Superman, Batman and Wonder Woman are dead.'
Yeah because clearly getting over losing your mentor/ruler is THAT easy.
Yes because the possible cause that caused the most powerful figures of Equestria, who had lived for many centuries, to die is clearly not that imprtant of a detail. I mean I can see it as a way to minimise hysteria but considering their fate was made known anyway, there would be some hysteria and hiding more info will arouse more suspicion... or at Spike's.
Yeah because jails are constructed out of wood. Seriously, exile based on circumstantial evidence? If nopony thought something was wrong before, now would be a good time to start thinking otherwise.
MAN, what a way to start a story! The Princesses are dead but no one is remotely upset or mourning, Twilight should have entered a BSOD at the news, the Cakes lost their home and Applejack is exiled!?! And this is just the first chapter!