• Published 13th May 2013
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Dysphoria, Arc 5: Equestria - thedarkprep



Evening Rose has been chosen to lead a movement that will change Equestria forever. She will travel to each city as she argues for her cause, with the knowldge that her actions could very well change everything.

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3. Cloudsdale (Stop 2)



3. Cloudsdale (Stop 2)

Rose could feel the light coming through the window, despite stubbornly keeping her eyes closed.

She had woken up from her sleep gradually over the past thirty minutes, but she was still reluctant to join the waking world. As such, she had decided to shut her eyes and face away from the window in an effort to ignore the sunlight and greetings of a new day. What she had not accounted for was the warmth.

The sunlight seeped through the window, tickling her coat and warming her body underneath the covers, heating the room, in contrast to the cool atmosphere it had possessed even an hour prior. Knowing her efforts had been beaten, Rose opened her eyes and sat up on her bed.

She was currently in her old room, having decided to stay at the Rhyme estate after the dinner. Looking around brought back the same thoughts she had indulged before falling asleep.

“I can’t believe they left my room untouched,” she murmured to herself.

Aside from the room having been cleaned and some minor rearrangements, probably courtesy of the changeling posing as Slant months ago, all of her stuff was exactly where she had left it. All her notebooks, for example, could be found in the appropriate drawers, untouched and undisturbed, which, considering the events leading to her departure, was a surprise onto itself.

“Perhaps they were afraid of finding more unpleasant things about me,” Rose thought, grateful that her parents had not looked through the year’s worth of notebooks in the room.

Rose attempted to get up from her bed but found herself unable, exhausted as she was by the previous day’s events, and as memories from the previous day returned, she found herself feeling all the more tired.

After the conversation with Celestia, Rose had gone back to meet with her family and friends. Octavia was already performing during the Orchestra’s second set, and as such Rose spent that time with her family alone.

The air between them was still very restrained and formal, but it lacked the venom that it had so often carried in the previous meetings. Whether this was progress in the family relationship or simply an agreed upon ceasefire was still up for debate, but Rose was thankful at the lack of fighting in front of Perfect nonetheless.

Octavia and Vinyl joined Rose in conversation after Octavia’s set until Dusk came by with the reporters.

The interviews had been rather awkward for Rose, as she was not used to the attention, but the reporters were very understanding and Dusk never left her side. The questions ranged from the mundane (“how does it feel to be back in Canterlot?”) to the personal and emotional (“If you could speak to Granite Boulder, what would you say to him?”), allowing Rose to speak from her heart while also giving her necessary reprieves when things got too heavy. After about an hour of questioning, the reporters said they had all they needed. A group of photographers then took five pictures before thanking Rose for her time and walking away.

After the interviews, they had all headed back to the Rhyme manor, where Rich and Ilene prepared dinner for Vinyl, Octavia, Dusk, Perfect, Timetable, Organizer, and Rose, which, despite her doubts, Rose found herself enjoying.

Something about the chemistry of the assembled group reminded her of Ponyville, and despite the formality between Rose and her family, she found the atmosphere in the house relaxed and pleasant.

Overall it was a great day, even if she had to have put up with some minor inconveniences.

“Get up, dear; we wouldn’t want Celestia to think you’re shunning the sun. As exciting a concept as ‘Daymare Sun’ might be, I can guarantee you that it will come off as forced.”

“Speaking of,” Rose thought to herself.

Discord, Rose found out, had not been lying about spending every minute following her around. This in itself did not bother her, but what did were his constant attempts at conversation.

Throughout the entire day after Celestia’s meeting, Discord had kept a running commentary of events running through Rose’s mind. His telepathic link to her meant that she could answer and talk to him without attracting attention, but it was still a difficult endeavor to focus on what was happening in the real world when it seemed like a minute of silence would be enough to vanquish the god of chaos.

“Not really speaking of,” Discord said, appearing to her left in his translucent form that only Rose could see. “Thinking of, if you want to get technical. And you did fine yesterday, or so I thought. It’s almost like you have a lot of experience listening to and answering to voices in your head while having conversations with ponies.”

Rose offered no reply.

“Oh, so you do? Well that’s exciting!” Discord said. “And yet, not exciting enough. Come on, out of bed, you’re not going to accidentally cause the end of harmony by sitting around doing nothing. Besides, you get to visit Cloudsdale today and I can tell you’re going to have a great time there.”

Discord disappeared with a final bout of laughter, leaving Rose to ponder his words.

“Well, better not disappoint,” she thought, getting up from bed and beginning her preparations for the day.

After completing her preparations, eating a quick breakfast, and exchanging goodbyes with her family, Rose left the manor to go meet with Dusk and the rest of the team at the Canterlot Cliff.

The team was already assembled there by the time Rose showed up, and they were joined by two pegasi strapped to a carriage and a group of four unicorns.

“Well, look who decided to show up!” Dusk called out as Rose neared the area.

“I’m still early, Dusk, no need for the attitude,” Rose responded, causing Dusk to take a deep breath.

“Sorry, I’m just not much of a morning pony,” he said as he walked towards the carriages.

Rose followed.

“I don’t see any of our stuff,” Rose commented. “I’m guessing we’re not taking it with us?”

“That would be correct,” Dusk responded. “Our stuff is on its way to Vanhoover, where it will be retrieved and stored by the local Triple-E office until we arrive there later today. Due to Mr. Organizer and myself being unable to fly and requiring a cloud walking spell to even so much as attend the event, we figured it’d be best if our visit to Cloudsdale was brief; so, no need for luggage.”

Rose nodded, but stared with concern at the earth pony.

“What’s wrong, Dusk?” she asked.

“Nothing, just tired. As I said, not a morning pony,” he responded. Rose, however, continued to stare him down.

“Fine,” he relented. “I didn’t want to worry you, but I’m very nervous about Cloudsdale.”

This took Rose by surprise.

“You? Nervous?” she asked. “Why? Canterlot went so well.”

“Yes, but we had a lot of support here. We could not fail,” Dusk said. “Between you being a hero, and Rarity’s friends, and your family, the town was going to go our way no matter what. Cloudsdale is different though. For starters, pegasi there pride themselves on being separate from the rest of Equestria, so your reputation and name will matter the least there. We also don’t have any significant players in that city, other than two government officials who are more than likely to snub us in order to be re-elected. Lastly, Cloudsdale ponies are not the most accepting of ponies.”

Rose could feel fear begin to grip her heart.

“Be honest with me, Dusk,” she said. “What exactly are we up against?”

He gave her a sad smile.

“If Canterlot was the easiest and best stop on this little tour,” he said. “This will be the worst and the harshest.”

Rose could hear Discord’s laughter in her head but decided to ignore it for the time being.

“So what’s the battle plan?” she asked, which seemed to amuse Dusk.

“The event should be already started by the time we get there, though it should be far smaller and less impressive than the one here or the one you did in Ponyville,” he said. “We’ll get there, you’ll do your speech, we’ll hang out for a bit as the event keeps going, and then we’ll leave. If we have any luck, we’ll make it out the city before the sun begins to set, and in one piece.”

“No Q&A today either then?” Rose asked, causing Dusk to laugh.

“Goodness no,” he said. “No offense, but they would tear you to shreds. No, right now I’m just hoping you can get through your speech without an incident. Hoping for more is pushing our luck.”

Rose took a deep breath before sighing.

“You’re not kidding, are you?” she asked.

He shook his head.

“I wish that I was.”

“Sir, we are ready for you,” one of the assembled unicorns called out.

Dusk excused himself and went to join Organizer in the middle of the group of unicorns. Rose watched as the unicorns concentrated their magic, enveloping the two earth ponies in a multitude of auras, before the glow of their spell was absorbed into the bodies of the castees.

“That should do it,” one of the unicorns said. “That spell should hold for the remainder of the day, but I wouldn’t suggest taking up lodgings in Cloudsdale for the night, unless you prefer waking up mid-plummet.”

“No worries about that,” Dusk said. “We’ll be out of the city before sunset if I have my way.”

“Not a fan of the clouds then?” asked the unicorn.

“What can I say? They call me an earth pony for a reason,” Dusk commented. “In any case, thank you for all your help. Without you and your friends I would have had to let Timetable and Rose handle this on their own, and we all know how that would turn out.”

“Better than usual,” said the unicorn, giving Dusk a hug. “Take care old friend, and stop by again soon.”

The group of unicorns walked back into the city, leaving Dusk and his group behind.

“Very well, we should probably head out,” Dusk said. “Also, while I know you two can fly there, I would much rather you ride in the carriage. It’ll be better if we arrive together.”

Timetable and Rose nodded.

“What kind of reception are you expecting, sir?” asked Timetable.

Dusk grimaced.

“If they see us coming, a lively one…” he said. “But if we’re lucky we’ll be able to get into the city without much notice.”


“Not much notice, huh?” asked Rose.

“I did say ‘if we’re lucky,’ and honestly Ms. Rose, when have you ever known us to be lucky?” Dusk replied.

Rose nodded, trying hard to ignore Discord’s laughter, a deed harder said than done when the laugher existed only in Rose’s mind. This was further complicated by the fact that the god of chaos, who had taken his translucent form, rolling in laughter in mid air.

“To be fair, I’d probably find this funny if I wasn’t personally involved,” Rose thought, before stepping out of the carriage and overlooking the assembled crowd.

“Probably.”

At first glance, this reception was not much different than what Rose had seen in Canterlot. There were a long line of reporters, a multitude of ponies, and a lot of noise. Ponies were pushing against the line of guards, much like last time, with the guards refusing to move. Indeed, if one did not pay close attention to the details, the two scenes would be indistinguishable.

“Too bad for those pesky details, huh?” asked Discord.

Rose wanted to ignore him, but could not help to agree.

The difference was in the details.

For starters, the guards were not armor-clad members of the Royal Guard, but rather local law enforcement in uniforms. Then there was the matter of picket signs, visible over and through the crowd. The crowd itself was different in that there were no smiles, just glares and scowls directed at the four visitors to their city. Lastly, while the noise was on par with what it had been in Canterlot, there was no cheering here, nor any applause. Instead, yells of condemnation, threats, and expletives rang in Rose’s ears, causing her to stagger back, unwilling to leave the safety of the landing platform.

“They don’t seem to like you much, do they?” asked Discord. “I wonder why that is.”

“Come on,” said Dusk, unknowingly sparing Rose from having to answer. “The sooner we get to the main plaza, the sooner we can leave. Remember, despite everything, you are a symbol, not a pony. As such, smile, be courteous, and do not let them see how much this affects you. We will be with you the whole way.”

Rose nodded, and the four walked into the city, unwilling to dignify the backlash with the attention it required. However, said backlash seemed to follow them into the city, only backing off once the group had made it to the site of the event.

“I’m surprised they didn’t follow us into the plaza,” Rose commented. “Plenty of room to protest in here.”

“They’re probably afraid that they’ll learn something if they do,” Organizer said, then looked around. “Still, I’m glad they’re gone. And the event seems to be going well enough considering everything.”

“For now,” Dusk added. “I’m sure we’ll be seeing our fan club again when it comes time for Ms. Rose to speak. Ms. Timetable, you and Ms. Rose stay here and keep an eye on things. Mr. Organizer and I are going to go see what’s going on with the local representative and get our bearings. We’ll be back soon.”

Rose and Timetable nodded as Dusk and Organizer disappeared into the crowd, after which Rose took a moment to examine her surroundings.

“It looks just like the set up in Canterlot,” Rose muttered. “Only smaller.”

Looking around she could see the information kiosks and pamphlet tables arranged in the same manner and formation as had been used at the previous event. In fact, the only difference was that the clusters were tighter and the perimeter smaller.

“They would be,” Timetable said, startling Rose out of her observations. “I designed the set up template. Each local office received instructions and diagrams in order to ensure uniformity between the events.”

“Wow, so you put this together?” asked Rose. “The layout, the requirements, and the activities?”

“Not the activities,” corrected Timetable. “Those are Organizer’s department. He takes care of entertainment and figuring out how long each part of the event should take.”

“Oh, I thought ‘cause-“

“Yes, I know,” Timetable cut her off. “My name. But no, my special talent is my keen attention to detail. It just so happens that works for keeping and making schedules, but Organizer has a better hoof on those kinds of things.”

“Dusk must be glad he has you two to take care of things,” Rose said. “What’s it like working for him?”

Timetable thought for a moment before answering.

“He’s one of the most infuriatingly annoying and narcissistic ponies I have ever met,” she answered. “Once he gets an idea, everyone needs to agree with him; otherwise, they’re idiots, and he treats dissenters as such.”

Rose raised an eyebrow.

“I can tell why you stick around then,” she said. “I might go and sign up permanently if you keep up the praise.”

Timetable laughed.

“I would not want to work for anypony else, Rose,” she responded. “Yeah, he’s full of himself, but he’s also the smartest pony I know. He only has ears for his own ideas, but each of his ideas is brilliant, and he always seems one step ahead of everypony. The truth is that he acts like he’s the number one pony in Equestria, but rarely do those that work with him not find themselves believing he is too.”

“That good, huh?” asked Rose, unimpressed.

“That and he has such awareness and responsibility for everyone he meets.”

“Wait,” Rose interrupted. “I thought you said he was a narcissist.”

“Oh, he is. I’m sure you’ve seen it,” Timetable answered. “He loves himself and thinks he can perform miracles, but that’s the thing. He holds himself to that standard. He honestly thinks he can fix every problem he encounters, and when he can’t, he keeps trying. He doesn’t take failure well, especially when it involves the wellbeing of those around him.”

“Will you two stop gossiping and get over here?” Dusk called from a distance, motioning them over.

“You may not learn to like him or tolerate him,” Timetable said as she began walking in his direction, “But everyone learns to respect him.”

Rose thought of these words as she followed along.

“Great, now that the tea party is over we can get started,” Dusk said. “First things first: the event has apparently gone off without a hitch so far, which is both surprising and worrying. If we’re lucky we’ll continue to have no incidents, but as we’ve already established, we’re seldom lucky. Next, from the report I just read it would appear that enough pegasi have attended the event, asked questions, and taken pamphlets to establish that there IS a need for us here. However, we’re not going to win this city anytime soon with as many opposing us as there are, whether they are legitimate opposition or acting for the sake of appearances. No matter, though; once we win the rest of Equestria, it will put pressure on Cloudsdale and it may buckle. If not, we can make another stop here when it’s all said and done.”

“What about me and my speech?” asked Rose.

“You go on in two hours,” Dusk said. “Do be warned: I expect you will find hecklers in the audience, but just carry on through as if they’re not there. Ponies will be listening to you, even if they don’t act like it.”

Rose nodded.

“It’s a shame we couldn’t get any game-changing key players in this city. I really don’t like leaving Cloudsdale without having had made a significant impact,” Dusk grumbled.

“It’s ok, sir,” Timetable said. “Remember, these victories are cumulative. The response in Canterlot was more than enough to make up for the lack of response here. If we hit our average for every other city, the lack of support here will be insignificant.”

“I suppose so,” Dusk said. “Well, I’m off to help Organizer supervise the events. Rose, you can do as you wish but be on standby for your speech. Timetable, your family lives around here, do they not? You should go say hi. We will depart thirty minutes after Rose’s speech, so that’s when you have to be back, but you’re free from duty until then.”

A smile crept up on Timetable’s face.

“Thank you so much, sir!” she said, “I know I was supposed to... and, just thank you.”

Dusk watched with an amused stare as the pegasus took flight towards the residential area, then turned to look at Rose.

“That’s the usual reaction ponies use when they get to see their family after a long time away, Ms. Rose,” Dusk said sarcastically. “Do take notes.”

Rose rolled her eyes as he laughed and walked away.

“I like him,” Discord commented.

“Please shut up.”


Rose stood backstage, peering out from behind the curtain at the crowd that had assembled to watch her speak. The rumbles of the crowd carried through the air. The audience continued to grow in size as Rose’s countdown neared zero.

“Nervous?” asked Dusk.

“Yeah. Came to give me a pep talk?” responded Rose.

Dusk shook his head.

“This time you’re nervous for the right reasons,” he said. “Those ponies out there hate you and what you stand for. If given a chance, they would shut down this event, and since they can’t they will turn on you. They will criticize what you say, they will undermine your message, and they will probably refuse to applaud. I’d be nervous if I were you.”

“Well thank you, I feel so much better,” said Rose.

“Hey, wait,” Dusk said. “Look, I’m just saying that you have a right to be nervous, but I know you can push past it. For what it’s worth, they hate me too. We have a mission though, and while it’s ok to be scared, it’s not ok to give in, ok?”

Rose nodded.

“Well then, it’s time,” Dusk said, looking at the stage. “Organizer will announce your name in a second, so go ahead and get ready. Oh, and good luck.”

“Thank you,” Rose whispered as she listened for her name.

“And so I give the floor to Ms. Evening Rose,” Organizer called out from the stage.

Rose walked cautiously to the podium prepared for her, aware of the whispers and the glares directed in her direction.

“Isn’t this exciting?” said Discord. “Ooh, that one seems especially mad, this will be so much fun.”

Rose hissed at him in her mind, adjusting the microphone as she reached it.

“As you have just heard,” she began. “my name is Evening Rose, and it is a pleasure to be in your fine city. I am here t-“

“When do you leave?”

Rose was startled by the shout. She chanced a glance over the audience but failed to pick out from where the shout had come.

“It’s ok, Rose,” she thought to herself. “Just keep going.”

“I am here to speak as a transpony, in an effort to break the silence that our minority has suffered, and to inform you of the struggles your fellow ponies endure.”

“Aren’t you the one that perverted that filly down in Ponyville?”

“There are many misconceptions regarding transponies, myths and stereotypes, but the truth is out there for anyone willing to listen.”

“Yeah, that’s where I know the name from, in the newspapers. A poor confused filly is now living as a colt because of our speaker.”

“I… I know that… I know that it is hard to learn something you thought that you knew was… was false, but all that I ask is that you listen with an open mind, and-“

“She wants us to be ok with this perversion of nature!”

“Ever since he ‘came out,’ ‘transponies’ have been appearing everywhere. It’s his fault.”

“Why are we allowing this freak to speak in our city?”

Rose faltered, trying to regain her train of thought. She found this difficult to do, however, as she became more and more conscious of the growing insults and claims from the crowd.

“Not that it’s any of my concern,” said Discord, “But I think it’s best if you step down. They are beyond reasoning with. No one will say you didn’t try.”

“Get her off the stage.”

“No!” Rose shouted, silencing the crowd. “You will listen to me. I don’t care about what you think of me. I really don’t, but this isn’t about me. I’m not talking to you because I want you to treat me better. This has to do with ponies that are living throughout Equestria who are suffering. Ponies denied the harmony you all enjoy because they were born different from who they are. If you want to disagree with me, then fine. If you want to claim I am a threat for society, fine! But you will sit there and listen in silence as I talk for those who cannot talk for themselves.”

Silence followed her words as every pony waited for her to continue.

“I’m not asking you to change your minds, although listening to what I have to say might do that,” she said. “All I’m asking is that you listen with an open mind and an open heart. You don’t have to sympathize with the plight of a transpony to sympathize with the plight of a pony in need. You will find that they are one and the same; they need love, and understanding, just like every sentient being. All I want is for you to listen, and then make your own decisions.”

Some murmuring occurred within the crowd as a response, which was silence when a mare from the audience yelled out.

“What if we don’t want to listen to what you have to say?”

Rose readied her response but was cut off by a commanding voice.

“Then you do not have to be here.”

Gasps of shock and recognition sounded through the plaza as the Wonderbolts landed, led by Spitfire.

“Unless I am mistaken, none of you are being forcibly kept here,” Spitfire yelled at the crowd. “If you want to be filled with hate, bigotry, and prejudice, to violate the very foundation of Equestria, ‘Friendship and Harmony amongst all ponies,’ then I invite you to leave. Otherwise you will remain silent for those who do actually want to hear what the mare has to say.”

A few ponies shrunk in their seats as Spitfire and the rest of the team moved to some unoccupied seats.

“Why are they here?” Rose asked softly in bewilderment, which only grew when the team turned to face her.

Soarin and Spitfire exchanged knowing looks.

“We caught one of our Academy flyers trying to skip out on training,” Spitfire said, “She told us about you and about this event which she wanted to attend. We of course could not grant that request, as she needed to continue training, but we decided to come down as soon as we could to show our support. After all, we wouldn’t discriminate against a transpony joining the team; therefore we don’t think they should be discriminated against in general.”

Rose was amazed at how well Spitfire’s voice carried despite the distance, no doubt due to having to shout commands during training, but she still wondered how she had managed to hear her question.

“Surely her ears aren’t that well-trained…” she muttered to herself, only to hear the statement come out from the speakers.

Understanding and embarrassment flooded her features.

“Thank you so much for your explanation,” Rose stammered, “And for your attendance. It really means a lot.”

“After what we heard you’ve done for the cause, it’s the least we could do,” shouted Soarin. “Now please proceed.”

Rose took this as her cue, resuming her speech with renewed spirit and vigor. She essentially covered the same points as she did in Canterlot, but this time it was done with far more fervor and urgency. This was her one chance to change the minds of the ponies in the audience and she was not going to waste it by being meek.

“…The dangers to transponies are very real, as are their pain and their suffering… As was my pain and suffering. And that’s why we need to change, as a nation, as a society, and as individuals, because until every pony in Equestria can enjoy a life of harmony, none of us truly will. Thank you.”

Rose had expected booing, or even silence, as she finished her speech, but she had been unprepared for the applause she heard coming from the crowd.

It had started with a few ponies, the Wonderbolts and a few others, but slowly more ponies caved in and began clapping until only a few walked away with heads hung low.

Rose gave a polite bow and walked offstage to a waiting Dusk.

“That was fantastic,” Dusk exclaimed. “How come you never yell at me like that? It was so inspired!”

“I’ll keep that in mind next time,” Rose said smiling.

“I don’t know who tipped the Wonderbolts off, but we owe them and we owe them big,” Dusk said. “Their pull and influence in Cloudsdale, amongst pegasi in general, is so absolute that this little stunt will have the conversation going through the city. Local pegasi are going to be re-evaluating and thinking hard now between what they knew and what their idols say. We could not have asked for a better gift.”

“I’m pretty sure I know the pegasus that tried to come here,” Rose said. “I’m pretty sure it’s Rainbow Dash. I’m sure you read a report on her.”

“Yes – lots of attitude, element of loyalty, all that jazz,” Dusk said absentmindedly. “Well, she’s now your best friend, so make sure to take her out to dinner or buy her something nice, because she deserves it after this.”

“I’ll keep that in mind. Now are you going to calm down or should I take over your duties?” she asked.

“I’ll calm down soon enough,” he responded. “I’ll go deal with our transport while I’m still in a good mood. You have around thirty minutes. Why don’t you just hang out here and I’ll come get you when we’re ready to go?”

“Sounds good,” Rose said, watching as the earth pony walked away.

“Well that was quite the spectacle,” said Discord, appearing in his translucent form in front of her.

“Me getting heckled? Me yelling at the crowd? Or getting rescued by the Wonderbolts,” thought Rose.

“All of them,” exclaimed Discord. “I must say I’m impressed. You do apparently have a backbone, even if temporarily.”

“You don’t sound disappointed,” Rose thought.

“Well why would I be? I just watched you lose your cool. What do I have to be disappointed about?”

“No chaos happened,” she remarked. “I thought a riot was about break out, that what you had been warning me about was about to happen. You don’t know what the event will be either, so I figured you got your hopes up about it.”

Discord began laughing, much to Rose’s annoyance.

“No no, I’m sorry but no,” he said. “I knew this wasn’t it the whole time. At the most this would’ve been a riot that enveloped all of Cloudsdale. What you are going to cause is far bigger than such a silly squabble. Trust me, you’ll know for sure when it’s happening. There won’t be any doubt.”

“There wouldn’t be any doubt if you just looked at the future and told me,” she retorted.

“Oh, don’t give me that,” he said. “Remember, no cheating. Also, you have company.”

“What?” she asked, turning to face a teenage-looking mare standing on the other side of the fence. Rose could not help but notice how nervous she looked as she stammered a few times trying to introduce herself.

“May I help you?” asked Rose tentatively.

The mare stammered again before handing a newspaper article to Rose, who recognized it as the first newspaper article revolving around her.

“Would you please sign it?”

Rose turned to look at the mare again, who was holding a marker on a shaky outstretched hoof. She then looked between the mare, the marker, and the paper, processing the request.

With a slow nod, Rose reached out for the marker, taking it and signing her name over her picture before returning both the marker and the newspaper to their owner.

“Thank you so much, Ms. Rose,” the mare said, “You have no idea how much this means to me.”

“It was nothing,” Rose replied, smiling. “Really, I’m honored that you would think me that important in the first place.”

The mare looked shocked.

“Are you kidding?” the mare asked, “You are fighting so that ponies like me can live in peace. You stood there while they shouted at you because you want us to have a chance at happiness. Thanks to you there’s a chance that I will get to live as myself. Right now, there’s nopony more important than you.”

“I... um... Thank you,” Rose responded.

The mare in return, waved and flew away. Rose watched her go, unaware of the ponies that had landed behind her.

“She’s not lying either, you know?”

Rose turned around, coming face to face with Spitfire and the rest of the Wonderbolts.

“Sorry?”

“To her, and to ponies like her, there is nopony more important to them than you,” she said. “You are their hope for a better tomorrow, and you carry them with you whenever you speak. Don’t ever forget that.”

“I won’t,” Rose responded.

“Good,” Spitfire said, smiling. “You did good today; don’t let anypony tell you otherwise. We’ll work on spreading the message of your cause and dispelling some of the prejudice around here. I believe a newspaper wants to talk to me about our arrival here anyway. All you need to worry about is doing as much good at your next stop. Can you promise me you’ll do that?”

“Yes ma’am,” Rose answered.

“Great,” Spitfire said. “Well, I’ll be seeing you around.”

“Wait, Ms. Spitfire,” Rose called out. “Could you please tell Dash I said hi, and thank you?”

“Consider it done,” she responded.

The Wonderbolts took off towards the Academy, leaving a crowd of spectators behind.

“Oh, there you are,” Dusk said, walking up to Rose. “We’re ready to depart and the rest of the crew is already by the carriage. We should get a move on if we want to reach Vanhoover before dark.”

“Very well then,” Rose said, following behind him. “Lead the way.”

Author's Note:

And the first hurdle is jumped with a monumental assist from the Wonderbolts!

If only it were that easy right?

By the way, if any of you are thinking of participating in the Dysphoria Universe project, and are writing about someone from Cloudsdale, know that your character probably has the most to contend against, short of Manehattan. So yea.. best of luck!

Vanhoover on Friday!

Happy Reading,
-thedarkprep